News

Some people just refuse to wear gloves and rely on their egos to protect them, but I am not one of these people. I have nothing to prove to anyone and have never planned on entering the worlds toughest hand contest. I have always been an advocate of hand protection, so when Snap-On said they had some gloves for me to test out, I was all for giving them a go. When shopping for a pair gloves, I look for a few things that are on the top...

Time is money. So when you find a product that saves you a ton of time, even though it might cost a little extra, you know it is still worth it. The SpeedTape from FastCap is one of these great money saving products. SpeedTape is a double-sided tape that is specifically designed for quick and easy veneering and laminating. I first used SpeedTape on a large paneling job at a new church project here in SoCal. Most of the panels were cut to size at the shop, but the ones that required a custom fit...

DeWalt might have been the last of the big name manufacturers to release a line of 12-volt ultra compact lithium-ion tools, but when they entered they landed with a rather large thud. While the other brands have released a tool here and a tool there, DeWalt has come out with a full line of seven tools all at once. The new line includes: 1/4” Screwdriver ( DCF610S2), 3/8” Drill/Driver ( DCD710S2), 1/4” Impact Driver ( DCF815S2), 3/8” Impact Wrench ( DCF813S2), LED Work Light ( DCL510), Inspection Camera ( DCT410S1), and Infrared Thermometer ( DCT414S1)....

I did not know this up until a few months ago, but we lost another great American company last year. The failing economy has claimed a lot of businesses, and back in December 2009 Perry Scaffolding closed their doors for good. It is hard to think that a company that had a foot on just about every jobsite I have ever been on could not survive, but unfortunately stuff like this just happens. Sure there are other US manufacturers that produce great scaffold systems, but what about the person that wants to add to their existing Perry...

I just got some weird news from our buddy Nate over at CPO Outlets. Starting July 1st, SKIL will no longer sell or ship their X-Bench Portable Workstation to the state of California. Due to a new environmental law passed in the state, the X-Bench no longer meets the California standards. This is all because of the MDF top that is part of the X-Bench, and its use of formaldehyde. To make a long story short, during aftermath of the disaster that was hurricane Katrina it was determined that formaldehyde could “leak”...

A little over a year ago it was announced that RBI Hawk would be closing their doors. It is always sad when a small company goes out of business, especially a company that makes their products here in the USA. Not only do we lose an American company, but it puts a lot of people out of work. However, there is good news. Just when people in the scroll saw communities were feeling low, in swoops Bushton Manufacturing to save the day. It didn't take long for Bushton to pick up where RBI left off,...

Have you ever found yourself using your keys as a pry bar in a moment of desperation? I know I have. This is not one of the best ideas, that is soon realized when your keys no longer work; but we work with what we have. The Micro Widgy Bar is the smallest pry I have ever seen, with a length of only 3”. If I had it on my key ring, my keys would be in much better shape – Live and learn. The Micro Widgy is the little bro to the...

In an effort to stave off breast cancer and find a cure, Paslode has started the “Let's Nail the Cure” program. I do not know if your were aware of this, but Paslode offers a way for Paslode cordless nailer users to add a bit of flare to their nail guns with their line of graffiti skins. These decals fit right on the body of the nailer and adds a bit of style to an otherwise plain looking tool. Paslode has now come out with a new breast cancer awareness skin, in which 25% of the...

For those of you that rely completely on cordless tools, you know the importance of having plenty of extra batteries on hand; one battery just wont do. You can buy extra batteries at $100 or more each, or you can go a completely different route with the Ultimate Battery Power, or UBP for short. The UBP is an all-in-one solution for people that need more run time then your standard battery pack can offer. It has the capacity of 3.5 batteries at the cost of only around 2 batteries. The UBP works...

Bosch added three new digital laser measures to their line up that are sure to impress. The GLR225, coming out this month, looks to be the next step up from the previous DLR130K & DLR165K. It features a 230 foot range and an accuracy of 1/16”. It also adds the Pythagorean theorem function that was available in the DLR165K, but was missing from the DLR130K. In total, the GLR225 offers 7 different measurement modes – length, area, volume, minimum/maximum, continuous, indirect length and multi-surface area measurements. The new min/max mode allows users to sweep...