Tool Blog

You might already have some Christmas gift woodworking projects in the works, but be sure to free up some extra time for the 2010 Lumber Jocks Woodworking Awards. Twice a year, in the summer and the winter, Lumber Jocks hosts a woodworking competition for its members. It is a way to show off your work, get creative, and also win some great prizes. The category for this winter is Yin Yang. LJ wants to see your best work featuring woods of contrasting colors, and an explanation of how you used the Yin Yang effect in your...

I hope you are not tired of reading about pocket tools here at Tool-Rank because they seem to be popping up everywhere these days. I don't know what the record is for the most tools in one tool per square inch, but The Piranha is probably pretty high on the list. At only 3 7/8” in length and .150” thick, the Stainless Steel Piranha packs a pretty hefty amount of tools. It features both open and box wrenches in six sizes ranging from 9/16” - 1/4”, a bottle opener, nailer puller, scraper, and even a...

Bosch has combined the best of a cordless impact driver with the things you need with a cordless drill to bring you their new 3-Mode Impact Drill/Driver. This new tool has the look and feel of a regular impact driver, and even uses the same 1/4” hex chuck, but the ability to turn off impacting with the flick of a switch is what makes the tool special. Most people do not want to have to carry around both an impact and a drill and if you are running large screws, an...

A man can never have enough screwdrivers, at least I don't think so, but how often do you actually have one on yourself when you need it? The Screwpop is just what you need to solve your screwdriver-less woes as well as make you the life of the party. It features both a #2 Phillips and a #2 Flat head screwdriver as well as a 1/4 hex nut driver and a party popping bottle opener. At just under $5 bucks, the Screwpop would make a great stocking stuffer, but unfortunately for us the Screwpop is...

How often do you find yourself working on a project only to find out that you do not have the correct screwdriver to complete your task. It is not that you need a specialty screwdriver, but the simple fact that you cannot find your #1 Phillips head. If only you owned the Scruzol with its on-board storage of 12 bit tips. The Scruzol is by no means the first screwdriver with on-board storage, but it is the first I have seen that can be used in your hand and in your powered...

You might not have known it, but 2009 marks the 120th year Stabila has been in business. Stabila was founded by the Ullrich brothers in 1889 as the “Meter Factory” whose claim to fame was the invention of the folding rule. It is pretty amazing that Stabila has not only been around for over 100 years, but that they were able to survive through both World Wars. Then again, for all I know the wars could have helped more then hurt them. When people think of Stabila, we automatically think of levels....

This topic comes from an email I was sent last night pointing out that Makita cordless combo cases in Germany are hard plastic unlike the soft luggage style cases we get here in the US. They are basically larger versions of the standard molded plastic case, with a specific place for every tool. There is no question that these larger molded cases offer greater protection for your tools, but are also pretty bulky and seem like they would be hard to carry around the jobsite. I myself, am a fan of the...

Grinders are one of the few tools on the jobsite that are true multitaskers and likely a good reason to make sure you get a good one. They can cut, sand, grind, shape, polish and sharpen, something many of us do on a daily basis. The two new Makita angle grinders – GA4030/K (4”) and GA4530 (4-1/2”) are powered by a Makita built industrial 6 AMP motor - gotta love Makita for building their own motors and not using something off the shelf. These 11,00 RPM motors are also sealed to protect...

If there is one thing that makes time fly on the jobsite, it is a good work environment. One of the easiest ways to improve your work environment is by adding a little Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture to your day. But you can't take just any radio to the jobsite, there are to many hazards. You need a radio that can withstand a fall from the rooftop, a punt down the stairs and even a game of car bowling. The new M12 radio from Milwaukee Tools survived all this and more, but you don't have to take...

Well over a year after Milwaukee released their line of 12-inch miter saws, they have now come out with a new heavy duty miter saw stand, which in my opinion is a year late. However if you have been holding out for a Milwaukee stand or you are just now looking for a better way to make your miter saw more mobile, it doesn't look like the 48-08-0550 Miter Stand will disappoint. In typical Milwaukee fashion, the 48-08-0550 is no light weight. The stand weighs in at 56.3 lbs which is a...