Tool Blog

Just last week I had to go inside the door panel on my Ford Explorer to try and figure out why the lock mechanism was no longer working and boy is it tight in there. Even though I could see where I needed to work with a flashlight, when it came to doing the actual work, my hand always seemed to cast a shadow. What I needed was hand tools with built in lights.

The world of tools is filled with lots of questions and confusions, which are sometimes magnified by tool manufacturers and their fancy way of using words to try and sell you something. These confusions can be hard for the consumer who just wants to buy the right tool. So, in order to clear up some of these questions, I thought I would answer some of the most common questions I receive.

Back in the late 90's you could not turn on the TV without seeing a commercial for a household vacuum that offered dual-cyclonic action. These commercials taught us that a vacuum with one cyclone was great, but one with dual cyclones is even better. The Dust Deputy videos have shown us how well their cyclone kits work on shop dust, so imagine what two more cyclones could do.

When you need to bore a clean precision hole, the forstner bit is probably pretty high on your list of bits to choose from. The center point is long enough to ensure that the bit doesn't wonder, but it is also short enough to allow the user to make stop cuts without breaking through the other side. But this short center really limits one's ability to use a forstner bit to drill on an angle. This, is where the Festool ZOBO bit aims to fill the gap

All of the major brands, and many of the smaller brands, have oscillation tools on the market, except for Makita. A few rumors have been circulating around the internet that Makita is coming out with something in 2012, possibly 18V cordless, but I have not heard anything official from Makita just yet. However, a recent patent discovery tells us that Makita is at least working on an oscillation tool, and it could have a universal blade mount.

Sears Holdings promised that a full list of the 100-120 closing Sears and Kmart stores would be coming soon, and today they have announced the first 79. The closures are pretty evenly split between Sears and Kmart, however, a good portion of the Sears closings are for Sears Grand/Essentials stores. The Grand and Essentials stores, as well as Kmart, more closely resemble Wal-Mart stores which could be the reason why they are not doing as well. I think my idea of making Sears into tool/appliance stores could do them some good by not having them compete...

I think one of the coolest advancements over the last few years is in 3D printing. The process is desirable because it allows architects, designers, inventors, etc, the ability to see their concept in 3D in a matter of hours. One of the most common 3D printing methods involves inkjet printing a binder onto a layer of powder. Each layer is stack printed in place, thus creating a 3D model. If you are watching the current season of This Old House, you have seen the method in action.

Is my prediction of the end of Sears already starting to come true? I made this prediction when it was announced that Craftsman tools would be sold at Ace Hardware stores, then just two weeks ago a Wall St. analysis made the prediction that Sears would disappear in 2012.

It is rare that a company turns to the public in search of product testers and even rarer that we actually know what the product is beforehand, but such is the case this time. Festool is seeking 25 people to test out their new Domino XL and provide their feedback. As I think you can gather from the name, the Domino XL is much like the original Domino, only larger.

What is a gift that keeps on giving? How about a Torchmate CNC Machine? With one of these, you are only limited by your imagination. As mentioned before, the Torchmate has the ability to use both a plasma cutter and a small Bosch Colt 1HP router to make its cuts. It is no wonder why Santa took to making extra gifts with a Torchmate he delivered for Christmas. Read all about it in the Torchmate version of "Twas The Night Before Christmas".