Tool Blog

Thought NiCad was dead? Guess again. We knew DeWalt planned to support their 18-volt line for years down the road, but I just assumed that meant their 18-volt lithium-ion line. It turns out that is not the case at all, because DeWalt has just announced the new DW059HK-2 1/2-inch Impact Wrench that uses good old 18-volt NiCad technology. This should be good news for people with a stock of 18-volt DW batteries, and don't feel it is time to upgrade. "The DW059HK-2 complements the other tools in our 18 volt system and...

The one features that everyone is still waiting for on oscillating tools, is tools-less blade change. Fein, the originator of the tool has had this feature for a few years now, but at this point, Fein and Porter-Cable are the only ones with the tool-less blade change feature. Now it looks like Bosch Germany is releasing a tool-less oscillation tool of their very own. This is good news if the tool eventually makes its way to the US, but that can only happen if it doesn't violate any current patents. It likely doesn't violate any Fein...

I have never been a fan of folding utility knives. They always felts cheap, the mechanism that holds the blade in place seemed dangerous, and they were darn right uncomfortable to use. Their handiness was far outweighed by their design flaws. With all of the flaws in the Utility Folder class, could DeWalt's introduction of the DWHT10035 Folding Retractable Utility Knife do any better than the folders on the market today? DeWalt sent over the knife so I could find.

We have seen a few professionally made drill powered mini bikes in the past, but it is so much cooler when you can build one yourself; like Jay from Coptool did. Jay had the idea of building a drill powered vehicle and he let his inner child take over to dream it up. Jay started out with a KickBike scooter that he purchased from Amazon for around $260, this was going to be the body of his build. He chose this particular model scooter because it uses a large front wheel that adds stability. Jay also...

We might not think of ourselves as dare devils, but climbing up on scaffolding, being lifted 50 feet into the air in a small bucket, or walking across narrow steel beams, are all jobs your average person would not be willing to do. We are dare devils, we just don't get the fame. Well now is the time to show off. Bosch wants to see your dare devil shots, but always remember, safety first. If Bosch likes your photo/s you could win a Bosch Circular Saw, Bosch DareDevil Saw Blades, and a Mike Metzger...

DeWalt has just announced the launch of their new 3-beam line-laser (DW089K), and oh how I love to use lasers at work. They make leveling so easy that it is funny to even think about going back to using regular levels to mark long level lines across walls. I think the line-laser is one of the most invaluable tools on the jobsite, at least in my trade. The DW089K is not unlike other line-lasers on the market today, but it does have a rather handy added feature, a third laser line. This extra vertical line gives...

If you are a serious woodworker or even an avid amateur, you probably have some form of dust collection for your shop tools. We all know that dust in the lungs is a bad thing, especially if the dust is from manufactured or composite woods. Dust collectors are good at keeping dust levels down in the workplace, except for when you need to clean them out. Those filters get blocked up with so much loose dust that when you remove them, the dust goes everywhere. You almost need an extra dust collector running when clean out your dust collector....

I always like to promote my local tools store's tools sales, and this time it is all about Bosch. Tools R Us is offering huge sale prices on most of Bosch's popular tools, and even some of the newest Bosch tools. Check out the images below to see what is being offered.  If you are in the area of Montclair California any time this week and you like tools, you probably want to check it out. Warning - Large Image Links

When do you ever open up a new can of paint or stain, and finish the entire can in one go? Unless you are a professional, the chances are pretty good that you rarely finish the full thing in one day. So what ends up happening is you seal up the can, and put it on the shelf to used at a later date. After a few projects have gone by, you turn to your dust covered can of finish and open it up to find a hard skin over the surface. What a...

Bosch has recently announced a new Saw blade that is part of their DareDevil line. The blade is designed to perform better and last longer than other blades on the market, and if they are anything like their DareDevil Spade bits, framers really having something to look forward too. The boost in performance is due partly to features like Bosch's C3 Micrograin Carbide teeth, which are said to not only stay sharper longer, but they can also resist impact damage. Other features include a special coating on the blade that helps to reduce binding in wet...