We see a lot of interesting tools throughout the year and the Skil Model 3600 Flooring Saw is certainly one of them with its unique rail design. It was made with wood and laminate flooring installers in mind and covers many of their needs with this one saw, that would normally require more. It provides 0-47 degree miter cutting to replace your miter saw, with miter detents at 22 ans 45 degrees. It also can be used as a table saw replacement and rip flooring up to 8 inches wide. This is done by locking the saw in place and pushing your material through. It uses a 7 amp motor to spin a 40 tooth 4-3/8 inch carbide blade which allows for cutting hardwoods up to 3/4 inches thick.

You can almost call the saw a portable radial arm saw.

It seems Skil thought of everything and made the height of the saw the same as 2x material. Using 2x as buildup should eliminate the hassle of cutting long pieces. A portable saw isn't any good if it is heavy, so Skil was able to keep the weight down to 24 lbs. by using cast aluminum.

At $159, the 3600 Flooring Saw is priced just right for the DIYer, but Skil also says it is built tough enough for even the pros.

[:cicn:] Skil Flooring Saw – CPO Skil – Amazon

Thanks to user PutnamEco for the tip

When Makita comes out with new tools, it seems like they always do it in numbers and such is the case with their new drywall screwdriver line. Makita has announced three new screwdrivers, one to fit each persons needs. All three models feature a 6 amp motor, an aluminum gear housing, adjustable depth locator, and they would not be Makita's without LED work lights.

The only difference in the models are the maximum speeds. The FS2200 delivers 2,500 RPM and weighs 3.5 lbs. The FS4200 delivers 4,000 RPM , and the FS6200 delivers 6,000 RPM; both weigh 2.9 lbs. Makita also has a couple model variations: FS4200A features a 50 ft. cord, FS4200TP features a 50 ft. Twist lock cord. Model FS6200TP also features a 50 ft. twist lock.

Makita - Website
[:cicn:] Makita Drywall Screwdrivers - Amazon

Craftsman has one, Bosch has one, and now Rockwell has announced their own version of the cordless 12 volt oscillation tool. The big advantage that Rockwell has over the other companies, is that they already have a pretty big following with their corded version. This means that you can use most of your corded SoniCrafter attachments with your new cordless SoniCrafter. In fact, I believe the only attachment at this time that will not work with the cordless SoniCrafter is the recently announced SoniShear.

The specs for the cordless SoniCrafter are similar its corded brother, using the same 3.2 degree oscillation angle. The difference is that the cordless can run at a slower oscillating speed at the bottom end, 5,000 – 20,000 vs 11,000 – 20,000 for the corded unit. A nice addition is a built in LED light that not only illuminates your cut, but also warns you when you need to recharge your batter by flashing. The tool runs off of a 12 volt lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged in 30 minutes, or reach a 75% charge in 15 minutes.

The Rockwell 12V SoniCrafter Model# RK2514K2 is listed at $169.99 and will be available Spring 2010.

Paslode must have some really good scientists and engineers on their staff, because they have managed to somehow make a framing nail that is both easier to drive, and has 20% better holding strength over a traditional framing nail. Their new PowerBoost black tip nail coating was specifically designed to help cordless framing nailers, such as the Paslode CF325, drive nails flush into the the hardest of engineered lumber, such as LVL.

“Rather than build a bigger, heavier tool with more power and larger fuel cells, we decided to look at ways to make the tool more powerful through new nail innovations," said Jacek Romanski, Market Manager for Paslode.

The new nails are shipped in a Fuel + Nail Combo pack, with one fuel cell for every 1000 nails. They can be purchased in both a 1000 pack and a 3000 pack at a 3” or 3-1/4” nail size.

Paslode

If cutting with the SoniCrafter wasn't easy enough for you, their new SoniShear attachment simplifies the task even further. The SoniShear attaches to the SoniCrafter the same as their other accessories, and adds scissor like cutting capabilities to the tool.

The shearing blade operates at up to 20,000 strokes per minute, and Rockwell says it can cut materials up to 5/16” thick. Things like corrugated board, plastic packaging (I know we all hate this), leather, carpet, canvas, netting, vinyl sheet, paper, and rubber matting should be no problem for the new attachment.

“The SoniShear accessory zips through literally thousands of materials quicker thanever and with less operator fatigue,” said Jeanne White, Rockwell product manager. “It cutscontours, curves and straight lines with ease.”

The Rockwell SoniShear Model #RW9247 is set to be priced at $24.99 and is expected to be available online and in stores in early spring 2010.

[:cicn:] Rockwell Tools Direct - Amazon

Anyone that leaves their tools on the jobsite knows that there is always a risk of them growing legs during the night; this is also a problem for contractor's supplies and materials. We all do are best to make sure things are as secure as possible, but we can never really be sure if they will be there the next morning. If you have a multimillion dollar contract, then security guards are probably your best bet; but many contractors are on a much smaller scale.

The other day I spotted a product online called Tattletale which looks like it could solve some of these security problems. It is basically a portable alarm system that communicates wirelessly with a number of sensors you place around the jobsite. Sensors include everything from indoor & outdoor motion detectors, to smoke detectors, and even an alarmed security loop for heavy equipment and materials. Tattletale has pretty much everything covered, including 24/7 wireless monitoring, but of coarse all this protection comes at a price; the base station alone cost $800 plus $150 - $400 each for various sensors. Additionally you will need the 24/7 monitoring service which costs $420 a year. Depending on the size of the jobsite, the cost can really add up.

So, is your jobsite worth the cost of Tattletale protection?

Tattletale - Website
[:cicn:] Wood Werks

The makers of the very popular Painter's Pyramid are at it again with a spinoff called the Finishing Turntable. The Painter's Pyramid for those of you that don't know, is a simple but ingenious way to elevate your woodworking projects for finishing. The pyramid shape keeps your work piece stable, while the points do little to disturb your finish.

The Finishing Turntable as the name suggests, adds the ability to turn your workpiece for even easier finishing. With finishing, less handling usually means less problems and a better looking final result. There is also the added benefit of being able to now finish in a much smaller area then before. Instead of you having to move around your workpiece, you can relax and spin the workpiece.

Home Fixated has recently completed a review of the Finishing Turntable, and found it to be “simple to use”. When painting or staining by hand, they found that heavier objects were the most stable and less likely to shift. However when spray finishing weight was not an issue.

All in all the Finishing Turntable looks like a great idea, though the price might be a little high for some at $50.

Finishing Turntable
[:cicn:] Finishing Turntable - Amazon - Rockler

More and more these days people are moving away from square corner-bead in new construction. Instead, they are turning to a 3/4” rounded bullnose corner bead. This style adds a modern touch to the building, but at the same time has the feel of old Spanish-style missions. But how do you add trim to a rounded corner?

Anyone looking to put out high quality woodwork knows the importance of precision tools. One easy way to make sure your work is at its best is by using tools that are square, level, and flat. Now it would be nice if all our tools came perfectly set from the manufacturer, but the fact is they don't, and the shipping process would most likely ruin the factory adjustments anyway.

The DigiAlign from iGaging is a simple tool that takes a lot of effort out of adjusting just about any shop tool with a miter slot and even some without. The idea is to use the DigiAlign to help you correct any alignment issues between your miter slot and your saw blade, router bit, etc.

Lets take a table saw for example: First you would want to use the DigiAlign to make sure your miter slot is parallel with your saw blade, then you would also want to check your miter slot with your rip fence. You can hardly beat the accuracy of .001” the DigiAlign offers.

If you are up for a fun filled day of adjusting, you can pick up the DigiAlign for around 50 dollars.

iGaging
[:cicn:] DigiAlign - Amazon

Stanley has had pretty good success when it comes to flashlights, so it comes at no surprise that they have added yet another flashlight to their line. This new model loses the popular tripod found on many of the Stanley lights, but gains a nifty clamping system. The clamp opens up to 4 inches, so you should have no problem clamping onto 4x4 lumber and should also work on smaller items.

The Stanley 95-891 uses a 3-watt LED light, so in theory the light should be pretty bright. The flashlight also has the option to use either 2 or 4 C-cell batteries, which will determine the run time time of either 15 or 30 hours. A light is no good unless you can point it where you want it; Stanley knows this and built the 95-891 with a 360 degree rotatable head which also can be tilted 120 degrees. You can purchase the Stanley for around $30 both in stores and online.

Stanley Tools
[:cicn:] Stanley 95-891 Flashlight - Amazon