ToolCrib.com broke a very interesting story the other day.

As some of you may know, Irwin Tools bought Vise-Grip some time ago. It is always sad to see a little company get bought up by the big boys because you always know that things will never be the same again. As is the case with Vise-Grip, when Irwin decided to close up shop in DeWitt, Nebraska, and move the production to China.

Fortunately for some of the 330 former employees of the DeWitt factory this story has a happy ending, and it could not have come at a better time. ToolCrib has reported that Nail Jack Tools has entered into an agreement to purchase the Vise-Grip factory. Thank God for companies that still see the benefits of keeping factories here in the States. After all, if people don't have work, how can they make money to buy products? I guess some companies don't understand this.

Just a question I have, and some thoughts on the subject.

Do you repair your broken tools, or do you replace them? Probably for every one of us there is a point at which we find a tool takes too much effort to repair, and decide to replace it. Maybe it has nothing to do with effort at all, but price, or even a combination of the two. But with more and more tools being made in China, or Mexico, you can't help but notice that the quality of tools has been suffering. Maybe now more then ever is the best time to repair that older tool that just seems better.

I am in this same predicament myself. I have a Porter-Cable Saw Boss that I just love to use, but it has a bent base. I tried to straighten it myself, but was unsuccessful at completely fixing the problem; though it is better then it was before. A new base for the saw costs around $40, and it is not a bad price, but what happens if the base gets bent again? Considering I didn't bend the base in the first place, there is no telling how long a new base would last.

What I really want is an upgraded version of the Saw Boss from Porter-Cable with a Magnesium base. It's the only way I can see to fix the problem.

Ahh to dream. :)

Did you know you can use Fein SuperCut ($720) attachments in a Dremel Multi-Max ($100). I didn't know either until just recently. Before I get into the how... you might be wondering why you would want to use Fein attachments in the Multi-Max. Well, Fein makes a lot of specialty attachments that are not yet available for the Dremel Multi-Max. For the regular sawing and sanding attachments you probably want to stick with the Dremel attachments... they are a heck of a lot cheaper, and if or when Dremel starts making their specialty attachments, they will probably be cheaper too.

Al at Multiblades.com figured out this little trick. Now you can use his blades on the Dremel too.

By coincidence or not, the blades from the Fein SuperCut fit perfectly on the Dremel Multi-Max. The only problem is, there is no way to hold them on. Basically all you have to do is take an old Dremel blade, cut off the saw part, and use the rest as a washer to hold on the Fein blade. It is so simple, I kind of think Dremel meant to do this, and plans to come out with an adapter in the future. Just one more reason to buy a Dremel Multi-Max. Al doesn't recommend using a 2-1/2" blade (shown) in the Dremel, he suggests 1-5/8" or smaller.

Buy a Dremel Multi-Max at Amazon

News from the Popular Woodworking Blog comes as a bit of a shock.

When PC Vice-President Dan Gregory said DeWalt tools were their professional-line tools, I was astounded, as were others. He explained that PC is attempting to position these tools for tradesman – an area of the market that PC feels is full of value-conscientious, value-driven buyers. PC is being sandwiched between Black & Decker (at the low end) and DeWalt (the high end). I’ve always thought my Porter-Cable routers and PC sanders were better than the DeWalt counterparts. - New Tools from Porter Cable

This comes as a shock to me too. Porter-Cable used to make really high quality, well built tools, and to hear that their name is going to be second to DeWalt is just weird. I was far more likely to buy a Porter Cable circular saw, or sander over DeWalt up until this news. Maybe this means DeWalt will start making higher quality tools. Does this mean Norm Abram is going to be using second rate tools on the New Yankee Workshop?

What do you think?

It looks a lot like the old Tool-Rank doesn't it?

I went ahead and upgraded the CMS that runs Tool-Rank even though I said I wasn't going to upgrade until after the new year. There are a few bugs, as I expected, but nothing too serious. One bug doesn't allow JavaScript on the forums, but that isn't a huge deal. The upgrade is also the reason there hasn't been any tool news in the past few day. I haven't been able to test everything yet, so if you find a bug, please let me know. I also have a lot of customizing I redo. It should be fun.

One thing I forgot. Users will have to upload a new avatar. For some reason they didn't want to take the journey to the new CMS.

 

Makita has announced the release of a new 5" random orbital sander. The new sander features a powerful 3-amp motor that allows 12,000 OPM, and large 1/8" orbit action. While it seems like most orbital sanders only vibrate, with the 1/8" movement, this one looks to have some real sanding power.

To help this sander stay working like new, year after year, the sander also features oversized sealed ball-bearing construction, and a dust-sealed switch, to minimize dust contamination. To keep you, and your work area clean, the sander utilizes a through-the-pad dust collection system and fabric dust bag with a wide mouth for faster disposal. Also available are a variety of hoses and adapters that allow you to attach your new toy tool to your shops vacuum system.

Model BO5030K includes abrasive paper, dust bag, and tool case. MSRP $69.00

Model BO5030 includes the abrasive paper and dust bag. MSRP $64.00

A lot of questions have been going around the woodworking community wondering why the newest Milwaukee miter saws (The 6955-20 and 6950-20) do not include the very much standard hold down clamp. Another question is why the right fence does not slide, while the left one does.

Not knowing these answers myself, I decided to send an email to Milwaukee, and see if I would get an answer.

I did, and here is what they said.

"The clamp is not included because the vast majority of professional finish carpenters (our target user) do not use clamps.
Regarding the sliding fence, while the right fence will not slide, it is easily removable."

So we got a straight answer about the clamp, but no real answer about why the right fence does not slide.

I am a finish carpenter, and use a miter saw for a lot of my daily work; while I agree that a clamp is not used very often, they are very useful when they are needed. It is nice to know you have that option if you need it, and at times can keep your fingers safe. At the price you are paying for the saws, it seems to me a little silly to exclude a relatively cheep accessory, that also adds a bit of safety.

The right fence not being able to slide is a bit weird. They say it is easily removable, but what if you are cutting base standing up, and sharing the saw with someone who is cutting crown lying flat. You would be taking the fence on and off the whole day. From what I have been hearing, there is a "hack" you can perform to solve this problem, but why should we have to do it.

If you already own this saw, let us know if you agree with Milwaukee. Also be sure to add you review in our power tool reviews section.

This is one of the things I really love about Makita; they are always looking for ways to improve their tools.

“We did some research on our best-selling BHR240, and made it even better,” said Ethan Haughawout, Makita’s associate product manager – cordless products.

So you might be wondering what makes this tool better then the previous model. Makita was able to make the new BHR202 smaller, and added the same vibration reduction technology to the BHR202, that is found in their high-torque impact wrench. This means a more comfortable tool for you, and the extra loss in vibration adds more life to your batteries.

Lets get down to the features.

The Makita built motor delivers 1-1,000 RPM and 0-4,000 BPM. It has a 3-position switch to go from drilling, to hammering, to drill/hammering. A built in torque limiter clutch is designed to disengage if the bit happens to jam, and a 360° chuck with 40 different locking positions allows you to chisel at the position that is best for you. And of curse the BHR202 features, what is pretty much standard with all Makita tools, a built in LED light for more visibility, and Makita’s 18V Lithium-Ion battery technology.

The BHR202 will be available September 15, 2008.

MSRP for the complete package, including: Tool, depth gauge, side handle, 2 ea. Lithium-Ion (3.0Ah) batteries, Rapid Optimum

Charger, and contractor bag is $489. MSRP for tool only is $259

What is the last thing you want to do after you have finished your newly remodeled bathroom? How about cracking a ceramic tile while trying to hang your towel rod. It seems that tiles keep getting harder and harder, but the bits just can't seem to keep up. 

Bosch aims to solve these problems with their new glass and tile bits that boast a unique geometry that allows them to drill better, faster, and last longer then traditional glass bits. Made of tungsten carbide, the precision diamond ground point eliminates walking, and allows for smooth cutting. Best suited for glass, ceramic walls, and ceramic floors; the new bits should be a welcomed addition to professionals and DIYers tool boxes.

 

Find more information at http://boschtools.com

The new right angle drill from Makita, again builds from Makita's ever growing line of 18volt LXT Lithium-Ion tools.

The BDA350 Cordless Angle Drill is a must have for anyone that frequents close combat drilling. The BDA350 uses a Makita 4-pole motor that delivers the speed and power in a compact size, giving this tool an excellent power-to-weight ratio. Up to 1,800 RPM's, and 121 in.lbs. of torque worth of power to be exact. With the use of a keyed chuck, Makita was able to get the head size to only 2-5/8". Of course the drill also feature an LED light, for greater visibility.

Model BDA350 kit includes: two 18 volt LXT Lithium-Ion (3.0Ah) batteries, Rapid Optimum Charger, contractor bag, and battery cover. MSRP:369

Model BDA350Z Tool Only MSRP: $159