Stanley snips aren’t new; in fact they’ve been around in their current form for at least a decade.  We use them to cut everything from leather to aluminum — and they always perform without fail. 

There are 3 types available: straight cutters for straight lines as well as right hand twist and left hand twist versions which cut even and smoothly in a right or left direction.  The snips blades have a serrated cutting edge that prevents materials from slipping during the cut and are designed to slice through material all the way up to 18-gauge steel.

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Chris M. writes: “This is a great tool for removing all types of nails and fasteners.  It works great on headless pneumatic nails.”

It looks pretty interesting.  There are lots of pictures on the site (linked below), but essentially it works by you clamping the nail in the plier-like jaws, then rotating the handles downward, rolling them along their curved bottom side to create leverage and pull the nail.

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Andrew C writes: “Harbor Freight has an acceptable (+/- about 0.002″) dial caliper, which is a great tool when you need ‘precise’ measurements.  I last used mine to measure the shelf pegs for a custom cabinet that used (it turned out) 17/64″ pegs.

‘I’ve also got an HF digital caliper, but it seems like every time I want to use that one the batteries are dead.  The dial caliper keeps working so it’s the one I take with me.”

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According to the Bradenton Herald (via Newsday), Bob Vila’s launching his own tool line.  Really.  From their coverage:

“Designed to be user-firnedly enough for the average homeowner, piece range from $16.90 for a utility knife to $79.90 for a 300-piece drill accessory kit.”

The tools are to be sold via the Home Shopping Network and directly via Bob’s own site, so we strolled over to BobVila.com to check ‘em out.  At first glance, they appear to be similar in build quality to the “celebrity” brands created for and marketed to women recently.  One major difference: Bob seems to have put some real thought into the accessories provided with many of the kits.

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According to Advertising Age, the AutoWrench was one of the most sought-after tools this Christmas, largely because of Black & Decker and Home Depot’s heavy TV and print advertising.  According to Ad Age:

“Black & Decker declined to disclose sales figures, but the wrench sold out quickly at Home Depot’s 2,127 stores.  ‘We sold everything we bought by Christmas,’ said Billy Bastek, a hardware merchant for Home Depot.  (Sales are ‘loco,’ a Spanish-speaking sales associate in a New Jersey store told a consumer unable to find the wrench at two Home Depots on Dec. 23.)

The article also mentions finding one of the wrenches for a buy-in-now price of $57.99 on eBay two days after christmas.

Besides the fact that we’ve had a bit of fun with the AutoWrench — and the inventor, who’s a very nice guy, by the way, reads and comments from time to time here — this article’s worth checking out because it gives you a glimpse behind the “magic curtain” at how tool companies promote their tools.

How Black & Decker’s Wrench Stole Christmas — And Other Hot Products [Ad Age]

For many of us, the garage doubles as the “shop”, “work area,” and (sadly, sometimes) “storage unit”  Assuming you can still fit a car in — and if your ride is a bit older (or going under the knife) — you’ve got to worry about all the fluid it can drop all over the “shop” floor causing a stain on the concrete and a mess to clean up later.  Pans suck because they always end up filling up or sliding around.  Why not consider an oil absorbent mat? 

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According to WVLT-TV out of Knoxville, TN, DeWalt is recalling 44,000 model DC305 36V Reciprocating Saws (pictured above) “which they believe can short circuit, posing a fire hazard.”  From WVLT-TV’s coverage:

“DeWalt has received four reports of short circuits in the switch of these saws.  One of these incidents was a report of a fire resulting in extensive damage, though the cause of this fire has not been confirmed.  Another fire reportedgle resulted in minor damage, and two other incidents resulted in melting damage to the units.  No injuries were reported.”

If you’ve got a DC305 with a date code between 200601-49 and 200640-49, you should stop using the saw immediately and contact DeWalt at (866) 751-9562 (between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday) for a free repair.

This recall came right on the heels of a similar recall for model DW660 cut out saws a few days ago.

DeWalt Reciprocating Saw Recall [WVLT-TV]

Living in the West, it’s easy to forget that we’re not the only ones using power tools; they’re a necessity for construction and daily labor throught the developed world.  An article I ran across today on the ITP Business site about Black & Decker’s “ambitions growth plans for its operations in the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent” really drove that home.

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For her birthday a few months ago I gave my wife a Coast V2 dual color Tac Torch. I was mystified why she would what one at first but after playing with it for a bit I understand now:  It’s the best of both worlds – a tough, lightweight LED flashlight that casts a powerful beam in two colors. 

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(Sunday, December 31st, 2006) We hope that TV executives everywhere have resolved to make more DIY shows in the new year.

All times are central.

• How It’s Made: Episode 22 (Science, 7:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Episode 23 (Science, 7:30 p.m.)
• Classic Tractor Specials (RFD-TV, 8:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Concrete Vanity (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Tricked Out: 2001 Celica: Acrylic Subwoofer Enclosure (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)

Enjoy, and happy new year!

Lots of companies make these, and they’re a lifesaver if you have a two or three-car garage with more than one door.  While you might get away with keeping the opener for each door in the car that’s parked there normally, eventually you’ll get caught out wanting to open the other door.  You could carry around two separate openers, but why not just pick up a universal that’ll open ‘em both?

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If you own a tap and die set — or are planning on doing pretty much any kind of metalworking — you need a 115-piece drill bit set.  Why 115 pieces?  Thats how many bits it takes to cover all fractional, numbered, and lettered sizes.

The best part?  You don’t have to spend a fortune to pick one up.

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We’ve decided to extend our Submit a Tool, Win a Tool offer, and we’re offering up some of the smaller post-test tools hanging around the office.  This week we’re going to send one to our favorite tool submission.  If you’ve got a minute, drop us a line using the Submit a Tool form and let us know what’s in your shop that we should have in ours.

By the way: What’d you all get for Christmas tool-wise?  (Besides all the winners in the Fuego giveaway.  We know what you got.)

Submit a Tool [Toolmonger, of course]

You’ve probably got a bottle of Gorilla Glue around the shop, but have you heard about Gorilla tape?  We selected this as one of PopSci’s Best of What’s New 2006 winners, and while I was researching it I became quite a fan.

Why’s it so cool?  By including a layer of adhesive twice as thick as standard duct tape, Gorilla Tape’s engineers endowed it with the ability to “mold” around imperfections on rough surfaces — letting you tape things like bricks and wood together.  They also doubled the thread count in the tape’s woven backing, but offset the second grid of fibers slightly to allow you to tear the higher-tensile strength tape by hand.

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Earlier today Sean extolled the virtues of keeping extra bolts around the shop.  Not only do I wholeheartedly agree — I’d like to also recommend that you pick up a similar set of electrical crimp terminals like the one pictured above.

If you’re doing any kind of automotive work, you won’t believe how often you end up needing a ring, butt, or spade terminal.  Having a couple is good.  Having 1,012 is better.  You’re way more likely to find what you need without a trip to the hardware store.

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Sorry to get this to you so late, but hey — how many of you weren’t aware that Sears runs post Christmas sales?  Anyway, if you didn’t already get everything you wanted for Christmas — or you’ve got some gift cards burning a hole in your wallet — Sears is offering discounts on mechanics’ tool kits and bench power tools.

Our fave: the Craftsman 155-piece mechanics’ tools set, now $99.99 online (and in some stores).

The End-of-Year Sale [Sears -- Tool Vertical]

I came across this article today in the Minot Daily News about a 15-year-old blacksmith who sells his work, and I had to share — not because the story’s about blacksmithing (which is incredibly cool in and of itself) — but because it explains a tradition in blacksmithing that I’d like to see carried over to other crafts.  From the article:

“When I was 11, I saw a blacksmith giving a demonstration at Fort Union Historic Site,” the young smithy said. “I watched him work and he even showed me how to do some simple forging. I was so intrigued that later that year I convinced my father to buy me a forge and anvil from a retired farmer.”

One of my dearest friends is a blacksmith, and he spends a lot of his time demonstrating as well.  In fact, he introduced my father to blacksmithing, which is how they met, much as this boy met the man who demonstrated for him — and became a life-long friend. 

Taking in those interested in the craft and treating them as honored guests (instead of clueless noobs) is part of the blacksmith’s tradition — a part I suspect comes from the fact that it’s almost a lost art.  

But why wait until a skill is almost lost?  Why not show off whatever skill it is you have to your friends and neighbors, then encourage those who show interest to establish their own skillset?  Whether you’re a carpenter, electrician, machinist, or even just an experienced and enthusiastic DIYer, why not pass on those skills to those around you. 

At worst, you’ll make yourself and someone else happy for a bit.  At best you’ll spark an interest that’ll pass down for generations — and likely make a good friend in the process.

Working Iron by Hand [The Minot Daily News]