Now you can drain toilets or fill a fountain with your drill — and Jabsco’s drill-powered pump. You simply attach the built-in 1/4″ diameter shaft to your portable drill, and pull the trigger. The self-priming pump does the rest. Jabsco’s pump can move 3-1/2 gallons per minute, and it even comes with 3/4″ garden hose adapters.
Flickr pool member Yankees251 decided he didn’t want to cough up $300 for a wine rack kit, so he built his own instead. And he was thinking when he designed it. He cut the wood, including the runners that hold the bottles, from 10” boards — no funky, custom stock here.
We also dig that he made the entire thing from pine, so he probably had a few bucks left over to put some actual wine in the rack after building it. Now that’s really thinking.
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
I don’t mean to start another pegboard war here — I only want to show the pegboard proponents a relatively low-cost solution to the hook pull-out problem. You could just snap little plastic clips into the pegboard to hold the hooks in place, a popular solution that works reasonably well — but Pegmate hook holders present a cost-effective and more professional looking alternative.
Not all of our favorite tools are inexpensive. In fact, Milwaukee’s V18 was one of the more expensive drivers to grace TM’s shop last year. And that’s saying something, because if there’s one tool we see a lot here at TM, it’s cordless drill/drivers. But the V18 won over even our cheap-ass hearts. Read on past the jump to see why it’s one of our top ten of 2007.
When a bolt falls into the depths of your engine block, fish it out with a flashlight — that’s the idea behind the CatsPaw telescoping magnetic flashlight. It sounds a bit strange, but combining a light with a magnetic grabber does free up one hand, which could actually be helpful.
When it comes to workspace storage and organization, Lista is the cream of the crop. They’ve earned their reputation by designing products that are easy to use and customize. I doubt there’s any convenience you could wish for in a cabinet or drawer system that Lista hasn’t already implemented.
When you can’t get a straight shot at a screw, sometimes there’s enough play between the bit and the screw head to drive it, but you’ll probably damage the head. If you’re lucky, maybe you can wrangle a stubby screwdriver into the space — or you can drive the screw with a swivel tip screwdriver.
This swivel tip screwdriver from Pratt-Read can drive screws at angles from 0 to 45 degrees. The driver accepts any common 1/4″ hex shank bits, and the handle stores the six included bits.
Other companies make similar products which may or may not be a better deal, but you can pick up one of Pratt-Read’s swivel tip screwdrivers online for about $13. You might not need it everyday, but it’ll be worth 10 times its weight in screws when you do.
Swivel Tip Screwdriver [Pratt-Read]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
Stilts aren’t just for circus performers — they’re a staple in any plasterer’s arsenal. My plaster guy walks around on and recommends Marshalltown’s Skywalker 2.0 stilts. Their advanced ankle movement allows for a more natural walking motion and less fatigue.
They fit on any size leg, thanks to a three-way ratchet system. You can quickly adjust the height, up to 30″, with a “flip-and-switch” system. You can also strap ‘em on fast with quick “adjust-and-release” straps. The stilts support up to 225 lbs. with rubber feet pads for traction. If you get a chance to try a pair out, I recommend it — it’s not as easy as it looks.
Skywalker 2.0 Stilts [Marshalltown]
Skywalker 2.0 Stilts [Toolbarn]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
(Thursday, January 31st, 2008) We get a new, probably funny, NBC tie-in American Chopper. And a new How Do They Do It shows us how they, um, do it.
All times are central.
Enjoy.
Early last year I started looking around for a decent palm sander, because after building numerous bookcases and other wood projects, my arms ached like hell. I’d tried other models in the past, and found many of them difficult to control, which led to mixed results in use. After lots of pawing at display models, I decided to try the Bosch 5″ random orbit model — and discovered why so many pros love this model. Read on past the jump to find out why it’s one of our favorite tools of 2007.
To cut a hole in drywall for an electrical box, you measure X, then measure Y, transfer those to the drywall, and cut out as needed with a saw or rotary cutter. It’s simple in theory — but in practice there’s a lot of room for error, especially if you’re a DIYer for whom this isn’t your regular job. The Blind Mark Electrical Cutout Tool system, with its two-part magnetic template, takes out the guesswork and helps you avoid costly mistakes.
To celebrate their upcoming 25th anniversary Leatherman is releasing a special edition of the Charge multi-tool, one of their top products. Leatherman makes many versions of the Charge family of multi-tools, with slight tool variations and aluminum or titanium handles. This special edition, however, will be hand-crafted from sterling silver!
When a pipe wrench just won’t cut it — whether it just can’t get a good grip or won’t fit in the given space — grab your trusty chain wrench. A chain wrench wraps around hard-to-reach or irregularly shaped objects to give you the grip you need.
If you’ve ever frantically searched your tool bag for a set of batteries when you really needed them, you might dig the Personal Battery Caddy. Designed for pilots, the molded plastic case securely holds several fresh batteries in a compact package. And it glows in the dark to boot.
Magnetic screwdrivers are great, but they can’t grip non-ferrous screws, and sometimes they just aren’t strong enough to hold the screw at every angle. Quick-Wedge screwdrivers take a different approach: with their split blade design, they apply force to the edge of the screw slot.
The split blade keeps the screw firmly on the end of the screwdriver so you can start and drive the screw with one hand. And because it uses mechanical force instead of magnetism to hold the screw, the Quick-Wedge screwdriver can drive brass, plastic, stainless steel, and many other screws made from non-ferrous materials.
Toolmonger is growing, and we’re on the prowl for bloggers who have a passion for tools and all things Toolmonger. If you’ve got what it takes to join the Toolmonger team, drop us a line at jobs (at) postlabmedia.com with the subject line “Toolmonger Writer Search.” In the body give us your name, your three favorite tools, and two original, unpublished posts of around 50 to 200 words in the Toolmonger style.
Our parent company, PostLab Media, is also seeking bloggers for FullOnCustom.com, so if you’d like to write about car customization instead of tools, just tailor sample writing to that style instead.
A few notes: We’ll delete all emails with attachments, so include all your text in the email body itself. Only official submissions, please: we ignore comments on this post. Not the world’s best writer? If you’re the world’s best tool finder, we might be able to help. Our biggest requirements are that you’re interested and that you’re committed.
Good luck!
You may notice that my Hobart welding gloves, pictured above, look like they’ve been through hell. That’s because that’s exactly where I put them (instead of my bare hands) damn near every time I use ‘em. I’ve burned ‘em, ground ‘em, scuffed ‘em, and otherwise treated ‘em like crap for a year now, and they’re still just as protective and comfy as the second week I wore ‘em. Read on past the jump to find out why they’re one of our favorite tools of 2007.
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