Not many people are going to need a stainless steel pipe polisher, but the tool just looks really cool.  You can use Fein’s RS 12-70 to grind pipe welds, sand pipes to a satin finish, or polish pipes to a mirror finish and anywhere in between.

The variable-speed sander can drive the belt to speeds up to 22 m/s.  The belts rides on what I’m assuming are spring-loaded arms that allow the belt to flex around the pipe so you can surface all 360° of the pipe in only two passes.

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A diamond band saw is used for cutting glass, tile, and stone in a manner similar to a woodworking band saw. The blade is a diamond-bonded steel band that has a thin kerf and allows curves within the limits of blade flex. Unconventional Lapidarist has the Inland Diamond Band Saw on sale right now for $228.76.

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If you’re still using tapered wood screws instead of metal screws or drywall screws, then you might like taper point drills. The Fuller #8 Countersink Set includes five tapered drills for wood screw sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14. Each drill has a countersink (1/2″ dia. for sizes 10, 12, and 14; 3/8″ dia. for sizes 6 and 8 ) held in place by two hex screws. But wait, there’s more — if you call now, you will also get 1/2″ and 3/8″ plug cutters, 1/2″ and 3/8″ stop collars, and two hex wrenches in a nice milled wood storage case all for $80.

W.L. Fuller has many other products and other countersink sets including some with hex-shank bits and a quick-release chuck adapter, if you prefer that approach. (TM has previously noted the Jack Rabbit, which is a combination drill/countersink/bit adapter.) All of Fuller’s countersinks and bits are 100% made in the U.S.A.

W.L. Fuller [Manufacturer's Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

A friend of the shop asked us recently what we thought about cheap circ saws. Our answer was to get whatever you can afford and rip it — mostly because having something that will do the job is better than nothing. Our friend went out to the Depot and snagged a brand new $35 Ryobi 7 1.4” 12 amp saw. He loved it.

The first thing he did is stuffed a $15 Freud 40-tooth finish blade in it and went to town. After about 20 hours of cutting he called us back and said it was the best cash he’d spent for the shop in as long as he could remember.

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Start your drooling: Grizzly recently introduced a sliding table saw with a footprint small enough to fit into smaller shops. Why would you even want one of these saws? For one, forget about complicated miter sleds, the whole 12-1/4″ x 39-3/4″ extruded aluminum table on the left side of the blade can slide.

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If you need to check drive pulleys to see if they’re out of alignment, one way to do it is to use the Gates Drive Align laser alignment tool.  It can show you if the drive pulleys are offset or angled with respect to each other.

Gates’ tool uses a 650nm (red) laser diode powered by a replaceable lithium battery which provides 20 hours of continuous use. It can be used on all automotive serpentine belt drives with four or more ribs.

The Drive Align Laser includes glasses that help you see the laser better, a bungee cord to secure the laser tool to the pulley, and an Allen wrench to align the light beam. The tool comes in a high-impact plastic carrying with space for the other accessories. Overall the Laser Drive Alignment Tool will run you at least $125.

Lazer Drive Align [Gates]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Weldcraft recently rolled out two Crafter Series TIG torches, the CS125A and CS200A. Weldcraft says the new lightweight bodies help minimize welding operator fatigue. Though anyone can use them, they look as though the designers had in mind pros that are going to have their hands on the torches all day.

Both torches feature Weldcraft’s D-Handle design, which allows the welder to orient the torch by touch and feel for a little more control. Both are air-cooled as well, which eliminates the need and expense for cumbersome water-cooled systems. The CS125A is rated at 130 amps DC and 100 amps AC. Its bigger brother, the CS200A, puts out 200 amps DC or 150 amps AC capacity and both pump out a 60 percent duty cycle.

From what we hear thus far, expect to see these torch bodies at the local welding supply shop soon with a buy-in price of about $50.

CS125A and CS200A [Weldcraft]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

If you’re into the Craftsman C3 combo set, now might be the time to pony up and pounce. Sears has the 19v C3 drill impact driver set on sale for $99 until the end of the week.

It’s not the latest gear and most certainly not the greatest on the virtual shelf, but the pair of them are good, solid pieces of gear that will certainly last a while around the shop or jobsite. It’s not a Li-Ion set but for around a C-note you really can’t expect it to be, either.

C3 Drill Impact Driver Combo Kit [Craftsman]

Hitachi just announced the newest edtion to their already extensive nailer lineup with the NT50GS, the gas-powered 18-gauge nailer. You heard right — Hitachi has now made with the cordless gas in a small brad nailer format. We’re guessing it’s to try and slim the lead on those guys in orange.
 
The new NT50GS will hold a 5/8 in. to 2 in. 100-shot magazine-style load and, as you can see from the pictures, is not covered in the alien-skin green that brings such a polarizing cheer or groan from the masses. The system is powered through a “fuel-rod” gas cartridge that Hitachi says will send 1200 rounds home, and the spark that lights up the gas is provided by a rechargeable 3.6v Li-Ion battery.

The same battery will fit in the cordless screwdriver freebie that Hitachi is throwing in the kit along with a spare battery and charger.

The entire rig will run you about $299 retail and be available at the local home center soon.

NT50GS Gas Powered 18-gauge Brad Nailer [Hitachi]

Compared to the Milwaukee Cordless Detection Tool, your puny stud finder is only a toy. OK, we’re not sure about finding your keys, but it can detect rebar buried 6″ deep in concrete. It can also tell you the location and depth of wood, PEX, PVC, and metal behind gypsum, OSB, ceramic tile, and marble.

This pistol-grip cordless tool is yet another tool that uses Milwaukee’s M12 Lithium-ion battery. Gliding over surfaces on four wheels, it can differentiate between ferrous and non-ferrous metals and can even detect live wires. The white-on-black display with backlight will even show you the center and edges of studs.

If Google’s got it right you can pick up the Sub-Scanner starting at $200, but a more reasonable source like Ohio Power Tool has it listed for $310 without battery.

M12 Sub-Scanner [Milwaukee]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

With the Bench Slide Mount you can store your bench tools — like the vise and grinder seen above, or any other similar tool weighing up to 75 pounds — under the bench.  When needed, slide ‘em forward and swing ‘em up to the top of the bench.

Commerce Welding’s $98 Bench Slide Mount includes a rails system plus mounting, roller, and swivel plates.  It mounts to any workbench from 1-3/4″ to 4-1/2″ thick.

Bench Slide Mount [Commerce Welding]
Video [BenchSlideMount.com]

This probably would not fit in my garage, and even if it did and I could somehow power it, I doubt that I would ever need to bandsaw something requiring a 40″ throat. On the other hand, this is a really neat hunk-o-machinery.

From Old Woodworking Machines via Stu’s Shed.

Old Woodworking Machines [Corporate Site]

A pressing machine squeezes fittings together to make solderless joints in copper, stainless and PEX tubing even with residual fluid still in the pipe. It’s wicked handy and it’s what many pros use to fix leaks in modern pipes. Stanley VIRAX now launched the first of its pressing guns into the U.S. market.

The Stanley Virax M20 Plus is a pistol-grip pressing machine about the size of a regular cordless drill. It was engineered specifically for the professional plumber and mechanical contractor who require interchangeable jaw inserts to join 1/2-inch to 1-inch copper and 3/8-inch to 1-inch PEX tubing.

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Here’s an interesting concept from Sommerfeld: a featherboard that doubles as a bit guard — or is it a bit guard that doubles as a featherboard? They claim that it works great for large work pieces like plywood or raised panel doors.

As a featherboard, the Featherguard can hold the workpiece with over 50lbs of pressure, and as a bit guard, it completely covers the bit when installed correctly.

There are few disconcerting things about this accessory — you can’t see the bit through the completely opaque plastic and you need to locate the featherboard directly over the bit rather than in front the bit where you’d normally locate it. That said, it could be a time-saver to only have to position one accessory rather than two.

Sommerfeld includes all knobs and hardware needed to attach the Feathergaurd to your router or table saw. It appears that the Feathergaurd is only available on their website for $25 before shipping charges.

Featherguard [Sommerfeld Tools]

One of the best things about the Milwaukee M12 Li-Ion lineup is that Milwaukee recognizes that people who buy their tools have a life outside of work and adapt some of their products to it. I’m not talking beach ball inflators here, but handy gadgets like the 2349-20 Power Port. At first we thought it was a “marsh melon dispenser”* like in Star Trek V, but sadly that’s not the case. It’s a power charger that draws from the standard M12 battery on one end and feeds to USB and a 12v car-charger outlet on the other. We guess that’s just about as good.

Our friend Rick wrote to us about a problem he was having with his PS40-2. It seems he found out what happens when you use a straight bit in a quick change chuck.

I’ve got a little bit of a dilemma. So I had let my brother-in-law borrow my Bosch PS40-2 (The Impactor) When I gave it to him I only gave him the bit so he could use it with a 3/8″ socket set for his brakes.

Anyway – today I was over at my in-laws and he still had it and I needed to screw some sheetrock screws into some plywood and figured I’d use my handy dandy PS40-2. Problem was I didn’t have any quick change Phillips bits. So I used a regular bit (half inch tall one, or 3/4″ or whatever the normal ones are). I screwed in a few screws and everything worked great – I even pulled it out once or twice. Well at some point between the 4th and 8th screw, it seemed to sink into the quick change chuck a little more than it had been – and when I was done I could no longer get the bit out. I’ve tried everything – but there’s barely anywhere to get some purchase to grab it. I’ve gotten a good hold on it with a needle nose pliers and still no dice. The Quick Change chuck only comes up a little – but it doesn’t pull up all the way to completely disengage.

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This is the last chance to enter the Paslode giveaway, so don’t forget to enter if you already haven’t — and remember that you can add to your chances by entering a comment on this or any of the other Paslode giveaway posts again.

Paslode was kind enough to offer up a set of cordless tools for us to give away to one of our loyal readers. Next month we’ll select a winner from all of you who post valid comments on any of the Paslode giveaway posts (like this one).

Sure, you already post your thoughts here — and you deserve a hearty “thank you” from me and the rest of the Toolmonger community — but now when you post a comment, you’re not only sharing your experience with other Toolmongers around the world; you’re also adding a chance to win!  That’s good all ’round, yeah?

Paslode Cordless Giveaway Rules [Toolmonger]