There are numerous methods for stripping paint such as shaving, scraping, applying Dr. Pepper, and heating, but if you don’t want to spend lot of time and sweat equity, paint strippers are usually the way to go. They have their disadvantages: traditional strippers can use nasty chemicals you don’t want to inhale or get anywhere near your skin, not to mention they’re messy to clean up and they bring possible disposal issues.

Now, the newer environmentally friendly paint strippers like Soy-Gel claim they work quickly and are safe, non-toxic, non-caustic, odorless, and biodegradable. While Soy-Gel was designed for removing lead paint it’ll remove other types of paint and urethane also. Soy Solvents claims it’ll will remove multiple layers of paint in as little as 3 min. They make Soy-Gel from foods grade soy oil and N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone, which isn’t the safest chemical around, but it won’t take the skin right off your hand, either.

For Soy-Gel, you’ll pay $20 by the quart, or $60 by the gallon. So the question is: are these environmentally friendly paint strippers as good or possibly better than more traditional noxious paint strippers, or are they more hype than reality?

Soy-Gel [Soy Solvents]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Computer-aided drafting applications are a mainstay of industry, mainly thanks to the way they streamline and accelerate design work, leaving engineers with a unified set of drawings in beautiful 3D. But in industry you’ll find one critical factor that your average Toolmonger doesn’t have: a nearly unlimited budget. For the home user, the price of most CAD software is sky-high. There are flawed workarounds thanks to retailers like JourneyEd (but it’s only for students) and free programs like Daz3D (which is for artists more than engineers).

So the question is, under what circumstances is CAD software a boon to the do-it-yourselfer? Cost seems to be the determining factor. Very few people have the money to afford the software (assuming they don’t have access to discounts), and even fewer have the equipment to really take advantage of CAD work. However, next time you’re lining to make just about anything, CAD software can take the sting out of the planning phase, giving you a perfect 3D representation of the finished product. For a chest of drawers, that’s probably overkill, but anything machined comes out all the better for the influence of CAD. What say you, folks?

CAD software [JourneyEd]
Daz3D [Wikipedia]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

You always hear about repairs made with Baling wire, but sheesh, try and find the stuff these days. The reason it was used for repairs, besides the fact that soft ductile wire is ideal for binding stuff to other stuff, is that it was a common waste item down on the farm. Since hay bales are no longer tied with wire, what are you going to do? There are still companies that distribute baling wire, but what if you just want to pick up a small amount? It seems that rebar tie wire is an acceptable substitute, and you can get a 3 lb. coil of generic “tie wire” pretty cheaply. I have several small coils of wire I’ve picked up at yard and estate sales and it comes in handy!

So what do you guys think, Hot or Not? — especially in light of its seeming unavailability and alternative materials such as duct tape?

Street Pricing [Google Products]

A while back we mentioned the Billy Pedal Foot Switch sold by MCLS. I was going to post a Dealmonger about it as it’s on sale, but I got to thinking — is this thing really safe? While the hands-free convenience of switching your router or other tool on and off is Hot, we can see situations where you forget that the tool is still powered because when your foot is off the switch, the tool seems off. Leaving a tool in that condition could be frightening should you accidentally actuate the switch as it lays on the floor. The only way to safe the tool is to either unplug the switch from the wall or the tool from the switch. This seems to be a definite Not.  

So what do you think? Let us know in comments.

Deadman Style Pedal Foot Switch [MLCS]

Since it’s the middle of August, watering is on our minds. Looking at garden hose quick connectors such as those sold by Gilmour Mfg., we wonder whether they are a product with a need or just another way to add complexity to the seemingly simple task of using a hose.

On one hand it can be a pain to screw an old hose threaded coupler onto a faucet if you have limited hand mobility. The couplers have auto shutoff so you can couple and uncouple without turning the faucet on and off. There’s also the risk of losing the rubber washer inside the hose coupling when removing the coupling from the faucet.

On the other hand is it really all that hard to couple and uncouple hoses? Most of the starter kits sold at the hardware store only have connectors for two or three ends, which can’t be that great an addition. If you only have one or two hoses, is the time/effort savings that great? With the quick connects there are more parts to wear out as well over time. Finally, there are a bunch of different systems, all of which don’t seem to interchange with each other — which could lead to problems when purchasing additional components.

Hot or Not? Let us know in comments.

Frankly, I was going to post about the Alpha JackClamp a while ago, but when I went to their website to gather information, it was hacked, so I forgot about the clamp. As of late, I keep running into ads and reviews for the product and figured it was time to give it a fair shake.

The first thing you notice about the Alpha JackClamp it that it has this extra bar where other bar clamps just have a jaw pad. This extra bar gives the JackClamp some interesting abilities. As a bar clamp, it has a 13″ deep throat for clamping around obstructions. Flipping the handle around the extra bar gives the JackClamp a 33″ spreading span.

The JackClamp can also be configured as a jack that can lift 250 lbs. up to 33″ or a hoist. A four-brake holding system keeps the clamp put, no matter the configuration. Other features include vertical and horizontal bubble vials inside the fixed jaw and Imperial and metric graduations stamped on the lower bar. Lowell Thomas Tools manufactures the JackClamp in the USA.

Prices for one clamp start at over $40, but you can get discounts for buying multiple clamps. We’d like to hear if any of our readers have experience with the Alpha JackClamp, but either way we’d like to know whether you think the Alpha JackClamp looks like a valuable addition to the collection. Let us know in comments.

Alpha JackClamp [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

TM has discussed 12V portable compressors before (Black & Decker’s Air Station and Master Flow’s Tsunami, for example), but the ContiComfortKit adds a feature for sealing typical tire punctures. The $79 kit weighs 5.5 lbs, is 9.5″W × 7″H × 3.75″D, has a 12-V air compressor with an integral illuminated pressure gauge, a low-intensity LED worklight, and adds a latex liquid tire sealant. The ContiComfortKit will work on most sizes of car, minivan, and crossover vehicle tires. If the sealant is not activated, the kit can be used as a stand-alone compressor.

I suppose using the ContiComfortKit is easier than jacking up the car and putting on the spare or calling AAA and waiting, but does the ease justify the price? Let us know in comments.

ContiComfortKit [Continental Tire]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

I like tactical knives. They have a nice clean look and are handy to have around. However, depending on what level of state, federal, or general media outcry you’re looking at, the idea has come up more than once to try to limit or ban the use or sale of tactical knives here in the states. I began to ponder the subject in some depth.

To get a bit smarter about the situation at hand, I first wanted to know what the exact definition of a tactical knife actually is. Herein lies the first issue — there isn’t a hard and fast rule on what makes a TAC knife. One group seemed to think the blade shape was the determining factor; others thought size and handle material was the ticket and one very confused group seemed to state that anything black or camo-colored was lumped in the tactical group as well. This is a small problem.

The closest and most reasonable statement I could find on the subject was the American Knife and Tool Institute (AKTI), which broke the definition of TAC blades down like this.

“… this term is really a broad description of any straight knife or folding knife in a variety of handle materials, blade shapes, blade edges and opening mechanisms.”

That’s pretty broad for my tastes but largely true as far as I can tell. Of course, that encompasses almost every knife I can think of. They went on to lament that about the only thing everyone involved can agree on is that tactical knife is any style or blade that isn’t a sword or a multi-tool. That narrows it down to about half the knives not found in a kitchen or hanging from a suit of armor.

Why all the fuss? Because someone put together a detailed study or two about knife-related injuries and linked a high percentage of stabbings and knife fights to Tactical knives, which I’m sure is completely accurate from a clinical numbers perspective. The question I found myself asking is, “Were those injuries really the knives’ fault or the person wielding them?” It’s here we really begin to get down to it.

I own several “tactical” knives myself and though they aren’t my favorite daily carry blades from a subjective taste perspective, they are cool looking, but the most harm any of them has done is cut a bit of rope or wire. There was the time I used the tip of one to unscrew a battery terminal on a truck but that’s about as exotic an operation I have to pull from. I don’t use them to hurt people so they will never be an unholy threat to anyone.

Others don’t agree; they see the capability of harm as an undue risk to society in general. To be completely fair there is weight to that argument as well. TAC knives can hurt or kill folks if the right person is behind the action.

In my own opinion, that is exactly the point: the entire question of tactical knives lies in the hands of the person holding them, not the knives themselves. These aren’t weapons of mass violence but tools — and almost any tool can be abused or mishandled into becoming a weapon. What do you think? Are tactical knives a significant danger or a tool that a few bad apples give a bad name to? Let us know in comments.

Note: You can also find a great deal more information about current legislation proposals related to knives and knife education in general at the AKTI website.

American Knife and Tool Institute [Website]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Link promotes their Lock-Solid feature and patented design as preventing “accidental disconnects and dropped sockets.” I have not found this to be a major problem when I’m working with my trusty old Sears sockets and drivers, but maybe I’ve been lucky. (By the way, Pete Roberts, the Link inventor, also designed the Sears quick-release ratchet.) Rather than connecting via a ball bearing, all Link tools have a case-hardened steel pin with a spring-loaded collar. They claim the connections can lift a 20-lb. weight without pulling apart.

A 41-piece 3/8″ tool set in a custom-molded case will set you back $160, but you can also get smaller upgrade kits that will work with your existing tools (”all the quality brands of detent sockets”). Their catalog, for example, lists a seven-piece 3/8″ upgrade kit ($120) and a two-piece 3/8″ “trial” kit ($29).

Do you suffer from frequent socket dropping? If so, are Link tools the cure or is this just not that big of an issue? Let us know in comments.

Link Tools [Manufacturer's Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

At what point do you throw in the towel with your car? As a card-carrying stubborn gearhead, I haven’t found the line yet. A few months ago I refreshed the top end of my 1990 Oldsmobile — a terrible old slushbucket — to fix a coolant leak from the cylinder head. The transmission no longer moves the car, even though it shifts, and this is after I did two wheel bearings and replaced a broken climate-control computer. Considering that the car has about 240,000 miles on it (I’m not sure because I replaced the cluster to fix a broken speedometer a while back), and has a Kelly Blue Book retail value of less than $700, why exactly did I bother? Because as long as I’m around, it’s not dead yet.

Some of you out there can see what’s coming and others probably think I’m a lunatic, but that car has so many stories wrapped in it, and I’ve learned so much from it, that it seems a shame to get rid of it. I’m sure others out there have that ratty old pickup you just won’t allow to die, while others are junkies for that new car smell. Both get the job done, but only one way leaves a hunk of sheet metal and castings with a personality. Sure, Olds isn’t even around now that GM has gone splat but what of it? 

Who’s with me on this? Are you better off, in general, keeping one alive or sending it on its way? Let us know in comments.

(Thanks to Flickr user dave_7 for the great CC-licensed photo.)

Festool’s MFT/3 basic multifunction table looks like a piece of thick pegboard with some legs from a card table. It’s more than that, we think. It also comes with rails and a lot of options and accessories; however the $475 sticker shock that comes with it is a lot to take.

The folks at Festool call it “The Evolution Of The Workbench,” but the next generation workbench weighs 54 pounds. That doesn’t seem very “Next” to us. It does feature a 43 3/8″ × 28 1/4″ work surface, a 35 7/16″ working height, and can be folded up to 7 3/32″ thick for stowage, which is cool.

Our question is: what does this have over the Vika Twofold that doubles as a scaffold and runs about $130, or maybe a hollow-core door across two saw horses? What do you think — are we missing something, or is this a little on the steep side for what it delivers? Let us know in comments.

Festool [Manufacturer's Site]
Vika Twofold [Manufacturer's Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

I haven’t seen an infomercial for the Little Giant BigTrex™ yet, so I assume it has at least a half-bazillion setups and uses. The price ($158 @ Amazon) seems a bit steep, but it does have those 6.5″ extra wide rungs, that No-Pinch Handle, the Airdeck Tool Tray, and it weighs a svelte 22 pounds.

So is this really better than that old clunky wooden step ladder you have in the garage (you remember, the last time you used it you slipped and hurt your Achilles)? Let us know in comments.

Little Giant BigTrex [Corporate Site]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

While I like the idea of these tools, the reality is that I never remember I have them when they might be useful, and I certainly can do well enough without them using standard ratchet wrenches and extensions. So the question is, are these gimmicky wrenches worth it or just another hunk of steel taking up space in your stuffed toolbox? Hot or Not?

Bonus question: Are there any other specialty ratchet wrenches that are invaluable to you?

A mechanic I know at a nearby full-service shop just purchased a pretty monstrous tool chest. It’s 53” wide, has sixteen drawers, and cost around $1900. Pretty standard fare, until you get to the part where it has a built-in refrigerator and a stereo compatible with an MP3 player. The asking price isn’t bad, but this blurs the line between tool box and lifestyle statement in this writer’s mind.

Call me old-fashioned, but I have trouble seeing the point of all this. My idea of a high-tech tool storage innovation is foam-lined drawers; speakers and a fridge make this box seem like some kind of social center rather than a storage system, but maybe that’s exactly the point. So, the question is, hot or not? Let us know in comments.

The Gilmour Traveling Sprinkler is a cast iron, green-and-yellow model of the classic John Deere tractor. It follows the path you lay out with the water hose, covering up to 13,500 sq. ft. of lawn, and the manufacturer says its adjustable spray arms water at a diameter ranging from 15 to 55 ft. Gilmour also says the 2-speed traveler will follow up to 200 feet of hose before the sprinkler’s shutoff ramp automatically stops it and turns off the water.

User reviews at Amazon and at DrillSpot are a toss-up between one-star (hate it) and five-star (love it). Some folks say the sprinkler works especially well for odd-shaped yards and that kids get a kick out of it. Others complain that the gears strip themselves and the plastic internal parts fall apart right away. Are the Deere design and the cool factor of a self-propelling sprinkler enough to part with $70 – 100? Let us know in comments.

Traveling Sprinkler [Gilmour]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Street Pricing [Google]

The real question is whether the Harbor Freight set works well enough, actually makes clean holes, and can survive more than one or two uses. So we ask, Hot or Not?

The Drill Doctor has become an often-seen sharpening tool in many home workshops and commercial garages since its public release in 1997. The manufacturer claims the Drill Doctor can sharpen most bit sizes depending on the model of machine you are using, so the woodworking professional can save money by turning those rusted and dull bits into usable tools time and time again. Their website has this to say about the tool:

Since its introduction in 1997, the Drill Doctor® line has sold more than two million units. All major U.S. hardware retailers, as well as distributors in some 25 nations abroad, carry the Drill Doctor® brand.

Some of the retailers who carry the Drill Doctor® today are Sears, Home Depot, Lowes, TrueValue, Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Orchard Supply Hardware, Menard’s, and Amazon.com. They are also carried extensively by auto after market and industrial tool suppliers.

Warmer weather usually means spending more time in the shop — and sometimes noticing how crappy the ol’ floor has gotten over the years. One solution some folks turn to is an epoxy coating for the garage floor, which protects against stains, is (relatively) easy to clean, and reflects more light for those under-engine jobs. Also, it needs to be applied and aired out when the air temperature is around 65-80 degrees F, so now’s a good time for a lot of people to do this project.

Rust-Oleum’s Epoxyshield products include a garage floor coating that comes in gray or tan semi-gloss finish. (It’s completely optional whether you want to throw in the decorative paint chips.) The manufacturer says the coating “protects against gasoline, antifreeze, motor oil, salt and hot tire pick-up.” They also say it cleans with soap and water, though my own experience with epoxy-coated floors says some heavy mop scrubbing may be necessary for oil stains. Street pricing for the kit runs around $70.

My question about this is whether a kit is the best way to go — or if it’s better to buy parts separately, or just hire someone to do it (concrete etching can be kinda rough, and the coating has to be applied quickly within a specified time period). And is the quality of the coating comparable to a professional job? Post your thoughts in comments.

Garage Floor Coating [Rust-Oleum]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

We’ve heard a lot about portable grills that fold like briefcases or look like Crock Pots, beer kegs, woks, or UFOs.  Is the Tool Box Grill just another novelty, or is it a decent cooker?

The construction is mostly sheet metal with a porcelain grate and shield (the heated components). The manufacturer’s site says the 10,000 BTU stainless steel burner tube provides “even cooking heat,” though user reviews cast some doubt on this. The grill’s dimensions are 19.5″ x 8.75″ x 10.5″, or 173 sq. inches of cooking surface, which is a fine size for a portable grill.  Its design lets you store tools and propane inside the box and, at 19 lbs., you can carry the whole thing in one hand.

But while a portable grill should be lightweight, the flimsy construction might require some extra care. Also, we found conflicting information about the propane tank;  the manufacturer says the grill uses a standard 1lb. “camping” style canister, while a reviewer at About.com notes that it actually takes the 14 oz. disposable bottle found in most stores’ tool section.

At around $65, this grill could be a good grab for camping, picnics, and cookouts while traveling — if the griller treats it gently and doesn’t mind low heat.  Let us know what you think in comments.

The Tool Box Grill [Hans Plads]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Modular tool-storage systems have become more common in the past few years, and recently some companies have expanded this “modular” trend to the tools themselves, allowing customers to piece together large sets, all at once, with only the tools they need.

Many tool brands are trying out this marketing approach — Snap-on, Stanley, MAC, and Craftsman, to name a few — but they all seem to offer the same, pretty standard types of modules, sold individually so you’re only buying the tools you want.  Craftsman offers about 20 different modules like the ones pictured, including wrenches, sockets, impact sets, and brake kits, and they’re designed to fit into their portable tool boxes and stationary tool chests, making it easy to mix and match the sets as needed from job to job.

So is this new modular setup a faster, simpler, easier way to buy tools, or just another attempt to rope in the less intelligent consumer?  Let us know in comments.

Craftsman Modular Tool Sets [Sears]

In the decades since it began in the 1930s, Consumer Reports has established itself as the gold standard for product testing and recommendation. Millions subscribe to the monthly magazine, and many more consult the online resource center. But is Consumer Reports really the end-all source for product recommendations?

Flip through an issue of Consumer Reports and you’ll find product reviews and recommendations on everything from appliances to lawn equipment to power tools to paint. When putting their products through the obstacle course, they test for quality in many areas — for mowers they test evenness of cut and bagging capacity; for drills they test battery charge and ability to drive in larger nails.

While it’s always cool to see your new DeWalt drill show up as a “best buy,” Consumer Reports suffers one major flaw: It can’t test longevity. Past critics have pointed out that Consumer Reports will test an item for a week at most — long enough to rate many of its features, but nowhere near long enough to get a bead on its dependability and longevity, which are important factors when buying power tools.

So, is Consumer Reports a Hot resource, or does its inability to test longevity leave it in the Not category when it comes to buying tools? Let us know in comments.

Consumer Reports [Official Site]

Pulling the starter cord on a lawn mower is nobody’s favorite pastime, but have things really gotten so bad that we need to start our mowers with the turn of a key?

Over the past 10 years or so, we’ve seen a lot of companies expanding their lines of electric-start lawn mowers, and now you can find models by Toro, Honda, Craftsman, Lawn-Boy, and Snapper at all the major home improvement stores and even at lots of small independent dealers.

Most retailers market these easy-to-start mowers to the elderly and to people recovering from surgery or with recurring injuries.  But that begs the question:  Should a person who can’t muster enough strength to pull a cord really be put behind the controls of a 60lb gas engine with a rapidly spinning metal blade on the end of it?

Of course, the other point may well be that we’re just lazy and don’t want to pull the cord.

So, are electric-start mowers a hot solution, allowing everyone the freedom to mow their lawn despite physical limitations or injuries?  Or are they just one step further on the long path to a lazy American population not willing to pull a simple cord to get some work done?  Let us know in comments.

Street Pricing [Google]

For the very first time this weekend I had to return something to the local Home Depot.  I hate returning things to the store — the entire process depresses me.  First, for whatever reason, you realize that the item you spent precious time shopping for isn’t going to work.  Then you have to go all the way back to the same store you left not an hour ago.  And finally, after waiting for what seems like forever, you get to the cashier who interrogates you as if you’ve just smuggled something illegal into the country.  It’s a sad series of events most of the time;  however that wasn’t the case this weekend at the Depot.

Not only was there no line on a Saturday afternoon at the return counter, but I was not interrogated, and after the cashier verified that the box was indeed what it said it was, she popped a drawer, gave me my cash back, smiled, and sent me on my way.  I was shocked.  I had prepared for a battle — what I got was service.

It was like getting a scratch-off win:  You don’t really have any more money than you did five minutes ago, but you’re happy.  I’m curious if this was a fluke or a common occurrence for the tool-returning masses. What say you, consumers?  Is the Home Depot return counter a bastion of sanity, or did I just catch the rare upside of a normally Grinch-like system?  Let us know in comments.

Home Depot [Website]

About two years ago, we asked what you thought about manual reel mowers, and the response was a pretty solid Hot.  But back then we were only asking about non-powered reel mowers, and in the meantime we’ve been seeing a lot more gas-powered reel mowers on the market.  Naturally we wonder if these burly-engined counterparts are as hot as their manual cousins.

Toolmongers who weighed in on the original post liked reel mowers because they tend to cut the grass like scissors, instead of hacking at it the way rotary mowers do, giving a cleaner cut and promoting a healthier lawn.  In this area, the powered reel mowers behave exactly like the manual ones.

However, the other major Hot factor mentioned in the comments was the fact that with no engine, manual reel mowers are 100% environmentally friendly and considerably lighter — that can’t be said of the gas-powered rigs.

So, which point wins out?  Does the clean scissor cut, enhanced by the power of the engine, put gas-powered reel mowers in the Hot category?  Or do the added weight and emissions shuffle this mower over into the Not section?  Let us know in comments.

Powered Reel Mowers [McLane]
Street Pricing [Google]
Powered Reel Mowers Via Amazon [What’s This?]

The war rages on between Toolmongers who favor store-bought shop storage and benches and those who prefer to build it themselves.  In the Toolmonger shop we’ve always had some of each — we support the DIY ethos, but who really has time to build their rolling tool chests?   Still, we’re curious about store-bought systems, like Whirlpool’s Gladiator line, that try to address all your storage issues.

Storage systems like the Gladiator consist of benches, cabinets, wall components, and flooring, available in configurable chunks so you can create the setup you need and stay flexible.  But most folks point out first-thing that these store-bought systems don’t really handle everything, which is true — only custom-built rigs can.

The next comment is about price:  the store-bought gear is expensive.  For instance, the Gladiator 6’ modular bench with a steel frame and solid maple top will run you about $530.  A home-built bench that serves the same function might cost half that or less, and the cash you save could be put to good use buying tools and doing projects.

In many shops we find a mix of both:  buy what you can’t, or don’t want to, build and make the rest yourself.  In the end, getting the shop “just right” is far less important than what you do in it.  If you happen to wind up with a mash-up of gear, so be it — interior designers call that “character.”

So what do you think?  Let us know in comments.

Gladiator Garage System [GarageWorks]
6′ Modular Workbench [GarageWorks]