Yup, pink. TM has previously mentioned the LifeHammer and ResQMe. Now, if you buy the pink versions, the distributor, nov8, will make a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  If someone you know has been affected by breast cancer — it took my Mom after a long struggle many years ago — then this might be a way to support or recognize them. So far, I’ve only been able to find the pink ResQMe available for $12 online at Ace.

ResQMe Pink [Ace]

Lex’s recent post on captive nuts reminded me of some other nuts I’ve been using a lot lately while doing some volunteer work on a search-and-rescue van: nylon-insert hex nuts. Depending on which big box you shop at, and whom you ask when there, they’re also called stop nuts, locknuts, or nyloks (although NYLOK® is a nylon material typically applied to bolts and screws), or nylocks. I like them because they resist vibration and loosening, they’re reusable, they don’t damage threads, and they’re readily available. McMaster-Carr has a large variety in their catalog, and many of the big boxes carry Hillman versions.

For higher vibration, temperature, or safety applications (like motorcycle and automobile racing or aviation), safety-wired nuts, or nuts with cotter pins are the preferred — if not required — choice. Other alternatives include two-piece thread-clamping locknuts and distorted-thread locknuts.

A 100-piece package of 1/4″-20 nylon-insert nuts will cost you around $5.

Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Ever notice how you never have to sharpen your steak knives? The serrated edge keeps its ability to cut much longer than a straight edge, but some of the trade-offs are you don’t get as clean a cut and it’s not fun to sharpen. Neither of these disadvantages matter for many tasks you’d use a utility knife for, as you’d probably rather work longer without stopping to change blades.

Rapid Tools manufactures Rapid Edge blades for your utility knife. They claim the blades last longer because the serrated edge has three to five times the cutting surface of a straight blade. This reduces friction, keeping the blade sharper longer. While you might not want to use the Rapid edge for cutting drywall it supposedly works well on materials like carpet, wire, rope, and asphalt shingles.

Rapid Edge Blades fit all standard utility knives. They come in packs of 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 blades and start around $4 for a five-pack.

Rapid Edge Blades [Rapid Tools]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

We’ve covered a way to turn your reciprocating saw into a power rasp, but that was just a single use tool.  With the Reciprotools adapter chucked into your Recip saw, you can power accessories like stainless steel or nylon brushes, a cleaning pad, rasps, and files.

The the double tang adapter works with most reciprocating saws. Once you’ve inserted the adapter into the saw’s chuck, the adapter provides a quick-change hex chuck for holding the accessories. The hex-shaped shank on the accessories allows you to position each tool in six different orientations.

Pricing for the adapter starts at $16 and accessories start at $6 a piece.

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

The head of this particular model expands from 7″ to 25″ wide and can be locked at any width in between. By contracting the head back down to 7″, you can store the 69″ rake in much less space than you would need for a full-sized one.

Shipping on this rake runs about $15, or you could probably pick up a knock-off for under $10 at a local store like I did.

Bond Manufacturing [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

If you can’t see what you’re doing or where you’re going on the work site, you’re asking for an accident. Rather than cluttering up the site with a bunch of stand-mounted lights, shed some light on the situation with a temporary string of lights like this one from Woods.

This string of work lights features ten protected light enclosures with standard light bulb sockets connected by 100 feet of yellow 14/2 wire. The string is rated for 1,500W at 120V, which means theoretically you could use ten 150W bulbs, but to be on the safe side you probably don’t want to exceed 100W bulbs.

Pricing for this string of lights start in the mid $70s.

Woods [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

If you need a small portable cutting tool for carpet, clamshell, cardboard, fabric, and other lightweight materials, take a look at Skil’s Power Cutter. It sports a 10-sided 1-1/2″ blade, and it comes with a 3.6V lithium-ion rechargeable battery and charger.  Amazon is selling the Skil Power Cutter for $48 — or you can pick it up at Ace Hardware for $52 if you need it immediately.

Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Skil Power Cutter [Ace Hardware]
Street Pricing [Google]

Brush and roller cleaners like the one above have stood the test of time.  As a boy, I remember helping my dad clean his paint brushes by attaching them to the cleaner and pumping like mad inside of a bucket to spin them as fast as I could — I learned fast how big of a mess I could make without the bucket.

This model from Shur-Line features dual ball bearings and durable steel construction, so it’ll last many years spinning your paint brushes and roller covers dry.  I can’t actually find the product on Shur-Line’s corporate site, but they put their name on it, so I’m giving them the credit.

Shur-Line’s brush and roller-cover cleaner costs around $15 to $20.

Shur-Line [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

When a storm is about to hit, the last thing you want to do is waste time screwing plywood over your windows.  PLYLOX window clips let you quickly cover windows with plywood without installing any hardware or modifying your window casings.

PLYLOX clips slip over the edge of 1/2″ plywood sheets to keep them in the window opening.  As wind blows across the plywood, the h-shaped clips transfer the force outward, holding the plywood securely in place.

To use the clips you simply measure the opening and subtract 1/4″ from each measurement to give you 1/8″ of clearance around the plywood sheet.  You choose the number of clips depending on the size of the window and the expected velocity of the wind gusts.

To install the window covers, slip the proper number of clips over the edge of the plywood and push the plywood into place.  To remove the plywood after the storm, push in towards the middle of the plywood to make the edges flex outward and pull from behind the clip.

A bag of 20 PLYLOX clips will run you about $30.

PLYLOX [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google]

These days, a lot of manufacturers and retailers are trying to appeal to the eco-conscious consumer by selling products that make a minimal impact on the environment — it also doesn’t hurt if they save you some money. The new propane-powered string trimmer from LEHR promises to do both.

This trimmer runs on a 25cc 4-stroke engine powered entirely by propane.  A small 16.2oz propane canister, just like the one you use on your portable camping stove or grill, will fuel the engine for about two hours.  Because it’s a 4-stroke engine, it requires no mixing or oil injection, just a small reservoir of 30-weight oil for lubrication and cooling.

While burning propane is slightly more expensive by volume than burning gas, the manufacturer points out that this trimmer requires no oil mixing and no regular maintenance outside of changing the oil reservoir once a year — and due to the engine design, it’s far less likely to need repairing, so it saves you money in the long run.

You can find the trimmer under the LEHR brand name at Home Depot and Ace Hardware, and Craftsman has licensed the same models to be sold under their brand name at Sears.  Before the Craftsman model appeared on shelves a few months ago, we were lucky enough to get our hands on one to play around with, and a few things stood out to me:

1. It’s extremely easy to start — it requires considerably less compression to start it than a standard 4-stroke or 2-stroke engine, and because of the propane injection system there’s no prime and no choke. Just pull and go.

2. The power transfer from engine to drive shaft is very consistent. There’s none of that odd jerking of the cutting head if the idle screw isn’t placed at exactly the right level. This also cuts back on vibration considerably.

3. As a direct result of the consistent power transference, it also idles very quietly. We were able to have a regular conversation without raising our voices while standing over the idling machine. You almost don’t know it’s running.

If you’re interested in seeing this item in action, check out the videos on LEHR’s site or stop by your local Sears. Most stores will demo the trimmer for customers upon request.

Expect to pay $200 for the curved-shaft and $220 for the straight-shaft models.  For $20 extra you can get a model that takes the optional universal attachment.  And if you like this tool, the website says to look for a propane-powered blower by fall of 2009.

Propane-Powered String Trimmers [LEHR]
Propane-Powered String Trimmers [Sears]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

The Ames True Temper lawn and leaf cart holds up to a 30-gallon bag open so you can collect your leaves, grass clippings, or even recyclables.  If your bag’s only half full, the flip-down lid keeps the contents in the bag until you can fill it completely.

Mount the cart to the wall, or use the wheels and tubular handle to move the plastic-bodied cart where it’s needed.  The adjustable bag holder works with either paper or plastic bags.

You’ll pay somewhere north of $30 for this lawn and leaf cart.

Lawn and Leaf Cart [Ames True Temper]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Ace Hardware Outlet is selling JB Weld for $3.20.  JB Weld is to epoxy as duct tape is to, um, tape — just a wonderful product with multiple uses.  I’ve used it to build up broken castings and fasten parts.

JB Weld [Ace Hardware Outlet]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Anything that makes finishing drywall easier is worth a look, but the Pocket Hound looks more like an amorphous blob of rubber than a tool.  Diversified Tools claims that each one of the random-looking curves helps you clean, shape, or form drywall mud around bullnose metal.

Not being professional mudders ourselves, we’re not exactly sure what some of the uses they list for the Pocket Hound even mean, so we’ll just reproduce their list here for you to figure out:

• Cleans, shapes, and forms 3/4″-90° bullnose metal and flex bullnose metal
• Cleans, shapes, and forms 1-1/2″ bullnose and 135° open angle bullnose metal
• Cleans kerf and “J” bullnose door metal
• Shapes and forms large inside corner radiuses
• Shapes and forms small inside corner radiuses
• Cleans, shapes, and forms inside square angles, flat surfaces, “L” metal, and regular corner bead

Made in China from a durable elastomer material that returns to its original shape after use, the Pocket Hound works with drywall mud, stucco, concrete, body filler, and more.  It weighs only 3oz and fits easily in your pocket or tool pouch.

A six-pack of Pocket Hounds will cost you $40, but some places sell just one for about $8.

Pocket Hound [Diversified Tools]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

While the Gordon wrench will help you turn stuck shutoff valves, to reach the valve you still might have to bend like a contortionist.  Plus you probably don’t want to venture that close to the scummy area behind the toilet or under the sink.  Although the WaterShutOff wrench from Superior Tool may not let you apply as much torque on stuck valves, it can keep you 11″ farther away from all that unpleasantness that hasn’t seen the light of day in years.

Superior Tool gave the WaterShutOff wrench a large D-grip handle that’s easy to grip and turn, especially if you have arthritis.  The plastic construction won’t damage the finish on the valve handle and makes it harder to over-torque the valve.

You can pay anywhere from $6 to $10 for the WaterShutOff wrench.

WaterShutOff Wrench [Superior Tools]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

You probably won’t see a couple of plumbers in the back room with a bunch of these tools and a playground ball, trying to get twosies — but it’s fun to imagine.  These jack-lookalike tools are actually drum tap wrenches for removing cleanout plugs.

Superior Tools makes these wrenches in Taiwan from strong malleable iron.  They’re designed to fit the slotted or square recesses on cleanout plugs.  The hardest part about using this tool might be liberating it from the clamshell packaging.

You can buy a drum tap wrench for about $20 to $25.

Drum Tap Wrench [Superior Tool]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

If you subscribe to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), your service provider might tell you, “Regular old phones won’t work with VoIP,” and they’ll give you some hardware to make your computer a phone.  That setup could pass muster in a one-bedroom apartment — but not in a three-bedroom house, where a ringing phone could set the teenagers to stampeding, or where you might miss a call if the game’s on in the other room.

Of course, when you tell a tool guy, “It doesn’t work that way,” what he hears is, “It’s time to do some experimenting.”

One possible solution:  If your VoIP provider gave you a Telephone Network Interface “box” that’s supposed to be compatible with a single phone, you can splice into the existing phone wiring in your house and connect all your phones to the VoIP.  In the picture above, the “to service” box links back to the Telephone Network Interface unit, and the “to house jacks” leads to all the phones in the house.  The short phone cord between them allows you to easily switch between VoIP and the “old-fashioned” phone company.

Here’s another setup:  Your DSL comes into the “to service”;  a phone cord runs out of “to service,” to the DSL modem, which connects to your VoIP gadget; and a phone cord goes from the VoIP gadget to the “to house jacks,” which already has your phones plugged into it.

You’ll need some phone jacks, preferably the kind (see the link below) with wire color-coding for both “match to screw” and “match to wire” systems.

Surface-Mount Replacement Jack [Ace Hardware]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Fall’s here, and the leaves just keep dropping.  Too bad the trees don’t drop their leaves all at the same time — no, to keep your yard clean you’ll have to rake many times before fall’s over.  Plus, if you have trees like red oaks that hold onto their leaves over the winter, you’ll be out there raking in the spring several times, too.  All this raking takes away valuable shop time.  Would something like this $150 lawn sweeper from Agri-Fab make the work go faster?

This particular lawn sweeper cleans a 26″ swath and collects up to 7 cubic feet of dry leaves/debris in its replaceable vinyl hopper — unfortunately, it won’t work very well with soggy leaves.  With its zinc-plated steel frame and polypropylene housing, the 52-1/2″ x 31″ x 33″ sweeper weighs in at 25 pounds.

Is a lawn sweeper the answer for keeping your yard clean in the fall, or will it just sit in the garage gathering dust?  Let us know your experiences in comments.

Lawn Sweeper [Agri-Fab]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Fans of household fall projects can get down on Ace’s sale from now until the 27th of October. They’ve marked down their Royal Interior flat paints, starting at $20 a gallon — and one can’ll cover a bunch of wall.

Just remember to grab some cheapo primer if you’re adding color.  It’ll help the good stuff coat a bunch better, and it’ll save you some cash in the long run.

Ace Hardware [Corporate Site]

Ace Hardware is selling this 20lb sledge hammer for $34.55.  While assisting with a bit of blacksmithing last night, I remembered what a handy tool the 20lb sledge hammer is for transmitting force to another object — and how frightening it is when it’s being swung at you.  While it’s not as efficient as a lighter hammer for all-day demolition, when you hit something with a 20lb sledge, it stays hit.

Shipping will likely be high, so you might want to check your local store for this one.

Jackson Sledge Hammer [Ace Hardware]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Carry Stanley’s Mitey Knife on your keychain and you’ll always have a miniature utility knife with you.  This lightweight knife weighs less than an ounce and measures 3-1/2″ inches when closed.

Just like a standard utility knife, the two-piece reinforced plastic handle also stores the high-carbon steel blades, which measure 1-1/8″ long and 0.017″ thick.  A push button locks the blade into two different cutting positions and also retracts the blade.

Stanley sells the Mitey Knife in green or yellow plastic bodies (10-139) and a metal body (10-239).  Each knife includes two blades and a keychain.  You’ll pay about $2 to $3 for a Mitey Knife and $2 for a three-pack of replacement blades (11-013).

Mitey Knife [Stanley]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Pruning the extra growth that’s happened this season can be done any number of uber expensive ways or the old school way dad did it – with a bow saw and hand trimmer. Ace has a deal on a two piece saw set for ten bucks that will get you going and not hurt the football-munchies budget.

The 21” Bow saw will get the big limbs cut down to size and the small folding saw is designed for just about everything else. Sure an old fashioned bow saw is not a chainsaw or something super sexy but it also costs less than most other trimming options so the cheapskate in us wins out here.

Both will make short work of tree and hedge trimming just be aware of how the larger branches are going to fall. Crashing down on your head is not a good place for that limb that’s been hanging over your car for the last month or two.

Ace Hand & Bow Saw Set [Ace Hardware]

Toolmongers living in cities that shut down for a few inches of snow needn’t read further.  The rest of us in the snow belt know that packing an emergency shovel in your vehicle during the winter is being prepared for the worst.  Even if you don’t have much space to store a full-sized shovel, you might have room for a shovel like the Penguin collapsible emergency snow shovel.

An aluminum alloy telescoping handle allows the shovel to extend to 39″ long and collapse to a compact 17-1/2″.  To handle that deceptively heavy snow, a central rib reinforces the 8-1/2″ wide by 12″ long poly blade.  You’ll pay anywhere between $12 and $24 for the Penguin collapsible snow shovel.

Collapsible Snow Shovel (PDF) [Ames True Temper]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Denny and Kathy, who seem to run an Ace Hardware dealership, are selling the Fiskars 8511 hand drill for $10.79.  The Fiskars — a basic, small, cheap, eggbeater-style hand drill — works well for small jobs where there’s no need for a cordless drill. Of course, you can often find a vintage one on Ebay for about the same price.

Fiskars 8511 Hand Drill [Denny and Kathy's]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

ACE Hardware stores across the country are running a fall sale today and tomorrow including a number of items designed to help you prepare for the season. Our favorite: they’re offering Shop-Vac’s Mini Hang Up wet/dry vac for $30 — about $5-$10 less than most brick-and-morter shops (and many online outlets, too).

The Mini Hang Up is a handy little one-gallon one-horsepower vac that comes with a wall bracket mount that keeps it off the floor and out of the way. I’ve been meaning to pick one up, ’cause it looks a lot easier to carry than my honkin’ wet/dry when I don’t need all that umph.

Shop-Vac Mini Hang Up Wet/Dry Vac [ACE Hardware]

Ace Hardware is offering a deal on a set of six Adjustable brand clamps with 3-1/2″ opening and 2″ throat for $25.  Deep-throat clamps often provide the only solution to clamping problems involving access from only one side, large assemblies, etc.

Set of Six Deep-Throat Clamps [Ace Hardware]
Street Pricing [Google Products]