Tools
A tool left off many lists that every household should have is a 6-foot stepladder. That height is useful for most interior jobs and working on the lower portion of the exterior of the home such as the roof line.
Don't skimp on quality. A good ladder should last a long time. Metal, wood, or fiberglass are all great choices but a quality ladder will have the following features:
+ Wider spread between the legs
+ Rustproof hardware
+ Heavy side rails
+ Sturdy rungs and steps
+ Firm stance when open
Over at Lumberjocks you can peruse a ton of user submitted projects. Most of them are woodworking. Some masterpieces and some questionable but all home grown.
This homemade cyclone dust collector caught our eye as it's a unique problem solving tool that many builders would love to have in their shop. Basically it acts as an intermediary between the vacuum canister and the end of the hose. The sawdust is deposited in the bucket and therefore the vacuum doesn't lose power as it fills up and the bucket has a higher volume before it is filled.
Here's what the inventor said of his diy concoction:
Inspired by this T Square tattoo we spotted on a recent trip to Seattle, we decided to pull together a photo gallery of tattoos dedicated to tools.
It's difficult to tell which body part some of these tool tattoos are located on but many of them would be very difficult to cover up which shows true dedication to their tool tat.
The wrench seems to be the most popular tool put to ink and no better tool represents the working-class, DIY ethos more than a wrench.
Which one's your favorite?
We're a fan of the Headlight Hard Case Energizer light and this 4 LED swivel light light promises to be just as useful.
As with the rest of the Hard Case line, this light is extremely durable and shock resistant. The compact size and attached clip allow you to place this on your belt or in your pocket and the rotating head allows for 125 degrees of angled light.
It's our Giveaway this week!
HOW TO ENTER
You've got 2 ways to enter to win this swivel light from Energizer:
1. Leave a comment on this post. Just below enter your name and email and comment.
2. Tweet this post. See the green "retweet" button above. Just use it and tweet away!
Each method of entry counts so you'll double your chance of winning if you comment and tweet. Please use a real email address so we can contact you if you win and let us know in the comments if you enter by multiple methods.
GIVEAWAY DEADLINE
The random winner will be chosen at 12 midnight EST on Nov. 20, 2009 and will be notified immediately.
COMMENT HERE TO WIN
We've long been a fan of tool libraries but unfortunately they are lacking in many cities and most of the tool libraries we've seen are in dire need of updating. Neighborgoods is taking the idea of sharing tools to the next level by combining the idea with a social network. Their tagline "Need a ladder? Borrow it from your neighbor. Have a bike collecting dust in your closet? Rent it out for some extra cash!"
Sounds simple enough. We did an initial search and within 10 miles we found a ladder, cordless drill, wet/dry vac, orbital sander and hand-held jigsaw. These tools aren't typical for most people to have in their toolbox but are indispensable when you need them.
They have launched in beta in Los Angeles, so if you can't find what you need using our DIY City Guide for Los Angeles, then maybe you should sign up with Neighborgoods. Who knows, maybe the tool you've been looking for is right next door.
[via Inhabitat]
Our sense of hearing takes a lot of abuse and over time will deteriorate. It's not only the obvious times to protect your hearing such as at a rock concert, listening to your iPod or playing the drums, but also at home while mowing the lawn or using power tools.
Our Giveaway this week, the Ryobi TEK4 Audio Plus Noise Suppression Headphones claim to protect your hearing using active noise suppression/canceling technology, but they also allow you to communicate in regular conversations as they have a built-in mic that pics up nearby low-level sounds that are amplified into the headphones.
There's also an audio input so you can use these headphones with your iPod or other audio device and these headphones are water and impact resistant and should work well in outdoor working environments.
HOW TO ENTER
You've got 2 ways to enter to win these noise suppression headphones from Ryobi:
1. Leave a comment on this post. Just below enter your name and email and comment.
2. Tweet this post. See the green "retweet" button above. Just use it and tweet away!
Each method of entry counts so you'll double your chance of winning if you comment and tweet. Please use a real email address so we can contact you if you win and let us know in the comments if you enter by multiple methods.
GIVEAWAY DEADLINE
The random winner will be chosen at 12 midnight EST on Nov. 13, 2009 and will be notified immediately.
Comment Here to Win
Toolsnob tipped us to some big news in the world of tools. Stanley Works will acquire Black & Decker for $4.5billion in an all-stock deal.
According to the WSJ:
This deal combines two iconic U.S. hand-tool and power-tool makers whose fortunes have faded amid a collapse in the housing market and a broader industrial slowdown.
Stanley is the smaller company, based on sales and employees, but will be the acquirer in the deal, which comes amid a slow period in deal making.
The two companies, will have combined annual sales of $8.4 billion and about 40,000 employees, the companies say. Stanley has annual sales of around $3.85 billion and Black & Decker has annual sales of around $4.85 billion.
The companies said they are looking for the combination to reap savings of $350 million a year and also add $1 per share to the bottom line in three years.
So you need a drill, jigsaw or sander, but you've only bought hand tools and you typically avoid the power tools aisle. Well, you're probably thinking: Where do I start? Doug Mahoney of the great blog Toolsnob helped us compile a quick and easy guide to help anyone buying power tools.
The most important consideration is value -- a personal equation involving cost, durability and lifestyle. A Bosch battery drill might cost $200, and it's going to withstand the beating of daily labor. But a Black & Decker might cost a quarter of that and as long as you're not planning on dropping it from a 20' extension ladder, it might be the right choice for you. I don't buy into the idea that the most expensive tools are the best because it depends on what you're using it for and how often you use it.
Take into account these other issues before your power tool purchase.
Ergonomics
This one is really important to me. If you're going to be doing a lot of work with a tool, it's got to be easy on your hands. This ties into safety as well. An awkward tool is a dangerous one.
Cost
Like I said above, high price or low price doesn't really matter as much as what I'll be asking the tool to do. It's a trade-off. The most durable, precise tools tend to be the most expensive.
We've profiled a few of our favorite iPhone Apps for DIY and great ones keep on coming!
As of today, here's a complete list of our favorites.
1. Knot Guide - A must have for the boy scout within.
2. The Stanley Level - Is that a level in your pocket?
3. The Handyman App - Calculate paint, flooring, wallpaper and more.
4. ID Wood - Empower yourself at the lumber yard or flooring shop. Our review
5. Converter - Ultimate unit conversions
One of the cooler products (no pun intended) we've reviewed is the Ryobi TEK4 Infrared Thermometer. All TEK4 Tools are cordless and use a rechargeable battery. Built for toughness they are impact and dust resistant so you won't have to worry about taking it with you to the job site.
We certainly wish the TEK4 website ran a bit faster and was not built entirely in flash but it's worth the wait to check out the product line.
We found the infrared thermometer to deliver as promised. The real time readout is actually fun to play with and we couldn't stop pointing the laser at everything in the room. Turns out we should probably turn on the gas heater soon as our space was in the 60's. The thermometer measures from temperatures ranging from -4 to 590 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 to 310 Celsius). So no worries using this in extreme environments.
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