If you've been yearning for the opportunity to spend over $250 on a hammer, your day is finally here. Stiletto Tools sells just the thing and it's called the Mini-15 TiBone and it retails for $262.50 ($274.50 once shipping is tacked on). Why so damn expensive? We suppose it's got something to do with the fact that it's entirely made of titanium, which, according to Stiletto, has 10 times less shock than steel. But in addition to that, there are also a number of other cool features.
While the Mini-15 comes equipped with the traditional nail pullers, there is an additional one located on the side of the head, specially designed for 16d nails. A quick jerk to the side and the nail is up. There is also a magnetic nail starter and an ergonomic rubber grip.
We just got the heads up about this innovative little tool company that has put a distinctive stamp on a couple commonly used tools. The company is called Rapid Tools and the tools are their Rapid Level and Rapid Edge.
The Rapid Edge is a utility knife. It's got a nice looking ergonomic handle, blade storage, and generally acts like a normal utility knife except that it has a little LED light at the blade end. The light is automatic and serves as a way to brighten your cut line as well as to act as a safety indicator if even the slightest part of the blade is extended. The Rapid Edge can use any standard blade, but it comes with serrated blades (exclusive to Rapid Tools). Because there are five different faces that cut, as opposed to two, the blade lasts much longer and can take more punishment.
The knife sells for about $9, which is pretty much what you'd pay for any high quality knife. The blades are sold separately as well and fit into any standard utility knife.
If you're a DIYer or even a contractor who ends up working alone quite a bit, you should look into getting a set of FastCap's 3rd Hand Supports. They're an easy to use, multi-function support stick/clamp/brace/whatever.
They start at 5' and can extend to 12'. They are strong enough to help with a sheet of blueboard and the pad on the end is small enough to deal with crown molding. Both the top and bottom plates have non-marring rubber pads and they swivel on a ball joint, so they can be easily placed at an angle (if you were putting up crown, for example). They can also be used to create a dust barrier, similar to a Zipwall. In fact, they're practically half the price of a Zipwall system, but have far more functionality.
Skil XBench Portable Workstation (and how to win one!)
UPDATE: SKil is now offering a Deluxe XBench Kit. More info here.
Skil might have another winner on their hands with the new XBench Portable Workstation. It looks like they've managed to combine a lot of good, standard features with some new and interesting ones.
The XBench Portable Workstation is made of MDF with steel legs, each of which is independently adjustable, so you can set up anywhere and get a nice level surface. It also has a universal plate system for things like routers, as well as a channel for featherboards and miter slides. We're not sure of the specifics on how the plate system works, but we assume that at least Skil tools can be fitted into the table. There is also a power outlet with a bump-off switch as well as ruler markings along the side.
Keep reading to learn how to win one for yourself.
We use West System Epoxy all the time and even though it's our go-to goo, there are some usability issues with it. First, the proportions of resin to hardener need to be dead on or the epoxy starts having issues with drying time and adhesion (we screwed up one batch so badly that it just never set up). And it's not just a 1:1 ratio; it's either 5:1 or 3:1 depending on which hardener you're using. If your pumps aren't working, this is not an easy ratio to 'eyeball'. But if you are using your pumps, it's difficult to get just a small amount mixed. Even the smaller sized pumps can leave you with a lot of epoxy left over if all you need is a just a little bit.
West System has just released G/Flex, a new user friendly, two part epoxy system that deals with all of these issues. It uses a simple 1:1 ratio, making mixing much easier and eliminating the need for the pumps. And with the easy ratio, it's going to be no problem mixing up tiny amounts if that's all that's needed.
Why have two nail guns when you only need one? That's the question that fuels the design of this interesting gun from Bostitch. The N88RH-2MCN plays double duty as both a stick nailer and a metal connector nailer. The way it works is that the gun comes with two different tips, so all you have to do is change from one to the other and you've got the dual functionality. According to Bostitch, changing tips just takes seconds (don't forget to change the nails too).
American Science and Surplus sells some pretty unusual items (their nav menu has a category called, "Robot Parts"), and they tend to sell them at very reasonable prices. Their Helping Hand clamp (for lack of a better word) fits the bill: unusual and under $10. It's a little stand with two alligator clips, a magnifying glass, and a little light. Each piece is fully adjustable resulting in virtually limitless possibilities of how to use the thing.
If you're a detail guy; a hobbyist who works with minutia and who agonizes over every little detail of each little piece, this might be something to add to your workbench. If you're not like that, you should probably still get one because it just looks so damn cool and it only costs eight bucks.
Looks like DeWalt is into the footwear market. We knew that they sold reference guides, but until this morning, we had no idea that they sold boots too. We're not sure what the deal is; if DeWalt actually designed them or if they're a name brand that's been co-branded. Either way, the boots look nice and range from sneaker-style to big old traditional leather work boots.
Just about everyone agrees that Dremel is the king of the rotary tool, but did you know that they've been at it since 1932? Way back then, they released an electric razor blade sharpener and soon after introduced the Moto-Tool, their first rotary tool. Since then, it's been one success after another and now they have decided to mark their 75th anniversary with a limited-edition commemorative tool kit. Needless to say, we were pretty thrilled when they kindly let us test one out.
The tool comes in a metal case with the commemorative Dremel logo imprinted on the lid. Although it's a bit impractical for throwing in the back of the truck and heading off to the jobsite, the case is very cool and fits the limited-edition nature of the kit. The tool itself also has a retro look and feel with a number of chrome accents, including the collet, brush caps, on/off/speed switch as well as a chrome version of Dremel's old-school logo printed on the side. The set comes with, you guessed it, 75 accessories. The accessories cover the basics of the rotary tool world; there are sanding bands, polishing wheels, cut-off wheels, steel brushes, grinding stones, and even a small container of polishing compound. It's a solid starter set, with just enough of everything to get you interested and wanting more.
Our pals over at Toologics got the big scoop yesterday when they posted about Bosch's new PMF 180 E Multi. It appears to be very similar to the amazing Fein MultiMaster and since the Bosch name screams quality, it should be quite a tool, not to mention some much needed competition in the niche market of oscillating tools. As reported at Toologics, the tool is only available in Europe at the moment, but it appears to be selling at less than half the price of the Fein. No word yet when it's coming to the States.
We did a little research and found the tool on Amazon's German site. With the help of an online language to language application, we translated the lone posted comment. The reviewer had this to say,
Hello, I have bought the device today and am inspired by the achievement circumference. It substitutes for several other Bosch devices and is useable for work which could be differently barely managed (the Terse take a short-cut, doors shorten etc.). On the homepage of Bosch a nice video about the achievement circumference is put nowadays. Hence, I can only recommend you the device.
Coleman Power Tools has recently come out with an interesting innovation on the cordless drill. It's a new style of chuck that seems to solve a number of standard problems and inconveniences that accompany the traditional three-jaw chuck. Coleman's Power-Tite's chuck is internal, with some sort of locking mechanism that secures the bit.
This is good for a few of reasons. First, because the tip of the drill doesn't move, there's no chance of marring the workpiece if you're coming in at an angle. Secondly, the way that the chuck is set-up, there is no more need for hand tightening. So if you know of an aging diyer who has arthritis or is losing hand strength, this drill could be quite a gift for them. Finally, and most important (to us, at least), now that the tip of the drill no longer moves, it can be gripped, giving much greater stability and control to the drill.
These things all add up to a tool that looks promising. Could this possibly be the next big evolutionary step for the cordless drill?
When we read that Grizzly was selling a brad gun for $25, we were pretty suspicious of it's quality. A brad gun is at least an $80 purchase, right? Would this Grizzly gun work? Would it constantly jam? Would it not have the strength to put a nail into a piece of wood, and if it did would the nail go in at some freaky angle? All these questions were in our head when the nice folks at Grizzly agreed to send us one to test out. And test out we did.
As far as the gun goes, it's a no frills machine, which we like actually. We can get frustrated with tools that have too many moving parts, too many dials, micro-adjusts for this and that, a lot of which aren't even necessary. For features, Grizzly's H5527 can boast only one: an adjustable exhaust. For some reason we had thought, and had written earlier, that there was an adjustable depth of drive setting, but we were wrong. This is about as stripped down as a brad nailer can get.
Win Prizes from MvixUSA and Our New Site NetworkingAudioVideo.com!
If you didn't know, this site is part of a larger network of sites from Blogpire Productions and we'd like to tell you about a new site that's part of the Blogpire - NetworkingAudioVideo.com. If you want to learn how to stream music, movies, and TV around your house - NetworkingAudioVideo.com is for you. We're excited about NetworkingAudioVideo.com, and we're really excited about giving away lots of cool high tech prizes!
We've teamed up with MvixUSA to giveaway some T-Shirts and if enough people sign up - some Mvix Media Centers. The type of prize you can win depends on how many people sign up for our newsletter at NetworkAudioVideo.com. This giveaway will be a tiered giveaway, so the more users that sign up, the bigger the prizes. If more than 500 ( U.S.) users sign up, Mvix will give away All of the following prizes. All winners will be chosen by the end of the giveaway, and be chosen via random drawing.
(10) MvixUSA T-shirts - 100 signups or more
(1) Mvix MV-4000U Media Center - 250 signups or more
(1) Mvix MX-760HD Media Center - 500 signups or more
This giveaway is open to U.S. participants only and ends August 31st, 2007.
To be eligible to win, all you have to do to win is be part of the Networking Audio Video mailing list. Click here to be part of the mailing list or sign up by using the form below.
Here's an interesting video on how duct tape is made. Although the narrator is annoying (we were hoping he would fall into one of the machines), it's worth checking out.
And speaking of duct tape, don't let this happen to you.
Ever wonder exactly how strong a miter joint is? From time to time we have but now, thanks to the guys at Wood magazine, we know. They made up an assortment of common woodworking joints and took them to a lab and stress tested the hell out of them to see which ones were the strongest. Very cool.
The video is here. For some reason, we aren't allowed to embed it on the site.
We were just tipped off about this interesting little gizmo. It's called the Spout Popper and it helps with prepping a caulking tube for use. It looks like it has the same general design as a cigar cutter, except that the Spout Popper has three sizes of cuts to choose from. In addition, the way the Spout Popper fits over the caulking tube, it automatically aligns itself to make a 45 degree cut. The tool also has a seal puncture that works just like the one that's already on your caulking gun.
We've never been a fan of the cutters that are built-in to some caulking guns; it's tough to cut at an angle and there is only so far that you can get the nozzle in to make the cut. We tend to use our utility knife and although we fare much better than the girl in the Spout Popper movie, our cuts are inconsistent from tube to tube and at times can be a bit ragged. It looks like the Spout Popper solves those issues by making the same cut every single time. The design also protects the blade when not in use so we imagine that the Spout Popper has a fairly substantial lifetime. Having the three distinct sizes really standardizes your caulking beads and knowing that you have the same size hole each time allows you to get right to the caulking, as opposed to readjusting your stance or your caulking speed in order to continue a similar bead from tube to tube.
The Spout Popper is about $4 and is available at their website as well as at Ace Hardware (it's not on their website yet).
Recently, Ace released a line of paint called Ace Sensations. But don't think that it's an ordinary, run-of-the-mill paint, because it's not. It's somehow made with Scotchguard, giving it extra stain blocking abilities. Is there finally a paint on the market that is perfect for insanely messy people or those of you with children who haven't yet mastered the art of eating while not throwing? Well, the good people at Ace were nice enough to get a gallon of the stuff in our hands for us to test out, and we had at it with some of the nastiest, greasiest pasta sauce we could find.
First, some basics about the paint: it's latex, so the application and cleanup are relatively easy and clean. It is mildew resistant, making it ideal for bathrooms and other high-moisture areas. And it is available in both flat and satin finish.
Putting up drywall is a pain in the ass for a number of reasons. You have to deal with awkward 4x8 sheets of material, the work gets dusty and messy, and even though you barely even have to be accurate to a quarter inch, if you cut a piece a hair too long, it's nearly impossible to shave off that extra bit with any grace whatsoever. In addition to all of this, there are a number of tools you need in order to be efficient. Sometimes you don't have all the tools with you, and sometimes they just aren't in arm's reach when you've got a sheet of blueboard propped up on your knee and you need to cut out for a light fixture. With this last issue, Husky may have something that can help out quite a bit.
They have recently released a new 5 in 1 drywall tool to be your one stop, Swiss Army Knife of the sheetrock set. The five tools contained are, a keyhole saw, a utility knife, a sanding rasp, a screw pull, and a tube punch. The tools are all set-up in traditional multi-tool style, pivoting out of the handle, except for the rasp, which is set in to the back of the tool. The entire tool is about the size of a double wide utility knife.
A while back we reviewed Husky's Stubby Set, a cool little collection of mini-ratchets. Then, after a while, we started getting word that some of our readers could no longer find it in stores. Well, we contacted Husky and they let us know that the Stubby Set was indeed a limited-time only item but that if you have the patience to wait until fall, they will be re-releasing it, making it available through the holidays. Once again, the Stubby Set will be sold exclusively at Home Depot. Be sure to keep an eye out for it, it's a great set to either have yourself or give as a gift.
Aside from the constant battle with over-heating, we had a good month here at Tool Snob. First and foremost, we were completely impressed with Wagner's Painteater, a total monster of a tool when it comes to the awful task of paint scraping. Secondly, we reviewed and gave away Ridgid's new 18 Volt Li-Ion Drill. And lastly, we rooted around trying to give you all the heads up on new and otherwise interesting tools and tool-related things.
Stay tuned for the month of August. Very soon we'll be posting a review of Ace Sensations Paint, Husky's new 5-in-1 Drywall Tool, Grizzly's $25 Brad Gun, and Dremel's 75th Anniversary Rotary Tool. August should be a lot of fun around here.
Well we put all the names in a hat and did our drawing and are happy to say that reader Joe is now the owner of Ridgid's new 18 Volt Li-Ion drill. We want to thank everyone who entered and shared their thoughts on the website. There was a lot of great feedback and we really appreciate you guys taking the time to let us know what you think. So, for Joe, congrats, and for the rest of you we can guarantee that there will be other tool give aways in the future. Thanks again.
The Monster Hook is a versatile little tool holder that easily clips on to your belt. Because of its universal design, it is able to hold any number of tools from nail guns to cordless drills. Just yesterday, we were doing some ladder work that not only involved using multiple tools, but we also had to constantly change the position of the ladder so there was no way to set up any kind of permanent shelf. There's no question that without our tool holder, the job would have taken twice as long. By providing a place to stash our drill, it kept us up on the ladder working, rather than stressing out about a precariously perched death drill, wedged between the ladder and the house.
We especially like that the Monster Hook is so light and small, so unlike other tool holsters, you don't even know that you're wearing this one. It also really grabs on to the tool, so there's no concern about your nail gun becoming dislodged or slipping out. The Monster Hook swivels around, so it's good for both lefties and righties.
You can get a Monster Hook for about $6, which is a very small price to pay for such a handy item.
Stiletto Mini-14 TiBone
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Looks like DeWalt is into the footwear market. We knew that they sold reference guides, but until this morning, we had no idea that they 
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Dremel 75th Anniversary Rotary Tool Kit - Review
