This Old House: What's in Your Toolbox

The guys over at This Old House are gearing up for their big reader-generated issue, due out in June of this year. One of the cool things that they're doing for it is a section called, "What's in Your Toolbox." Here, they are inviting readers (you) to go to their website and submit a picture and a little paragraph of your favorite tool. It can be your most used one, the one you just like the best, or even that freaky one that your grandfather made and then passed down to you. If you're looking for inspiration, you should check out some recent postings at The Hardware Aisle, like this one and this one.

We're not sure what we would choose. Probably our old Panasonic drill that we finally put in the trash about a week ago (what a way to treat an old friend). Both batteries were dead and something inside was rattling, but while it was alive, that drill couldn't have been any more dependable.

Tell them about your tools here.

Grizzly Industrial '08

This is our favorite time of year, not because of the non-stop holiday booze-fests, but because it's when the new year's Grizzly catalog arrives. And while we were recently out of town at one of said booze-fests, this momentus yearly event occurred.

To us, the Grizzly catalog is a one stop reference for tools for the entire year, and they've got everything. The catalog is the size of a small city's phone book and is crammed with power tools, shop tools, hand tools, bits, jigs, project plans and plenty more. Also, anyone interested in building their own guitar should start with this catalog, because they feature an extensive section on just that topic.

That said, we obviously think that everyone of you should have one of these kicking around the shop, by the nightstand, in the bathroom, or where ever it is that you have the time to flip through the Cadillac of tool catalogs.

Get your free catalog at Grizzly.

This Old House - Jan/Feb 2008

We gave up reviewing magazines a while back because you guys just weren't all that into it. But we still held out that we'd review the occasional issue if there was something worth writing about. Well this month's This Old House is worth writing about. It's actually the best issue of theirs that we've picked up in a long, long time.

Lately it seems that their content has been getting pretty fluffy with too many of those awful articles on "how you and your spouse can survive a renovation." We say leave those to the pages of Glamour and give us info on tools, building materials, and workable ideas for our own renovations. This issue has all that and more. There's an article on crown molding, there's one on converting a guest bedroom into a large bath, also ones on steam showers, replacement windows, and a great router primer (written by or pal Harry Sawyers from The Hardware Aisle). And the list goes on and on.

We're not exactly sure why this issue is such a home run, but it is. Every single article is worth reading. Here's to hoping they'll be writing issues like this one all year long. Check out the table of contents here.

Subscribe to This Old House at Amazon

JLC Turns 25!

We just got the latest issue of the Journal of Light Construction in the mail and it looks like they're celebrating their 25th anniversary. For the special issue, they've decided to "recap some of the recurring issues [they]'ve covered in the last quarter century." There's a great forum on energy and moisture issues as well as the only article on roof venting that you'll ever need. There's also a funny cartoon series about what it's going to be like being a carpenter in the future.

If you're unfamiliar with JLC, you should rectify that immediately. Even though the magazine is geared for the small contractor, and each issue has a number of articles on legal issues, the building articles are the best out there and would be helpful to even the most basic DIYer.

Their website is here

Subscribe to JLC here

Woodsmith Vol 29 / No. 172 - Review

This month, Woodsmith provides another out of the park home run with an issue crammed full of good articles, tips, and advice. Of all the woodworking magazines that we read, Woodsmith is the only one that consistently exceeds our high expectations.

This time around, the main project is a nice hall bench complete with tall coat hooks and a backboard. There's some tricky joinery and plenty of detail work, but if you're not up to the whole thing, the project can be scaled back to just the chest piece making things quite a bit easier.

Other solid articles include one on built-up crown molding, a great one on finishing supplies, and a primer on table saw joinery. Oh, and there's a terrific article on oak.

Continue reading to see what tools are covered in this issue.

Continue reading: "Woodsmith Vol 29 / No. 172 - Review"

Fine Homebuilding No. 189 - Review

The new Fine Homebuilding just arrived and, after a read-through, we can happily report that it’s a solid, above-average effort from our friends at Taunton. As usual, there are a few articles geared more for idea-generation, as opposed to actual execution. This time around they’re good ones and display a lot of options for consideration. The cover story, “Signature Details for Kitchen Cabinets,” is a fine example, giving eight different ideas and scenarios for sprucing up the kitchen.

The more practical articles, “Insulating a Rim Joist,” “Trimming a Basement Window,” and one on the use of a basement curtain drain,” are all well-written, and easy to understand. Also, there is a good one on how to install a garbage disposal.

Read on to see what tools are covered in this issue of Fine Homebuilding.

Continue reading: "Fine Homebuilding No. 189 - Review"

Popular Woodworking – August 2007 – Review

This month’s Popular Woodworking just showed up and it’s another winner. Lots of cool articles, tips, tricks, and projects for all skill level woodworkers. This issue even has the first installment of a new column, “Jig Journal,” which, according to Christopher Schwartz, Editor of the magazine, is “not your typical woodworking jig column with Rube Goldberg gizmos. These are jigs designed to be used everyday.”

For projects, this issue features a canted wall box (for beginners), a nice tusk-tenon book rack (for intermediates), a great Shaker Clock (for the advanced among you), and a foot-powered lathe (for the insane inventor-types out there). There is also a good article on dust collection, one on plane wicks, and a very cool piece on The College of the Redwoods, the woodworking school founded by James Krenov.

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This Old House – July/August 2007 – Annual Kitchen and Bath Special

This issue of This Old House is another good one, filled with solid articles on kitchens and baths as well as a handful of other relevant topics. The only drawback is that there is very little discussion of tools of any sort.

The centerpiece of the kitchens portion of the magazine is an analysis of three renovations, each done on a different budget. The article has nice cost breakdowns and some good advice (steer clear of trends). There is also a piece on what can go wrong during a kitchen remodel and how not to let those problems happen to you.

As for the baths part of the magazine, there is an article on concrete countertops, one on how to tile a vintage bath, and a particularly cool one on outdoor showers.

Other topics covered in this issue include ceiling fans, irrigation gear, and wireless monitoring systems.

Keep reading to see what tools were covered in this issue.

Continue reading: "This Old House – July/August 2007 – Annual Kitchen and Bath Special"

This Old House - June 2007 - Review

After last month’s stinker, This Old House is back with a great issue, focused mostly on outdoor projects and gardening. Although it showed up in the mailbox looking like it had been sent through a meat grinder, we were able to read through the entire issue except for the last few pages.

There are great articles on container gardening, dormers, and building fountains, but without question our favorite article is the one dedicated to lawn sports. The story gives easy step-by-step instructions on building courts for horeshoes, bocce, and croquet. We have experience in the area, and even though we’re not convinced their instructions are the best, it’s a good place to start and will at least dispel the thought that making room for these games is a difficult thing to do.

The non-outdoors articles include a very nice piece on the restoration of an old farmhouse, an introduction to Japanese-style handsaws, and an essential article on how to choose wood at the lumber yard.

Keep reading to see what tools were mentioned in this issue.

Continue reading: "This Old House - June 2007 - Review"

Fine Homebuilding No. 188 - Review

Taunton delivers another good issue of Fine Homebuilding this month. There’s a vague spring/summer feel to things with articles on customizing decks, creating stone steps, and a low risk way to reroof. There are also solid articles on SIPs (structural insulated panels), framing for a garage door, and building a paneled passageway.

In addition to all this good stuff, what we liked best about this issue is the article on undersink plumbing. It’s likely that your current plumbing is ill-conceived and prone to problems. This article isolates the issues at hand and gives a clear way to redo things to head off the multitude of problems that are just waiting to occur.

Keep reading to find out what tools were covered in this issue.

Continue reading: "Fine Homebuilding No. 188 - Review"

Woodsmith Vol 29 / No. 171 - Review

Woodsmith, our favorite woodworking magazine, showed up the other day and even though this issue isn’t an out of the park home run, it still sits far above the competitors. This time around, they’ve got some great stuff on stropping, cutting gauges, and the Incra Router Table Jig. For projects, there’s a sliding top table, an oak chaise lounge, and a carved book rack. The three projects are all very doable with some nice challenging aspects to each.

Also in the issue is a cool article on hand scrapers, a tool we don’t see enough people using, and one describing 7 tips and tricks for using oil stains. Screwing up the finishing process, after going through all the work of making something, is insanely frustrating and this article has a lot of good information on how to avoid those blunders.

As always, we recommend buying this issue and subscribing to the magazine.

Subscribe to Woodsmith here.

This Old House - May 2007 - Review

We apologize for being late in reviewing May's This Old House. Our excuse is that it’s, well, an altogether forgettable issue. It’s been on the coffee table for a while now, and after the first flip through, we’ve had very little interest in picking it up again.

There’s a pretty solid article about organic lawn care and a nice “How it Works” on solar hot water systems, but aside from those, the issue is pretty sub-standard fare. There’s a piece on different deck styles (each with a superhero-gone-wrong name; The Multi-Tasker, The Great Equalizer, and The Privacy Preserver), one on adding a cobblestone apron at the end of a driveway (Zzzzzz), and four pages dedicated to an unbearable “he said/she said” article about the renovation process.

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Fine Homebuilding No. 187 – Annual Houses Issue - Review

Fine Homebuilding’s Annual Houses issue showed up in the mailbox the other day and, as always, it’s a pretty fun read. Each year, this issue showcases a number of houses of various styles and somehow makes you believe that, with just a few changes, your house will take on the appearance of one of these masterpieces.

Among the profiled houses are a 540 sq. ft. cottage, a hurricane resistant beach house, and a hilltop contemporary with a lap pool that doubles as an emergency water supply. There is also an article that shows how both the single-level and multi-level retirement home can be successful.

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This Old House - April 2007 - Review

This Old House Magazine is a consistent purchase. It’s like Maxim or Wired (minus the naked girls and keyboards) in that you can go cover to cover in one sitting, but you can always go back through and find something you missed, some little sidebar or review that’s tucked in the corner of a page. This issue falls in with that general idea and is crammed with information.

With Spring coming, most of the larger articles in this issue deal with the outside elements of the house. One lists out seven ways to upgrade the overall look of your house (use pavers and plants, upgrade your garage doors, etc), while another deals with how to clean a winter’s worth of grime off of your deck. Both articles are useful and worth reading.

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