April 2008 Archive
Key-ring multi-tool
This 1.6 oz. tool, manufactured by the makers of the previously-reviewed Utili-Key, can fit on a key chain or in a coin purse, which is where I keep mine. I most often use it for tightening the tiny screws on my glasses, but the small #1 Phillips and flat, pliers, wire cutter/stripper, sheet shear and rule markings (bonus!) are all unbelievably useful at the frequent odd moments you need the right tool which is anywhere but near (particularly the pliers). I have yet to try to go through airport security with it, but the TSA says pliers/screwdrivers and "tools" less than 7 inches can be carried on.
-- Dale Simpson
Swiss Tech Micro-Plus 8-In-1
$10
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Swiss+Tech Tools
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Atwood Mini Tools
Credit Card Survival Tool
Topeak Mini 6
Apron with pot-holders
We avoid clutter in our kitchen, so all towels and oven mitts live in a drawer next to the stove. Accessible, but nowhere near as handy as this apron that puts two padded mitts at your side, literally, right where you need 'em, whenever you 'em. So simple, so elegant. The slits lessen your below-the-belt coverage, of course, but the convenience is a worthy trade.
-- Steven Leckart
$18
Available from Design Within Reach
Manufactured by Royal VKB
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Moist Wound Burn Treatment
Silicone Baking Mat
Build Your Own Earth Oven
Industrial tinkering space
Wouldn't it be great to have a full machine shop at your disposal, with dozens of industrial tools also at your disposal, and all you have to do is contribute to the upkeep? TechShop is just that -- a membership-based fabrication and invention shop. I've been a member since before TechShop really even started, back when it was just some guys passing out flyers trying to gauge interest. For $100 a month, members can use any tool in the shop on which they've received training. MUCH cheaper than buying your own gear. The list of equipment is pretty extensive, too, and new items are arriving frequently (like a new hot-wire foam cutter).
I've spent the most time with the laser cutter and the plasma cutter, and a bit of time on the mill and lathes. The laser cutters are the best "deal" since even a novice can start building really intricate objects out of plastics quite rapidly, and the fact that the laser cutters simply "print" with a laser beam makes them the most approachable for people who want to work off-line and who come in just to cut materials. The plasma cutter is a bit more picky, and requires a jump up to a 'real' CNC computer, which is not difficult and is just as rewarding. One of the first things I did at TechShop was to build a gib key puller for a particularly obstinate key on the flywheel of a 50+ year old diesel engine I'm restoring. The robotic plasma cutter made short work of cutting what would have been otherwise a difficult piece, and I learned basic CNC methods in the process. I've since progressed to fairly advanced CNC operation skills, which have been useful in more intricate object construction. I've used the lathe to finish off some custom valves, the laser cutter for cutting gasket material and making signs, and I'm itching to try the 3D material printer.
TechShop offers classes on their equipment, as well as general classes on various methods and skills. The safety classes are typically very good, focused on safety and basic operation of the equipment. Classes are required for any equipment as a 'basic' instruction set, though some equipment has advanced classes for better technique and more complex jobs. Classes typically cost between $20 and $30 dollars for the basic safety class, but that's still a bargain. This is just what I've been looking for, since most machine shop instruction I've seen has been terribly expensive, and has been geared for "lowest common denominator" instructions, which are typically agonizingly boring. The TechShop classes are taught for safety and rapid understanding to try to bring members to the point where they can start producing their own objects as quickly as possible. There is still going to be some trial and error, but the feedback loop is very short and it doesn't take long before you're comfortable and confident on the equipment. This is industrial arts instruction for people with a high level of clue.
Motorcycle customizers, automotive gearheads, robot war fanatics, electronics fabricators, modelmakers, metal benders, burning man artists, startup companies, mechanical engineering students: I've met all of these at TechShop, and I'm sure quite a few others that defy categorization. If you have any interest in making things, or modifying things, then TechShop is for you. Having spent years and a lot of dollars in outfitting my own shop, I can say that the TechShop concept beats anything I could possibly hope to have done on my own with the added benefit of the people that one meets at a shared space like TechShop.
While the tools and physical resources of TechShop are excellent, there is a hidden benefit to participating: the other members. The breadth of skills of the members and projects underway is perhaps the most impressive and fascinating part of TechShop. At any one time, there are a half-dozen people working on fantastic and innovative things, either as hobby projects or as budding startups who have found an inexpensive way to bootstrap themselves into prototyping a better mousetrap. Here's a word to the wise for smart venture capital folks: find a hobby that requires TechShop and spend some quality time in the building doing your project. You'll get amazing things done on your own project, and get to review a few hundred of the most clever projects happening as well as meet the working engineers that are often so difficult to find otherwise.
The downside to TechShop is that it is still only in Menlo Park, California. Later this summer, additional locations are scheduled to open up with the expansion. Other downsides: there are often waits for the laser cutters, since those are the most popular items in the shop. And, of course, if you are a "top-secret" inventor, you won't find much privacy -- plan on people being very interested in your project and asking lots of questions. There are also almost no places to store materials between visits -- pretty much everything needs to go home with you.
I typically am at TechShop one or two evenings a week when I'm in the Bay Area, but my work schedule has made that less frequent than I'd like (I commute between PDX and SFO for work). The good news is that with the planned expansion one of the nine prospective cities is in my home town of Portland, OR. This will be welcome, as most of my projects involve objects that don't fit well into carry-on luggage.
-- John Todd
TechShop
$30 - Unlimited Daily Access
$100 - Unlimited Monthly Access
$1200 - Unlimited Annual Access
Classes
$30+
4' x 8' CNC Metal Plasma Cutter
*
Electronics Laboratory
*
Band Saws & Presses
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Tool Lending Libraries
Lindsay Publications
The Mobile-Shop
Leathersmith's whip guide
I got really into making whips back in 1998. Although this book arrived later in my whip hobby, in a short period of time, it really allowed my skills to skyrocket. It leaves no detail, big or small to the imagination. Mr. Edwards is a gifted craftsman, and his illustrations are only displaced when you see the real deal. He breaks down the various kinds of leather and their advantages and disadvantages for whipmaking, which saved me money and helped me choose the correct leather, sizes, and use up the best parts for the different pieces which make a whip. I even remember going as an 18 year-old to the tannery, and old men would be amazed at the way I chose the leather and knew what I wanted! The book teaches you pretty much every single term on whipmaking, which, in a way, also initiates you into the secrets of whipmaking.
It begins small (easy), and ends up big (complex). In this way, you grow little by little and a step at a time, growing in experience, knowledge and quality. There's some insight into the lives of a few well known whipmakers, which makes you feel at home and part of the trade. The book's versatile, too in that it not only focuses on a certain type of whip, but goes into many of the most popular. The book was clearly conceived in order to make you independent: you learn how to make your own tools, how to prepare your workplace, etc. This gives you a sense of responsibility, respect and control in this craft. And even once you've learned the craft of whips, this book can still serve as a great reference guide for future projects, since it contains a good amount of plaiting patterns and designs. I no longer make whips, which is truly a pity, but I'm now trying to get back into many of the crafts I did when I was younger, because they really fulfill me.
The only other books I'd recommend would be David Morgan's Whips & Whipmaking. It teaches you about whips and history. Though there is a section on making a whip, at the time I went deep into the hobby, the edition available had a lack of images which made the book a bit difficult to use for practical purposes. A few years ago, a new edition came out with much more material, but I have not seen it yet. I should add that Mr. Morgan was always kind to lend me his advice and feedback every time I asked by email. Also, I believe it was actually Mr. Morgan who brought Bushcraft 9 to the U.S. after I told him I was working with it (mine was flown straight from Australia). From my own experience, I learned whipmaking takes perseverance... lots of it.
-- Aldo Zamudio
How To Make Whips
Ron Edwards
1999, 166 pages
$17
Available from Amazon
Sample Excerpts:
Choosing the Leather
When choosing a side, it is best to avoid thick leather -- try and get it around 2.5 to 3mm thick, and also make sure that it is not soft and spongy. Leather that is cut from the belly part of the hide is often very weak and will break easily when cut into strands.
On the other hand, thick leather is hard to plait well, and needs to be skived down. so, the aim is to go for leather that can be plaited nicely and that remains strong even in the thinnest sections.
Cut a narrow strip from the leather you are thinking about using, taper it down to a thin point, and then see how easily it breaks. If the break has a loose, hairy look about it, then the leather at that part of the hide is not good enough for whipmaking.
*
The section nearest the backbone is the best part of the hide, but sometimes this is a bit thick and may be better used for reins and similar jobs. The tanner divides the hide along the backbone before tanning, and the result is called a side. Leather is bought by the side.
*
Styles of Whip
There is no such thing as one correct length, width, or shape for a 4-strand whip. Some people want long thick whips, others want shorter, lighter whips. Both styles are equally correct and neither is better than the other; it is just a question of the intended use for the whip.
*
*
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Leather Therapy
The Art of the Stonemason
The Complete Metalsmith
Superior pencil sharpener
With its built-in sharpener, the previously-reviewed leadholder is useful, however, the Alvin Lead Pointer is the best way to keep this type of pencil sharpened. I am an architect and use these pencils every day. I've had this sharpener for more than ten years and it still works like new. The pointer is small, making it ideal to hold in your hand while rotating your lead holder around the pointer. Because your two hands are working together, I find I have more control and there are much fewer broken leads. The cutting head is sharp and lasts for a long time. It only takes a couple spins and your lead is needle sharp. Maintenance and clean-up is a snap. Take the top off the body and dump the graphite shavings into your trash and you are done If you do break your lead in the pointer, just remove the top and tap it on the inside edge of your trash can to clear the broken pieces. Lead pointers can be messy because of the fine graphite dust, but my pointer has never leaked the dust onto my desk. I have used many different types of pointers from desk mounted to ones mounted on the top of an electric eraser. The desk mounted pointers tend to break leads easily, since you are moving your lead holder in a circular motion around a pointer fixed to your desk, thus you may move in a direction that is not compatible to the pointer and will snap your lead. The electric eraser type is good, but it does not stay sharp for very long. It's also difficult to empty the graphite shavings and jams when you break your lead inside it. This pointer really is the best way to keep you lead sharp! If you work in an office, you may want to buy two -- because it is so small and useful, your pointer just might grow legs.
-- Donald Moore, Jr.
Alvin Lead Pointer
$9
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by ALVIN
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Apex Mechanical Pencil
Derwent 3B Graphic Pencil
Architecture Without Architects
Pro work bench on wheels
When I saw the previously-untried Mobile-Shop, it was like a dream come true. I've always wondered how could I really organize my work van. With the Shop, I was able to house about four different messy boxes of tools, and make them extremely portable. Now I only carry the Shop and my two Dewalt 18V kits. The handling is great and it's well constructed. It is really something to see people's faces when I roll it up to a job site. I'm a kitchen manufacturer and use the Shop for all installations. Aside from the organization it's brought to my van and my life, it's cool for my customers to see that I'm a professional all the way to my tool box. If you own your own company, giving this to an employee works great, too, as the fully-loaded Shop comes with a form that's essentially a contract making the employee responsible for every single item listed (with pricing). Pretty smart. When I purchased mine, I got the cart with only the hardware for bottom organizers. The Shop was about $1100 empty, $1,300 with the bottom hardware, and it's $3,000 for a complete shop. Even if you're not a pro, if you regularly travel with a shop's-worth of tools, this cart is worth it. Mine's only 75% full and I've got everything I need!
-- Noel Guillermo
[NOTE: At this time, the company's web site is not set up for purchases of only the cart; however, if you call the company, they will sell you the cart sans tools. Be prepared for a full-set sales pitch. When I spoke to a rep at the company, he told me they shy away from selling just the cart because they want to push the whole system. Stick to you guns, though. I was assured they do sell the empty carts. If that's not your experience, please let us know and I'll update this review. --sl]
The Mobile-Shop
$1,000+
Available from Mobile-Shop
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Veto Pro Pac Tool Bag
Viewtainer
Tool Lending Libraries
Pocket-size, carbon copy notebook
Since I began using these notepads eight months ago, I have almost stopped using my expensive PDA. The pages have a carbonless copy feature that allows me to leave one copy in the book and use the post-it style second copy wherever it is needed. Since the notebooks are slightly larger than a business card (3 x 3.5 inches), it is just the right size to fit in a wallet. It goes with me everywhere, stashed in my credit card wallet along with a space pen that fits in the crease of the wallet.
-- Christian Taylor
Rediform 2-Part Self-Stick Message Pad
$8
(6 pads)
Available from Office Depot
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Derringer Wallet Pen
FoldzFlat Pen
Credit Card Survival Tool
Front wheel drive recumbent bicycle
Although it takes a bit to master the ride, the Cruzbike's a blast once you get the hang of it. It's a front-wheel drive bike, so it gives you the comfort and speed of a recumbent without the long, long chain (one of the few negatives of most recumbents). The lack of chain in the rear makes it a perfect complement to the Xtracycle free radical SUB (sport utility bike), which is specifically why I bought the Cruzbike. Now I can, as much as possible, avoid having to drive a car entirely.I have the stock 65 psi tires on mine now (I ride the Freerider model), but I'm thinking of upgrading to new wheels with disc brakes and 100 psi tires to make it even more of a cargo-hauling truck.
I first bought a recumbent in 2000 after testing a bunch of them and, a week later, gave my upright to my father-in-law (I knew I wasn't going back). I've since ridden bikes like the EZ-1 and have four recumbents currently: a Rans Rocket (my first), a Rans tandem, a BikeE (for my wife for quick jaunts around town) and the Cruzbike, which I bought last fall. The Cruzbike's grip-shift handles the same as any other bike, and it takes hills pretty well for a 'bent, albeit with the proviso that no 'bent climbs as well as an upright because you can't stand up on the pedals; small price to pay for being able to ride for hours without feeling any pain and for having a pleasurable touring ride experience. It feels great to glide through the world with your head in a normal, comfortable position, at a comfortable height (no craning to see traffic). I find I'm faster because you are more aerodynamic than on an upright, so it takes less work to maintain the same speed. And the Cruzbike in particular feels amazingly light, even with the Xtracycle.
-- John Gear
Cruzbike Freerider
$925
Available from Cruzbike
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Sun USX Recumbent
A Review of Review Sites: Bentrider
Schwalbe Marathon Plus Bike Tires
Reliable washer for greens
The salad spinner is, for any salad lover, perhaps the most elegant and useful invention of all time. Known for years as that cool brand with the cool designs for everything from garlic presses to tea kettles to silicone pot holders, this American firm has taken the reins of the salad spinner market. Gone are both the crank arm and the string pull. In their stead, the OXO sports a pump-action plunger-like device. Click a button, and the pump springs up from its storage-friendly flushness with the top of the lid. Get that sucker spinning fast with a few pumps, and then push the brake button to stop the spinning action in seconds. And to top it off, the rubber-happy folks at OXO have provided what may be the most useful detail of all: a rim of sticky rubber around the bottom of the bowl to keep the unit from slipping on your countertop as you enthusiastically spin your Cocard or Rouge d'hiver. The plastic is non-porous (including the plastic of the basket), so it's much more resistant to odors, too. For several years, the Zyliss was the gold standard in salad spinners. They first replaced the traditional crank arm design with a pull-string that reduced time and elbow strain dramatically. But eventually they changed their design just enough to make a once-elegant device clunky and annoying. Since the Zyliss doesn't spin freely (it stops when the string gets reeled back in), it puts a lot of stress on the moving parts that are yanked to a stop.The OXO beats it hands-down. I haven't found another spinner quite like it. I've been using mine almost daily for about a year. I grew up in a family that first had a garden, then a farm, and have always eaten copious amounts of salad, even when it wasn't bursting out of the ground chez nous, so I really appreciate a good salad spinner!
-- David Jacoby
We've been spinning fresh greens with this one for a few years. Like most every OXO gadget that lives in our kitchen, this is an absolute winner.
-- Steven Leckart
OXO Salad Spinner
$25
(Model:32480)
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by OXO International, LTD
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
OXO Peeler
Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce
OXO Apple Divider
Anti-stuffy nose stickers
There are certain solutions I can't imagine ever being improved upon. These simple, effective stick-on strips, which help pinch open your nasal passages, are one of them. I've been using them for years now, mostly during allergy season when I'll pick up a pack of the mentholated vapor variety. The cooling relief is instant, impressively so. I often have major trouble sleeping due to severe congestion and allergies. When I don't want to resort to antihistamines, which can leave me groggy in the a.m., these comfortable, non-drowsy strips step in to ensure a decent night's rest. If you're a snorer, an athlete or sports fan, these strips are nothing new to you. I figured they'd already been reviewed on Cool Tools, and was surprised to find they hadn't. I'm also surprised that in all this time, the company has not only cornered the market, but avoided mucking up the product with a confusing number of variations. There are just three incarnations: tan, clear and mentholated. And two adult sizes: small/medium and large.
-- Steven Leckart
Breathe Right - Mentholated
$15
(56 strips; size: s/m)
Available from Amazon
Tan
$21
(60 strips; size: s/m)
Available from Amazon
Clear
$23
(74 strips; size: s/m)
Available from Amazon
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Nosefrida Nasal Aspirator
Lights Out Sleep Mask
Ivy Block
Lightweight, durable duffle
These bags are made with real sailcloth, which has a very unique feel about it. As a sailor, I can tell you that Dacron sailcloth is very lightweight, extremely durable, and very water resistant. It is not damaged by sunlight and can take a lot of wear and tear. That's why it is such a great fabric to have in a duffel bag. I bought a large duffel myself and love it. The colors are vibrant and fun; the design is taken from marine signal flags). I use mine about four times a month, mostly when traveling on the weekends. During the sailing season, I'll use it just about every weekend while on the boat. The size I have (large) fits all my gear and space never seems to be a problem with what I need to pack for a weekend trip. There are other sailcloth bags out there, especially those made from recycled sailcloth, which is appealing in some sense, but you don't always know where the cloth comes from or the quality. All of True Wind's bags are made with new sailcloth that comes from an Irish company called Hood, which has a long history in the industry. The bag also just looks different and the quality is there. True Wind uses solid brass hardware, and personally, I like that they're made in the US. The company also offers monogramming, which wasn't available at the time I ordered mine.
-- Warren B.
True Wind Sailcloth Bags
$175
(various colors)
Available from True Wind
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Ortlieb Dry Bags
Single Handed Docking and Sail Trim
NRS Heavy Duty Cam Straps
Battery-less, multi-functional time piece
A watch is a personal thing. Some prefer analog, some prefer digital. I have numerous watches. At last count, just over a dozen watches including a Rolex and an Omega, but the watch that most often stays on my wrist is the Casio Protreck PRG90-1. In addition to being powered completely by solar (no more replacing batteries!) it has a barometer, a thermometer, an altimeter and a compass. Although Casio makes several watches with various permutations and combinations of solar, compass, barometer, thermometer, altimeter, world time, stopwatch, countdown timer, auto-luminescence (the back light goes on automatically when you turn the wrist towards you), mine is the only one with all the features I would want or use. Mine has world time, so it's very useful for traveling. You can set the preset world time at a push of several buttons, and keep your home time in the bottom display. The PAG80-1V, for instance, has a yacht timer, but no world time. The PAG 40-3V doesn't have solar power, a feature which is more than a definite plus.
The PRG90-1 really has the best combination of all the features I would want or use. I recently wore it on a trip to Machu Picchu, and the altimeter function was extraordinarily accurate to markings on the mountain. Although the thermometer could use work (it seems to be affected by the temperature of the wearer) I have calibrated it to measure ambient temperature. The barometer is also extremely useful to determine the immediate weather conditions (quite useful: In Peru I saw the barometric pressure drop so quickly and suddenly that I predicted rain when many of the locals said, "no, it never rains in Lima." Needless to say, they were wrong and the Casio was right!).
If I could get another one, I'd perhaps pick up the PAW1200 series, which in addition to all of the features of the PRG90-1, also has a signal to the atomic clocks in the U.S., Japan and Germany, but those retail for well over $300. Although the PRG90-1 retails for around $250, they sell on eBay for less. I picked mine up brand new from a retailer in Hong Kong for just over $100.
Strobing electrodynamic cycling LEDs
I was going to go with Pedalites, a previous Cool Tool, but I didn't want in-pedal generators that add resistance to your effort. These front/rear-mounted strobe lights add very little unsprung weight to both wheels and work via magnetic induction, so there's very little additional weight and no added rolling resistance. The initial ride takes about a mile to bring the front (white) LED up to a full charge, while subsequent rides have me fully lit in about fifty feet of pedaling. The rear (red) LED gets flashing in about half the time and stays flashing longer during any stops (it also flashes more regularly). They both flash for at least two minutes after stopping, which is ideal for early AM rides and for any stopovers where you're basically waiting for traffic.
I put about 400 miles on my SL120s last season. They worked terrific. After storing my bike for four months -- no activity -- they worked perfectly again on our first ride of the 2008 season, a "Midnight Madness" run at midnight, followed by a post-ride trip to the bar. The lights recharged within half a mile (white always takes longer than the red). 6.97 miles, 35 minutes, and the red kept flashing the whole time I was in the bar (15 minutes -- we were tired!).
The caution here is they mount on your axles, so you're not flashing "high" as you might with saddle lights or a headlamp. They do not effectively illuminate the road. These are not overnight travel lights. They're safety lights, a smart pickup for any lowlight rides. A great investment for me: increased safety, no more batteries, and definitely the best "green" investment I've made for training. Short of breaking in a crash, these lights will last me decades. The LEDs are not likely to burn out for at least ten years and you can measure the magnets' lifecycles on a geological scale.
Bonus tip: The instructions stink, so you might be tempted to mount it outside the fork, because it's easier and does not involve removing the wheel (my buddy mounted his incorrectly). Don't be tempted, you cannot move the bracket close enough to the pickup magnets unless it is mounted inside the fork -- wheel has to come off. Not a big deal up front, but could be axle grease messy for the rear. Once it's on, though, you'll be within 3mm of the pickup magnets and generating nearly-free electricity.
-- Christopher Wanko
Reelights
$51
(SL 120)
Available from Chain Reaction Cycles
Manufactured by Reelight Aps
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Tire Sparx
Reflective Yield Symbol
Zipka LED Headlamp
Reliable fish cutters
This is the nicest filleting knife I've ever owned. It does not rust, does not dull easily, is easy to sharpen, and the handle is sanitary, comfortable, and good in cold conditions. Most importantly, the blade is flexible, thin and the shape is just right for filleting. I've used mine for about 7-8 years. It came razor-sharp from the factory and stays sharp for a good deal of time. These days, I usually sharpen it a little bit before every use. Just a couple of laps on a 220 grit Japanese waterstone does the trick. There are plenty of fancy fillet knives you can get, but this one is not particularly expensive and it's the brand I see most commercial fishermen use. There's also a plastic scabbard you can buy. Dexter's filleting knives come in a few varieties of size/length, etc. There's the 9 inch narrow one, for instance, but personally, I find it a bit bulky, so I use an 8" narrow.
-- Michael Krakovskiy
Dexter-Russell Fillet Knife
(SofGrip 8" narrow)
$25
Available from Amazon
Dexter-Russell Fillet Knife Scabbard
$7
(for 5-9 inch. blades)
Available from Fishing Tackle Unlimited
Manufactured by Dexter-Russell
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Hookout
Wiggle Rig
The Curtis Creek Manifesto
Assembly-line style woodworking
Never before has a woodworker been able to make loose tenon joinery simply, quickly, accurately and anywhere. Loose tenon work is a process that has long been done by hand and/or large expensive stationary machines. With the Domino, you can now bring the tool to the wood. Anywhere. No back and forth to the shop, which can take hours. The Domino has locator pins in the face for precise alignment, meaning you can actually build something and test fit it together with no glue; the tolerances are that tight and perfect. The Domino really has the ability to turn a neophyte weekend bookcase maker into a pro -- I am a professional trim carpenter and in my line of work that's scary! Here's why it work's so well: the cutter is an oscillating carbide plunge bit similar to a router bit and it's interchangeable. It takes 5 seconds to set up for plunge and 2 seconds to do the deed. The time savings can be counted in days if not weeks on a big project. I used to scoff at overpriced stuff like this. Silly me. It's well made and, in the short and long run, it really increases productivity, which both saves and makes me money.
It's expensive, but I'd still recommend getting the set, as opposed to just the Domino itself. The set comes with two attachments that are a must for two different applications. One is for end joining, as you do with a face frame (the front of cabinets, which are made out of 1x2 or slightly larger stock). This attachment allows the machine to fit the narrow piece of wood perfectly on the end and it prevents wobbling (without it, the mortise would not be straight and at 90 degrees). The attachment also adjusts to take a 2 ¾ inch wide board, meaning you can mortise anything from an inch wide up to 2 ¾ inch. If you are making face frames you have a lot to do, but with this attachment, once you set to your size lumber, there is no more thinking. The other attachment allows you to align dominos that are farther apart than the factory pins. The factory pins allow mortise's spaced about a 1 ½” apart. With this attachment, you can space them anywhere from 4 1/8” to 8 3/8” and the pins hook into the last hole/mortise made, so all your holes are evenly spaced and line up exactly. No marks or measuring.
-- Per Swenson
Festool Domino Joiner
$750
Available from and manufactured by Festool
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Dovetail Markers
Easy Cutter Ultimate
Ridgid Oscillating Belt & Spindle Sander
Free, simple, versatile online file conversions
The web-based file conversion service Zamzar has saved my bacon on a number of occasions. I'm a college English professor who teaches composition, and in the Before Times, I was endlessly frustrated by students submitting their essays in every odd format imaginable (.docx, .wps, .wpf, etc.) -- this despite my pleas that they be saved in the more platform/version friendly Rich Text Format. Consequently, I spent an awful lot of my time running from my office Mac to the PC lab and back to handle time-consuming conversions. Needless to say, it was a major timesink.
Zamzar changes all that by offering a robust, quick, and excellent conversion service: you upload the file you'd like it to convert, select the output format and your email, and you're off. In the span of an hour (sometimes quicker), you'll get an email with a unique link taking you to a page where you can download the converted file, which remains active for a day. You can also upload multiple files in a batch, which comes in handy when you're looking at half a dozen different student file formats and would like them
all similarly converted. I even got a successful .doc conversion made from a colleague's Publisher file (who uses that?).
I've used Zamzar only for about 3 months now, but usually once or twice a week, and it's never failed me except for a .pub to .doc conversion, which had some minor layout issues (things weren't where they were supposed to be). Although I've only used it primarily for word-processing documents, Zamzar also converts to and from a variety of image, audio, and video file formats ranging from the common to the exotic. You don't even need an account to get Zamzar to convert files, although having one ensures that you'll get a converted file faster, have more online storage, an individual file capacity of up to 1GB (as opposed to the free 100MB), and no banner ads. Because I deal primarily with smallish text files, the free service is still plenty fine with me (I get emails linking to my converted file usually within half an hour of submitting it). And I'm happy to weather the relatively unobtrusive ad assault for a free, quick, and idiot-proof way of converting files on the fly.
-- Professor Ben McCorkle
Zamzar
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
The Teaching Company
ClickBook
BaseCamp
Heavy-duty Velcro ties
I carry a roll of the Velcro Plant Ties in my tool bag, but also keep One-Wrap Velcro strips in the shop. While they're much more expensive, I've found the larger kind to be substantially bulkier and stronger. Here in Toronto, we have alternating weekly garbage, recycling and green waste pickup. We also have rapacious raccoons. I found if I add a simple loop of One-Wrap, screw it into the side of the green bin and loop it over the locking bail of the bin, the raccoons cannot open it. I first tried Plant Ties. They just wouldn't hold. For my purposes, a One-Wrap is good for about a year, after which it is easily replaced. It's available in various colors and sizes. The lower-end of the One-Wrap line is a similar size to the Plant Ties, which are 13 mm wide; however, the One-Wrap also come as large as 22mm. It has deeper loop Velcro (thicker and fuzzier), and as the width of the tape increases, the size of the loops and their grip strength increases. Plant Ties really are great for handling all kinds of tasks, but One-Wrap is strong enough to bundle thicker rope, heavier hoses, and most importantly for me, they keep raccoons out of the recycling.
-- David Keldsen
I much prefer the uncut rolls rather than the precut pieces that are never quite the right size. You can get the rolls in widths ranging from 5/8" to 2" wide, in various colors. Snip off just as much as you need. All my computer cables are shortened by rolling them and wrapping with one-wrap. I use one-wrap anywhere I used to use twist-ties.
-- Charles Platt
Velcro One-Wrap
$8
(6 ties, 22mm)
Available from Amazon
$14 - 35
(1 roll; sizes vary)
Available from Feiner Supply
Also in various sizes from iTapeStore
Manufactured by Velcro
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Velstrap
Millipede Cable Ties
Dual Lock Fastener Tape
How to publish this blog
Eight years ago Cool Tools started out as short email messages containing my personal recommendations for cool stuff. I occasionally emailed these quick raves to a very small circle of friends. Several of my friends asked me to add their friends to my list. Soon there were several hundred readers. In the winter of 2000 I published 90 or so of my tool reviews in an issue of Whole Earth Review. This was not much of a surprise since I used to edit the magazine, and the reviews were clearly written in Whole Earth style -- short, always positive, useful. I kept reviewing a tool or book when I thought of it, but after several years of adding folks to the list (which is still going) it occurred to me that with a small amount of extra work I might as well post my recommendations on a blog. On April 17, 2003, five years ago, I posted the first review on this site. (It was the Utili-Key, a sharp blade built into a key, a tool I continue to use and get past airport security.)
Originally the blog was not called Cool Tools but Recomendo (you can still get to Cool Tools from Recomendo.com). I added only one new tool a week since I wrote most of the reviews. In either a stroke of genius or a stroke of luck I asked anyone who wanted to join the list to submit a cool tool recommendation first. (To join the list now, go here.) These reader-supplied reviews were so good, and so frequent, that I was able to post a review per day. While the reviews are primarily written by reader/users each one was edited, checked, polished, researched, packaged and designed by me. When it worked, none of that effort was visible. As the site's traffic grew the name Recomendo was needing too much explanation so after a few months I changed it to Cool Tools.
After years of editing/writing this blog myself, I found relief in Steven Leckart, who has been doing the hard work of researching, double-checking, editing, and presenting the reviews written by readers. Before Steven began editing the site in January 2007, Charles Platt guest edited Cool Tools for four months. And for the past two years Camille Cloutier has been posting entries and managing the blog's health, stability, technical improvements, while adding new features and extinguishing bugs, all behind the scenes. She is this site's vital webmaster. (Thank you, Camille.)
Now that Cool Tools is five years old, it is ready for its next stage. In a month or so I will be turning on a redesign of the site. The idea is to acknowledge the community of readers who have developed Cool Tools, and in the spirit of the times, harness more of that collective wisdom. So version 2.0 will have member's comments, discussions, and more direct means of feedback. It will look a little different, too. I am very leery of messing up something that works, but change is your friend. There is a lot more traffic to the site, so just to keep up with that load requires new tools.
To give you an idea of where Cool Tools is right now here are some stats from February, 2008:
Number of readers on email list: 2,829
Number of RSS subscribers: 187,000
Number of unique visitors per month: 225,000
Number of page impressions per month: 492,000
Technorati rank: 2,824
Amazon's Kindle blog rank: 7
This is a readership that is larger than Wired when we first started it, and 10 times as large as CoEvolution Quarterly and the Whole Earth Review at their peaks. And Cool Tools is run by three part-timers, instead of a staff numbered in the scores. To do that it uses a lot of cool tools.
What follows is the kit of webtools that powers Cool Tools. You could think of it as Cool Tools' cool tools. This is the stuff we use everyday to make the site run. As we like to remind readers, if you know of something better, please let us know.
From day one, Cool Tools has run on Movable Type. MT has handled this traffic easily. We recently upgraded to version 4.0. We also have installed Movable Type's new Community Pack, which will provide the community functions such as member profiles, forum areas, ratings, etc. MT has been a very reliable workhorse. I don't believe we've had any down time due to the software.
However while I eagerly recommend Movable Type it has one fault that is shared by other non-hosted blogging software such as WordPress: it is lousy in handling images to be posted. I am a drag-n-drop guy, a spoiled Mac user, who refuses to code HTML. I also post a lot of images from all kinds of sources. I don't want the extra step of having to upload images to the blog. I feel I should be able to simply drag an image copied from wherever and have it land in the right spot in my blog entry. MT doesn't make it that easy, but the Boing Boing crew turned me onto a tool that I use for all 9 blogs I contribute to: ecto. They call it desktop blogging for Mac and Windows.
I compose all my entries in ecto, (I am typing in it right now), then I drag my image icons to where I want them to appear in the text and then hit publish. I can switch between blogs fast, and very importantly, I can also post to other blogs, including those on other platforms, from ecto as well.
A recursive moment. Here is the page I am composing in ecto. WYSIWYG.
This allows me to cross-post entries to Wired's GeekDad, or Long Now's Long Views. (There are other blog composers that have fans like MarsEdit, and Abode's Contribute, but I haven't found them superior for what I do. I should also clarify that hosted blogging systems like Blogger and Typepad have much better interfaces and don't require the friendly composers that way industrial-level blogware hosted on your own server does.)
Other tools: I use EasyBatchPhoto to resize my images to a proper blog-specific size. It's a little Mac utility. I don't know if it is the best, but it works. I drag an image into it and it resizes it and dumps it in the right folder. It'll also add a watermark for my Asia Grace images.
For outbound RSS feeds we use Feedburner. It has a pleasant management interface, and gives me handy stats about readership and what items are read. It has a lot of other tools, which we don't use out of laziness.
Half of Cool Tool's income comes from ads, as served up by Google Adsense and FM's ad network. The other half comes from Amazon purchases. We are enrolled in Amazon's Affiliate program. That means that when a reader clicks on a red link to Amazon, and actually purchases the item, Cool Tools gets 8% of the purchase price. We don't have an affiliate relationship with other vendors, except Netflix. But Amazon's deal is interesting because Cool Tools will get a fractional cut of any thing else a reader purchases on a visit initiated by a link in Cool Tools, whether or not they purchase the linked item. If you go to Amazon to check out a pair of tweezers listed in Cool Tools but end up buying a $24,000 tractor for the backyard, we get a fraction of the tractor purchase.
Cool Tools and all KK* blogs are hosted by WestHost, who are headquartered in Utah. Over the years we've outgrown the small-time web hosters we once used. Because of our traffic is hefty enough we have our own dedicated dual processor machine at WestHost, although they offer many options for lower traffic sites.
Their minimum package starts at $4/ month. We are happy with them. Prices are reasonable, downtime negligible and service excellent. They claim 99.9% uptime and that matches our experience. We can reach a capable human on the phone or via chat any time 24/7 almost instantly. We also run our mail through them, and they also handle our domain registrations. And they include AWStats for monitoring traffic.
For web stats that we really think about, that is, for keeping track of the number of visitors, what is being read, and all that, we use Google Analytics. This is a wonderful free service. There is so much power and depth in this tool, and Google Analytic's interface is so elegant that one could mine it full time. You get what the web has always promised publishers -- an exact picture of how your content is used. But frankly, I hardly delve into it because I am not really trying to optimize traffic. (I am trying to optimize usefulness of the content.) I dip into once or twice year just to see what's going on. Sign up is quick and painless. You simply need to insert an invisible pixel on all your pages.
Google Analytic's results for Cool Tools.
I need to search Cool Tools all the time. I am constantly trying to find a tool in the archive, or researching similar past tools. The standard blog search function included in Movable Type was pretty spotty and never worked very well. We've found that Google's search of Cool Tool pages was far more responsive and practical. So now we use another fantastic service from Google, Google Custom Search. Google offers this as a free custom search box which you can install on your blog. This tool will provide readers with very fast, excellent search results of just your blog. You can install a free dedicated search for as many blogs or sub-groupings of pages as you wish. (In fact you can gin up your own "search engine' for any set of websites you want.) The free version of Custom Search displays Google branding and ads and has limited design possibilities. We use a pro (paid) version on most of the KK* blogs (but not Cool Tools yet) which removes the ad and allows us to style the results in line with the rest of the site's design.
I still maintain the original Cool Tools email list. Members of the list get a weekly email with the 5 cool tools that week before they are posted on the website (usually). To get on the list you sign up here and provide a cool tool you love. I've been using a bare-bones email list manager called Minimalist. It really is minimal. You can only interact with it via email (!!), it is currently unsupported, and it was written eons ago. But it was free and worked. However lately we've had a few hiccups with it, so we will be moving onto a new mail list program, Dada Mail.
-- KK
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
KK* Lifestream
Peopleware
Money for Nothing
Guide to lifehacking
For two years I've subscribed to the Lifehacker.com feed for a steady stream of always awesome productivity tips and tricks, everything from Firefox add-ons (Buylater) to various household how-to's. Flipping through this book -- the second edition of hacks distilled and updated from the blog -- was pleasantly surprising. Somehow I managed to miss, dismiss or simply forget some great stuff. For instance, I stumbled on and immediately installed Noise, a Mac-based program that generates soft white noise. Now when I can't decide what to listen to and shuffled tracks seems too distracting, Noise steps in as the perfect default work-time soundtrack. The book has a good mix of desktop tweaks ranging from easy to advanced, affordable to free, and Windows/PC to Mac-specific. Some bits overlap a bit with Rule the Web and Getting Things Done, but I like to envision productivity and organization info charted out as a Venn diagram. The overlap is often what's most essential. Everything else is potential gravy.
-- Steven Leckart
Upgrade Your Life
Gina Trapani
2008, 450 pages
$20
Available from Amazon
Free PDF of Chapter 1: Control Your Email
Also see Lifehackerbook.com for table of contents and links to the original posts
Sample excerpts:
Hack 114: Have Your Mac and Windows, Too, with Boot Camp
You can have both a Mac and a PC on a single computer, using Apple's new Boot Camp software. Boot Camp lets you install Windows on your Mac in addition to Mac OS X. With Boot Camp set up, when you start your Mac, you can choose whether to use OS X or Windows. Boot Camp is a great way to consolidate computers in your life and to run essential Windows programs that aren't available on the Mac. NOTE: Setting up Boot Camp is not a trivial task because it involves repartitioning your Mac's hard drive and installing another operating system and drivers. Block out a couple hours for this project.
*
Remember 100 Different Passwords with One Rule Set
Remembering a unique password for the dozens of logins you have may sound impossible, but it's not. You don't have to remember 100 passwords if you have one rule set for generating them. Here's how it works: Create unique passwords by choosing a base password and then applying a single rule that mashes in some form of the services name with it. For example, you could use your base password plus the first three letters of a service name. If your base password were asdf (see how easy that its to type?), for example, then your password for Yahoo! would be ASDFYAH, and your password for eBay would be ASDFEBA.
Another example that incorporates numbers (which some services require in passwords) might involve the same letters that start (say, your initials and a favorite number) plus the first two vowels of a service name. In that case, my password for Amazon would be GMLT10AA and for Lifehacker.com GMLT10IE. (Include obscure middle initials -- such as your mother's maiden name or a childhood nickname -- that not many people know about for extra security.)
..One problem with rules-based passwords is that some sites have their own rules that conflict with your own, such as no special characters. In those cases, you have to document or remember the exception to your rule for those services. The next hack explains how you can keep track of passwords that don't follow a single rule...
*
Hack 73: Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with Hamachi
You can do things between computers on your local network that you can't from out on the Internet, such as listen to a shared iTunes library or access files in shared folders. But using the free, virtual private network application Hamachi (https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/vpn.asp), you can access your computer from anywhere on the Internet as if you were home on your local network. This hack uses Hamachi to create a virtual private network between PC and a Mac and listen to a shared iTunes library over the Internet...
*
Hack 53: Bypass Free Site Registration with BugMeNot
..The web site BugMeNot (http://bugmenot.com) maintains a public database of shared usernames and passwords for free web sites. If you come across a site that prompts you to log in to view its content, bypass the registration process by heading to BugMeNot to search for an already created username and password. Not all BugMeNot logins will work, but you can see the percentage success rate for a particular login and report whether it worked for you as well. If you can't find a BugMeNot login that works, create one and share it with the BugMeNot community.
Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:
Google Hacks
SpamSieve
Missing Manuals
Cheap, super bright torch
This 21-LED flashlight dispenses an impressive amount of light for such a small and inexpensive torch. I find it to be of great use for illuminating a wide area, as it's not the least bit directional like a laser pointer. If I need to find something under a car seat, this is the flashlight I grab, as it bathes the entire area with a bright white light. Most of all, I really like that it's so compact. The three AAA batteries fit side by side in a carousel, so the whole flashlight is only about 3.5 inches long. The handle is made out of aluminum, and there's a sealed rubber push-button switch on the end. It claims to be water and shock resistant, but I haven't tested this. The light probably won't outlive (or outperform) something like a Fenix, but hey, it's only $11! I found it by skimming through JungleCrazy, a web site that lists Amazon deals. I bought three. I've been using one of them several times a week for the last nine months. I'm still using the batteries that came with it.
-- M. Schmidt
21-LED Flashlight
$11
Available from Amazon
Or $13 for a 28-LED light
Manufactured by Architectural Lighting Systems
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Pak-Lite LED Flashlight
Cyclops Spot Light
Electrilite Flashlight
Hardcore spackle
Ready Patch easily outperforms any spackling compound and drywall mud I've ever used. I'd liken it to the superbeast that would be created if you combined the hardness of body filler with the sandability of light vinyl spackle. It can patch drywall, wood, even metal on both interior and exterior surfaces. We recently moved into a new home and needed to relocate a cable jack in our family room that has painted wood paneling. I didn't want to use vinyl spackle, but was a little lost about how to patch the holes until finding Ready Patch. Smooth and easy to apply, it goes on just like vinyl spackle, takes no more effort, and in my experience it doesn't shrink when applied, so there's no need to overfill. Sand it like you would spackle and it leaves a nice smooth surface. It cures up hard as a rock, though. (I'm not certain about the product's composition, but the Technical Data Bulletin shows the generic name is casein resin emulsion; from what I gather, casein is used to manufacture plastic, so perhaps that helps make it stronger). It hasn't sagged when I've patched larger holes (like the ones left after removing toggle bolts from drywall), so it's good to go almost immediately with no second coat. Amazing stuff. I've patched drywall holes 2 inches across with it and sanded/painted the same day. Aside from the wood paneling and various drywall repairs around the house, I used it to patch the outside of the house on the fiberboard siding where I pulled the cable back through. Just a light sand, bit of paint and it was good as new.
--Chuck Balog
Ready Patch
$13
(includes $8 shipping)
(1 quart)
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Zinsser Co.
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Hawkmate
Toggler Wall Anchor
Dentemp
Mini fridge-based greenhouse
Cilantro cravings run deep in our house, but even with just one bundle, there's the persistent annoyance of feeling compelled and rushed to consume before it spoils. For the last six months, this plastic container has helped really stretch out the life of some of our herbs. The goods are housed in a plastic pod that inserts into a water dish, which keeps the stems immersed, and the pod itself creates a nice, moist microclimate for the leaves. I was skeptical at first. However, we did a side-by-side comparison with our usual cilantro wrapped in a paper towel in a plastic bag. While the paper towel cilantro started to wilt after about a week and half, a batch from the same bundle kept for an additional two weeks in the Herb Savor. We've tried parsley (success) and basil (no success). The device only seems to work with stalky herbs. Maintenance is easy: just fill the dish with water every few days. It'll take quite some time before we've made back our money in herb savings. The satisfaction in not having to compost unused herbs is enough for me. It looks super modern perched in the fridge door and makes a great conversation starter when we're hosting dinner parties.
-- Steven Leckart
Herb Savor
$30
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Prepara
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
Tilia Vacuum Food Sealer
AeroGarden
Cooking Ingredients
|
