My work includes design and fabrication for an antenna measurement systems company. For years we had used a modular building product that was very expensive and not adequately flexible. It was also limiting in its lack of accessories. Worse still was its 6-8 week lead time for parts orders. I started looking and discovered 80/20, which not only eliminated all of the negative aspects of the old product, but even provided many new benefits. It isn't cheap, but it is a great value. We all know that for the most part, you really do get what you pay for. Cheap products usually aren't good, and good products usually aren't cheap.

Firstly, its modular design is fantastic. It allows prototyping of fixtures, stands, bases and many other items we need to build for in-house use or bring to market very quickly. The number of accessories available is mind boggling. They have wheels, handles, latches, panels, leveling feet, linear slides, hinges and many more components. You can build some pretty slick items and it all just bolts together with a few simple hand tools. The finished product looks very professional, as all of the individual components are designed to work together.

All components are pre-finished. Our in-house fabricated and/or machined assemblies require outside processing (anodizing, cadmium plating, painting or powder coating), which means additional time and cost. With the 80/20, all structural extrusions and components already come painted, powder coated or anodized -- simply assemble and ship.

While 80/20 certainly will find more applications in an industrial environment, where the cost is also offset by the utility, the possibilities for home use are limited only by your imagination. You could build things such as a work bench, bicycle storage system, cabinets, stands or many other home items that will likely last a lifetime.

As with anything, 80/20 has its limitations but they are far outweighed by its capabilities. I have discovered zero fault with this product. Many of our products require very large, product-specific and engineered weldments and machined assemblies. The 80/20 will never fulfill all of our needs, but for the smaller systems we frequently design and build this "Industrial Erector Set" is superb.

I live in a 112-year-old brick house. Brick lasts a long time. Mortar does not. Most of my house’s tuck pointing is in great condition, but a few isolated spots are almost completely devoid of mortar. Small spots, but bothersome. And bound to become bigger spots if I don’t take care of them soon. So today I decided to take care of them.

I assumed that I would mix mortar for the repairs, but the prospect of carrying a 60-pound bag of dry mix inspired a change of heart. Scrounging around Home Depot’s cement aisle I stumbled upon Quikrete Mortar Repair. It’s sold in tubes for use in a caulking gun, but it’s not caulking. It’s a sanded acrylic designed to do the job of mortar, without the mess of mixing and applying the real stuff by hand.

The square applicator tip is supposed to make finishing the surface easier, and in fact it worked well. Although a wet finger did an equally nice job. Water is key to patching mortar, and with this stuff a wet sponge was extra helpful not only for smoothing the mortar as it cured but for wiping excess off the face of the bricks.

The 10-ounce tube cost me about $4; still a premium over dry mix. (It’s also available in a 5.5-ounce hand-squeezable size.) But for the handful of single-brick-sized repairs I needed to make, I was very thankful to avoid the setup and cleanup that mortar mix would have required. Not to mention the hassle of effectively getting the mortar from my unskilled hands into the open joints.

It is neither practical nor advisable to use Quikrete Mortar Repair to cover a large area of wall. The acrylic isn’t designed for structural tuck pointing so much as it is intended to fill in the gaps and keep water out—which is crucial if you want your brick wall to last a long time.

I used to use dish soap to clean oil paint from my brushes and my hands, but it didn’t do a great job. My brushes didn’t get perfectly clean and didn’t last long. My hands were raw because I had to use a wire scrub brush with the dish soap, removing not only the paint but the top layer of my skin, too. A friend told me about The Masters brush cleaner and hand soap, both of which work better than anything else I’ve seen.

This soap’s not cheap. I paint a lot, and therefore go through tubs quickly. Still, the brush soap’s a great product, and it has allowed me to continue to use the same $.99 brush for the past year, if not longer.

The pumice-like brush soap has a little grit to it, and I’ve found it leaves a bit of residue on the towel I use to dry my brush. I can wipe my hands on the towel afterwards, and get them mostly clean. I keep The Masters hand soap bar around for the finishing touches.

I recommend the Lincoln for arc welding for one simple reason: It always works. I’ve used this welder for farm equipment repair and fabrication for more than 35 years with absolutely no problems. It’s ideal for any light-duty work and just right for a weekend welder.

Its range is 40 to 225 amps, and for 85% of my work, I use it at 90 amps; there’s plenty of range available. It’s not cheap, but you’ll likely end up disappointed in anything less. Wire feeds in this price range are almost useless. It does require 220 volt power, but welders that will operate on 110 power are generally a disappointment. You won't regret buying this one and your grandchildren won’t wear it out.

The solar panels I installed on the roof of our off-grid desert home charge a bank of eight 6V deep-cycle golf cart batteries. They are hooked up in series/parallel, providing 12VDC power. Maintaining the batteries’ electrolyte levels is the key to getting the most performance and life out of them (they last for about five years), and the Profill makes refilling them as quick and simple as possible. It used to be a messy and dangerous 20—30 minute job. Now it takes about five minutes, with no exposure to battery acid and zero mess.

The manifold and winged valves allow for fast, simple and tool-free installation. For filling, I use the Profill hand pump. When the battery chambers are full, the bulb
hardens and I know I'm done.

Another feature of the Profill I really like is, with a simple and very inexpensive manifold change, the system can be reconfigured for any batteries that have different cell spacing. Profills are such a great product, I have added two of them to our scissor lifts at work. This greatly reduces our maintenance costs, associated with these heavily used pieces of equipment. Tough to beat the five-year warranty, too.

Finally, good all-around caulk. Sikaflex-1a is a premium-grade, high-performance, moisture-cured, one-component, polyurethane-based, non-sag elastomeric sealant. It is simply the best there is for the money. I've used it for the past 10 years to seal windows, doors, siding and cracks in masonry. It is what silicone should be. It stays completely flexible and is paintable and easy to work with. It comes in many colors and is relatively cheap -- $4 to $8 a tube in good hardware and paint stores. The only disadvantage it has is that it can't be sanded.

Other caulk is either difficult to work with, sags or degrades over time. Silicone is especially frustrating. I've had to dig it out after a few years of exposure to the weather as it loses its adhesion and no longer provides waterproof protection. Goodbye silicone, hello Sikaflex.

It’s stickier and firmer than Play-Doh and comes off easier than Poster Putty. A little pinch of museum wax on the back of a frame stabilizes it, and holds its position firmly against a wall. Level your artwork and it’ll stay level. If you rotate works on display at home, pull the framed art off the wall, remove the wax, and then reuse it on the next piece you hang. It’s handy for gently tethering display pieces to shelves, too.

I first found out about this stuff from friends who did art-handling work in museums, where it is, in fact, used. Outside of the galleries, it’s also a prime tool in the museum’s photo studio. While on staff photographing artwork from the permanent collection of a Southern California museum, I was taught to use museum wax for shooting still-life work: Museum wax is just right for table-top photography of smaller objects, particularly to hold the object being photographed to its out-of-view support. Small dabs of museum wax are easily positioned to remain unnoticeable, and wipe clean off ceramic and glass surfaces without the need for solvents. It's a key tool for food stylists, too.

A little of this stuff goes a long way. It is reusable, and doesn’t seem to dry out or lose it’s tackiness. I still have a clump I was given many years ago.

If you have a screw-back watch that won't open, get one of these plastic balls. They actually work, and they will not scratch the watch case.

I own the Pittsburgh watch case opener, and it will usually open watches. However, I have one favorite watch that defied the Pittsburgh tool. I read about the Watch Case Ball, and bought one online. Within five minutes of picking up the mail, the watch was open. (I had to inflate the ball; it's shipped flat.)

The ball is made of plastic. It's not actually sticky, but when you press it onto a watch back, it conforms to the surface and won't readily slip on it. Now I go to this tool first, because there's no chance of marring the watch case with it, and it works on all screw-back watches with no set-up at all.

This is my favorite source for hard to find tools. Garrett Wade has been around since 1975 as a mail order company selling fancy woodworking tools, but in recent years they offer a marvelous selection of hand and speciality tools of all types. They still have the best selection for wood planes and the classic woodworking stuff, but it's their stock of cool and unusual pliers and saws and drill bits and fantastically weird clamps that make it worth a visit. The modern version of the Yankee screwdriver is a Garrett Wade bestseller. In general their prices are on the high side compared to say discounters like Harbor Freight, but quality is usually up a notch as well (and their prices seem better on the web). They produce a paper catalog, which some folks like. Often a great idea begins with the possibilities suggested by the existence of a tool.

Garrett Wade

I know Cool Tools has featured ratcheting screwdrivers before -- that's where I got the idea to get one. I went out and bought the Sears version, since I couldn’t justify the cost of the Snap-on, and right after picking up the Sears driver, I found this Klenk 4:1 Multi-ratio driver. It is a basic ratcheting screwdriver with two big advantages over the Sears model.

First, it has a black knob on the shaft that when held, allows the bit to turn four times for every one handle turn. It’s phenomenally fast and rivals drill drivers on small to medium jobs, where you don’t want to drag out the heavy equipment. It’s best suited for long screws, where the 4:1 gearing can really speed them in or out. However, since it is essentially high gear, you can't put a lot of torque on it.

The second improvement is the bit storage and retrieval. The Sears version has these clips to stick the single-sided bits in. Getting them in or out isn’t smooth. The Klenk has a system with a hole in the top and you sort of lift to disengage the lock and dial the hole to the bit you want, which you can see through the side of the handle. The bits are also double-ended. It holds 8 double-ended bits for a total of 16 heads.

One improvement I’d like to see on this tool is for the ratchet mechanism to be tighter, since in narrow spaces where you can’t turn your hand much, the play in the ratchet can result in not getting much of a turn. Also, the 4:1 knob prevents it from reaching in narrow places to begin with. Overall, though, the 4:1 gearing is worth the $20 even if you already have a Snap-on or Sears model.

Working in industrial design, I constantly acquire small sets of parts to use for multiple clients and projects. I’ve tried using a variety of translucent plastic boxes to contain and organize these parts, but they’ve been flawed in a number of ways: the parts are difficult to pick out with your fingers; the small pieces migrate from compartment to compartment; and finally, the latches break.

I think Akro-Mils has solved all of these problems with their cases. The latches span the entire front side of the organizer, work well, and don't seem to break. The bottom of each compartment is curved on at least two sides to allow picking up those 0-80 screws, and the top has ridges that surround each divider to make it much less likely for the parts to jump out of their compartments. The two Akro-Mils organizers I have been using are the small (05-705) and the large (05-905). There’s a medium available, too. I think I paid $4 and $7, respectively, which is about the same price as products with none of these features or durability.

I've encountered many precision screwdriver kits intended to help you get past the tiny screws that keep you out of the most interesting parts of electronic equipment. Most are poorly made. I have long used tools similar to the jeweler screwdrivers previously reviewed on Cool Tools. The metal grooves in the shaft wear on your fingertips after awhile, making longer projects a real pain. You also can't exert quite as much torque, since each tool is so spindly. They don’t come close to the usefulness and execution of the Husky 8-in-1.

The Husky 8-in-1 uses removable, double-sided, magnetized bits, and stores them all inside the driver handle. The result is a versatile, compact, easy-to-carry tool. The best part is knowing that everything you need is contained in one small organizer.

The Husky's handle is made from rugged, squared-off plastic and is easy to grip without being clumsy or too large for practical use in narrow spaces. It also has the rotating top you'd expect for this kind of tool, allowing you to apply pressure on one axis while rotating the driver from another. Thoughtfully, the handle tapers to a long, narrow metal shaft for access to out-of-the-way screws. The most satisfying part is how cleanly the bits engage with the screws. They fit perfectly every single time.

Husky makes a Phillips/slotted version and a Torx version. Having both sets gives you 16 screwdrivers that can pry loose just about any tiny screw you might encounter in an electronic device. For the low price and lifetime warranty, they’re tough to beat.

Before I decided to purchase this Pelican case, I did check out some other options. One that I considered was the Stanley FatMax 4-in-1 Mobile Work Station, but it isn’t waterproof and doesn’t seem as durable as the Pelican. While the Pelican tool chest is pricier than most of its competition, it has several features that have made it well worth the extra cost.

First off, it’s virtually indestructible. No matter how rough I am with it or how often it gets banged up, it has not been damaged. The same is true, of course, for the tools tucked away safely inside. Secondly, I live in Southern Louisiana and our weather is often humid and wet; like all Pelican cases, this one’s watertight and it ensures that my tools are kept safe from moisture and corrosion. The few times I’ve left the chest in the back of my truck in the rain everything inside the case stayed as dry as can be.

A variety of drawer configurations are available, including custom-made, and the drawers even extract for on-site mobility. This case isn’t light -- about 40 pounds without tools -- however, the trolley handle and wheel system make it possible for me to move it around easily on my own.

I’ve had the same one for almost ten years. Sometimes called the “two-bit snapper,” it’s a very simple and clever spring-based hammer that you use instead of the nail set-hammer combo normally used to pound in finishing nails. It’s excellent when you need to put up molding in tight spots and corners. Its compact size means that it can always live on your tool belt. You just pull back one end and the spring does the hammering for you.

It seems to be a lot more accurate than a center punch-hammer combo, since one hand holds the tool and nail together, while the other pulls back to snap the spring; you get fewer errant holes around the nail you’re trying to punch in. It’s one of those tools that is so simple, I wonder why more people don’t have one. I’ve only used it for finishing nails, but Spring Tools makes it in other variations, as well. This tool is just so elegant: simple, functional and as utilitarian as a bicycle.

I have the Stanley Panel Carry, previously reviewed on Cool Tools, but greatly prefer the Gorilla Gripper, which works with panel widths from 3/8 to 1 1/8 inch. It is about six times more expensive, but it works significantly better for moving large panels.

The Stanley tool goes under the bottom edge of the sheet. This can be awkward if it’s heavy material, such as plywood, and seems more likely to result in damaged corners. Using the Stanley holder, I had to bend my back at an awkward angle to pick up the sheet -- the length from the tray (where the bottom edge of the sheet rests) to the handle is too short. The Gorilla Gripper lifts from the top of the panel, so there’s less need to bend before lifting, and I can keep my back straight. Also, with the Gorilla Gripper it's easier to adjust your balance, since you don't have the friction of the material moving the tool from side to side.

A classic bone folder is made of real bone, not plastic or Teflon, and resembles a fat, blunt-edged tongue depressor, rounded at one end and pointed at the other. With it, I can turn a digital print, piece of cardstock or watercolor paper into a professional-looking note or greeting card.

Pulling the pointed end alongside a straight edge and across the paper produces a subtle score that facilitates a perfect fold. Next, I fold the card very gently by hand along the score, and then stroke one of the short, straight sides of the bone folder along the score to flatten the rounded fold to a sharp crease.

When sending a letter that I want to look good, I make two quick strokes of the folder along preliminary hand folds to create folded edges that are sharp and square. Bone folders also can be used to burnish paper as it is glued to cardstock, album or scrapbook pages. They produce accurate and sharp folds and creases on origami papers as well as facilitate sculpting, architectural modeling or bookbinding with paper.

I recommend rubbing your bone folder with olive oil from time to time to avoid flaking or brittleness. Folders made of real bone are best, unless you wish to use a Teflon folder to avoid the slight luster sometimes created by the friction of a real bone folder.

Ravelry has more than 360,000 members, and if you like to knit or crochet, it’s an indispensable tool for networking. The site allows you to explore thousands of patterns, some free (download PDF’s and try them yourself) and some for sale. The ability to see other people’s versions of a pattern is amazing, especially seeing photos that show how the same pattern looks not only in different yarns but on a hundred different people.

The profile feature is helpful as well. I was in a yarn shop recently and wanted to purchase yarn but couldn’t remember exactly how much I needed. I had posted the pattern details on my Ravelry profile, so the shop owner was able to look it up for me and retrieve the information I needed. I also use the favorites feature, to keep track of patterns I see that I like and might work on in the future.

A feature I haven’t used yet is the Stash. Users catalog their spare yarn (always good to know what you have on hand), including extra yarn they’re willing to trade or sell. So, if you start a project and need just one more skein of yarn of a certain dye lot, you may be able to find someone else who has it. Otherwise you’re out of luck.

Of course, Ravelry also has groups for regional get-togethers, and forums to post questions and answers and share discoveries. It’s a great site for connecting with others who share your passion.

I am an engineer, so I admire the way Ikea consistently uses a small set of fastening systems, all suitable for untrained labor. Ikea has even invented this tiny plastic device to protect customers from smashing their fingers with tack hammers.

A pinch of the clever friction-grips opens a small crevice in this utensil, and it neatly grips any small nail. Place it against a wall, tap the nailhead, and the nail goes in quite straight. Remove it and you are ready to safely hang a picture. The ergonomics are brilliant, the understanding of process is good, the operative results are excellent, and many innocent fingers go unsmashed. A real triumph of Swedish design!

Best of all, this plastic utensil is so cheap that it's as free as hotel matches. In fact, if you venture into Ikea and talk knowledgeably about Ikea things you have built, and then ask for them for fasteners, they will commonly hand them over for free. And they're good components, too: you can build whatever you want. Please don't wreck this good deal for the rest of us by abusing Ikea's patience.

-- Zarko Vujovic

[Since Ikea is Ikea, this tiny plastic widget must surely have a cute Swedish name and some parts number, although it costs nothing. Does anyone know that data? Please tell me. Even "Ikeahacker" is stumped.-- bruces@well.com]

A significant improvement to the original screw clamp, these ratcheting spring clamps feature quick releases similar to a vice grip. You can hold your project in place with one hand and attach the clamp with the other -- all with one squeeze of a trigger. Allows you to spend more time on your project and less time screwing around (...and around, and around).

We purchased two of the four-inch clamps at Lowe's about a year ago and use them a lot in our boat repairs. In the last month, they've come in handy on two projects: to hold an awkward[shaped piece of fiberglass in place while we trimmed it; and to clamp some teak to the workbench so that it could be sanded. We have also used them to attach a straightedge to 4x8 pieces of plywood to provide a cutting guide.

We don't normally take the clamps with us out to sea (or let any of our tools get wet for that matter) so they should hold up fine. The clamps are made out of heavy duty resin, so they should never rust; this also explains why they're so lightweight, especially compared to old-fashioned metal clamps.

Along with opening blister packages, removing product labels from items is an unavoidable annoyance of contemporary life. After years of scratching with my fingernails and scraping with a sharpened tongue depressor (works well, dulls easily), I’ve discovered the ultimate solution: ScrapeRite Plastic Razor Blades, double-edged plastic blades designed for light scraping, not cutting. The blades are available in three materials of varying hardness; my experience is with their General Purpose Blades, the softest of the three, which is said to have the consistency of a fingernail and are relatively safe to use on just about any surface, including the paint on your car.

Two years of experience validates these claims: I've used mine on everything from a stainless steel soup pot and wooden cutting board to countless items from Home Depot or Lowe's. I use mine a few times a month and I'm still on my first blade. The two blades of harder, more rigid compounds are supposed stand up to rougher use, such as paint removal on glass, but may scratch delicate surfaces. Their main advantage over razor blades appears to be safety. (note: I have no experience with these blades).

While the plastic razor blades will fit into most standard blade holders, for around-the-home use, I use the manufacturer's inexpensive and compact plastic holder, which I store under a rubber band stretched around a bottle of Goo Gone. Since I still use my standard metal holder with razor blades for glass, I see no reason to buy an extra standard holder for these blades.

The Blade Runner quickly and neatly cuts the front and back layers of paper on a sheet of drywall at the same time so you only have to make one pass.How it works: little rolling blades are integrated in the top and bottom halves of the tool, which are held together by strong magnets but can be separated by two hinged levers. The drywall goes between the two halves. When you push the tool across the drywall the levers retract; the top and bottom pieces remain aligned; the cutters score the paper. A little tug breaks the board. There's no awkward added step of snapping the paper on the front face and then holding things steady to go around to cut the paper on the back.

I'm by no means a fast drywaller to begin with, but the Blade Runner cuts straight easily and does so faster and neater than a utility knife, the tool I usually use. It also cuts clean curves and closed openings that a utility knife will not do. You could cut out a window in the middle of a sheet, for instance, and just pop it out because the drywall is scored exactly both front and back. (note: it would not cut an opening for a electrical outlet or switch too well due to its size but most people use a rotozip for that chore anyway.)

It's not cheap I realize (I used company funds to buy the tool). But here's my rationale: while I am primarily a finish carpenter and furniture builder I end up doing dry wall occasionally, as much as a dozen times a year, usually on small jobs or repairs. I have always found it awkward to cut the paper on the back of a board after bending it and I've never had a lot of luck just snapping it back to pop the paper on the back side. That only works if the dry wall is very dry and crisp.

This speeds the job up considerably; I can cut clean curves; and I can work the drywall standing on edge, for the most part. The tool also seems really rugged. I haven't used mine for very long, but it is certainly immune to being dropped repeatedly (I work alone and the 10' boards I've mostly used the tool on are awkward). The manufacturer says it will cut 3500 feet of drywall before needing new blades, which are easy to replace.

-- Lory Littlefield

Blade Runner Drywall Cutter
$80
Available from Drywall Zone

Or $90 from Amazon

Manufactured by Goldblatt

This is, in my experience, the only tool one needs to open a threaded watch caseback, which are found mostly on 'waterproof' or water-resistant wristwatches. It's definitely a two-handed operation, but can be done by hand, with no other tools. The wrench comes with several sets of different-shaped pins, which you arrange on the tool to match the precise notch pattern on the caseback. This wrench will work with casebacks that have notches in amounts divisible by 3 and divisible by 2, which makes the tool adjustable to just about any size caseback.

It's not apparent from the appearance, but the tool's large handle rotates to adjust the bottom pin, and the thumbwheel in the middle adjusts the two pins above. Takes a little getting used to, but it's a good, solid feel when the adjustments are correct. Slow, constant force works best; no need to quickly jerk anything.

This type of tool is available from other stores, but Harbor Freight offers the best value. I'd say mine paid for itself about fifteen times over during the first week I had it. Over the last few years I've had several batteries run down on watches I own, including a Fossil titanium watch and a no-name Army field watch. So far, I have only used the tool's round, pin-end pegs. I'm actually not sure what watches require the other types of pegs included, but it's nice to be prepared.

Be aware the possibility of marring the caseback exists, and therefore you should be moderately careful when using this tool. Marring hasn't been an issue with the watches I've fixed, but if the metal is soft (gold alloys, for example), or if you're not careful, this could easily happen. The pins on the wrench appear to be hardened steel and would very likely be much harder than the watch caseback.

-- John Spurlin

Pittsburgh Watch Case Opener
$4
Available from Harbor Freight

I'd seen these scrapers for years and always figured them to be a gimmick, just a glorified putty knife. Then a friend helped me with a roofing project and brought one along. The more I used it, the more I came to see it as the single most handy, versatile and cheapest jobsite tool I've found. The basic functions: scraper, putty knife, chisel, pick, paint roll cleaner (squeegee).

I have probably a dozen of them floating around right now, always one or two on a jobsite. At a buck or so a piece, they are an incredible bargain. The pointy end does a great job of cleaning out crevices, scraping off excess glue or weld slag, prying up staples and getting into tight places. Makes a great little pry bar for wood trim. They can be used as a wedge and make a dandy temporary door stop/door hold open. The point can double as a Phillips screwdriver in a pinch. The flat side does a great job of opening cans. Sharpened up, the large flat blade can be used as a wood scraper or wood chisel. Great for those places where you may hit metal and don't want to trash a good chisel.

You can also customize them for specific tasks easily by filing or grinding them down if, say, you're refinishing and need a specific-sized scraper for the trim or you want to sharpen one side to a near-razor edge. I have seriously beat on these with a hammer and never had one shatter or snap. But they don't bend like a cheap screwdriver when prying with them. The steel is high-quality enough to do the task -- quite stiff and does not bend easily at all -- but still relatively easy to work with, file, etc.

I've had more expensive versions and cheaper ones and there isn't a noticeable amount of difference in the tools. I prefer the Dollar Store ones with the wood handle (great for hammering cans closed, etc.), but the scrapers with the nylon handle (below) are also sufficient.

-- Norman Bolser

5-in-1 Painter's Tool
$2
Available from Amazon

A few weeks ago, my 11-year old son and I decided to sculpt, so we got out SuperSculpey Firm polymer clay. After working with this newer style of Sculpey for a while, we decided it totally kicks ass on softer styles of Sculpey. Why? Because it doesn't flop over on its side when handled. And it's firm enough to keep its shape when carved. My son began making a tank. So I made a tank. We have yet to paint them.

The Sculpey brands are especially encouraging for beginners, yet professionals artists depend on them as well. Pros ranging from vinyl toy artists to designers for film use it. Unlike normal clay, Sculpey hardly changes shape or size when baked, and hardening takes place quickly, at the relatively low temperatures of a convection oven (even a toaster oven will do).

Because of its polymer base, there's loads of fun techniques to try with Sculpey: like baking your sculpture for only half the allotted time. When you take it out of the oven, prematurely, you'll find your little masterpiece has a soft, rubbery texture. In this state, it won't lose its shape and can be easily carved with a knife or a file. Have you cut too much away? Add a little more Sculpey and put it back in the oven, for more cooking!

I buy my Sculpey at my local art supply store, but it can also be found online.

-- Robyn Miller

SuperSculpey Firm
$13
(1 pound)
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Polyform Products Co.

While I have a wide variety of woodworking clamps in my workshop, over the past year, this adjustable plastic clamp is the one I’ve found myself reaching for first. It has an adjustable arm that slides easily on a notched shaft and locks into position when pressure is applied, allowing me to quickly resize a 4” clamp for 1", 2", and 3" jobs. It is feather light with comfortable handles and a decent throat depth. The spring pressure is just right and the pivoting faces provide a firm but soft grip (other spring clamps have narrow pads that contact the surface, causing possible indents on softer wood, for instance). If you’re a woodworker you already have plenty of clamps. I've been doing woodworking for almost 50 years and currently have four pipe clamps and about ten old traditional all-steel medium to large screw-type C-clamps. Most have either deep throats or an extra-wide opening. I also have a number of simple metal spring clamps in a variety of sizes. I seldom use them anymore. Since the VarioClippix clamps are adjustable, a single clamp replaces all the various-sized ones, which also reduces the clutter in my workspace. Ever since I spotted them in the Lee Valley catalog, these clamps have single-handedly handled about 70 percent of my clamping requirements.

-- David King

Bessey VarioClippix Spring Clamp
$6
(4-inch)
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Bessey Tools

To cut your own boards from a felled tree, you need either an expensive bandsaw mill, circular saw or a bad-ass chainsaw and a bracket to hold the chainsaw parallel to some reference surface. The Alaskan mill attaches to the saw's chain bar and keeps the chainsaw in line with a flat surface, allowing you to cut slabs as thin as 1/2 inch thick. The Alaskan is easy to set up. There is really only one way the saw can fit into the mill. Then, you adjust the two posts on either end to the desired clearance (make sure both posts read the same distance). To make sure your first cut is straight, you use a slabbing bracket; I used the aluminum slabbing rails made by Granberg. Then, you just adjust the clearance to the width of your slab and use the surface of the previous cut to guide the next cut, and the next, and so forth.

After moving into a new house in a wooded area, I realized a dead, 100-foot Red Oak was just 50 feet from the house. Following a few spells of high winds, I knew it was just a matter of time before it might give out, so I hired a local arborist who methodically cut off the upper part of the tree (a 20-ft. section), then worked his way down, cutting more of the tree into 8-ft sections. We had a nice surprise when we finished: the wood looked to be in great shape and seemed like it might make nice flooring. But I soon discovered the professional sawmills near us won't touch a log less than 9 feet long. Instead of hiring someone with a sawmill to come to my property, I decided to get my own rig.

There are three different kinds of sawmills: circular saw, bandsaw, and chainsaw. I looked at the Lucas Swing blade, several different bandsaw mills and other chainsaw mills. If you have plenty of space and lots of money, Timberking makes some good mills. Most bandsaw mills and circular saws are portable in the sense you can hook them up to your pickup truck and tow them to the site, but they are not portable in the sense you can pick them up and haul them down the hill and through the woods. My number one consideration for the mill was that I should be able to take the saw to the log since I didn't think I could take the log to the saw. One thing to consider about a chainsaw mill is that it wastes a lot of wood. If you're going to build a fixed installation, a bandsaw or circular saw is the way to go. As I've learned, though, Red Oak is *heavy*, especially when it is wet. Getting the log to the rig wasn't an option, so I went with a chainsaw mill. I chose the Husqvarna 385XP saw with a 28-inch bar, along with a 30-inch Alaskan mill. That means the mill can be adjusted to fit any bar up to its maximum size, in this case 30 inches. You can install basically any size bar into a chainsaw. I chose 28 inches since it would be big enough to work with any of my logs (my largest log was about 20 inches in diameter).

What’s impressed me about the Alaskan mill is its simplicity, sturdiness and the geometry of the bracket. The bracket on the mill allows the user to keep the mill flat against the log. With other mills, like the more expensive Logosol system for instance, you attach a bracket to either end of the log and use it to index down through the log. This is probably a better system for indexing, but seems like a lot more work; plus the Logosol also supports the chainsaw only from one end. The Alaskan bracket provides support at both ends of the bar, and it comes in a size as short as 24 inches and as big as 56 inches. Granberg also makes a kit with a bar to allow you to attach *two* 385 power heads to the saw. They also offer an oiler kit to increase the amount of oil on the chain, and they manufacture special ripping chains that make cleaner cuts (I used one). I read one guy's review where he said you needed three sharp chains before starting a days worth of cutting. Maybe that's about right; I could never last more that one sharp chain worth of work before petering out. Some reviewers have mentioned the effort that goes into sharpening the chains makes a chainsaw mill unacceptable. I didn't really find it to be onerous. Since the Alaskan mill is basically the same size as the saw, storage isn't an issue. I just leave the saw mounted in the mill. (NOTE: I learned the hard way, that it is important to store the saw upright. When I stored the saw on its side one time, the next time I used the saw, it took me about 5 hours to get the saw started.)

A few things to remember about chainsaw mills: This is hard work and the going is slow. On my best day, I only managed to finish two logs. Had I been cutting 1- inch boards (instead of 2-inch ones), this would have been much slower. Admittedly, though, my wood was Oak; maybe, just maybe, pine is easier. Also, the saw vibrates a lot. I exchanged my saw's plastic handle for a foam grip, which helped some. Lastly, while the Alaskan rig makes the saw safer, you can never forget there is a lethal weapon in your hands. Although I've given up on the flooring idea, I still have all this good lumber which I'll certainly use for a woodworking project.

-- Jack Tomlinson

$200
(24-inch)
Available from Amazon

Sizes 30-48-inch also available from Lee Valley

Manufactured by Granberg

Traditional Japanese tools are not as esoteric as they once were. In part because for 35 years this venerable importer has been publicizing their virtues. Fine cabinet makers in particular have found Japanese-style saws, chisels, and wood shapers to be superior in many ways. But you don't need to be a cabinet maker to appreciate the tools featured in this catalog. I've bought some very reasonably-priced Japanese kitchen knives that we've maintained with razor edges for many years.

-- KK

The Japan Woodworker

Or visit the store in Alameda, California:

Mon. - Sat.: 9am - 5 pm PST, 1-800-537-7820

For soldering wires in places beyond an extension cord, or for burning stuff with fine details I use this butane-fueled micro torch. It is like a propane torch, only 10 times smaller. The micro torch generates a tiny, precise, very hot blue flame. Uses typical butane refill liquid. It's lightweight and agile. But unlike other self-igniting micro-torch models, including the previously-reviewed Weller Portasol, or the ones used by jewelers, this one is cheap at $12. It is good enough for the occasional heating I do.

-- KK

Micro Torch
$12
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by BernzOmatic

A palm nailer is a magic hammer. Like a nail gun, you hook it up to an air compressor, but unlike a nail gun, it can be held in the palm of one hand. Its appearance doesn't make its usage obvious, but this air tool pounds in nail after nail without hurting my hand at all. Just place a nail exactly where you want it. Press the opening on the nailer over the nail, and BAP! BAP! BAP! BAP! BAP! -- compressed air drives a little hammer head inside the sleeve to gently pound in the nail. It takes about 10+ taps to get a nail all the way in, but in under a second.

I never knew about palm nailers until my brother-in-law clued me in -- and he learned from a friend who is a carpenter. They're perfect for working with precise positioning, like if you are putting together something with the previously-reviewed Simpson Strong-Tie connectors. I specifically bought mine to do the siding on a backyard shed with a fort for my kids. I just wish I'd known about it when I was doing the framing. I used a lot of Strong-tie connectors that required a whole lot of manual wrist-busting hammering of nails, because -- unlike the palm nailer -- a framing nailer just isn't accurate enough for the Strong-tie holes.

The palm nailer is a total joy to use. I love my air compressor and air tools (and have three nail guns already), but another plus is the palm nailer works with in any single nail, not just framing nail-gun feed nails. Also, the size of the palm nailer lets you get into places either a framing nailer or a manual hammer simply can't fit very well. I've only used a Bostitch-branded palm nailer that I picked up at Lowe's. It was like $80, so not what I'd call cheap, but it's made by a solid manufacturer and it's readily available online and if you're walking into a big box hardware store.

-- Eric Lundquist

For a great demonstration, check out this video. -- SL

Palm Nailer - Bostitch
$83
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Bostitch

These are not your standard combination wrenches. They literally put a twist in it. The working ends are offset from each other by 90 degrees, which makes for a great handle that reduces stress and increases leverage. Beyond its heft and balance, the design of this crescent wrench/box wrench ratchet is much more comfortable, especially for repetitive tasks. By twisting the axis, that non-working end now makes for a more natural handle that diffuses pressure into the palm and across the fingers. The shaft of the tool is also slightly longer than many combo wrenches (small increases in shaft length greatly increase torque, or conversely decrease force required to achieve required torque).

I've been using this wrench for three months in near daily use. As a solar installer I use my gear heavily in adverse conditions: bolting solar modules to rooftops. When other installers tipped me off to this brand, I did some investigating. They are the only tools I have ever seen endorsed by the Arthritis Foundation. I figured that if they are good for arthritis sufferers, it has to be good for me, too. I was right.

-- Mark Colacito

GearWrench X-Beam
$8
(13mm)
Available from Amazon

$96
(9-piece set)
Also from Amazon

$110
(12-piece set)
Also from Amazon

Manufactured by GearWrench

Cordless power tools are obviously the way to go. I have a drill but what I really wanted was a portable cordless circular saw and sawzall. All instant cutting, no cords.

After eyeing the pro tool sections for years, I've finally got my wish with an inexpensive set of cordless tools from Ryobi. For $150 I got an 18 volt system with a cordless circular saw, a cordless reciprocating saw, a cordless drill/driver and two batteries. (A lamp is thrown in, too.) The driver is standard but the saws are a treat. I grab a cordless saw and charge out to the backyard, or garage without having to unwind a trailing extension cord. Zip, zap. Then back in their box. Neither tool is super powerful or industrial strength. Just zippy enough for weekend projects (nothing thicker than a 2 x 4), but cheap! Fine with me since I don't use them every day.

The battery charge lasted beyond my usual chores of cutting up plywood, rebar or pipe, and so on. I have not pushed them to their limits yet. I have an issue with the buttons on the reciprocating sawzall, but otherwise each tool is easy to handle. They yield astounding quality for the price.

The handiness of a cordless power saw, like all great tools, urges me to take on stuff I would otherwise not do.

-- KK

Ryobi Cordless Saws
$100 (reconditioned, plus cordless shop vac)
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Ryobi Tools

If you've ever tried to slit electrical cable very far without ruining the inner wires, you know how hard it can be. This amazing little tool does in two seconds what can take a frustrating five minutes with a knife or wire cutters. You adjust the blade to the outer jacket thickness, clamp the thing on the cable, revolve it around the cable for the periphery cut (it rotates 90 degrees), flick the lever with your thumb, slit the cable lengthwise as far you want it, and the outer stripped jacket just falls off. Otherwise, especially on a long strip length, you either have to yank the jacket off the wire by hand or try to slit it with a knife, which is when you start damaging wires. This works great on heavy rubber SJO cord, coax, multiconductor, you name it. No nicks or cuts on the inner wires. You can even remove the jacket from the middle of a length of wire by making two periphery cuts and slitting away what's in between.

Even among electricians who strip cables for a living, this tool is surprisingly lesser-known. I've shown this to guys who wire up large industrial machines for a living and had their jaw drop open. And then I never see my slitter much after that anymore since it's always out on loan. It's a hard tool to find at any store (Berlands house of tools used to carry it). I discovered his tool in 1993 or so. Usage seems to go in spurts, depending on projects and which phase of machine building we are in (I design custom automated machinery for a living). Sometimes these five-foot tall electrical cabinets will have 100 wires running out of it, each having to be stripped & terminated. The electricians I work with especially love this tool.

-- Jon Kroninger

$26
Available from Altex

Manufactured by Paladin

I am an architect and have been working with programs like Photoshop for years, but Spoonflower really opened up a new world for me: fabric design. It's a service that let's you upload an image to a web site and the company prints the design as a pattern on 100% cotton fabric. Their customer service is great, and I think the fabric is reasonably-priced: it costs $18/yard, not counting shipping, and an individual 8x8-inch swatch is $5. The site is still in beta, so I had to request an invite to use Spoonflower, but a week after contacting them I was experimenting with patterns and ordering fabric.

So far, I've placed three orders with three different designs (3x3 yards worth) at $ 66 per order, shipping included. The trickiest part was preparing the image file so the pattern matches up. I used the "define pattern" command in Photoshop to test my image files before I uploaded them. I defined the image size (150 dpi), set colors to LAB color space and saved the files in TIF format. After I uploaded them to the Spoonflower site, they were automatically tiled to fill the desired fabric size. Then I specified the shipping address, paid using my credit card and that's it! The turnaround was reasonably quick: my fabric arrived in a month (I live in Switzerland). I made a skirt with the fabric from my first order -- a present for my Mom (pic below).

A couple caveats: I have noticed some distortion after washing the fabric and there was a little color shifting from my original designs. Still, the color shifting and fabric distortion really are minor. Overall, I'm happy with the color accuracy and I've been very satisfied with my orders. I have been having a lot of fun with Spoonflower and will likely place my fourth order very soon. I am even considering setting up an Etsy shop to sell some of my fabrics.

-- Isabella Kuntz

Spoonflower

Beta invitation request

Skirt:

Pattern:

NOTE: definitely check out this blogger's enlightening side-by-side close-ups of fabric printed from her artwork. One of her conclusions: "strong graphic lines turn out better than images with subtle shading." Also, check the Spoonflower pool on flickr for more fabric samples, including this skirt. --sl

Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:

World Textiles

Books on Demand

Brother Sewing Machine

I've moved three times in four years, but never quite mastered the art of hanging artwork. Move any frame in our home and you'd be likely to find no less than two sets of holes. Well, not any more. At 36", this level seemed like overkill (especially since most everything I hang is in the 8" x 10" realm), but now that I have one, I don't know how I ever got by without it. On either side of the three bubble levels are two 10-inch rulers with sliding "targets." Each target has a t-shape cut out, allowing you to mark exactly where you want the nail(s) to go. More or less fool-proof. It's also incredibly light and easy to maneuver, even with one hand. These days when we buy art, I don't dread the prospect of putting it up.

-- Steven Leckart

Black & Decker Accu Mark Level
$25
(36")
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Black & Decker

I'm a technical theatre professional, and being able to tie the proper knot in the appropriate situation is critical to saving time and staying safe. For a number of years, I've kept several sets of the previously-untried Knot Tying Cards around for emergencies. I keep one in my messenger bag, one in the glove box of my car, one in my tool bag, and there's likely another one in the official junk drawer in the kitchen. While there are around 10 knots I use on an almost daily basis when I'm working, there are a handful of specialty knots I know when to use, but can never retain how to start (or finish) them. One particularly bothersome knot is the Trucker's Hitch. If done correctly, it will secure an unruly load in short order (and can be tied with one hand if you're dexterous). If you do one little turn incorrectly, however, It becomes a slip knot and won't hold squat.

That's where these flash cards come in handy. They have this and other bothersome knots, and the cards provide enough of a trigger that I can execute the desired effect. More often than not, when someone 20 feet away asks me to tell them how to tie a particular knot, I end up throwing the set to them. Much easier than explaining it! And they always manage to tie the knot safely. Not all knots are created equal, and knowing how to create and properly use a variety of them is useful for everyone. On the stage, though, a poorly-tied knot can quite literally kill someone. I've seen more than one "of course I know how to tie a square knot" load crash to the floor because hubris trumped common sense and basic knowledge.

That said, these cards are handy for those who already know how to tie proper knots, but don't do so every day and need a quick reminder. For the novice knot-tier, the previously-reviewed Morrow Guide has never been equaled, IMO. I once taught a knot-tying class to a group of high school theatre students. I provided a 50-foot piece of rope and told them it could become a ladder. I showed them the page in the book and let them have at it. In about 30 minutes, they had a load-bearing 12-foot rope ladder. You can't beat that!

-- Christy Risser-Milne

Knot Tying Cards
("outdoor" variety)
$5
Available from Hit the Trail

"Fishing" knots & other varieties also available from the manufacturer, Pro-Knot

Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:

Animated Knots

Surgeon's Knot

Theater Prop Handbook

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

I've been easing into more and more metal work over the last year and half (propane art, collapsible fire fans and fire hula hoops a la Burning Man), so I drill a lot of multi-size holes in aluminum tubing. This is by far the best bit I've found for drilling through such thin materials. To get precise placement and a clean hole, normally I'd drill a small pilot hole, then run a larger drill bit in that hole to get the size and placement right. With this bit, I do not need to create a pilot hole (though, a center punch can help). I simply drill until I get to the right size (1/4" and 1/2" mostly). Because the bit has a single flute (cutting edge), it makes very clean holes. It's also very accurate: the bit is very stiff, so it wanders less when starting a hole. Since I don't need to change drill bits in my drill press to successively drill larger holes or change the jig I'm using to hold the part, it's become a real time saver.

-- Sean Rutledge

IRWIN Unibit
$14
(3/6" - 1/4")
Available from Amazon

$62
(three-piece set)
Also from Amazon

$67
(four-piece set)
Also from Amazon

Manufactured by IRWIN

Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:

The Complete Metalsmith

Panasonic Impact Driver

Transmaterial

By the same token as the Restickable Glue Stick, 3M's Scotch makes a product called Removable Magic Tape which I use extensively in doing rough page layouts of books with a lot of graphics on each page. It sticks to paper or just about any dry surface. Pulls off easily, leaves no residue. Unlike the regular Magic Tape, you can easily pick it up and move things around. I've been using it for over 10 years and find it's less messy and way quicker to use than the glue sticks. If you already have the Magic Tape dispensers, the removable refills come in a blue box (Cat. # 811).

-- Lloyd Kahn

Removable Magic Tape
$3
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by 3M

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

Transparent Duct Tape

Handband Pop-up Tape Strip Dispenser

X-Treme Tape

If you like creating little DIY booklets or zines, but have been frustrated by the short arm length in standard staplers that forces you to curl up (or worse, fold) your notebook pages in order to get a center saddle staple, this two-way stapler is a terrific little solution. It looks just like your ordinary handheld personal stapler, until you twist the upper portion: it twists all the way perpendicular to the body of the stapler, so that you can easily staple booklets at the center fold. When I found it, I was kind of surprised I'd never seen this before. It's sheer genius and simple. I'm a huge pocket notebook fan. I have a boxful of Moleskines, which I love, but I've been playing around with crafting my own Moleskine-size blank notebooks for keeping notes on small projects or short trips. In the past, I've had to either fold up the pages a bit (and carefully unfold and smooth out the crease). Or I waited to go to someplace like Kinko's that offers saddle staplers. Neither was a very convenient solution and I didn't want to spend lots of money on an expensive "long reach" or saddle stitch stapler of my own. This one's not as small as a micro stapler, but it's as lightweight (plastic body) and is just a bit longer than the palm of my hand. No unnecessary bells and whistles. When you move the swinging piece, it snaps into place, and you can twist it either left or right. The loading area is very easy, not tricky at all. The only drawbacks are that it uses mini staples and can only staple 15 pages at a time. But as long as you don't have a really thick stack, it works like a charm (ed. note: for tougher jobs, you'll want to go with a larger, more robust long-reach stapler). I'm almost tempted to buy a second one to keep at home, but it's small enough I can just carry it with me.

-- Lani Teshima

Mini Booklet Stapler
$8
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by MAX

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

Forward Action Stapler

Moleskine Notebook Cover

Staples One-Touch Stapler

The problem I have with regular knitting is getting started. With a hat, for example, I have a lot of trouble getting my size just right and having the first row look neat and not sloppy. Knifty Knitters completely eliminate the size problem and allow you to make the first row just as neat as every other row. Each loom is basically a round circle with pegs on it. Since you are wrapping the yarn on preset pegs, the problem of keeping the stitches the same length is eliminated. I have the round set for hats and the long set, which is mainly for scarves and blankets. Each set comes with four looms. The round set labels the looms by size: baby, child, adult and the largest is either for a big-headed adult or for other projects (like ponchos). They come with directions, which are really easy to follow. I made my first hat while watching a movie. As you work, your hat starts to build up and hang down underneath as you go, which is pretty neat to watch. When it is long enough (the directions tell you how long for different sizes), you use this plastic needle to thread a piece of yarn through the loops at the end and drawstring it tight and tie. Then you use this little hook to pop it off. Done.

I totally recommend these for the serious and the totally not serious crafter. They're pretty cheap. They're easy. And even on your first try, you end up with a really good finished product you can wear or give to someone. I have about a dozen friends who have gotten them since my recommendation and all of them are really into them. Even my husband made a hat for his sister's kid while watching a movie and it came out perfect. The looms are made for thicker yarns, but if you have tons of old thin yarn you can double it up and use two strands as one (or even three) and that makes it so you can do all kinds of color combinations.

I found the long set a tiny bit harder when I got started (i.e. figuring out the corners), but after a few minutes messing with it I was rolling out a scarf. There are other looms I have not tried from Knifty Knitters, like a flower one and a rectangle one, which all make different things. They also have pompom and tassel makers and one that lets you make tube scarves. But there are tons of other things you can do with the same hat loom, too. My friend got a great book from her library; Knifty Knitters' web site has a few ideas; and I recently found a sock pattern on the Internet and made pair using the smallest loom in the round set. It was way way way easier than it looked and they came out perfect.

-- Krista Wilson Muldoon

Knifty Knitter
$25
(round loom set)
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Provo Craft

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

Knitting Without Tears

Brother Sewing Machine

Fresh Fruits

I've been using this cream for a couple of years to get a mirror polish on all the vintage bicycles I collect. Before discovering it on a listserv about classic bikes, I tried various buffing and polishing compounds (usually automotive) and Nev'r Dull, which worked fine but requires a lot of effort. Simichrome seems to work magically, with very little elbow grease needed to dissolve/remove surface stains and oxidation (the main ingredient is aluminum oxide). The results are astounding. I've used it primarily on aluminum, and a few chrome pieces. In my experience it works best on aluminum. Recently, I revived a set of oxidized aluminum cranks in under an hour all told -- sanding and steel wool to remove scratches and then less than 10 minutes (and minimal effort) polishing with the Simichrome. For aluminum parts that don't need scratches sanded out it takes about 30 seconds to watch a small section go from dull, oxidized metal to mirror finish (that's not hyperbole). Of course it depends a bit on the finish of the underlying metal, how big and complicated the part is and so on. I've tested it on brass, and though it wasn't as easy on that as it was the aluminum, Simichrome was still much quicker than anything I'd used before (Turtle Wax, buffing compound, Ajax, steel wool).

-- Galen Pewtherer

Simichrome
$9
Available at Amazon

Manufactured by Happich

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

Bar Keeper's Friend

Tibet Almond Stick

Sheldon Brown's Online Cycling Encyclopedia

A hand-powered drill allows a subtlety and control you don't get from a power tool, so very much more direct and satisfying to use. From a sheer utilitarian perspective, my Schroeder 1/4" drill is a wonder to behold and use. The gearing is all-metal, so it's built to last. For the price, you won't find a tougher drill. I've used it for building cabinets and tables, puttering around the house and garden, pre-drilling screw holes, and mounting things to walls, etc. and it works like a champ. I used Fiskars hand drills for years but their inner gears are made of plastic and will strip out if you apply too much torque. They also can't be opened up for repair either, so once that happens it goes straight to the landfill, which is really disheartening. With the Schroeder, the solid, single gear is right there in the open. You have to hold it in your hands to appreciate it. Like the engineering in a 1970's Beemer or a piece of Shaker furniture, it's logical and simple, direct and pure. It makes me happy just to spin it.

-- Charles Henry Frieder

Schroeder Hand Drill
$21
Available from Amazon

Also $28 from Traditional Woodworker

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

McFeely's Square Drive Screws

Panasonic Impact Driver

Dovetail Markers

I've used this epoxy to attach PVC pipe to wood, wood to wood, plastic to plastic. It works great, but I mainly love the way the applicator is designed. It is basically just two plastic syringes attached side by side. It makes it easy to squirt out equal parts of the two chemicals you mix together to make the epoxy. Then you simply retract the plunger and slip on the end cap and wait until you need it again. No mess, no hassle, and less waste!

-- Joe Lyles

Loctite Epoxy
$3
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Henkel

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

This to That

Henkel Solid Ribbon Epoxy

Gorilla Glue

I own, use and occasionally drag around my LS-2125i sewing machine. Like the previous version of this machine reviewed and recommended in Cool Tools, it's light, small, cheap and reliable. I use it for occasional household work and mostly to make repairs to uniforms and sew on patches. It can do ten stitches and that's more than enough for me. Especially handy is the buttonholer. This little box, in combination with a beginner's sewing book, can help you do everything that you can imagine short of embroidery. It has held up most admirably considering how much I use it. I'm an old Red Cross disaster guy currently flying with the Civil Air Patrol. For some missions, CAP is the USAF Auxiliary and as a result, we have two uniform types: AF and corporate. If you're active and train moderately, you can be promoted and you also get all these dratted qualification badges. Tailors or cleaners charge around ten bucks a patch, and a uniform can have LOTS. My BDUs: ten patches each. My flight suits: only five. But it gets nuts. The unit has paid for itself by simply allowing me to avoid patch sew-on charges. All else is gravy.

-- Angus mac Lir

Brother LS-2125i
$80
Available from Amazon

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

Sewing Gauge

Kevlar Thread

X-Plane

I tend to be rough on buttons (or maybe I'm just gaining weight). I started using Kevlar thread to sew fire toys and found it is very strong. I now use Kevlar thread for all my sewing. On buttons, I don't need to use as much thread to secure them and the thread is tougher than the fabric I sew into. By weight, Kevlar is five times stronger than steel wire and is used in bulletproof vests. Do NOT try to break it by hand -- you'll just hurt yourself. The very thin thread works well with beads -- it's very abrasion resistant -- and there are thicker varieties that I use for sewing leather.

-- Sean Rutledge

Kevlar Thread
$2
Available from Amazon
(brown, orange, yellow, olive, black)

Also $16 for larger thread diameter/quantities available from McMaster-Carr

This handheld tool allows miter cuts from 45 to 135 degrees of small pieces of wood, plastic, rubber, and even metal. As a miniaturist and model maker, this tool has been invaluable for cutting one or a myriad of small parts at various angles and sizes -- to change the angle you slide a self-indexing metal guide that runs perpendicular to the blade. I design and build furniture, accessories and sometimes houses of the 50s, 60s and 70s in 1:12, 1:16 and 1:24 scales. When I'm in the middle of a project, such as the architectural model I'm working on currently, I use the Easy Cutter fairly constantly -- a few hours at least a couple of days each month. I have been using my cutter about three years now and a friend has been using hers well over 5 years without any trouble. You can buy new blades for this tool, but neither of us has found the need, thus far. It's also worth mentioning I have some arthritis in my hands and many tools are simply too difficult for me to use. With one hand, I can easily clamp the Easy Cutter down enough to cut through three layers of laminated Popsicle sticks. Although profoundly solid (hardened steel, rubber coated handles, stainless blades), the Easy Cutter is virtually silent -- about the same noise as a pair of fingernail clippers, but without the annoying habit of flipping the cuttings through the air. Using it while talking or watching a film is completely unnoticeable.

I have also handed this tool to my young friends (no younger than 10) when they're helping create miniature worlds alongside me, and although the spread of the handle is not geared to small hands, they have nonetheless found the Easy Cutter quite usable. I must caution, however, that the blade is VERY sharp, and that this, as with any other cutting tool, is to be handled with respect for its damage capability and for oneself when using it. There is also a smaller version called The Super Easy Cutter, but I prefer to have too much power than too little when hand cutting through wood.

I don't know of another tool that addresses the need for an accurate, handheld mitre-cutter (from 45 degree up to 135 degree) at such an affordable price. Northwest Shortline, a cottage industry out of Seattle that's been in business for over 40 years, has a series of tools that ROCK! Their Chopper series of cutters is very accurate (they're primary focus is the model train crowd). However, their cutters can be twice as expensive as the Easy Cutter. Also their Chopper requires a flat, stable surface. I prefer to carry a tray of materials and tools to a comfy spot and just work until a natural stopping point presents itself. The Easy Cutter allows me to continue working while talking and sitting on the couch or just on the porch with friends.

-- April Canady

Easy Cutter Ultimate
$21
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Midwest Products Co., Inc.

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

SketchUp

Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Eames Design

The word that best describes the Ridgid oscillating belt sander is "workhorse." It is one of those rare tools which ends up at the heart of your workshop -- fast, precise, durable. The belt rotates like a standard sander, but also simultaneously and automatically oscillates up and down 60 times per minute, giving you better space coverage and a wider stroke (about 1 in.); this is especially helpful with larger pieces, because you don't need to reposition or flip the piece to sand the whole thing.

I use mine almost daily to fabricate parts in wood, metal, and plastic. The metal platen provides plenty of support for serious, precision sanding. I routinely sand to the center of a 1/64 slot on an Incra ruler. Not bad. It's also very quick to swap out the belt and use it as an oscillating spindle sander, meaning you can handle both flat and curved sanding.

It's designed to sit on a bench top, but they also molded slots into the bottom so that it rests stably on a sawhorse. It has an incredibly well made tilt table, with fence, that folds down onto a molded storage bay which holds all the accessories it comes with. And a vacuum port is molded into the back of the unit for clean up.

Two things to know: I find I often have to adjust the belt tension to prevent the belt from rising or falling, but this is easy to do on account of a large, well-placed knob. Also, the belts and spindles it comes with are extremely aggressive and are meant for hogging away wood. If you want to do more delicate work, you need to get higher mesh belts from a specialty store like Rio Grande, Klingspor, or maybe Grainger or McMaster-Carr.

-- Sam Mapadatha

Ridgid Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander
$200
Available from Home Depot

Manufactured by Ridge Tool Company

Cutting dovetails is an old art. Despite the availability of fancy (and expensive) mechanical jigs, it's hard to beat the satisfaction derived from using a marker and cutting the dovetails by hand with a backsaw. I've been using traditional dovetail markers like these for about 15 years. The actual ones I use were my grandfather's. Because he passed away before I was born, I don't know where they came from; but I've seen these markers in person and believe they're of the same excellent quality.

The nice thing about fixed, brass markers like these is that they will (unless you're really sloppy) be the same every time you trace with them. They're made of a stalwart material that can suffer the slings and arrows of most workshops. Cheaper versions will work fine and all, but there's more margin for error. Sliding bevels can be a precision tool -- in the right hands. Because there are moving parts, it's easy for things to go wrong (wing nuts are not the most secure mechanism). In my personal experience, I use the sliding bevel for non-precision work. Because you're having to match up precision cuts in two disparate pieces of wood, anything other than an exact mark (and cut) is a disaster: if the dovetails are off even just a little, so is the whole joint.

I've fixed/rebuilt my great-great-grandmother's 1860-something White Sewing Machine stand drawers using my grandfather's hand tools -- the dovetail markers, his planes, backsaw, etc. I couldn't have rebuilt the drawers w/out the dovetail markers, because the drawers are approximately 5 inches high and only about 3.5 inches wide. The dovetails had to be marked and cut very precisely or the whole job would have been botched. I also credit the markers with my zero wood waste on the project.

I find that cutting dovetails by hand (as opposed to using a joiner - a machine) is actually faster, but like anything, it requires practice. It won't be faster the first time. But if you take the care to do it correctly, it will always be better than a mechanical process. Honestly though, woodworking isn't about saving time. If you want to save time, go to Ikea. If you want to create something really, really cool and know that your grandchildren can be told that grandma/pa made that with her/his very own hands, then you use high quality tools like these and play with making stuff out of wood. Made correctly, your dovetails will be accurate and the joint will last 100+ years.

-- Christy Risser-Milne

Dovetail Markers
$36
Available from European Hand Tools*

*Orders must be placed via phone, fax or snail mail

Also available via PayPal from the manufacturer, Richard Kell

A ruler isn't something you normally think of as evolving, but that's just what Incra did with their precision line of rulers. Incra's simple solution makes precision layout literally child's play. The rulers are not only laser etched, they use a laser to cut precision holes and slots all the way through the ruler. Put the point of a sharp pencil (mechanical pencils work well, too) in the right slot or hole, and voila! Instant precision layout (unless you're a machinist). I have the T-Rule, which I like because it also gives you a perfect right angle to work with. The T-Rule has precision slots cut in 16th and 32nd increments, and precision holes drilled every 64th of an inch.

The only downside is that Incra rulers are much thinner than ordinary rulers. Like any precision instrument, you can't drop them or knock them around like a $4 ruler from a department store. That said, I've had my T-Rule for over 10 years, and it is still in perfect condition. It has its own place on a corner of my bench where it is fully supported when not in use. It's the only ruler I have in my workshop, and I rarely work in my shop without using it at least once.

-- Sam Mapadatha

$15 - 35
(depending on size: 3",6",12")
Available from Rockler

Also $17 from Amazon (6" T-Rule)

Manufactured by Taylor Design Group, Inc.

If you enjoy carving wood or just working with sharp tools, this glove can save you countless boxes of band-aids as well as a nice chunk of change - and gas money -- from all the trips to the local emergency room for stitches. The chain mail (just like the type medieval knights and shark divers use) is a great safety tool that not only keeps you from slicing your hand open, but also makes you feel pretty tough while wearing it. Much more comfortable and easier to work with than any heavily-padded safety glove. These are similar to the butcher's gloves and also those advertised for shucking oysters, but they're half the price.

-- Josh G.

Chain Mail Glove
$87
(sizes S - XXL)
Available from Lee Valley

I've spied this book in the cluttered workshops of many amateur craftsmen, and it is frequently nominated as the best all-around introduction to light metal work. If you take an entry class in jewelry, this is often the manual. (Complete in this case does not include welding or blacksmithing; this guide is best for metal projects smaller than a bowl.). The reason I like this manual is that it is quick, succinct, clear, and dense -- sort of like metal itself. The author assumes you wield a certain level of handiness, and that you can kind of figure out things yourself if you get a general sketch of what needs to be done. It shows you with simple drawings (no fancy photos here) things you might want to do with small bits of metal -- different methods of shaping it, different textures or patinas to coat it with, ways to cast it in molds, how to set stones in it, what metals to even use. In other words, it's a quick tour of metal work possibilities. It also lays flat on the table with its thoughtful metal spiral binding. Be sure to get the revised edition.

-- KK

The Complete Metalsmith
Tim McCreight
1991, 208 pages
$11
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Drawing Wire
This simple tool will allow a craftsman to create the thickness and cross section of a wire as it is needed. It is an example of a tool whose shape and function has no changed since its invention 500 years ago.

Gold Solder
Gold may be joined with silver solder but to achieve a color match a gold-based alloy is usually used. Gold solders are available in many colors and melting points. When buying solder, specify the metal you are joining. 14 karat yellow solder refers, not to the quality of the alloy, but means it is used on 14K gold. In fact, solder will be a karat or two lower than the metal it will join. Any gold of a lower karat can be used as a solder. 10K will be a solder for 14K; 14K will solder 18K, etc.

All knots are knotty and hard to visualize the first time. This free website is the best knot teacher yet. It beats any of the beginner books I've seen, as well as all the other knot websites. The key here is the stepped animations synchronized with instructions, which you can run at any speed. Replay them till you get them right. Animated Knots is the next best thing to having old Pete next to ya. Once you get the basic ones down, try some of the harder ones. There are 75 cool knots animated in total.

-- KK

Available at Animated Knots

This book by Ian Cramb is a classic. Straightforward and elegant, everything you need to know about putting one stone on top of another. I've been through many tons of stone with only Ian's stern Scottish advice to guide me. Never looked back.

I don't remember where I heard it (this book doesn't cover drywall), but the best short course I've seen on dry-stack stonework is this:

1. Gravity always works.
2. If a stone can move, it will.

That sums up pretty much everything you need to know to ensure a wall will still be there for people born after you die.

-- Matt Thornton

The Art of the Stonemason
Ian Cramb
1992 (updated 2006), 174 pages
$17
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

*

The most reliable test for stone is to examine an old building nearby that has been built of the same stone. The arrisses (edges where the surfaces meet at an angle) should be firm, fine, and the members of moulds sharp and clean. The lines of stratification should not be prominent. The faces must be hard and solid when struck with a chisel. A loose or spongy appearance would denote decomposition of the chemical constituents.

The following are some specific tests for stone.

Water test -- A few stone chippings are placed in clean water and stirred about. If the water becomes muddy, the stone should be rejected.

Chemical test -- Immerse a stone in a solution of 1 cup sulfuric acid, 1 cup hydrochloric acid, and 1 gallon of water for a few days. When taken out and dried, the grains should be sharp and firm. Loose sand would mean the stone could dissolve in a polluted city atmosphere. NOTE: These acids are very dangerous. Every precaution must be used in handling and disposal.

To detect the presense of lime -- If a few drops of acid are placed on a stone and the drops cause effervescence, carbonate or lime is indicated. Such a stone would not weather well.

Absorption -- A sandstone shell should not absorb more than 10 percent of its weight in water; a limestone not more than 17 percent.

*

*

Points to remember

All random rubble is built in courses. This is the traditional method; there is no such thing as uncoursed random rubble.

A hole for every stone, and a stone for every hold. What you lift, you build.

*
To fit your center key stone, spread mortar on each joint surface of the stone already in position ("h"). Lower the stone into the opening -- do not use a hammer -- until it rests on your sand-lime mix. If joints are too slack, adjust each joint a little to make them all look equal, then flush point the face joints, pressing the mortar in gently. The stones of the arch are now in position, with the face joints pointed. Add a touch of water to your mix, making it into a grout or slurry. Pour this into the back of your arch stones and into any voids in the joints, making sure it does not push out your stones. The lime mix the stones are resting on will prevent the grout from running through. Once your joints are filled up, insert small slivers of stone into each joint, pushing them down gently into the grout, until they are tight. These small stones act as a wedge in each joint.

*

*
In grouting stonework, I use a lime-based grout, not a strong cement grout as some recommend. Open up a wall that has been cement-grouted, and you will find little adhesion to the surrounding material. Examine any cement pointing on stone, and you will see hairline cracks between the pointing and the stone, allowing for penetration of water.

Most useful farm tool No.1 is a pair of Fencing Pliers. These little beauties cost me about $13 and represent the best value for money of any of my tools. In one device it is a wire cutter, a staple puller, a hammer and a great source of leverage on any object unlucky enough to be in it's grasp or impaled on it's horn.

While most multi-function tools tend to be a jack of all trades and master of none, the fencing pliers hardly compromise at all. They will cut high tensile fencing wire (including our famous New Zealand#8 wire) that would simply blunt most plier-design wire cutters. When it comes to removing staples, they don't only excel at pulling staples that are proud of the post. The flat hammering face can be hit with another hammer to drive the horn into a staple that has been driven too far into the wood. Once you have hooked the staple, levering it out is pretty simple. Try that with a hammer or nipper-design staple puller. The jaws can also be locked over the head of a nail for the same leverage effect. As a hammer, they work pretty well and have a nice weight balance. The only negative is the smaller striking surface, but you can't have everything!

My pair is about 5 years old and despite a few signs of wear and tear, they still function perfectly well. They rate #1 in my farm tool arsenal. When you factor in the relatively low cost, they are an absolute essential in any tool kit.

-- John Hart

Fence Pliers
10 inches
$10
Available from Amazon

Micro-Surface makes the finest sandpaper around: Micro-Mesh abrasives. I originally used their sanding pads to get a perfect finish on a plastic model car by sanding each layer of spraypaint I applied to the model. Their finest sandpaper is rated at an incredible 12000 grit. (Although that number isn't using the same ANSI scale as commonly available sandpaper).

I was amazed that I was able to sand a scratched plastic window to perfect clarity, although I shouldn't have been surprised: micro-mesh is used to repair the acrylic windows used on many airplanes. I've since used the same hobby kit for repairing scratches in the clear coat of my REAL car. I've even carefully polished out deep scratches in the bottom of several CDs. You can also polish out scratches on reading glasses.

Micro-Surface makes a wide variety of abrasives, in every size and type I can imagine needing.

-- Mike Gebis

Micro-Mesh Abrasives Kits
$15+
Avialable from Micro-Surface Finishing Products

Excerpt from the website:

20X Sandpaper 400 grit       20X Micro-Mesh 1500

Micro-Mesh is what we like to call a non-abrasive abrasive. It is considered a cushioned abrasive in fact. Conventional sandpaper is designed to be aggressive so that it will dig deeply. In its manufacture the crystals are electrically charged so that they will stand up. They are locked into a hard resin and when you apply the paper to a surface it will literally tear in and remove the substrate of the material you are sanding. The crystals cut in a negative raking motion, leaving inconsistent scratch patterns.

Micro-Mesh does the opposite. The backing is long lasting cloth to which an ultra-flexible cushioning layer is applied. This cushioning layer will determine how far forward you can push crystals before they will penetrate the cushioning layer. On top of this layer, we have a very resilient glue, not a hard resin, but a completely flexible glue that will hold the crystals while allowing it to move and rotate. The crystals can turn in any direction without coming loose. When you start to apply pressure to sand with Micro-Mesh, the crystals will go into the cushioning layer while beginning to cut a bit. If you push harder, they will go further into the cushioning layer, which serves as a safety valve. It determines how much pressure you can exert in a downward direction. Instead of a deep scratch that sandpaper makes, Micro-Mesh produces a refined scratch that is close to a RMS of 1.0. The cushioning layer also allows the crystals to cut with a planing motion that leaves an extremely consistent scratch pattern and allows you to achieve extraordinary levels of gloss.

HVLP means High Volume Low Pressure. It's a more efficient way of spraying. More media (paint) gets deposited than the old style sprayers. The difference is the air. It's not run with a high pressure compressor (like you use for filling up your tires) but a low-pressure blower making a large volume of air (essentially a reversed vacuum motor). Works fine, it's portable, and inexpensive. You can get a generic HVLP sprayer for $99, but some places are selling them for $79. I wouldn't paint a house with it, but for small furniture projects, it works great.

-- James Crum

Wagner Control Spray
$64
Available from Amazon

I've been hanging out with serious craftsmen/carpenters and virtuoso builders in Canada and ended up buying 4 different Japanese saws they were using. At top is a gem of a keyhole saw. You'll never use an American keyhole saw again. Next down is a springy, elegant razor-toothed saw for flush cuts. Next is the traditional Ryoba, with two different types of teeth. It's the main saw of seasoned Vancouver Island builder Bruce Atkey, what he uses in place of an American saw. It's a joy to use. The last one, the Silky with the black handle, is the gardening saw I should have had 40 years ago. It cuts green (and dead) branches with amazing dispatch. Silky has a great catalog of gardening saws. These tools have got me fiddling around in my shop (and garden) a lot more these days.

-- Lloyd Kahn

Japanese Keyhole Saw
60T08.01
$17
Available from Lee Valley

Japanese Flush-Cutting Saw
60T19.01
$28
Available from Lee Valley

Traditional Ryoba
60T01.01
$49
Available from Lee Valley

Silky Folding Pruning Multi-Purpose Hand Saw GOMBOY 240 Large Teeth
$35
Available from Amazon

If you've got a bunch of 4x4 posts to install on a deck or fence or whatever, this tool is *sooooo* useful. It is a simple thing that wraps around two sides of a 4x4 so that you can level two planes at once. Big ol' rubber bands attach it to the side and wrap around it four inches or so, and it has three levels built into it so you can level in two directions at the same time. Guys I know who do this for a living carry at least a pair of these, if not several pairs. You just leave one strapped onto the far pole, or each post/corner of a deck, to make sure it remains unchanged while you jiggle the near one. I use one if I'm building shelves in a vertical position, or for anything that requires leveling on two planes at once. It's in that "why didn't I think of that?" category.

-- Paul Hoffman

Post Level
$8
Available from CVF Supply

I'm currently stripping the exterior of an 1885 vintage Victorian home. There are so many coats of paint to remove it was going to be a nasty job. I spoke to my neighbors who said they had an infrared paint remover (Silent Paint Remover) that worked great. I was hesitant to put out a lot of money for a new, unproven tool so I asked to borrow it for an evening.

I used the tool for 20 minutes and immediately went inside and placed an order! You apply the tool to the clapboard for about 20-30 seconds. Then scrape; the paint really does come off easily. I also purchased the wall attachment so I can slide the tool across the row of clapboards and have one section "cooking" while I'm scraping recently heated area. This allows me to cover twice as much area as I would without it.

Their scrapers are also superior. Unlike most pull type scrapers, their large triangular design provides a lot of open space so the scraper doesn't get clogged when scraping multiple coats of paint. They also have several different shapes of blades. I'm using the clapboard blade which is nice because it gets the underside of the clapboard, above, and the surface of the clapboard below. I also have the profile blade which is making easy work of scraping rounded corners on the house.

Their line isn't cheap, but it's well worth the money in the time you save. It also doesn't release any lead which was a concern when working with a house this old. The tool has apparently been around in Sweden for some time and there is an extensive set of accessories in addition to those I've purchased. When people walk down the sidewalk and see it they're amazed. Now if I could just stop people from wanting to borrow it before I finish the job!

-- Scott Sipiora

The Silent Paint Remover
$400
Available from Silent Paint Remover

Instructions for making your own DIY version from a quartz heater.

You've probably heard about the Sawstop table saw -- the one that instantly brakes itself to prevent its spinning blade from cutting flesh. I bought one last month, and finally got it all set up. It saws like a charm! I couldn't be happier with it's performance. In particular, dust collection is very good, the hand cranks are a dream (smooth and repeatable), and ripping or cross cutting a 2x6 board had no discernable reduction in RPM. The cuts were smoother than what I get from my surface planer, and that was with the stock blade that came with the saw. I've used a number of other table saws, and the Sawstop was relatively easy to make all the adjustments, and is very repeatable.

As for the safety features, I've haven't put the brake to the test. Like the air bag in your car, the Sawstop system includes an extensive startup and continuous self test while idle and running. And like your air bag it's very costly to "test." You get only one emergency stop per blade and brake. Besides $70 for a new brake, it's another $50-100 for a new blade. It's pretty high tech. The brake is a special aluminum block and electronic assembly with a fusible (i.e. burnable) wire holding the spring loaded brake block assembly in position. When the electronics "fires" after detecting contact with human flesh, the fusible wire is burned through by a high electric current "pulse". When the wire burns through, the spring loaded aluminum block is shoved into the spinning blade. The blade cuts deeply into the block, and the block absorbs the considerable momentum energy of the blade, arbor, belt and motor. The result is that the blade and block get hot enough near the teeth of the blade to unsolder or weaken the teeth on the blade. In short the blade is ruined 50% of the time according to one web site I found that had tested the unit. Once the emergency brake has been fired you need to replace the whole brake assembly (like the air bag), which includes the brake, spring, retaining fusible wire, firing electronics including capacitor, and brake frame assembly. Replacement only takes a couple of minutes. Despite the cost, it is still better than paying for a new finger. Two friends have lost 2.5 fingers collectively from table saws. And both were experienced woodworkers.

A hot dog proxy for a finger gets only a nick when pushed into a turning saw blade

The Sawstop has other safety features, too. The riving knife and blade guard are both first rate, much better than others I've used (the guard is small, low profile, and narrow, making narrow rips easier with the guard in place). Both are very easy to swap in and out. Lastly, the start/stop switch is a large paddle, perfectly placed for shutting off with a twist of the knee while you hold that thin strip tight against the fence, to prevent the smooth cut from being ruined while you fumble for the off button. So, so far, it is great.

I've never had a close call on a saw yet, but as I age, I know the extra insurance of having the Sawstop system might save a finger or two.

-- Ben Bishop

Sawstop Cabinet Saw
$2,800
Available from Sawstop

A simple superior tool about the size of a stubby pencil that punches a tiny depression in metal. It's used to start a hole, or mark a point. But unlike standard punches, which you need to hit with a hammer -- whose impact usually misaligns the spot you intended to punch -- this one gets its punch from a tiny internal spring that flexes as you press the tip down. You simply press the punch where you want a dent and there it is exactly. A classic.

-- KK

We in the rescue trade also use these pretty routinely to safely remove the glass in automobiles. They work particularly well on the glass in the side and rear windows and leave all of the little glass bits intact in the window frame until you gently remove them with gloved hands. The bits then go where you want (generally) and not on your patient. I assume that keeping one in your car would let you punch out your own windows in case of emergency. Just remeber that it is key to use the device on the lower corner of a window or the glass can shatter and go everywhere.

-- J. James Bono

Auto Center Punch
$4
Available from Amazon

Just in time for Halloween. A trade secret from professional costume designers: throw out your sewing kit. The way to make quick and dirty costumes is to scrounge for old clothes, cut them up creatively with your scissors, and then instantly reassemble the pieces using a hot glue gun. No measuring, no patterns, no threads. The glued clothes hold up remarkably well. Since you can even wash them, it works for local theater shows. Now that you know the secret, you don't have to buy this book -- except if you want a whole bunch of cool recipes for recombining thrift-store bargains into pretty convincing period fashions.

-- KK

Instant Period Costumes
How to Make Classic Costumes from Cast-Off Clothing
Barb Rogers
2001, 87 pages
$16
Amazon

Sample excerpt:

A glue gun and glue are the most important tools you will need. With them, you will be able to place fabric where you want, embellish your garment without sewing and seal raw edges. A glue gun produces a versatile substance that dries quickly, is washable and is a great time-saver.

For making Restoration Women: I located three dresses, which when put together make a beautiful Restoration gown. I threw all three dresses in the washer with a a mixture of brown and red dye to get the unusual color. Because the gowns were made of different fabrics and had lace on them, I achieved several shades of the same color.

When I was 11, my dad got me a soldering iron for Hanukkah. After my seventh burn, I started wondering if I was being punished for something. Enter the ColdHeat Pro - I can now solder stuff without scorching myself. It's cordless, light, and heats up quickly. I love it.

-- Ian Lurie

ColdHeat Pro Soldering Iron
$30
Available from
ColdHeat

With three extra tips
$49
Think Geek

Manufactured by
ColdHeat

In my search for a dependable household sewing machine I considered used classic models, and new fancy computer-guided gadgets, but in the end bought this no-frills boring machine from Brother. It's a great buy. This model is very compact (almost tiny), lightweight, and reliable. It doesn't take up much room so we can leave it out, always "on." It performs basic sewing chores plus other fancy stitches we've never used. Its handy removable lower "free arm" makes hemming cuffs a breeze. Best of all, at $70 new from discounters, it was cheaper than well-used heavy-duty models for sale on eBay. (I avoid garage sale machines because of a string of lemons we had that always needed tweaking, and because they are usually bulky.) This one just goes and goes, and weighs only 15 pounds. If there is a thriftier bargain for basic sewing machine, I'd like to know about it.

-- KK

Brother LS-2125
$100
(previously $70)
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Brother
Brother

Anything with a global perspective wins extra points for me. This is the world's best book on the world's textiles. In a single volume you get a taste of all the varieties of weaving, dying and cloth-making on this planet, now and in the past. It's yummy, and stunning. The book is very intelligently designed, logically organized, and magnificently printed (full color). No how-to, but a whole library of inspiring patterns and traditional loomed, tied and knitted methods from all over the world in one portable tome. There's no single volume comparable to this book. Great source material for weavers, of course, but also artists, designers, craftsmen, and anyone who makes stuff. Here are what threads can be!

-- KK

World Textiles: A Visual Guide to Traditional Techniques
John Gillow and Bryan Sentance
1999, 240 pages
$22
Available from
Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Lace
Lace is a European invention, made by the poorest of women to adorn the clothing of the rich. Probably the most recent traditional textile-making technique to come into existence, it seems to have originated in Italy or Dalmatia (the coastal region of of the Former Yugoslavia) in the 15th century, but the technique and the fashion for its use spread rapidly to countries as far apart as England and Russia.

Women, from Uzbekistan, wearing ikat fabric known as abr or "cloud" cloth. On their laps are the tied bundles of threads for abr after dying, which they will unravel.

Nozzle caps, or nozzle socks, are great for tubes of caulking and glue bottles. They have a humorous look, but they do work better than the traditional nail or wooden plug. I've used them to store latex caulk, silicone caulk, and a marine adhesive called Sikaflex. For capping silicone caulk, Lee Valley suggests to leave a small gap at the tip, which fills with a little of the caulk to form a plug. This doesn't stick to the nozzle caps. So far they have kept everything fresh.

-- Kevin Hart

Nozzle condoms also go over anything else with precious fluids you like to keep wet: markers and color pens, for instance.

-- KK

Nozzle Caps
$5/35 caps
Available from
Amazon

Manufactured by
Little Red Cap

You can't learn how to make friction fire by reading a book. Nor can you learn how to knap a stone edge from diagrams on a page. But you can learn what there is to learn. These two remarkable books collect what is known about primitive tool making skills. Both are compendiums of a research-intensive newsletter published by the Society of Primitive Technology. The depth of their investigations and re-discoveries are extraordinary. Using a recursive chain of simpler tools making the more complex, modern enthusiasts can create artifacts of astounding complexity and beauty entirely by hand. These hefty tomes collect recipes for stone-tool-made compound bows, razor sharp knives, bark canteens, pump drills and reed boats. I get more than survival skills from them; they are the first lessons in material hacking.

-- KK

Primitive Technology: A book of Earth Skills
Edited by David Wescott
1999, 248 pages
$24
Available from Amazon

Primitive Technology II: Ancestral Skills
Edited by David Westcott
2001, 248 pages
$17
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Fire By Friction Anywhere
Making fire by friction is a deceptively easy process once the principles are understood and the technique well practiced. It's a trip to watch a master walk over to a bush, snap off a twig and begin rubbing it on a log until smoke begins to rise from the resulting trough. Or a straight twig is cut, roughly straightened, and spun between the palms, while resting on a softwood hearth to create that magic spark. Or better yet, splitting a section of bamboo, scraping off the lacquered layer to be used as tinder, creating a notch with a slice of rock, and then rubbing the notch along the edge of the bamboo until the tinder ignites.

Pitch [glue] sticks ready for just about any job.

This is the magazine for us -- the enthusiasts of the world. For smart users and amateur technologists. For basement tinkerers, garage hackers, tabletop experimenters, and backyard do-it-yourselfers. Empowered hands-on fans is where it is at, and that is where Make is. It's not about picnic benches made from 2x4s, but aerial kite photography, and homemade mag stripe readers. And thankfully it's not about things that look cool or hip, but things that look dorky and are amazing. Published by O'Reilly the tech book publisher, Make is a fat quarterly in cheerful full color, stuffed with step-by-step instructions, overviews, hints and cool tool reviews. Based on the premier issue, it promises to be an unforgettable ride.

-- KK

Make
Technology on your time
Edited by Mark Frauenfelder
$35/4 issues per year
One click subscription available from Amazon

Single copies (within the first 30 days of publication) are $10 from Amazon

Make

Because Lego blocks are machined to extremely high tolerances, you can use them for quick, cheap but very accurate jigs, perfect for gluing, squaring, molding, etc. Here is an example of how Jef Raskin, who taught me the trick, used them. (Sadly Jef died of cancer last week). He built up the exact jig positions by stacking bricks of various thicknesses. In the case shown below he built up a jig to square up wings on his radio control model airplanes. All you need is the large Lego baseplate glued to a heavy duty flat foundation.

-- KK

(Jef Raskin was the leader of the original Macintosh computer team, also a fabulous connoisseur of exotic musical instruments, a pioneer of radio control planes, and he had an amazing workshop. His site is still up and very useful.)

The largest Lego Baseplate is Gray, 15 inches (38 cm) square.
$13
Available from Hobbytron

Or $15 from Amazon

This book is a classic. It is a relatively small instructional book on knitting. It is wonderful because it teaches one how to construct good looking garments without the use of knitting patterns. Her hallmark is a seamless pullover sweater. This book not only delivers quality knitting instruction - it is a great read!

-- Mary Cavanaugh

This is not so much a how-to-knit book, though it excels as that, as much as it is a glorious how-to-enjoy, and how to live while knitting book, penned by a remarkable woman who found happiness at the end of her yarns. This short but famous primer is a good place to start knitting for life. I doubt I personally will suddenly pick up needles -- although my teenage kids and all their friends have -- but nonetheless I did read every page of her instructions with great pleasure.

-- KK

Knitting Without Tears
Basic Techniques and Easy-to-Follow Directions for Garments to Fit All Sizes
By Elizabeth Zimmerman
1995, 120 pages
$12
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

If you are a habitually tight knitter, try to kick the habit. Loose knitting tends to make your stitches look somewhat uneven, but what of it? Are you trying to reproduce a boughten machine-made sweater? Besides, it is surprising what blocking and a few washings will do to uneven knitting.

I used to think that people in the Olden Days were marvelously even knitters, because all really ancient sweaters are so smooth and regular. Now I realize that they probably knitted just as I do, rather erratically, and that it is Time, the Great Leveller, which has wrought the change - Time and many washings.

*

The human being is so constructed that it can be completely covered by a series of shaped tubes. Tailors and dressmakers succeed excellently and skillfully in making tubes out of flat woven material; their achievements are nothing short of marvelous. But we, the humble knitters, can fabricate natural-born tubes by the very nature of our craft of circular knitting. With the techniques of increasing and decreasing at our command, we can shape or even bend the tubes as we will, without seams, gussets, or darts. It is then only a matter of uniting the various tubes by knitting them together, or sometimes weaving them together, and we could, if he desired them, make long-johns for a octopus.

*

For a small baby, take 4 ounces of baby wool, work at any GAUGE you feel like, and see what happens. Babies vary so much in size, and grow so fast, that the jacket will be gratefully worn at some period during the first year.

*

Caps are quickly made, and invaluable for using up scraps of wool for color patterns and stripes. They are excellent bazaar material, as people will pay more for them than for mittens, and they are quicker and more fun to make. (For me the great drawback to knitting mittens is that, having created one, you have to turn around and copy it exactly, for a pair.)

*

Knitting can be solace, inspiration, adventure. It is manual and mental therapy. It keeps us warm, as well as those we like and love. It has existed almost as long as the soft sheep, and in giving us wool they deprive themselves of no more than an uncomfortably warm fur coat in the heat of summer.

One of the world's oldest tools, but one that is often overlooked. This is a heavy-duty needle with its eye at the working end, mounted in a handle. For mending leather, shoes, bags, sewing canvas, or stitching heavy materials, there's no better tool. I don't use mine often, but it has a place in the essential toolbox. Your local Ace Hardware sells a kit with tool, extra needles, and waxed thread.

-- KK

The Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl Kit
$15
Stewart Mfg. Co.
PO Box 643
Northboro, MA 01532
Available from Defender, among others.

Also from Amazon

It boasts a small but significant detail. When you need to change blades -- a fairly frequent exercise when cutting cardboard, matts, plastic parts, etc. -- most exacto knives require you to use your finger tips to unscrew an often-stuck collar at the top hugging the exposed razor itself. A slip can be severe. This one moves the unscrewing collar to the other end of the stick -- way way safer. And it has a nice grippy feel, cap, and roll stopper. Thank you, considerate knife. [Suggested by Jef Raskin]

-- KK

Testors Hobby Knife
#50627C
$4
Available from Amazon

Also from Tower Hobbies

I wouldn't want to run a home without this small sewing and knitting gauge (approx. 6 inches long, metal with a movable plastic marking guide) Helpful for all household projects which require consistent simple measuring and marking. Used for craft projects, or just to help children learn how to measure equal distances when they want to do some kind of art project requiring parallel lines. The small size makes the gauge convenient to cart along for measuring/adjusting/adding lines of sequins, or decorations to costumes. Most families need to hem things (blue jeans, curtains, skirts, costumes) and the gauge is PERFECT for this use. This is as basic a tool in my home as scissors or a ruler. Can be purchased in any sewing store or the sewing department of a discount store.

-- Jane Seitz

Sew and Knit Gauge
Item #DT01716H $0.85
Nasco Online Products
800-558-9595

You would think that natural dyed, hand spun, hand-woven carpets from villages in the Mid-East and Asia have disappeared with the caravans, but you'd be wrong. Like the revival of other gourmet goods around the world, traditionally made carpets are in a renaissance. Some experts feel that these contemporary wool carpets exceed the quality of the classic old ones, which command classic antique prices (hundreds of thousands of dollars). At the moment, the new, better ones are far more affordable (and yes, this book deals with the issue of child labor). Fueling the revival of these traditional ways are improved methods of natural dying, and a better market mechanism. You can order some carpets directly on the internet, which passes more money to the weavers. A good hand-woven carpet can last many generations and be used every day. This is art you use -- you touch, sit and walk on it. For an overview of the rejuvenation of this wonderfully gorgeous yet utilitarian craft go to this book. It's the best guide on where they are weaving, what they are making, and where to get them.
--KK

Oriental Rugs Today
Emmett Eiland
2000, 199 pages
$13
Amazon

Hippies got one thing right: Tie dye clothes make people happy. As a group project, for family reunions, or summer camp, a massive tie dye happening is a real blast. The process of dying is simple enough for toddlers to do, yet potentially sophisticated enough that a real adult artist can be challenged. For general instructions and for examples of patterns to tie, I found this guide, though simple, to be useful to most dyers.

-- KK

Tie-Dye!
Virginia Gleser
1999, 95 pages
$11
Book Publishing Company
Summertown, TN
Amazon

Stewart Brand writes in response to my review of Klutz Book of Knots:

Knots are such fundamental tools, and matching the right job with the right knot is so often essential, the important next step from the Klutz Book is the equally lucid and fairly comprehensive MORROW GUIDE TO KNOTS. Last week my wife Ryan gave a glad cry at the clarity in the book when she wanted to see a couple ways to tie a clove hitch, and learned that it's easy to put a slip in a clove hitch for quick release.

-- KK

Morrow Guide to Knots
1982, 255 pages
$11
Available from Amazon

You can triumph in 99% of life's challenges knowing how to tie 6 basic knots -- which is probably 4 more knots than you currently know. The thing about knots is that a few will do if you really own them. Forget about those 300 ingenious knots sailors use, and for now master the few versatile ties taught in this cleverly engineered book. I own most of the knot books, and this is the best one for learning the ropes. It's for klutzes.

Volunteer to teach a boy/girl scout troop using this book; you'll learn fast.

-- KK

John Cassidy
1985, 24 pages
$11
Amazon