I love torque wrenches, because they let me ensure that dangerous parts like lawnmower blades are properly tightened. But what if you didn't need the torque wrench (which are pretty damned pricey) at all? A company called Stress Indicators Inc. has invented SmartBolts, which feature a red dot in the
I was wandering around the Metropolitan Museum of Art when it occurred to me: nothing much has changed over the millennia. Before the mid-seventeenth century, steel was not common. Craftsmen had a choice between expensive tools made of blister steel and iron tools that were case hardened to get a
Last month we posted about what appeared to be a wondrous tool, the DOMOM Deburring Tool. We weren't the only ones to spot it/be suckered by it; following an extensive social media advertising campaign, DOMOM's product bought their way onto the radar of many, including a YouTube channel I've been
Two guys are on the roof removing bricks, and they need a quick way to get them down to the ground, where a third man is stacking and loading them. No problem: These guys should be on the same crew with the guy who figured out how to unload
Park employees at Yellowstone have an interesting system for clearing massive amounts of snow--in this case, seven feet's worth--from the roof of their structures. Here's what visitor Kerry Countryman observed taking place on the roof of the Canyon Village General Store: Shot by Kerry Countryman What's not shown,
If you have any kind of workshop, you undoubtedly have a collection of random nuts and bolts. It's incredibly satisfying when you can dip into the stash and locate the exact size you need to complete a project. The second most satisfying is when you bring a nut/bolt of unknown
Nissan's creatives have been busy. In addition to their crazy snowgoing Altima from Canada, they've turned an NV300 into a workshop on wheels. Conceived of as "a mobile workshop for creative woodworking professionals," Nissan produced the vehicle in collaboration with UK-based design/build firm Studio Hardie. The vehicle is kitted
I read a lot and I firmly believe that no matter how indispensable a YouTube video, a blog, or a magazine article can be, the long form of writing - a book - can both entertain and educate the way no other media can. Here is a short list of
I've been using the CAT Footwear Throttle Composite Toe Waterproof Work Boots I mentioned in the last footwear entry. I've had these for about a month and so far I like them. They're waterproof, comfortable, offer toe protection and are easy to get on and off. I paid $135. Here's
After detailing the final steps of the project of making a dresser, the anonymous author of Joiner and Cabinetmaker describes how cabinetmakers would use veneering and other techniques to set off the dresser to a different level of work. Such was the distinction between joiners work and cabinetmaking in the
Angle grinders are meant to be used at, well, an angle. That pesky lock nut that holds the blade on prevents you from grinding with the wheel flat against the workpiece, should your application require it. More importantly, the lock nut is time-consuming to remove/re-attach and requires you keep the
I think it is fair to say that most furniture is made of solid wood or sheet goods - the latter being plywood, melamine, or MDF, depending on budget and design considerations. As discussed in the last blog, cutting sheets goods accurately and with a clean, ready-to-glue edge isn't trivial,
So some jerk (not you, it's never you) accidentally cross-threaded a bolt, and now you're stuck trying to clean up said jerk's mess. If the bolt is removable and replaceable, no problem; but what about when you can't get it out of your part, and/or the store is closed? Enter
Now that woodworking is no longer regularly taught in schools, young people as a group have a distinct disadvantage compared to the youth of bygone eras when it comes to skills and equipment. (Yes, I know this doesn't apply to everyone. Many customers come to our showroom with their kids,
There should be a word for this in German: That particular joy you experience when, after suffering for a long time with the wrong tool for the job, you finally acquire the right tool for the job. It's even more satisfying when you didn't even know this wondrous right tool
Rather than cover the shop and homeowner tools that most of you already know, this time we're going to focus primarily on the unusual specialty tools you've probably never heard of.
Thirty years ago it was fairly common for students to have classes in some sort of craft in high school. Arts 'n' crafts for younger kids, and as kids got older, probably home ec for the girls and shop for the boys (and all three for the lucky minority). This
What kind of furniture will furniture makers make in the future? Before we can reasonably predict the future of furniture, we need to understand the goals and values of the furniture's makers. Is it to build something practical? Engage in creative expression? Work practically within time and money constraints? Are
Out here in the country I've worked alongside three guys in their 50s, 60s and 70s, and they all seem to have bad backs. Bending over to pick up dropped fasteners and tools turns into an excruciating slow-motion task for them. Doing manual labor to keep your farm or homestead
Two types of loud, percussive noises I often hear on the farm: Local gunfire, and trees cracking during a storm. After I moved in, a neighbor told me that "this is the shootingest neighborhood you'll ever live in," and he was right; everyone around here owns a rifle and apparently
Back when I visited Festool's factory in Germany (image below), I got to see workers assembling a variety of their power tools. At their workstations, the workers had these cool automatic screwdrivers hanging overhead. When they needed to drive a fastener, they grabbed the tool, brought it down to the
People rave about the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but few discuss the scaffolding used to get Michelangelo up there. Sometimes when you're creating something, whether it's a work of art or an object, you first have to make an absurd amount of supporting jigs, fixtures or
I've switched back to fountain pens. I used to use them all the time, stopped, but recently I went back to them. I think the reason might be that like using hand tools in the workshop, there is a feeling of a direct connection with what I am doing, and it's less
When you purchase an edge tool (plane, chisel, knife, carving tool, etc.), it will either have a "Factory Edge" or be described as "Sharp and ready to use." The idea of having a ready-to-use status is a comparatively new idea in tool marketing. Up until fairly recently - let's say
PVC and vinyl tubing are super-useful not just for their original plumbing or electrical applications, but for DIYers and ID students seeking to cobble things together with a relatively inexpensive, easily-workable material. One potential issue is how to get clean, square cuts on the end. For vinyl tubing we looked
I own pretty much every hand tool ever invented. Then again, I'm a tool collector. But the reality is that many amateur woodworkers who don't think of themselves as collector also amass a huge range of tools. It's because they need them! As amateurs, we do a wide range of
This week the National Inventors Hall of Fame announced the winners of the 2018 Collegiate Inventors Competition, which asks college students to demonstrate the future of innovation. We dig the competition because it focuses on actual, practical, real-world problem-solving objects. This year's Gold winner of Undergraduates came up with Rhino,
A lot of mechanical things are created by tightly fitting one part onto another. This works well, but when things go wrong with a car, mechanics have to remove a lot of these parts: Power steering pulleys, harmonic balancers, Pitman arms. In many instances these parts have never been separated
You can never have too many clamps, as the saying goes, and those of you who do a lot of glue-up work undoubtedly have some Bessey K-Body clamps, Jet clamps or pipe clamps lying around your shop. And there's no substitute for a good metal clamp. But let's say you're
Making a boat anchor is easy: Just buy a heavy cast-iron vise, neglect it for 27 years and boom, you've got a rusty piece metal that can serve no other function. Unless, that is, you're the Swiss tinkerer behind the My Mechanics Youtube channel. He acquired an old, rusted and
From the top: Paring Chisel, Ashley Iles Beveled Edge Bench Chisel, 2 more paring chisels, 2" Ashley Iles Bench Chisel, 2 Nishiki extra thin paring chisels, and a Registered Chisel. When a tool maker or seller talks about paring chisels, we don't mean chisels that can be used for paring:
Sometimes a person you have never met, and know only through a book, can have enormous influence on you. David R. Russell, the eminent tool collector and author of Antique Woodworking Tools, was such a person for me. I was saddened to hear that he passed away a few weeks
For many contemporary furniture makers, Instagram may serve the twin needs of inspiration and self-promotion. Whatever did the talented and ambitious do before #instafurniture, #interiordesign, #maker, #furnituregallery, and the like? I had occasion to mull over this topic at the current Metropolitan Museum exhibit, "Chippendale's Director: The Designs and Legacy
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.