 |
If the Improved User Guide for Powerbuilt Digital Torque Adapter came in a box, it might be emblazoned with a colorful burst bearing that slogan.
I fear that most of you who have purchased one of these nifty products would agree that the user manual that came with it isn’t going to win any literary awards. Well, we’ve fixed that problem; at least we hope we have. If not, let us know!
A severe winter like the one we’re “enjoying” this year can be tough on sidewalks, walkways and driveways. Cracks and potholes from repeated freezing and thawing, gouges from snow shovels and discoloration from chemicals all wreak havoc on paved surfaces. You can save big bucks doing some of the simpler repairs yourself.
1. Pop ups or cracks in concrete – Wear safety glasses and work gloves for protection! Using a chisel or wide bladed screwdriver, chip out all the dirt and debris that has lodged into cracks, and vacuum until clean. Mix a good fast-bonding concrete mix with water, wet the hole or crack with water for good adhesion, and trowel in the cement mixture. Remove any excess filler and smooth everything out. Keep the surface slightly moist to speed the curing process. 48 hours of curing is required.
2. Cracks or holes in asphalt – Cracks should be enlarged to allow the patch to cover properly. Clean out the entire residue with a vacuum and patch using one of the commercially available asphalt patching compounds. These can be applied by means of a caulking gun if it’s in a tube form or by a putty knife if purchased in a can. When the crack has been covered completely, smooth out the compound. For holes in the asphalt, clean out all rocks or residue and vacuum. Using a trowel for thin board, fill the hole to about ½” above the surface and use any heavy board to tamp the filler down level with the surface.
3. Broken corners of concrete steps – Find two pieces of board that are large enough to cover the broken area on both sides. Using masking tape, tape these boards to the step making sure that they are level with the step top surface area and overlap completely at the corner. It may be necessary to place some sort of blocking against the boards so that they don’t move during the filler application. Fill the void with mixed concrete patch keeping in mind that the top must be smooth and level with the surface. Keep the surface slightly moist to speed the curing process. 48 hours of curing is required.
4. Broken Concrete Block – If the hole is large, it should be filled with newspaper to within 3/4″ of the surface. Mix your filler and place into the hole with a trowel making sure to smooth it level. If the hole is along the upper or bottom edge you will need to use a piece of board to form a cavity to hold the mixture in place until it has dried. Keep the surface slightly moist to speed the curing process. 48 hours of curing is required.
Is there any kind of love that’s wrong? OK, let me rephrase that. Is there any kind of love (that doesn’t break a law) that’s wrong?
I submit that there is not, and therefore, loving tools is perfectly acceptable. After all, we humans have used tools for so long that they’re as much a part of our existence as, say, clothes. No one thinks it odd when someone says “nice tie” or “real men wear pink”.
So is it wrong to pick up, say, a measuring tape, and have the feel and fit in one’s hand be so right, so perfect, that it’s as if your whole life leading up to that moment was not a series of random events, but part of some larger plan culminating in the moment you and said tape were united? Had you not turned that corner on that street at just the right time and caught a glimpse of that tape out of the corner of your eye as it hung in the hardware store window display, etc.
As Valentine’s Day is nigh, here is my confession: I love the Snap-on 16 Foot Tape Measure. The one we recently gave away to twelve lucky Toolsmith Direct Facebook fans and twitter followers. I wonder, what will Valentine’s Day be like for them? Will they have the courage to profess their new-found love? Are they willing to “Not be Right” like I obviously am…not?
Andy.
It’s Alchemy at its finest! Behold: a machine that magically turns gasoline into electricity! Only those with advanced degrees and well-developed derring-do should attempt to harness this incredible mystery! Mere mortals and faint-of-hearts should stand well clear!
Okay, so my imagination runs a little wild at the thought of firing up a portable generator. After all, I live in Southern California, and recent rains not withstanding, we don’t normally experience weather events that make having a back-up generator prudent. So for a myriad of mostly good reasons, I have never put together or started up a portable generator. I admit I was a bit intimidated by the very idea of mixing gas and electricity. Until I watched our very own Carl of “Ask Carl” assemble, explain and start-up one of our Snap-on portable gasoline generators. Turns out the secret of generators is…there is no secret. It’s pretty straightforward after all. Am I feeling a bit foolish? Or could it be a tinge of disappointment a la Dorothy and the Wizard?
Boy, am I surprised at the incredible response we’ve gotten to a recent Popular Mechanics article featuring the Powerbuilt Digital Torque Adapter! I know a whole lot of people read the magazine (including me), but I honestly had no idea just how appealing this product would be to gearheads, tool nuts and apparently to weary business travelers passing the time at airport newsstands.
To one and all I say “thanks” for making us a bit more…Popular. Now if we can just get in People Magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful Tools issue, I’ll die happy.
Andy
Just about every household tool set on the market includes a pair of pliers. Like many hand tools, the design and function of pliers hasn’t changed much over the millennia. Way, way, way back in the day, pliers were made of wood. In fact, ancient Greek art depicts the god Hephaestus using pliers in his forge. Apparently even a god can get a boo-boo by grabbing a hunk of superheated metal!
As the centuries rolled by, specialized styles and shapes evolved to meet the unique demands of a task. Think of the old west blacksmith who had to shoe horses all day long and how much the right pair of pliers helped him avoid a swift kick in the behind.
Over the past few decades, advances in metallurgy and ergonomics have led to refinements, but it’s likely our ancestors would instantly recognize and understand the function of a pair of modern pliers. Seems you can’t improve a whole lot on a classic.Oh
So if you find yourself confused about the right style of pliers to use for a project, get a grip on yourself and read this summary of the most common and useful pliers:
Slip Joint Pliers
By far the most common type of pliers and probably the most versatile too. You can use them to pull nails out of walls and boards, grip, yank andturn stubborn objects and even use them as a makeshift wrench for very small nuts and bolts. Though we don’t recommend it, pretty much everyone has use slip joint pliers as a makeshift hammer. “Slip joint” refers to a simple jaw positioning scheme, which allows you to adjust the jaws for a narrow or wider grip by opening the handles wide and slipping the jaw pivot post into a new position. Hard to explain, easy to figure out and pretty darn handy sometimes. There are a few different sizes available, with the 6 inch length by far the most common and suitable for just about everyone.
As with pretty much all types of pliers, the cheapest slip joint pliers have bare metal handles and loosey-goosey pivot joints. Not great but adequate for occasional household use. More expensive models offer heat-treated carbon, nickel or chrome vanadium steel, more comfortable and ergonomic handle designs and tighter joint tolerances.
Groove Joint Pliers
Groove Joint Pliers, A.K.A Tongue and Groove Pliers, have jaws that can be adjusted for a wide range of openings. Each “groove” represents a slightly wider span between jaws, from touching two or more inches apart. This feature, along with serrated jaw teeth, makes it handy for grabbing, holding and turning lots of different sizes and shapes, from round to hex any pretty much anything in between. These are popular pliers for plumbers and contractors and can come in pretty handy around the house too. Here’s a tip: if you want to loosen or tighten a showerhead, faucet or something else with a nice finish that you’d like to avoid scratching, first wrap the showerhead etc. with a rag, and then grip the rag with your groove joint pliers and turn. If you can’t get enough leverage to loosen it this way, then it’s time to employ a pipe wrench or strap wrench. Groove joint pliers come in sizes ranging from 8 inches to 18 inches or longer. The most versatile size that provides enough leverage for most household jobs would be 12 or 14 inch sizes.
Long Nose Pliers
Suitable for holding small objects, these pliers are widely used for electrical, electronic, jewelry and hobby tasks. The long narrow jaws with serrated teeth can fit into confined spaces and hold very small objects. Long nose pliers are available in lots of handle lengths, from a mini size 4 or 5 inch handle suitable for jewelry to long handle models with 11 or 12 inch handles that fishermen and women swear by for extracting hooks.
Diagonal Pliers
Probably the second most useful household pliers, diagonal pliers don’t grip, they cut. Which makes them indispensible for any kind of electrical project as they are great for cutting and stripping wires. They’re also perfect for snipping cable ties and bicycle brake and shifter cables. They’ll even cut thin sheet metal in a pinch. Sizes range from 4 inches to 8 inches, with a 6 or 7 inch size being about right for household tasks
Locking Pliers
Last but not least are the handy locking pliers. Locking pliers are designed to clamp firmly onto objects, with a built-in spring loaded locking device that holds the pliers jaws together until you unlock them. This makes them ideal for gripping and turning stubborn pipes and they can be pressed into service as a clamp as well. Clamping force can be adjusted via a thumbscrew which adds to the versatility of these pliers. Sizes range from 4 inches to 12 inches and curved or straight jaw styles are available as well. A 10 inch size would be a good choice for most tasks.
I like watching The Weather Channel. There, I admitted it. Not all the time, mind you, but our local news makes you wait 18 minutes into their 6:30 AM broadcast to give you any real weather info.
Here in Southern California the weather is blissfully dull most of the time, but this morning while tuned into my nerdy weather program, I couldn’t help but notice that many of you are experiencing some rather chilly conditions.
In fact, “Arctic” doesn’t seem like a strong enough descriptor. Well, I feel for you folks and hope you all weather the storms as safely and comfortably as possible. When all has finally thawed and it’s time for spring cleaning and repairs, I hope you’ll think of us, as we’ll be ready with the tools and equipment you need.
Warmly Yours,
Andy.
Welcome to the Toolsmithdirect.com blog, which we’re starting up just as the year is ending. A touch ironic, but also appropriate given how much we’ve grown in 2009. We opened our online store last May, and promptly sold a whopping $76.98 worth of tools that month!
Well, ya gotta start somewhere, right? Thanks to our customers, we’ve grown quite a bit since then. We added a few hundred products, launched our Facebook and Twitter pages and got our popular “Ask Carl” resource up and running.
In case you were wondering, there really is a Carl, and he really knows his stuff. He retired from the hand tool and contracting business about 8 years ago and started a cabinet-making business to keep him occupied and out of his wife’s hair. Then he sold that business and retired again.
All along he’s been researching and answering questions about hand tools, power tools, air compressors and the projects people use them for. It’s pretty rare to have such a knowledgeable resource available, and we’re proud to offer Carl’s services to anyone and everyone with a questions about tools.
2010 will be an exciting year for us as we plan to double our product selection and continue to enhance our website.
Meanwhile, Happy New Year and make the holiday a safe one for you and your families!
Andy.
