You have all seen the new generation of pliers that seem to have automatically adjusting jaws. What do they do, and do they really work?If you look at how a pair of regular pliers grab a nut or bolt, you will see that the jaws are not parallel and hence do not grab both sides of the nut evenly. ...
Harry caught our cameras in a renovation centre and asked the simple question: "How many pneumatic tools can I run off of a single compressor at the same time?"Technically the answer is simple, in reality much more complex.Every compressor has a rating on it stating that it can give a constant ma...
Scissors have the flat side where they two blades rub, then a cutting bevel followed by a relief bevel. So how do you sharpen them? Get the flat side flatStart by using a stone to remove any nicks that stick past the flat side. Just put the stone on the flat and grind until the entire side is ...
How can you be sure your level is level or your square is square? Flip the levelPlace the level on any table. It doesn't even need to be a level table. Take a close look at where the bubble comes to rest. It does not need to be in the middle, just note where it really lands. Then rotate the le...
Reg Ellis, a student from the Woodworking Centre of Ontario, rightly took me to task for being a bit sloppy when I talked about saw tooth configrations in a recent Deck article. Then it occured to us at Home Builder that it might be a good idea to elaborate on saw teeth, given that most site wor...
One amazing note: in 2012 all four of the tools shown here are still available. The Makita will be a special order, but they still make it and I still love it.PICQUIC - the best multiple head storage & screw driver.Picquic has been around for a long time and besides a decent screwdriver and...
For the same task, Japanese saws are smaller, require less energy to make the cut, waste less wood, can trim 1/16 of an inch off the end of a board and keep their sharpness longer because they are made of tempered steel. All of that is possible because the Japanese pull their saws and we push ou...
When you want to make a slot across a board, such as for socketing in a shelf, you need something to guide the router straight, and have that guide at a perfect 90 degrees to the edge of the shelf support.The easiest way to do this is to build a simple "T". To make sure the "T" is at 90 degrees,...
Ever tried to push warped deck boards into place so you can nail them down. It takes about three extra hands and a knee.Well there are various "board benders" on the market. The one in the graphic is called the Bow Wrench. Essentially they grip the joist and allow you to force the board, with ...
