Power tool insanity of the week *LINK*

wow!

Gary B. in Central NY

>that is crazy......I've used alot of air operated toggle clamps for specific purpose (face frame production clamps) but this one is indeed unique. Lets hope other good companies don't follow suit....we've got enough gizmos.......

Re: wow!

thomd

>Given the popularity of quick grip clamps because they allow the craftsman to tack with one hand while holding with the other, same advantage to the ever popular nail gun. I could see this tacking off, though it doesn't look too sturdy.

What's next?

Rob Brophy

>....a battery powered electric shovel? (The Dirt-mate!?! )

...automatic paint can opener? (the Can-tastic)

...remote control 9.6V robot eavestrough cleaner? (the Gutter-Rat?)

...electric screw sorter? (.....I got nuthin' polite)

If only they would invent 'time in a box' so I could play in the shop for an extra hour.

-sigh-

Rob

How about this ...

Bryan in Broad Ripple, IN

>Here's another B&D gem...a battery powered adjustable wrench. Gotta love the ingenuity ;)

You saw it too?

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.

>Laughed my head off when I saw that in a flyer...

DC

Slightly OT: battery-powered ratchet

Bill Houghton, cold mornings, Sebastopol, CA

>Years ago, Skil produced a rechargeable-battery-powered 3/8" drive ratchet, an attempt at copying air-powered ratchets commonly used by pro mechanics. My father got everyone one for Christmas. I found it awkward, since it didn't work much faster than just ratcheting (and a LOT slower than a speed wrench), and, when you got to final tightening, you had to do it by hand, but had to goose the trigger regularly so the motor could catch up to the ratchet. I put it away, and, when I retired this Fall and was cleaning up the shop, donated it to one of the thrift shops we use.

The companies like Skil and Black and Decker seem to have concluded that they need to produce new gadgets regularly to maintain market share - which, if true, is kinda sad. I guess we need those experiments to produce useful tools, but my impression is that the operations like Lee Valley, where the R&D folks appear, from the results, to be active tool users, have fewer misfires.

Heck...I'd buy the Gutter Rat!

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>

Don't dismiss this too fast.

woodburnbob

>Thanks for the great heads-up. I'll be talking to all the gift givers I know as quick as I can.

Tool-knowledge-challenged (i.e. dumb but well-intentioned) wives and children will be relieved to see something dad doesn't yet have in the shop, this early in the Christmas season. Let's hope there's an adequate stock near the checkout line.

Thinking a little ... it might be an easy modification to use one of these to create a one-handed, battery powered, toilet paper dispenser for those families without such modern conveniences.

You don't need a power tool for that

Bill Houghton, cold mornings, Sebastopol, CA

>all you need is either a two-year-old child or a cat. Either one let alone in the bathroom for 30 seconds, and if you're foolish enough to mount the toilet paper so it unrolls when rolled forward, will give you all the toilet paper you need, all over the floor.

Bill, who speaks from LOTS of experience

Re: Power tool insanity of the week

vlparisian

>I could actually use this (maybe). When making repairs on the "wet parts" or our hydraulic mud pumps I have to use four c clamps to simultaniously compress a 5" rubber seal that is fitted behind a stamped steel retainer that is secured with a huge spring clip. Once set up I have to tighten one after the other sequencially until the spring clip is forced into it's seat/groove. This gets a bit intense as I have to hold everything in alignment just so ( or chase a large spring clip across the room)before I can start the compression sequence. Just when I think I'm about to get it right I find that the handles on the c-clamps are interfering with each other and I have to move everything around until I have just enough clearance to resume tightening/compressing. The clamp pictured above doesn't have a handle to get in the way. :>)

I need to post a picture.

Re: Power tool insanity of the week

thomd

>It is fairly comon in factory settings to modify c clamps (assuming those things are still in use) to work with air ratchets. Or if one has air on tap use air, or the lack of it, to clamp stuff. So you may have thrown the electric wrench out a little too soon...

While I don't see very much of anything by B&D making it's way into my shop these days, I have to be humble and admit that several years worth of seeing Qucik Grip clamps on TV did nothing to make me beleive they were useful. Then I picked a pair up...

Why not make a jig?

Phil Joines Krum, Tx

>Something like a book or veneer press with 4 steel rods.

Looking for my round tuit...

vlparisian

>

here you go 

Dan Donaldson

>

Me too!

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>Now's where's the robotic "PowerSnake" drain cleaner...

I'll second that one!

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>That's why our TP sits high up on the towel rack. Sure is fun to watch the cat's though...

Re: Power tool insanity of the week

Tom MacGregor

>So, do you think Stanley could revive the handplane market if they started installing laser pointers on them?

Re: Power tool insanity of the week

ken

>Actually what comes to mind is a gyro stabilized version. Flatten first side of board. Flip over. Set plane on bench. Hold down the button on the tote. While still squeezing button, plane a perfectly coplanar surface on the second side of the board. :-)

Ken

Don't even THINK that thought!

Bill Houghton, cold mornings, Sebastopol, CA

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