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2003 National Hardware Show
The National Hardware Show always proves to be an exciting and information-packed event, and this year was no exception. What did we find out? Read on!
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A Few of This Year's Top Tool Innovations
Just when you thought you had the latest and greatest in tools -- there's more!
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A Hammer Can Last a Lifetime
There are a lot of us who are sentimental about our tools. It is for this reason that some folks will go to great lengths to repair a damaged tool.
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A New Way to Mix Concrete
We'd like to get your attention with this week's offering. It concerns a new tool that, oddly enough, also is big and round and goes by the name "Odjob."
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A Sharp Lawnmower Blade Makes a Difference
Recently, we wrote about the importance of keeping chisels, saw blades and drill bits as sharp as possible. The theme was "a well sharpened tool is a safer tool." One thing we might have emphasized more is how much better a well-sharpened tool works.
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A Tool Kit Assembled Especially for Mom
Not all tool kits are created equal. Moms and dads really differ when it come to tools. The biggest difference is that when it comes to mom's tool kit, less is more in many ways; Moms like simplicity.
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About Utility Knives
There are several tools used in just about all the construction trades.One is at the top of our list: the utility knife...
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All About Extension Cords
You might not be aware of it, but all extension cords are not created equal. Wire expands and contracts as electrical energy passes through it. When the draw on the wire is greater than what it is designed to carry, the wire is taxed. Over time, this might cause it to become brittle and result in a short that in turn could damage the sheathing and ultimately result in a fire.
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All about Hammers
The hammer is the universal tool. There are claw hammers, ball-peen hammers, mallets, tack hammers, framing hammers, finish hammers, sledgehammers, rigging axes and more. And most are available in an assortment of sizes.
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All About Ladders
We have always taken safety seriously in our remodeling business. In fact, we have a half-hour safety meeting every other Monday morning with our entire construction crew. We discuss everything from the safe use of tools to sensible lifting practices. In construction, the work is dangerous. Safety is a vital facet of self-preservation.
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All About Routers
Ever wonder about how the picture frame over your fireplace got its decorative sculpted design? Or about the curved edging on your cabinet door or the fluted detail on your bookcase or mantelpiece? Chances are that all were created with the use of a router.
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All About Saws
Having the right tool can make a job a whole lot easier. You wouldn't use a 28-ounce framing hammer with a corrugated head to do finish work, nor a 16-ounce finish hammer with a smooth head to frame. The same holds true with saws. The saw is one of the oldest tools in human history.
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An Easy-to-build Work Companion
With a small list of lumber and a few special connectors, you can build a workbench that will challenge most others for strength, durability and cost-effectiveness.
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Basic Hand Tools
If you are a first-time home buyer, there is an additional cost of ownership that you should consider a basic set of hand tools. Such a set of medium quality tools will cost about $150 and will reduce maintenance costs and come in handy for emergency repairs. Most laypersons tend to purchase undersized tools and tools of inferior quality. An inferior tool sometimes is worse than none at all.
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Choosing a Ladder
Never mount a ladder until you determine that it is sturdy and secure. There are three basic types of materials used to fabricate ladders: wood, metal and fiberglass. Each has pros and cons.
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Choosing the Right Screwdriver
Today, virtually every hand tool is available as a power tool. As they evolve they are becoming more powerful, lighter, quieter, safer and more affordable.
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Chucking the Key
If you have an electric drill, you know that it can be one of the most handy tools in your collection. And, if you've owned it for a long time it probably has a key-operated chuck.
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Drilling Holes
Which drill bit is the right choice for your job? Find out here!
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Electrical Tools
Always make certain that the power is really off before attempting to work on the electrical system in your home. One of the easiest means of determining if an outlet or wires to a light fixture are "hot" is to use a voltage tester.
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Finding Nifty Gadgets
As home-improvement enthusiasts, we always are in search of tools that can get a job done as quickly and easily as possible...
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Getting the Right Tool
Are you having a hard time finding the right tools? Read this article to find out which tools are best-suited for you!
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Getting Things Straight With Levels
Did you ever wonder how the ancients got things straight without surveyors equipment or a fancy steel or wood-frame level? Fact is, they did have levels. Not as we know them today, but levels nonetheless. The kind that was used to build the Pyramids is still being used by many folks in construction today.
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Gift Ideas for Dad
Father's Day is just around the corner, and although we have more tools and gadgets than we could use in a lifetime, we want more. Our philosophy is the more tools the better.
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Handy home improvement gifts for Dad
When it's time for a present for dad, consider going to your local home center or hardware store. You'll find an almost infinite supply of gifts that will satisfy any do-it-yourself dad.
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Hardware Show Goes Green
Cordless tools are getting more powerful, more ergonomic and more affordable. Not only that, they're getting green. Those were among the advances on display at this year's National Hardware Show.
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Holiday Gift Suggestions
Each year about this time we make our annual jaunt through hardware stores and home improvement centers in search of new and useful tools and devices that would make appreciated holiday gifts.
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How To Remove A Damaged Screw
Ever heard of a damaged screw remover? No? Read on!
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Ladder Selection and Safety
We recommend that you not be frugal when purchasing a ladder. Regard it as any other tool that you acquire. Spend a bit more up front for a better product and it will pay dividends in the long run in safety and lasting quality.
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Making Sawhorses
Our first gainful adult experience with construction was as ditch diggers and construction laborers. Although it was the bottom of the totem pole in the residential carpentry/construction trade, it was a good foundation and made us appreciate what is a demanding, yet integral piece of the construction puzzle.
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More of What's New from the National Hardware Convention
Of course we couldn't fit everything we found from the show into just one article!
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New Products from the National Hardware Show
The National Hardware Show is the premier annual event in the world for home-improvement professionals.
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Recharging Batteries for Cordless Tools
A bench grinder, vise, drill press, table saw and an assortment of shiny chrome power tools. All seemed to be extensions of dad's arms and hands. The wares turned out in his shop awed us. We realized the importance that good tools play in making a job simpler and more enjoyable.
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Repairing a Shovel Handle
Duct tape can be used to fix just about anything, including a garden tool handle. However, if a little too much pressure is applied, you could wind up flat on your back with half a handle in your hands.
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Screwdriver Tips
Here are some screwdriver tips... about your screwdrivers' tips!
Read on to find out what to do when your screwdriver tip is just too small for the job.
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Selecting a Proper Drill
In the "horse and buggy" days of home improvements, electric drills used by consumers were considered useful only for making small holes in soft wood. Forget metal. There simply wasn't enough torque.
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Selecting Circular Saws and Blades
When our contractor grandfather was building homes at the turn of the last century, 2 by 4s were a full two inches by four inches and the material was cut to size with a hand saw. Think what it would be like if a hand saw was the only means of cutting lumber when building a home today. It's hard to imagine a "construction world" without a portable electric circular saw.
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Selecting the Proper Hand Saw
When we were learning to become carpenters the first thing we discovered was we had to work harder than ever before. And, we had to learn about safety in a construction area.
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Something new: a different screwdriver
What makes this new style of screwdriver different is that it has been designed with eight points of contact, which is double that of either the Phillips or the square head. The Phillips has four points of contact within the screw head and the square head also has four points of contact within the screw head.
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Storing Tools Outdoors
Storage space is something that no one ever seems to have enough of. Extra clothing, books, toys, recreational equipment, luggage, holiday decorations, tools and garden equipment some of the things that fill up overwhelm the limited storage space in most homes.
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Taking Care of Knives
You're familiar with the saying, "a job worth doing is worth doing well." In home improvement, having the right tools has a great deal to do with doing a job right. While the way in which a tool is used has significant impact on the finished product, the quality and condition of the tool has equal bearing.
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Taking the Measure of Things
As apprentice carpenters we learned early on the importance of having at all times a measuring tape in our tool pouch or on our hip. You don't need to be a pro to feel lost without a measuring tool. Think of the times while out and about you wished that you had something with which to measure. What you might not know is that you had measuring tools at "hand."
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The Art of Sharpening Knives
A sharp knife can make a carving job easier and safer. We learned this from our dad. During his stint in World War II, he was a meat cutter in the Army.
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The Importance of Using the Right Sandpaper
Sandpaper probably is one of the most important tools you can have in your workshop. It can be used to refinish furniture, brighten old brass, smooth your wood project, remove rust...and more.
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The Latest and Greatest
Back at the National Hardware Show, the Carey Bros. share their favorite new and exciting products!
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The Lowdown on Levels
Time is money, and having the right tools...well-maintained...makes a job easier and safer.
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The Modern Snow Shovel
Shoveling is strenuous work that is repetitious and always performed under less than ideal conditions that can freeze the most healthy set of lungs after a few heavy breaths. First and foremost in cold weather, think safety.
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The Self-Leveling Pocket Laser Level
Wow! A tool that looks like a space ship, that turns like a lazy susan and uses laser technology. He told us that the machine costs more than $3,000 and that it has to be professionally calibrated several times a year at a cost of about $300 per adjustment. We decided that we would wait until they come out with a plastic model before we purchased our own. Well, it finally has happened.
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The Versatile Pressure Washer
A pressure washer is a machine that compresses air and then mixes it with water supplied from a garden hose. The result is water that comes out of a washing wand under very high pressure from 800 to 3000 psi (pounds per square inch).
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Tips on Renting Tools
Sure as the swallows make their annual return to San Juan Capistrano, we, along with tens of thousands of "tool-types" make our yearly trek to the National Hardware Show in Chicago. There we revel in the latest and greatest in nuts, bolts, gadgets, gizmos and power tools. "A couple of kids in a candy store" would describe us aptly.
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Tips on Tools
We recently discussed "the basic tool kit" with a guest on our weekly television segment. We talked about what to buy, but not how to buy. So, we'll do that now.
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Tools of the Trade
"Tricks of the trade." The cliche refers to the timesaving shortcuts that a seasoned tradesman develops over time. But skill is only part of the equation. Having the proper tool can help to make a task significantly easier and produce more professional results.
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Using a Pressure Washer
When we were teen-agers we worked part time at our father's car lot. We detailed the cars and did minor motor repairs. Given enough commercial strength detergent, it could clean most anything with its forceful spray and it shined like new. Unfortunately, steam cleaners in those days had a tendency to explode, and we thus were in constant fear of being burned, blinded or otherwise maimed.
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Vises
How are vises helpful? What do they do? Your questions answered here!
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Wrenches, With a Twist, and Pliers With a Grip
We were pleased when we opened the mail recently and discovered that someone had sent us a sample of a new ratchet-style box-wrench. We were a little disappointed, though, when we thought that the package only contained two wrenches, not a full set.
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