Finding the Center of Cylindrical Stock

There are lots of ways to find the center of a round piece of stock, but *most* of them are a bit of a kludge and involve a combo square and more than two hands.  There are a few other "center finders" out there on the market, but this one is the easiest and most foolproof I have tried.  You can get one from Rockler Woodworking here : J Square Center Finder

Circular Saws Righty or Lefty ?

Growing up a right hander on the East Coast, I only knew one type of circular saw (as I recall they were all called "Skil Saws" no matter who made the actual saw). Needless to say, I grew up using "sidewinder" saws, ( that is to say, saws where the motor was perpendicular to the blade as in the top most picture). I never really noticed it before, but the blades were always on the right. I have no idea what the intention was behind the right side placement of the blade, but I can only assume that it was to keep your left hand (holding the stock) out of the path of the blade. This is all well and good, but the problem is (of course) the blade guide is out of your line of site (being on the opposite side of the saw). Not that this ever troubled me, it just seemed like the way it was, and I was used to it. A few months ago, I was talking to a colleague who was also a carpenter type and he was bemoaning the lack of saws for Leftys. Since I had spent some time on the West Coast I was familiar with worm drive saws (e.g. the saw in the lower photo), which in the traditional configuration are more or less ambidextrous and I thought they might be the answer to his prayers. Which they probably would be excepting that the blade is on the left, which puts the guide out of sight of someone holding the saw with their left hand. A further search found a somewhat newer class of sidewinder saws with the blade on the left. So what is the story? Is it better to have the blade on the stock side (which you are likely holding with you left hand) or on the opposite side with an obstructed view of the blade guide. Personally I prefer sidewinder saws, they are lighter and are more easily one handed, which honestly makes them more versatile for re-modeling, worm drives may be better for from scratch framing, but that's not what I do. I would like to hear from some Lefty's, would you rather have a better line of sight or your hand out of the way? FWIW Bosch makes an intriguing worm drive saw that has the handle on the top for one handed operation (as opposed to the traditional rear handle pictured above)

Felo E-Pro Screwdriver Set Review

After getting tired of the flimsy Chinese computer screwdriver set I had been using which was slowly stripping itself and every screw in site, I broke down and purchased one of these Felo E-Pro screwdriver sets. While not directly intended for computer work, the set contains a sensible assortment of bits which work well enough on a PC. I have to say, these are hands down the highest quality tools I have ever used and they are worth the small fortune they cost. The tool box alone is a revelation in this day and age of cheap junk. I also end up doing a lot of electrical work around the house, and being insulated, these are perfect for that as well. I can recommend these with no reservations whatsoever. Also, for those of you in the Boston area, I can also recommend You-Do-It Electronics in Needham, MA. You-Do-It has nearly everything you need to fix anything electronic and an extremely knowledgeable staff. http://www.youdoitelectronics.com/ http://www.felo.de/en/index.html

Sensation / Bob Cat Push Lawn Mowers

In the 70's when I was a kid, I mowed a few lawns for spending money, rather than ruin the family riding mower, my Dad would take me to the local Lawnmower Shop where we could rent one of these Bob Cat push mowers. These mowers were practically indestructible, with a cast aluminum deck, steel wheels with bearings and B&S commercial motors. Everything was bomb proof on these units, even the grass catcher was simple and had a rugged steel frame. More... If you look closely you can see that the wheels had no height adjustment lever and had to be set with with a wrench. That last bit always struck me as unnecessarily and conspicuously milspec rugged, but whatever, it was simple. These mowers were very popular with the pro landscaping set for a long time and then they disappeared. Near as I can tell, this type/model of mower was originally put out by the Sensation company, and enjoyed considerable popularity and loyalty for many years. I am not sure if it came to Bob Cat by merger or license, but I guess Sensation changed hands a few times and was ultimately swallowed up by Lawn Boy (Started by Evinrude Outboards), which then got eaten by Toro (which had previously gobbled up Wheel Horse Tractors - a Division of AMC, yes, that AMC). So somewhere in this cluster#%$ of mergers, somebody killed this model. I wish they hadn't the world could use a simple durable mower.

Essential Tools Every Serious DIY Homeowner Should Have

Electrical Edition

1. A Non-Contact Voltage Tester Also called a "hot stick", these little units are indispensable and much handier than the old ones which had contact leads and a bulb which simply illuminated when the leads contacted voltage. First off, no leads means you don't have to have exposed wires to determine the presence of current. This one by Klein to the left is also self diagnostic and pretty much idiot proof. False positives (indicating current) are pretty common with these and can be annoying and they are no substitute for a meter when troubleshooting. But they are handy as all get out.

2. A GOOD Quality Electrician's Tool. Like a lot of people, I had always used a cheap dime store version of these and cutting wires you wanted to strip and not cutting through wires I wanted to cut was a common occurrence. I can vouch for the Klein model pictured, it is the perfect size and strip wires perfectly EVERY time. It's a very high quality piece of kit and worth what I paid for it ten times over.

3. Most Importantly A Good Guide and an Electrician's Phone Number The book below has been a tremendous help to me and I reccomend it. It's important to do things the right way (to code) so that the next person down the line understands what you did. Think of their safety as well as your own, yellow wire might have been on sale, but if it's not the correct color and size for the application, you are endangering yourself and others. When in doubt consult the code, if still in doubt, call a pro, it's not worth the risk.

Essential Tools Every Serious DIY Homeowner Should Have

1. Drywall Square/T-Square Though I originally bought this for a drywall job, it really is the handiest thing since handles. It's perfect for plywood or any other large stock. You will be surprised how often you reach for this. 2. Clamps, Clamps and More Clamps. If you generally work single handed like I do, you really need a good selection of clamps to serve as extra hands when needed. Here are a few of the common types, you might also want to opt for a corner clamp or pipe clamp too. Jorgenson Bar Clamp. I waited many moons before I got one of these, partly because they always seemed like a "nice to have" and partly because they are not cheap. They are worth it, believe me especially with today's dubious warped lumber. I used mine all the time during deck construction to hold warped boards straight while screwing down the board. Buy the longest one you can find. Quick Grip Bar Clamps This is another thing I waited too long to get because of cost. I use these most often to secure stock to the sawhorse or mitre saw, but the are invaluable wherever you need an extra set of hands. Traditional Wooden Screw Clamps & Metal C Clamps Stronger than quick clamps, these two are what you want when you need something to stay put. 3. Stair Gauges These little guys clamp onto your rafter square on the reach and rise measurements planned for your stair stringers. They are cheap and makes laying out stringers a snap ! Good thing they are cheap, because the are easy to loose (I am on my third set)

Stanley FUBAR

I got one of these the other day for a demo job @ our house and I have to say, this thing

rocks ! I hate demolition, but the FUBAR makes it go a lot faster. It absolutely slays

drywall. A quick whack with the hammer end to make a hole, and then you use the

toothed jaws like an old fashioned can opener, very quick and no worries about wires

like a sawzall (Which is of course indispensable).