Have you ever ended up ripping open a wall because you just couldn’t get the fish tape to the right place? You tried again and again, guessing where the damn tape leader was by sound and feel, but just couldn’t direct it where you needed it to go. B.E.S. Manufacturing aims to stop this insanity with the Magnafish.
Pulling wire, whether it be for speakers, cable, or network, can be a pain in the ass — any tool that makes this job quicker and easier deserves a look. Labor Saving Devices designed the Base-Boar-Zit to drill a hole through the baseboard below the carpet line. The hole then curves upward into the center of the floor plate and into the wall cavity to provide an invisible and professional installation. (more…)
Fluke markets its LVD1 as a non-contact voltage detector (”volt sniffer”), but I’ve found that the bright LED at the end makes a perfectly competent flashlight, too. The LVD1’s voltage-sensor indicator light glows when the unit is close to an AC field, as you’ll see after the jump.
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Portable generators rule, but in some situations they aren’t the ideal power source. For example, you can’t use your noisy, messy, and fume-spewing gas generator indoors. That’s when you need a battery-powered solution like Xantrex’s XPower Powerpack 1500.
This year, Amazon Santa dropped a Gardner Bender SE-94 automatic wire stripper in my stocking. The SE-94’s jaws automatically adjust to strip 10 to 26 gauge wire. One set of jaws grips and cuts the wire while the other set pulls back the insulation — all with one squeeze. I’ve enjoyed it so much, I spent the last 36 hours looking for wire to strip.
Garnder Bender also included an integrated blade-and-anvil type wirecutter as well as a set of crimpers. If you want a really nice, super useful tool, cash in those gift cards and get yourself one of these for about $14.
Automatic Wire Stripper [Gardner Bender]
Street Price [Google Products]
Via Amazon
My dad’s “everyday tool” was a pocket knife he carried since Boy Scouts — until he surrendered it to the TSA on a recent airline trip. Personally, my “everyday tool” is a pair of electrician’s snips. I grew quite fond of them while doing telecom equipment installation, and I still use them for everything. They’re sharp, durable, and I can’t seem to keep enough of them around.
I think with that $5 off $5 coupon at Sears, it might be time to pick up a spare pair — or three.
Electrician’s Scissors [Google Products]
Via Amazon
Klein Electrician’s Scissors [Sears]
Velcro self-gripping straps are a great alternative to cable ties, especially when you’re dealing with delicate materials such as AV wires. They’re strong, lightweight, reusable, and available in several different colors and sizes.
Last month Stanley Proto introduced a new line of electricians’ tools — over 350 different products insulated against up to 1,000 volts. The line is broken down into two “series:” the VE series which Proto says “are designed for Craftsmen who install and maintain standard electrical equipment and wiring, such as that found in buildings” and the VSE series, which “are for use around the highest live voltages, such as those found in electrical power plants.”
Sorry for the grainy photograph, but I actually saw this at a buddy’s house and snapped a pic to share. The extension cord went behind that wall to the boiler room where he has his network devices — router, Vonage VOIP box, etc. – installed and wired out to the rest of the house.
He said he used what he had on hand — an extension cord and hole saw. I’m hoping seeing it on Toolmonger will shame him to remedy this. Feel free to help shame him in comments by, say, explaining why this is prohibited by code.
Here’s an automatic power switch with a twist: Toolmonger has covered a number of such products before, and they all work by turning accessories (monitor and speakers, dust collection vacuum, etc) on and off when the device plugged into the main outlet (computer, saw) is turned on or off. The WattStopper uses a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor to tell when you’re in the area, and turns things off when you’ve been gone for a while. It’s a different approach that seems well suited to soldering irons and other tools that’re easily forgotten about but might be dangerous if left unattended.
Here’s the great part: The model pictured is discontinued, and WeirdStuff has ‘em for ten bucks, which is somewhere between a third and a tenth of normal retail. (Shipping starts around $9.) I’m getting one to plug my soldering station into, though I might press it into service as a trick-or-treater detector first.
WattStopper Legrand makes all sort of PIR-based occupancy sensors and lighting control products, and their site is thick with technical info. If building automation interests you, it’s worth stopping in for a read.
WattStopper Legrand [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Other WattStopper Products [Google Products]
WattStopper Isole IDP-1000 [WeirdStuff]
It’s a good idea to keep dangerous power tools and appliances out of the hands of people who don’t know how to use them correctly, but who wants to keep everything in a tool crib like your shop teacher did? The Stopower cap offers a better solution, firmly locking onto any 115V American-style two- or three- pronged plug, requiring removal (with a key) before you can plug the attached tool into an outlet.
Sears is offering a deal right now on this Craftsman digital multimeter with auto-ranging and non-contact voltage detector. It’s listed at $40 but when you add it to your shopping cart the price drops to $25, a handsome $15 savings. Besides auto-ranging, the multimeter features non-contact voltage measurement from 100 to 600 VAC, AC/DC voltage measurement with a 0.5% accuracy, resistance measurement, diode and continuity testing, and a back-lit LCD screen. It also comes with test stand, rubber holster and test leads.
82314 Digital Multimeter [Sears]
Although it’s primarily popular among electricians, Greenlee’s Slug-Buster punch works beautifully for cutting a perfect hole in sheet metal while exerting minimal effort — something almost anyone will end up needing to do at one time or another. And at around $30 for a basic set, there’s really no excuse not to own one.
With a max AC output of 7,000 watts delivered via 120V and 240V twist-locking receptacles, this generator is clearly targeted at the jobsite. But I can’t count the number of times I wish I had one of these at home. Long-term power outages suck.
Gardner Bender’s Circuit Alert wire strippers help you avoid shocking situations by sensing and alerting you to active voltage before you strip. Just slide the switch to “on,” and as you move the sensor’s handle toward a circuit, the strippers beep and flash if it’s live.
You probably already know about the benefits of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) plugs, and you likely have them installed in most of the locations where you use your powertools – your workshop, garage, and outdoor receptacles. But what if you’re stuck with a non-GFCI on the jobsite? That’s when you need a portable GFCI cable, like this one from Coleman Cable.
The Secure-A-Cord works similarly to the YellowJacket adapter in that it folds your cords back on themselves to relieve tension. But it offers two inherent benefits over the ‘jacket: first, the plug remains exposed so you can disconnect it quickly if the need arises. Second, the plastic will withstand tough pulls, but is designed to break before yanking the outlet from the wall. Oh yeah, it’s also a lot cheaper at around $4.
If you’ve already replaced the worn-out receptacles in your shop but still have trouble with plugs pulling out, these might be worth a look.
Secure-A-Cord [Angel-GUARD]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
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