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There are always holdouts when “the next big thing” comes around. While having the latest iPhone is nice, your life probably won’t be significantly improved by the seemingly endless apps you now have access to. If you are a woodworker, you know better than anyone that the newest tools aren’t always the ones that work best, all the more reason to “hold out”. However, one company with a funny name is redefining the word “clamping block”, and holding out against it would be unwise.

Despite failing elementary school spelling class, the minds behind the BLOKKZ Universal Clamping Blocks are paving the way for a new kind of woodworking. Gone are the days when specialty clamps are the only way to carry out difficult joints. With the UCB5R20 on your side, you can use standard clamps to easily accomplish the following joints: miter, splice, wide angle, single miter, hold down, frame, rabbet, finger, single miter, and acute angles. With these BLOKKZ clamping blocks on your side, even scarf and finger joints won’t give you any grief.

This is where you are saying “what’s the catch” right? Well, the ripple effect can happen when you are using these clamping blocks. Fortunately, the solution is extremely simple; you can remove it from your work piece by steaming, or you can prevent it altogether by taping the included non-slip neoprene pads to the blocks. If your work area is overrun with specialty clamps that rarely do anything but gather dust, maybe it’s time to show them the door and introduce the UCB5R20 from BLOKKZ.

Large, unwanted tree limbs splayed across front yards and streets, taking power lines down to their grave with them. This grim scene was repeated over and over across all of Connecticut and the whole New England area. Our own Tools Plus Warehouse Operations Supervisor, Johnny, was among the over 800,000 homes and businesses left without power after Winter Storm Alfred dumped 8-12″ of snow. He couldn’t even get out of his driveway, due to all the fallen branches and tree limbs! One can only imagine the stream of obscenities that filled the air when he first saw this:

Luckily, Johnny had a Worx WG303 16″ Corded Electric Chainsaw. After he unsheathed the saw from its (included) scabbard (which keeps the chain clean and dry), he went to work.

For a guy like Johnny, the WG303 is just what the doctor ordered. The chain automatically re-tensions and it won’t ever kick back.  ”To get started, it’s oil and go. From taking it out of the box to using it, it’s a matter of minutes.” He raved about how well the 16″ chainsaw worked. Despite weighing just 11 lbs, “it has surprising power, and can handle…I cut 10 inch limbs man.”

“I thought I would use this for cleanup work…but it was strong enough to do the whole job.” While using the phrase “cuts like a hot knife through butter” has turned into a cliche due to overuse, that describes to a T the ease of operation Johnny had with the Worx WG303 16″ Chainsaw.

Suggestions to Ease You into the Fall and Winter Months

What did you do for Labor Day? I went out to this new Mexican Restaurant that opened up down the street. Not a chain restaurant, but a real Mexican restaurant with a great atmosphere. After that, I went with my significant other to a movie of her choice. Maybe you enjoyed a good barbeque with your family in the backyard during the holiday. Maybe you packed up the essentials, hitched on the camper, and went camping in your home away from home. Whatever you did, I’m sure it was a just what you needed to relax and enjoy yourself.

However, as everyone knows, with the passing of Labor Day comes the beginning of fall. That means the kids are going back to school, the leaves are falling off your trees, and you can start to feel the air getting colder. Let’s be honest, short sleeve shirts and sandals no longer feel as comfortable as they did in July. Pretty soon we’re going to be burying those flip flops in the back of the closest, next to those slippers you bought but never wore. It’s those long sleeves, hoodies, and thermal jackets that you’ll be looking for now. You can shop for various fall/winter clothing from different brands, but many of them aren’t worth the money they cost. Yea, they may look nice but they probably won’t last you for the next fall/winter season.

So what now? Well I have few suggestions. You could look into Carhartt clothing. I’ve never seen a bigger smile on my co-worker’s face than when he swapped his regular socks for some Carhartt Cold Weather Boot Socks. At boot height, they are: 62% hi-bulk acrylic, 20% stretch nylon, 17% worsted wool, and 1% Lycra spandex. These socks are even better than those hospital socks, and you get to take these home. Carhartt’s one of the sturdiest clothing brands sold today. Its apparel is made for rough conditions, and hardworking individuals. We offer some of the best prices (in-store and online) on Carhartt apparel, and strongly recommend you checking them out.

Aside from Carhartt, another great addition to your fall/winter apparel is the Milwaukee Heated Jacket. Milwaukee Tools, recognized as one of the finest manufacturers of power tools, decided to take a stab at clothing.

Their result, the light and sleek M12 Heated Jacket. Heated how? Using the same M12 battery that powers Milwaukee’s cordless tools. Fully charged, the battery can keep you warm up to 6 hours. The jacket comes equipped with 3 independent heat settings so you can adjust appropriately as it gets closer to winter. The battery slips into a location at the hip of the jacket so that it isn’t annoying when you’re using it. The material of the jacket is water and wind-resistant, and stands up to the toughest conditions. It’s a great alternative to heavy winter jackets too.

The way I see it, you’re going to be combating the elements of Fall and Winter pretty soon. Think ahead. Everyone knows that the key to a good offense is a great defense.

Written By Joseph Scovill

Delta Machinery Rolls Out With Fall 2011 Promotions

For woodworkers and tool enthusiasts alike, nothing is better than hearing the word “Promotion”. The word lingers at the back of your mind until you have the chance to check out what all the hype is about. Industry leaders with years of experience in the market tend to know a thing or two about customer satisfaction, and DELTA is no different. On August 1^st, Delta Tools and Machinery introduced their Fall/Winter Promotion featuring some of their best in class machines equipped with up to $300 cash back via mail-in rebate, as well as other bonuses.

Products on the promotion include: Delta Table Saws, Jointers, Stock Feeders, Mortisers, Planers, Dust Collectors, and Air Cleaners. All of these products are also backed by Delta’s famous Five Year Warranty. If you’re interested in what products include rebates, just visit our site where we offer a complete list of eligible Delta Machinery.

JET Tools / Kennedy Four Drawer Roller Cabinet: Durability on Wheels

JET offers their name on the Kennedy Four Drawer Roller Cabinet. This JET/Kennedy Roller Cabinet has a powder-coat finish that is resistant to corrosion, abrasions and worst of all, chipping. Mobile and tough; its top, bottom, and back panels are made of 18 gauge steel and are securely welded to the double-wall side panels; giving this roller cabinet a tight and concrete fit. Universal drawer slide system offers unmatchable flexibility of drawer configuration and drawer slide selection. These cabinet drawers are also made of 20 gauge steel, and have three member full ball-bearing slides, with four levels of ball bearings. This allows for effortless feather-light movement even when those drawers are at full capacity.

Afraid of theft? Tools are expensive, and the last thing you need is someone taking a five finger discount at your expense. Knowing this, Kennedy equipped this cabinet with a tamper proof, internal drawer locking system. That means no thief can reach your valuables with a bolt cutter or a hacksaw. JET and Kennedy didn’t rush this on the market either. Ongoing vibration, load impact, and other destructive testing were done to ensure that their product was built right. At a weight of 102 lbs, you can grab the Roller Cabinet by its steel handles, and roll it easily (with 5” casters) into your workshop. With Kennedy products you get American made quality and durability, and JET adds a 2 year warranty for that peace of mind.

Interested in this workshop essential? You can get this Jet/Kennedy Roller Cabinet for only $50, when you purchase any qualifying JET Metalworking Mill or Lathe. The Roller Cabinet is normally value at $700. If you’re the market for a Metalworking Mill or Lathe, grab this roller cabinet too and save. Offer ends October 31^st.

Powermatic Releases Limited Edition Onyx Series Machines

When you think of woodworking machinery, what brand comes to mind? For me, it’s Powermatic Tools. Powermatic has been around since 1921, and this year marks their 90^th anniversary of providing powerful machinery and excellent performance (also known as The Gold Standard). Powermatic’s 90 years in the business (and their increased market knowledge) has allowed them to improve their processes, build a strong bond with customers, and of course, develop superior machines that consistently dominate the market. In 1928, founder Leonard F. Smith introduced the industry’s first Titling Arbor Table Saw. Since then, Powermatic has grown to be a world class leader of industrial woodworking machinery with a 400,000 square foot facility in LaVergne, Tennessee.

In celebration of their 90 years in the business, Powermatic is releasing a line of Limited Edition Onyx Series Machines. Powermatic has chosen seven of their best-in-class machines to undergo a smooth transformation from the famous gold color scheme to a sleek black ONYX finish, adding style to anyone’s workshop collection. As an added value, each Onyx Series machine includes a 90 month warranty and a special bonus item. Check out the seven machines below, and visit our Powermatic Onyx Series section of our site for more information.

JET Tools Introduces Their Jet RED Assurance Service and Support

How many times have you called tech support on the back of your product manual, and gotten someone who is halfway around the world?  It’s frustrating, to say the least. Then you have to wait on hold as each support rep transfers you from extension to extension for about twenty minutes. After an hour of troubleshooting, they tell you that your (fill in the blank) is defective, and that you need to ship it back to the manufacturer so they can send you a replacement. Most of this process is normal for small products like music players and laptops, but not for large machinery like table saws and milling machines. Often the bigger you get, the more hassle it is to get your defective product replaced. However, you won’t have that problem with JET Tools.

Recently, JET introduced its RED Assurance Service and Support (which stands for: Reliability, Expertise, and Dependability). It provides their U.S customers with homegrown technical service and support on every product that they develop. If a JET tool needs service or repair, one of their 750 authorized service centers located in all 50 states can assist the customer. You don’t have to worry about shoddy repair work either, because all service centers are required to be annually re-certified through JET.

When you call U.S Tech Support, someone will pick up the phone right in Nashville, Tennessee. With over 50 years of experience and expertise, these technicians can help you locate the problem and devise a solution. Need a part you can install yourself? Jet has made over 40,000 parts readily available for shipment within 48 hours of your phone call.

Someone might say, “Well, what about discontinued products?”  Large companies are notorious for stiffing you on out-dated products, but not JET. JET supports products up to 8 years after discontinuance. Online, JET provides you with a service center locator. Just type in your zip code, select the radius (in miles) around your town or city, and click Locate. If you want more advanced search results, you can also choose a product category and the service capabilities that go along with it. They’ve made it that easy. JET prides itself on its 9 out of 10 customer rated technical support and customer service. For half a century, JET has been a top supplier of Woodworking, Metalworking, and Material Handling products. When you see the JET RED Assurance stamp, you can rest assured that behind every product comes decades of reliability, expertise, and dependability.

Written By Joseph Scovill

Tips on Maintaining Your Lawn

If you read my last blog post, you learned some of the benefits to maintaining your yard such as increased home value, lower air conditioning bills, and better water quality. I suggested the Worx WG500 TriVac as a great tool to get your lawn and garden maintenance on the right track. However, all that leaves you with is some good info and possibly a TriVac. So I decided to write a Part 2 in honor of this daunting seasonal task that you may or may not enjoy. I’m going to share with you several tips on some best practices when it comes to maintaining your lawn in particular.

The reality is everyone mows their lawn (well, almost everyone) and many of you may get frustrated when your grass starts to turn brown, or will only grows in patches. It’s at this time when you do one or all of these three things: scratch your head, kick your ineffective sprinkler, or Google a solution. When Googling a solution there is no guarantee that the information you find is going to be accurate, and you have to always keep that in mind. Unfortunately nowadays, everybody and anybody can publish content to the internet. But enough with back story, let’s get right to the tips, shall we?

Tip #1: Don’t leave your sprinkler on all day. Just like you can drown a flower, you can drown your lawn. Many experts agree that an inch of water once a week is about right for most lawns. I can’t tell you how many people I know personally who leave their sprinklers on all day. It’s an easy mistake, but a very costly one. Keep in mind though that an inch of water isn’t a global rule, the amount of water you need also depends on the climate, soil composition, and season. For the majority however, the best way to determine your lawn’s watering cycle is by placing containers on the lawn. Time it! Once they fill up with an inch of water you’ll know how long it takes to water your lawn with the sprinkler system you have.

Tip #2: Don’t cut your grass as short as possible. I know what you’re thinking. The shorter I cut it, the longer it’ll take to grow back which means I won’t have to cut it as much. However, that’s the wrong way to look at it. Longer grass prevents many weeds from growing up through the lawn, which in the long run really saves you more time. Who likes to pull weeds, or take chances on what weed killers actually work?

Tip #3: Only cut a 1/3 off your lawn. Just like any other plants or trees, you can’t cut too much off it or it will wither and possibly die. It’s the act of regeneration. Cutting more than a 1/3 off of your lawn’s grass shocks it and causes it to turn yellow or brown.

Tip #4: Don’t remove lawn clippings. This isn’t a requirement, but it does allow you to use less fertilizer which in turn saves you money. Lawn clippings are organic materials that can decompose and become fertilizer themselves. Lawn clippings will not cause thatch, but if you have thatch you should remove the lawn clippings until the problem is solved. Aerating your lawn prevents thatch which is Tip #5.

Tip #5: Always aerate your lawn. By always I mean make it part of your routine once a year. Aerating is simply poking holes into the lawn’s soil. This pulls out little round pieces of soil called plugs. Aerating is a form of “turning your lawn”. It allows deeper root growth and reduces soil compaction. Aerating allows air, water, and several nutrients direct access to your lawn’s root system. Plugs created by aerating hold water which allows hard soil to moisten, and clay soil to expand.

These five tips alone should greatly improve your lawn if you aren’t practicing them already. Of course always keep in mind that climate, soil composition, and time of year will cause variance in your results. In that case, take these tips and adapt them best to your situation. Now you will probably need something to trim your lawn in hard to reach places that a mower won’t pick up. As I said before I love the products that Worx makes, especially their trimmers. So take a look into the Worx WG151.5 Cordless Lithium-Ion Grass Trimmer.

Worx abandoned the need for gas power, and made it lightweight and convenient with an 18V battery. No cords, no need to buy gas. A friend I work with has a gas powered trimmer, and hasn’t touched it in over a year since getting the WG151.5. The battery takes only a ½ hour to charge, and a rack comes with it so you can mount it on to the wall while you wait. The WG151.5 has an automatic single line feed system, which means you never have to tap your trimmer head to feed additional line. It’s unique pivoting head and ratchet mechanism tilts 90 degrees so it can easily fit in tight spaces or sloped landscapes. So if you’re looking for a way to start putting these tips in action, check out the Worx WG151.5.

Written By Joseph Scovill

Maintaining Your Yard Has a Big Payoff

You wake up to the sound of your alarm clock. You hit the off button as you roll slowly out of bed. Across the room on the wall you look at your Tools Plus calendar (just kidding) and you realize that it’s almost Memorial Day. A stinging realization hits you like a falling wasp’s nest onto your face. You open up your sun blocking bedroom curtains, and you peer outside into the morning light. What do you see?

Your once luscious lawn is now 3 feet high with overgrowth and much of it has faded to a not so flattering brown. You have two children who usually wake you up every morning, but you don’t hear them. You can only conclude that they are lost somewhere in your newly cultivated corn field. In the distance, your wife constructed a scarecrow to ward off crows and other birds that would otherwise colorfully decorate your heavy duty pickup truck. Next to the window are these gnarled masses of vegetation that you once called hedges, and it’s at this point that you wish today was Halloween instead.

Okay, so maybe your yard has never been this bad but you get the point. With Memorial Day marking the first holiday of the summer season, this means you might have family and friends over for some burgers and hot dogs. If you haven’t started yet, now is the perfect time to take care of the lawn you neglected during the late winter-early spring season. Why is maintenance of your yard or lawn so important? For several reasons of course, other than it’s therapeutic (I’m serious, ask anybody).

On a monetary scale, maintaining your yard can increase your home’s value by up to 15 percent. This may answer some questions of why so many people do everything in their power to create a beautiful yard and garden. Maintaining your lawn is also one of the cheapest ways of doing so too. Once you buy the equipment and supplies, it’s much easier from then on out each year.

Maintaining lawn also lowers the cost of air conditioning bills. Why? Because the moisture evaporates from grass leaves and helps keep air temperatures cooler, which greatly differs from the heat that is generated from paved surfaces. Another benefit of maintaining your lawn is that it improves water quality. Thick sod that’s produced by grass helps water soak into the ground. This greatly reduces water runoff that carries soil or other contaminants into waterways.

I know all about runoff too, when I was younger my family used to live in a hilly area where we had trouble getting grass to grow. When we had heavy rains, the runoff would cause the drains to clog up with soil from our yard and unpaved driveway. Houses that were further down the hill would end up with more soil in their lawns than they planned for. It’s not pretty, but it’s a reality.

So with all this information, where do you start? I’d look for high quality lawn and maintenance equipment with a great product life. I tend to go with Worx. Worx is a company that focuses primarily on yard maintenance.

Worx has the wonderful WG500 TriVac. It’s a blower, mulcher, and vacuum all in one design. The TriVac has an instant one-switch blower to vacuum conversion, and is single handed for easy use. At 8.3 pounds, I’ve noticed that the Worx TriVac weighs even less than a gallon of milk. This baby hits an airspeed over 210 mph, and is equipped with a 12 amp motor. The WG500 TriVac is able to produce enough suction to vacuum 14 gallons of dry leaves in less than a minute.

Keep reading the Tool Talker Blog, I’ll being posting more suggestions on what to use on your yard as well as tips on maintaining too.

Written By Joseph Scovill

Dust Collection Made Easier With Vortex Cone Dust Collectors

I know too many people who complain about the dust in their shops. Whether you’re still kicking it with a broom and dust pan or whether you moved on to a dust collector, it isn’t enough. Ever turned the light off in your shop, and turned on a flashlight? If you haven’t, you should give it a try. For most, you’ll notice just how many dust particles pass through the light while you stand there. The worst thing about it is that you have to breathe that dust in every time you’re inside your shop working on your latest project. For those of you who own a dust collector, changing the filter never really helps much. Many dust collectors have trouble separating the chips from the dust. This causes the filter to become clogged, so when you open it, all of its contents dump out and spread into the air, defeating the purpose of having a dust collector in the first place.

Then Jet released their line of Vortex Cone Dust Collectors. From the outside, they look the same as any other Jet Dust Collector but there is more to them than meets the eye. With this new line, Jet introduced their Vortex Cone Particle Separation Technology, the answer to every frustrated woodworker’s dream. This Particle Separation Technology increases the performance and efficiency of previous Jet Dust Collection models.

How? By preventing 98% of the wood chips from making it up to the filter chamber thus making manual cleaning easier and decreasing the likelihood of clogging. With this new technology, chips are better contained for increased packing density, which in turn requires fewer collection bag changes. The high air velocity (CFM) is able to stand up against any competitive specifications, and their collection bags have a snap ring for faster installation and removal. Most importantly, it makes it much easier to breathe, and when you turn on that flashlight you are going to see a lot less dust. The Vortex Cone Dust Collector line comes in 2 series, the DC1100VX series and the DC1200VX series. All DC1100VX and DC1200VX series models are backed by Jet’s 5-Year warranty.

Written By Joseph Scovill

Want to Learn More? Visit our Jet Dust Collection page.