From the editors of Tool Box Buzz, Home Construction Improvement and Concord Carpenter
Volume 121
Hey Guys,
Over the past several years, technology has been creeping into our tools trying to make them faster, safer, or to produce more consistent results. What's great about this is that the manufacturers are going out and talking to their users about common frustrations with the tool or the task it performs. They
then go about improving them.
For example, pictured above is the M-Tronic carburetor from my Stihl MS362 chainsaw (review below). Common frustrations with many saws (of all brands) were starting and tuning issues. M-Tronic
takes care of all of that. This saw doesn't have a choke, idle or high/low adjustments, it has wires and solenoids instead. It's just gas and go and the carb automatically adjusts for the conditions. It's fantastic.
Other examples are Makita's AWS system and Milwaukee's OneKey. Makita's AWS uses bluetooth to remotely turn on a dust extractor when the cordless tool is activated. when the tool stops, the vac turns off as well. On Thursday, Milwaukee's biggest, baddest cordless impact wrench hits the market. It has 1,400 ft/lbs of nut-busting torque. It also has the
OneKey software so that you can throttle all that power (in addition to many other features) instead of demolishing fasteners.
It's a heck of a time to be in construction. Tools are getting better at a record pace and we all benefit from it.
~ JEFF
todd fratzel
Building a Sliding Barn Door
Today it seems like every home décor magazine and Pinterest board is covered with sliding barn door ideas. Whether it’s a modern, industrial-style door or a more rustic, country design, or something in between, I am seeing more and more interest in this trend from clients.
Sliding barn
doors have becoming one of the latest trends in home design, and for good reason: barn doors can add space-saving benefits, aesthetic detail, and functionality to the interior of your home. Sliding barn doors create more space by eliminating the need to accommodate a traditional swinging door. And unlike pocket doors, you don’t have to figure out any tricky additional wall framing.
A number of readers have asked me over the years about how to remove stains from granite countertops. Granite (and other natural stones) are very porous. When a liquid gets onto these stones, they either bead up or soak in. If the sealer has failed, it soaked in and probably created a stain. Click the link below to learn how to remove stains from your stone counters.
There are some tools that just bring a smile to your face every time you use it and then there are other tools that feel almost primal when you use them. They stir something in your soul, they allow you to tame the wild. A chainsaw is one of those tools that does both. I’ve used smaller saws before but the Stihl MS362 is a whole other level in comparison. It can definitely tame
a whole lot of wild.
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