This week VCG shows us a pile of new tools, April Wilkerson teaches us to chainsaw and Nate hides Reese’s Pieces in his table saw. All of that and more in this week’s Power Tool Week In Review.
So you convinced your wife to get you those new tools for Christmas. It is now January 10th. How many projects have you done so far? That’s what I thought. But don’t feel bad, Steve Ramsey has an all-new solution that should get you into the shop. Steve is kicking off 2020 with an entirely new educational series called The Weekend Woodworker that aims to teach you to build unique creations with your own hands, even with limited tools, limited space and limited time. To promote the $147 series, he made the first project video and plans available for free on Youtube. The full series starts on January 15th. You can learn more at the weekend woodworker dot com.
After you use all those new tools to make something great, you’ll have to put them away. And some people REALLY seem to struggle with that concept. This week our buddy Martin has a clever storage solution from Perch Tools. Once again, Martin’s channel is in Spanish, so I’m struggling to get it all, but you don’t need to understand him, to understand the project. Martin builds a clever storage cabinet for storing finishes and a few boxes of abrasives, and then utilizes these clever tool mounts from Perch tools, that use the battery slot to suspend the tools upside down. Saving space, while making each tool easy to grab when you need it. You can watch for yourself at Martin Chavarria on youtube.
Normally each week, Rob Robillard from Tool Box Buzz joins us for the Actual Work with Rob Robillard segment, but we gave him the week off Don’t worry, he did have time to put up this review of the Metabo HPT 7 and a quarter inch miter saw. It’s rare we see the TBB Team get so worked up over a tool, but this cordless miter saw sure did the job. Rob spends plenty of time reviewing the feature list, which seems to surprise at every turn. He singles out the precision dial, adjustable outriggers and the impressive cut capacity considering the small nature of the blade. But it was the power and build quality that he kept coming back to. This little guy is NOT cheap. We’re talking just $200 south of K Pex territory. But Rob’s anxious to make a case for it none the less. You can see the video and read all the details over at toolboxbuzz.com.
There’s a joke in there about big things and little packages that I appreciate you not using. So did you get a chainsaw for Christmas? If not, you married the wrong person. If you DID marry the right guy or gal, April Wilkerson is ready to help you put it to use, and stay safe in the process. Last week she uploaded a video titled How to Use a Chainsaw, and in it… she tells you how to use a chainsaw. April made a visit to Stihl to learn all she could about their line of saws, and then proceeded to walk us through the basics of choosing and using the best saw for you…. As long as it’s Stihl. April covers everything from parts to PPE, and provides a great primer for the first time chainsaw user. If you just got a saw for Christmas, or have had one for a long time but have no idea what you’re doing then you can catch April at April Wilkerson on Youtube.
If you’re already a member of the Very Cool Gang, you know that Vince and Nick went to STAFDA recently. This week he posted a staggering hour and 20-minute tour of the show. If you’ve never watched Vince and Nick walk a show before, this is a great way to do it. Vince is the kind of guy you want with you when you walk through Lowes or Home depot. He just knows… everything. So when he’s walking a show, seeing new tools from our favorite manufacturers, he’s never at a loss for what to ask and brings his own brand of excitement to every interview. In this video, he visits Makita, DeWALT, Skil, EGO and more. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to walk STAFDA, here’s your chance, and there’s no one better to take you on tour than Vince and nick. You can find the video over at VCG Construction on youtube.
Last of all today, we once again find ourselves in the Tool Review Zone. Clint took the time to round up 5 different cordless compact routers from Ryobi, Ridgid, Dewalt, Makita, and Milwaukee. He goes into great detail covering power, features, ergonomics, and price. Speaking of, The routers range from only $70 to $200 dollars, so there’s something here for everyone. If you’re looking for your first cordless compact router, you can find Clint’s review in the Tool Review Zone on youtube.
It’s time for industry news, courtesy of the construction junkie. Have you recently gone shopping for a new apartment online? If so, you’ve likely run into Matterport and their 3D scanning and modeling technology. Well now that they’ve conquered the residential world, they’re ready to take over the jobsite. Their new platform uses multiple camera options to shoot, model and share visual documentation of your jobsite, allowing you to tag notes, measure spaces and collaborate with your entire team. Shane interviewed Matterport at this year’s ground break, and you can watch the video over at construction junkie dot com.
If you’re a regular at ConstructionJunkie, you know that Shane’s primary reason for reporting on the construction industry is to barely monetize the process of watching his favorite demolition videos. Fortunately for us, he’s good at it. This week Shane posted a list of the top 7 demolition videos of 2019, featuring classics such as “Blowing the Roof off of the old Milwaukee Bucks arena” and “Obsolete WV STeel Plant imploded into a cloud of smoke covering nearby resident’s houses.” Of course, the best way to watch these videos is all at once while playing Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture. You can find all 7 videos, and all your construction industry news, at Construction Junkie.com.
Special thanks to our show sponsors Ohio Power Tool and EGO!
