Tools of the Trade: Tim's Latest Articles

Keen Work Boots

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:51:08 EST

Tools of the Trade called and asked if I’d be interested in reviewing some work boots from Keen. I was sent a list of boots from their Industrial Line, and I ordered a couple of pairs each.

Milwaukee Cordless Caulk and Adhesive Gun

Mon, 3 Jun 2013 09:19:36 EST

My crew recently switched from a pneumatic caulking gun to an M12 battery-powered model from Milwaukee.

Lightweight Framing Nailers

Thu, 2 May 2013 01:29:42 EST

These sub 8-pound nail guns are comfortable to use and surprisingly powerful.

Skil Mag77LT

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:04:23 EST

Skil recently announced a new wormdrive saw that they say is 4 pounds lighter than their Mag77. That grabbed my attention because the Mag77 is one of the lightest inline saw around .

Framer's Everyday Carry

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:07:09 EST

It’s not easy to earn a place in my tool bags. Here are 11 tools that make the cut.

Two Fisted Fleece Jacket

Thu, 7 Feb 2013 01:55:07 EST

A few weeks back I wrote about Blaklader work pants, but I've also been wearing the company's Two Fisted Fleece Jacket. I prefer it to the regular fleece I used to wear because it's resistant to wind and water, and has a number of construction-specific features designed into it...

Blaklader Work Pants

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 03:50:23 EST

The last few years I've been hearing a lot about Blaklader, a Swedish company that makes work clothes that are designed to be functional, durable, and professional looking. Tools of the Trade asked me to try some of these clothes out and I have been wearing them for about a year. Here's what I can tell you about them...

Max Rebar Tier

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 03:38:16 EST

My crew recently formed and poured the foundation for a 4,200 square foot custom home we would later be framing. It was larger than the homes we normally build - the perfect opportunity to try out a tool I had seen at the JLC LIVE tradeshow...

Senco Joistpro Metal Connector Nailers

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:28:05 EST

My crew and I used to hand-nail framing hardware, but as codes changed and we had to install more and more of the stuff, it became impractical to nail by hand.

Super Anchor Safety Bar

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 04:55:14 EST

Like other contractors who comply with OSHA fall standards, I've had to ask myself: how am I supposed to compete with crews that don't use fall protection?

Avoiding Winter Caulking Woes

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 05:05:23 EST

Here in the Northwest, rain is the biggest problem we have in the winter. But it gets cold too – not as cold as other places, but cold enough to make it hard to operate a caulking gun. I used to warm the tubes by putting them on the dashboard or under the heater when I drove to work. It worked okay but I was looking for something better. Last fall I found it...

V-Line Clamp

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 04:55:16 EST

I'm always looking for faster techniques or tools to speed things up and found the V-Line clamp by accident. It is designed to...

Oversize Saws

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 04:55:11 EST

Several years back I read a story about gang cutting rafters – so I started doing it on my framing jobs. Gang cutting means setting all your rafters on edge on racks and using specialized saws such as...

Foul Weather Work Wear

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 05:05:28 EST

It rains a lot in the Pacific Northwest and we can't stop working just because it is wet. I don't mind working in the rain, but I do mind being uncomfortable – so for me, good rain gear is an important part of my tool kit.

Tools Up Close: Big Cordless Circular Saws

Mon, 7 Jan 2013 07:14:12 EST

For this article we tested four higher-voltage saws – 36-volt models from Bosch, DeWalt, and Hilti, and a 28-volt model from Milwaukee. We used them while framing and siding a house and for building a deck. Later, we performed a test to see how many cuts each saw could make per charge.

Tool Test: Inline Circular Saws

Mon, 7 Jan 2013 07:13:40 EST

Fifteen years ago, when I started out as a framer, Skil was the only real choice for carpenters looking for an inline saw. Since then, a lot more companies have started making these tools and now there are quite a few to choose from.

Tools Up Close: Job-Site Radios

Mon, 7 Jan 2013 07:13:42 EST

Like many carpenters, I enjoy listening to music at work. When I was starting out, there were only a couple of options: Leave the truck radio on with the door open (and risk having to jump the battery later on) or listen to a bad-sounding boombox that was held together with duct tape and had a wire hanger for an antenna. That changed about 10 years ago, when manufacturers began to produce radios designed to stand up to the rigors of the job site.