Other stories by David%20Frane

  • Can't Get it Yet: Circular Circ Saw

    We’ve all seen concept cars – bizarre designs that are displayed at auto shows but never go into production. Well here’s the world’s first concept cordless circular saw and it’s radical.

  • A Cheap and Simple Way to Organize Parts

    I used to keep small parts and accessories in screw-cap jars and leftover tins from Band-Aids and Altoids. The problem was, they were all different sizes and there were too many of them to keep track of, even when labeled.

  • Can't Get It Yet: KwickGripper Nail-Puller

    Every now and then inventors will call and ask if I’d like to review proto–types of tools that they hope to produce and sell.

  • Tool Companies: Who Owns What?

    What does a Crescent wrench have in common with a Lufkin tape and the original Allen wrench?

  • The Ultimate Home-Made Table Saw

    Hector Acevedo is an excellent mechanic and craftsman. How do I know? Because I have seen photos and drawings of the cabinet saw he built from hardwood, plywood, and a mixture of home-made and purchased parts.

  • Review: Cordless Random Orbit Sander

    Makita has been on a roll, having recently introduced 18-volt cordless versions of tools that were formerly only available with cords: a sliding compound miter saw, a power planer, and now, the LXOB01 random orbit sander.

  • World's First Surface Laser

    Last spring I ran across the GSL 2 Surface Laser on Bosch’s German website. It grabbed my attention because it promised to do something that no other laser can do - allow a person working alone to quickly measure the high and low spots on a slab or floor, and without the use of a grade rod or tape.

  • New Modular Power Tool

    Pro tradesmen are not the target audience for the Matrix Quick Connect System (which is aimed at the DIY market) but it's an interesting idea for a tool.

  • Makita OMT Teardown

    I was working on a story about oscillating multi-tools (OMTs) when it occurred to me I had no idea how a spinning motor could make a spindle go from side-to-side. So I did what I always do when a tool confuses me – I tore it apart.

  • Can't Get it Here: Lithium-Ion Toolbox

    You may be familiar with L-Boxxes, the modular stacking storage cases that are the Bosch equivalent of Festool Systainers. Well, the GLI PortaLED is something more, it's an L-Boxx with LEDs built into the top so that the case can double as a work light.