Practical Solutions To Everyday DIY Challenges!
Arborwear Cambium Jacket The folks at Arborwear recently sent me their Cambium canvas jacket to evaluate and report on. I immediately chuckled at the name of the jacket. Having taken an arborist course in my earlier years I was familiar with the term cambium. A tree's cambium is the layer of living cells lying between the wood and bark where new bark and wood cells originate. The Cambium jacket protects you like tree bark … [Read more...]
Leviton SmartlockPro Slim GFCI Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter receptacles: The folks at Leviton recently released the SmartlockPro Self-Test GFCI. This GFCI automatically tests itself every 15 minutes to confirm that protected power is available, providing you and your family peace of mine. The new device features a 25% slimmer profile than traditional GFCI designs. The slim design solves the common issue of limited room in the … [Read more...]
ROCKLER ONE-TOUCH LIFT MECHANISM EASILY MOVES YOUR SHOP TABLES AND TOOLS Rocker recently released a very cool Lever-Action Lifts that can be used to make mobile bases or attached to shop furniture. For a small shop this is a game changer. Now you can move your heavy shop furniture or tables out in the center of the room to use and then store it against the wall when done. The Rockler 4-Pc. Caster Kit can also be used to … [Read more...]
Rockler I-Semble Makes Furniture Making Easy . On a budget? Like to do things yourself? Always wish you could make your own furniture but don't have a shop full of tools or the know how? Here's the solution: Rockler recently introduced the I-Semble Shelf Blocks which are sturdy steel and feature a black powder coat finish frames that can be used to make desks, shelves and other custom furniture. The I-Semble brackets … [Read more...]
I love new and innovative products and Rocker recently released a new 15 pound torsion hinge for box lids. The torsion hinge, model # 48519, was designed to allow easy opening and closing of box lids and it will also hold the lid in any position. "These hinges work much like those found on laptop computers," said Steve Krohmer, Vice President of product development. "With their constant torque technology, they'll hold the lid open in … [Read more...]
Preventing Ice Dam Damage When the snow hits our roofs several conditions together create the "perfect storm" for ice dams. The easiest way to spot an ice dam is to look for a lump of ice at the roofs edge, icicles are often present but do not cause ice dams. Roofs with inadequate ventilation ice up after a snow fall and an ice dam will form at the roofs edge where the roof is colder. Even in below freezing weather, snow on the roof … [Read more...]
Innovation can be a good thing especially when it allows us to build, repair or replace with safer, stronger and better products. Here's a few products that have caught my eye this year: Marathon Flat Free Wheelbarrow Tire: You don't have time to deal with flat tires and this Marathon flat free tire will keep your equipment moving. This "flat free" wheelbarrow tire looks and feels like a pneumatic tire without ever getting flat. … [Read more...]
Since starting AConcordCarpenter I am constantly asked for my recommendations for tool gifts. The simple answer is not always that simple. People are funny when it comes to tools. Based on the suggestion of a friend, I’ve compiled a list of great gift ideas of the tools and products that I have tested and reviewed. All are great tools and many of them have found permanent homes in my toolbox!! While most of these recommendations are … [Read more...]
Robert Robillard is the Editor of A Concord Carpenter, Host of the Concord Carpenter cable tv show and the Principal of Robert E. Robillard Finish Carpentry & Renovation, LLC, a carpentry and renovation business located in Concord, Massachusetts.
He writes on all aspects of home improvement and remodeling, specializing in problem solving for all aspects of home maintenance.
In his spare time he enjoys reviewing new tools and products and restoring old tools back and using them on projects: A Concord Carpenter.
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