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Cool tools really work. A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We only post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted. Tell me what you love.
Low-odor, low-VOC, fast-drying paint
When my husband and I moved into our new apartment recently, we knew a coat of fresh paint would spiff up the place, but with a new baby we wanted to pay special attention to the kind of paint we used. Unlike a lot of VOC-free paints (VOC = volatile organic compounds), Benjamin Moore's Aura line of low-VOC acrylic paints isn't thin or runny, dries really fast (literally an hour or less) and it's available in a satisfying array of colors in eggshell, matte, satin, and semi-gloss. It's VOC rating is less than 50 grams per liter (a standard paint might have 250 grams; VOC-free paints can still have up to 5 grams per liter). The Aura paint isn't cheap -- I think we spent $10-15 more per gallon than we normally do -- but I have always been partial to more expensive paints because the colors appear truer and, in many cases, they require just one coat. With Aura, we found even the deepest of wall colors only required two coats to cover, and we didn't use primer. The best part is there was no stinky paint smell residue, only beautifully-painted walls to gaze at with our little one.
-- Amanda Hughes-Watkins
Benjamin Moore Aura Paint
$55
(1 gallon)
Available from Moores Hardware
Or search for a retailer via zip code (top right)
Manufactured by Benjamin Moore
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Glidden Ceiling Paint
SoyGel Paint & Urethane Remover
Generic HVLP Sprayer
Collapsible, horizontal laundry cage
Drying clothing on a rack is cheaper and better for the environment than using a dryer, but the design of a lot of drying racks is far from ideal. IKEA's Frost rack is a long series of bars that are horizontally parallel to one another, which maximizes the use for each bar. The closely-spaced bars allow me either to pack in small laundry or put sweaters and thicker laundry across two or more bars to let more air pass around it. On the other hand, many racks are situated with each bar immediately above or below another bar, so if you hang pants from the top bar, they hang down making all of the bars below them useless (i.e. wet). A few companies make potentially-good racks you hang from the ceiling, but they're usually permanent, more expensive and not so nice to look at. The cheap Frost rack can easily fit an entire load of laundry, whether it's socks or jeans, and it folds into a large, flat rectangle when not in use. A few racks can easily fit into the back of the closet.
I bought my first Frost rack when I lived in an apartment. But even when my wife and I moved into a house two years ago, we decided to get by without a dryer for a while, mainly to save money. To our surprise, it wasn't difficult. It's no problem at all in the summer, when we can supplement our drying with an outside clothesline on sunny days. During the winter, our two racks are in constant use (hint: put the rack beside or above heating vents or radiators to speed drying). We might eventually buy a dryer, but only to make it easier to catch up when we fall behind. I've been using one rack for about four years and bought the second about two years ago. I cannot tell which is the old one. They've held up quite well. Granted the rack is not perfect: it could be both wider and higher -- tall people will have to stoop a little bit to use it. Still, it's far better than any of the alternatives I've found.
One unexpected benefit: our clothing seems to last a lot longer. We'd never realized how rough the dryer can be on clothing. I have shirts that are a few years old I wear regularly and they still look new. I suppose all of the lint in the dryer trap has to come from somewhere.
-- Willie Beegle
$20
Available from IKEA
Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:
Travel Clothesline
Sock Pro
Dropps
Waterproof, thick-soled boot covers
NEOS (New England Overshoes) are basically big insulated, gusseted bags with soles. They fit over my hiking boots, sneakers or, if it's just a quick errand outdoors, my socks. The gusset folds over the top of the foot and ankle with a hook and loop (Velcro) closure. A strap across the instep makes for a snug, secure fit. I discovered NEOS a couple of years ago working as a film extra in rural Pennsylvania. We were outside in cold, wet snowy weather all late fall and early winter. Several members of the crew wore them and the wardrobe folks used them to keep the principle actor's shoes out of the mud and slush. Insulated and uninsulated models are rated for temperatures as low as -20F and 0F respectively. I chose the insulated Explorer version, because I often work and play outside during the winter. As a Scoutmaster, I have worn mine on snowy weekend camping trips when temperatures are down in the teens and kept my feet warm and dry. Last winter ('07-'08) was pretty mild, so I didn't wear them as much, but after two years the NEOS are as good as new. The choices have expanded quite a bit since I bought mine. NEOS also makes light, ankle-high models for commuters with a lining that actually shines dress shoes and heavier expedition weight models suited for intense outdoor activities.
Guide to constructing Coho boats
I have built several simple fiberglass canoes and repaired my sailboats, but using this book I was able to build my first "real," high-performance boat, a Pygmy Coho stitch and glue plywood construction sea kayak. I read a lot of books on kayak construction, stitch and glue type in particular. I also used the Coho building manual from Pygmy some. But I absolutely would not have been as successful with my boat had I not read this book before building and referenced it during building. The detail, sharing of practical experience, the tons of photos, clarity in explanation and the examples of the exact same boat -- the Coho -- made this the only choice. The book lays out everything in terms of what you can expect to accomplish on Day 1, Day 2 and so forth. Even if you don't follow it step by step, the book provides the fundamentals to make good alternative building decisions.
I was able to do all of the following alternatives: Rigged up my own plumbing for a built in bilge pump. Added 4-oz glass to the deck for strength. Added the bulkheads to also gain rear deck strength. Doubled the coaming lip for strength and aesthetics. Added in hardwood keys at the coaming spacer joints for strength. Fiberglassed the entire coaming (probably really not necessary). Made my own jigs with hot glue and pop sickle sticks as prealignment tools for bulkheads, seat braces, deck joint, etc.
Above all else, the book explains how to build a very flat, level, elevated worktable with internal/external stations to hold the boat in position. That aspect alone is reason enough to go with this book. I am currently building a skin-on-frame, Greenland style kayak for my wife, but I would re-read this book before building any other stitch and glue boat. I also recommend the Greenland kayak website, Qajaq USA and Guillemont Kayak's boat-building forum, where there is a wealth of information for the construction and use of stitch and glue, strip building and traditional skin-on-frame (SOF) kayaks.
Think Lazy
In order to achieve professional results, each stage of your work should be completed with the least number of steps as well as prepare you for the next stage. For example, if you apply the filler casually with a stick, before the next step can happen the excess will have to be sanded off. Professionals eliminate the cleanup step by placing just enough filler in the right place to do the job. When the masking tape is peeled off, the step is complete and ready for the next one. Keeping the filler under control saves time and minimizes exposure to the bad stuff. That's a pretty fair payoff, but there's also a bonus that comes with thinking lazy. That bonus is professional results. You cannot build a professional-quality boat when you are doing damage control between each step... We are all good at something; by combining an understanding of what needs to be done with what is already familiar, we find that practical solutions present themselves.
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The less epoxy you put on, the less you have to sand off. If the epoxy is kept under control when wet, expect about one day of sanding, preferably outside. Tidy glue application brings the additional benefits of less unhealthy dust produced and more efficient -- and less costly -- use of the epoxy.
So, how to begin? So, how to begin? One option, of course, is the free-form approach, in which the kayak is built right on the floor or, as one manufacturer suggests, on something flat like three cardboard boxes. Although this lets you get right to work, there are a number of drawbacks. One is the possibility of introduction funky eccentricities and variables to a process that requires precise control. The other is the questionable practicality of spending hours bent over, toiling on the floor. This is a pretty good sized "some assembly required" project, and at some point in the process either your knees or your back will start protesting.
Another way to go is to build a worktable that will raise your assembly surface to a more civilized altitude. With some forethought the worktable also becomes a modification of the traditional boatbuilder's strongback. A big advantage to the worktable is that you are, in effect, working from the same baseline that the designer used to draw the boat. With the addition of a centerline and station liners, the table becomes an accurate reference and a jig for many of the building steps... Being able to reach in and clamp along the edge of the worktable is convenient, and a step towards making tidy joints that require very little cleanup. This not only saves time but also reduces your exposure to the epoxy.
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Building the box beam and fitting and leveling the top of the worktable took the best part of one day and consumed two sheets of plywood. If building this beam sounds like too much work, there are other possibilities for getting a stable base under the top. Consider a straight ladder set up on a sawhorses, laminated floor joints or anything else that will support the length of the table to accommodate your height and the kayak you are building.
Making the long straight cuts necessary for building a straight table could be a challenge for the casual builder. The easiest solution, and one that also simplifies transportation, is to have the plywood sheet ripped into desired widths when you purchase the board. Some big-box home improvement stores offer this service at little or no extra cost, using extremely accurate dedicated panel saws. If you decide to do it yourself and are using a table saw, keep in mind that the panel must be supported at both the in-feed and out-feed ends for safety reasons and to ensure that the cuts are straight. If you are using a portable circular saw, consider clamping a straightedge to the board to guide the saw.
The simple-to-build box beam consists of two 8-foot open-ended boxes held together with a 4-foot section that fits in the open ends of the boxes to tie them together. The important point to keep in mind is that once joined, the top side of the box must be straight.
Cradle forms are the secret to controlling the shape of a plywood kayak. They can make the difference between a twisted hull with a hogged bottom and the beautiful kayak in your mind. Besides, now that you have a worktable, you might as well add several cradle forms and enjoy the peaceful rhythm of building when the pieces fall into place and stay where you put them. With cradles attached to the predictable base formed by the worktable, the hull will come together at a controlled distance above the baseline and will be centered over the table centerline (3-6 [image]); our horizontal reference will be the level, anytime we need it. As flimsy plank is added to the flimsy plank, the crade forms will hold all the pieces where they should be. The pieces will come together without being stressed or having to be bullied into position.
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Cover the path of the cut with masking tape to provide something to mark on and to protect the desk and the edge of the cut. Drill a hole inside the line big enough for the jigsaw blade (5-84). Take your time making the cut. Trust the line and follow it; it is easier to make the first cut to the line than to try to clean it up later. As the cut progresses, bridge the joint with tape to keep the cutout from falling into the hull (5-85). Peel off the tape when you have finished making the cut and clean up the shape with a rasp or a hard sanding block if needed. This opening will be the pattern for trimming the parts to come, so getting a smooth shape now will save correcting the same problem on the spacer and rim later.
Uses tire air pressure to flush brakes
This light, portable pressure brake bleeder is the best one I have ever used in the 25+ years I have been working on cars. I have used other professional-style pressure bleeders costing $800-1000 and prefer the SpeediBleed. Using SpeediBleed by myself, it's taken me only 15 minutes to do a 4-wheel brake bleed and, when finished, I had a firm brake pedal and clean brake fluid from top to bottom. The cool aspect of this kit is that you pressurize the master cylinder by connecting the SpeediBleed fluid bottle to a tire with a aluminum machined adapter. Yes, you read correctly; you use a tire to bleed brakes! When I told a few friends of this feature, they jokingly claimed I would have 4 flat tires to show for my work. They could not have been more wrong. The 4-wheel brake bleed of my Cavalier resulted in only 3 psi being removed from the single tire I used.
There are cheaper DIY kits. The Motive looks to be a decent, popular product. Personally, aside from the quality and ease with which you can control the working pressure, I like that the SpeediBleed has a much larger and constant air pressure source. My truck tires are probably 15-20 times larger volume than the Motive's pressure bottle. Thus, I can set the regulator to 20-25 psi and have enough pressure to flush the system, versus having to pump a bottle a few times. And for the extra money, you get a high quality pressure regulator, quick release coupler, the aluminum adapter, and tool case. My buddy knew the old service manager at the local Porsche dealership near me. They have four to five SpeediBleed kits in their shop and are flushing Porsche and Land Rovers every day. I have used mine hundreds of times in the last 12 years. Really makes it possible for any DIY'er to bleed brakes without the headache.
-- Ron Armstrong
SpeediBleed
$120
Available from Hi-Lo Distributors
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Get Used Parts
Topside Oil Changer
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Sleeping bag liner & nightshirt
This fleece sleeping bag liner looks like a really long hooded sweatshirt, except it has a drawstring base. You can tuck your feet in and close it up, but then wear it to get out of your bag at night to go pee or whatever. I got mine to combine with my Bivanorak bivvy bag to make a lightweight sleeping system, but it also does double duty as a garment that's very nice for sitting around and just keeping warm around camp. I've used it up in the mountains at about 8,500 feet with the temp down to about 38 F. It's light and packs up very small (mine is 9x15 and maybe 2 lbs), and is available with a stuff sack.
Most importantly, they will custom make one for you if, say, you are very tall (I'm 6'10" and 260 lbs). You can also choose from a few fabric thicknesses and add a pocket pouch. I opted for the thickest weight fabric with the pocket pouch, which has a zippered mesh compartment. Great service, too. The maker got my special order to me in 4 days.
-- Randall Robinson
Bod-i-Bag
$64
(lightest fleece w/long sleeve version)
Available from Alpinlite
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Mosquito Netting
Workhorse lumber breaker-upper
I bought a Mighty Mac shredder/chipper about 25 years ago, have used it -- heavily at times -- all these years and, with a few engine repairs and turning the shredder blades around once (they are 2-sided), it's worked flawlessly on our 1/2-acre homestead. This is a "hammermill" chipper with free-swinging hammer blades for the top-feed hopper, as well as a chipper, a side feed where you put in larger branches (it will grind up a 2x4) at a 90-degree angle to the balanced flywheel blade that runs on the same axle as the shredder blades. If you get one of the bigger professional type units you don't need a separate grinder, but for home-style operation, I wouldn't fool with any of the lower-cost feed-it-in-the-top units. You don't really need to shred stuff like oak leaves (they compost nicely as is), and the smaller shredders tend to choke on stuff such as 1-incg diameter branches. This unit has changeable screens so you can adjust from fine to coarse output.
Be aware: these are dangerous tools. If you get careless and push down on brush in the hopper and get a sleeve caught in the blades, you'll end up with a mangled (or no) hand. See the simple 2x4 pusher tool below for pushing stuck vegetation into the blades. I also use a Collins machete for chopping up branches for easy feeding and of course -- Grandma speaking here -- goggles (chips fly), earphones, and gloves.
Mine (depicted above) has a 7HP Briggs and Stratton motor. The current models have a 10 HP. I wouldn't bother with the electric starter; the rope pull works fine.
-- Lloyd Kahn
MacKissic Mighty Mac Chipper Shredder - 12PT10
$1900 (includes shipping)
Available from The Lawnmower Shop
Manufactured by MacKissic
Pusher safety tool made from 2X4: cross piece an inch or so narrower than hopper's bottom opening (9-1/2"), screwed on to a 21" handle
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Durable frontside bike cargo platform
I don't own a car, so when I go to the store for large quantities of beer or buckets of cat litter I use the CETMA, a lightweight steel rack that's tough as nails. I know a couple messengers that have crashed and the rack took the brunt of the force dishing it out to car doors or whatever obstacle happened to be there, and the rack only absorbed a slight crinkle or bend without compromising anything at all in it's performance. I've been using a CETMArack for a couple years and currently have a 5-rail on my '81 single speed, all-weather utility grocery coffee shop beer bike (a 3-rail is plenty big enough if you only plan an occasional twelve pack or a couple library books; they also offer a 7-rail version!). Keeping the load up front over the front wheel lets you control the weight a bit more and doesn't bog down like a rear rack. You cannot ride like you normally would, hopping curbs or diving into corners when you have 27 pounds of cat litter on the front. But it's good to get a change of pace once in a while; a gravity reminder keeps you humble. I also like CETMAracks because of the guy who makes them. Made by hand in Eugene, OR. No outsourcing. No overseas production. And now they even include home-baked cookies with your order.
-- Mark Pilder
CETMAracks
5-rail
$80 (uncoated - bare metal)
$100 (powder-coated)
Available from CETMAracks
Also available:
7-rail
$100 (uncoated - bare metal)
$120 (powder-coated)
3-rail
$80 (powder-coated)
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Python Bungee Kit
Xtracycle
Grocery Bag Panniers
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