Podcast

Freelance Writer, Bob Parks

Bob Parks - Cool Tools Show #26

Freelance writer Bob Parks delivers a handy inventory of tools for home improvement and renovation projects in this week’s episode of the Cool Tools Show. Be sure to check out Bob’s website to see some of his most recent articles for magazines like Popular Science and Bloomberg Business Week.

Show Notes:

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SawStop 10-inch Jobsite Table Saw $1500
“SawStop has lowered the price of their table saws. These are the saws that have an electrical system that automatically stops the blade once your finger touches it. It stops in 5 milliseconds, so that you only get a little nick on your finger.”


Ellipse Half Mask Respirator $32
“Super low profile on the face, you can put your glasses or your hood over it. It doesn’t feel like anything. And I also hate when I’m using a good respirator, the feeling of the straps pushing into my safety glasses, and this one seems to have solved that ergonomic challenge. I love the feel of it on my face.”


Fernco Wax-Free Toilet Seal $4
“Typically, it’s very awkward when I’ve got the wax seal on the floor, I’m grabbing this incredibly heavy toilet, my knees aren’t that great, so I’m swinging this thing over the hole, trying to land it in the middle of the wax ring…the first time I usually miss and crush the side of the wax ring, and have to start again. This is a different process. You turn the toilet over and you press this wax-free ring, the adhesive, into the toilet drain. And now you’ve got this long, 4-5 inch plastic throat and this adhesive piece stuck to the toilet. So it’s completely stuck, you can basically lift the whole toilet with the plastic throat. And so it’s really in there good.”


Sawyer Mini Water Filter $17
“This is an example of where technology and design completely recreates the market. Water filtration while camping used to be a huge pain in the butt and the devices cost from $100 to $400. And now this little device, that is now 1.9 oz, fits right in the palm of your hand, and can filter 100,000 gallons of water.”

04/2/15

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