signcrafter
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 9, 2012
- Messages
- 12,321
Thought this might be a fun thread. I posted about a tool a pretty unique tool a lot of people might not know about in another member's thread earlier today. Sitting here tonight got me thinking there are probably a lot of tools out there that I or others may not even know about that may be something we could use. Not so much old or rare tools but more so tools that someone may not know exist unless you do that kind of work. Could be trade related or auto repair or whatever tool. I do a wide variety of work and run into new things all the time and I'm all about getting tools that make the jobs easier. But sometimes you don't know about a tool if you aren't around that kind of work.
Two examples I have are a backer rod insertion tool. Used for putting backer rod in the saw cuts in concrete. First time I used one it made the job so much faster and easier. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UBQO3WO/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Second tool I thought of when I was at Menards tonight. I worked for an electrician when I was in High School and for a year after high school about 25 years ago. We fished wires using fish tape and fish sticks. I got pretty good using them to add outlets and other stuff. But there are times where you just can't fish wires without cutting extra holes or where fish sticks won't work. Since then they have come out with long flexible drill bits that help when running a wire from a switch to some lights in the attic. Can stick the bit in the hole for the switch and drill up through the top plate and then fish a wire and add lights without any drywall repairs. But something I found a few years ago is the ball chain and magnet. It works great for a lot of hard fishing jobs. I used mine the other day to add a water line for an ice maker. Drilled a hole through the floor by the wall to bring an ice maker line up from the basement. The issue was there was a floor joist very close to the top plate, so no way to get a hand in the 1" gap or fish a line down. I was able to drop the ball chain down the hole and then use the flexible magnet to get in there and retrieve the ball chain and then tape the 1/4" flexible water line to the ball chain and pull it up. Not sure if I would have been able to do this without these tools. There's a couple videos on the amazon link that probably explain it better then I do. And if you have a menards these are only like 14 bucks for the kit.
What other tools are out there that other's may not know about?
Two examples I have are a backer rod insertion tool. Used for putting backer rod in the saw cuts in concrete. First time I used one it made the job so much faster and easier. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UBQO3WO/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Second tool I thought of when I was at Menards tonight. I worked for an electrician when I was in High School and for a year after high school about 25 years ago. We fished wires using fish tape and fish sticks. I got pretty good using them to add outlets and other stuff. But there are times where you just can't fish wires without cutting extra holes or where fish sticks won't work. Since then they have come out with long flexible drill bits that help when running a wire from a switch to some lights in the attic. Can stick the bit in the hole for the switch and drill up through the top plate and then fish a wire and add lights without any drywall repairs. But something I found a few years ago is the ball chain and magnet. It works great for a lot of hard fishing jobs. I used mine the other day to add a water line for an ice maker. Drilled a hole through the floor by the wall to bring an ice maker line up from the basement. The issue was there was a floor joist very close to the top plate, so no way to get a hand in the 1" gap or fish a line down. I was able to drop the ball chain down the hole and then use the flexible magnet to get in there and retrieve the ball chain and then tape the 1/4" flexible water line to the ball chain and pull it up. Not sure if I would have been able to do this without these tools. There's a couple videos on the amazon link that probably explain it better then I do. And if you have a menards these are only like 14 bucks for the kit.
Jonard Tools MRS-24 MagneTriever™ Magnetic Retrieval System Kit with Flexible Magnetic Retriever, Retrieval Hook, & Ball Chain: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement
Jonard Tools MRS-24 MagneTriever™ Magnetic Retrieval System Kit with Flexible Magnetic Retriever, Retrieval Hook, & Ball Chain: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement
www.amazon.com
What other tools are out there that other's may not know about?
moment for me was coming across a rolling scoop for opening watch cases.
