https://www.old.toolrank.com/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/images/stories/toolrankcom_100x358.png https://www.old.toolrank.com/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/johnson-level-debuts-bamboo-t-bevels-and-try-squares-201302041383/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/johnson-level-debuts-bamboo-t-bevels-and-try-squares-201302041383/ A couple of years ago Johnson Level first introduced their bamboo levels. Bamboo is advantageous to use for a number of reasons including strength and sustainability, so is it any wonder that they have decided to introduce a line of T-Bevels and Try-Squares that use the fast growing grass? There are actually a couple of versions of the T-Bevel and Tri-Square, depending on the look you want. Yes, guys like our tools to look good. You can get each tool with the traditional bamboo look, or you can get the carbonized bamboo version, which has a... ]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:38:28 -0600 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/kreg-multi-mark-just-might-replace-your-combination-square-201208061261/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/kreg-multi-mark-just-might-replace-your-combination-square-201208061261/ Kreg has come out with a new layout tool that just might be good enough to replace your combination square for good. Why? Everything I use my combination square for the Kreg Multi-Mark can do, but it can also do so much more. The Multi-Mark is really very simplistic in its design and consists of only a sliding ruler and a clamp, but the combination square is also a very simple tool. What sets the Multi-Mark apart for me is the more compact design and its extra features. Not only can the Multi-Mark be... ]]> Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:29:20 -0500 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/lasquare-a-new-wide-base-combination-square-201207251253/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/lasquare-a-new-wide-base-combination-square-201207251253/ Remember those car commercials a few years back advertising that "wider is better"? I guess what applies to cars may also apply to tools. The LaSquare uses this very idea and brings us a "wider is better" combination square that features a 2-inch wide foot. In the modern age designers like to make everything round and less boxy. But what this means to builders is that our traditional tools will not work. A regular combination square will work just fine on a square flat table top, but if you throw a 1/2-inch round-over on... ]]> Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:44:11 -0500 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/manufacturer-news/cst-berger-ll20-self-leveling-360-line-laser-for-exterior-use-201206291234/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/manufacturer-news/cst-berger-ll20-self-leveling-360-line-laser-for-exterior-use-201206291234/ The 360 Laser Line technology that Bosch has developed has always been impressive to me. It offers much of the benefits of a traditional rotary laser but because it has less moving parts, it can be manufactured at a fraction of the cost. Not to mention that it is super handy to see the line all around the room. Bosch is now moving this same 360 technology to their CST/berger brand and have introduced the LL20 Exterior Self Leveling Line Laser. The CST/berger LL20 is not just a laser, but it is a complete... ]]> Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:26:13 -0500 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/manufacturer-news/2012-bosch-catalog-outs-new-tools-201203271153/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/manufacturer-news/2012-bosch-catalog-outs-new-tools-201203271153/ Hat tip to Jay over at CopTool for discovering this one. It turns out the 2012 Bosch Tool Catalog is now available at select tools stores and available online, and hidden inside its paper-thin walls are a few exciting new tools. Jay discovered a new Bosch Laser that is specifically designed to check the levelness of floors as well as a new Bosch wet tile/stone saw. Too bad it looks like the floor level cannot be used on walls. When doing wall paneling, a flat wall is a must and making a wall flat is the hardest part. ... ]]> Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/preview-of-swansons-new-professional-savage-hand-tools-201111141071/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/preview-of-swansons-new-professional-savage-hand-tools-201111141071/ Update: Website and additional photos added. Early next year Swanson Tools will be launching a new professional line of hand tools called Savage. Now I always figured Swanson tools were already for professionals, so I guess this new line of tools will be for more professional professionals, not just your everyday run of the mill professional. So what makes the pro Savage line of tools different/better than the Swanson tools of old? Well it appears the most obvious difference is Swanson's new found love for aluminum hand tools with... ]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:00:00 -0600 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/woodpeckers-bar-gauge-makes-measuring-without-a-tape-more-accurate-201110201053/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/woodpeckers-bar-gauge-makes-measuring-without-a-tape-more-accurate-201110201053/ When we are looking for accurate and repeatable measurements, we often turn to the trusty story pole. Though, our story pole usually consists of just a scrap piece of wood that is either cut to the right length or has measurement markings drawn on it. After all, being able to use the scraps we already have on hand, is what makes the story pole great. But what if you are doing a lot of measuring, and you need something that is going to be able to handle the abuse that goes along with production work? ... ]]> Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:00:00 -0500 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/bleispitz-deep-reach-hole-marker-201109121025/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/bleispitz-deep-reach-hole-marker-201109121025/ Finally we have a solution for getting marks or lines in really narrow places. Countless numbers of times I find that I need to mark layout holes for brackets, but the small holes combined with the thickness of the brackets make it impossible to get the tip of a pen or pencil through. Bleispitz has a new product that is specifically designed to reach into narrow places and make marking a simple task again. What they have is a marker with a tip that is almost a full inch in length (25mm). The tip... ]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:00:00 -0500 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/tough-new-3-beam-line-laser-from-dewalt-201108241017/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/tough-new-3-beam-line-laser-from-dewalt-201108241017/ DeWalt has just announced the launch of their new 3-beam line-laser (DW089K), and oh how I love to use lasers at work. They make leveling so easy that it is funny to even think about going back to using regular levels to mark long level lines across walls. I think the line-laser is one of the most invaluable tools on the jobsite, at least in my trade. The DW089K is not unlike other line-lasers on the market today, but it does have a rather handy added feature, a third laser line. This extra vertical line gives... ]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:14:52 -0500 https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/new-sliding-t-bevel-locks-at-90-degrees-20110707989/ https://www.old.toolrank.com/tool-blog/News/new-sliding-t-bevel-locks-at-90-degrees-20110707989/ In 1872 J. Robinson patented the first butt-locking sliding t-bevel, and ever since, his model has been the paradigm to all other models. It is an invaluable tool for people of all trades and can be used to easily duplicate and transfer any angle you can find; with a little help from a protractor, these angles can even be identified. The only downside to the t-bevel is that it can not be used to accurately set 90-degree angles. Almost 140 years later Patrick Leach comes along and sets a new paradigm with his new sliding t-bevel that... ]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:09:50 -0500