Where's The Deals?

Canadian Tire has the deals this week with a range of Stanley and Estwing tools on for 25% off. The standard Estwing 20 oz. ripping hammer is on for $20.99 , while the 22 oz. framing hammer is on for $28.99. Also on are the 28 oz. framing hammer and 16 oz. straight and curved claw hammers. Estwing's version of the wonder bar is on sale too, along with their cat's paws and a nice combination bar that features one wide thin end and one cat's paw end. There is a great selection of Stanley items on sale that include saws, snips, squares, hammers, nail sets, levels, chalk lines and measuring tapes. The scaffold carpenters and steel framers may wish to check out Stanley's magnetic torpedo level for $19.99. It has good strong magnets like the much more expensive Stabilas. There are a lot of good tools on, so stop in this week and check out the full selection.
The Zellers' flyer this week lists all Dickies brand denim and workwear on for 25% off. The denim carpenter's jeans are $22.47, while the double knee jeans and the brown cotton duck carpenter's jeans are $26.22. I have both the denim and cotton duck carpenter's jeans and I've been more than happy with them. I might give the genuine Carhartts a slight edge in quality, but with the Dickies going on sale at about 1/3 the price it's an easy choice.
TSC, The Tractor Supply Company has Fluid Film on for 30% off at $9.79 regular $13.99. If you haven't used Fluid Film before it's an all natural, lanolin based lubricant that is excellent on tools. Without containing solvents, it doesn't attack paint or plastics and won't evaporate away. It gets right into the surface of the metal and lasts and lasts. I got my first can as a free sample from an industrial supplier about 10 years ago and wouldn't be without it. For more information check out the frequently asked questions on the Fluid Film website at http://www.eurekafluidfilm.com/globals/faq.html

Where's The Deals?

There's not much worth mentioning at Canadian Tire this week, but Home Hardware has several pages of tools on sale in their flyer. Stanley Fat Max 2' and 4' levels are on for 25% off along with Stanley's Antivibe framing hammers. If your idea of relaxing after a long week's work is to throw on your tool-belt and tear apart your kitchen you might want to check out some of the power tools on sale. There is a page of Makita, another of Dewalt and a third of assorted brands. Included on the Makita page is a 4 piece lithium-ion 18 volt cordless package that features an impact driver, hammer drill, reciprocating saw and flashlight for $439.99, regular $529.99. If you haven't tried any lithium cordless tools yet you'll be in for a surprise, they are lighter and more compact - yet they will do much more work on a given charge. Also on sale is the Bosch Colt Palm-Grip Router for $119 save $40. The Colt is basically a souped up 5.7 amp laminate trimmer. I've had years of dependable service from a pair of less powerful Makitas and you'll find it will often be the first router you reach for, perfect for those quick little jobs like hinge gains or a delicate molding. At 1 hp the Colt should be ready to tackle some bigger jobs too.

What Was That Tool?

We have about 70 members working on the project I am on and I have had quite a few guesses, but nobody has been able to tell me the answer. The tool is a No. 49 Adjustable Bit Gauge. It was manufactured by Stanley from 1905-1961 and works as a depth stop for auger bits.


In the 1939 Stanley Tools catalogue I have, it is listed for $1.25 which was almost half the price of a No. 9 1/2 Block Plane at $2.75 and so would have been a fairly expensive purchase. In comparison, today a Stanley No. 9 1/2 sells for $42.50 while a bit gauge's closest living relative, the collar depth stop may be had as a set of five for only a few bucks. There is not really a direct comparison today though, as collared depth stops are for twist drills (a.k.a. steel bits) up to 1/2 diameter and the Stanley No. 49 was for auger bits up to 1".


To use the bit gauge, you feed the auger bit, shank first, through the gauge before putting the auger in the brace. The bit gauge can be spun up and down on the flutes of the auger to adjust the depth and locked in place with the two wing nuts.

Where's The Deals?

There is not very much to report again this week. Canadian Tire has almost no hand tools on sale this week, but for the Drywallers they do have Noma 16g. extension cords on for 40% off. Home Hardware is about the same. They do have a Benchmark measuring tape on for $12.99 that they claim will standout 11 feet. As with Canadian Tire's Mastercraft line I'm not much of a fan of retailer's discount brands like Benchcraft, but the price might appeal to some guys. The standout is comparable to the Stanleys that I use - the Max Steel at 9' and the Fat Max Extreme at 13' - but where the Stanleys feature 1" and 1 1/4" wide blades, this Benchcraft has 1 5/8" blade that should make it bulkier to the hand. Home Depot has a couple different wide blade Lufkins in the $13-$15 range that may also be less pricey alternatives to the Stanley Fat Max for some guys or for abusive work.

Where's The Deals?

If you've been wanting a couple pair of vise-grip c-clamps for steel framing, but have been balking at the price, Canadian Tire has assorted genuine Vise-Grip pliers and clamps on for 30% off. Also on is the 3-piece set of Mastercraft aviation snips for half price at $14.99. In general, I'm not a fan of Mastercraft tools, but some guys claim the aviation snips outlast the more expensive Wiss snips and have been switching over in recent years. I haven't tried them yet, but this looks like a good time to. The 3-piece set includes left, right and straight - green, red, and yellow. Mechanix gloves are on sale for 50% off again, from $9.99 to $14.99. The sale doesn't appear to include the top of the line gloves - they would be about $20 at 1/2 price. If you are just tuning in to my blog, check out the scoop on these gloves in my June 20th entry.
If you snoozed and lost out on the recent 2 for one screw gun deal at Home Depot you are still in luck, Home Hardware has them in their flyer this week for $134.99 for the two with 134 air miles. Home Hardware is listing them as a sale and not as a special purchase and give a regular price of $159.99 so maybe Dewalt plans on packaging sets for a while. I was wondering recently if they perhaps had a new model coming out and were trying to clear out the inventory of the current model. Either way, they are good solid guns and you can't go wrong.
If you feel like doing a little web surfing on a rainy day, KMS Tools and House of Tools both have their July flyers up online. You will find both of their web-sites in my list of links.