Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Home

Yule Tools

Tools are a favorite gift to place under the tree. Looking for ideas for the do-it-your-selfers on your holiday shopping list ?

By JUDY STARK
Published December 9, 2006

ADVERTISEMENT [Photo: Stanley] The Stanley LED tripod flashlight can be held by hand or with its stand. [Photo: Stanley] The FatMax Mobile Project Center from Stanley doubles as a handcart that can be stabilized as a work bench, with integrated clamps and a power switch.

Right up there with the Christmas tie is the Christmas tool.

Whether it's the stocking stuffer or the big gift, whether it's the gift itself or the home-center gift card, tools are a standard item in Santa's pack.

Looking for some inspiration? Read on. All these tools are available locally at one or another of the big home centers and major hardware stores.

- The November issue of This Old House magazine came up with 23 uses for the 5-in-1 painter's multitool. It scrapes paint, it spreads spackle, it cleans rollers, it removes putty, it opens cans - and much, much more. The tool also made it onto the "Toolbox Essentials" gift guide at bejane.com, a Web site that "empowers home improvement." The version shown above, from Hyde, is $5.97; Red Devil makes a 9-in-1 version that does even more; $14.

- No one ever has too many flashlights or worklights. Combine the two with the Stanley

LED tripod flashlight $24.97. Use it in hand as a flashlight or set up the tripod as a worklight in poorly lighted places: under the sink, changing a tire in the dark. It stands 101/4 inches tall; the batteries go in the legs.

- Speaking of lights, you can buy a baseball cap with an LED light in the brim, but the Small Flex Light from Coast LED Lenser may be more versatile. It clips to the brim so you can wear it on any cap; $16.97. Useful when you need to focus light on a small area (see next item for why you might) or when you're walking in the dark and want to make yourself visible.

- How many times have you fiddled with those miniature screwdrivers to replace a screw in the earpiece of your eyeglasses? Why are they so tiny? It's not as though your hand got smaller. The Oxo Good Grips 4-in-1 Precision Screwdriver ($4.98) has two double-ended magnetized bits that snap into end caps with clear tips so you can identify them, and a decent-sized, nonslip grip so you can do the job.

-Oxo also offers a kneeling mat ($14.98) that folds in half for double the padding or for compact storage. The knees of those who scrub grout, lay tile or garden will thank you.

- For the big present under the tree, the FatMax Mobile Project Center from Stanley acts like a handcart that can carry 220 pounds to roll your supplies to your work site. Then it converts into a workbench, with integrated clamps and a power strip, that will support 660 pounds. The whole thing folds flat for storage. It's $109.

- For the multitasker on your gift list, consider the Magnetic Ratcheting Screwdriver with Built-in Tape Measure from Great Neck Saw Manufacturers. The ratchet allows you to keep turning the screwdriver without constantly resetting it in the screw. The tip is magnetized. The 39-inch tape measure, in the handle, saves space and return trips to the toolbox. It's $11.99.

- The 8-inch AutoWrench from Black & Decker adjusts with the push of a button to grab any nut or bolt up to 11/4 inches - handy when you're working in a tight space where two-handed adjustment isn't easy. Try it when you're installing a new shower head or assembling a grill. It's powered by two AAA batteries. $30.

- The AutoClamp ($30) is another Black & Decker one-handed tool. Like the wrench, this battery-powered tool adjusts with the push of a button. It has a 6-inch capacity; a manual override; and will do 60 clamps on one set of batteries.

- You could have invented this and become rich, but no: the magnetic tray from Husky. It's a stainless-steel dish, 6 inches in diameter, with a strong magnet that holds nuts, bolts, screws, washers and other tiny items while you work. Lost parts? No more. It's $9.97.

- No user of Dremel rotary tools ever has enough accessories or attachments, and there's always something new. (Check the Flexlite, $14.97; the saw, $29.97, or the plane, $19.97.) If there are any Dremel newbies out there, start them off with the Dremel Stylus kit ($69.98), a 25-piece kit with cordless rotary tool (note that this accommodates accessories but not attachments). Another possibility is the lithium-ion cordless rotary tool set (read: longer battery life): 60 accessories, a flashlight and a storage bag; $79.97.

- Offer inspiration, explanation - or a strong hint - with a do-it-yourself book. Stanley, Taunton, Home Depot, Lowe's, Black & Decker and Sunset all produce reliable, lavishly illustrated guides, either general compendiums or books on specific topics (remodeling a bathroom, building storage shelves in a closet). Check the book section at the home centers for a good variety.

Judy Stark can be reached at (727) 893-8446 or stark@sptimes.com.

[Last modified December 7, 2006, 12:11:19]