BooTENDS TnRoITIoNAL SuurTERs STEp TooI Box ... - Wood Tools

ew Bits Hit the ThrgetVermont American has inkoduced fastcuttinghole saws with a plug-ejectingarbor, plus a new line of drill bits especiallyengineered for use with cordlessdrills. I tested them both, and gotimpressive results.Whenever I've installed deadboltlocks in the past, I always checked thatthere were no children around. And itwasn't for just the usual safety concerns- I also wanted to make sure that theydidn't expand their vocabulary by hearingme curse at the wooden plug thatalways got stuck inside the hole saw.Vermont American's new hole sawsand arbor have upgraded my lockinstallationperformance from a marginal"R" rating to a family-friendly "G".The bimetal hole saw cuts aggressivelyand has deep gullets that help ejectchips for faster and cooler cutting.But the real star of this show is thePlug Out arbor that fits all standard holesaws. When you cut the hole, it acts likea standard arbor. But when you're finishedcutting theplug, you put themetal cup of thesaw into the hole,slightly wedging itagainst the wall ofthe hole. Then,switch your drillinto reverse, andthe left-handedthreads on thearbor shaft push theplug clear of the bit.VermontAmerican'sSidewinder drill bitsfeature an additionalclearance relief machined along the bifsshaft. That reduces friction againstheside of the hole - which means moreholes per battery charge. Sizesrange from l/ra't totlru nr/ursteps. The bits are available at hardwarestores, or call VermontAmerican at (704) 7317464.Wrenches Self-Adjust, Grip TightlyIt seems that quite a few inventorsare obsessed with creating the ultimateself-adjusting wrench. And mostof the time, their ideas nearly work.But every so often, I discover atool, like the Pop Pro wrench, that's asolid performer. To use it, you openthe jaws with your thumb, then letthe spring-loaded mechanism closeon the flats of the nut or bolt - SAEor metric.The harder you push on thewrench's handle, the tighter the jawsgrip. The Pop Pro Wrench handlessquare and hex heads from l/arr to7 f ttt, and the larger Industrial Pop Proself-adjusts from s/s" 1o 15lrtt. Bothare covered by a lifetime warranty.Order directly from SK Enterprisesby calling (914) 562-1111. The smallwrench is $23.95; the large size is$4z.gs;plus shipping.Vermont Amerlcanhole saws cut fast,and the Plug Out arboruses your drlll'sreversing power toelecthe wood fromthe cup. The Sldewinderbit (below)gfues you more holesper battery charge.Snips Work FastWhen I needed to make long cutsin tough materials like sheet metalor vinyl siding, I had to choosebetween the longblades of tinner'ssnips and the morepowerful cuttingaction of compoundactionsnips.The new Multi-Master long bladesnips from Wiss com-i:bine the best of these \two tools. The 3rlblades are twice aslong as those on ordinarycutters. And youretain the mechanicaladvantage of compoundaction. which multipliesyour hand's force byfive times.The Wiss Multi-Master snips retail forabout $17 at hardwarestores and home centers.W'orkbench t June 1997