The OpenX is advertised as a tool for opening those annoying plastic packages, but I’ve found that its useful for opening just about anything. The tool is just about 7″ long and 1.5″ wide at its head. Its hard, yellow plastic case fits well in my hand, and there’s a handy keyhole on the back so you can hang it up somewhere…
Founded in Shikuoza, Japan in 1946, Kabushiki gaisha Tamiya was originally a sawmill and architectural lumber company that made wooden ship models as a sideline. Their first plastic model, released in 1960, was a 1/800 scale battleship Yamato. Today, Tamiya manufactures R/C sea, air, and land vehicles, robots, educational materials, and a line of modeling tools, paints, and accessories in addition to their traditional scale model line.
I missed the original Cricut insanity a few years back when the original model debuted. My friends went NUTS for it, raving about what a great addition it was to their crafty tool supply. On Black Friday, I watched as shoppers knocked each other down trying to pick up sale-priced cartridges. But no Cricut craziness […]
Admittedly, there are lots of ratcheting screwdrivers in the world. Especially nowadays. But I love the Easydriver, and I suspect I always will, and not just for the warm glow of nostalgia the one from Dad’s toolbox evokes for me. The Easydriver, IMHO, is a classic of modern industrial design. It belongs in a nice coffee table book, somewhere…
Who doesn’t love a good trebuchet? This comprehensive Trebuchet Kit (available in the Maker Shed) is 100% hand made in Michigan by people who spend their free time launching pumpkins.
Tuesday is Toolsday here at MAKE, and to celebrate, we’re having a Hangout on Air. Join us 6pm PDT to talk about some of your favorite tools and to show off your workspace.
I tend to do my fine-detail circuit work inside the house on my electronics workbench, and rougher work in my garage workshop. I have vises installed in both places, each chosen to suit the work: in the house I use a PanaVise Jr. Mini-Vise mounted on a tray base; in the garage it’s a heftier swivel vise bolted to my workbench. Now, PanaVise has turned things upside down by offering this new Vise Buddy Jr., which is a small, precision vise head that you can quickly clamp into your bigger bench vise.
