Ok, now I've seen it all

October 6, 2008

The global design community--designers, students, and engineers--descended upon New York City earlier this year for The Greener Gadgets Conference.

The goal of the conference was to encourage forward-thinking designers to create greener gadgets that address such concerns as energy consumption, carbon footprint, health, toxicity, product life cycle and social development.

The result was a plethora of amazingly creative, innovative and often wacky products. Take for example, the conceptual design called, Washup, which sprang from the mossy mind of designer Sevin Coskun.

Washup is combination washing machine and toilet. That's right, it's a washing machine with a flush cycle.

Bamboo: Who knew?

October 6, 2008

I just installed a bamboo floor, and learned quite a bit about this exciting new building product.

First of all, bamboo is extremely hard, and much denser than oak or even maple. That's pretty impressive when you consider that bamboo isn't a hardwood or softwood or any other sort of wood. Bamboo is actually a grass. And because it's a grass, bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet.

Bamboo is grown in the Far East on sustainable plantations, where it's harvested after just four years. Most hardwood trees don't reach maturity for 30 to 60 years. And bamboo regenerates after cutting, so the same plant can be harvested again in another four years.

While researching bamboo, I discovered that there are three basic types of solid bamboo flooring: vertical-grain solid strip, strand bamboo, and flat-grain solid strip (see photo above).

Velux now makes solar panels for hot water

October 6, 2008

Without question, Velux makes the best skylights. They have a foolproof flashing system that a monkey could install, they never ever leak, and they are available in many sizes and styles. The good news is that Velux now makes solar panels for your roof, and reports indicate that they are as high quality and jerk proof as the company’s roof windows.

Velux estimates that their solar hot water system will pay for itself in 3 to 7 years by reducing your water heating costs by 50 to 80 percent.  Federal tax credits help pay 30 percent of the cost, up to $2,000 for the system. And many states and utility companies offer additional financial incentives. Although the panels are new to this country, they have been available in Europe for years.

Save your back, and stop grunting and groaning!

October 4, 2008

After helping me spend an inordinate amount of time changing out the kitchen faucet—I hate plumbing—my twelve year old son asked why I grunted when I stood up and groaned when I got down on me knees to twist around on my back so I could slide in under the sink cabinet. I can’t remember whether I was equally impertinent to my father when I was Sam’s age, but probably not. We had better music back then and weren’t consumed by little hand-held electronic games played with one’s thumbs.

Along with my hand truck (which I recently used to haul all the giant pumpkins from the garden to the front porch) one of my favorite old-guy helpers is a rolling mechanic’s seat.  The height of the padded seat is adjustable from 16 to 21 inches, there is a tool tray underneath, and the wheels allow me to scoot around the room, shop, or garage. I used it recently when I put a new lock set in the front door, when I glazed a new piece of glass in the French door THAT SOMEONE KNOCKED OUT WITH A CROQUET BALL, and when I had to fuss with the hoses on the back of the washing machine. Neither a grunt nor a groan was heard through the house.

Be good to your wood

October 4, 2008

A:  I am also quite fond of my cutting board.  If you are too, you should treat your cutting board with the love and respect it deserves. After all, it takes a beating for the sake of your meal, and with out it your kitchen counter would be all scratched up and sticky with food juices (more so).  So, take 30 minutes and love your wood.

Deal of the day: Sears Get It Done Sale ends tomorrow

October 3, 2008

The twice yearly Sears Get It Done sale, in which mechanic's tools, tool storage, compressors, and thousands more tools are marked down, ends tomorrow.

GE appliances get chatty about energy efficiency

October 3, 2008

What if your appliances could "talk" to your local utility in order to shut off non-essential functions when energy usage rates in your community peak, helping to reduce overall energy demand and possibly save you money? It sounds like science fiction or a grand scheme developed in somebody's grad school thesis, doesn't it? Well the future is now. Major appliance manufacturer GE is currently working with Louisville Gas and Electric Company in a pilot program that gives 15 to 20 GE employees refrigerators, ranges, laundry pairs, dishwashers, and microwave ovens that get real-time signals that tell them when the energy grid is at its peak (usually between 3 and 7 in the evening) and then respond by delaying certain functions such as automatic defrost. Moreover, the company plans to begin sending out these Energy Management Enabled Appliances nationwide to areas where the local utility offers "smart" meters in the first quarter of 2009.

The tool set to end all tool sets

October 3, 2008

I sort of wish I had enough storage space to own Craftsman's staggeringly complete 1,470-piece tool set. I really wish I had the spare dough to drop on it. (It costs -- wait for it -- almost $8,000. On sale.) I almost wish I knew somebody I could buy this for, with the money I don't have to buy it. But I can't quite figure out who would need this...maybe a person who's launching a handyman or carpentry business starting with exactly zero tools...but honestly, how realistic is that?

Finally, a cord locking device that works well

October 3, 2008

One way to keep a power tool’s cord connected to an extension cord is tie them together with an overhand knot. This works fine until the knot gets hung up on something, which it inevitably will—always sooner than later.  There have been several cord-locking devices on the market, but to my mind none of them have been successful. Until now.

The Qwik-Lok was invented by Dave Forrester, a house framer and inventor who doesn’t have spell check. The device locks onto the prongs of a standard plug by using the holes found on the plug prongs. (If you ever wondered why all plugs have holes or small detents in their ends, it’s because some wall outlets’ contact points have little bumps inside that are supposed to slide over the plugs’ holes, making a better electrical contact and holding them tight. Sometimes it even works.)  The Qwik -Lok connector uses 10 contact points made from highly conductive beryllium copper that are impervious to wear, arcing and corrosion.  The device locks onto a plug by sliding back a spring loaded collar, similar to the way air tools lock to hoses. It’s a great little device. Speaking of air tools, on Dave’s site there is a photo of a giant compressor being held off the ground by its cord and a Qwik-Lok. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. But if you do, and the compressor falls on your foot, you are not allowed to read my blog while you recuperate.

Voting with your feet?

October 2, 2008

Wear a campaign button? Too Me-Generation. Stick a sign on my front lawn? I’d sooner trot out the pink flamingos. (Plus I don’t have a front lawn. Plus once, when I lived in Washington, I put a campaign sign in my window, and passersby who didn’t like my candidate threw trash on my lawn. But I digress.) If you feel strongly about your Presidential pick but don’t want to wear your politics on your sleeve (or in your yard), these doormats make a statement that’s a lot subtler, yet more substantial. They’re made of cast aluminum with a bronze finish, and at $185 a pop, you probably won’t toss them in the trash if you change teams or if your candidate doesn’t come out on top on November 4th.

Deal of the day: Get a $100 gift voucher from Restoration Hardware

October 2, 2008

Get a $100 gift voucher when you purchase more than $400 at Restoration Hardware. Offer good in store and online until October 6, 2008. Use code RPBE981.

October 2, 2008

If I were going to do it all over again, I’d go to the North Bennet Street School in Boston and take their two year program in Preservation Carpentry.

When I worked for a short time at Strawbery Banke Museum (and yes, that’s how it’s spelled) the head carpenter was a graduate of North Bennet Street, and man, the guy knew his stuff. Check out the website: Along with preservation, the school has other fascinating programs, all involving a high level of craft.

Deal of the day: Save on a mini sink console

October 1, 2008

This mini single-sink console is between $799.99 and $1,148.99 at Pottery Barn. It is regularly between $999.00 and $1,348.

Pine Cone picker upper

October 1, 2008

I once mentioned to a fishing guide that I wanted to live next to a river in a pine forest. He said, “No you don’t. Nothing worse than having pine cones all over the place. They jam the lawn mower  and kill the grass.

Well, I still want to live in a pine forest next to a river, and the first thing I’ll get is a Coneivore. Push it down over a cone and it picks them up. Ingenious! Actually, I’m lying. The first thing I’d get is a canoe.

Deal of the day: Save $12 on rotary cutter

September 30, 2008

This rotary cutter is $2.99 at Jack's Tool Shed.