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Festool’s Domino Joining System is definitely one of those [[dream tools]] you wish someone would come up with and then you find out, “Viola - - someone has!” They broke the mold when they created this tool – but heed - Festool did not simply create another joiner, they created an entire [[joining system]].

The Domino® differs from other [[joiner tools]] mainly because of its superior accuracy and the strong joints it produces in a variety of sizes. This tool system also lessens the amount of manual marking you need to make (and its’ potential for accumulated errors). You can also vary the slot width, which allows some margin for positional error, while still allowing the joint to close properly.

I just discovered a cool, new tool that I wish I had two weeks ago when I was cutting off the tops of my fence posts - the Prazi Beam Cutter

This [[Beam Cutter]] made by an innovative little company called Prazi, is a [[chain-saw attachment]] that bolts on to just about any [[circular saw]], both standard and wormdrive (See PraziUSA.com for specific models).  This cool tool turns your everyday circular saw into a [[specialty framing saw]] that can be used to perform one-pass cuts on rafters, studs, posts, SIP panels, beams, gang-cutting stair stringers and more. It is versatile, efficient, accurate and cost effective.

Quick. Can you guess the number one cause of power tool failure is? If you guessed "broken power cord", you are spot-on! Broken power cords are very common because:

• Power cords are oftentimes accidentally cut when sawing
• Tools are dragged around by their cords
• Falling tools are sometimes "caught" by their cords, which causes the cord to absorb all of the intertia of the fall.
  

Power cords are easily the most common power tool part that either fails or is damaged. For safety reasons, a damaged cord should always be replaced immediately. And by "replaced immediately", we don't mean "wrap the damaged part with electrical tape".

Fortunately, most manufacturers are starting to recognize this and are designing their tools with a power cord that's easy to replace in the event of failure. Milwaukee developed the "Quik-Lok" system to make replacing a broken power cord as simple as twisting the old one off and twisting a new one on. However, the end of the cord that connects to the tool uses a special proprietary connector meaning that the downside to this  approach is that you have to have a spare Quik-Lok cord handy.

Bosch took the same idea, but made it better. Several saws in the Bosch line are equipped with the "Direct Connect" system and do not have a built-in power cord. Instead, they are designed to attach directly to an extension cord. How smart is that? Now, you can use as long of a cord as you need for your job and if you accidentally chop it in half or otherwise damage it, it's easy to obtain a replacement. It's a simple idea, but a great one!

The cord connector is locked in with a spring-clip, so you can be well-assured that it won''t accidentally get disconnected mid-use. The cord also loops around the back part of the tool to help protect the connectors from being damaged should the saw get dropped or dragged.

The Bosch Direct Connect system is available on select Bosch Reciprocating Saws, Wormdrive Saws, and Circular Saws available from ToolKing.com

• Browse Bosch Tools @ ToolKing.com
• Browse Reconditioned Tools @ TKRecon.com
• Visit Bosch's Website
  

"How-to" videos are a great way to learn how to do something. For many, it's easier to learn by observing somebody doing something rather than just reading a guide. The problem with how-to videos is that they are generally much more difficult to find than normal DVD movies. Public libraries are a great source of how-to videos, but their selection is limited.

As the advent of the internet has revolutionized almost all aspects of our lives, it's also a great place to find how-to videos. Recently, a few companies are starting to emerge that concentrate solely on how-to DVDs.