There are plenty of design and DIY blogs but the world of tool blogs is fairly small and among them a few stand out. These sites cover the latest tools and hardware from all the main manufacturers and they often highlight tool companies that are lesser known.
Some of these tool blogs skew towards the professional while others are geared to the weekend warrior types. Some of them are run by contractors who have relied on tools for years to make a living and know them inside out while others are run by tool fanatics who are obsessed with the technology and design of the newest tools.
In no particular order these are my favorite tool blogs and should be yours too.
ToolBoxBuzz
A fairly new site from Todd Fratzel who runs Home Construction Improvement. He's compiled a great group of editors and know their tools inside and out.
CopTool
The official blog of Ohio Power Tool and edited by Jay Amstutz (pictured above). You'll find great side by side tool comparisons and they run the incomparable Power Tool Races.
ToolGuyd
I've worked with Stuart a few times and he has a great grasp of the technology behind the tools.
ProTool Reviews
Tom and Clint publish new tool reviews daily and have an active forum of other tool fanatics.
Toolsnob
Doug has been writing Toolsnob for years and is one of the first tool bloggers I met. He covers all types of home product but his best reviews are on tools.
Tools In Action
This site has been around for awhile but Dan and Eric are working hard to give it a fresh look.
Tool-Rank
Chris has worked hard to build a great looking tool blog and I think he's succeeded. As a carpenter he knows his tools.
Toolmonger
Sean and Chuck keep the world's first tool blog humming along and they often have a unique take on the tool industry that sets them apart.
Honorable Mention
These blogs aren't necessarily tool focused but they do offer some great reviews and occasional Giveaways from major tool manufacturers. What you will mostly find are great home improvement projects, tutorials and product reviews.
A Concord Carpenter
HomeFixated
One Project Closer
Building Moxie
Home Construction Improvement
MyFixItUpLife
Ask The Builder
Extreme How-To
We had some fun with some of these tool bloggers and asked them to share what type of truck they drive. One brand was a clear winner.
Last year we visited the Butler Street Foundry, a metal shop located on the Southside of Chicago in the shadow of Comiskey Park. We met the owner, John Lamonica, at a Craftsman event and besides being an artisan metalworker he also works closely with kids and inspires them to learn how to weld and shape metal. At his shop he gave me a crash course with the plasma cutter which is an amazing tool.
John was gracious enough to give me a tour of his metal shop which was an ode to how metal working has been done for centuries. The shop served as one of the key rebuilding centers after the Great Fire in 1871. There were no computers or digital machines in sight and the heavy machinery was all operated on hydraulic systems.
The highlight of this tour was getting a peek into the wood shop which functioned as a small addition to the metal work but had ceased production in 1947. Fortunately for me the wood shop had never been cleared and according to John, almost everything was left as is.
These photos don't do this place justice and I can still smell the musky scent of a variety of wood and years of dust and dirt. One of my favorite photos is of a 48-star US flag that still hangs from the wall near some front doors which had been replaced but still bear a Chicago tax stamp from 1930.
Here are some photos from the metal shop.
You know you're an avid do-it-youselfer when you're ready to step up to an angle grinder. Most angle grinders are found in workshops, service garages and auto body repair shops but we're certain you'll find a use for this tool if you win it. Nothing matches an angle grinder when you need to cut or grind through anything.
This week our Giveaway is courtesy of Tough Weld Workwear. The Metabo W8-115 Quick 4 1/2" Angle Grinder is a high-powered angle grinder with extra high cooling capacity for fast work progress and includes a robust Metabo marathon motor. Other features include Metabo dust-protection technology for an extremely long device service life, a quick wheel change system, non-locking paddle switch, spindle lock, low profile aluminum die-cast gear housing, burst-proof guard w/ 7 stops, anti-vibration side handle, metabo slip clutch, and auto-stop carbon brushes.
Tough Weld is also offering our readers a 10% coupon code for their online store which includes brands like Dickies, Carhartt, Wrangler and Timberland. Just enter "c&h10" at checkout.
HOW TO ENTER
You can enter once-per-day and you've got three options! Enter all three ways to triple your chance of winning!
1. Leave a comment below stating what you'll cut or grind with this tool.
note: Please don't add URL's or email addresses in the actual comment as it may go to spam. Make sure you provide a working email in the comment form so we can contact the winner.
3. Like this contest on Facebook
2. Tweet this contest on Twitter with the words "Win a Metabo angle grinder from @Charles_Hudson @ToughWeld http://bit.ly/toughweldwork #giveaway"
PRIZE
One winner will receive a Metabo W8-115 Quick 4 1/2" Angle Grinder (retail value $258).
GIVEAWAY DEADLINE
We will select one random winner at 12 midnight EST on February 15th, 2012 and he/she will be notified immediately.
BONUS: EVERYONE WINS
Don't forget the coupon code. Use "c&h10" at checkout on ToughWeld.com for 10% anything in your shopping cart. They've got brands like UnderArmour, Justin and Wolverine Workboots.
How can you not love everything that Liberty Tool Co. of Maine represents.
Thanks Etsy!
There's No Place Like Here: Liberty Tool from Etsy on Vimeo.
