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+-- Thread: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! (/showthread.php?tid=7356009)
Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - Rob Young - 06-17-2020
Recently built a prototype door to start replacing all the interior doors at home. Started with a pantry door that was also going to be the most custom sized because the pantry was framed a bit wonky.
Anyway, 3-panel Shaker where the upper panel is largest extending from the top rail to the lockrail. Poplar so not terribly heavy but definately heavier than the el-cheapo builder-grade hollow core doors that are present now.
I've always hated hanging doors because you either need somebody to help steady it as you engage the hinges or have to use a cat's paw bar and pencil or dowel as a lever and fulcrum. Works but can be a bit fussy.
On a whim bought one of these for $18 and wonder of wonders, it worked great.
[attachment=27683]
Because it is wider than the cat's paw and the rubber isn't slick, it doesn't let the door bobble around as it rises up. Just pump slowly with your foot while you ready the top hinge pin and work your way down the door.
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - K. L. McReynolds - 06-17-2020
(06-17-2020, 09:20 AM)Rob Young Wrote: Recently built a prototype door to start replacing all the interior doors at home. Started with a pantry door that was also going to be the most custom sized because the pantry was framed a bit wonky.
Anyway, 3-panel Shaker where the upper panel is largest extending from the top rail to the lockrail. Poplar so not terribly heavy but definately heavier than the el-cheapo builder-grade hollow core doors that are present now.
I've always hated hanging doors because you either need somebody to help steady it as you engage the hinges or have to use a cat's paw bar and pencil or dowel as a lever and fulcrum. Works but can be a bit fussy.
On a whim bought one of these for $18 and wonder of wonders, it worked great.
Because it is wider than the cat's paw and the rubber isn't slick, it doesn't let the door bobble around as it rises up. Just pump slowly with your foot while you ready the top hinge pin and work your way down the door.
Oh great! NOW you post this----after I no longer need to hang doors!!!!! Always used a flat, curved pry bar----never really was much easier.
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - Cooler - 06-17-2020
(06-17-2020, 09:20 AM)Rob Young Wrote: Recently built a prototype door to start replacing all the interior doors at home. Started with a pantry door that was also going to be the most custom sized because the pantry was framed a bit wonky.
Anyway, 3-panel Shaker where the upper panel is largest extending from the top rail to the lockrail. Poplar so not terribly heavy but definately heavier than the el-cheapo builder-grade hollow core doors that are present now.
I've always hated hanging doors because you either need somebody to help steady it as you engage the hinges or have to use a cat's paw bar and pencil or dowel as a lever and fulcrum. Works but can be a bit fussy.
On a whim bought one of these for $18 and wonder of wonders, it worked great.
Because it is wider than the cat's paw and the rubber isn't slick, it doesn't let the door bobble around as it rises up. Just pump slowly with your foot while you ready the top hinge pin and work your way down the door.
Those bags are also used by car thieves. They slip it in between the door jamb and it can spread the door enough to use a wire to unlock the car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEMzTDiXC6A
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - R Clark - 06-17-2020
(06-17-2020, 10:38 AM)Cooler Wrote: Those bags are also used by car thieves. They slip it in between the door jamb and it can spread the door enough to use a wire to unlock the car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEMzTDiXC6A
Last summer, I watched an AAA service call guy open a locked-out Chevy Avalanche with one of these in about 45 seconds, and he wasn't even particularly rushed when he did it.
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - Rob Young - 06-17-2020
(06-17-2020, 10:38 AM)Cooler Wrote: Those bags are also used by car thieves. They slip it in between the door jamb and it can spread the door enough to use a wire to unlock the car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEMzTDiXC6A
Multitasker.
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - Stwood_ - 06-17-2020
Looks pretty slick Rob. If I was still hanging doors......
I did like Mac did, a curved flat pry bar.
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - R Clark - 06-17-2020
In the spirit of the original post here, I bought one of the Veritas miniature shoulder planes years ago when I bought a medium shoulder plane. It was less than $30, if I recall, and I bought it on a whim because I thought it was cool because it was tiny.
[attachment=27684]
It has been amazingly useful, and I used it just yesterday while fitting some lids to small boxes.
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - Rob Young - 06-17-2020
(06-17-2020, 10:54 AM)Stwood_ Wrote: Looks pretty slick Rob. If I was still hanging doors......
I did like Mac did, a curved flat pry bar.
Yep, that's what I used too. But I've always found it a bit wobbly and maybe my cat's paw doesn't have enough bend in it because I would slip a pencil under it to give it more lifting range.
This gimick is about 6" wide and a bit grippy so it just felt more stable. Another suggested use by the manufacturer is to have two of them (gee, maybe they want to sell more) and use one for vertical and one for horizontal when shimming a window into place.
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - GeeDub - 06-17-2020
Great to hear about the "novelty" shoulder plane being actually useful; bonus! The air shim has found itself useful in my shop for many things. It has a spot in a drawer and I know right where it is when I want it. A pry bar requires a hand; the air shim is a third hand. I can't really think of any other novelty tools that became useful . . . I have really drawn on the experiences of the forums and been pretty lucky in my choices. There's gotta be something. How about tools that I thought would be useful in building furniture but, just weren't . . . miter saw, biscuit joiner, PC314 circ-saw, brad nailers . . . there's probably more.
RE: Thread for tools that look gimicky but work! - Rob Young - 06-17-2020
And since I'm on the door topic, here's another one. About $21 local to me for the kit without the corner punch (I think I bought the #200 kit, picture is the #300 kit). Has a bunch of templates for hinges and strike plates. Again, since the doors I'm replacing are inexpensive builder-grade pre-hung doors these templates are a dead on match for the existing hinge and strike mortises.
And it was a dead match to the replacement hinges I bought, swapping out as I go from brass to dull-rub bronze.
Milescraft Hingemate (200 or 300)
[attachment=27687]
The router bit isn't bad either. Chucked up in a PC690 it did a clean job.
Yes, this will leave two screw holes in your door or jamb where it was fixed down. But I'm just doing doors right now and all are going to be painted so no big deal.
And if I was going to be making a living at this, I'd consider a different jig, one that is a bit more substantial and adjustable. This one is pretty much just for 1-3/8" (nominal) and 1-3/4" (nominal) doors.
Could I build a hinge mortising jig? Yes, absolutely. But happy I splurged and got this and it will just live in a $5 tool bag from Harbor Freight (one of their hidden jems, good for organizing tools with lots of accessory parts that you want to have portable).