OXO Good Grips Silicone Sink Strainer
In this video we’re taking a look at an $8 sink strainer from OXO. It has made our kitchen sink more civilized. Sink strainers are a kinda gross subject, so I’ll do my best not to disgust you here....
View ArticleBondic liquid welder
With a lifetime of making, I have used almost every type of glue and bonding agents. Hot glue has been a big friend during my many years as a professional prop maker. Clear epoxy is a great hard drying...
View ArticleMaster Lock Speed Dial
About a year ago I bought a Master Lock Speed Dial ($8) for a pretty niche set of reasons, however it was such a perfect fit for my problem I feel it deserves inclusion into the Cool Tools oeuvre. My...
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Knipex Pliers Wrench
The Knipex Pliers Wrench ($40+) is best described in the US as a smooth-faced channel lock plier/wrench. Or, as a pliers-handled crescent wrench. I have a set of 3 different sizes and have used them...
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Laura Cochrane, Content Strategist
Our guest this week is Laura Cochrane. Laura Cochrane is a content strategist living in Berkeley, California. She currently works at NEO.LIFE, a biotech publication. Before that, she was an editor at...
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Theo Gray’s Mad Science
Theo Gray’s Mad Science ($17) is a rare home-chemistry book where the advice of “don’t try this at home” is, for once, appropriate. I usually complain about the scare mongering of home chemistry, but...
View ArticleFreeze dried taxidermy/TSA-proof knife/Python Tutorials
Freeze dried taxidermy Occasionally a small bird strikes one of our windows and dies. Rather than bury it, I freeze dry it. I insert the whole bird into a baggie with a pack of desiccant to keep it...
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Goo Gone
Goo Gone ($7) is a liquid that helps remove adhesive residues. I’ve been using it for years to clean off the adhesive residue left from stickers, labels, tape, etc. Let’s say you just bought a picture...
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Fiskars Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip
Fiskars’ PowerGear Bypass Pruner, previously reviewed, is the handiest, most used tool in my vegetable garden, but it’s too big and clunky for precision cutting of young salad greens and herbs. For...
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Bone Folder
A classic bone folder $7 is made of real bone, not plastic or Teflon, and resembles a fat, blunt-edged tongue depressor, rounded at one end and pointed at the other. With it, I can turn a digital...
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GB Wire Stripper and Crimper
A tool I love is the GB SE-94 Automatic Wire Stripper and Crimper ($22). The Kronus Wire Stripper, previously reviewed on Cool Tools, used to be the bane of my electrical-work existence. It would only...
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Haws Watering Can
When I began gardening I used a generic plastic watering can from a hardware store, but it didn’t give a gentle enough flow for newly planted seeds, nor a fast enough stream for larger plants that...
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Gorilla Gripper
I have the Stanley Panel Carry, previously reviewed on Cool Tools, but greatly prefer the Gorilla Gripper ($49), which works with panel widths from 3/8 to 1 1/8 inch. It is about six times more...
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Saul Griffith, Inventor
Our guest this week is Saul Griffith. Saul is a compulsive user of tools, he works across disciplines with a focus of making tools and technologies that help us solve climate change. Consequently, he...
View ArticleInside/SparkToro/Shortbooks.co
Insider industry news I’ve become of a fan of Inside newsletters. Once a day I get a brief summary of what’s been reported in a narrow specialized field, like AI, or VR, or Space, or Robotics....
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Butter Bell
Some folks are comfortable leaving out the butter, as-is on the counter for days on end. For those who aren’t, but still want the convenience and pleasure of a steady, safe supply of...
View ArticleWhat’s the Best Solder Sucker?
In his video I’m going to show you three different solder suckers that can help you undo soldered connections on your electronic projects. There’s only one here I really recommend, and I’m going to...
View ArticleSilicone Sleeves for Mason Jars
Here is concise version of the seller’s (true) claims: — These silicone sleeves ($9+) [really a “jacket,” because it fits over the bottom, not just the sides] for quart Mason jars add grip and padding,...
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Akro-Mils Small Parts Storage
Working in industrial design, I constantly acquire small sets of parts to use for multiple clients and projects. I’ve tried using a variety of translucent plastic boxes to contain and organize these...
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Baby Soda Bottles
These Soda Bottle Preforms and Caps (30 for $25)are good for storing just about anything small you don’t want crushed, spilled, or dampened: Batteries, earbud headphones, mini-first aid kit, medicine....
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