Great Christmas Present for Dad. DIY Toolbox Available Now.

DIY Toolbox is Now Available on the App Store.

DIY Toolbox is a new time saving iPad utility to help the home handyman manage DIY projects.

New Handyman iPad Application

DIY Toolbox is a new time saving iPad utility to help the home handyman manage DIY projects.

As soon as the animated Roller Door opens, its all there in a simple to use, professionally designed application.

Covert measurements from Metric to Imperial (or vica versa).

Calculate material volumes and prices for your DIY projects.

Save a list of notes to remind and manage your jobs, or a list of Tools and Materials that need to be bought the next time you are at the hardware store.

Features:

- Animated "Roller Door" opening screen.

- Unit of measurement setting - Set your app to Metric or Imperial - Only needs to be set once.

- Convert Utility - Use this to convert measurements form Feet to Metres, Inches to Millimetres and Yards to Feet.

- Paint Calculator - Work out the quantity of paint required for your walls, and for your ceilings. Makes an allowance to deduct the number of windows and doors from the final calculation.

- Wallpaper Calculator - Calculate the number of rolls required to complete up to 4 rooms at a time. Also makes an allowance to deduct the number of windows and doors from the final calculation.

- Flooring Calculator - Work out the area of flooring required for up to 9 rooms at once.

- Gravel Calculator - Calculates the required volume in Cubic Volume and Tonnes (Tons), with an optional quantity Price area for final costings.

- Concrete (Truck) - Calculates the volume, and price for your larger concrete requirements.

- Concrete (Bags) - Calculates the required amount of pre-mixed bags of concrete, and also the overall price.

- Concrete (Hand Mix) - Calculates the required amount of Cement Bags, Sand and Gravel needed to mix your own concrete, at a mix ratio of 1:2:4.

- Things To Do Notes - Add and save your list of things that need doing around the house, or buying at the hardware store.

- Email Notes - Send your saved notes and lists to your PC, or to your suppliers for more info or a quotation.

- Professionally designed User Interface.

The app should be release within the next 2 weeks.

Click here to go to the website for more info.

Bosch PSB 700-2 RE Impact Drill Review

I was recently asked by the guys at Bosch to review their PSB 700-2 Impact Drill. I own a couple of other Bosch Power Tools and have always found them to be very reliable, and long lasting... even the lower priced tools that are targeted at the Home Handyman.

The first thing you get is a good quality carry case. It feels sturdy and up to the task of being thrown around in the back of a ute. This Impact Drill also came with a bonus set of 5 Masonary Drill bits in sizes of 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm. Any free extras are always appreciated. The case also includes a handle and depth guage.

The first thing you do notice is that this drill feels right. It has the right amount of weight to make it feel like a serious tool that is solid and long lasting. It doesn't feel too light like some of the cheaper models that you can now buy in your local hardware store, and therefore you get the sense that something is missing.

This model also comes with a very good quality quick-release chuck. This is the best quality chuck that I have experienced on any DIY model drill. Its very easy to use and holds the drill bits as you would expect.

The PSB 700 has a 2-Speed gearbox with quite a reasonable top end speed and a lot more torque at low speed. The low speed is where you will mainly be when drilling into masonary and also steel. The faster speed comes into its own mainly when drilling into timber. Also, to help control speed there is a variable speed trigger included.


While using the supplied masonary drill bits to drill into a concrete slab, and also a brick wall, the PSB 700 did its job very well with all size drill holes. The impact action felt consistent and didn't slow down or stick in situation that I tested. Using the PSB 700 while drilling into 6mm steel was also very easy. Of course I made sure to use the lower speed and some wax lubricant to make life easier on my Quarter Inch (6mm) drill bit.


Overall a very good all round drill. The PSB 700 is strong and very reliable. Great for everyday use around the home. This Impact Drill will handle anything the DIY Handyman has to throw at it and should last quite a few years in the tool shed.


Click here to go to the product details on the Bosch website.

And below is some of the technical data for this model:




Technical Data
Power input - 701 W
Power output - 360 W
Max. torque (1st gear / 2nd gear) - 32,0 / 12,0 Nm
Idle speed (1st gear/2nd gear) - 0 – 800 / 2.600 rpm
Impact rate - 44.200 bpm
Machine weight - 2,4 kg

Drilling Range
Max. drilling diameter in concrete (1st gear / 2nd gear): 20 / 13 mm
Max. drilling diameter in steel (1st gear / 2nd gear): 13 / 8 mm
Max. drilling diameter in wood (1st gear / 2nd gear): 40 / 25 mm
Screw diameter max.: 8 mm

Functions
• Speed preselection
• Softgrip
• Forward/reverse operation
• Bosch Electronic

New Home Renovation TV Show Casting Call

A new Home Renovation TV Show is in the works. I received an email from Rick Spence, a producer of this new TV program that will "follow the trials and joys of home renovation".

If you are planning a home renovation project and would like to be part of this show, read on:

Here is the info I received from the producer:

Are You Renovating? A Bathroom? A Kitchen? Your Whole House?

The How To Channel is currently looking for homeowners to feature a premiere Australian program showcasing real renovation stories.
If you are undertaking a renovation in Sydney starting in December / January for completion in early March and would like to be considered, then send us a description of your renovation plans and your reason for undertaking the renovation as well as 3 photos of your house, and one of your family.
Send all enquiries to renovations@howtochannel.com.au

Here is a link to some info on the website at the How To Channel on Realestate.com.au:

Handyman iPhone App

DIY Handyman Toolbox is a new app that comes in either a Metric or Imperial versions.

DIY Handyman Toolbox - METRIC, is a handy, easy to use application to help you work out common handyman calculations like volume (cubic metres), area (square metres) and also to convert measurements from imperial to metric, or metric to imperial.


Also included is an optional area to include the unit price of the material and DIY Handyman Toolbox will calculate the overall cost for you as well as the required amount.


FEATURES:
• Volume - Cubic metres & Price Calculator
• Area - Square metres & Price Calculator
• Conversion - Convert measurements from imperial to metric or metric to imperial.
• Very easy to use.
• Clean, professional user interface design.
DIY Handyman Toolbox is useful to the Home Handyman as well as professional trades people, as a quick and simple way for working out material amounts and total prices.

HANDY FOR CALCULATING ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ORDERED IN SQUARE METRES OR CUBIC METRES.:
• Flooring - Timber & Carpet
• Walls - Paint, Wallpaper and Plasterboard (dry wall)
• Gardens - Mulch & Gravel
• Concrete

This application will save you a lot of time when working on your home improvements and renovations.

Click here for more info on the METRIC version.

Click here for more info on the IMPERIAL version.

iPhone Wood Types Reference Guide

I.D. Wood is a new iPhone application that literally becomes a pocket guide book to different types of wood from around the world.

The app' covers over 50 different types of wood and includes full screen previews, full descriptions and a large range of extra info, relating to each species and wood in general.

This app' is targeted to all woodworkers including, cabinet makers, designers, artists, architects, collectors, antique dealers, hobbyists, gunsmiths, musicians, homeowners, boat builders, carpenters and others.

Click here to find out more info.

Chainsaw Sharpening and Maintenance

My chainsaw started to do something strange the other day. It started to cut on an angle to the left in a curved crescent shape. I am by no means a chainsaw expert and had no idea what was going on.

After searching on the web I found this great document on the Stihl website. My chainsaw is a Husqvarna, but the fundamentals in this PDF are relevant to all chainsaws.

My problem was probably a number of things. I had hit some dirt cutting into an old tree stump and one side of my teeth were a bit blunter than the other side. I may have also been sharpening one side more than the other. Plus my chain bar was wearing unevenly.

So either way the problem does exist and it is easily fixed by having the chain professionally re-sharpened and the bar filed even.

The PDF can be downloaded here:
http://www.stihllibrary.com/pdf/SharpAdvice110606.pdf