After five years at Tools of the Trade I thought this would be a good time to share some of my favorite tool stories. Why now? Because I am leaving and this will be the last story I write as the editor of this publication.
Working for ToTT has been a dream job that allowed me to visit tool factories and development labs, talk tools with industry experts, and try out more tools than I ever thought possible. I want to thank you, the readers, for helping to make this a reality, because without your keen interest in tools there would never have been a job in publishing for someone like me—a former carpenter with a tenuous grasp of punctuation and grammar.
What does this mean for ToTT? It means something good, a fresh perspective and some new blood. The editor of JLC, Clayton DeKorne, will now be responsible for ToTT. It’s a homecoming of sorts, as he is the founding editor of this publication. His first act upon taking over from me was to hire a new senior editor, Chris Ermides, who is coming off several years in construction after working as an editor at FHB. Clayton will tell you more about Chris and their plans for the publication in an upcoming newsletter. Between the two of them ToTT will be in excellent hands.
As for me, I’m not through writing about tools and construction but I will be taking a break. For the next few months I will be trading my desk for a pair of sawhorses, so I can complete several long overdue repair and remodeling projects at home. After that it’s back to writing about tools and construction on a freelance basis. Keep your eyes open for me—I’ll be around.
About those stories I mentioned at the beginning of this post—here are some I particularly enjoyed working on.
Because I like tools that are out of the ordinary:
50 Cool Things from an Over-the-Top Tool Shop
A Strange Motorized Work Station
A Trip to the Festool Museum in Germany
Because I like what you tell us about tools.
Tradesmen’s Favorite Hand Tools
Top 18-Volt Tools for Remodelers
Because I like hacked and home-made equipment:
Hacking a Festool MFT
A Tricked Out Miter Saw Cart
Hacking a Ridgid Miter Saw
Home-Made Portable Mortising Machine
Because I like facts and figures:
Home Depot v. Lowes 2015
10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Nails
What’s an arm, eye, or a finger worth?
Because I like anything on wheels:
A Decked Out Dump Trailer
Brian's Way Cool Shop on Wheels
22 Cool and Unusual Truck and Van Accessories
The Oldest Truck in the World
Because I like anything by Tim Uhler
Framer's Everyday Carry
Because I like to know where tools and building materials come from:
A Trip to the Nail Factory
A Trip to the Screwdriver Factory
A Trip to the Sawmill
A Trip to the Cordless Tool Factory
A Trip to the Knaack Box Factory
Because I like people who are seriously into tools:
A Trip to the Chainsaw Museum
World Famous Tool Collector Dies at Age 87
An Amazing Collection of Framing Hammers
