February 22, 2008
When I was little, we used to have a handshower wand attached to our bathtub faucet.
We had a shower stall, but the wand came in handy when you wanted to get a really good scrubdown going.
But with its beige and brown, early '80s design, it wasn't the most attractive element in the room.
In fact, most hand showers are pretty un-stylish.
But most aren't Hansgrohe.
February 21, 2008
This metal-cutting tool, aka a "nibbler," solves many common problems when cutting sheet metal up to 18 gauge thick.
Chucked in a drill, the $170 Bad Dog Biter makes straight or curved cuts in metal junction boxes, tin ceiling panels, or steel framing.
See it to believe it:
MoreFebruary 21, 2008
When I first mentioned coming across "green" engineered flooring to some of my fellow TOH writers, I got a bit of the third degree.
"And it's green? Really? And it's engineered flooring? You're sure?"
Yes, yep, yisseree, and uh-huh.
I can understand the hesitation to believe.
More
February 20, 2008
The brains behind companies like DeWalt will often go to job sites and take notes on the construction workers' equipment.
They recently noticed that any recip saw blades that had seen any serious action had a bent tip, likely due to a plunge cut that didn't quite punch through the plywood.
So they've engineered a new saw blade with a hardened chisel at its tip—and DeWalt had 'em lined up at their booth, waiting to try it out.
MoreFebruary 20, 2008
The folks at Alchemy really know how to turn regular glass into jaw-dropping masterpieces.
While they don't follow their namesake's practices in trying to chemically turn copper or lead into precious metals (their Pure Gold sink is actually infused with flakes of 23-karat gold), they know how to manipulate their materials to get some magical, otherworldly designs.
Just take a look at their Cienega Series of sink basins.
The red, blue and green veins threading through the translucent half-spheres aren't the results of inks or dyes.
Rather, they come from expertly layering hot glass with metals and minerals.
The result? Sinks that are simulataneously earthy and fiery, like the Fireworks at left, or my favorite, the Lava bowl above.
MoreFebruary 19, 2008
This video demonstrates the incredible LockJaw pliers, a product we featured once upon a time. I honestly don't know why they haven't caught on yet.
The locking pliers work like a Vise Grip—except that these automatically detect the thickness of the material you're lookin' to clamp, applying equal pressure whether it's fat, skinny, or anywhere in between.
Adjust the total pounds of pressure you're applying, if needed, and a cam in the pliers' jaws takes care of the rest.
You don't fiddle with a screw, you just squeeze.
February 19, 2008
This is still just a concept, but I think it may very well one day be the savior of college students and roaming bachelors everywhere: The Casulo, a.k.a the room in a box.
Designed by two Danish students at the Köln International School of Design, the pallet-sized (80- x 120-cm) box contains a desk, a small cabinet, three stool chairs, an armoir, bed (with mattress!), and a shelving unit.
All of these essentials for a bedroom/home office can be unpacked in about 7 minutes. Talk about modular living.
Check out the video above—honestly, it's as entertaining as watching a bunch of clowns climb out of a teeny tiny car at the circus. Did I mention that no tools are needed?
After the jump, a shot of the room fully assembled.
MoreFebruary 15, 2008
Like a Roomba for the grass, the Husqvarna Automower putters about the lawn, clipping grass without forcing you to lift a finger.
Below, watch the Automower do what it does.
More
February 13, 2008
This just in from Harry Sawyers at the 2008 International Builders' Show in Orlando, Florida:
There are enough tools at the International Builders' Show to make your head spin. This carousel at the Bosch booth, with everything from drills to table saws, was enough to make us stop, drool, and get a little bit dizzy, too.
MoreFebruary 13, 2008
This just in from Harry Sawyers at the 2008 International Builders' Show in Orlando, Florida:
We've seen some pretty sexy range hoods at the 2008 International Builders' Show, but they're not right for every kitchen configuration. The new Siemens downdraft vent fixes that by simply rising out from the countertop to ventilate the nearby range. Maybe it's just the monolith talking, but...2001: A Smoke Odyssey?
More
Partner Site
Friends of TOH
