According to Milwaukee these tools integrate three ground-breaking cordless technologies to deliver up to 10X longer life, 25% more power and 50% more run-time for the professional tradesman.  Sounds like a winner to us.  Milwaukee has combined their exclusive POWERSTATE™ brushless motor, REDLITHIUM™ battery pack, and REDLINK PLUS™ intelligence to deliver drills that will outperform all other 18V drills on the market, while being over 1” shorter and lighter than leading competition.

Here is what impresses us.  Both the drill/driver and the hammer drill have a whooping 725 in-lbs. of torque.  That is a huge jump over existing 18V platforms.  The new POWERSTATE™ brushless motor works harder, lives longer, and converts energy into power and torque more efficiently than leading competitors. The POWERSTATE™ motors also reduce noise and cools more rapidly, delivering years of maintenance-free performance.

Milwaukee REDLITHIUM™ batteries provide significantly more run-time, power and recharges than any other Lithium product on the market. REDLITHIUM™ also delivers best-in-class performance in extreme job-site conditions. With Milwaukee® durability built into each pack, the REDLITHIUM™ battery operates cooler and performs in climates as low as 0°F/-18°C with fade free power.
REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence hardware and software is the world’s most advanced system of cordless power tool electronics that will maximize performance and protect the user’s investment. REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence is a best-in-class system that integrates full-circle communication between tool, battery and charger, and constantly monitors this internal network to maintain ideal conditions.

In addition, all M18™ FUEL products will include the new multi-voltage charger to allow users to charge all M12™ and M18™ batteries with one charger. The new drills also come with an all metal ratcheting locking chuck for maximum grip, bit retention and durability, as well as a new contoured soft grip that gives users the ultimate comfort during prolonged use.
OK here is the bad news.  This system is not available until March of 2012.  We know it is only a month away, but we are excited and want to see this in action now.  Check out more about Milwaukee’s fuel system and other Milwaukee tools at milwaukeetool.com/fuel.

M18 Fuel Specifications

M18 FUEL™ 1/2″ Drill/Driver Kit (2603-22)

• Volts: 18V
• Torque: 725 in-lbs
• Speed: 2 Speed
• RPM: 0-550 / 0-1,850 RPM
• Chuck Type: 1/2″ Metal Single Sleeve – Ratcheting Lock
• Tool Length: 7.9”
• Tool Weight (w/ XC battery):4.9 lbs

2603 M18™ FUEL 1/2″ Drill/Driver, (2) M18™ HIGH CAPACITY REDLITHIUM™ Battery Packs and Multi-Voltage Charger

M18 FUEL™ 1/2″ Drill/Driver Bare Tool (2603-22CT)

• Volts: 18V
• Torque: 650 in-lbs
• Speed: 2 Speed
• RPM: 0-550 / 0-1,850 RPM
• Chuck Type: 1/2″ Metal Single Sleeve – Ratcheting Lock
• Tool Length: 7.9”
• Tool Weight (w/ compact battery):4.4 lbs

2603 M18™ FUEL 1/2″ Drill/Driver, (2) M18™ COMPACT REDLITHIUM™ Battery Packs and Multi-Voltage Charger

M18 FUEL™ 1/2″ Hammer Drill/Driver Kit (2604-22)

• Volts: 18V
• Torque: 725 in-lbs
• Speed: 2 Speed
• RPM: 0-550 / 0-1,850 RPM
• BPM: 31,450 BPM
• Chuck Type: 1/2″ Metal Single Sleeve – Ratcheting Lock
• Tool Length: 8.1”
• Tool Weight (w/ XC battery): 5.0 lbs

Includes 2604 M18™ FUEL 1/2″ Drill/Driver, (2) M18™ HIGH CAPACITY REDLITHIUM™ Battery Packs and Multi-Voltage Charger

M18 FUEL™ 1/2″ Hammer Drill/Driver Bare Tool (2604-22CT)

• Volts: 18V
• Torque: 650 in-lbs
• Speed: 2 Speed
• RPM: 0-550 / 0-1,850 RPM
• BPM: 31,450 BPM
• Chuck Type: 1/2″ Metal Single Sleeve – Ratcheting Lock
• Tool Length: 8.1”
• Tool Weight (w/ compact battery): 4.5 lbs

Includes 2604 M18™ FUEL 1/2″ Drill/Driver, (2) M18™ COMPACT REDLITHIUM™ Battery Packs and Multi-Voltage Charger

We get a lot of emails from people, which we always love hearing from our readers.  They ask us questions like which combo kit should I buy?  Where should I buy it from?  Who is the best manufacturer?  These are all awesome questions, so we decided to make an information page about these questions and power tool combo kits.

What Manufacturer Combo Kit is the Best?

This is probably the number one question we get from our readers.  We wish we could give you a simple answer, but there is not one.  In reality there truly is not one best manufacturer around.   Some manufacturers may make the best reciprocating saw, but maybe their grinder is sub par.  Now if you talk to different people, you will get many different answers.  It’s like the old truck argument, which is better Ford, Dodge or Chevy.  You will get people who are loyal to Ford and hate Dodge, while others think Chevy is the best.  I am not sure why people fight about this since we all know GMC is the best, yeah I know I say that because I own one.  Well the same goes for power tools.  Some will swear by Dewalt and others say Milwaukee.  So again there is not an easy answer to this question.  You have to find what you like best.

A better question should be what manufacturer combo kit should I buy?  While the answer is still hard, it is a little more easy to narrow down.  First you have to ask yourself what kind of user are you.  Are you a professional who uses his tools for a living everyday?  Are you a home user who will be using his tools every weekend?  Will you be using them once a month or once a year?

If you are a professional, well the answer is easy you need to invest in the best.  We will leave that alone now since I am sure you already have a favorite brand.  If you use your tools once a year, you don’t want to invest a lot of money because all the tools will do is sit on your shelf and lose money over time.  In fact you may even want to look on eBay for a nice inexpensive used set.

Now the question comes for the homeowner.  The guy who uses his tools every weekend or once a month.  Now the line gets a little more blurred.  Here you can go either way.  You can spend the money for a nice professional set since you will be using it all the time or you can save yourself some money and get the nice DIY power tool set.  This is only a decision you can make, but we would suggest going to the store and picking them up.  Play around with them.  How do they feel?  Is the balance what you expected?  Does it fit nice in your hand?  Can you manage the weight of the tool?  The bottom line is buy what you feel comfortable with.  When it comes down to it, if you are a weekend warrior, any of the tools will hold up in your situation.  It really comes down to how it feels for you.  You also want to see what tools they offer in that line, so you can expand your tool set down the road with the tools you may need.

What Power Tool Combo Kit Should I buy?

Another great question, but again one we just can not answer for you.  We can give you a little guidance, but the choice is up to you.  What tools will you be using?  Chances are you will be using the drill, but if you have no use for a reciprocating saw, then why buy one?  Sometimes you are better off looking for a deal on the drill, charger and 2 batteries.  Then you can buy the bare tools of what you need and build your own kit.  One thing we would recommend is staying with the same manufacturer as it sucks having 5 different tools and 5 different batteries.

If you already own a certain manufacturer and you like them, stay with them.  Again you don’t want to have a lot of money invested in different batteries.  Since you already have some of the tools, you can just go out and buy the bare tools.

Where Should I buy it From?

You really only have a couple of choices.  Either online or a store.

Store: Pro – You can get your tools the same day.  If you need to make a return, you can take care of it right away.  You get to see the tools before you buy them, you can pick them up and feel them.  You can talk with a real person.

Store: Con – Can be a little more pricey, but sometimes worth it for the added convenience.  You might have to sit in traffic or stand in line.  You can’t just wear boxers to the store, trust me it won’t end in your favor.

Online: Pro – Might be a little less expensive.  You can order from your home while sitting in your boxers.  You can pick your nose while you buy your tools and not have to hear, “Sir you are making a scene.”

Online: Con – Returns can take longer.  Might have to be home to accept the package.

Don’t forget to look for power tool coupons online.  Here is a Craftsman power tool coupon that when you sign up for their club, you get 10% off.  This is just an example as this one is expired.

When Should I buy it?

You really only have two options with the when question.  You can either buy it when you need it and hope it is on sale or wait for a good sale and then pick it up.  I tend to try and time it.  If I know I will be needing a tool for a job in about a month, I will start looking through the ads or online for the best price.  This way I am familiar with the price range of the combo kit or tool.  So when I am in a box store or see something in the paper, I can really know if it is a great deal.  This is something we would suggest getting into the habit of doing.  Say you are not familiar with the price range for a certain combo kit and you are in a big box store.  You see a sign that says “SALE.”  As you look closer it’s a great kit that is normally $600 and now it’s marked down to $499.  You might think it is a great price, but how do you know that somewhere online it isn’t selling everyday for $470 with free shipping?  So make sure you get familiar with the pricing structures before you buy.

Another great time to buy is Black Friday or around Christmas time.

Should I buy New, Refurbished or Used?

Again this is up to you.  If you are only going to be using the tools a couple times a year, we would suggest buying them used.  Why buy new tools for them to sit on the shelf and lose money?  If I will be using my tools a lot, then I always buy new. That’s just me.  If it is a tool that I will not use much, then I will buy a refurbished tool.  Perfect example.  I use my circular saw a lot.  I really only need an inline saw, so I bought a new one.  However, there are times a wormsaw is needed for a job and they are nice to have around.  I would rather save some money and buy a refurbished one and let that sit on the shelf.

We hope we provided you with some items to think about before you make a tool purchase or power tool combo purchase.  There really is a lot to think about when making this purchase as it tends to be a large investment.

The first announcement is two new corded auto feeds, model number DS325AC and DS340AC.  Both kits include an industrial grade aluminum auto feed screw attachment, an extension pole for standing applications, a nylon bag and some bits, plus the screwdriver.

Basically this is a system that saves time for the user.  The auto feed system saves time by eliminating the reloading of fasteners individually.  The Senco screwdriver is an in-line feed system which you can see by the pictures below

The difference between the two screwdrivers is the RPM.

Senco DS325AC

RPM – 2500

Applications - Sub-floor, sheathing, wood and composite decking, heavy gauge metal to metal applications

Price – $219

Warranty – 1 Year

Senco DS340AC

RPM - 4000

Applications – High speed application: Sub-floor, sheathing, decking, light gauge metal

Price - $199

Warranty - 1 Year

Both tools are designed to be used with one hand, but if you do prefer two hands, there is cushion grip.  The screwdrivers have a variable speed trigger, 360 degree adjustable handle, 10′ power cord, no mar nose and a toe-nail nose piece to prevent slipping.

The auto-feed attachment can be removed to drive individual screws if the user needs.

 Senco’s Three new Attachments

Now if you would prefer not buying the kit and turn your screwdriver into an auto-feed system, then these might just be the attachments for you.  According to Senco you don’t have to worry about jams or misfeeds, plus there is an easy to use depth adjustment.  All three attachments have an aluminum frame and hold up to 50 screws.

DS110

Application – Metal to Metal applications like wall panel, decking, metal truss and more

Screw Size – 5/8″ – 2″

Price – $69

Notes – Slim design great for corners and channels.

DS210

Application – Wall and Ceiling Applications

Screw Size - 5/8″ – 2″

Price – $65

DS310

Application – Variety of applications like subflooring, decking, drywall and more

Screw Size - 5/8″ – 3″

Price – $109

Notes – 21″ extension pole and 360 degree adjustable grip handle included.

Win a FREE Cyclops Toolguard

All you have to do is come up with some creative ways you would use this alarm.  You can post the comments either below or in the other two areas:

• Cyclops Toolguard Review
• Cyclops Toolgaurd YouTube Video

We will announce the winner on Feb 29, 2012

Good Luck

Here is how the system works and for this we are using it on a truck box.  The alarm is powered by three AA batteries.  You mount the alarm on the box door using sticky 3m tape that is included.  Once you alarm the system, it remembers the psotion of the alarm and uses that as the starting point.  When in alarm mode any movement out of that positions will activate the alarm.  So when the door is in the down position and it is armed, once the door is open, it activates the sensor and turns on the 110db alarm.

Overall the set up is a snap and a great way to help protect your items in your toolbox or anywhere else you can dream of.  For the price of the alarm, it’s worth it.  A couple downsides to this system is you can not leave the alarm armed all the time.  Since it has a memory of when you arm it, movement causes it to activate.  So when we had ours armed and drove down the street, it started whaling while we were driving.  We thought it was funny, but the police didn’t see our point of view.  Not that it is a big deal because why do you need it activated when you are driving.  If someone steals your tools while your driving, you have bigger issues.  However, it would be nice to set it and forget about it.  We would like to see it have two remotes for the system.  The higher versions come with two remotes.  Also for those who want added security, they do have a system that you can mount under your truck hood.  That way when they open the box, they can just rip off the alarm and silence it.  Overall it seems to be designed more for the overnight storage or when you will be away from your truck for a long time.

Another good use for me is for my garage door.  I have a detached garage and have a lot of tools in the garage.  I do have a pad lock since the door it is not Automatic.  This way I could arm the alarm and just leave it until I need it.  We didn’t take an extract measurement, but it did work within 20′.  Check out Toolguard.com for more info.

Win A Toolguard Alarm

We are using it on a truck box, but there are so many other uses for this alarm, as you can see on the Youtube comments below.  Speaking of uses, just post how you could use this alarm and you will be entered to win a free alarm.  Besides a truck box, one place I would use it is in my kids Spiderman lunch box.  That way when he opens it in the small lunch room at school it will scare everyone.  Ahh I couldn’t do that or could I?

Cutting a door to size can be a little intimidating if you have never done it before, but no worries, it’s actually pretty simple.  However there are a couple things you should know first.  While there are a variety type of doors available, there are really two main doors, solid and hollow.  A solid door is actually solid wood from top to bottom and from front to back.  These tend to be found more in office buildings and upscale homes.  Hollow doors are a lot more common in the home.  In the hollow section you can have two types.  A truly hollow door where there is a void inside the door.  You can also have the same door, but instead of a void, there is insulation that is sprayed in the door.  OK lets get to cutting the door down to size.

After getting your measurements and taking the door off the hinges, your ready to go to work.  First and foremost you always want to trim the bottom of the door.  However don’t just assume you can cut the bottom of the door and be OK.  Most manufactures have a piece of wood on the bottom of the door which allows the door to be trimmed to size.  The size of this depends upon the manufacture.  A good rule of thumb is there is a 1″ piece of wood in place.  If you have to cut larger than that, you could ruin the door, but again there are tricks to that.

OK the first thing you need to do is make sure you have enough room to make the cut so you do not penetrate the hollow part of the door.  Don’t assume you have 1″ because maybe the personal who installed the door had to trim 3/4″ off to make the door fit in the first place.  One trick you can do is take a small drill bit and drill from the bottom of the door, not the face,  into the wood.  This will allow you to tell about how much room you have.  You can use a flashlight to see a rough estimate. If for some reason you do not have enough room to make the cut and will cut into the hollow part, then you can do the following.

Say you need to trim the door by 3/4″ because of your new shag carpeting.  If you only have about 1/2″ of material for the bottom of the door, that’s OK.  Just make your cut, but keep the bottom part of the door.  You can trim the sides of the part you cut off and replace that back into the bottom of the door.  You can use glue and pin nails so the bottom stays in place.

Lets assume you do have an 1″ that you can play with and only need to cut 1/2″ and lets assume the world is perfect while were at it.  Once you measure where you need to make the cut, draw your line.  Some people will tell you to score that line with a knife so you don’t get chipping.  You can do this as it won’t hurt, but if you use a 40 tooth blade or fine blade, you shouldn’t make any chips in the door.  Another key to not chipping the door is let the saw get up to speed before you actually make the cut.

OK we have the line.  The first thing you want to do is protect the door.  Most saws have a metal shoe and can scratch the door as you run it across the door to make the cut.  You can protect it with paper, tape or something else that will stay in place when you cut.  Once the door is protected you now need to make sure your cut is straight.   I find the easiest way to do this is have a guide.

For the guide you will need two clamps and a straight edge which can be a long level or a piece of straight wood.  Now what you want to do is measure the bottom of your circular saw.  You want to measure from the edge of your shoe to the blade.  Say your measurement is 1″.  Now you want to take the 1″ plus the 1/2″ you want to cut off and clamp down your straight edge on both sides at 1-1/2″.  This way when you make your cut, it will be straight and you will cut off 1/2″ of the door.

Don’t forget to sand the bottom and prime the bottom of the door before hanging it back up.

The box comes with mounting brackets that you need to bolt into your bed.  We bought an after market attachment that allows you to securely mount the box, without having to drill into your bed.  If you have a little imagination you can also fabricate a bracket very easily to do the same thing.

We like this box, but we don’t feel it is intended for the contractor for a couple of reasons.  While the box looks very nice, the thickness of the aluminum is thin.  One thing we really do not like is the bottom of the box.  The box has a lot of room for storage, but the bottom of the box is not reinforced with either brackets or a thicker metal.  It feels like the thickness is the same as the sides.  Considering how big this box is and how much it can hold, someone could put some serious weight in the box.  Not sure how long term it will hold up.

The box does come with two keys which is important, but no storage trays.  Some people complained about the seal of the box and how they did get water in the box.  Since we installed the box we had one rainy day and two snow days and did not have any water in the box. Another complaint is people getting a lot of dirt in the box.  We didn’t get a lot of dirt in the box, but we did get some dust in the box.  Primary we think it is because where the box is installed to the bed, there are long slots that are open to the environments where dust and dirt gets in this way.  Since it is facing down, we don’t see water as a problem.  You could probably just put a piece of metal or something to cover these holes.

Kobalt Long Term

We looked at the reviews of this box and saw some issue that we have to take a closer look.  Some common complaints were that the lock broke after a while, problems with the seal on the lid, latches and some other items.  One person complained about the welds.  Our welds seem to be great, but again only time will tell if they hold up.  We will continue to monitor this box and keep this page up to date.

Overall it is not a bad box.  However we don’t think this is for the contractor who will be accessing tools a couple times a day and puts abuse on their box.  This box is better suited for someone who is just looking for extra storage and will not put it under heavy conditions.  The box was easy to install and does look great.  Very easy to use and the lock assembly seems to be pretty good.  As noted we will keep this article up to date as a long term view of this box is needed.

You can buy this system two ways.  Either buy it with the tape measure or buy just the Square N Tape and attach it to your favorite tape.  Well I guess before I start talking about how you can buy it, I am sure you want to know what makes this tape so special.  Basically the Square N Tape tries to eliminate having multiple tools in your pouch like a speed square and other items.  As you can see by the pictures there are plenty of markings to make quick marks for headers, stud layouts and more.  If you check out the video below you can see just how many different items you can conquer when using this tool.  The notepad is actually a pretty cool idea.  We needed either an eraser or to wet our finger in order to clean it off.  Also it only works with pencil as pen stays on.  The biggest thing I found myself using this for was the straight line feature which is very cool.  Once I made my marking, I could just lay the tape on its side and make a straight line for the cut.  I know framers will get a lot more use out of this because of the degree markings and cutout notches.

Three things I would like to see improved with this item:

1. The markings are the same color as the tool, so it was hard to see at times.  We think the markings should be a contrast to the tool, so you can identify it quicker and easier.
2. The marking indentations could be a little more prevelant.
3. The tool could be a little bigger, which we know isn’t always the best, but at our 45 degree mark, the tape measurement lock was in the way when we tried to make marks.

The idea and concept are cool.  Once you get used to using it you can fly through measurements.  We like the idea and think this is a practical invention contractors can use.  When we were doing our basement project, we used this tape a lot for marking off 2×4 for cuts and it saved a lot of time.

We were going to create a video, but the inventor, Tom, created one that shows it so much better than we can.  So we decided to just show his video which you can see on YouTube – Square N Tape.  I think this is an older video as in the video he applied glue to this device to attach it to his tape.  I noticed on our sample there was adhesive with a peel sticker to attach it.

We take water for granted.  We turn on the faucet, the water comes out, we shut it off and we are off to something else.  We rarely think about the water until there is a problem.  Watching your water is important because your appliances rely on water pressure to work properly.  Such as your ice maker.  Most ice makers require a certain amount of pressure to work correctly otherwise you could damage your ice maker and pay someone big bucks to fix it.  Same goes with your RO system, boiler and other appliances.  We listed five steps below on how to solve your low water pressure issues.

1. Check your Faucet – You might notice that the water in your faucet is coming out very slowly.  Don’t assume you have a huge water problem.  Check another faucet to see how the water is coming out.  If water is flowing at a normal rate, then it just means your original faucet has the problem.  In this case take your screen off as something might have jammed in your screen preventing a good flow of water.  Another thing to check is the valves.  Maybe under the sink a valve was bumped closed or partially closed.
2. Check Your Valves – If you find the problem is throughout the house, check valves.  You should have a couple main values throughout the house.  Such as by your main, by your water softener or water heater.  Who knows, this could have been shut off by another member in the house for some reason or it just went bad.  Remember to always exercise your valves so they don’t stick.  Every six months you want to open and shut your valves to make sure they don’t have mineral build up and prevent flow.
3. Pressure Regulator – A pressure regulator regulates the pressure in your home.  They do go bad and may need to be replaced, so don’t forget about this.
4. Check for leaks – A leak can happen in the home causing a loss of pressure.  Do a walk around and make sure you don’t see leaks in the pipes.  Also check on the floor as leaks behind walls may not show water damage right away, but you should see water on the floor.
5. Water Softener – If all else fails, check your water softener.  Most of the time this is what the problem might be.  Your water softener should have a bypass valve where you can bypass the water softener.  Once you bypass the water softener, see how your pressure in the house is.  Chances are you will see the pressure rise back up to normal.  If this is the case you have a problem with your softener.  You could have clogged jets or a filter.  Also your media or resin could be bad in your softener which means you have to replace your water softener resin.  Media is good for 15 to 20 years depending upon the type.

These are five actions you can take before you call a plumber.  These could save you a lot of money and headaches.  Remember always check the easy items first then work your way up.

Okay you installed your wood burning fireplace and you are set to have your first fire.  Before you have your first fire we should probably go over a couple of things you need to know such as starting a fire, what to expect, how to properly maintain a fire and how to properly maintain your fireplace and liner.  For a complete list you should refer to your owners manual.  So let’s jump in.

***  One note you need to know is your first fire.  As you can see by the stove, there is paint on the fire box.  The paint needs to go through a curing process, so you might notice an odor.  This will go away in time.  You might need to open a window.  Overall the smell wasn’t too bad for me.

***  Another side note to mention is that you should always operate your fan speed with the temperature.  So if you have the thermostat set at high, put the fan speed at high.  If the thermostat is set at low, put the fan speed at low.

Your First Fire

One thing to remember is never use a grate.  The wood goes directly into the firebox.  Speaking of wood, do not use wood that is not dry.  I don’t mean wood that is wet from the rain last night.  I mean wood that isn’t properly seasoned.  You can tell your moisture content by getting a moisture meter.  You don’t want to use anything with a moisture content over 20%.

Before you start a fire set the thermostat to high, open the bypass handle and have the door slightly open.

Okay let’s get a fire going.  There are two ways to do this.  First, Blaze King sells organic fire starters which is probably the easiest way to start a fire.  Just place this in the firebox along with some wood and start a fire.

If you don’t have any of these fire starters, crumple up 3-5 sheets of newspaper and put some small sticks on top to get the fire started.  Once that gets cooking, put some thicker wood in the firebox, the size of a baseball bat.  You can now close the door all the way.  When that starts burning well, now you can put your wood in place.  As you can see, you should slowly increase the size of the wood to help produce a good fire.  On top of the fireplace is the catalytic thermometer.  When it starts to hit the active zone, go ahead and close the bypass handle.  You are all set to go.  Go ahead and sit back and enjoy.  Don’t forget to adjust the fan speed to match the thermostat control. When you do need to add wood to the fire, place the bypass handle in the open position.  This will help prevent smoke from coming back into the house.

Maintenance of your Blaze King

In order to make sure your fireplace is working at optimal capacity, you will have to perform routine maintenance.  First, you will have to remove ash from the fireplace, just make sure the ash isn’t hot and you put it in a metal or noncombustible container.

You will also need to inspect your chimney on a regular basis.  You want to make sure creosote doesn’t build up and cause a fire.  This means you should also have your liner cleaned once a year.  You also have to inspect your door gaskets, combustor and a couple other small items.  Since the owners manual can cover this better than I can, please refer to the owners manual.

DuraVent Maintenance

The DuraVent liner is great as you really do not need to do much to it.  However you do need to inspect the liner at least once a year.  You will also need to clean the liner once a year.  Cleaning your liner is extremely important because it ensures a great draft and reduces the chance of a chimney fire.  Creosote builds up in the liner.  Creosote is just unburnt energy.   As this starts to get hot it hits what is called ignition temperature.  When that happens, you get a chimney fire.  So make sure you clean your liner out at least once a year.

If you follow these simple guides above and refer to your owners manual for the Blaze King and DuraVent, you will be able to enjoy a nice warm house all year round and for many years to come.

We had a lot of fun doing this fireplace project.  If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.  Also feel free to contact us with questions using our contact form.

Why are there so many fasteners on the market.  We have screws, nails, staples, glue, velcro and so many other ways to fasten things to each other.  Well the reality is different applications take different types of fasteners.  I recently built a corner shelf for my TV, which someday I will get to writing that article.  For this simple and small project, I used three different types of fasteners.  I used nails, screws and glue.  To add even more I used two different types of nails.  I used finish nails and framing nails.  Most of the time people know when to use glue over a nail or a screw over a staple.  however there is still a lot of questions we see coming up where people are really not sure when to use a nail or when to use a screw.  So as always we like to try and make things more clear.  Well before we go on, this is going to be an overview of when to use a nail over a screw.  We are not going to get into the differences between a framing nail and a finish nail or a galvanized nail vs a nail with adhesive on the tips.  Our goal is really to shed some light on the times you would want to pick one fastener over another.  once you pick the correct fastener, then you can drill down and figure out exactly what type of nail or screw to use.  Okay let’s jump into this.

Difference Between Nails and Screws

You can see by the pictures below a screw and a nail have some very different features from each other.  A screw has threads on the shaft while a nail is smooth.  Since that is the case, a smooth nail can be fastened to a material using a hammer or any pounding force.  Since a screw has threads, you can not use a hammer, you need a screwdriver or some tool that turns the screw into the material.  Hence that is why on the top of a nail, the head is flat, while the screw has a dimple for a philips, flat head or another type of tool to do the turing.

So now that you know the difference between a screw and a nail, let’s jump into when to use each one.

When to Use a Screw or Nail

Now the big question.  When do I use a screw and when do I use a nail.  If you have anything that has sideway pressure where material would have the tendency to move left or right, this is when you would use a nail.  When I say left or right, it really is the sideway movement.  If you have material that will try and separate from the top or bottom, then you use a screw.

Lets go back to my corner shelf example.  I built a corner shelf in my living room for my TV.  I had to fasten a 2×4 horizontally on the wall and make a triangle.  This way I can set the plywood on top and then the TV would sit on that.  To fasten the 2×4, I used nails since the weight of the TV will be pushing down on the 2×4.  There is sideways pressure and that is why I used nails.  Once that was in place, I secured the plywood to the 2×4 with screws.  The reason is because the 2×4 will have up and down pressure meaning the plywood will not have any sideways pressure.  If I were to use nails here, over time the nails would come free and break through the paint.

Test the Theory

If you want to see how these two really differ from each other, grab two nails, two screws and some wood.  Pound the nails about halfway in.  Screw the screws about halfway into the wood.  Okay using your claw side of your hammer, pull straight up on the nail and straight up on the screw.  Which one comes out easier?  The nail.  The screw is extremely hard.  This shows how much more up and down pressure a screw has to hold material together.

Now you should have a nail and screw left over that are still halfway into the wood.  Grab your hammer again and pound sideways on the nail and sideways on the screw.  What happens?  The nail just bends, but stays in place in the wood and is solid in the wood.  Not much movement.  However the screw either broke or now has a lot of play in the wood where it is loose.  As you can see the nail is great for sideways pressure, while the screw will not hold over time.

Conclusion

As you can see by the experiment that is why people use nails for framing.  When you have a frame, you will be getting a lot more side to side pressure.  However when you hang drywall, you use a screw because the up and down pressure is the greatest.  If you were to use nails in drywall, over time you would see the nail heads popping out.

There is more to this whole concept, but again we wanted to make this a little easier for you to determine when to use a screw and when to use a nail.

As you know we have been working on a project of installing a wood burning fireplace for some time.  We already talked about the fireplace and the liner, now it is time to jump into the install process.  Before we move on, this might be a great time to recommend using a professional to install your system.  Not because it’s hard, but since they install these systems everyday, they can do it much faster and you will have the peace of mind knowing it was done right.  If you are like us, then you will probably want to install it yourself, so we created this helpful install guide on how to install a wood burning fireplace.

Before we jump into what tools are needed for this project, I should point out you will need someone to help you.  Preferably someone who isn’t afraid of heights, isn’t afraid to work and isn’t afraid to get dirty.  I didn’t know anyone like that, so I asked Dan to help.  I figured if I couldn’t find anyone like that, I might as well work with someone who would at least make me laugh.

Tools Needed – Blaze King Fireplace Install

• Reciprocating – Only if you need to make your opening bigger for the liner
• Philips screwdriver
• 1/4″ Wrench
• #2 Square Drive
• Tape Measure
• Level
• Flat Screw Driver
• Box cutter knife – To open the boxes

Tool Needed – DuraVent Liner

• Ladder – See Ladder Safety
• Rivet Tool
• Caulk Gun
• Weather Sealant Caulk
• Philips Screw Driver or Screw gun
• Tape Measure
• Safety Harness
• Rope

Now I am sure we probably forgot one or two tools, but that’s what is so important to having a helper like Dan.  If you forget something, send him to grab the tool for you.  Now Dan, or I mean your helper, may not return for an hour or so because he went to lunch, but that’s just the chance we take working with Dan, I mean your helper.

*Make sure you have your chimney cleaned before you install.

Install Blaze King Insert and DuraVent Liner

I would recommend reading the manual as we installed our fireplace insert a little different.

1. Open all the boxes and inspect everything.  Make sure everything is included and not damaged.  Put all the screws and small pieces aside.  You will see two small pieces of flat metal strips, you will need those for sliding the fireplace in place.
2. Remove your damper.  Mine was really easy to remove.  Half of the damper just lifted right out.  Now you may have to cut some of your damper out.  We used an oval piece so it fit through the opening.  Take the piece of DuraVent liner that will be passing through the damper (from your actual fireplace to the flue).  Make sure this piece fits that area.  If it does, you are in good shape.  If not you will have to use your reciprocating saw and cut enough of the damper out so the liner will fit.
3. Now lean your Blaze King backwards but not such much as to
   cause all the brick to fall out of place.  Install the front two leveling
   bolts to the firebox.  Repeat the process by carefully leaning the Blaze
   King forward and inserting the rear two leveling bolts
4. Now you can install your DuraVent liner collar to the Blaze King using three sheet metal screws.
5. Next tighten the Blaze King collar where the DuraVent liner is inserted into the Blaze King.

1. Get your Blaze King in place.  Lay down the metal strips in front of the fireplace and place the Blaze King on top of the strips.  You want the bolts you installed earlier to rest on these strips.  You will see how easy it is to slide the Blaze King in and out of the fireplace.  It is amazing how a small piece could make the install so much easier.  Take this time to slide it in place for a dry fit and make sure the fireplace is level from front to back.  You can use the bolts you attached to adjust the height.
2. Now that it is in place, slide the fireplace back where you can attach the original liner collar you installed on the Blaze King to the liner you installed when you were on top of the roof.  This can be done with the rivet tool.  Overall it is a nice set up because when you clean the liner, you can loosen the sheet metal screws and the collar will come right off.
3. Once everything is installed and fastened all together, move the Blaze King back out of the fireplace about three inches because you need to install the shroud.
4. We installed the sides to the shroud first by loosening a couple screws on the Blaze King.  The side panels fit between the Fireplace and a metal sheet where you loosened the screws.  Next we attached the top.  After the top is secure, the trim will slide over the top and side (Put the trim together first with the corner brackets that are included).  Next, place the convection deck on top of the Blaze King and screw into place.  The last item is putting the catalytic thermometer in place which it just slides into the hole.
5. You can now slide your Blaze King in place.  Once you have a good idea where your Blaze King will sit, you can now use a level to make sure it is level from left to right and use your tape to make sure the fireplace is centered.
6. The last item to install is the door.  The door just slides right into the hinges with ease.  You want to make sure the door has a tight fit.  You can place a dollar bill between the door and the fireplace.  Close the door and see if you can move the dollar bill around.  If you can, you need to make an adjustment.  Just loosen the bolt on the fireplace where the door latches.  You can now turn the latch which will make a tighter fit.

Now it is time to return outside one more time

1. Before I went on the roof, I put some crumpled up newspaper in the Blaze King and lit it on fire.  I wanted to make sure there was a good draft with the door closed and everything was working, which it was.
2. Now that everything is attached, now comes the tricky part.  Well not tricky, but it was the hardest part for me on the install.  You have to position yourself so you have leverage, but are still safe.  I wouldn’t recommend this, but for me it was sitting on top of the chimney.  You have to pull up on the liner to get any bends out and make sure the liner is straight.  One key I found was to install the brackets on the liner, just make sure the cover is in place first.  This is the flat piece of metal that covers the chimney.  These brackets hold the liner in the up position.  I installed them so they were very tight, but I didn’t fasten it to the liner just yet.  I would pull up on the liner and push down on the brackets.  This gets very heavy so when I had to take a break, the brackets would still hold the liner in place.  I had to do this several times to get the liner in place.  Once the liner was in place, you can go ahead and fasten the brackets to the liner.
3. Next you put the collar on which is very easy.  This just protects water from getting between the chimney and the liner.
4. Then place the cap on top of the liner, this protects water from getting into the liner.
5. The last item is running a bead of weatherproofing caulk in any areas to protect the chimney and liner.

Final Thoughts

We tried to show everything in the video, but it was hard to install the Blaze King and DuraVent and still be safe.  We also tried to cover all the steps, but sometimes it is hard to convey in words alone everything that we did.  If you have questions, found a better way to install or have any feedback, drop us a line.  We want to hear about your experience and we can add this so others can have an easier time with the install.  At first Dan and myself thought this might be a hard project, but once we got into the install, we realized how easy it truly is.  If you are someone who likes to be hands on, you can install this with no problems.  For those who would rather kick back, have a beer and have someone else install the system, you can have a dealer do the install.

* The Blaze King has been installed for about a month, yes it took that long to write all these articles.  We are a little slow.  I have to say this system is awesome.  The fireplace has been running everyday except one for the past month.  I have only used about a half face cord of wood.  The temperature outside has been around 40-50 degrees during the day and nights have been around 30-40 degrees fahrenheit.  I love this system.  My house is very inefficient.  It was built in 1924 and has little to no insulation.  Two things I did notice.  When we let the fire go out and the house got cold, we had to run the stove on high for a while to get things to heat up again.  If possible, don’t let the stove go out.  I know you need to to get the ashes cleaned, but try to get the ashes cleaned up, once they are cold, then start the fire again.  Your fireplace has to work hard to get the temperature back up.  Not only are you heating the air in the house, but you have to get the furniture and everything else back up to a comfortable temperature.  Heat rises, so our basement doesn’t get any heat.  Not a big deal because I have a boiler system.  I closed all the zones and just left the basement zone in place to heat the basement.

I can not say enough how awesome this Blaze King has been.  The system exceeded my expectations.  The overall look of the fireplace is great, the efficiency is incredible and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking at a fireplace insert.

Types of Extension Cords

• Indoor - Used for indoor use only, they are not as rugged as outdoor cords.  Can not be used outside.  An indoor jacket is not as durable.  The jacket is the cover that protects the actual wires in the cord.

Extension Cord - Indoor

• Outdoor – Designed for outdoor, but can be used inside.  Jackets are a lot more durable.
• Hint – You might see two identical extension cords, but a big difference in price.  Check the cord.  Some outdoor cords have a better jacket that hold up better against certain chemicals, sun light, weather and more.  Decide how your cord will be used.  If you will be using the cord a lot, pay a little more as they can handle more abuse.

Extension Cord - Outdoor

There are three types of prongs

• 2 Prongs – Can be used in three prong outlets.  Designed for smaller items like lights.

Extension Cord - 2 Prongs

• 3 Prongs – Third prong is a ground.  Use only with other three prong outlets or extension cords.

Extension Cord - 3 Prongs

• Specialty Prongs – 220V have a different prong.  There are also prongs that twist and lock into place.  2 and 3 prongs are the most common.

Some extension cords have different features:

• Built in GFCI – A breaker that automatically shuts power off in the event of ground fault and overloads.
• Lighted Plug – End of the plug lights up to show there is current.
• Multiple Sockets – Can plug more than one tool into the cord.

Extension Cord - Lighted

Extension Cord - Multiple Plugs

Extension Cord Ratings

Extension Cord - Rating

Extension Cord Markings

**  You will also see markings like 16/3.  The first number is the wire gauge and the second number is conduction’s inside.  So a 16/3 is a 16 gauge wire and has 3 conduction’s inside.

Extension Cord - Rating

Storing Extension Cords

You always want to store your extension cord in a dry location and away from direct sun light.  You also want to make sure they are out of the way, so yourself or others will not step on them as that will ruin the cord in the long run.

When you store your extension cords, you should roll them up.  It does take a little extra time, but you will not have the frustration when you need them next time.  Below are two common ways to store your cords when not in use.  There are a lot of other ways, but here are just two.  The Velcro can be purchased at your local hardware store.  I believe I got these strips for about $4 and there were 40 in the box.  The other way is to wrap the cord around itself.  I prefer this way the best.

Extension Cord - Storing

Extension Cord - Storing

Attach Extension Cords

When you hook one extension cord into your tool, you want to make sure they are secure.  If not you will become frustrated when they keep coming apart.  Below are a couple of ways to attach each of them

Extension Cord - Attach Cords

Extension Cord - Attach Cords

The two ways below are great for when your power tool has a very short cord and the two methods above will not work.  The one right below is called a square knot.  If you watch the video, you can see how this works.

Extension Cord - Attach Cords

Extension Cord - Attach Cords

How to Roll an Extension Cord

The easiest way to see this is by watching the video below.

Extension Cord Tips and Tricks

• Always selects a cord with a higher power rating than the tool you will be connecting it to.  If the tool has a higher amp rating than the cord you could damage the tool and start a fire.
• Do not use a cord longer than what you need.  If you only need 25′, do not use a 100′ cord.  Using a longer cord than needed can affect performance as you have power loss over a longer run.
• Wire gauge is a measure of the diameter of the wire inside – Large diameter can handle more current.

I have been doing a couple of roofing and basement jobs in the past month, so I had some time to play around with the Porter Cable 18V Lithium-ion drill kit.  The model number on this kit is PCL 180cdk-2.  Lately Porter Cable has been coming out with some pretty cool new tools and they have really surprised us.  The tools have been quality and also they include everything you need to get started.  Like the grinder and the oscillating tool, both were great and came with loads of accessories.

The kit comes with the drill, 2 LX batteries, half hour charger and a soft case.  The drill is a 1/2″ all metal chuck.  The are two speeds, hi and low.  The low range is from 0-350 and the high range is 0-1500.  The drill puts out 424 in/lbs of torque.  There are 23 clutch settings plus a drill setting.  Enough with the boring stats, let’s get into the drill.

I have been able to use this drill for about a month and have really liked it so far.  There are three things I really look for in a drill.  Well there is more, but three things are very important to me.

• Balance
• Power
• Chuck

A tool that is well balanced means my little girlie arms will not get tired as fast.  This drill has a great balance to it, not to mention it only weighs 3.8 lbs with the battery.  I was able to install gutters overhead and my arms did not get fatigued.

The next item is power.  I don’t need the worlds most powerful drill, even though that would be fun.  However, I do want a drill that won’t bog down on me.  I want to be able to power through my everyday stuff like plywood, 2×4 and other building materials.  In this area I never really tried to take it to the max and see what it could handle.  I did use it day in and day out and it didn’t have a problem keeping up with me, so this was a plus.  The OLP never kicked in which always makes me happy.  I understand manufacturers put that on the tools to save them, I just don’t like it. So the Porter Cable surpassed my expectations on power.

Last item is the chuck.  The only thing I want here is when I put a bit or anything in the chuck, I just want it to stay in place.  I don’t want it coming out or falling out until I decide it is time.  I have used other drills where the bits come out under a little pressure.  Not once did the bits ever fall out.

So for the three things I look at in regards to drills, the Porter Cable was perfect.  Porter Cable is really coming a long way with the quality of products they are putting out.

While I probably would have preferred a hard case instead of a soft case, this drill is very nice.  The balance and quality are both there.  Porter Cable seems like they are making a run at the professional models and this one definitely fits in with the other professional drills we have used.

Not too long ago we did a project about installing a Blaze King Fireplace which also required us to install a DuraVent liner.  This time we are installing a chimney cap.  Installing a chimney cap is not too hard and the tools needed are minimal.  Most chimney caps are made to fit your chimney with four screws.  You just put the cap on top and tighten the screws.  However some chimneys are older and take a little more time to install a cap.  For this project, we are putting a chimney cap made for modern homes on an old chimney.  As you can see by the pictures below, this chimney doesn’t have much of a lip for the screws to hold the cap on tight.

Having a cap on your chimney is very important for two reasons.  First, it stops animals from getting inside and causing an even bigger mess. Second, the cap protects the chimney and the pipes below from the weather, such as rain or snow.  Which we know that this can cause rusting in whatever is below such as the furnace, water heater or boiler.

You can pick a cap up at your local hardware store for about $30-$50.  You can even get more expenive ones if you have cash to burn.  For my cap, I found this on craigslist for about $15.  Apparently he tried to rig this up for his chimney and couldn’t get it to work, so he bought a different one.  Since he drilled extra holes in the cap, he couldn’t return it.

Before you start, think safety.  Make sure your ladder is set up properly, it’s not too windy out, your roof is free of hazards such as ice or tripping hazards.  Even though this job really takes one person, it is a good idea to have someone around.  That person can hold the ladder for you and just be a second set of eyes.  If you fall off the roof or something else happens, they can assist in helping.  Once you are comfortable and positive you have taken all the safety measures, you can begin work.  Again, this how to is designed for the cap that will not install with the four screws that the manufacturer included.  You will have to install this with L- brackets.

Tools needed to install chimney cap

• Chimney Cap
• 4 L-Brackets
• 4 Sheet metal screws
• 4 concrete screws
• Ladder
• Hammer Drill
• Drill
• Drill bit – Metal & Concrete
• Safety gear such as glasses and safety line for when you are on the roof

Steps to install a chimney cap

1. Even though you already measured your chimney opening and bought the correct cap, it is a good idea to dry fit the cap and make sure it truly will fit and will work.
2. When the cap is on the chimney as a dry fit, look around and see where you can install the cap screws.  If your chimney is like mine, I could only install three screws because the other cap from the fireplace was in the way.  Now is a good time to mark where you will attach the L-brackets to the cap and to the chimney top.
3. Now that you have your markings, head back down off the roof to attach the L-brackets.  Use your drill to install the sheet metal screws into the chimney cap.  Make sure the bottom of the L-brackets are flush with the bottom of the cap.  This way when you install it on your chimney, everything sits flat.  Most sheet metal screws will pierce the cap and fasten nicely in place.  If you are having a hard time getting this to work, you can use a drill bit and make a pilot hole.
4. Now that the L-brackets are attached to the cap, grab your hammer drill, concrete screws, concrete bit, chimney cap and head back up the ladder to the top of the chimney.
5. Place the cap back on the chimney to make sure the L-brackets sit flush with the top of the chimney.  Now mark off where you can to drill into the chimney to fasten the cap to the chimney.  Now you can remove the cap and drill your holes.
6. Once your holes are drilled using the concrete bit and hammer drill, you can put the cap back in place.
7. Use the concrete screws to fasten the cap down.

In reality, using the L-Bracket method, you really only need two screws if you have a tight fit.  I used three because of my situtation.