Christmas present suggestions?

[Set Square]

Yes, I agree! Best thing since sliced bread Got one already though!

[Dave Plowman]

It's not. They've all got far more slop than even the worst of the cheap pillar drills. And, of course, the drill can't run as slow as an induction motor/pulley driven one.

I've had the very cheapest Nu-Tool one (40 quid) from when they first appeared, and had the keyway that the allen screw which takes up the play re-machined, and it's fine now for what I want. I'd assumed newer ones are very much better, but might need setting straight out of the box?

[dorothy.bradbury]

Didn't notice a "DIY vac".

The Hoover "Aquajets" and later models have... o Large bucket-tub with castors

---- so can pick up water & large quantities of wood/swarf/debris o Lift-off motor with water-stop

---- so good for picking up water o Carpet cleaning capability

---- which actually works - 80% of a proper steam carpet cleaner o Powerful vacuum cleaner capability

---- for cleaning sheds, cars & general dirty jobs

Well worth it, use the proper cleaning solutions in the tank.

Only criticism of the older hoover's were the tub-end pump outlet nozzle could unclick and pump the cleaning stuff on the floor. Easy to pick up (just move the spray/suck head over it), but annoying.

Think the new ones have changed this.

Suction is very high - they are 1300-1800W motors I think, but they outperform a 1500W Miele on raw suction. Big bore hose too IIRC.

If you are a hayfever sufferer, the HoneyWell HEPA filters DO work. They come into their own completely negating hayfever May-onwards, and during the rest of the year they freshen a house very fast. Also a good bug filter re medical operating theatre type filter unit (Honeywell).

-- Dorothy Bradbury

[PoP]

The 8x4 ripping guide - I think that's the 50in guide though I could be wrong.

Be aware that Axminster do these at the cheapest price I've seen. I bought two for £36 recently as I recall. They do the business for me.

However I'm going to buy a couple of the 36in versions as well - the

50in are a bit too long for comfort when using less wide stock.

PoP

Replying to the email address given by my news reader will result in your own email address being instantly added to my anti-spam database! If you really want to contact me try changing the prefix in the given email address to my newsgroup posting name.....

[Suz]

With this woman it's my wireless network card in my laptop. Got 2, 1 for each laptop from Simply for £70, including base transceiver. Now my laptop is truly portable. Tesco online shopping in the summer, Pimms in one hand, lazily typing, sunbathing at the bottom of the garden. Well that's the dream anyway. Too many bottoms needing wiped, fights to break up, drinks to supply, etc etc for any relaxation. At least I can take it into the loo and continue shopping there. But's it's getting a bit crowded with a ba, 2 wains, me AND a laptop in the toilet together. Still think a wireless network card and a laptop are the best thing since sliced bread.

[Suz]

: I would welcome suggestions on any tool/device/gadget etc. which you : wouldn't be without. Guess we'd better put an upper price limit of £100. : : I suppose that it should be vaguely DIY-related, but could include hand or : power tools, electronic devices, computer peripheral or software, etc.

- "gadgets & gizmos, gift ideas & games for a cool lifestyle"

[Mungo Henning]

I bought myself one of those "led lenser" keyring torches. The light is from a white LED, and the torch itself is made of good-and-thick aluminium. With 100hours battery life this wee torch is ideal for the keyring and has been quite useful since when I bought it.

Another idea for the right-handed DIYer: a right-handed tape measure.

Mungo :-)

[Andy Hall]

This is probably one of the tools I use the most.

The B&Q one is a known dog though. I don't know of anyone here who has bought one and not had problems or taken it back.

If you want one to a budget and are happy with a 1/4" and 8mm model to start with, then the Trend T5 is a good buy.

We had a thread on routers recently and there was also a recommendation for the Freud 1/2" model. About £170 for that one though.

For a router to be useful, the collet must be good and the plunge action smooth among other things. For 1/2" models especially, there needs to be adequate power actually delivered to the cutter.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Andy Hall]

I have a Delta floor standing one and am pretty pleased with it.

If you're looking for a bench top model, they have models at circa £90 and £150.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Set Square]

Yes, I've been thinking about one of those! I currently have a wired network and connect to the internet using an ISDN Router on Home Highway. I am thinking of upgrading to Broadband before too long - so it would make sense to wait and get a broadband router which includes a wireless facility.

[Set Square]

Sounds interesting. Unfortunately Freeserve's DNS servers are playing silly B's at the moment, so I can't resolve the URL. Anyone care to ping

and post the resulting IP address?

[N. Thornton]

ah :) that kills that one. Something tells me think in another direction here, it sounds like youve got everything DIY you want already.

Regards, NT

[John Stumbles]

I've got a plastic one from CPC, cost about 3.50 and very useful to have a bit of light whenever I need it (including emergency use as a bike front light a couple of times).

Have you got one of those Maplin £30 (current special offer) non-contact laser-sighted IR thermometers? It's a real boy's toy so should fit SWMBO's criteria, and if you have male sprogs like mine your cool rating will increase inestimably. You'll find it's suddenly essential to measure the temperatures of all sorts of things from central heating pipes to the top hose on the motor, not to mention the cat, the dog, the sprogs, the kettle, hot water bottle, the beers in the fridge ..... :-)

Just remember to let it stabilise before measuring the temperature of those solid rocket booster O-rings ;-)

-- John Stumbles

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-+ Women always generalise

[geoff]

In message , Set Square writes

Well I have some benevolent soul somewhere nearby with an open wireless LAN connection. So I now have a second broadband connection FOC

moral of the story - if you set up a wireless LAN, set up the privacy correctly on it

[geoff]

In message , Set Square writes

I have almost everything I need (within reason). The downside is that I have so much junk that I can never find any of it and quite often end up buying another of whatever I need at the time because it's quicker than locating the one which is sitting somewhere in the back of the shed

[geoff]

I rescued an A0 / A1 (?) plotter from a skip a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the carousel wasn't there and I still haven't found one

[Andy Hall]

http://195.157.53.162/ .andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Niall]

195.157.53.162

[Set Square]

Ta!

[Suz]

: >> With this woman it's my wireless network card in my laptop. Got 2, 1 : >> for each laptop from Simply for £70, including base transceiver. Now : >> my laptop is truly portable. Tesco online shopping in the summer, : >> Pimms in one hand, lazily typing, sunbathing at the bottom of the : >> garden. Well that's the dream anyway. Too many bottoms needing : >> wiped, fights to break up, drinks to supply, etc etc for any : >> relaxation. At least I can take it into the loo and continue : >> shopping there. But's it's getting a bit crowded with a ba, 2 wains, : >> me AND a laptop in the toilet together. : >> Still think a wireless network card and a laptop are the best thing : >> since sliced bread. : >

: >

: >Yes, I've been thinking about one of those! I currently have a wired network : >and connect to the internet using an ISDN Router on Home Highway. I am : >thinking of upgrading to Broadband before too long - so it would make sense : >to wait and get a broadband router which includes a wireless facility. : : Well I have some benevolent soul somewhere nearby with an open wireless : LAN connection. So I now have a second broadband connection FOC : : moral of the story - if you set up a wireless LAN, set up the privacy : correctly on it

Yes... when hubby was setting up our we got a really strong signal for someone nearby - with no security settings whatsoever. So I perked up said to hubby "What was on their hard drive, temp internet files in particular, what sort of perve are they?" And what did he say? "I didn't like to look". Useless.