– KBC TECH TIPS –

TED THE GADGET MAN PRESENTS
 EIGHT GREAT GIZMOS FOR YOUR SHOP

There’s one in every workplace.  You know the guy: he’s everyone’s go-to man for fixing things and solving technical problems.  At KBC Tools & Machinery, that invaluable team member is Ted.  In addition to having a massive repertoire of jokes always at the ready, Ted wears a tool belt (or maybe we should call it a holster, given how quick on the draw he is) to ensure he’s armed with his favorite gizmos at all times.  For this reason he’s earned the glorious and enviable title of KBC’s ‘Gadget Man.’ (To find out how you can become KBC’s Honorary Gadget Man 2011 and win $100, read through to the end of the article!)

We asked Ted the Gadget Man to recommend his eight favorite gizmos, gadgets, doohickeys, thingamajigs, and whatchamacallits from the KBC Tools & Machinery 45th Edition Master Catalog.  These oddity products are useful, cost effective, and downright cool.  They can also be tricky to find in an 1,100-page catalog due to their specialty nature.  Whether you need to peer deep inside a mechanism, blast sand in an ergonomic fashion, or bend the laws of magnetism to your will, the Gadget Man’s suggestions are sure to come in handy when no conventional tool will do. 

 

1. CENTER IT Drill Press V-Block Fixture      

          KBC Part No. 8-405A-001   
          Price: $15.00   
  
CENTER IT: that’s an order!  If you’ve ever tried to secure a length of pipe in a standard vise for centered drilling, you know how troublesome this can be.  Round objects don’t behave well in flat grips, but they’re right at home in the CENTER IT Drill Press V-Block.  Bolted to your drill press table, the V-block enables the drilling of round pieces parallel and centered, with no center punching required.  The angled flats of the jig hold the tube firmly, so clamping isn’t necessary either.  This is a simple and elegant solution to a classic problem.

1. DRILL-OUT Broken Bolt Extractor Kit   
               KBC Part No. 1-907-401  
               Price: $39.99       
   
   A broken bolt is like a broken heart.  The problem runs deep, and without the right remedy it won’t go away any time soon.  Cheesy love analogies aside, when the head of a bolt or screw breaks, you need a specialized tool to dig out the shaft.  The DRILL-OUT Bolt Extractor Kit lets you to drill into the center of the broken or rusted bolt with any reversible variable speed hand drill, thereby allowing you to ease the broken piece out of the threaded hole with speed and finesse.  The right extractor is a must to prevent damage to the drilled or tapped holes in workpieces that won’t accommodate any new ones.  Some work just won’t allow for second chances!
   
   
          
   
   
2. GENERAL “The Seeker” Video Inspection System
               KBC Part No. 1-805-DCS200
               Price: $199.00       
   
   It’s not quite what MI6 provides for James Bond, but “The Seeker” is nevertheless one heck of a neat gadget.  This cutting edge tool from GENERAL features a camera-tipped, flexible probing arm that feeds real time video footage to a colour LCD screen mounted on the back of the gun.  Built-in adjustable LED lighting means you can probe the darkest corners of your project or workpiece and see exactly what’s going on.  This irresistible gizmo – put it in someone’s hands and they WILL toy with it – can be used in machining, maintenance, repair, and operations, automotive inspection, and any other task that requires inspection of hard-to-see and hard-to-reach areas.  “The Seeker” is available in three different models featuring different screen sizes, enhanced computer integration, and very reasonable pricing .  You may just find yourself seeking it before this article is through.       

1. 
   NOGA Double Burr
         KBC Part No. 1-457-519
         Price: $14.50        
   
   This is the type of tool Ted the Gadget Man has hanging from his belt.  He might not use it constantly, but boy is he glad it’s there when the time comes to ease the burrden.  Simply put, The NOGA Double Burr cuts the job time in half when deburring a piece of sheet metal.  This innovative device removes burrs from both sides of the sheet metal simultaneously, all the while protecting your hand by way of a grooved metal hand guard.  The replaceable cutting blades can be rotated and reversed for longer life, making this addition to the metalworker’s gadget arsenal even more valuable.
     

1. WIHA Magnetizer/Demagnetizer    

            KBC Part No. 1-939-40010
            Price: $6.60 
    
For thousands of years prior to the 19th Century, magnetism was considered a very curious and poorly understood natural phenomenon.  Someone should have handed the ancient Greeks a WIHA Magnetizer/Demagnetizer – now that would have produced some interesting philosophy!  Aside from being a perfect demonstration of the properties of magnetism, this handy little device can greatly lower the irritation level in any shop by magnetizing or demagnetizing tools as the situation requires.   For instance, there is nothing more annoying than metal chips clinging to your steel ruler.  Having a screw fall out of the hole as you’re unscrewing it is also a pain in the rear.  Run the ruler through the demagnetize side of the unit and watch those chips abandon ship in a hurry.  Run your screwdriver through the magnetize side and screws will stick to your driver like white on rice.  Useful, inexpensive, and fun:  what more could a metalworker ask for?

1. PANAVISE KBC Part No. 8-402-301
               Price: $44.99
               
   The vise remains one of the simplest and most effective tools in a shop.  As an essential work holding device, you’d think the classic design was about as close to perfection as one could get.  You’d be wrong.  PANAVISE has managed to enhance the usefulness of the vise by allowing the user to tilt, turn, and rotate the vise head to suit the job at hand.  With one quick turn of the control knob the workpiece can be securely positioned precisely where you want it for greater ease of measurement or machining.  A series of interchangeable heads, bases and base mounts makes the PANAVISE system an extremely versatile piece of gadgetry.  Lightweight and small (weight: 2.7 lbs, height: 6.25”), it’s also excellent for computer work or other projects requiring sensitive soldering/gluing.   
   
   
   
2. BRAND KBC Magnetic Base with Safety Shield
               KBC Part No. 1-397-021
               Price: $27.00          
    
   Metalworkers work on metal using metal work tools (say that five times fast!).   With all this metal floating around it makes sense to use it.   The Brand KBC Magnetic Base with Safety Shield turns the natural properties of metal into a major safety asset by allowing the user to attach a protective, crystal clear flat shield to any magnet-friendly location on the machine.  The shield’s base can grip round or flat surfaces, while the shield itself swivels 360 degrees and locks in place.  Available in shield sizes from 48 – 192 inches square, this is an easy and convenient way to make your work on lathes, grinders, and other machines significantly safer.
   
   
        

1. CYCLONE MANUFACTURING    

          Steel Sit Down Cabinet
          KBC Part No. 2-011-SD36
          Price: $389.00 
    
In one of the classic Seinfeld television episodes, George visits a clothing store and is disgusted by the fact that the security guard on duty is forced to stand at his post for eight hours straight without sitting.  “Why shouldn’t he have a chair?” George asks, before bringing the man a rocking chair and facilitating a robbery that occurs while the seated guard is snoozing in the corner.  You might as well ask the same question about the operator of a sand blasting cabinet, and this time without risk of encouraging a robbery!  The CYCLONE MANUFACTURING Steel Sit Down Cabinet is designed to allow the user to pull up their favorite office chair and sit comfortably while blasting away.  It’s absolutely perfect for those on light duty assignment or recovering from worker’s comp claims.  Don’t you stand too much already?  Relax in a chair and still get your work done.  Rest assured, you’ll have Ted the Gadget Man’s approval. 

WIN $100.00 and become KBC’s Honorary Gadget Man 2011!  We are offering a $100.00 KBC gift certificate to the person who submits the best additional gadget suggestion(s) from the KBC catalog. To be considered you must name the gadget and explain why it is interesting before the contest closes on March 31st, 2011.  Send your suggestions via email to michael@kbctools.com, or by fax (attn: Michael) at 1-800-668-5615.  Happy gadget hunting!

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From the smallest bit to the largest machine, KBC has a tool to meet your needs.  Check out www.kbctools.com, call 1-800-521-1740, or visit one of five U.S. branches (listed below) to find out more.

Detroit Machinery Headquarters                        
6465 18 Mile Road                                                     
Sterling Heights, MI                                                    
Ph: 586-731-3600                                                      

Detroit Tooling Headquarters
6300 18 Mile Road
Sterling Heights, MI
Ph: 586-979-0500

St. Louis Branch
900 Harmsted Court
St. Charles, MO
Ph: 636-949-6600      

Chicago Branch                                                         
910 Busse
Elk Grove Village, IL                                       
Ph: 847-758-4400                                                      
                                                                       
Los Angeles Branch
1021 South Placentia Avenue
Fullerton, CA
Ph: 714-278-0500

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ESTABLISHED IN 1965, KBC TOOLS INC. HAS BEEN PROVIDING THE METALWORKING INDUSTRY WITH THE BEST TOOLS AT THE BEST PRICES FOR OVER 45 YEARS.  KBC IS ONE OF THE LEADING METAL CUTTING TOOL & MACHINERY CATALOG HOUSES IN NORTH AMERICA, WITH 5 LOCATIONS COMPLETE WITH SHOWROOMS IN THE USA: (2 IN STERLING HEIGHTS, MI; ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL; ST. CHARLES, MO; FULLERTON, CA), AND 3 IN CANADA (MISSISSAUGA, ON; OLDCASTLE, ON; DELTA, BC).

FOR THE KBC LOCATION CLOSEST TO YOU CALL 1-800-521-1740, FAX (24/7) AT 1-800-322-4292, DROP INTO YOUR LOCAL SHOWROOM, OR CHECK US OUT AT WWW.KBCTOOLS.COM.