Gizmodo: power tools

The Weird and Wonderful Space Tools That Fixed Hubble

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:34:00 EDT

If you wanted to know what the hell are all those weird space tools that astronauts seem to keep tied in a big ball of junk, you will love these beautiful pictures by Michael Soluri:

1. High-torque, low-speed pistol power tool with it's own CPU.
2. EVA mini-workstation, where the astronaut puts the tools he needs, attached to his chest.
High speed, low torque electric screwdriver.
3. Low-torque, high-speed power tool to unscrew or screw quickly.
4. Guide studs in their bag, used to repair the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph
5. Washer extraction tool used to secure washers so they don't float into space once they are removed.

So pretty, yet so menacing. Like the ones a dentist will use with you. If you are Dustin Hoffman and your dentist is a nazi, that is. [NASA via NPR via Daily Icon—Thanks Jonathan Will]

Photos by by Michael Soluri

Holy Sh*t Look At This Drill

John Mahoney — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:40:00 EDT

Behold, the Hitachi DH50MRY. Part drill, part jackhammer, it can eat up concrete like balsa wood without killing your arms. Our friends at PopSci cut one open to show how it works.

It's the first drill of its kind to feature a counterweight strong enough to cancel out what is undoubtedly some pretty serious recoil. I still think it would take all the counterweight in the world for this not to shake my spaghetti arms out of their sockets in two, maybe three seconds. But that picture—can't take my eyes off it. More at: [PopSci, photo by John Carnett]

NY Times Profiles Power Saw Drag Racing; Look Out, Baseball!

Adam Frucci — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:20:00 EDT

Today, the New York Times took a close look at the fast-paced world of power tool drag racing. The inherent fun of placing lightly modified power tools on the ground and watching them tear off down the street was not lost on them, apparently. Will attention from such a big publication make power tool drag racing a more mainstream sport? One can only hope. The Times even links to all sorts of how-to's from sites like Instructables and Make. Get on board now, before ESPN ruins it! [NY Times]

Cool Concept: Handheld Electric Pneumatic Gun

Brian Lam — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:59:59 EDT

Here's a great idea that DeWalt should get their asses on: A handheld 18-volt air gun that can be used to dust, airbrush, or fill up basketballs or bike tires. I'd get one if it meant less time on the bike pump, and it could start a new genre of krylon-free, duel-wielding graf artists. Found this cool gem of a fantasy gadget over at the newly designed and even sexier Core77 website. [Core77]

Power Tool Drag Racing is Our Kind of Non-Sport

Mark Wilson — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:45:00 EDT

Take a potentially lethal power tool (such as a saw), screw with it a bit and then place it on a track against other similarly sharp, high-speed devices. That's the philosophy behind the Seattle Power Tool Race & Derby. And like any sport we like, it involves no sweat but a touch of danger. Last weekend as their third annual race—that's a shot of the festivities above. Read on for the video:

Given the questionable aerodynamics of a baby strollers and human skeletons, something tells us that the goal isn't necessarily to win...at least in the traditional sense. [Hazardfactory and Flickr via bbGadgets and Hack-a-Day]