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November/December 2007
issue of
Contractor Tools and Supplies
 Cover
Story
Capture
the wind
Mortenson Construction helps Orion Energy harness the wind by
constructing 100 wind turbines in central Illinois...
Slideshows of
tower construction
Editorial
Make safety a
stretch
Articles
Look to 5S for safety
A clean jobsite can greatly reduce your chances of slips, trips
and falls and help improve productivity. Lean “5S” methods can
unclutter your jobsite...
Hidden dangers
lurk on jobsites
Beware of subtle dangers that can hurt you as badly as traumatic
injuries...
Take out waste
The surge in Building Information Modeling (BIM) among
forward-thinking commercial contractors signals that if you don’t
already know what it is, it’s time to learn...
The steel deal
Building with steel can save time and money, but can create
construction challenges...
Seeing the
light
Construction lasers are smarter, more durable and easier to use
than ever, but most contractors still don’t have one. These slick
new measuring tools aim to fix that...
Gas or powder - choose
your weapon
New gas fuel cell tools are dueling with old-school powder-actuated
tools for dominance on jobsites. But those old guns still have the
firepower...
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Hot products
this month: |
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 Green
beam laser cross layout tool
CST/berger introduces the ILM-XTG Pro-Grade self-leveling
green beam laser cross layout tool that is ideal for indoor
leveling and alignment jobs. Makes horizontal and vertical
layout laser lines with accuracy of 3/32" at 30'. The laser
projects level and plumb lines up to 100'. Produces an
extended vertical plumb line and extra-wide horizontal level
beam with up to 13 degree fan angle. Housing protects laser
from bumps or drops; dust- and water-proof. Provides
horizontal and vertical laser lines, laser cross lines and
manual mode for angles.
Item 178 |
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 Cordless
1⁄2" impact driver
Makita now offers the 18-volt LXT Li-ion cordless BTW251
1⁄2" impact wrench kit. Powered by Makita’s four-pole motor
design, it is more efficient power in a compact size.
Produces 3,200 ipm and the 1⁄2" square drive has a
quick-release detent pin. Tool hook allows it to hang nicely
on a tool belt and the phosphorescent bumper ring makes it
easy to see in dark spaces. The LED light illuminates the
work surface for more accurate work. Weighs just 3.7 lbs.
Item 190 |
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 High-performance
pins
The new PDPA pin for powder-actuated tools from Simpson
Strong-Tie Anchor Systems is a high-performance pin for
structural steel and extra-hard concrete. It’s manufactured
to strict tolerances for premium performance and is ideal
for fastening into A36 and A572 grades structural steel up
to 1/2" thick.
Item 201 |
Cordless SDS-Plus rotary hammer kit
 Panasonic’s
EY7880LN2S 28.8-volt 3.0 amp-hour Li-on cordless 3/4" SDS-Plus
rotary hammer kit eliminates heat and dust problems with a
new motor and airflow system. Features Hard/High mode with
23.6kN of hitting force/up to 4,600 bpm and Soft/Low mode
with 12.7kN of hitting force/up to 3,100 bpm. Can
light-chisel and drill with special attachments. Has a
one-touch push chuck lock, LED work light, rotating side
handle with depth gauge, shoulder strap and dust cup. Weighs
only 8.4 lbs and 12 9/16" long. Charger can charge the
Li-ion battery in 70 minutes and all Panasonic batteries
from 7.2 to 28.8 volts.
Item 209 |
 Easy
access to truck beds and vans
Stepping into and out of your van or pickup just got easier.
Tradesman Products offers the Handy Step and the Swinger
step to provide an easy step up to gain access into a van
interior, rooftop ladders, roof top pipe rack and pickup
truck beds with the tailgate either up or down. The step
surface is 12" x7 1/4"x1" and has open webbing that allows
sure footing in any weather.
Item 216 |
 Work
light with battery backup
Petersen Brands now offers the WobbleLight with a battery
backup that continues to light a work area in a power outage
– often caused by tripped breakers from overloaded circuits.
Automatically switches to battery power in an outage and can
operate up to five hours. Produces 9,000 lumens, similar to
the output of eight 100 watt light bulbs.
Item 238 |
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 Paperless
interior drywall
Georgia-Pacific offers its moisture- and mold-resistant
DensArmor Plus Abuse Guard drywall, which is the first
Greenguard abuse-resistant drywall available. The 5/8" thick
paperless material resists common wear and tear in
high-traffic areas. Emits low VOCs, can be used where 5/8"
Type X drywall is specified and is easy to cut and fasten
with standard tools. Has a noncombustible core and
accommodates a wide variety of surface treatments.
Item 239 |
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