Just received a good tip via Wood Magazine (in turn from Dan Jansen, Sigel, Ill) which will help anyone attempting to set the depth on a drill using a stop-collar.  In the article below it speaks of using it for a pocket-hole jig.  However, it will work equally well anytime you have to set the depth on a drill.  Thanks to Dan Jansen, via Wood Magazine, here it is:

Shop Tip: Pocket-size gauge for setting pocket-hole bits

After reading your review of pocket-hole jigs in issue 152, I bought a jig and was satisfied except for one small problem. I found that changing the depth of the stop collar was awkward because I had to hold the drill bit, a ruler, and the stop collar with one hand while I tightened the collar with the other. To simplify the task, I built this stop-collar gauge from scrap 3/4″ medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Because the stepped drill bit is 3/8″ diameter, I drilled the gauge holes slightly oversize with a 13/32″ bit. The drawing at right shows how deep to drill the holes to correctly set the bit for 1/2″, 3/4″, and 1-1/2″-thick materials. I then drilled a 3/16″ hole in the bottom of each gauge hole to make room for the pilot bit. To use the gauge, loosen the stop collar, drop the pocket hole bit into the gauge hole, and then retighten the collar. –Dan Jansen, Sigel, Ill.

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Finally getting a chance to devote more time to this blog!

Did you ever feel like the manufacturers have you caught in a trap - one only they can control! While working in the basement running a few more power circuits it hit me once more: We are caught in the manufacturer’s steel trap and are being forced to live, AND PAY, according to the tunes they produce. 

Did you ever notice there is very little competition working in the buyer’s favor? If your house is installed with a Square D box, or a CH box, or a GE box, or… you are forced to purchase only that manufacturer’s circuit breakers!  No competition!  Just pay!

Each manufacturer has its own standards (proprietary) for how the circuit breaker must be produced to fit into their boxes!  And you and I are not only stuck one time, but we are stuck there for as long as you own the house.  Yeah, you can buy another manufacturer’s box, but there you are AGAIN - STUCK.

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Since this is the first post on Tools ‘n Gadgets, this is probably your first visit to our site too: so welcome!

We’ll be talking about the latest tools, techniques, gadgets and pretty much everything in between we can think of. We invite you to partake in the discussions in our forums, shop in the tools and gadgets store, and just hang out with us.

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