2 comments about Vaughan Bowjak Board Straightener.

1. This is absolutely the greatest tool if your building a deck. Easy to use and works fantastic.



2. We started building a deck with 20 ft boards. things came up and the wood sat for weeks, drying and twisting waiting to be installed. This tool saved time and material. its very easy to use and i highly recommend it. I would nevere build a deck without it.

No comments about Vaughan RM24 14-Inch Professional Rubber Mallet with Flame-Treated Hickory Handle.

2 comments about Shark Corp 21-2301 Nail Set.

1. Get one of these for your tool pouch. The cat's paw end easily digs out any size nail with minimal damage, it's a good size to hold and large enough to be hard to lose. Caution: the hardened nail set tip will break off if you use it for prying.



2. See my review under Shark 58-9018. This nail set works great. The mini prybar on the other end is real handy while you're setting nails as well as usefully being like a second tool.

No comments about Cepco Tool BoWrench BW-4 Tongue and Groove Cam Attachment.

No comments about Malco SL5XXX Vinyl & Aluminum Snap Lock Punch.

3 comments about Cepco Tool BoWrench BW-3 Adjustable Joist Gripper Attachment.

1. If you are building a deck with real wood and have double joices this is a must companion to the bowrench.



2. "Bo" is a "can't do without tool!" My crew and I have used it for both standard decking and 2x decking with great success. We also use it in conjunction with heavy duty cargo straps to pull the decking tight for long runs. We mount decking from the bottom with one guy on top to keep the big "Bo" running at full speed. The product can be set-up several ways and is a tool no serious deck builder should be without. My crew is both male and female and everyone can use the "Bo" with ease. We have used it equally well with the optional bar on 4x timbers. Laminate the directions so you do not forget the many optional set-ups.



3. I ordered the product for someone else, but the report is that the tool is extremely helpful and was a great buy.

5 comments about Mayhew 41500 TWEAKER.

1. I've always used homemade versions of the tweaker out of wood and thought it was time to try the real thing. It works ok, but the handle is too short to lever the worst 2x6's around without getting some unneeded arm exercise. If it was maybe 6-8 inches longer and a little lighter and still sold for the 30 some bucks, then I would be impressed.



2. This tool does what its made for. It works very well for straightening twisted studs. Basically for 2x4 or 2x6 lumber anything bigger and it doesn't have the grip necessary to straighten.



3. Works pretty well for holding things straight, leveraged by one knee so I can get a few nails in place. When you work alone you occasionally need a third arm.



4. The Short of it:
   
   If you only have the money for one tool, skip this one and purchase the Stanley Fatmax. It comes in two sizes, and is a much better made tool for similar money.
   
   The Long of it:
   
   The finish on the Tweaker identifies it's "Made in Taiwan" construction (i.e. poor); and, as pointed out by others, the inner claw is too small to obtain a firm grip if you have a really stubborn board to deal with. I do like the apparent ability for this tool to be hammered into tight places for prying; and the "handle" would lend itself well to extension with a piece of metal pipe for some real prying assistance.
   
   However, I am not sure of the quality of the metal, so any "assistance" applied as I indicated above (i.e. hammering, or using a pipe for an extended handle) is at your discretion. I find that any tool "Made in Taiwan" seldom stands up to 'normal' use, let alone going above and beyond.
   
   The Bottom line:
   
   The Fatmax is able to handle thicker stock, for the heavier joists and such. It is a much more finished tool, and I would not be too worried to add a little "assistance" to it to get a job done.
   If you have the money to purchase several tools, there are some functions that this tool may perform better then the Fatmax, so go ahead and get one. I did. Nice idea, but I think I would have skipped it if I had seen it close-up before I bought it.



5. Builders best friend. No need to hunt through piles of lumber for straight, 2x4, 2x6 lumber... This "TWEAKER" will allow you to make the necessary adjustments to bring any lumber into line.
   Whether decking or framing, This has the pull you need.

2 comments about Johnson 60-275 DeckMate Deck Plank and Fastener Spacing Gauge.

1. I purchased five of these spacers to install composite decking which has to maintain proper spacing along the sides and at both ends. The spacers worked perfectly and, when placed along the length and at both ends, allowed accurate attachment of the deck material. I used the 3/16 side for the length and the 1/8 side for the end joints. This tool is a must have for installation of composite materials.



2. This is a great tool to ensure that the spacing on your deck is correct and even.

5 comments about SoloSider Siding Tools For Fiber Cement Siding And LP Smartside 3/8, Fully Adjustable Siding Gauges.

1. First a little bit about myself. I'm very old-school and I hate change. I am the type of person that gets angry when Hitachi changes the color of their nail guns and I am willing to spend money on good tools so I don't have to buy a replacement down the road.
   
   I was almost certain this tool was going to disappoint me. I mean it's bright green and has plastic parts which seems like a sure recipe for disaster. I figured I'd buy it based on the positive reviews and I could always return it to Amazon if it turned out to be worthless crap.
   
   Now that I've used the SoloSider I have to say that it's one of the best purchases I've made during the past year. I used these gauges to put up several hundred square feet of 6.25" Hardiplank by myself. The design is simple and elegant. It's trivially easy to adjust the reveal to within 1/16 of an inch. Set up time is super fast and the gauges hold the siding very securely while nailing.
   
   In short, this is a great tool. If you are fretting over the decision between this and the Malco gauges I'd strongly suggest you give these a try. I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.



2. Whether working alone or with a someone and you do any amount of siding at all, this is an invaluable tool to have in your tool box. The ability to adjust incrementally enables anyone to do a top-notch professional level siding job. I'm purchasing another pair for my next siding project and will use them side-by-side for hanging multiple side-by-side horizontal panels in a course to increase productivity even more.



3. These made hanging the siding a breeze. No more measuring and marking the overlap then trying to hold the board in place on the measured line while trying to check the level then nail it. You can dial the width of the overlap you need. Place the solosiders on the lower board and just set the next board on the hangers it holds the board in place easily while you check the level and if it's a little off level you can turn the dial left or right to lower or raise the board while it is being held in place by the solosider. Then just nail them in place. If you forget to take the solosider out before you place the last nails you can take it apart to get it off. But it only takes a couple of boards before you get completely used to them and know the best place to hang them and to remember to take them out before you nail right beside them.



4. I got these at the same time as I bought PacTool SA903 Gecko Gauge Hardie Board Siding Gauges NEW and by far the Pactool siding gauge is much faster and easier to use. The Solosider hook is on the top so you have to lift it up after the top board is on, which can be time consuming at times. Pactool hooks on the bottom and then you lift a lever that clamps it down very easy and quick. Plus, I have seen Hardie siding vary in size up to 1/8". With Pactool it does not matter. The only problem with Pactool is that it doesn't work with Hardie colonial which is 8" wide instead of 8 1/4". Why Hardie does this, I don't know. But Pactool gauges work with 6 1/4", 7 1/4", 8 1/4", 9 1/4" Hardie Plank.



5. Larry Haun's article in Fine Homebuilding (Feb/March '08) put me on to this wonderful time & frustration saver.
   
   A description flub on my purchase confirmation (from Amazon) was quickly and cheerfully cleared up with my phone call to Isabel (the "Mom" I trust, of the Mom & Pop operation which manufacturers this inventive helper).
   
   And, speedier than expected for the US Postal Service, it promptly and correctly arrived just a couple of days following.

5 comments about Cepco Tool BW-2 BoWrench Decking Tool.

1. How can you use long boards of IPE without this product? If you buy anything when doing an IPE deck, by this product. It is worth the price.



2. It does exactly what it says it does simply. There isn't anything fancy about it. But for building a deck it is well worth the money.



3. Best tool I've used for the job it's designed for. When working by yourself, it makes it well worth the price and easy.



4. Using it putting on decking at my camp at Grand Isle, La. Katrina took my last one and put it out in the Gulf of Mexico I think. The tool has made rebuilding a lot easier and FASTER. Thanks a lot!
   HSF Baton Rouge, La.



5. I didn't really want to spend the money to buy this job-specific tool as I am a DIYer that was only going to need it to build my own deck. However, as a one-man crew I am oh so glad I got past my trepidation and bought it. Working with 5/4x6 PT decking, it was rare to have a board that was even mostly straight over the full 16' length. However, with the Bowrench I didn't have to worry about that as it easily nudged even fairly severe curves into true with little effort on my part. My deck turned out fantastic, which may not have been the case without this tool. Well worth every penny paid!