STUFF WE LOVE
10 JULY/AUGUST 2019 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COMBOTTOM LEFT:KOHLERMy go-to tape
I
use a tape measure nearly every day and
rely on them for accuracy in detailed
woodworking and metalworking projects,
and for large-scale carpentry. But I don’t always
need to lay out 35-ft.walls, so I prefer this 16-ft.
Milwaukee compact tape measure for day-to-
day work. It’s easy to carry in my tool belt or clip
to my pocket. The strong, nylon-coated blade is
printed on both sides, so I can read measure-
ments from any position. The rugged outer case
has survived many drops from the top of my
ladder to my concrete shop floor. You can find
one for about $11 at home centers and online.
APRIL WILKERSON, CONTRIBUTING EDITORPLATE-SCRAPING
SPRAYERB
y the time we’d get to the
dinner dishes after putting the
kids to bed, my wife and I
would often find melted cheese
and lasagna residue stuck to our
plates. But when I remodeled our
kitchen, I installed a Kohler faucet
with a sweeping sprayer pattern
that acts like a scraper to rinse
off dishes.
It doesn’t replace elbow grease
in extreme cases of dried-on
dinner, but it definitely works
better than the faucet we had
before. This is the Simplice kitchen
faucet, which is available at Home
Depot for $180, but Kohler makes
several models with this conve-
nient feature.
MIKE BERNER, ASSOCIATE EDITORSHORTER BITS
The bits in this StubbyBit set
by Milescraft may look funny,
but they’re super practical.
They solve the problem of
making pilot or dowel holes in
confined spaces—for example, to
add shelf pin holes in a narrow
cabinet.
If you combine one with a right-
angle bit, you can drill a pilot hole
nearly anywhere. The hex shank
makes going from drill bit to
driver bit very fast, and the
short length means they’re less
likely to snap off. Pick up a set for
about $14 online. When you
need them, you’ll be glad
you did.3/4"