We. Love. Tools. Like, a lot. We love them so much, in fact, that we’ve decided to feature our “Tool of the Week” every Tuesday (which we affectionately refer to as #ToolTuesday. On occasion, we’ll also feature some must-have tool lists for various types of projects.

Cricut Tools We Can’t Stop Reaching For

We’ve built quite the crafting collection over the years and have been incredibly fortunate to try out a number of different technologies, tools and materials. There’s no question that buying our first Cricut machine was a huge turning point in our journey as makers and crafters. Suddenly, items that we had dreamed of making were…

Getting Started with the xTool D1 10W Laser

Annnnnd we officially have our SECOND laser in the house, as we just added the xTool D1 10W to our arsenal of awesome tech tools. When MakeBlock, the makers of xTool, reached out to us to see if we’d like to try the D1, we jumped at the chance, as it’s a completely different kind…

New 16×20 Clamshell Heat Press! TransPro Plus 1620 from Pro World

Wow! Our craft room just got a HUGE heat press upgrade. Thanks to our sponsor, Pro World, we now have the TransPro Plus 1620, a clamshell heat press with literally ALL the features you could possible want–we’re talking a large, 16×20 platen that slides out (AND is interchangeable with other sized platens), auto open feature,…

We Bought a Glowforge Pro! Unboxing, Setup and First Cut

We have wanted a Glowforge for SO long,,,pretty much ever since we discovered that our Cricut Maker really wasn’t that awesome at cutting wood. It took us a year of planning and saving, but we finally pulled the trigger and purchased our very own Glowforge Pro. This machine is a BEAST, but best of all,…

Tool Tuesday – April 20 – Cricut Mug Press

To say that we’ve fallen in love with the Cricut Mug Press is an understatement. In fact, we’ve been so busy playing with it and creating new videos with it that we haven’t had time for another #ToolTuesday post until now. But there was NO doubt that the Cricut Mug Press was going to be…

Tool Tuesday – January 5 – Canon Color imageCLASS MF743Cdw (Color Laser Printer)

We’re back with another #ToolTuesday post, and this time, it’s Daniel’s pick! Following the thinking that a tool is anything the helps you get a job done easier, he set his sights on a new machine in the office, rather than the shop: the Canon Color imageCLASS MF743Cdw. That’s a mouthful of a name for…

Tool Tuesday – December 29 – Cricut Maker

We may have slacked off a little on the Tool Tuesdays this year, but we’ll just chalk it up to the perils of 2020. However, we couldn’t let the year end with out one last “Favorite Tool” post. And that honor goes to the awesome Cricut Maker.  With about 4 months or so under belt…

Tool Tuesday – September 22 – Bosch Jigsaw

There’s a reason you haven’t seen me (JZ) using the jigsaw in any of our videos lately: I hated the one that I had. It always felt unstable and unwieldy, and it jumped on me once during the Firewood Rack Bar Cart build. I haven’t picked it up since. If I remember correctly, it was…

Tool Tuesday – August 18 – Sanding Drum Kit

When we first envisioned building the Cable Spool Pallet Bench, we didn’t take into account how much sanding we’d be in for. We actually busted out ALL of our power sanders (belt sander, detail sander, and random orbital sander), as well as did quite a bit of hand sanding.  However, the unique details of the…

Tool Tuesday – July 28 – Ryobi Forstner Bit Set

Truth be told, I’d never even heard of a forstner bit before we started on this crazy DIY/YouTube journey. But it’s crazy how often we have had to drill perfectly sized holes over the last few months. Whether it was to make a jig for the Firewood Rack Bar Cart, drill out some flat-bottomed holes…

Tool of the Week – May 12 – Kobalt Air Compressor

Hot dog! It’s another #ToolTuesday post. And this time, I (JZ) picked none other than our awesome new Kobalt Air Compressor. We got this amazing tool courtesy of American Millwork when we did our Built-In Bookcases, and we just pulled it out again for some pawesome new projects we have in the works (more on…

Tool of the Week – April 7 – Metabo Pneumatic Nail Gun

It’s been a little longer than usual between our #ToolTuesday posts, thanks to all the COVID-19/Coronavirus/quarantine craziness. But we were SO stoked to pick up a couple of new toys for the shop before the madness and extreme social distancing set in.  So for this week’s Tool of the Week, Daniel picked our awesome new…

Tool of the Week – March 3 – Dewalt Compact Router

It’s time again for another #ToolTuesday, and this time, it’s my (JZ’s) pick. I was warned by a fellow woodworker that after I had my first experience with a router, I’d be hooked and want another one, and that turned out to be true. My dad handed his Craftsman router down to me before D…

Tool of the Week – Feb. 18 – Belt Sander

Sanding is exactly no one’s favorite thing. Ask any woodworker, and they’ll likely groan about the mind-numbing nature of the task. However, if you want to achieve a silky smooth finish and avoid splinters, it’s a necessary part of the process.  Having the right sander can make the task a little less excruciating. And that’s…

Tool of the Week – Jan 28 – Dewalt Multi Tool

Y’ALL! It’s my (JZ’s) turn to make the #ToolTuesday pick, and this week’s tool is giving my previous favorite a SERIOUS run for most loved tool.  It can cut wood! It can cut metal! It can sand! All in the most fiercely compact and lightweight body of pretty much any tool I own.  It’s the…

Tool of the Week – Jan 21 – The Humble Iron

Today’s #ToolTuesday pick, courtesy of Daniel, is rather unexpected: the humble household iron. Yep, the one you’re supposed to use to get the wrinkles out of your clothes (unless you’re JZ and only buy items that don’t need to be ironed – ha!).  But this household staple found its way into the workshop this past…

Tool of the Week – Jan 14 – Dewalt Saw Horses

Now that the holiday madness has fully subsided, we’re back to making things in a BIG way. This week’s #ToolTuesday post has come in most handy on our next project, making it easy for me (JZ) to pick for this week’s feature: Dewalt Folding Sawhorses with Adjustable Metal Legs (Amazon affiliate link) As the variety…

Tool of the Week – Jan 6 – Right Angle Adapter

If you’ve ever needed to drill or drive a screw in a tight spot, this week’s #ToolTuesday pick is for you.  Daniel’s pick is for #ToolTuesday is the Dewalt Right Angle Attachment (affiliate link) We discovered this upon the need to drill near a corner without cutting corners. The body of the Dewalt Impact Driver was…

Tool of the Week – Dec 31 – Dewalt Random Orbital Sander

After a nice week-long break for Christmas, we’re back in the shop, back to our projects, and back to the blog! And we’re kicking things back off with another #ToolTuesday post.  My (JZ’s) pick this week is the Dewalt Random Orbit Sander, 5-Inch (DWE6423K). This wonderful power sander appeared under the Christmas tree this year,…

Tool of the Week – Dec 17 – Dewalt Corded Circular Saw

D’s pick for this week’s #ToolTuesday: Dewalt Corded Circular Saw (DWE575SB) with Kreg Rip-Cut Circular Saw Edge Guide, which he says go together like peanut butter and jelly. 🥪 Now that we’ve officially launched our YouTube channel, we’re back in the workshop and starting on our next project! We won’t reveal what it is juuuuuuust yet, though…

Tool of the Week – Dec 10 – Magnetic Bowl

JZ’s Pick: Magnetic Bowl Today’s #ToolTuesday is an unsung hero in the workshop: the trusty magnetic bowl.  I picked this awesome little tool because it keeps the nails, screws, staples and other sharp metal objects off the floor and out of my tires in the garage. And also, because D is obsessed with magnets, and…

Tool of the Week – Dec 3 – Dewalt Reciprocating Saw

Daniels Pick: The Dewalt 20V Max Reciprocating Saw with Pruning Blade Having the right tool for the job makes all the difference, and Daniel’s pick for this week’s #ToolTuesday did just that on our Christmas tree hunt. But of course, that’s just a bonus usage of this amazingly versatile tool. Recip saws can be used for…

Tool of the Week – Nov 26 – Hercules Sliding Compound Miter Saw

JZ’s Pick: Hercules 12” Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw + Dewalt Miter Saw Stand My pick for this week’s #ToolTuesday pick is hands down my favorite tool in the shop: the Hercules 12” Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw ($349 at the Harbor Freight store at the time of this writing), which is made even…

Tool of the Week – Nov 19 – Rexing Dash Cam

Today’s #ToolTuesday pick is a tool that nearly everyone should have in their car these days: a dash cam. Daniel’s pick is the Rexing V1P+, which he recently installed in his car. Driving is the most dangerous thing we all do—and we do it every day. It seems like drivers are just getting more distracted…

Tool of the Week – Nov 12 – Reusable Craft Bottles

It’s been said that a tool is anything that helps you get the job done. So today, instead of going with a traditional hand or power tool, my (JZ’s) pick is these amazing little bottles, which we used in a soon-to-be-shown project. 😉  Waste is an unfortunate side effect of DIYing: you always end up…

Tool of the Week – Nov 5 – Air Compressor

Daniel’s pick for today’s #ToolTuesday is the Mighty Air Compressor. He says it’s a versatile tool that can be used not only to power pneumatic tools around the shop, but also for putting air in your tires. This handy tool made it to the top of the list this week because Georgia finally got a…

Tool of the Week – Oct 29 – Heat Gun

Time flies when you’re having fun—or when you’re trying to learn how to make a resin seascape—which has been exactly our challenge this past week. We’ve tried, but not quite succeeded, many times (though the hope is that we’re getting better).  Nevertheless, this week of resin practice brings us today’s #ToolTuesday pick, courtesy of JZ:…

Tool of the Week – Oct 22 – Level

Annnnnd it’s time for our second #ToolTuesday post! Each week, we’re going to highlight a tool that we love. JZ kicked us off last week, and now, it’s Daniel’s turn. His pick: the trusty Level. Yep, simple, but oh-so-functional–and more importantly, necessary to have around the house whether you do much DIYing or not. Levels…

7 Tools Every Adult Should Own

Whether you plan on doing a lot of DIY projects or not, you’d be amazed at how often you need at least some basic tools once you enter adulthood. Need to figure out if something will fit in your space? You’ll need a measuring tape. Hanging your favorite picture? Grab that level.  Below is our list…

Tool of the Week – Oct 15 – Impact Driver

It’s time for our first #tooltuesday post! We make no secret of the fact that we love working with tools. So every Tuesday, we’re going to highlight our favorite tool—and tell you why it made the list. Daniel and I will alternate each week picking our faves – and I’m up first! My Pick: DEWALT 20V…