We’re always looking for tool donations to keep building and improving our tool inventory. We currently have a few big ticket items that we’re on the lookout for. If you have any of the following tools and would be willing to donate them, please get in touch with us via our Tool Donation Form.
Thanks for your consideration!
November Tool Wish List
- Electric Pressure Washer
- Belt Sander
- Random Orbital Sander
- Mouse Sander
- Cordless Drills
- Diamond Tip Drill Bit Set
- Electric Air Compressor
- Pneumatic Framing Nailer
Read more about (and sign up for) our Community Builders program here. We’re recruiting new volunteers and interested organizations to move this program forward.
We’re always excited to receive new donations of tools here at the VTL but it was an especially good day when we heard we’d be getting a Porter-Cable Pneumatic Finish Nailer. This had been on our wish list for a while now and we are happy to now be able to offer this to our members!
Photo courtesy of Home Depot
Pneumatic tools use compressed air instead of electricity to produce a mechanical motion. In the case of the finish nailer, the air helps drive a fastener into the material with which you’re working. There are a few advantages to this type of tool over their power tool counterparts:
- Simple to use and control – they are quite light and lessen the risk of splitting your material;
- More reliable – they require less maintenance and have longer operating lives; and
- Safer – these tools do not jam as easily.
Pneumatic finish nailers are used for projects where a hammer just won’t cut it. Sometimes, a hammer is all it takes – I wouldn’t advocate the use of a finish nailer to hang a picture, for example – but a finish nailer is excellent for those projects where one hand is necessary to hold a piece of material in place or the work surface is large. Speed and efficiency is the name of the game with this tool.
With the pneumatic finish nailer, it is easy to set the position of the fastener, control where the fastener goes, and move swiftly. A home project that could’ve taken hours is reduced to a few minutes.
The great thing about the Porter-Cable finish nailer specifically is that it has an adjustable exhaust air vent which allows the user to direct the air away to deflect contaminants. This adds to the safety features of the tool. The nails are easily loaded into the magazine and, unlike some other nailers, it does not require oil for the magazine.
Popular Mechanics has a great run-down of a few different types of finish nailers: Finish Nailer Face-Off: We Test the Top 10 – Popular Mechanics
Here is an informative video from Porter Cable that touches on the mechanics of the nailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkghLLWDphE.
If you’ve done a project with a pneumatic finish nailer before, upload your pictures to our Facebook page or tweet it to us.
The Vancouver Tool Library is very excited to have been included in talented illustrator Sam Bradd‘s map of the co-operatives of East Vancouver.
A group from a number of housing co-ops on the Eastside came forward with the idea and Bradd designed a map that spans from 16th and Clark to Victoria and Hastings. Although the VTL falls just shy of the map’s borders, our little tool-lending library received an honourable mention! We’re proud to be among such great company: 19 housing co-ops, Vancity, modo car co-op, East End Food Co-op, People’s Co-op Books, and CCEC Credit Union, to name a few.
This is an especially opportune time to plot these co-ops on a map, give that 2012 has been declared ‘International Year of the Co-op’ by the United Nations! By supporting co-ops, you’re helping development happen in your community from the ground up. Be involved in the creation and management of the organizations and businesses in your neighbourhood: join a co-op you care about! Spread the word about your local co-ops by telling your friends and family about this handy map.
See the full illustration here: http://www.sambradd.com/co-op-map-of-east-vancouver/.
Written by The Vancouver Tool Library, November 13th, 2012 | No Comments »
Filed under: News, Uncategorized | Tags: cartography, CCEC Credit Union, Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, co-operatives, East End Food Co-op, illustration, International Year of the Co-op, map, modo car co-op, People's Co-op Books, Sam Bradd, support local, Vancity, Vancouver Tool Library
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to cancel this workshop for this month. We will hold it in the spring or summer of 2013. Please check back soon to see what other workshops we’ll be offering in those months. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Circuitry is a mysterious and potentially dangerous creature. A small area to work within and a jumble of coloured wires can make your head spin (or your hair stand on end). This Intro to Electrical Workshop aims to impart essential wisdom on the wonder that is household wiring.
This workshop will go over the types of projects in which you might encounter electrical work, the tools needed to complete these projects, and different variations of circuits and voltage. Above all, safety measures will be our focus. Your confusion level with the picture in this post is directly proportional to how much you need to attend this workshop!
When: Saturday, November 24th, 2012, from 11:00am-2:00pm
Where: The Tool Library, 3448 Commercial Street
Cost: $15 for VTL Members | $20 for Non-Members
What to Bring: All materials will be provided. The workshop will take place outside so wear comfortable, tighter-fitting clothing that is weather appropriate. Avoid dangly accessories for safety reasons.
Questions? Email lauren [at] vancouvertoollibrary [dot] com
Advance registration is required! Please pre-pay and sign up through the PayPal button below or come into the shop to register. Refunds are available up to 48 hours before the workshop begins.
Workshop Registrants: Please include your email address in the paypal form! This is how we’ll contact you with any workshop updates and to confirm your registration. Note that VTL Members will be required to present their member cards at the workshop.
Written by The Vancouver Tool Library, October 23rd, 2012 | No Comments »
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: basics, circuits, DIY, electrical, theory, vancouver, Vancouver Tool Library, voltage, wiring, workshop
