American Construction Worker goes after Bin Laden
Gary Brooks Faulkner, an American construction worker detained in Pakistan on what authorities said was an armed solo mission to kill Osama bin Laden…
Mr. Faulkner sold his tools and set out to right wrongs on his own solo mission. Go Get’im Gary!
“Our military has not been able to track Osama down yet. It’s been 10 years,” Scott Faulkner (Gary’s brother) told reporters in Denver. “It’s easier as a civilian, dressed in the local dress, to infiltrate the inside, the local people, gain their confidence and get information and intel that you couldn’t get as an American soldier, Navy SEAL, whoever you might be.”
Read the entire Washington Post article here.
Continuing Tough Times in Construction
“The struggling economy is causing both nonresidential and residential construction to continue to slump, with the exception of a handful of stimulus-impacted segments such as highway/street and conservation/development.”
—ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu
Memorial Day
Memorial Day was originally know as Decoration Day. May was chosen for this observance as May is the month where the greatest number of flowers are in bloom across the nation. While various cities and towns argue about who originated Decoration Day, it is generally accepted that it was begun by southern women decorating the graves of fallen confederate soldiers and that it began before the Civil War ended. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
Cordless Tool Tips
Advances in battery technology has made the use of cordless tools on jobsite obiquitous. The NiCad and NiMH batteries are still the most prominent due to costs, but the new Li-ion batteries are quickly taking over. Despite their greater costs, they can generally provide more power with lighter weight batteries. (Be sure to dispose of failed batteries properly. Most manufacturers have recycling programs allowing the return of batteries that no longer work for recycling. Cadmium can have a detrimental effect on the environment if not handled properly.)
Along with the advances in the batteries there have been advances in how the tools and chargers manage the batteries. Sensors in the tools track the draw-down of the battery’s stored power and better manage it. Chargers optimize the charging time, run refresh cycles to even out battery cell usage reducing the memory effect and some include fans to reduce heat in the charging process.
All these things are improving the use of cordless tools on our jobsites. Cordless tools will continue to improve and are the wave of the future for construction workers.
Concealed Deck System
The Kreg Deck Jig
Kreg Tool Company makes The Kreg Deck Jig™ that acts as a guide for installing deck screws at a controlled angle on the edge of the deck boards rather than on the surface. There are several systems on the market that accomplish this using special fasteners or clips, but this tool lets you accomplish the same thing with standard materials.
There are several advantages to concealed fastener systems:
