INNOVATIVE AND EASY-TO-USE
E•Z ProTM MORTISE & TENON JIG

(New York, NY) Known among woodworkers as the “King of Joints,” the mortise & tenon joint is still extensively used even after 4,000 years. History offers examples of this joint in ancient Egyptian, European and Chinese construction. But until now, no one has figured out a way to provide a quick and easy, all-in-one solution to cut both a matching mortise and tenon with a single inexpensive jig suitable for both the professional and the DIYer.

General Tools & Instruments is proud to announce its latest innovation in its series of affordable, easy-to-use wood-joining jigs, the E•Z ProTM Mortise & Tenon Jig (Model 870) (Patent Pending). This new jig will be debuted at the International Woodworking Fair, August 25- 28, 2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA. The Mortise & Tenon Jig is the latest entry in General’s line of innovative, user friendly, E•Z ProTM wood joining jigs. The line also includes the Dovetail jig, the Pocket Hole Jig, and the Doweling Jig.

The E•Z ProTM Mortise & Tenon Jig comes completely assembled and ready to use right out-of-the-box to produce the widely used 1/4" mortise and tenon joint. An optional kit is available containing inserts, bits and collars for producing 3/8" and 1/2" joints. Using a plunge router with the jig, woodworkers can quickly and easily cut fully aligned mortises and tenons ranging from1/4" to 1/2" inch thick and from 1 to 3 inches wide. The unit can easily handle stock ranging from 1/2" to 1½" inches thick and can cut multiple mortises in a single long piece. The unit can be mounted directly on a workbench or onto a board that can be clamped in a vise or to a bench.

The complete E•Z Pro Mortise & Tenon Jig includes the following: the ruggedly constructed, solid T6 Aircraft grade, hardened aluminum jig featuring a convenient thumb-screw arrangement for mounting your work, sliding templates to adjust the length of the joint and a novel “swing-arm” feature for centering and aligning your cuts; a quick-change guide-sleeve assembly with a 1/4" sleeve that mounts on your router and allows you to cut 1/4"  joints; a wrench for the guide sleeve; a centering pin and a 1/4" up-cut spiral carbide bit. In other words—the kit has everything you need to start cutting 1/4" mortise & tenon joints. Professional woodworkers and hobbyists will both appreciate the simplicity and convenience of The Mortise & Tenon Jig and in no time, you’ll be making joints for cabinets, furniture and frames. 

About General Tools & Instruments Company

Headquartered in New York City for nearly 90 years, General Tools & Instruments is the leader in precision specialty hand tools and instruments. Its recent product developments and corporate acquisitions have expanded General’s woodworking product line to include a full array of wood joining jigs and accessories. General’s woodworking products are widely used by professionals and DIYers alike in the woodworking industry.

CONTACTS:

For additional product information and photographs, contact Vince Cavaseno, SpaceAge Media Communications, 617-232-2000, vince@spaceage-media.com or Peter Harper, VP Strategic Marketing, General Tools & Instruments, 212-431-6100 x267, p.harper@generaltools.com.

General Launches Complete Line of Precision Wood Joining Jigs

(New York, NY)Cost-effective, precision wood joining featuring professional level Dovetail joints, Box joints, Pocket Hole joints, Dowel joints and now Mortise and Tenon joints is now available to all woodworkers. Big, expensive and complex joining set-ups are no longer needed with General Tools & Instruments’ new, easy-to-use jigs which, with the addition of a router or a drill, enable the user to produce professional joints right-out-of-the-box.

General has combined its E•Z Pro line of wood joining jigs with an extensive offering of wood joining accessories, into a powerful point of sale display and sales program known as the E•Z Pro Precision Wood Joining Center. Designed for Home Centers, Hardware Stores and Woodworker’s Supply Outlets, General’s E•Z Pro Precision Wood Joining Center includes an attractive display designed for easy product selection that neatly presents the company’s extensive line of joining jigs and accessories. General will introduce this exciting new program at the International Woodworking Fair, August 25-28, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

The program includes the following jigs:
The E•Z Pro Mortise & Tenon JigThe newest addition to the EZ Pro line, this kit provides a quick and easy, all-in-one solution to cutting a matching mortise and tenon with a single inexpensive jig. Using a plunge router with the jig, woodworkers can quickly and easily cut both mortises and tenons ranging from 1/4 to 1/2" thick and from 1 to 3" wide. General will introduce a production model at IWF.

The E•Z Pro Dovetail Jig This kit is General’s answer to easily producing strong, precise dovetail joints quickly and easily. Produce half-blind or through dovetail joints or box joints using only your router. The DOVEtailer is perfect for furniture building, cabinet making and other professional carpentry projects.

The E•Z Pro Pocket Hole JigThis award-winning jig kit is the ideal tool for quickly producing sturdy, attractive pocket hole joints in a variety of applications, including leg and rail joints, table and leg joints, cabinet construction or picture frames.

The E•Z Pro Doweling Jig For clean joints that need to be strong and fastener-free, there’s almost no substitute for the dowel joint. This kit offers a simple, versatile way to produce precision edge-to-edge, right angle, or edge-to-surface joints.

The E•Z Pro Jointer Clamp General provides a simple alternative to expensive jointers. With this easy-to-use kit, woodworkers can straight-line rip crooked boards using just a table saw with a rip fence.

The E•Z Pro Precision Wood Joining Center sales program and display also includes a full line of wood joining and joint finishing accessories. These include Doweling Accessory Kits containing dowels, drill bits, stops, and dowel centers available individually for 1/4", 5/16" or 3/8" doweling projects or as a kit with all three sizes. Also available are Dowel Pins in a variety of sizes and packaged in bulk quantities as well as Pocket Hole Screws available in both coarse and fine threads. The program also includes Wood Finishing Plugs to give your project a professionally finished look. General provides a broad range of flat head, round head, button and pocket hole plugs available in Birch and Oak.

To learn more about the E•Z Pro Precision Wood Joining Center and other woodworking tools, please visit General at Booth #1324 at IWF 2010, on-line at www.generaltools.com, or call Customer Support at 1-800-697-8665.

About General Tools & Instruments Company

Headquartered in New York City for nearly 90 years, General Tools & Instruments is the leader in precision specialty hand tools and instruments. Its recent product developments and corporate acquisitions have expanded General’s woodworking product line to include a full array of wood joining jigs and accessories. General’s woodworking products are widely used by professionals and DIYers alike in the woodworking industry.

CONTACTS:

For additional product information and photographs, contact Vince Cavaseno, SpaceAge Media Communications, 617-232-2000, vince@spaceage-media.com or Peter Harper, VP Strategic Marketing, General Tools & Instruments, 212-431-6100 x267, p.harper@generaltools.com.

General Tools & Instruments Introduces New SeekerTM Line of affordable, hand-held specialty instruments

(New York) - General Tools & Instruments, the leading supplier of specialty hand tools and electronic test instruments, proudly announces the launch of its SeekerTM Series of affordable, hand-held specialty instruments designed for professional, home and/or recreational use. The low cost SeekerTM Series consists of hand-held video camera scopes for remote visual inspection, as well as palm-size instruments for the measurement and detection of environmental factors affecting personal comfort and safety. These include the measurement of temperature, humidity, airflow, and for the detection of moisture, combustible gases and approaching lightning.

Visual Inspection:
The SeekerTM Video Inspection Systems (Models DSC200, DSC300, DSC400 and DCS495) are a line of low-cost video camera scopes that are highly versatile for the visual inspection of areas inaccessible to regular visual inspection. See inside, around, behind, underneath, above, and between walls, machinery and objects that are obscure to the human eye.  These light weight, handheld units are highly applicable to a wide variety of remote inspection tasks including: finding leaks, corrosion, mold, and infestation inside walls before any demolition needs to occur; for inspecting hidden electrical wire runs for system integrity; for troubleshooting problems in gas and diesel engines as well as HVAC/R systems; and for accessing hidden model or serial numbers. Various diameters and lengths of camera-tipped probes feature adjustable lighting and are interchangeable between all 4 systems. Models DSC400 and DCS495 feature a wireless, detachable, high-resolution video screen and will data log still images and record up to 3 hours of video. Each system includes mirror, magnet and pick-up hook accessories.

Temperature:
The SeekerTM Infrared Thermometer (Model IRT207) is an easy to use non-contact handheld infrared thermometer useful for an abundance of energy saving and safety applications. It can detect heat loss around doors and windows, insulation, ductwork and other areas throughout homes and commercial buildings. It can also be used to determine unsafe hot spots or cold spots in industrial and commercial applications. This precision tool will also accurately sense temperature differentials in electrical fixtures to help locate and correct such hazards as overloaded circuit breakers or wiring It will measure temperatures from -4º to +604ºF with a distance-to-spot ratio of 8:1.

Humidity:
The Seeker Thermo-Hygrometer Pen (Model PTH8707) is a shirt-pocket size device designed to measure ambient climate conditions. Accurately measures temperature between 32º and 122º F, and relative humidity between 20% and 100%. Ideal for home, office and industrial IAQ measurements, HVAC/R applications, and special environment applications such as greenhouses.

Airflow:
The SeekerTM Digital Airflow Meter (Model DAF3010B) is a useful hand-held device that measures instantaneous, average and maximum wind speed as well as the wind-chill factor. It is ideal for measuring airflow efficiency in residential, commercial or industrial HVAC/R systems, and in duct and ventilation systems. Also suitable for outdoor ambient use. Displays in English and metric units and in both ºF and ºC.

Moisture:
The SeekerTM Digital Moisture Meter (Models MMD4E) is a pin type moisture meter designed to test the moisture content of wood, concrete, plaster, dry wall, flooring and other building materials. The meter features a measuring range of 5% to 50% in wood and 1.5% to 33% in building materials. Features a digital readout and an audible alarm.

Combustible Gases:
The SeekerTM Combustible Gas Detector Pen (Model PNG2000A) is an easy-to-operate combustible gas detector with both audible and visible alarms. The unit will detect gases such as LNG, LPG, Methane, and Butane, and can used to detect leaks in both appliances and piping. Can also be used as a catalytic combustion sensor. It offers various sounds and visual cues for different gas levels.

Lightning:
The SeekerTM Personal Lightning Detector (Model LD7) is a pocket-size unit ideal for all outdoor activities. Perfect for utility work, sports, law enforcement, relaxing on the beach or boating.  Device can be clipped or hung using the supplied carabiner clip. Detects atmospheric activity from as far as 40 mi away, and can determine proximity and direction of lightning storms.

“We are excited about the expansion of the General Tools & Instruments product lines,” said Joe Ennis, President and CEO of General. “General Tools & Instruments is a product development company. Our recent acquisitions along with our consistent product announcements embody General’s commitment of providing new and unique product offerings on a continual basis.”

About General Tools & Instruments Company

Headquartered in New York City for more than 85 years, General Tools is the industry leader in specialty tools and instruments. Its recent acquisition of Mannix Instruments, a manufacturer of high-quality handheld electronic test and measurement equipment, has expanded General’s product line to include over 2,000 precision tools and instruments. This vast array of products is widely used by consumers, contractors, woodworkers, hobbyists, electricians, plumbers and professionals in industrial maintenance, HVAC/R installation and inspection, occupational health & safety and home inspection.

ILLUMINATED SPECIALTY TOOLS

(New York) – Working inside those dark, confined spaces on the job just got a lot easier. LEDvisionTM, an all-new line of precision specialty tools—each incorporating bright white LED lighting for on-the-spot illumination—has been added to the UltraTECHTM specialty tool line from General Tools & Instruments, the leading supplier of specialty hand tools and electronic test equipment for the Hardware, Woodworking, Machining, Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC/R industries.

Latest in the LEDvisionTM line is the UltraTECHTM Lighted Inspection Mirror. This useful tool incorporates a 2-in. by 3-in. fully polished glass mirror topped with 2 extra-bright LED bulbs. Its ergonomically designed, 8-in. handles extends out to 33-in for a really long reach. The Mirror features a 360º swivel joint for those very hard-to-see areas. The unit is powered by 2 CR-2032 batteries.

The Lighted Inspection Mirror joins the other useful tools in the UltraTECHTM family. These include:

• Lighted Tweezers – A set of three handy, all-purpose tweezers designed for better gripping and user control. Currently sold individually, they include pointed, bent and blunt tips useful for a variety of tasks. Each features a bright LED powered by 3 LR41 batteries.
• Lighted Mechanical Pick-ups –These long-reach lighted mechanical pick-ups are available in 12-, 24-, and 36-inch lengths for getting into those hard-to-reach spots. When the handle is depressed, a four-pronged grabber extends from the tip and an LED centered in the tip illuminates the task at hand.
• LumiLENSTM Lighted Magnifier – For those small, dark, hard-to-see jobs, this is the perfect solution. The lighted magnifier has a large, shatter-resistant, 3½ in., 3x lens with a smaller 6x inset lens. The handle converts to a stand for hands-free use, and a bright LED bulb powered by two AA batteries provides plenty of light.
• The 6-in-1 Lighted Screwdriver Set – This highly useful tool includes six tips—2 each of flat blade, Philips and Torx. It offers a comfortable, non-slip, cushioned grip with a powerful LED bulb powered by 3 LR44 batteries. Includes a hard rubber bit organizer. 

“We are excited about the expansion of the General Tools product line and the new products that we are introducing in 2010,” said Joe Ennis, President and CEO. “General Tools & Instruments is committed to providing new and unique products on a continual basis.” 

There’s no reason to be afraid of the dark any longer! General Tools & Instruments’ expanding LEDvisionTM line of precision, lighted, specialty tools is sure to have what you need to work in those dark, confined and hard-to-reach areas. All of the tools in the line will be available for order at the 2010 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, May 4-6, 2010, and are available for purchase at select industrial supply houses, home centers and hardware stores. For more information, see the Illuminated Tools section of the General Tools & Instruments website at www.generaltools.com/illuminatedtools.

About General Tools & Instruments Company

Headquartered in New York City for more than 85 years, General Tools is the industry leader in specialty tools and instruments. Its recent acquisition of Mannix Instruments, a manufacturer of high-quality handheld electronic test and measurement equipment, has expanded General’s product line to include over 2,000 precision tools and instruments. This vast array of products is widely used by consumers, contractors, woodworkers, hobbyists, electricians, plumbers and professionals in industrial maintenance, HVAC/R installation and inspection, occupational health & safety and home inspection.

General Tools & Instruments Introduces New SeekerTM Line of Video Inspection Systems for HVAC/R Applications at 2010 AHR Expo

(New York) – Designed for a wide variety of applications in the HVAC/R industry—such as detecting leaks, inspecting corrosion and deposit buildup, and reading hidden part and serial numbers—General Tools & Instruments’ new line of Video Inspection Systems offers the technician and contractor a cost-effective way to visually inspect inaccessible or hazardous areas and thus diagnose difficult system problems without the necessity of complete system disassembly. Advanced units allow the user to record and transfer still images and video.

Starting at $189.00, SeekerTM Video Inspection Systems provide technicians with powerful inspection tools designed to see into hard-to-reach areas. All three models come equipped with a high-strength, “obedient”, 1m (39.4 in) camera-tipped probe with built-in, adjustable LED lighting; a mirror, magnet and pick-up hook that can mount on the end of the probe; batteries; a detailed instruction manual and an impact-resistant carrying case. Probes start from 9.5mm in diameter, and are water, oil and dust-proof.

The SeekerTM 200 Video Inspection System ($189.00) offers the least expensive way to add video inspection capability to your tool kit. The unit features a 2.4 in. (70mm) color LCD monitor for real-time viewing, with a slim, 12mm (0.47 in.) flexible camera-tipped probe that retains its configured shape for inspecting hard-to-reach areas such as heat exchanger tubing. The camera features a 60° field of view and a depth of field ranging from 1.0 to 11.8 inches (25 to 300mm). Optional 1m, 2m or 3m probe extensions can be added to extend the probe length up to 5m (16.4 ft).

The SeekerTM 300 Video Inspection System($219.00) has all the features of the Seeker 200 System in addition to a larger, 3.5 in. (89mm) color LCD monitor.

The SeekerTM 400 Wireless, Data Logging Video Inspection Systems ($299.00 and $399.00) includes two models: the DCS400 and the DCS495. Both models feature the same specifications. The difference is in the type of probe included. Each system is a fully-featured video scope that includes a detachable, 3.5 in. (89mm) color LCD monitor designed for remote viewing as far as 32.8 ft. (10m) away. The monitor includes a magnetic base for easy mounting on a metallic surface.  The Seeker 400 series allows the user to record either still images (jpeg) or up to 3 hours of video (avi) in either NTSC or PAL format. Images and video are stored on the included 1GB micro SD card and can be outputted to a remote monitor or computer via the included video and USB cables. A choice of 10 menu languages is provided. The DCS400 features a 17mm (0.67 in.) flexible, camera-tipped probe with built-in, adjustable, high intensity, LED lighting. Probe extensions 2.9 ft. (.9m) long are optionally available to extend the unit’s reach up to 18 ft. (5.5m). For applications that require a slimmer probe, an optional 9.5mm diameter 3.2ft. long probe with camera and LED lighting imbedded in the tip is available for $199.00. The DCS495 system comes complete with the 9.5mm diameter instead of the 17mm probe and lists for only $399.00.

For more information about General Tools & Instruments Video Inspection Systems, visit http://www.generaltools.com/camerascopes.

About General Tools & Instruments Company

Headquartered in New York City for more than 85 years, General Tools is the industry leader in specialty tools and instruments. Its recent acquisition of Mannix Instruments, a manufacturer of high-quality handheld electronic test and measurement equipment, has expanded General’s product line to include over 2,000 precision tools and instruments. This vast array of products is widely used by consumers, contractors, woodworkers, hobbyists, electricians, plumbers and professionals in industrial maintenance, HVAC/R installation and inspection, occupational health & safety and home inspection.