Tag Archives: tool

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Tool in focus – Cordless Reciprocating Saw

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by Nick Romaniello -

On December 26th the snow was falling fast and heavy here in Pittsburgh. I opened the curtain and saw a vehicle stuck a few houses down on my steep front road. It’s a spot where cars often get stuck in bad snow, I grabbed my shovel and salt bucket and went down to offer help. The older gentleman inside informed me that in addition to being stuck that he had a flat, and a tow truck may be hours away due to the weather. His Dodge Caravan had the spare mounted underneath the chassis held in place by a metal and plastic retainer and lowered by turning a nut inside the tailgate. The retainer was corroded into place and could not be lowered. I returned to the scene with my trusty cordless reciprocating saw. I slid under the stuck van and within moments had cut through the retainer allowing the spare tire to be removed. In no time the tire was installed, and with some shoveling and salt, the driver was on his way.

Ryobi SawzallI have a lot of tools, but in a disaster situation where I could only take one power tool it would likely be my cordless reciprocating saw. It is commonly called a “sawzall” (original trademarked name) because that’s exactly what it does. With the right blade it can hack its way through anything from metal to wood to plastics and even some masonry applications. Easier to handle and more versatile than a chainsaw and faster than handsaws, a sawzall is a good choice for emergency cutting. In construction it’s used most often in demolition and rough carpentry, but with its wide variety of blade choices the sawzall is able to step in and do the job of almost saw bladesany other saw in a pinch. A corded sawzall is more efficient for extensive work, but battery power will work where and when an outlet isn’t an option. Definitely choose lithium ion batteries over NiCad since sawzall’s are energy hungry. I will make a plug: the Ryobi One+ 18-Volt Cordless Reciprocating Saw (available at Home Depot for about $60 plus battery). I have one that, despite its hobbyist status in the tool hierarchy, has been in my professional tool kit for seven years. The One+ system has multiple tools that operate with the same interchangeable battery and is reasonably priced. A car charger is even available so that the batteries can be maintained on the road. Whichever brand or model you choose, make sure that you also purchase an assortment of blades, including a few “fire and rescue” blades which cut aggressively through a variety of materials.

It is worth mentioning that this was actually the second time I had to perform this exact same procedure on a Dodge Caravan. The first I went out to rescue a friend who’s Caravan got a flat on the interstate in the heat of August with her infant daughter aboard and she was unable to lower her spare. Everyone, apparently Caravan owners especially, should take the time to locate their spare tire, familiarize themselves with how it is deployed, and make sure that everything related to changing the tire is actually in working order. Practice changing a tire in your driveway on a nice day so you don’t have to learn how on the side of a busy road in a snowstorm.

My cordless sawzall is the ‘go to’ tool for all-around cutting, from pruning trees to extracting someone from a wrecked car. Its seemingly limitless abilities should earn it a place in every prepper’s tool kit. But just like the spare tire, be sure to familiarize yourself with it’s operation before you need to put it into use.

 

One Man’s Tool

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…could be another man’s weapon, or different kind of tool.

I was recently reading over a BOB list put together by a co-worker of Sarah’s (it was distributed for September National Preparedness Month). We preppers frequently look at others’ lists and compare them to what we have ourselves. As I read it through, I mentally checked off each item he listed thinking of the equivalent I had in my bag. At the end he mentioned that he keep all his stuff in a pack near his garage door, except his crowbar which he kept under the bed. Crowbar? I don’t have a crowbar. And under the bed? Oh, he’s keeping it there as a weapon…

The crowbar, in it’s current form, has been documented since the 1400s. Also known as a wrecking bar, pry bar, or by the British as a prisebar.

I decided a crowbar would be a good idea. So a trip to the hardware store and $15 later I had a 30 inch iron crowbar for my BOB.

Since we have to be prepared to carry our BOBs, it is helpful if the items we bring along have multiple uses. A crowbar can be used:

  • as a lever to move heavy items
  • to pry things apart
  • to open a damaged car door
  • to open a house door or window
  • to safely break glass
  • as a support anchor
  • as a leg splint
  • as a cane
  • to remove nails
  • as a hammer
  • as a pick axe
  • to break the hasp on a padlock
  • for smashing things

Or as a weapon. I’m not wanting to advocate or predict violence, but desperate times frequently bring out the very best or the very worst in people. I see the crowbar as a defensive weapon, holding it in two hands across your body with the curved portion on top in your dominate hand. It can be used to defend against other blunt weapons, punches, or to create a physical barrier. Offensively, if necessary, holding it the same way and striking with the curved portion using the straight end for a follow-up strike. I would avoid using it like a baseball bat because it’s heavy to swing around, and the momentum could throw you off-balance and out of position. Likely it’s just going to be a psychological weapon. If you’re standing there empty-handed, you look vulnerable; if you’re holding a relatively large crowbar, not so much.

Weight is it’s biggest disadvantage. Five pounds may not seem like much, until you have to carry it in hand for any distance. Strapping it to a pack is an option, but it’s not as accessible. I’d happily deal with the extra weight in an urban setting where I felt defenseless, but in a rural area–especially if I needed to walk for long–I’d likely leave it behind.

The humble crowbar, a tool of many uses – something I hadn’t thought to add to my kit, and now wouldn’t want to do without.

(Wednesday: Soap and Water)