Saturday, May 21, 2016

The Nail Hound




The Nail Hound
CORVA sticker has nothing to do with the Nail Hound, it is just a great organization, and the sticker looked good on the device.

I first saw one of these about 6 months ago, one of my contractors brought it to a job at my house. The contractor's guys were really sloppy and scattered nails everywhere. They used this thing to pick up.
The Nail Hound is a giant magnet on a handle. The actual magnet (magnets?) are inside the aluminum box on the bottom. When you pull the T handle the magnet inside is pulled away from the bottom of the bottom of the box and the attached items are released.

Short demonstration of the tool picking up debris.


And here is a video of a pickup and how the items can be released easily.


I had bought a smaller "magnet on a stick" gizmo, and since it would only pick up items directly under the small magnet, it just wasn't big enough to "sweep" an area with. 

Apparently, these Nail Hounds are sold at the local roofing supply company and they are not cheap. But I have some more construction happening and I just had to have one to help clean up. I also think it will come in really handy for picking up dropped bits in the garage.

I have seen versions of this with wheels, but for my use they are not as versatile. I like that I can easily swing this just where I need it, and get it in around plants and things. There are also other similar devices on Amazon (search for: Load Release Nail Sweep), but I had seen this brand in action and I found it locally.

In case someone is interested, here is the company and model information:


Obviously, this tool is a giant magnet, so it is important to keep it away from your wallet (credit cards) and you computer and anything else it might affect adversely!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Calculating driveway to Garage Breakover Clearance




Definitions:
Clearance = Clearance required in center of wheelbase in inches
Rise = slope of driveway ramp in inches per foot
Wheelbase = distance between wheel centers in feet
Note: Assumes level garage floor.

By my calculations:

Clearance = 1/4 x Wheelbase x Rise