What Tradies Want February - March 2022

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Open mind

Tom Foster – Editor

Age in some cultures is regarded as a sign of wisdom.

When I was younger I knew a lot of older people I thought were silly buffers. Now I’m on the downhill run of middle age myself, I still know a lot of older people who I think are toss pots, but I see so many younger people who wouldn’t know if their arses were on fire as well.

But I recently had an interesting reminder of the old sledge, “I’ve forgotten more about that than you’ve ever known,” which was a popular retort from older folks if I got a bit uppity as a youngster.

I was dealing with a subject I thought I at least understood in general, but I ended up looking like I knew nothing. The experience also underlined how my own self-confidence had stopped me seeing the bleeding obvious, and I’m putting it down to age. I thought I’d been around long enough to know better and that left me denying to myself something that was as clear as day.

That means that while I’m supposedly wiser and able to call on a great deal of institutional memory to apply to problems and tricky situations, especially in my area of expertise, I appear to have lost sight of the simple, straightforward principles of some things along the way somewhere.

It’s an interesting phenomenon. I see the jokes aimed at apprentices, and while they often make me smile, I can remember when I fell for similar antics as a youngster and was left feeling very foolish. Now I think, ‘Hey. If the people paying the wage want that person to spend their time finding a bucket of sparks for the grinder, the joke’s on them. That person could be doing real work and generating income’.

Maybe the laugh’s been on the more senior group the whole time?

In any case, I feel slightly dudded that as a junior it seemed everyone knew more about everything than me, and now that I’m a little more mature those much younger than

me are Bluetoothing and using apps and electronics for everything in a way I can’t grasp, and achieving the same goals I had but with half the effort and in a quarter of the time. To them a marking gauge probably looks like some kind of medieval torture equipment (it almost was for me when I was trying to master using one).

But still, there are other times when things get challenging in my world and I’m able to hark back to earlier times and find a solution in an old technique or outmoded piece of equipment which will still work for someone who understands it.

Both ends of the age spectrum deserve respect and can benefit from each other’s strengths, especially if they’re happy to share knowledge and accept help when it’s offered.

Take that philosophy to work and you may see some amazing things happen.

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Tunnel shot

Just after dawn on a Saturday in September last year, professional race and stunt pilot Dario Costa flew his raceplane through the narrow confines of two enclosed auto tunnels outside Istanbul.

In near-darkness and close to the concrete walls, the Italian ace managed

a tricky takeoff inside the first tunnel, flashed through an open-air gap and then continued his 245kph flight through the second tunnel, flying less than 1m from the asphalt.

It took a crew of 40 to set up and co-ordinate the stunt, most of whom waved and cheered, “Pasta la vista!” not

expecting to see the plane or pilot in one piece again.

But Dario was no Turkey. He gobbled up the distance and zoomed out the other end like a tapeworm from a poopchute, as pleased as punch with whole thing. Maybe they should change the name of the city to IstanRedBull.

Images: Samo Vidic/Eros Maggi/Red Bull Content Pool

RENAULT TRAFIC

it’s my van it’s my business

“We rely on Renault Trafic to deliver freight safely. There’s loads of room for bulky items and plenty of anchor points for securing cargo. We’ve got plenty of tech inside and it keeps the drivers comfortable. They’re really fuel efficient, and we get plenty of k’s out of a tank. When you need a van to deliver its top notch.”

Daniel, Team Tank Logistics

“When you need a van to deliver its top notch.”

GADGETS

Technology to suit the modern lifestyle.

BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD SCALE MODEL

Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin has sold nearly $100 million worth of tickets for future passenger flights into space, and the intended vehicle for that rare and expensive opportunity is the New Shepard rocket.

For those who can’t afford the $half-a-mill or so those seats are expected to cost, Interplanetary Art has a 1:72 scale model to keep the dream alive.

The real-deal rocket has two new boosters, so it offers enough thrust to make the Earth move, but even so, the $475.85 plus delivery might leave some feeling shafted. If you’re keen, models are available from Etsy.com

HOMEDICS PERCUSSION CORDLESS HANDHELD MASSAGER

Compact and comfortable to hold, the HoMedics Percussion cordless handheld massager soothes tense muscles after a hard day’s work at home, the office, or even while out and about. It has low- and high-intensity settings to deliver either a gentle massage or a more intense treatment, and it incorporates a heating function.

Thanks to its ergonomically designed curved handle, the HoMedics makes it easy reach back and shoulders, the rechargeable battery gives up to one hour of buzzy fun time, and it doesn’t need any training or qualifications to use. It’s something you could let any dill do.

These calming and soothing devices are available at lots of appliance stores, but as we wrote this Harvey Norman had them on sale for $79.

GATES FLEXIBLE RADIATOR HOSE

These things can be lifesavers.

Of course, buy the correct part for the make and model of engine or vehicle being repaired whenever possible, but if the shit has hit the radiator fan, a flexible hose can be the difference between a right royal reaming from a tow-truck operator and making it home where the part can be properly researched and replaced.

Gates is a trusted brand in automotive hoses. They’re all OEM quality with matching fit and performance, have heatand ozone-resistant coverings, are engineered to resist electrochemical degradation, meet SAE 20R4 and 20R# Type EC Class D-1 and D-2 spec, and have a temperature rating of from -40ºC to135 ºC in coolant-hose applications.

So stick one of these in the back to make sure your next breakdown isn’t a total bummer.

The champions at Repco stock Gates, and price will depend on how big you want.

PRO QUIP 3-IN-1 JERRY CAN METAL POURER

Pour fuel without spilling a drop by using the Pro Quip jerry-can pourer.

Suitable for all Pro Quip metal jerry cans, this nozzle clips onto the jerry spout and allows clean, directed pouring of everything from mixed 2-stroke fuel to unleaded and diesel fuel. There’s also a gauze filter to remove any particulate that may have built up in the base of the tank.

Another great feature is a pliable spout which can be flexed into position. Just make sure you don’t pull it out too early and spurt stuff everywhere. We’ve seen that happen in movies.

Supercheap Auto stocks Pro Quip, and this pourer retails for $29.99.

BANANA BUNKERS

Ripe bananas can safely nestle within these protective Banana Bunkers.

The tensile strength of a hard-plastic structure protects the fruit from bruising or crushing in backpacks or lunchboxes, while the ribbed midsection expands and contracts to accommodate larger or smaller specimens. Each set includes assorted colours. They’re lightweight, collapsible and dishwasher-safe to ensure good hygiene.

We found them in sets of three at groupon.com for $8.99.

Look at those clean well-protected fruit skins. One skin. Two skin. Three skin.

COLLAGE SAUSAGE CASING

For those who love to produce fine food there can be no substitute for working from scratch.

The humble sausage is a great example. For anyone truly dedicated, grinding the filling and preparing the snag is important, and that means starting with the most basic supplies… like the casing, or ‘skin’.

The folks at Collage make a premium product, and while it’s not in our nature to poke fun at companies doing their best, we can’t help but smile at Collage’s product description, obviously translated to English:

Caliber: 34mm (width size not diameter)

After you made a sausage, diameter is about 22mm

Save method: keep it in dry and cool place

• Shelf life: 3 years

• What is caliber size: the size after you press the casing flat, not diameter!

• How to use: warm water soak for 2-3 minutes to use, enema machine can be directly set to use.

Obviously an ‘enema machine’ is a mincer. We couldn’t find any catering suppliers who had this specific product available, although there must be plenty of others with similar offerings. Butchers are always jamming their meat into things, and they get the casing from somewhere.

For 15 metres of Collage product, try AliExpress.com $7.00 plus freight.

RHYTHM TECH GEMINI DOUBLE MARACAS BIG GRIP

Two maracas on one handle! Brilliant!

Rhythm Tech is a big deal in the world of musical-instrument percussion. The company revolutionised the tambourine a few decades back and had bands and folk musos shaking with delight. With a cushioned grip and bright colours, this new rig has a bright sound that’s easy to control, and should offer great penetration, even with big organs.

Rhythm Tech gear would be available at most music stores for around $40, but if you don’t mind a little dicking about, and can get into Croydon, NSW, Hans Music has them on special for $19.25.

ALUMINIUM SAUSAGE CAULKING GUN

A sausage gun is a must-have for pretty much any worksite, and this durable aluminium-alloy example is designed to fit silicone, gap filler, adhesive cartridges and sausages, distributing the material evenly with a smooth trigger action. It’s lightweight, features a durable aluminiumalloy body and includes two replacement nozzles.

It’s a great piece of gear for

Stealth and the future of sports fishing

Every serious fisher has an image in mind when you say ‘sportfishing’. When pro fishing guide Tim O’Reilly contemplates his interpretation, memories of sight casting at hungry fish in clear water dominate.

Istill remember vividly a walk up a remote Cape York river 15 years ago. I’d just navigated a shallow set of rapids through dense streamside vegetation and the small side arm again widened to a cast length. I climbed an overhanging melaleuca trunk to survey the situation. Just above the rapids, bony bream could be seen picking the rocks clean, heads into the current, and just upstream were two saratoga, pectoral fins splayed, gently gliding in the late-afternoon sunlight.

As I was about to cast long and wide, a brownish-yellow smudge materialised on the outside of a branch in the water below me. It was a big barra tail, the fish nose-down and out of sight. It took three casts, closer and closer, to make the barra stick its nose up and inspect my golden popper. One almighty surface boof saw me yank the popper out of its bucket mouth, almost falling from the tree and blowing my chance at all the fish in the process. Memories of missed opportunities stand out just as clearly as those that come up tight.

Words and images: Tim O’Reilly

cracking

A

Bluespot coral trout potted on the flats.

CATCH AS CATCH CAN

It goes without saying everyone is entitled to their own opinion of what constitutes true sportfishing. My definition would be: spotting a fish (literally any fish) which an angler both recognises and seeks, before making a presentation to it.

It’s a sport which normally requires anticipation, agility and heightened handeye coordination. It could be a 500-pound Blue Marlin or it could be a 400-gram whiting. Each would be just as sporting as the next in this context. It’s the act of fooling something you can see or sense which is sporting. No boat, sounder, spot lock or piece of gadgetry can replace this simplest form of fishing… sighting the quarry.

Sportfishing in many forms requires the use of stealth – making a presentation at a fish

which hasn’t seen or sensed you. Noticeable exceptions occur in the form of light-up fish around the boat.

Any fisher will need to use stealth at some stage of a session, whether it’s boat positioning, a purposeful drift, wading a flat or creeping through bankside vegetation. Try and visualise some of the captures you’ve made when sight casting at fish. Don’t these memories stand out the strongest and burn the brightest?

HEROES

Pioneers of the modern sportfishing era grew up very differently to how a keen young fisho will grow up today. Back then an angler in a terry-towelling hat and a pair of stubby shorts sliding a kingfish in over the rocks was the stuff of urban legend. It was an underground movement of mostly men moving in obscure contrast to the rest of society. I’m not sure fishing would have been cool enough for social media back then.

These people were very cool in my book, mostly due to their love of sportfishing and the feelings they were able to convey through words and imagery. Even as a kid who grew up in the country, I loved the northern coastal scenes of Malcolm Douglas and the fishy tales of Vic McCristal.

YANKING OFF

With today’s fishing and adventure media so saturated and polished, is there space left for these off-the-beaten-track battler types? Most of them are never truly appreciated

Barra could be spotted finning under the lily pads.

Whatever happens, kids are the future of sportfishing.

A pair of Red Bass taken from a school among shallow bommies.

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until they get later in life. And today, unless you’re beating your own drum in some way, recognition seems only in the eyes of a few. Fans, favourites, subscribers, tags, links and webpages weren’t part of the ethos in the 1980s and ’90s. Getting pissed up a Territory river or on the deck of a game boat were held as the pinnacle of physical prowess. But it was during this time the great minds and scribes of fishing developed, paving the way to a new fishing world. Now it’s almost a bloody glamour sport! These days a keen young fisherman with a half-decent Instagram following might date hot chicks! Just think of it. That’s until finding out what

dating a dedicated fisho is like. Or finding a range of gaudy long-sleeve fishing shirts from BCF in the cupboard.

In a nutshell, Aussie fishing is growing ever more Americanised.

FUTURE

Recreational fishing is having a little moment in the sun. We need to marvel at what a fantastic recreational pursuit fishing has become in the Australian psyche. Besides the millions upon millions spent each year on fishing specifically, bucketloads more incidental spending happens along the way. Changes to fisheries management and

government policy slowly, in the background, keep up with this financial potential. There are major headwinds coming up to confront the sport of fishing, first from ardent green groups and those who seem desperate to make nature something humans cease to interact with. Quick to get behind them is a big majority of the population, largely forgetting what it is to procure your own food. Modern man is forgetting all about the actual act of hunting and gathering. It’s very dangerous to sportfishing for people to overlook the point of fishing in the first place, and it’s the role of those who believe they are fishing for sport to do so with the utmost respect both for fish and their surroundings, and to help convey these messages onto the next wave of keen fishos.

WHY WE DO IT

One challenge fishermen face heading into the future is the trap of knowing more and feeling less. Recreational fishing is very much a treasure of feelings, perceptions,

This barra came out of lily pads to thump a plastic frog.

A Goldspot Trevally which was cruising the flats with some mates.

A prehistoric saratoga sight cast on a fizzer from the bank.

ponderings, anticipations and struggle. But with the modern age has come a desire to stand out in the bunch, to strive for success, and, in fishing terms, that equates to catching loads of fish.

Ask yourself if you’ve become so focussed on success in fishing? Would you still go out without a camera of some description? Do you compare how much enjoyment you feel you’ve had with what you see on Youtube?

There are many pitfalls awaiting us that can ultimately detract from what we loved in the first place. Simply to be out among nature and catching a fish.

Fishing can be such a swift learning curve for people these days. The very same Youtube, Facebook and Instragram posts can actually teach the inexperienced to feel the experience simply by viewing someone

else do it. Humans are remarkably intelligent animals and the ability to recall and re-enact something seen elsewhere is instrumental to much modern-day success.

In many ways modern technology is enhancing the success of fisherman the world over. Yet every gadget introduced is a step away from the true essence of sportfishing: simply matching conditions with the ability to sight fish and cast at them. Don’t get me wrong, just like everyone else, I do a lot of casting at imaginary fish!

IT’S UP TO US

A fisherman needs to see what’s coming, just as they need to see what has been.

The study of fishing techniques at the foundation of our sport, and a vivid memory of past success or failure, are common traits

of keen fishos. The keenest drive the story forward, propelling the hopes, dreams and aspirations of every young fisher, and pushing the frontiers of the sport.

I have very high hopes for recreational fishing in Australia. The sport has received mass adoption and a very good public image associated with health and mental wellbeing. It plays a vital role in connecting humans with the natural world and often makes fishermen the natural world’s best protector.

Our fisheries have the chance to be prosperous into the future and this places a great deal of responsibility on the current generation to get fisheries management right. To innovate. To be inclusive. And to conserve the amazing way of life we are able to lead. The changing face of fishing can meet the aspirations of us all.

Life quickly gets hectic casting at giant wrasse in the shallows.

Nothing beats sight casting barra in clear, shallow water.

Plucked from a school of little GTs, this fella fought hard in tight country.

We loved the Sportster S: the bike, the riding, the look of the thing, the way we felt we looked when we were on it and the sheer, unarguable performance of the thing.

Harley Davidson Sportster S

‘Sportster’ is a name Harley-Davidson has been using for quite a while. In fact, it’s been in the H-D line up since 1957. There have been a few variations on the basic theme, but it was always pretty much a lighter, sportier alternative to the big cruiser bikes which established the American manufacturer and elevated the brand to be one of the world’s strongest and most recognisable. The latest incarnation of the Sportster – the Sportster S – is a thoughtprovoking and exciting mix of the ‘more agile’ concept with a downright aggressive and threatening-looking presentation that’ll turn heads in the toughest neighbourhoods and leave earthmoving equipment embarrassed for lack of grunt.

PLENTY OF PUNCH

The heart of the Sportster S is the engine. Harley made a strong point at the media release of the bike being built around the new Revolution Max 1250T V-twin donk. While the look of the bike was clearly very important – it’s a Harley after all – the engine came first, and the rider being able to use the 121 horsepower wasn’t far behind on the list of priorities. There’s a stack of rider modes and a suite of electronics that’d make Stephen Hawking’s laptop look like a Nintendo by comparison. But most of all, the bike looks seriously horn. It’s hard to believe what appears to be a stripped-back bobber can house such an incredible array of high-performance tech and performance gear, but it does. From the whopping great front tyre along the incredibly low-slung chassis and upswept pipes to the chopped rear, the Sportster S glows with the appearance of barely contained evil intent.

If a hungry five-metre grey nurse could somehow be turned into a motorcycle to quietly cruise inner-city streets scaring the smashed avo out of passers-by, this is what it would look like.

It may be a Sportser but it’s like no Harley you’ve ever seen.

TESTING TIMES

WTW was lucky enough to get a short ride on the Sportster S under the watchful eye of some of Harley-Davidson Australia’s incredibly competent and likeable staffers. We were coached through the high points of mechanics and electronics – while being plied with cappuccinos and delightful little baskets of chips and snack treats – before being let loose on a short lap which gave a taste of what the bike could do. The course included a few landmarks where the bikes turned plenty of heads, some freeway running where the cruise control and excellent ergos showed their worth, and even a little closed-circuit rorting on a

wharf alongside Sydney harbour where high speeds, late braking and other outer-limits behaviour were allowed under supervision.

Then it started raining and lightning struck nearby a couple of times. Very suddenly everyone decided they’d ridden enough, and the chips and cappuccinos began to flow again as riders changed soiled undergarments and ducked for cover.

EASY RIDER

So what did we learn during that one brief, but very pleasant, ride?

Heaps.

The bike has performance to match its looks, and it has looks which wouldn’t be out of place in the latest, big-budget superhero movies.

The motor is a smooth, grunty stonker of a unit, with really nice torque at low revs to make city stop/start riding a very pleasant experience. Braking is strong and felt great – although we thought it had a tendency to pull off line against the single front disc under heavy use – and flicking from one mode to another meant the bike could change personality like a politician during a pandemic. In Rain mode it was a wellbehaved, responsible, sit-up-straight bike. Cracking open the throttle in Sport mode meant hanging on tight, leaning forward, and praying the front wheel stayed down (there’s wheelie control to keep that safe for those who want it) and the rear wheel didn’t shred a tyre.

Other modes offered variations between those two extremes, and there was plenty of scope for the rider to tune individual aspects of the bike’s performance to suit the rider’s wants and needs.

We thought it was interesting a naked

A nod to the peanut tanks of the past, but 11.8-litres of capacity.

The front tyre is a whopper, but handling is surprisingly good.

Above: Style and performance… and the editor.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER S

bike which had us seemingly stuck up in the airstream didn’t buffet our head clean off our shoulders on the freeway, but it didn’t. We don’t know why. The compact LED headlight can’t have been deflecting much air, but somehow, our riding was fairly smooth going the whole time.

IN THE WIND

Overall our impression was of a bike with stunning good looks and Schwarzenegger muscle, all of which could be kept under control, or set free to run wild, with an excellent suite of electronics and a good level of comfort.

Harley is offering a big set of accessories for the Sportster S, including a pillion kit, some very sexy trimmings and ornaments, luggage,

mid controls (instead of the standard forward controls which have the rider’s feet way in front of his knees), and of course some very cool-looking apparel.

We loved it all: the bike, the riding, the look of the thing, the way we felt we looked when we were on it and the sheer, unarguable performance of the thing. Harley’s been kind enough to make a Sportster available for a longer ride, probably for next issue, and we’re quietly trying not to pee our Kevlar-lined riding jeans waiting for it to get here. We’ll let you know how we go.

Meanwhile, the Sportster S is on dealer floors around The Wide Brown Land at a starting ride-away price of $26,495. Get in and see for yourself what we’re so excited about.

DRESSED FOR SUCCESS

WTW ’s editor isn’t much to look at at the best of times, so when we knew he was going to front up at a HarleyDavidson function – the motorcycling world’s masters of style and cred – we knew something had to be done about his appearance.

A quick call to accessories importer McLeod Accessories had the ed’s thongs, footy shorts and high-vis T chucked in the shit tin, and he was set up with some beautiful Argon gear.

Argon’s a fairly new brand in Australia and it’s ritzy stuff. The ‘jacket’ is actually the Cleaver Shirt and features casual styling, heavy-duty stitching, Stretch DuPont Kevlar, YKK zippers, CE shoulder and elbow protectors, and a few pockets.

The Argon SNK-R boots are the dog’s bollocks for catwalk styling and real-world protection. The uppers are breathable, water-resistant microfibre in combination with high-performance mesh, and EVA with hot-melted PU, Latex and EVA foam reinforcement give top-shelf ankle and toe protection.

But the best thing about the boots from the rider’s point of view is the A-TOP fastening system. Just stick the hoof in, wind the little ratchet winder thing until they’re snug, and off you go. No laces or Velcro.

Brilliant.

Ask for Argon riding apparel at your nearest bike shop.

Inspired by the glory days of flat-track racing, the pipes are stainless steel and engineered to deflect heat away from the rider’s legs.

Chippa

Words: Luke Kennedy

Images: Swilly and Nick Green

Wilson

For over a decade, Chippa Wilson has beguiled the surf world with a wholly original take on riding waves. Hailing from Cabarita Beach, NSW, the wiry goofyfooter helped usher in the kind of aerial surfing that requires a dictionary of skateboarding tricks to understand what’s truly going on. In the process, he’s become one of the most compelling freesurfers currently drawing a cheque.

After all that time on the road launching cloudtickling airs for the camera, however, Chippa felt it was time to find a retreat—somewhere he could indulge his more reclusive interests of surfing isolated peaks and working on his motorbikes. He found such a place on eight acres of bush-covered land on the northeast coast of Tasmania.

TUBES

While rehabbing a knee injury sustained during a lip-jump gone wrong in France, Chippa hunkered down in his sanctuary at the bottom of the world to renovate the property. And with the go-ahead to

get back in the water for the first time in months, he invited his longtime shaper, Matt Hurworth, and myself down to check it out and surf mostly empty waves. An easy accept.

Hurworth and I rendezvous at a bar inside the Sydney airport. He’s just returned from the Gold Coast, where he surfed Kirra for two days straight, and spent the morning finishing up boards before the flight.

The shaper explains he’s known, and been shaping boards, for Chippa since the punter was 8 years old. He also recalls some early misgivings about Chippa’s approach.

“He’d lose a heat in the juniors in the Cabarita Boardriders,” said Hurworth, “and I’d say, ‘Why did you race past the sections? You could’ve done three turns.’ Luckily, he didn’t listen to me.”

After a two-hour hop over the Tasman Sea, Chippa is there to collect us at Launceston airport and helps muscle our board bags into the back of his pick-up, though he was up late last night working on the clutch of his ’64 Harley, which needs rubber tubing for the

Chippa Wilson lofting beyond the tree line with a steezy slob grab.

lid of one of its side-casings. So, the first stop on our Tassie surfari is Bunnings hardware store. As he roams the isles searching for the right material, it’s evident that Chippa applies the same meticulous precision to both his surfing and his garage projects.

WARM WELCOME

On the highway, Chippa talks us through the island’s geography as the wide-sweeping plains of the ‘midlands’ make way for the bushier ‘heartlands’. Chip then points to a rugged looking, tree-topped tor and tells us the mountain’s name is Ben Lomond, after the peak in the Scottish Highlands.

We stop for a James Boags on tap at a quaint bar in the town of St Mary’s, where the air is spookily still. There’s a small crowd

gathered for a post-work ale, and in the somnolent pub setting Matt and I reek of mainland interloper. While we sink into leather coaches as our internal gears slow down and enjoy the local drink, Chippa mentions there’s a fun skatepark around the corner, to which he and his girlfriend, Brinkley, often ride to on the bike for an hour’s pushing around— standard Tassie afternoon entertainment. Post-pub and on the last stretch of our drive, swallowed by lush green on both sides, we take a sequence of sharp bends toward the coast. Twenty minutes later we arrive at Chippa’s property in Scamander, where we are instantly mugged by his two dogs, Rain and Ohana. After we lap the front yard on his electric bike, we’re soon dozing off next to a blazing fire.

ORCA..?

The next morning, we load up the car with an eclectic assortment of boards, eager to hunt down a wave on the stretch of east coast between St Helens and Bicheno. First stop is the local café overlooking the river mouth at Scamander. As we sip and wait for the kick, a tiny-but-perfect right spools into the threshold where river meets sea. Chippa insists the river mouth gets good when the swell is bigger, but today we’ll have to search further afield.

We head north along the thin, twolane highway that hugs the coast. The Tasman Sea sparkles a brilliant shade of blue and the alabaster beaches stretch for unchecked miles, separated from the road by a few tussock-covered dunes. We

Chippa demonstrating the art of flight on a windripped wall in the tropics.

Up late working on the clutch of his ’64 Harley.

stop periodically to check different setups, and Chippa talks us through the variables for each.

Heading back south, we stop at a long stretch known as four mile. Crisp white sand is interrupted by rocky outcrops that look like they’ve been dusted in bright cinnamon speckles, the effect of lichens that attach themselves to the rocks. The same phenomenon is responsible for the brilliant orange that coats rocks at the famous Bay of Fires further up the coast.

Out in the water, a zippering little corner is enough to get Chippa excited. One of the benefits of surfing brilliance is the ability to make any wave workable. We’re soon unpacking boards and pulling on suits, though slow up some when Chippa recalls meeting a killer whale in this very same lineup. He then grabs a few different sets of fins and a board under each arm, and charges toward the beach.

ALONE

Given a total absence of other surfers, we have the luxury of each claiming our own peak. Cotton-like clouds slow-dance across a blue sky as I look back on the rolling green slopes on land. As I swing into a little A-frame, I marvel at how much fun surfing is when you undoubtedly know the next wave is yours.

Even in the small waves, Chippa summons speed at will. From a distance I watch his fins chuck, and plumes of spray thud against the flat ocean he leaves behind. His confidence grows with every ride, and before long he is aiming at the sky. Above the lip he is like a ribbon tossed into the wind—slack-limbed and slinky, never rigid or forced.

With no cameras around, he’s obviously compelled to push above the lip by an internal drive. Perhaps it’s the satisfaction that comes from having mastered something difficult, having gone beyond the functional to a realm more abstract. Maybe it’s just that it will always be fun for wingless humans to find ways to fly. After every few waves, he dashes up the beach to change boards or switch fins, perennially seeking a particular kind of sensation to facilitate his trajectory. We each get enough waves to feel full. Peeling off the rubber on the dusted rocks, we

glance back at the empty lineup. Way down the beach, a lone surfer shuffles towards the shore with a board under his wing.

“He probably has this to himself every day,” Hurworth says with a hint of envy.

VISION

Driving back along the coast-hugging vein of bitumen, I’m curious about the future plans a freesurfer makes. Punting to pay the bills beyond 40 seems like a tough, improbable prospect given the stress it places on the body. Chippa, now 34, doesn’t seem too concerned.

“I’m not daunted by the idea of work. Maybe I’ll become a postie, or buy a Jim’s mowing franchise,” he says, half seriously.

However, he’s made wise investments over the past few years that just might keep him off the mail route. He owns land back in Cabarita, and has just acquired a plot in Exmouth, situated on Western Australia’s North West Cape. The goal is to escape there during the depths of Tassie’s winter, to explore its offshore setups and freedive its reefs. It’s clear Chippa relishes the idea of building his own version of Camelot, a world totally in his own vision. Despite the job requirements of posturing as often as possible in front of the camera, he admits to craving the freedom to retreat from the public eye and the masses.

SAVE IT

It’s evening when we get back to the house after our coastal sojourn and, being a Friday, we decide to roll over to the Surfside Bar at Beaumaris, a few miles up the road. The front deck of the bar overlooks an ocean that is beginning to wrinkle with a building swell. It would be an ideal place to sit and enjoy a drink, but the cold snap is in and it’s too frigid outside for us mainlanders. We settle indoors and are introduced to the locals.

Andy, a pharmacist, fills us in on his very Tasmanian daily routine: work bookended by uncrowded surfs in rippable peaks. He and Chippa discuss a recent morning when a north swell sent thick, hollow coils spiralling across a nearby beach. The talk has us excited for the growing swell outside.

Darvis, a builder who’s done work for

Chippa bends his limber frame into a liquid cocoon. His aerial wizardry is matched by his barrel-riding prowess.

Chippa and Dion Agius, tells me about the nearby inland town of Derby, which is popular with mountain bikers due to a trail that winds its way through old-growth forest. Darvis explains, however, that both the mountain bikers and the general public have been hoodwinked as, just 20 meters deep on either side of the track, the trees have been felled and the forest flattened by logging. He’s just attended his first protest at Derby and insists that for someone to experience the majesty and wonder of the forest firsthand would leave them with no reasonable justification—other than greed, of course—in cutting it down. The conversation emphasises the fact that Tassie is blessed with the kind of unparalleled natural wonders that seem to be worth so much more if they’re left alone. In a way, the island serves as a microcosm for the environmental battles being fought around the world, only down here it’s typically regular folk like Darvis who are taking up the fight on the ground.

SIGNS

We’re up early the following day and heading further south, chasing a swell showing as seven meters at 20 seconds at Shipstern Bluff, the island’s most famous wave. Thankfully, the winds are wrong for the slab, and Chippa has somewhere far more userfriendly in mind.

We drive past a series of ‘amended’ campaign posters that line the road. Johnny Tucker, the Liberal candidate who Darvis told us the night before has a not so environmentally friendly record, is pictured as a pair of puffy, red cheeks below a ten-

gallon hat. However, with one deft stroke of a white Sharpie someone has transformed all the Johnny Tucker placards into Johnny Fucker signs. It’s the bush, not the Algonquin Round Table.

STAPLE

We reach Hobart, Tasmania’s capital and biggest city, at dusk. Located in the southwestern part of the island, temperatures plummet when the sun drops. We roar into the Hobart night like country folk who have come to the big smoke for a night of fun. The highlight is an interlude at the The Hanging

Beneath bleak Tassie skies, Chippa tosses a cloud-tickler inverted rotation.

Chippa’s rapturous act combines high velocity surfing with maximum trajectory and superior style.

Instantly mugged by two dogs, Rain and Ohana.

Garden, where live plants droop from steelframed pergolas in a big-scale bar setting that cleverly fuses contemporary architectural lines with a sense of urban decay. The dance floor is heaving. If nothing else it’s a weapon against the cold, so we join in.

A couple of local surfers clock Chippa, and he’s quickly flanked. Most are wearing T-shirts, embracing the frigid night with ruddy-faced splendour. Chip plays the crowd well, gelling with the lads. Having traveled the world, he’s well versed in the subtleties of surfing diplomacy.

At some point on the journey home, Chippa decides the best way to test the strength of his knee is to give me a piggy-back ride. The execution goes horribly wrong, and I spill backwards and thump my head on a wall

before slumping to the street unconscious. I wake in a pool of blood, stagger upright, then walk two blocks to the casualty ward of the Hobart hospital where I spend six cold hours waiting for my turn with the doctor. Sometime around sun-up, I’m shuffled into a room where I’m offered three options: Glue, staples or stitches. My bald head already boasts a tapestry of ugly scars, so I opt for the staples. Four jolting, two-pronged stabs later, I wander into a freezing Hobart dawn. Chippa and Matt are waiting, and we speed off toward the Bruny Island Ferry.

TAKE OFF

Once on the boat, we huddle inside the car with the heat on high as rain drizzles down as we make our way across the channel.

Resident Tassie photog Nick Green is there to meet us on the other side, and suggests we check out a left-hander likely catching the swell at an optimal angle.

Half-an-hour later, we arrive at a kelpstrewn point where pulses surge out of deep water and fold evenly over a weedy ledge into a stretched wall that tumbles across before shutting down on the inside. Ten or so surfers huddle around the take-off zone, sprint-paddling in their thick rubber when waves swing wide. It’s cold, the sky grim and heavy with rain, but Chippa spies an enticing ramp section on the end bowl and decides to hit it with Matt. With four fresh staples in my head, I resign myself to playing rubberneck.

The break is framed by a cluster of soaring

Chippa turning on the aerial entertainment for an audience of one.

Loading up the car with an eclectic assortment of boards.

gums, some with trunks as thick as kombis, which guard the rocky cove like ancient sentinels. A sign explains that in the late 1800s the nearby cliffs were once home to a group of hardy coal miners who would ply their dusty trade in metre-wide tunnels 120 feet deep. The suffocating parameters meant most of the work was done while lying on their backs.

As Chip and Matt paddle out, a brutal front swings over, pelting the row of onlookers with violent sideways rain. The locals take the weather in their stride, and those who have already surfed stay in their wetties and wrap towels around their shoulders while contemplating a second session.

The chatter flows easily amongst the surfers and the harshness of the setting seems to make them more willing to divulge crucial information about optimal conditions. I listen as one Bruny regular spends a full 10 minutes detailing the various merits of spots nearby, wiggling his toes in his thongs to keep them warm.

A small crowd assembles as Chip makes it out the back. One of the world’s most gifted surfers has just shown up at an obscure left on an island off another island at the bottom of the world. It kicks off on his first wave. He scoops low off the bottom and hurls himself beyond the lip like a big cat leaping towards its prey in a split-second coalescence of power, grace, and purpose. The kid next to

me screams in delight, happily shoeless on an icy day.

The show lasts for a couple of hours before fatigue increases the risk of a misplaced landing and injury. Chip shuffles up the rocks and suggests the wave was a little chubby— the lip offering no definitive point from which to launch. From the beach, however, no such trouble could be discerned.

FREE

Back in Hobart, he shrugs off the exhaustion and points his truck towards home, which is three hours away. Everyone from Frank Ocean to Frenzal Rhomb gets a turn on his

playlist as we glide through the Tasmanian heartlands. Outside the car, the landscape dresses up in shades of pastels—the sweeping flats turn mint green and bend towards hills splashed with soft pink before they’re swallowed by a seam of smoky clouds, above which the blue sky makes its final stand in protest against the sinking sun. Ahead of him is the luxury of making up his life as he goes. Empty lineups close to home. Plotting surf missions. Tinkering with his bikes. Mowing the properties. From the backseat, it’s very apparent that freesurfers have more fun even—especially, maybe— when no one’s watching.

Chippa in full-stride on a lonely Tasmanian landscape.

fast bikes, Hard work, good times

How do you set up a custom motorcycle workshop that handles fabrication, electrical, mechanical and everything in between? Tom Gilroy and the crew at Purpose Built Moto (PBM) figured it out from first principles.

Words: Tom Gilroy

We had no idea how to build and set up a workshop. I started in my garage, then we moved into our first small motorcycle workshop in Mermaid on Queensland’s Gold Coast, but quickly outgrew it. Now we’ve had the chance to get a bit of experience and take what we’ve learnt and apply it to a blank canvas.

Setting up what we think is the ultimate custom-motorcycle workshop. Sure it’s still small, but in this set up we’ve used every bit of space we could to ensure we can build highquality machines efficiently (well…as efficiently as hand-built motorcycles can be built). In this instalment of our collaboration with What Tradies Want I’ll run you through every bit of clever set up we’ve done in our workshop and office renovation, sharing with you the ideas we put to use, the tools and benches we’ve made and lay out exactly why we’ve done it that way.

Running your own shop isn’t an easy task. We have a small team that turns out some of the best custom bikes in Australia. Between myself and PBM’s fabricator, Dylan, we have a very steady output of high-quality machines. The reason we can do this is thanks to diligent improvement of our process, and always taking time to stop and ask, “How can we do this better?”

This was a big part of our strategy as we tore apart our first shop and rebuilt in the next.

So let’s get into the major parts of our shop and how we set it up…

HARD WORK, FAST BIKES, GOOD TIMES

THE FAB LAB

We’ll start with our fabrication room, or ‘Fab Lab’ as it’s been named by Dylan, enclosing a 4m x 4m space to house our cutting, grinding, welding and sanding. Around 90% of our dirty work is handled in there, meaning any of the motorcycles we’re working on outside this space stay perfectly clean.

In the room we have our SWS Alumtig 200 welder, a jig table, drop saw, band saw, bench grinder, oxy-torch set up, polisher, linisher, and drill press. Everything needed to ruin a bike and rebuild it again.

The fabrication room is enclosed by a custom steel frame with 1.5m sliding doors covered with acrylic sheeting on either side. The room is ventilated with industrial exhaust fans installed low on the external wall and ventilation that’s high on the walls, sweeping the air from high entry to low exit to keep the air clean and the dust down low.

On the external wall of the Fab Lab we’ve built and enclosed a materials rack that stores our exhaust tubing, frame tubing, lathe stock, round bar and flat bar. All our materials are enclosed and away from grinder dust and moisture to keep it in top shape while in storage.

MATERIALS STORAGE & MACHINING EQUIPMENT

Outside the fab room we have a ceilingheight racking system that stores all our in-progress bike parts and workshop consumables like hoses, filters, spare batteries and electronics gear, and fibreglass materials. Under this shelving is our lathe, a consumables and tools locker, our tube benders, a 3-in-1 fingerbreak tool, and shop press. Eventually our milling machine will be installed there too.

There are a lot of loose parts when tearing down a bike. This set up keeps all our loose parts easily accessible, but out of the way, stored in large tubs above the machinery and consumables lockers.

bestshow in

For over thirty years Toyota Huski skid steer loaders have built a reputation on outstanding performance, driver comfort and legendary reliability. Continuing this pedigree, Toyota Material Handling has extended the Huski range to also include scissor lift and mini-excavator models.

1800 425 439

With skid steer operating loads ranging from 320kg to 900kg, platform heights for scissor lifts 5.72m to 9.68m, and with miniexcavators from 1.3 to 6 tonne, you can be assured that there’s a Huski model guaranteed to put you at the head of the pack.

HARD WORK, FAST BIKES, GOOD TIMES

DUAL BIKE BAYS

Moving to our bike-bay area, we have 2 hydraulic lift tables with SP toolboxes and lockers equipped for mechanical and electrical work. We do often handle fabrication work out there, but most of the time it’s lighter, less-messy work – fender brackets and small frame mods etc. All the heavy lifting like frame builds, exhaust fabrication and sheet metal work is handled in the Fab Lab. In our bike-bay area we have a few movable tables and a small jig/welding table to wheel around to whatever we’re working on that day. During the workshop fit out, I made sure to over invest in storage. Cupboards and lockers are placed around the shop to make sure we have a place to store and organise everything neatly during clean up every day.

I’m a big believer in the ‘clean shop, clear mind’ theory. We’re in here every day creating something unique, and it helps a lot starting with a fresh shop each morning.

HOW ABOUT THOSE FLOORS

The final piece downstairs was the epoxy-flaked floors throughout the workshop.

This was high on the priority list. Having the floors sealed is important in terms of cleanliness and the aesthetic of our space. I wanted clients to come in and be reminded of the Formula One workshops they see with their favourite teams. Having a vibrant, well-organised and clean space is a really important thing for me to be able to work at my best and create without distraction. While Purpose Built Moto turns out hand-built customs regularly, that’s only half of what we do. We also manufacture and sell a number of aftermarket parts for garage builders to use on their own projects, and that means I spend a lot of time designing in my office, and we need a bunch of extra storage to warehouse our e-commerce parts. That’s all hidden away upstairs, so let me take you through what most people don’t get to see.

PARTS STORAGE AND BIKE RACKS

Upstairs on the open mezzanine, Dylan and I fabricated up a few motorcycle racks up in the roof. With removable benches the bikes can be strapped down and lifted up into the racking to get them off the floor. It’s a great way to save a bit of space or if we have projects that aren’t getting worked on for a little while. These sit on either side of a hand-built gate emblazoned with the PBM shop logo – steel construction that’s been water-jet cut and backed with white acrylic panelling. Behind this is all of our partsstore warehousing.

It’s not a huge space but it’s well organised to make sure we can store them clean and pack orders efficiently.

STAIRCASE, WALL OF FAME AND OFFICE

Up the staircase we have a bit of a ‘wall of fame’ with old shots of our escapades, adventures and the people we meet along the way. The staircase in the workshop was re-purposed from the old fit out and sealed in a polyurethane tub liner used in truck and ute beds. It’s hard-wearing, grippy and will stick to just about anything. It looks pretty good, too.

Upstairs I’ve built in a kitchen and lounge area with a separate office I work out of. It’s a quiet place to design, think and make sure we’re moving in the right direction.

The offices and kitchen open up over the workshop to allow light through, but are also heavily insulated to help deaden sound and keep the upstairs cool.

We’ve decked out the upstairs with a few nice couches, tables and a timber floor to give it a homely feel. Purpose Built Moto only functions as a motorcycle shop 4 days a week, but for those 4 days, we walk in and fucking go for it. When we leave the shop floor and retreat upstairs for a beer or lunch we can take a breath, relax and take notes on the day’s work. We often have marketing freelancers, photographers and business associates come in for the day to work with us. That makes sure they have a comfortable place to work with us, too.

NEXT?

2022 will see the workshop receive a few more renovations, including some upgraded blasting and machining equipment and a clean room for engine building, service work and electric motorcycle assembly. There’s always something new on the horizon for the boys.

Purpose Built Moto has emerged as one of Australia’s premiere motorcycle builders, and this workshop not only reflects the quality of the work, but the way we go about it, approaching everything from a clear perspective and with an open mind. No compromises. The thought put into this workspace can only mean great things for the future.

Make sure you check out purposebuiltmoto. com for the amazing motorcycles, the parts we create, and grab yourself a T-shirt on your way through.

Where To Go Beach

75 MILE BEACH, K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND)

Let’s get straight into it – the drive up K’gari can’t be beaten. It’s a literal 75-mile cruise on the world’s biggest sand island, and one that’s peppered with things to see and do. To lay it out, from Hook Point at the bottom of the island to the remote Sandy Cape at the top, you can enjoy the following: a top-tier pie from the bakery at Eurong; a dip in the glassy waters of Eli Creek (which comes from an underground aquifer that’s been filtering the water for a century or more); a happy snap at the jagged wreck of the SS Maheno; a gawk at the ochre cliffs of Red Canyon; a white-knuckle charge through Ngkala Rocks and more – and that’s all before you head inland to bulging rainforests and surreal lakes you won’t find anywhere else in Australia.

AMITY POINT TO MAIN BEACH, MINJERRIBAH (NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND)

Straddie is an obvious, cliché, overdone choice, but that doesn’t mean the drive from Flinders Beach down to the southern end of Main Beach is any less magnificent. Skipping across the top of the island along Flinders Beach from Amity Point towards Cylinder Beach, you can stop in for a hot meal and to grab some supplies at Point Lookout before wending your way past the spectacular North Gorge and South Gorge and back onto the beach.

Beach Driving near Brisbane

Words and images: James Jackson

TEEWAH BEACH, COOLOOLA RECREATION AREA

The one-two punch of Teewah Beach on the mainland and the run north is a proper knockout combo. After the short ferry ride from Noosa’s north shore across the river towards Cooloola, you can gun it to the sand and enjoy the wide-open shoreline with careless abandon – rolling surf on one side and burnt orange cliffs on the other. The 60km drive to Rainbow Beach is a saltdrenched dream which you can enjoy with windows down, the wind whipping and hand waving to the anglers, drivers and campers that pass by as you sally forth towards Double Island Point and beyond.

ISLAND LOOP, MULGUMPIN (MORETON ISLAND)

You’ll be hard-pressed to find bitumen outside of Tangalooma, which means most of Moreton is wild and free to explore by 4WD. Smaller than its northern cousins, Mulgumpin (meaning ‘place of sandhills’) has a deserted-island feel to it, which makes sense since K’gari is almost 9x larger. Despite this – or maybe because of it – the figureeight loop that guides you through the island is a nice change of pace from more kilometre-heavy treks. With lakes to visit, giant sandhills to climb and glittering beaches on every side, Mulgumpin is a gift that keeps on giving.

South East Queensland may be famous for its patrolled beaches and coastal towns, but the surfside drives around it are probably even more memorable.

Yamaha says there’s now a faster way through the bush – thanks to the all new WR250F.

WR250F All new 2022

The new WR250F gives the edge out on the trails with the ideal blend of user friendliness and high performance

Yamaha’s WR250F has built an enviable reputation for performance, handling and reliability among racers and fast trailriders alike. Featuring a wide range of updates, the latest model is out now and set to really blow your hair back.

PERFORMANCE

First launched in 2001 in collaboration with Australians, the WR250F continues to be developed to suit local terrain and riders. Now stepping up the off-road experience to the next level, the new quarter-litre weapon features the benchmark YZ250F as a base

with a combination of cutting-edge off-road features. In doing so YMC engineers have produced the best performing WR250F yet.

The new model’s liquid-cooled, four-stroke, electric-start engine features an all-new cylinder head with a larger and improved intake port shape and new exhaust camshaft

breaks ground WR250F

profile straight from the AMA- and MXGPdominant YZ250F.

These modifications, along with other refinements like revised engine balancer and gear shift cam, help to produce stronger mid- to top-end power and increased peak power, while retaining class-leading lowend torque.

Tuned specifically for the 2022 WR250F,

the updated, lightweight aluminium, bilateral beam frame and new engine mounts have been redesigned with all-new flex characteristics to improve bump absorption, traction and cornering performance.

Settings on the industry-leading, fully adjustable KYB coil spring-type fork with enhanced speed-sensitive damping have been revised to suit the new machine and

off-road conditions. And the link-type rear suspension features a KYB shock with revised damping characteristics to match the updated chassis.

Other chassis components such as the top triple clamp, handlebar mounts, and front axle have also been redesigned to complement the new frame – and like the frame, these changes are based on the

A larger and improved intake port shape and new exhaust camshaft profile straight from the AMA- and MXGP-dominant YZ250F.

An all-new user-friendly multifunction meter that houses both engine and low-fuel warning lights..

winning YZ250F. New Dunlop Geomax EN91 ISDE-winning tyres have been specified for improved performance over a wide variety of terrain.

Improved braking performance is achieved with a newly engineered, lighter front brake caliper with larger surface area brake pads and redesigned front 270mm disc. A new speed sensor ring sends information to an all-new user-friendly multifunction meter that houses both engine and low-fuel warning lights.

TECH

Riders can adjust their engine performance straight from their phone using the onboard wireless connectivity through the free-ofcharge Yamaha Power Tuner app. Once settings are dialled-in, you can choose between two user-defined ECU maps on the fly via the handlebar-mounted dual-mode engine-map switch. The new model will continue to provide the

Improved braking performance.

edge out on the trails, with the ideal blend of user friendliness and high performance. Features such as electric start, advanced fuel injection and a front-positioned intake with rear-positioned exhaust layout delivers the widest spread of power while maintaining reliable performance and balance for excellent mass-centralisation.

When combined with a lightweight, sharphandling chassis and industry-leading suspension package, the new WR250F continues to offer the fastest way across

tight and technical terrain. Complemented by new next-generation Team Yamaha Blue colour and graphics, the 2022 WR250F reflects Yamaha’s racewinning pedigree. The new model comes with ADR compliance so can be fully road registered in all states. A free off-road competition kit is also offered for owners who wish to ride on closed courses.

MY22 WR250F is available from dealers now, priced at $14,949 including GST, ride away, which includes all on-road costs.

Adjust engine performance straight from a phone using the onboard wireless connectivity through the free-of-charge Yamaha Power Tuner app.

Choose between two user-defined ECU maps on the fly via the handlebarmounted dual-mode engine-map switch.

Improved braking performance.

ERGONOMICS WHERE IT MATTERS

THE ERGOTM 1000V INSULATED PLIERS FROM BAHCO

With serrated jaws, hardened teeth and extra large shoulders our 1000v insulated range of pliers works to IEC 60900 for live equipment.

The soft TPE layer over a strong PP handle make it easier to use, more comfortable to hold and significantly more functional. Reducing muscle tension and risk of accidents and injuries, while increasing job satisfaction, productivity and profitability.

Lysaght breaks the mould with condensation management solutions

Condensation build-up in roof and wall cavities can cause long-term aesthetic, health and structural problems in buildings if not managed properly.

The problem is caused by changes in temperatures. When the surface temperature falls below the dew point of the surrounding air, condensation in the form of water vapour will take place on the colder surface. Generally, small quantities of condensation can be tolerated so long as it is given the opportunity to dry out. If not kept in check, condensation causes mould build-up on surfaces and in HVAC systems, and can result in plaster deformities. In severe cases it can cause damage to framing in the form warping and rotting.

Provisions under the National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 have removed ambiguity and outlined minimal requirements for residential buildings covering how much ventilation is needed and where it should be placed (Clause F6.4 NCC 2019 Volume One and 3.8.7.4 of NCC 2019 Volume Two). A key ingredient in minimising condensation is to provide adequate ventilation to help extract moisture or allow it to escape naturally. In areas like kitchens, laundries and bathrooms, where water, steam and cold hard surfaces most often meet, extraction systems are important, particularly those that duct the moist air outside rather than into the roof.

While ducted extraction systems do a great job in removing steam from wet areas, installing roof-cavity ventilation will further

reduce condensation, providing additional peace of mind.

As a leading producer of steel building products, Lysaght offers several roofventilation solutions, ranging from traditional turbine ventilators through to the VENT-A-ROOF® system. VENT-A-ROOF® is a concealed roof-ventilation system that uses the power of natural airflow. It’s installed under traditional ridges, hips and barges, making it extremely versatile and inconspicuous.

The use of insulation and how it’s installed can also assist to minimising condensation. In the roof space, insulation and membrane should be fitted so it doesn’t block ventilation paths. Roof-level insulation such as blanket and foil is also useful, particularly in cooler climates.

For architects, engineers and builders, Lysaght can assist in developing effective moisture-management solutions for buildings that will be clad with LYSAGHT® products.

Lysaght has produced a comprehensive Technical Guide and a supporting Product Application Bulletin as useful design and construction references for buildingindustry professionals.

The detailed recommendations contained therein take into account the building location’s climate zone, as well as the type of cladding used – this covers supported or unsupported cladding (ie: does the cladding need continuous support such as plywood, or can it free span between batten or purlin supports?) and whether it’s open or closed

profile. ‘Open’ profile claddings are those that allow airflow; ‘closed’ profiles typically have closed ribs that won’t allow easy airflow.

Style of roof construction is also addressed: trussed and skillion roofs with self-supporting metal claddings or trussed and skillion roofs with supported metal claddings. NCC 2019 condensation requirements are also applicable to walling cavities, with similar principles applying, and are also covered in Lysaght’s reference materials.

To download Condensation Control in Australian buildings constructed with LYSAGHT ® claddings visit https:// professionals.lysaght.com/resources/ manuals

Lysaght’s Condensation Management technical guide provides practical information for builders.

Lysaght has a number of product solutions that can assist with condensation management in steel-clad buildings.

Snap-on Tools congratulates franchisee Tim Tredrea on reaching THREE DECADES

the product. “Regular calling makes a big difference,” he explained. “Franchisees get support from the Snap-on group, and this attention to service extends to the customer.”

Starting out as a mechanic working in engine reconditioning at the age of 15, Tim Tredrea has always had a knack for tools. He first heard of Snap-on from a friend who had seen how the franchise worked in Canada, and it didn’t take long before the then 21-year-old was visiting Snap-on’s HQ, at the time in Brisbane, to get started.

He decided to set up the franchise in Tamworth, NSW, and 30 years later he’s still there and very much a cherished member of the community.

STEADY GROWTH

It wasn’t an easy start. Economic conditions weren’t favourable in the early 1990s, but the business model has stood the test of time and economic upheavals.

“Starting up then wouldn’t have been a great idea,” reflected Tim. “But I never look back. I’ve had steady growth nearly every year that I’ve been in business.”

When asked about what makes Snap-on different to other franchises, Tim shared two main points: the level of service and

TOP PERFORMER

Building a strong client base in the region, Tim has been able to grow the business by adding two staff members and another truck to his operations. Tim’s long-standing relationships with his customers and knowledge of Snap-on tools have helped his staff expand the service. “Everything just follows on because all the groundwork is there,” said Tim.

Recalling some of his proudest moments since joining the Snap-on family, Tim

Providing essential tools and equipment solutions for 30 years, long-serving franchisee Tim Tredrea shares his experience in the Australian automotive industry.

Tim Tredrea with sons Ben and Jayden. Tim’s family, with wife Michelle, has been a pillar of support.

remembers the big achievements. In the mid-’90s, his franchise was recognised as number one in Australia for top sales in the year and it has remained among the top performers in the industry ever since.

Tim highlights the hard work and consistency involved in keeping the business going, while his family, with a special mention of wife Michelle, has been a pillar of support. “You’ve got to be all in with support on all fronts,” he said.

Even with the impacts of COVID-19, the business was only off the road twice for a couple weeks in the past two years.

SNAP-ON

Snap-on is a leading manufacturer of premium tool and equipment solutions. The unique franchise model transports Snapon’s tool range direct from workshop-toworkshop via dedicated franchisees like Tim Tredrea.

Become a franchise owner with Snap-on Tools and drive your own success. Discover how to be a part of one of the longestrunning, most successful franchises in the world. Visit snaponfranchise.com.au or start your conversation on 1800 810 581.

Tim has been able to grow his business, adding two staff members and another truck to his operations.

Bosch

BITURBO Brushless 18V: Wood Cutting Solutions (Sawing)

Tradies, it’s time to cut the cord! Introducing BITURBO Brushless from Bosch – the latest in 18V power-tool technology, designed to provide industrial power on a cordless system.

Each tool in the BITURBO Brushless range features a redesigned brushless motor that allows the tool to draw maximum power out of one 18V battery, keeping the weight and costs down for users. BITURBO tools are optimised to run on ProCORE18V batteries and can achieve up to 2000W corded equivalent power for the heaviest of jobs. However, all BITURBO tools are compatible on any existing 18V lithium-ion battery from Bosch Professional.

For unleashing the maximum power of BITURBO tools, use a ProCORE18V 8.0Ah or 12.0Ah battery.

CORDLESS CIRCULAR SAW: GKS 18V-68 C

Cordless flexibility with corded power for high performance has never been so good, until the introduction of the Bosch GKS 18V-68 C (184mm) Cordless Circular Saw, which is fully equivalent to 1800 watts corded power due to the new BITURBO Brushless Technology.

Best suited for use in wood and wooden composites, the GKS 18V-68 C provides outstanding ergonomics with a new

CORDLESS CIRCULAR SAW: GKS 18V-68 GC

auxiliary handle concept, allowing perfect control and complete manoeuvrability in all cutting positions. This circular saw has the best cutting capacity in its class, with up to 70mm cutting depth in 90-degree cuts.

The GKS 18V-68 C is compatible with the Bosch Click & Clean dust-extraction system and dust bags, and can be used with all Bosch Professional 18-volt batteries and chargers. For maximum

power, use ProCORE18V ≥ 8.0Ah.

The GKS 18V-68 C Professional also features a fast-brake system, overload and restart protection, a spindle lock and an integrated dust-port connector which is 360° rotatable.

High performance – the GKS 18V-68 C Professional circular saw delivers faster cutting speeds and longer runtimes than corded saws.

The Cordless Circular Saw GKS 18-68 GC provides outstanding performance and flexibility with maximum cutting performance, fully equal to corded 1800 watts power from the BITURBO Brushless motor technology.

Perfect for use in wood and wooden composites, as well as compatible with the Bosch Click & Clean extraction system, dust bags, connectivity module GCY 42, and compatible with Bosch, Makita, Mafell and Festool guide-rail systems. The GKS 18V-68 GC features a user interface that enables individual speed settings (also accessible via smartphone), which enables variable speed selection for the perfect finish in different materials. The circular saw also features a fast brake, an ECO mode for up to 30% more runtime, overload and restart protection, a spindle lock and a 360° rotatable, integrated dust-port connector.

The saw’s outstanding ergonomics and innovative auxiliary handle enable ideal tool control in all cutting positions. Equipped with a comfortable and intuitive depth adjustment, this tool enables the ultimate simplicity when cutting. This saw can be used with all Bosch Professional 18-volt batteries and chargers. For maximum power use ProCORE18V ≥ 8.0Ah.

BOSCH WOOD CUTTING SOLUTIONS (SAWING)

CORDLESS PLUNGE SAW: GKT 18V-52 GC

The GKT 18V-52 GC Professional cordless plunge saw delivers corded performance and a flawless finish. Its innovative BITURBO Brushless technology and ProCORE18V battery provide maximum cordless cutting performance fully equal to corded 1620W plunge saws. The saw offers superior mobility due to its uniquely compact design allowing operation with only one battery. This very compact tool design enables the

CORDLESS SLIDE MITRE SAW:

GCM 18V-216

Delivering up to 1600 watts of corded equivalent power from a single ProCORE18V battery, the 216mm BITURBO slide mitre saw is a true workhorse. Powerful but compact, it’s mobility at its best –with a compact size, lightweight body, and very ergonomic carrying and operational positions.

The GCM 18V-216 sets a new standard with a cutting depth of 70mm x 270mm at zero degrees and 70mm x 190mm at 45 degrees, with the laser guide for precision. The SDS blade-change feature changes the way users mount and dismount the blade, making this so simple it is done in a matter of seconds without the need for spanners. This impressive BITURBO Brushless tool offers strong performance, innovative features, and easy transportation.

closest distance between the saw blade and the wall at only 10mm. This plunge saw is intended for plunge cutting in wood, composites, board and panel materials, aluminium, and acrylic glass. It can be used with dust bags and is compatible with the Bosch Click & Clean System as well as the Bosch, Festool, Mafell, and Makita guide-rail systems and with all Bosch Professional 18V batteries

and chargers (Professional 18V System). For maximum power use ProCORE18V ≥ 8.0Ah.

The GKT 18V-52 GC Professional also features constant speed, ECO mode for up to 20% higher runtime, a HMI, individual speed settings, customisable speed settings via an app, overload protection, restart protection, soft start, and spindle lock.

CORDLESS GLIDE MITRE SAW: GCM 18V-305 GDC

The perfect combination of impressive cutting performance and fully cordless flexibility. The BITURBO Brushless motor in this 305mm slide mitre saw can deliver 2000 watts of corded power equivalent from one ProCORE18V battery. The GCM 18V-305 GDC Professional BITURBO cordless mitre saw offers powerful cutting depth with cuts up to 120mm vertical and 400mm horizontal.

This saw offers a user interface as well as connectivity for quick battery-status check and speed selection including ECO mode. Features like tool-less saw-blade change, upfront bevel control and motor brake enhance the safety of the saw. This glide mitre saw features plenty of power and performance with a massive 120mm x 400mm cut capacity and 47°/47° patented glide arm.

The tool is ideal for compound cutting as well as a broad range of materials. The saw can be mounted on multiple Bosch GTA stands and is compatible with all Bosch Professional 18V batteries and chargers (Professional 18V System). For maximum power use ProCORE18V ≥ 8.0Ah.

CORDLESS TABLE SAW: GTS 18V-216

Lightweight design, ergonomic handles, protective on-board fence, and blade guard for easy and safe transport. The compact GTS 18V-216 Professional BITURBO table saw with 70mm cutting height and 635mm rip capacity combines high performance with full mobility. The GTS 18V-216 table saw has a blade diameter of 216mm, weighs 21.6kg with battery, and features Soft Start as well as restart protection.

This saw is ideal for cutting flooring material and laminated panel. It can be mounted on Bosch stands GTA 560 and GTA 60 W. The table saw is compatible with all Bosch Professional 18V batteries and chargers (Professional 18V System). For maximum power use ProCORE18V ≥ 8.0 Ah.

The Bosch 18V BITURBO Brushless range packs much more than wood-cutting solutions. Visit https://www.bosch-pt.com.au/au/en/biturbo/ to check out Bosch BITURBO angle grinders, drill drivers & impact wrenches, and rotary hammers. Power that won’t let you down (or weigh you down), getting you through the toughest of jobs – all backed by an incredible 6-year warranty.

Tickford Monster

Based on a Ranger XLT and Tickford’s Adventure X Pack, the Monster and Tickford teams got together to combine and integrate all of the wildest design and top-shelf hardware.

Monster Ranger

Monster Energy and Tickford celebrate their ongoing working relationship by designing and building the Monsters you see on these pages.

Tickford is all about performance. Not just in superfast, supersafe vehicles and aftermarket accessories, but in highlighting its high-quality product and love of high-performance vehicles by having them look their best. The only company which might enjoy making high-performance cars look sensational as much as Tickford is Monster, maker of the world’s most highprofile energy drink. Put those two companies together and you know something wild is going to happen!

TICKFORD MONSTER RANGER

SPECIAL ITEMS

The idea for these showstoppers came about from combining the most popular elements from the Tickford Ford Ranger range of products to create Monster Energy utes for use at Monster promotional events Australia wide. As you can see, the result is mindblowing.

Based on a Ranger XLT and Tickford’s Adventure X Pack, the Monster and Tickford teams got together to combine and integrate all of the wildest design and top-shelf hardware to create beasts that are not only completely functional for events, but absolute stunners.

The bespoke items include:

• A Monster Energy graphics package

• Monster design leather interior

• Ice boxes

• Killer sound system

• Dual battery system and unique power supply

• Monster grille, AND

• Massive Tickford six-piston front-brake caliper & rear disc-brake conversion. Phwoar.

TICKFORD’S FORD RANGER ADVENTURE X PACK

Starting with the right vehicles was vital. No half-measures were allowed, so Ford Rangers were an obvious choice. Tickford has a great range of products and fittings to suit the Ford workhorse, and even standard it’s a greatlooking beast.

Designers went looking for rugged, eye-catching styling and started with Tickford flares, widening the bodies to accommodate its tough 18" x 9" Tickford Ranger wheels wrapped in all-terrain tyres, tough, ADR-compliant side steps, sports bar and blackout kit.

Improved towing and driving performance is complemented by Tickford’s ECU tune, a 3-inch, dual-outlet exhaust delivers an increase in torque, and each Adventure X Pack has its own Tickford ID build plate that

is unique. This adds another level of value to each vehicle, even over and above the quality products Tickford design and produce.

TICKFORD SPORT SUSPENSION AND 2” LIFT KIT

Extra Monster stance comes from Tickford’s tuned sports suspension.

A lift kit provides a 2-inch lift over standard height while maintaining a sure-footed, safe and compliant drive. It also gives an improved feel and greater cornering ability on-road without compromising the off-road ability of the standard vehicle.

The improved ride-handling package with its Tickford-tuned Bilstein sports suspension systems are available for both PX2/PX3 Ranger owners, for both standard height and 2-inch lift.

A bespoke Monster grille.

Monster Energy utes are at Monster promotional events Australia wide.

Branded design leather interior.

TICKFORD BRAKE UPGRADE

The team put together a brake package that combined a rear-brake disc conversion and a soon-to-be released, massive, 6-piston front-brake caliper

upgrade for awesome stopping power. Ash Campbell, Production Manager at Tickford said, “We wanted to take the build to the next level, so we created a bespoke set of green callipers for each Monster Ute to bring the whole theme together.”

TICKFORD RACING

Tickford is the sister company of Tickford Racing, one of the most successful teams in the history of the Supercars Championship. At its Melbourne headquarters Tickford features an expansive range of resources that have powered its cars to dozens of wins and multiple championships, and the philosophies and focus on Australian-made success from Tickford Racing is equally as evident in the product range Tickford provides for the road.

BATHURST 1000 LAUNCH

Monster Energy and Tickford launched the vehicles at the 2021 Bathurst 1000 with Cam Waters and his Tickford Racing Monster Energy Mustang in the pit lane. The team report the Monster Energy Tickford utes were a big hit with the fans.

To kick off the 2022 season Monster Energy and Tickford have a ‘Win with Cam’ offer. Keep an eye on tickford.com.au for more details soon and watch out for these beasts at an event near you.

COMFORT ALL DAY, EVERYDAY

D E WALT PROComfort Safety Footwear features a unique shock absorbing inner sole and high rebound mid-sole to deliver the ultimate comfort when you are on your feet all day, everyday.

Monster Energy and Tickford launched the vehicles at the 2021 Bathurst 1000 with Cam Waters and his Tickford Racing Monster Energy Mustang.

Tested

TOUGHTRADIETEST APPROVED

By Jamie Gray

Whether you’re welding or grinding, the new Weld Guard helmet from BOC is set to impress.

A great-looking, well-appointed welding helmet.

True-colour technology and a wide viewing area makes for a top-shelf welding experience.

Weld Guard high-impact, auto-darkening welding helmet with grinding mode

Any metal fabricator will tell you the importance of a high-quality, lightweight and comfortable autodarkening welding helmet, especially under the pump in a hot workshop.

Whether you’re welding or grinding, this new Weld Guard helmet (available from BOC) is set to impress. It features true-colour technology, 4 x arc sensors, high-impact design and construction, as well as a grinding mode. There’s also a large viewing lens for better weld accuracy.

The independent arc sensors trigger the variable shade filter lens with a fastswitching time of light to dark in 0.1ms, while the adjustable headgear makes it an easy fit. An external grinding switch gives easy adjustment and the helmet is supplied with both a solar and a CR2450 Li-Ion battery.

To put the Weld Guard helmet through its paces we caught up with Matt Wilcock from Outfall Art. Matt is a metal sculptor who mainly works with metal links salvaged from waterways and the ocean floor around Sydney. He’s had several exhibitions and his metal creations are on display in homes around Australia.

TEST #1: COMFORT

After Matt had the Weld Guard helmet for several weeks we asked about the key comfort factors.

“Pulling on the auto-darkening welding helmet for the first time I instantly noticed It was substantially lighter than my previous helmet,” said Matt, who’s a bit of a bright spark. “I’ve been running the other helmet for between two and three years now. This new helmet felt great, even after an hour of basically continuous welding, whereas on my

previous helmet I would start to get a sore neck and head after around 15 minutes due to the weight and design.

“This new headband felt great and was easy to adjust for the perfect fit with the adjustable knob. I also liked the fact that the Weld Guard helmet offered great protection down to the neck.”

TEST #2: THE WELDING EXPERIENCE

As well as offering true-colour technology, the Weld Guard helmet has a wide viewing area and even a grinding mode. Matt’s perspective was interesting.

“As soon as I started welding the true-colour technology was obvious. This is the first time I’ve used a helmet with true colour, and it is such a better welding experience to really see what you’re doing. My eyes were so used to the previous green lens it was a bit weird at first, then after 20 seconds or so I started to get used to this new view and really enjoyed the experience.

“Combined with the nice wide lens, it made for a significantly improved welding experience,” Matt continued. “With my artwork I also do a pile of grinding, Brumby Wire wheel polishing and oxy-acetylene cutting. Having the ability to use the same helmet for all of those unique tasks is an

excellent feature. I didn’t realise how dated my previous welding helmet was until I had used this new Weld Guard high-impact, autodarkening helmet. It was a significantly better experience.

“Selecting the right shade level to suit your amperage was quick and very easy.”

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

One thing we are yet to mention is the fact that this is a good-looking helmet and affordable. The design is very cool, and it will easily stand out from your other workers’ helmets. As far as lightweight comfort goes, this gets the official thumbs up.

Considering these helmets will get carried around in welding bags, thrown in the car or ute and carried onto job sites and workshops, the build quality is great. Any metal fabricator, boilermaker, mechanic or artist like Matty will appreciate the wide lens and true-colour technology.

If, like Matt, it’s been a few years or more since you upgraded your helmet, you will be in for a very pleasant surprise when you try this one from Weld Guard.

Visit www.boc.com.au or your nearest BOC store.

The ‘Grind’ setting adds to the sophistication.

Matt from Outfall Art finding the perfect shade setting.

TOUGHTRADIETEST APPROVED

AEG 18V Brushless Sub Compact Right Angle Drill Skin

Getting normal drills into restricted spaces has always been a battle. AEG’s 18V Brushless Sub Compact Right Angle Drill offers real power, drilling and fixing capabilities that will open up new uses and solve those hard-to-reach-job headaches. The smaller right-angle body will fit into areas not previously accessible by a traditional drill, allowing faster drilling and the quicker completion of tasks, both onsite and in the workshop.

The key to the success of the tool is the superior overall length and head size, making this 18V Brushless Sub Compact Right Angle Drill Skin the perfect choice for cabinetmakers, installers, mechanics and

anyone who has to drill and fix in tight spaces. A common feature of working in small, restricted spaces in low light or even darkness, and AEG’s well-positioned LED sight light illuminates a workspace nicely. Another great feature of tools in AEG’s Sub Compact range is the weight – or lack thereof – of the equipment. Given this right-angle drill skin weighs in at 1.0kg (1.5kg with the new 18V 2Ah battery) it produces impressive results. The deep-set chuck throat made for easy drill-bit setting and changing.

For testing I visited Ben Raymond at his business, Vanwood. Ben and his team fit out vans, busses and the like with cabinetry, beds and even small kitchens and bathrooms, so people can hit the road and live the van life.

TEST #1: ACCESS

When I asked Ben if he had any tight jobs where we could put the right-angle drill to the test, he laughed and led me to several work areas with extremely tight access, including one particular inverter installation.

• 18V system

• 42.4Nm maximum torque

• 1.0kg without battery (1.5kg with 2Ah cell)

• No-load speed: 0-500RPM/ 0-1900RPM

“This inverter has been giving us headaches,” Ben explained. “It’s just in such a tight, hidden spot.”

Getting the screw fitted in the tightest, fartop corner had proved impossible with a traditional drill, but the compact 90mm head of the AEG allowed the access needed to fix the final screw in place and secure the inverter perfectly.

Another really tricky access spot was a shower in a bus fitout. The tiny nib wall for the framework had made it impossible to predrill and fix the screw using the conventional gear. “The Sub Compact Right-Angle Drill allowed the task to be completed where my traditional drill would not,” Ben shared.

Tested By Jamie Gray

AEG’s 18V Brushless Sub Compact Right Angle Drill will solve those hard-to-reach-job headaches.

When you’re short on space, go Sub Compact.

• Compact and powerful brushless motor

• Superior overall length and head size

• LED sight light

• Deep set chuck

• On-board belt hook

TEST #2: COMFORT VS POWER

It’s easy to see the compact size of the right-angle drill and underestimate its power, but the two-speed setting provides excellent low-end torque (42.4Nm at 0RPM to 500RPM) and high-end speed (1900RPM) to give it the drive needed for a wide range of applications. When I asked Ben about ergonomics he said, “The comfort of the tool was also great. It feels like you are in control at all times, allowing for precision work. You will be able to mix it up with penetrations of

38mm into wood and 10mm into steel. The power-to-weight ratio is impressive, and with the belt clip you barely even know it’s there when walking around the workshop.”

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The AEG 18V Brushless Sub Compact Right Angle Drill Skin is the perfect tool for working in situations or positions that really can become headaches. Its amazing ability to work in previously near-impossible situations will save a pile of time and frustration. The light weight of the tool is amazing, especially when you use the tool for the first time and experience the power generated from such a small package.

AEG’s Sub Compact Range is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in such a small package.

Visit: www.aegpowertools.com.au

You won’t find a better solution when lack of space is proving difficult.

Ben Raymond showing the benefits of the Sub Compact Right Angle Drill.

The Vanwood boys loved the access allowed by the AEG.

Fixing bugles into framework in the bus shower fitout.

Tested By Jamie Gray

Precise chalk lines are an integral part of any job and just about every tradie would have snapped the line on their chalkie at some point, either from abrasion or perhaps moisture deteriorating the line itself. OX has solved the problem by using a new, abrasion-resistant 1mm x 30m Kevlar ® braided line. Other features include a 6:1 gear ratio for quick reel in – one of the fastest – a push-button clutch which preserves gears during line extraction, a felt gasket to prevent chalk spillage and an even chalk coating on the line. An improved OX-horn hook and a durable steel crank wrap up the main features.

Along with a new, tough, aluminium case made to withstand challenging jobsite conditions, the PRO chalk reel looks like it’ll handle the most challenging environments. OX says this reel will be one of the toughest on the market, and we set out to see just how accurate this claim was.

TEST #1: ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Making accurate chalk-line markings might seem easy enough, but it’s a combination of features built into the marking tool that give consistent and precise results. The shape of the OX chalk reel is nice. It fits really well into the hand when holding and marking lines, and ergonomically does a great job, especially when holding the line tight in one hand and releasing the string line with the other to make the mark.

The line itself is also great to work with. When I first read OX had used a Kevlar ® braided line, I thought it might be stiffer or

less responsive to work with, but that wasn’t the case at all. The braided line both pulled and released well, creating clear, bold lines that were crisp and sharp to the eye.

TEST #2: DURABILITY AND LONGEVITY

To test build quality and longevity of the OX I decided it was time to bring back the drop test.

The site was a multi-level concrete build and the drop height was between 6m and 7m from a third-level scaffolding onto hard, compacted ground. I figured dropping the OX several times and generally tossing it around would be a thorough test of its durability, well and truly exceeding any real-world treatment. We dropped, kicked, and did our best to really knock the OX around, and I’m happy to say that, other than some minor surface damage to the aluminium case and reinforced handle, the tool was proven to be very sturdy.

• 6:1 gear ratio

• Reinforced handle

• Push-button stop

• Bonus 115gm chalk refill

Extension and retraction of the line was perfect and retrieval was as smooth as prior to the drop testing. The reinforced handle didn’t bend or twist at all.

In terms of build quality, you can’t ask for more than that.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The OX Pro Aluminium Kevlar ® Chalk Reel took an absolute beating in our test and continued to work and perform exactly as it did straight out of the packaging. Its build quality is OX Tuff, and through its features and ergonomic design it not only felt great to use, it performed very well.

This chalkie will meet or exceed the expectations of the majority of tradies by a good margin.

The bonus 115gm chalk refill is also going to keep you well stocked with chalk for quite some time.

Visit: www.oxtools.com.au

• Push-button clutch

• Abrasion-resistant 1mm x 30m

Kevlar ® braided line

• Felt gasket to prevent chalk spillage

• Tough aluminium case

The end hook has plenty of bite.

Bold and clean line markings.

The Kevlar ® line is designed to withstand abrasions and demanding worksites.

Tested By Jamie Gray

TOUGHTRADIETEST APPROVED

DeWalt AKRON PROComfort

Extreme Duty leather work boots

The bar for safety work boots has significantly risen over the past few years, and the team at D e WALT is continuing this trend with its AKRON PROComfort Extreme Duty leather work boot. There’s a razor-sharp focus on all-day comfort and long-term durability.

One of the first things I noticed when pulling on the boot was it just didn’t seem as big and bulky as a lot of the other boots I’ve reviewed in recent times, but from a features-and-specs perspective it still sports all the high-end inclusions of a top-shelf worksite safety boot.

D eWALT has gone with its PROComfort system on the AKRON, designed with three innovative cushioning and support layers to provide ultimate comfort for those who are on their feet for long periods of time. An injection-moulded performance polyurethane midsole and insole, including state-of-the art memory foam, have also

DeWALT’s AKRON PROComfort Extreme Duty leather work boot has a razor-sharp focus on all-day comfort and extreme durability.

Solid toe protection from steel cap and TPU bump cap.

been included to offer optimum foot and arch support and cushioning. The dualdensity insole is removable, and the PU/ rubber outsole is non-slip to the highest slip-resistance ‘C’ rating. The sole also has a 300°C high-heat-resistance rating, making the D eWALT PROComfort safety footwear versatile for all situations.

The AKRON’s upper is made from waterresistant, premium, full-grain nubuck leather, with a scalloped, padded ankle for support and a wide-fit, ergonomic steel toecap for all-day comfort, breathability and a supportive fit.

TEST #1: COMFORT

Pulling the boots on for the first time felt amazing.

The AKRON has been designed for a wider foot and I could feel the absorption, comfort and support from the dual-density insole and PROComfort system. But I figured some testing conditions would be a better way to really get a feel for the boot. First I tried the boot in several crouching positions. Tradies can spend long hours crouching to complete tasks like measuring, finishing skirts, fitting pipes or fixing cables. I’ve personally owned boots that were amazing when walking or standing, but performed horribly when the crouching or requiring flexibility through

the leather or outer sole. The D e WALT AKRON boot performed exceptionally in this crouching test, as they did climbing scaffolding and walking long distances. Again, the fact these boots don’t seem to be as bulky or heavy as others seemed to dial up the comfort factor.

TEST #2: DURABILITY AND SAFETY

For this test we specifically looked at 3 factors. The first was foot protection from the premium, full-grain nubuck leather.

I pulled out the grinder with the cutting disc and covered the boot in a barrage of sparking metal fragments. The heat from cutting so close to the boot (5cm-10cm) was substantial and would have burnt or melted an inferior boot. The D eWALT AKRON boots took the metal-cutting test in their stride with amazing results. As I was cutting on a slab with a thin layer of water covering its surface, we were working in and around high-slip areas and on a slippery surface. The non-slip outer sole didn’t feel like slipping at all, not at any stage.

The last element of the testing was the on-impact toe cap and TPU bump cap.

We dropped everything from steel bar, brick and large chunks of timber onto the toe area of the boot without making a dent or feeling any sizable impacts. It left me no

• Easy on/off, heavy-duty, YKK side zip

• High-heat-resistant outsole 300°C. Highest rated HRO

• D e WALT PROComfort three-layer build

• Anti-slip outsole. Highest rated SRC

• Built for extreme comfort and durability

choice but to give the durability and safety elements of the boots the thumbs up.

At the time of writing this Tough Test I’ve been wearing the boots for 2 weeks, and, if anything, they have only gotten more comfortable and are still looking amazing. If the first 2 weeks is anything to go by these boots are going to last well.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The AKRON PROComfort Extreme Duty leather work boot is impressive from both a comfort and safety viewpoint. It looks and feels less bulky than a traditional work boot, while still offering the same level of protection and safety expected from a topquality work boot in 2022.

Visit: www.DeWALT.com.au

An impressive work boot.

Side zip provides great access.

Light weight and less-bulky design.

Excellent protection from heat and impact.

Tested By Jamie Gray

TOUGHTRADIETEST APPROVED

Empire 25m Self Leveling Crossline Laser

In a world where products seem to be getting ever more complicated and technical, this easy-to-use 25m Self Leveling Crossline Laser from Empire will be an excellent choice for tilers, plasterers, carpenters, and kitchen and bathroom installers.

To start with it’s bright, and green beam is readable from a distance of 25m, which should keep most tradies working indoors more than happy. The 4xAA batteries give 15 hours of run time, and that’s impressive. The AAA-battery lasers just aren’t cutting it these days in terms of brightness or battery longevity.

When the Laser’s first unboxed you will more than likely be impressed by the quality of the blue overmold case. It’s rugged and durable, and I can see it doing a great job protecting the laser in a storage compartment of a ute

This easy-to-use 25m Self Leveling Crossline Laser from Empire will be an excellent choice for tilers, plasterers, carpenters, and kitchen and bathroom installers.

or van. And Empire has a great reputation for accuracy which holds true for this laser. It’s accurate to ±6mm@10m. It’s also IP54 water & dust rated for peace of mind when wind and weather turn ugly.

The Empire will self-level up to 4 degrees. If it’s set up and can’t self level it will flash, indicating the need to position the laser on a more level footing or tripod.

For our testing we enlisted the help of Dan & Jye from Danstruct. The boys were in a massive home build, and the concrete construction using Dincel required all wall coverings and cabinetry to be fitted to the concrete structure with precision and accuracy.

TEST #1: SET UP & EASE OF USE

The beauty of this laser is it’s extremely easy to use and set up.

There is one slider with 3 settings (off, on and on with pendulum lock). The pendulumlock position allows the user to create perfectly straight diagonals for marking things like stairs or handrails. Because it’s a no-fuss laser it’s a great choice for anyone looking for both plumb (vertical) and flush (level) markings. It’ll suit tilers, plasterers (sheet linings) and installers of any residential or commercial features that need a true and

• Rare-earth magnetic 360-degree swivel base

• IP54 water & dust protection

• 25-metre distance

• Easy to set up and use

accurate fitting. When I asked Dan about the Laser he said, “Our other rotary laser is more for external use and is a lot more time consuming to set up. This Empire Crossline Laser took only seconds to set up and was perfect for the internal stages of this job.”

BRIGHTNESS AND READABILITY

It is said the green-beam laser is up to 4 times easier to read than the traditional red laser. In low light both are easy to read, but as the work conditions get brighter the green beam comes into its own. Dan shared, “I found this green beam bright and very sharp and precise to read. The cross line is perfect for ensuring both your vertical and horizontal elements of any task are perfect. It made the installation of any panelling or sheeting a breeze. The two rare-earth magnets are really strong and were perfect for the metal

• Ultra-bright green laser

• Rugged overmold

• 15 hours run time with 4xAA batteries

• Pendulum lock provides a 1-metre drop rating

• 4-degree self-leveling with flashing indicator

columns on this job. Also, the 360-degree swivel base further simplified use and was a great addition.”

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

From the blue moulded carrier to the rugged overmold case of the laser itself, Empire has constructed a durable and tough laser. When I think of what’s needed in a laser of this type it ticks all the boxes. It’s easy to use and quick to set up, produces a bright and precise laser and has an excellent runtime of basically two full workdays (15 hours), all at a great price point.

The Empire 25m Self Leveling Crossline Laser will more than meet the needs and expectations of a great many tradies.

Visit: www.empiretools.com.au

You won’t find an easier or faster crossline level to set up.

Rare-earth magnets hold securely on metal structures.

360-degree swivel base.

A simple slide switch for both on and pendulum lock.

Breaking up small concrete slabs, pathways, walls and other masonrybased materials might not need a full-size jackhammer or may require a more manoeuvrable option that still needs to provide plenty of breakout force. Makita’s new 80V (40Vx2) Max Brushless SDS Max Demolition Hammer has the juice you are looking for with the added flexibility and manoeuvrability of a 13.3kg demo hammer. The power and speed come from the two 40V Max XGT batteries which deliver impressive performance. An impact rate of 950-1900ipm, impact energy 20.9j, and speed and runtime to meet corded demands with a cordless experience make the Makita a standout. Improvements in the new model (HM002G) are up 15% on the previous model (HM1212C) to meet the demands of the heavy-load user.

OVERVIEW

The user comfort, technology and long lifespan come from a combination of the Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT), Autostart Wireless System (AWS) and eXtreme Protection Technology (XPT).

Let’s break these features down quickly.

The Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT) uses an internal counterbalance to actively reduce vibration, the Auto-start Wireless System (AWS) makes working with an equipped tool and Bluetooth-compatible dust extractor an effortless combination, and the eXtreme Protection Technology (XPT) means internal motor components and electronics stay clean and free of dirt and water, which prolongs lifespan even under heavy use.

As anyone who has spent any real time on a demo hammer knows, power is awesome, but without the anti-vibration technology to go with it hands can go numb and fingers tingle for days after a decent stint using the tool.

To assist us with our testing on the 80V (40Vx2) Max Brushless SDS Max Demolition Hammer we caught up with Dan from Danstruct Constructions. With over 30years experience he offered some great insights during our testing.

TEST #1: POWERUP

After letting Dan rip in and explore the tool in various new and older concrete sections he shared, “The beauty of a demo hammer of this size is the flexibility it brings with the obvious power. I quickly noticed a feature that Makita calls ‘constant speed control’ where when the electronics notice the hammer is under a challenging load, it automatically applies additional power to the motor to maintain speed under load to complete challenging tasks.

“I knew this tool had real power and expected it to break up the old slab onsite relatively easily, which it did, but it was the

• Adjustable angle settings

• Twin LED job light

• Constant Speed Control

• Soft No Load

new slab we poured several weeks back with 40MPA concrete that would really test its power. So, I was impressed to say the least when it did such an impressive job at breaking down this new tough slab.”

TEST #2: USABILITY & MANOEUVRABILITY

Make no mistake, this 80V (40Vx2) Max Brushless SDS Max Demolition Hammer is built for serious concrete work. It’s not really light enough to work with overhead or above shoulder height. The skin only weighs 10.7kg and with batteries weighs 13.3kg. I’m a decent sized human and managed to throw it around reasonably well, bringing down a few chesthigh walls, but a smaller user would struggle. When asking Dan about who and where he saw this demo hammer being perfect for, he offered, “Any trade that has the requirement to break up areas of concrete, but would find a full-size jackhammer overkill, will love this demo hammer.

“Whether breaking up ground slabs or bringing down walls, you will get through a lot of material with this hammer. The soft, no-load feature reduces the motor to idle when there is no load on the bit. It’s essentially a soft-start-like feel which improves control and precision when using the tool.

“When using a chisel or similar bit you also have the option of 12 bit positions to get the perfect angle for the task you are working on by twisting the green collar near the drill-bit connection point.”

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Looking at the 80V (40Vx2) Max Brushless SDS Max Demolition Hammer it almost looks a little space-aged, maybe from a scene in a movie when a comet is about to hit Earth. But its performance and features are what make this tool a real standout for heavy-duty demo work.

Visit: www.makita.com.au

Not one, but two 40V batteries.

A great set-up for a clean, dustless worksite. Ideal for sensitive areas like shopping centres and schools.

Combined with the accessory dust-extraction kit and Makita Vac, the system was pretty much a dust-free affair.

NEWS & VIEWS

INNOVATIVE RANGE OF MACK WORK BOOTS BASED ON RUNNING-SHOE SOLE TECHNOLOGY

Workers who suffer from sore feet when wearing work boots all day will finally get the necessary stability and support from Mack’s new Torque range of boots, featuring new midsole technology for all-day comfort, durability and fatigue reduction.

The unique new midsole technology, called mod RIDE, has been biomechanically designed to deliver a modulated ride from heel strike to toe off. The sole geometry is specifically engineered to provide reduced resistance to compression zones that need cushioning and increased resistance in areas where additional stability is desired.

The midsole design, based on the latest runningshoe technology, consists of unique waffle zones on the inside and outside of the boots. These waffle zones offer compression for cushioning the foot at heel strike, and unique waffle stiffness to guarantee stability on the inner side of the shoe for a supportive walking gait.

The new Torque range of work boots consists of five styles in the latest colours to cover a cross section of roles and occupations requiring safety footwear. Other features include:

• Premium-grade, full-grain leather uppers

• Steel safety toecap (on all styles except the Mack Cruise)

• Anti-static protection

• An integrated bumper cap for longevity

• Heat (to 150°C), water and fuel/oil resistance

• A soft, yet structured, ankle collar for added comfort and support

• A lower non-slip sole that performs exceptionally well on both rough and flat terrains.

The fitting profile of the new Torque Safety Boots also suits those with a wider foot and with both zip and non-zip versions, slip-on leather styles, and the choice of a lower ankle (hikingstyle) option in the Torque Shift Boot, the range will suit most workers.

The New Mack Torque range consists of five styles, including Mack Force, Mack Force Zip, Mack Shift Zip, Mack Hub and Mack Cruise.

Stability waffle zone, added stiffness for a supportive walking gait.

Compression waffle zone for cushioning at heel strike.

WEST COAST LIMESTONE STRENGTHENS FOUNDATIONS WITH TOYOTA SKID STEERS

Western Australian construction company West Coast Limestone has turned to Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) to help its business during a time of growth, and to capitalise on the booming construction industry in the west.

Based in the Perth suburb of Malaga, West Coast Limestone plays a crucial role in the Western Australian construction industry, building limestone retaining walls for new housing developments and land estates to help combat WA’s notoriously sandy soil.

To help make the most of a busy period, West Coast Limestone owner Phil di Giuseppe wanted to capitalise on the Toyota Advantage pillars of legendary quality, durability and reliability provided by Toyota equipment.

Having used other brands in the past, Mr di Giuseppe said he was compelled to return to Toyota skid steer loaders due to their impressive performance in soft sand, as well as the faultless reliability of the Huski 5SDK9 open cabin.

“I always wanted to get back into a Toyota. I thought they’d always been good, reliable machines,” Mr di Giuseppe said. “They’ve always been renowned for their reliability. They’ve got

good ground clearance as well, and the Toyota is much better in the dirt.”

The Huski’s high ground clearance, combined with its 12-inch all-terrain tyres and all-paw traction, means the soft sand of WA construction sites is no match for the supremely capable machine.

The reliability of construction equipment is crucial for any customer, as is ease of repair – which is what makes Toyota equipment stand out, with TMHA area sales manager Paul Smith explaining mechanical simplicity can be a major advantage for durability and servicing.

“We don’t have any computers in our machine – the reliability factor is enormous,” Mr Smith said. “It’s a big selling point for us – no computers, no ECUs.”

With a mechanically and electrically simple design, Toyota skid steers are designed to keep at optimum performance. Mr Smith added the ease of repair afforded by Toyota skid steers was advantageous, with the machine able to be serviced and repaired without the need for unique diagnostic tools.

“A lot of mining companies love them because they don’t play

up and you don’t need a specialised tool to repair them or service them,” he said.

West Coast Limestone has used a range of Toyota skid steer loaders over its roughly 15-year history, with Mr di Giuseppe purchasing his first TMHA machine a number of years ago.

After leaving and subsequently returning to West Coast Limestone, Mr di Giuseppe needed to purchase new equipment, and decided on a used competitor product. However, its poor performance in sand and the relative price parity of Toyota’s skid steers meant another TMHA purchase was never far away.

“I wasn’t really happy with the competitor machine that I bought, so decided to go for a Toyota,” Mr di Giuseppe said. “It’s the best machine that we’ve got.”

Mr di Giuseppe added that West Coast Limestone had a great working relationship with TMHA, and would recommend its products to other people in the industry.

When the time comes to purchase new skid steer equipment, Mr Smith was confident TMHA would be the first number West Coast Limestone will dial.

And with the booming state of the construction industry out west, it would hardly be a surprise if that call came sooner rather than later.

ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?

Hot Devil, distributors of quality gas torches and soldering irons, is now giving you the opportunity to win 1 of 40 of these great Bluetooth jukeboxes.

To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is purchase any Hot Devil product and upload your receipt to www.hotdevil.com.au/jukebox

It’s that simple!

These jukeboxes sound great! And they feature

Bluetooth connectivity, in-built CD player, FM radio, AUX input, SD card reader, and colourchanging mode.

Perfect for the mancave, garage, workshop, office or anywhere around the home.

Rock into your local Hot Devil stockiest now for your chance to WIN.

For more information, visit www.hotdevil.com.au

WHAT’S A TRADIE WITHOUT THEIR TOOLS?

A tradie working on a commercial building locked up his tools before leaving the worksite at the end of the day. The next morning when the site was opened his tools were nowhere to be seen. A double whammy – no tools and potentially a contractual penalty for delaying the work. Luckily, the tradie was insured, the claim was dealt with quickly and he was able to replace his tools in time to avoid all penalties.

What’s a tradie without their tools?

While there’s an endless list of things to worry about when running your tradie business, sorting out your tool insurance should be near the top of your to-do list. Getting your tools stolen or lost could

have a massive impact on your business. And just like the poor bloke in the above example, you might not only have to face the financial cost of replacing them, but battle lost work, penalties and a tarnished reputation.

Fortunately, Tool and Portable Equipment insurance is there to cover you for loss and damage to items of portable equipment associated with your business. This type of insurance can protect you from loss or damage caused by theft following forcible and violent entry to locked vehicles or locked buildings and theft of equipment securely attached to a vehicle through the use of locks or padlocks.

And it’s not just your trusty spanner that is covered. Specific portable equipment can include items such as photographic or video equipment, mobile communication equipment including telephones and radios, and even electronic equipment such as computers, diaries and GPS units.

BizCover provides a stress-free experience when it comes to getting your business insurance sorted. So what are you waiting for? Don’t be that unlucky tradie that everyone talks about onsite who had to fork out thousands and missed a couple of jobs over some stolen tools. Visit bizcover.com.au and get a quote today.

THE PERFECT PRODUCT FOR THE BACK OF EVERY TRADESMAN’S UTE

We all have had those annoying little jobs around the home that don’t require more than a few kilos of product to chase brickwork or re-point rendered surfaces, but we can only find a 20kg bag to complete the task.

Cement Australia’s latest product, locally produced PROSTRENGTH Rapid Set Mortar, is specifically packed in a bucket and designed to mix as you go. Just add water – no-fuss.

It’s suitable for use around the home and building site, patching around electric and plumbing fittings, and re-pointing on block, brick and rendered surfaces.

It’s formulated to harden in about 10 minutes, and allows further construction to take place after 1 hour. With the fast-setting mortar and the high early strength achieved, your list of repair jobs around the home or work site will be finished by lunch.

For more information, visit www.cementaustralia. com.au/products/prostrength-rapid-set-mortar

RIDGID RP350 AND RP 351 PRESS TOOLS

Ridge Tool Australia has announced 2 new standard press tools, the RP 350 & RP 351, as part of RIDGID’s commitment to continual development of technological precision products. These press tools are suitable for residential and commercial plumbing and have a hydraulic ram output of 32kN.

The new RIDGID RP 350 and RP 351 feature a brushless motor capable of over 100,000 press cycles which requires no scheduled maintenance. Get access to

hard-to-reach locations with an endless 360° swivel head. Bluetooth connectivity allows the tool to be connected through a phone to manage important information like cycle count, battery life and other tool diagnostics. With the most advanced LED lighting and colour-coded status indicators, the RP 350 and RP 351 have been upgraded from top to bottom. Unmatched performance. Zero timeouts. The Ridge Tool Company is a worldleading manufacturer of professional

quality pipe- and tube-working tools serving the plumbing, mechanical, construction, HVAC, location, electrical and facility maintenance industries. The RIDGID ® trademark is recognised by professional tradespersons and engineers for uncompromising product quality, performance, durability and service. For more information contact Ridge Tool Australia Ph: 1800 743 443 or email ridgid. australia@emerson.com or log on to www.ridgid.com.au

AEG HAS HIT THE GROUND RUNNING THIS YEAR WITH A RANGE OF NEW INNOVATIVE TOOLS

The new 18V Compact Rivet Gun delivers a massive 11kN of pulling force and has the shortest head height in the market at only 156mm (with the mandrel catcher removed). It’s also the lightest by up to 40%. It holds 300 1/8" mandrels.

In the Brushless Sub Compact range, the Right-Angle Drill has a class-leading 45Nm of torque and 2000RPM, plus a single-sleeve keyless chuck that also centres bits. The RightAngle Ratchet Wrench has 75Nm of torque (up to 155Nm when manual force is added), a 3/8" square anvil, variable speed and revs to 250RPM.

Two new heavy-duty FUSION Circ Saws have also been added to the range: the recently launched 165mm Circ Saw revs to 5000RPM, has left-side blade design for improved visibility, inbuilt compact rafter hook, magnesium guard, dust port, on-tool wrench storage, LED sight light and maximum cutting depths of 57mm and 42mm (bevel), with a 50o bevel.

The larger, 184mm FUSION Circ saw is just around the corner and has 35% more power than the AEG’s current 184mm circ saw. It has a 68mm depth of cut, a 56o bevel range, an ultra-efficient dust-port design, plus a heavy-duty rafter hook.

Reach out to AEG Onsite via its website www. aegpowertools.com.au/onsite or give Matt a call on 0438 110 636. AEG Onsite can deliver and transact tools direct to your site!

Smart.

by by WWW.SHAMIROHS.COM.AU

KINCROME JOBSITE MARKERS

Kincrome’s range of Jobsite Markers are made for use on toughest jobs in the roughest conditions.

There’s 17 different options available across the range, including permanent markers, paint markers and highlighter markers, and with various tips including ultra-fine, fine, bullet and chisel.

There’s a marker for every requirement and material.

The quick-drying ink of the permanent maker writes on metal, concrete and timber, even when surfaces are oily, dusty or wet. The marker will even last up to 72 hours with the cap off. If it’s left out on a

Friday arvo, it should still be good to go on Monday.

There are four colours available: red, green, blue and black, there’s a few different tips available, and they’re packaged as singles, three-packs, five-packs and 10-packs for the highend users.

There’s also a range of paint markers for writing on metal, glass, PVC, timber and tiles. The tips are durable and the ink is fast-drying, making the markings bleed- and smear-resistant. Give the marker a shake, press the tip a few times to get the paint flowing, and you’re off

and running. Paint markers are great for markings which need to last a while, and Kincrome paint markers are available in yellow, black or white.

And then there’s the highlighters – go-to markers for highlighting plans and other specifications you don’t want to miss on paperwork. The markings are bleedand smear-resistant, and the marker will survive 8 hours with the cap off. And because one plan or set of notes may have a few different priorities and specs, the Kincrome highlighters are available in yellow, green, pink, orange and blue. To learn more, visit kincrome.com.au.

UNILITE WIRELESS CHARGING

Unilite’s portable lighting range has recently launched in Australia and New Zealand having been in the UK market since 1981 and a pioneer in portable lighting. The company motto is LIGHTS BUILT TOUGH, and Unilite has recently launched a new range of flashlights and worklights with wireless-charging capabilities.

The WCFL12 is a super-bright 1200lumen flashlight built from ultra-tough nylon, aluminium and TPR. This flashlight boasts an impressive IP68/IK07 rating offering high protection from dust and water, and ultra-tough shock resistance as well as being resistant to drops of up to 2m. Smart independent switches allow for easy mode selection and the WCFL12 boasts a memory feature as well as offering a strobe setting.

The WCHX7 is Unilite’s first wirelesscharging compact worklight.

The 700-lumen COB LED with 6500k pure white light offers a wide flood of light

and the additional 275-lumen spot beam LED offers a long-range distance beam. Its ultra-tough nylon, aluminium & TPR construction offers an ultra-tough IP65 IK07 IP rating, allowing for high dust & water resistance and ultra-tough shock resistance, as well as impact protection from drops of up to 2m. A 180° rotating

stand with a super-strong magnetic base gives this worklight unparalleled versatility. Both lights can be charged with the included USB-C cable or, even better, can be wirelessly charged using Unilite’s wireless charging pads, the WCSGL & WCDBL. Visit www.unilite.com.au or www.totaltools.com.au for more details.

MARXMAN HOLESAW SETS

Marxman is a new range of professional power-tool accessories which includes over 90 products, all designed to do the toughest jobs without breaking the bank.

A standout in the Marxman range are the new holesaw sets which can be split into two categories: Bi-Metal Holesaw sets and Tungsten-Carbide-Tipped (TCT) Holesaw sets. Both offer drilling in a wide range of materials, however, the TCT range offers a larger cutting depth, faster drilling speeds in wood and will also drill into abrasive materials

like fibre cement with the right pilot drill bit. All sets come with the relevant pilot and arbors to get the job done without needing to purchase anything extra.

When you first see the holesaw sets the first thing you’ll notice is how good the cases are. These cases have been designed from the ground up to be strong and durable and house all your holesaws in a convenient, transparent case. The cases are also stackable, making them easy to store when not in use.

If you already have some old holesaws

in your kit don’t stress. Marxman’s arbor system features an international thread pattern so you can fit your old gear on the Marxman holesaw arbors. What’s even better is the Marxman arbor system features a quick-release, making it easy to change between sizes so you can get back to the task at hand. These sets, along with the entire Marxman range, can be found exclusively at all Total Tools stores, so get in store today and check out the range.

www.totaltools.com.au

BIG RED GEAR LAUNCHES NEW DRIVING LIGHT RANGE AND WEBSITE

Big Red LED driving lights and light bars are now available to purchase online, direct from Big Red, thanks to the recent launch of its new website and online shop. Promising affordability, toughness and a ‘no-BS’ approach to lighting products, the brand’s latest adventurefocused range has received significant power upgrades over previous offerings.

Within Big Red’s driving-light range are 9", 7" and 5" models, priced per single lamp at $149, $99 and $69 respectively. Utilising high-output 5W Osram LEDs, commonly found in more expensive driving lights, it’s clear Big Red hasn’t skimped on quality in its latest offerings. The lights feature precisely engineered ‘parabola optics’ which help to create enormous volumes of 5700°k white light – around 15,000 raw lumens and 1 lux at 921m from a pair of Big Red’s flagship 9" lights. Heavy-duty stainlesssteel brackets, 3mm thick polycarbonate lens, a rubber dampening system and IP68 protection all highlight Big Red’s commitment to ‘rugged products designed for the Aussie outback’, from

where the brand takes its name. All driving lights come with a clear cover, distribution plate and mounting pad, stainless-steel mounting hardware and a two-position, pre-wired DT connector/lead.

Big Red’s matching light-bar range also recruits Osram LEDs to produce large volumes of light, standing on their own or supplementing driving-light performance with equally affordable options.

The ‘black stealth’, slimline designs incorporate a tough aluminium housing and polycarbonate lens, are sealed to IP67 and come with low-profile, sidemounting brackets and stainless-steel mounting hardware. Wiring harnesses and sliding brackets are available for purchase as accessories.

Marketing Manager Jake Smith said, “Big Red is about endless adventure, accessible to anyone. The fun doesn’t have to stop when the sun goes down and you don’t have to spend a fortune to get some awesome lighting gear.” Smith also emphasised the importance of quality to the brand, which has its own lighting test facility located in Knoxfield, Melbourne. “We torture our lights. We put them through hell in the lab, and then we put them through hell out there, Birdsville to back o’ Bourke. We make sure they can do what you want to do.”

For more information, visit the Big Red Gear website which is currently offering free shipping on orders over $100. www. bigredgear.com.au

Two batteries mean more power! Makita-built brushless motors, along with two 40V Max XGT Batteries, deliver the power and performance required for heavy-load applications. By using two 40V Max XGT Batteries, you get 80V Max of power within one system. The increased power and performance allow XGT Cordless Equipment and Tools to rival corded tools and petrol equipment.

The 80V Max (40Vx2) XGT Brushless 13kg Demolition Hammer (HM002G) is a cordless concrete solution designed for heavy-load applications. Utilising 2x 40V Max XGT batteries to deliver 80V of power on the 40V Max XGT platform. The HM002G delivers the power, speed and run-time for corded demands, without the cord. The demolition hammer delivers up to 15% faster breaking than equivalent corded hammer (HM1213C). This breaker features Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT) for reduced vibration, with an internal counterbalance to actively reduce vibration. For added durability in harsh job site conditions the HM002G features Extreme Protection Technology (XPT) engineered for improved dust and water resistance. The HM002G is also equip with Auto-Start Wireless System (AWS) for wireless power-on and power-off communication between the equipped tool and compatible dust extractor. With finally constant speed control that automatically applies additional power to the motor to maintain speed under load to complete challenging jobs.

The 80V Max (40Vx2) XGT Brushless 52mm Rotary Hammer (HR006G) is a cordless concrete solution designed for heavy-load applications. Utilising 2x 40V Max XGT batteries to deliver 80V of power on the 40V Max XGT platform. The HR006G delivers the power, speed, and run-time for corded demands, without the cord. The HR006G features Active Feedback-Sensing Technology (AFT), which electronically turns off the motor if rotation of bit is suddenly forced to stop and Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT) for reduced vibration with an internal counterbalance to actively reduce vibration.

For added durability in harsh jobsite conditions the HR006G features Extreme Protection Technology (XPT) engineered for improved dust and water resistance. Also featuring constant speed control that automatically applies additional power under load to complete the most demanding jobs.

START OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT.

Comfort meets safety in this on-trend stone boot. The NEW Blundstone #325. Available where hard work is taken seriously.