Masonry Magazine May 2005 Page. 34
Masonry Tools
Be Direct
MARSHALLTOWN of Marshalltown, lowa, has added a twist-a 180-degree twist, that is - with its new Direct Pressure Tuckpointer.
"Basically, the handle is spun around 180 degrees so that your hand is directly above the blade, which gives you an ergonomic style and relieves some of the tension on your arms," says John Strawn, Product Manager for Marshalltown.
Available in eight different sizes, the Direct Pressure Tuckpointer is forged from one piece of carbon steel and has a DuraSoft handle for comfort. Used almost the same way you would use a standard tuckpointer, the ergonomic style of this product relieves masons of the pressure and pain they might feel from their hands all the way to their shoulders using a traditional tuckpointer.
"What we're finding with the tuckpointer is that the guys were complaining about sore arms. They would tuckpoint for a while and then switch to something else to give themselves a break," Strawn says. "With this product, you put pressure on the wall, and you really don't feel it up through your arm. All of your effort goes directly through the handle."
For more information, visit www.marshalltown.com.
Get a Grip
ANOTHER ITEM that relieves strain to hands, arms and shoulders is the new product from Eagle Grip Handles, Inc., of Grass Valley, Calif. The Double Eagle is a two-piece handle that snaps over the existing handle of any five-gallon bucket, giving the user a larger diameter surface to hold.
"It is a more physically capable grip for carrying the five-gallon paint buckets," says Robert Bunyard, President and CEO of Eagle Grip Handles, Inc. "It contours to the shape of the hand. In doing so, it engages the grip force of your hand, arm and shoulder muscles. The lifting of the bucket and weight is whole-body engaging."
Bunyard came up with the idea as a 20-year-old when he worked as a tender for his father's tile contractor business. After dealing with traditional handles that would crack, break and cause more discomfort as the day progressed, he realized that an ergonomic, larger diameter, sturdy handle would be the only way to go.
"I believe that, durability-wise, it's a tank," Bunyard says. "If you hit it with a sledgehammer, I don't think it will hold up, but under normal, heavy-duty use, it'll do the job."
For more information, visit www.eaglegrip.us.