Anyone Have/use One Of These?

Changes HI

I rarely get boards that are THAT off... But when i do it's nice to not have to pull someone from another task or bring a helper on a small deck.

Bowrench

MinConst

I've been looking at these for some time. I use a hefty screwdiver driver in at an angle to pry the boards with. Works good. But the Bowrench looks interesting. Let us know how it works out if you get one.

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Paul
Minichillo's Construction
Website
I will never leave you hanging!

ecooke21

HAHA I do the same screw driver trick!.... I have seen the ads in Fine Homebuilding, and i have wanted to try one out for some time...i will get on next deck/porch season...

Changes HI

Yea i do the screwdriver thing too.
I dunno how good this thing is gonna be tho. well I ordered one so I'll let y'all know how it works!

DecksEtc

I too have been looking at the Bowrench for awhile. A lot of the decks I do have the boards at a 45 deg. angle so I wasn't sure if it would work for me. The pictures on the site only show the boards being laid perpendicular to the joists. I'd love to hear what you think of it when you get it - escpecially if it can be used for 45 deg. boards.

Mike Finley

I own one, I think they are about $50. I would pay $500 for one if I had to now, since I know how beneficial it is now. It becomes one of those tools that after owning it, you can't believe you did without one for as long as you did. It will hold the board in place by itself basically becoming a third hand or a un-paid helper. I like un-paid helpers!

You will make the $50 bucks back on the 1st deck you use it on with time saved and more importantly how easy it makes a usually pain in the ass problem just a 5 second fix.

- It works for 45's also.

A trick to remember is that if the closest joist you have that will effectively work with the tool is too far away to get the leverage you need in the spot you need it(This will make more sense when you start using it) just temporarily lay another shorter deck board against the board you are trying to bend and use the bow wrench against that board which will move the actual board you are fastening into place. (it will make sense when you try it)

TimWieneke

Wow - that looks pretty cool. We had to do some redwood decking where that would have come in handy. Redwood is worse than cedar....

Tim

__________________
As Steve the Foreman would say, "Forgive him Lord, for he doesn't know what he's doing."

DecksEtc

Thanks for confirming my questions about the 45's Mike. I know I didn't start this thread but I was curious and it seemed like the best place to ask. A Bowrench is on the top of my "to buy" list when it comes to the 2005 deck season. Do they only sell them online? Or, do places like Lowes or HD in the States sell them? I'm thinking I'll pick one up when I'm in Myrtle Beach for my annual golf trip next March if they do...

Mike Finley

I got mine locally through one of my exotic hardwood lumber dealers, they had them in the sales office. I knew about them already so it was like the stuff at the check out lines in the super markets - it just ended up in my cart. I haven't seen them in the big boxes yet. I used it on an Ipe deck and don't know how I could have put that deck together without it. The nickname of Ironwood for Ipe is pretty realistic, but the Bowwrench handled Ipe without a problem.

DecksEtc

Thanks Mike. I'll have to do some research before I go next spring. Hopefully I'll be able to find it somewhere. I just don't want to pay shipping, duty etc. on top of the exchange rate. Is there anyone here from the SC/Myrtle Beach area?

Shawn

I've had a bow wrench for about 4 years now, as one of my summer helpers put it
" Hey this thing is wicked pissah.. " (We're from New England). It is one of the tools that you didn't know you needed until you used one, then it's a must have.

kah1593

I wanted to start off by stating there is no such thing as a straight piece of lumber. This summer I completed a 500 square foot deck of 5/4" x 6" IPE some with lengths of 20'. The first few courses I picked through the lumber pile to find ideal boards to start off my deck. Even ideal boards still needed to be coerced. Don't get me wrong, IPE is the finest decking material you can buy. Anyway I was wasting so much time going joist by joist with the crowbar method among other ways of aquiring leverage to bend the boards straight. And then i got the BoWrenchI could lay deck in almost twice the time I could without the BoWrench. Not to mention the time saved by not working the lumber pile. If you plan to build a deck anytime soon, buy the BoWrench now. It is worth ten times what I paid. I hope this doesn't seem like a commercial but I really feel strongly about this tool. I forgot to mention it locks the boards in place while you fasten it, it really is like having another set of hands. I bought the BoWrench from Amazon. I think I paid $49 with no tax and free shipping.

PipeGuy

HUSHHHHHHHHH! Some of us don't have ours yet

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Fortunately I keep my feathers numbered for...for just such an emergency. -Foghorn Leghorn

DecksEtc

Guess what? I found a distributor here in Canada (Lee Valley Tools) so I won't have to pay any duty fees! Guess what just got moved to the top of my Christmas list!!!!

Mike Finley

DecksEtc - did my email get to you okay with the attachment you requested?

Neil_K

Stanley makes one, too. It worked great for me and I was laying pressure treated 2x6x16'. From stanley tools site - "93-310 - 5/8" Board Bender". Amazon had it for about $8 less than the one claiming to be the only one on the market. Didn't try it on angles other than 90 or upside down, though.

DecksEtc

Mike, yes, I did receive the email. Thanks very much. I really appreciate it. Sorry for the delay in my "thank you" but I was on site finishing my last deck for the season and I was working hard to beat the snow!

Thanks again!

Terry