$40 gift card to spend at Lowe's, have no clue what to get

[Duane Bledsoe]

If you only had $40 to spend at Lowe's, is there anything you would get immediately?? I know that's a very broad question. I supposed I could always stock up on sanding discs, or grab the router base kit with the extension handle on it that is on clearance, or maybe a nice spiral cutting bit for the router, which I own none of. Without telling you guys every single piece of equipment and tools that I own, I know there's really no way you can suggest something to me that you know for sure I don't already have, so just treat this question as more of a "do you know of any $40 deals going on right now" kind of question. I could also just save it, but it's burning a hole in my pocket.

[Brian Kent]

http://www.lowes.com/pd_88288-414-BS250D_4294857572+5003697_4294937087_?productId=11 03271&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sale s_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_15%2B25_4294857572%2B5003697_4294 937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7C p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=$15%20-%20$25

[Shawn Russell]

Depending on what kind of woodworking you do.. I would look at all the essentials and make sure you have one. ie marking, layout, measurement, .. I spend my last gift guard on getting a nice framing hammer and a long level.

I went through the anarchist tool chest and made sure I had all the necessary tools. If you are more a power tool or hybrid user, a good of allen wrenches or whatever tool(s) you need for setup/adjustment for each tool with a magnetic strip dedicated to each tool is nice. And you can never have enough clamps.

[Rich Engelhardt]

A couple gallons of mineral spirits & a good paint brush will put a good sized dent in a $40 card.
Some 2x4's should finish it off.

Flat washers.
Waterless hand cleaner.
Light bulbs.
AAA and AA batteries.
Utility blades.

Not real glamerous in the grand scheme of things I know, but, stuff like that is something I always seem to need.

[Ed Popiel]

One word - screws.

[Roger Bullock]

ratchet end box wrenches,

[james glenn]

I just used one to buy their roller stand with the flip top. It has the small ball rollers or the one large roller. Works fairly well for supporting my re-saw sled.

[Stephen Cherry]

another word- clamps

[Mark Ashmeade]

Give it to your wife and earn some brownie points with her. They're much more valuable than Blowes gift cards.

[Matt Meiser]

It would have put a dent in the sump pump I had to buy yesterday for my shop. :(

What about material for a shop improvement project?

[Ellen Benkin]

Don't buy finishing material until you actually need it. It doesn't have very long shelf lives. Save the card until you DO need something. Gift cards can be used forever.

[Peter Quinn]

Funny, I was just there the other day with the same situation. $50 card, what to buy. I considered a PC forschner set, I looked at some k body revos, I nearly bought a Rockwell 12V mini drill driver. I wound up buying a pile of incandescent light bulbs and batteries for the kids toys. Not real glamourous, but things I actually needed. I'd like to thank our Senate for having the foresight to tell me what kind of light bulbs I should use in my house. They can't agree on how to run the country or what kind of toilet paper to stock in the Senate water closet, but they have the light bulb thing all figures out. So I got a several year supply.

[Dave Lehnert]

Funny, I was just there the other day with the same situation. $50 card, what to buy. I considered a PC forschner set, I looked at some k body revos, I nearly bought a Rockwell 12V mini drill driver. I wound up buying a pile of incandescent light bulbs and batteries for the kids toys. Not real glamourous, but things I actually needed. I'd like to thank our Senate for having the foresight to tell me what kind of light bulbs I should use in my house. They can't agree on how to run the country or what kind of toilet paper to stock in the Senate water closet, but they have the light bulb thing all figures out. So I got a several year supply.

I was going to say a socket set as they had some killer deals but think they ended on Dec 31st.

Only the 100 w bulbs are on the list this year. Incandescent bulbs are not banned as most believe. they just have to be more efficient. the new bulbs are in the pic below. This fact has not been promoted much IMHO because bulb sales are way up with people stocking up. The new bulbs are more expensive so one still saves $$$$ $3.99/6 pack old style vs $5.99 /6 Pack for the new style.

http://www.sunherald.com/2011/12/31/3659084/new-federal-light-bulb-standards.html

http://media.sunherald.com/smedia/2011/12/31/20/37/4kzi5.Em.77.jpg

[Cary Falk]

glue,
Kreg pocket hole supplies
drill bits
clamps
biscuits for biscuit jointer
welding supplise(if you have a welder)
pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc.

[Matt Meiser]

OK, buy $40 worth of incandescent bulbs, store them a year, then resell on the black market for 3x the price :D

[John Olson]

wood and more wood

[John A langley]

Clamps, clamps, clamps

[Todd Burch]

I was in Home Depot the other day, and the guy in front of me used a Lowes 10% off coupon. I wonder if a Lowes gift card would work at HD?

[Duane Bledsoe]

I went in there today to spend that card. I saw a dovetail jig by General Tools on HD's website that I thought would be great. Watched the video on youtube for how to use it and was all set to go get it. I knew I had seen it at Lowe's before too, but I found out now they don't have it anymore. My wife was all ready to tell me to put money with it and get a drill press but I didn't go down there to spend a bunch more, I just wanted to burn up the card I have and that was it. Since they didn't have that dovetail jig I just looked around for a while trying to decide on what to get and then ended up leaving without buying a thing! Wanted to mull it over some more. Leaning towards a couple of nice router bits, spirals I'm thinking, or a rabbeting bit maybe. Already have one of those but mine is just a 3/16". I'd like to have a big 1/2" with several different bearings, if I could find that there.