After wearing out the shoe leather on the High Street it was time for some decisive action. Fighting our way through piles of Christmas decorations and tins of Quality Street's the only remotely useful bargain to be had was found at a 99p store. They have stock of 300ml cans of Aquanol Multi-purpose spray. This looks like useful stuff for keeping the rust at bay on all those steel tools and surfaces that are susceptible to corrosion. It can also be used to lubricate diamond stones. At 99p it has to be a bargain - just make sure you pick a can that still has the little nozzle extension pipe tucked under the rubber band. Lots of the ones in our local store had it missing.

It soon became clear that this was a waste of time so it was time to apply some logic to the situation. If the High Street was full, this Sunday morning, who was feeling the pinch? Normally the big box stores are places to avoid on a Sunday - not today. The car park at our local B&Q was virtually empty. With the inkling of a possible bargain in the offering, the team investigated. As suspected there were lots of offers. How much DIY is going on two weeks before Christmas? The stores are doing all they can to encourage trade. It is fair to say that a lot of it has little or no interest to the woodworker but we did find a couple of gems.

How about a 3.6 Volt cordless screwdriver complete with eight double ended bits and charger, all presented in a plastic carry case for less than a fiver! This little screwdriver in the B&Q Value range sells for £4.78. That just has to be one of the best finds of the year! OK, it is not the most dynamic piece of kit and it will not win a beauty contest but it does the job. Charging time is 3-5 hours but I can put up with that at this price.

 

If you need something a bit bigger then look no further. How about a 12 Volt cordless drill/driver for less than £15? Again there are some compromises here. Only the one battery and again 3-5 hour charging but for £14.98 this drill has a keyless chuck with a 10mm capacity, and 16 torque settings (from 0-8 plus half steps). It is true to say that these tools feel a bit flimsy if you are used to the brand leader's products but for the occasional user or as a second drill they are exceptional value for money. 
 
Happy Hunting!
 
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