Gar’s Tips & Tools – Issue #187

Access to tools, techniques, and shop tales from the diverse worlds of DIY

Gar’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales is published by Cool Tools Lab. To receive the newsletter a week early, sign up here.

TOYS! Decent Dual-Action Airbrush for Under $55!

I have an expensive Iwata Revolution airbrush (and an Iwata Ninja Jet compressor). I love/hate it. It is amazing — when it’s behaving properly, and more importantly, when I’m behaving — taking the time to use it and clean it properly. I don’t like being intimidated by my tools and this tool intimidates me. As a result, I don’t use it as often as I could, and consequently, after years of owning it, I’m still not that good at it. So, imagine my temptation after seeing this review (and others) raving about the Ovega Airbrush Kit with Compressor for $52. It sounds like an amazing tool from the reviews and I bet if I owned one, I would reach for it for at least 75% of my airbrushing work.

The Essential Craftsman’s EDC

I’ve always admired the clear, calm, and grounded wisdom of Scott Wadsworth, aka The Essential Craftsman. I have learned so much from him over the years. In this video, he empties his pockets to discuss his EDC (everyday carry). I love that it’s all such homely, non-fancy, tools: a saddleback wallet, a Leatherman, a flashlight, a keyring, and a carpenter’s pencil. That’s it. As usual, he has interesting things to say about each item. Regarding the flashlight, he mentions that one use is being able to point things (see next item on laser pointing).

Use for a Laser Pointer

From Cooks Illustrated comes this little tip (submitted by reader Mel Young). When at a butcher, bakery, home store, or any situation where you need to point something out behind a counter or on a far away shelf, use a laser pointer. I have a friend who’s been doing this with a penlight flashlight for years. I mean, it is called a laser pointer, after all. And yes, I realize that, for some, this is painfully obvious to mention.

Riveting to Watch

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A post shared by Larry Roughton (@rough_iron55)

Until I saw this Instagram video, I’m not sure I ever knew the complete process for heating, passing, placing, and forming a hot rivet in old-school ironwork construction. Watch this and imagine it hundreds of feet above the ground, on narrow beams, with minimal safety equipment by today’s standards. These ironworkers had to be incredibly fearless, maintaining their balance while handling heavy tools, dealing with red-hot rivets, and trusting their coworkers to perform their roles without wavering. The entire process was a blend of brute force, coordination, and artistry. The results are the iconic structures of many city skylines.

Removing Kinks from Plastic Cables

Kinky cables bug the stuffing out of me. I’m constantly trying to work out those kinks. In this video, electronics enthusiast, Rich Langner, demonstrates how a little hot water will relax the plastic insulating jackets on cables and remove those annoying twists. And, as someone points out in the comments, you can also use this method of heat-softening plastic to create coiled cables, if you wish.

Best All-in-One Tool Sets

Most of you reading this likely have one of these cheap, all-in-one budget toolkits. I’ve been gifted several of these over the years (and gifted them to others). Especially for non-tool-junkies, they’re a great set to keep in the hall closet or garage for picture hanging, basic repairs, and the like. In this Project Farm video, Todd tests 10 such kits, from $52 to $129. Brands tested include Kobalt, Craftsman, Harbor Freight Pittsburgh, FastPro, Getuhand, Pink Tool, DEKOPRO, Sundpey, Amazon Basics, and Eastvolt. The sets were compared for their ratchet, socket, utility knife, hammer, adjustable wrench, screwdriver, and screwdriver bit performance. The more expensive Kobalt ($129 at time of testing) and Craftsman ($112) kits came out on top, but the surprising value here was the FastPro (with 236 tools for $60!). Todd recommends the FastPro for a low-cost, light-duty, around the house or apartment toolkit, great for a young person or couple just starting out.

Shop Talk

Readers offer their feedback, tips, tales, and tool recommendations.

Andrew Sasaki, an online friend I’ve known for about 30 years but never met in person, sent me this. Thanks, Andrew!

My go-to flashlight these days also happens to be a pretty good travel accessory that can serve as a night light. The Olight’s Perun 2 Mini isn’t cheap, but it’s small (think of a $1.50 stack of nickels), crazy powerful and super versatile thanks to its magnetic tailcap and (included) headband mount. Since I’ve become an Old Guy, I find myself increasingly leaning on it for reading things in bad light and finding small things that have fallen on the floor.

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Buy a Sub/Win a Tool!

I am loving my Workpro Multitool that I raved about in issue #184. I like it so much, and it’s so relatively inexpensive, that I’ve been buying them for family and friends. Now, I want to buy one for one of you! Over the next two weeks, if you sign up for a paid subscription for Gar’s Tips & Tools, you will be eligible for a drawing to win one of these Leatherman-killers. The holidays are coming, and this would make a great present. I think lots of my peeps are going to be finding one in their stocking.

11/1/24

Surprise ATM Fees/Walkable Europe/Onward Ticket Requirements

Nomadico Issue #128

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

ATM Fees Abroad (Again)

Despite my status as a should-be travel expert, I still get tripped up sometimes, like getting hit with a fee on top of a fee on my backup PayPal debit card in Panama this month. Besides the regular fee, they charged a 4.5% “foreign transaction fee” even though it was US dollars from a US dollars account. I’ve since heard of the same thing happening to people in dollar-using Ecuador, El Salvador, and Micronesia, though you will hopefully be spared the fee in Puerto Rico. I’m going to switch to a Wise debit card as my backup instead of PayPal when I have trouble with my main card that doesn’t charge me at all and reimburses local charges too. You can do the same with debit cards from the likes of Schwab, Fidelity, Novo (limited to $10 per month), and some credit unions.

Panama Residency by Investment Stays at $300K

The Panamanian government was set to raise the minimum investment to $500K on October 15 for its permanent residency by investment program. At the last minute they decided to keep the current $300K minimum in place for another two years at least. This is a fast track to permanent residency just by buying a home or condo and after five years you can apply to be a citizen and get a Panamanian passport. I was there for the fourth time recently and found prices at locals’ places to be on par with Mexico and once you get away from the waterfront with a view in the capital city, housing prices are reasonable.

Walkable Europe vs. Sprawling USA

The last four houses I lived in while in the USA were in “15-minute” neighborhoods where I could get to a grocery store, pub, coffee shop, and bank machine in walking distance—most of the essentials. In East Nashville I walked my daughter to elementary school too when she was young and I would go for days without getting in a car there and in downtown Tampa. This is common for Europeans but rare though for most Americans, as outlined in this article in the Guardian on 15-minute cities. These are places like Zurich and Dublin where 95% of residents can reach essential services in a walk of 15 minutes or less. Compare that to US cities where you’d starve if you couldn’t drive, with the daily per capita miles driven being 38 for Raleigh, 36 for Jacksonville and Birmingham. Apparently I was an outlier in Nashville: it’s #4 on the list. (Via Axios, article blocked by a paywall.)

Dealing With Onward Ticket Requirements

Many nomads are used to buying one-way tickets to where they’re headed and then sorting out the departure when they reach the end of a tourist visa limit. Anecdotally at least, random onward ticket requirements seem to be popping up more often and this can sometimes trip you up at the boarding gate. That happened to me last December going to Costa Rica on Volaris, even though I was using their annual pass, which is by nature a last-minute booking plan. So I bought a Volaris ticket while standing there, boarded the plane, then promptly canceled it and got a full refund upon arrival. Most airlines allow a fee-free cancellation within 24 hours, but if yours doesn’t, there are plenty of other inexpensive ways to get around the return ticket requirement. I cover them here: Solutions to Onward Ticket Requirements.

10/31/24

What’s in my NOW? — Ander Garcia

issue #192

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My name is Ander Garcia, I am a materials scientist working on research and based in the Basque Country, Spain. I love science, technology, business development, personal finance, strength training and nutrition. My goal is to always be a better version of myself.

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PHYSICAL

• Braun Series 9 Pro Shaving Razor. Since I started using Braun’s electric shaving razors, I’ve never looked back. The first I bought was a first generation Series 7, which was great in price/value proposition. New generations of the Series 7 are now clearly less potent than previously. So, I upgraded directly to a Braun Series 9 Pro with the Clean&Charge station, taking advantage of a great Amazon offer. I probably have razor for at least a decade more.
• The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People. Probably one of the most actionable self-development books ever. A true classic that teaches you how to live a principle-centered life, and how to organize your days to achieve maximum results both personally and professionally. It was in my to-read list since long time ago, and I didn’t expect it to be as useful as it is. Highly recommended, especially the physical version, it’s one of those books that you need to annotate and highlight.
• Instant Pot. Incredibly useful and versatile kitchen appliance. You can use it to sauté, slow-cook, or pressure-cook anything you need. I like strength training and normally consume large amounts of rice, and with the pre-selected programs I can batch cook it and have it ready in my fridge. No need for several tools when you can just have this one. There are versions that incorporate even an air-frying module.

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DIGITAL

• Perplexity.ai. Like a search engine but powered with AI. Whenever you search for something, Perplexity presents you the results of the search with references for all the facts, which you can then check if you want more information. I work in scientific research, and I can use it to look for quick references in scientific literature and interesting articles. Free to use with some premium features that are limited in the non-paid version, but that can be unlocked with a subscription.
• Two Cents. I believe personal finance is one of the most important things that anyone should aspire to at least be familiar with. In the end, basic economic knowledge and money management is essential to optimize our freedom and ensure a peaceful feature. This YouTube Channel is great to lear about such topics in a very laid-back style.

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INVISIBLE

How you do anything, is how you do everything.

10/30/24

The Secret Project / Soviet Space Dogs

Books That Belong On Paper Issue No. 38

Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

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THE CREATION STORY OF THE ATOMIC BOMB TOLD THROUGH A POWERFUL AND MOVING PICTURE BOOK

The Secret Project
by Jonah Winter, Jeanette Winter (Illustrator)
Beach Lane Books
2017, 40 pages, 8.0 x 0.3 x 11.0 inches, Hardcover

Buy on Amazon

When asked if I was interested in reviewing a picture book about the making of the atomic bomb, I told the publicist that a lot was going to depend on how the book ended. I had seen some of the interior art and text at that point, and I was intrigued by the way the tone of both Jeanette Winter’s illustrations and her son Jonah Winter’s text so thoroughly conveyed the almost frenzied, kinetic energy of the inventors and the eerily quiet secrecy of the The Secret Project. After reading the book, I realized that I had greatly underestimated the importance of the telling in its entirety, which is done so masterfully by the Winters.

The Secret Project is a quiet book. It takes place, of course, in the New Mexico desert. There is almost no dialogue, nor description of sound. And yet, we can hear the echo of the children in the desert, “cleared out” of their school to make way for scientists and workers. In the paintings of the “faraway nearby” outside the laboratory, we see the light and colors of the natural landscape, hear the soft, slow sounds of a coyote howling, of a woman’s paintbrush on canvas, of a Hopi man’s knife carving wood. Life outside the laboratory continues to create and sustain more life, while inside the secret lab, “the shadowy figures” are hurriedly working, crowded together under dim light. The pace of both word and image is markedly different in the closed up world and work of the men inside the lab than in the desert outside. Even when they are outside, the scientists are separate. The men are shown only in the dark shadows of places of their own making — a car, a bunker.

I won’t ruin the end of this book for you. It was not what I expected, but, upon reaching the end the way you’re supposed to (that is, after reading and being transported by the beginning and the middle), it was exactly as it should be.

– Mk Smith Despres

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SOVIET SPACE DOGS IS THE FASCINATING & TRAGIC STORY OF THE DOGS WHO BECAME THE FIRST LIVING BEINGS IN SPACE

Soviet Space Dogs
by Olesya Turkina
FUEL Publishing
2014, 240 pages, 5.0 x 0.9 x 8.1 inches, Hardcover

Buy on Amazon

A weighty, chunky book gilded with a colorful gold foil cover and illustrated with bold graphics of dogs orbiting the globe miles above a prominent Soviet Union emblazoned in red, Soviet Space Dogs is the fascinating, sometimes tragic story of the dogs who became the first living beings in space. Scientific martyrs of the space race between the US and Soviet Union that began in 1957 with the launch of the satellite Sputnik, the dogs became the embodiment of two cultural ideologies; the West believing the use of dogs in space was cruel, and the Russian belief that the dogs were heroically dying for the Motherland. Russian scientists cared deeply for their dogs, and treated them well while on Earth, but saw them as a necessary sacrifice. In the pursuit of knowledge and the desire to beat their Western nemesis into space, some dogs were lost, including Russia’s most famous dog astronaut, Laika. After successfully returning to earth, the dogs became worldwide heroes, and the subjects of songs, poems, and stories, their likenesses on everything from matchbook covers to toys.

Featuring beautiful images of vintage photographs of dogs wearing space helmets, postage stamps depicting rockets in lift-off, propaganda postcards of dogs in space suits, space-themed spinning tops, candy tins with photos of grinning dogs, children’s books with parachuting canines, and ceramic flasks of rockets with dogs’ heads jutting out of it as if they’re on a Sunday drive, Soviet Space Dogs is a bittersweet book retelling the stories of brave beasts who boldly went where no one had gone before. With graphics on every page, the awkward placement of text below the images makes it somewhat difficult to read, and its slimmer than average width forces the reader to crack its spine uncomfortably. Still, it’s a handsome, educational book, and a quick, poetic read.​​

– SD

10/29/24

Juice Extractors

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 110

Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

Quiet, versatile juice extractor

Omega 8003/ 8004 Juicer

I eat fruits and veggies, but based on everything I’ve read, the potential health benefits of juicing are too great to pass up. Unless you’re an impatient person, the Omega 8003 is great for a beginning juicer. It not only handles apples, oranges and carrots, but won’t get bogged down with wheatgrass, spinach and other leafy greens. Unlike a centrifugal juicer, which violently shreds what you put in it, the Omega 8003 uses what is known as a dual-screen, single auger. That means it doesn’t cut or chew as much as it mashes pulp forward into the end of a cone using the pressure of a spinning auger. The juice yield definitely trumps my old Braun centrifugal juicer, which can’t handle wheatgrass. The pulp I get from the Omega is drier and if need be, I can easily put it back through for a tiny bit more juice. I put the pulp from the Braun into the Omega and actually got several extra tablespoons of juice!

Of all the machines I’ve researched, tested and used, the Omega 8003 just crushes every piece of machinery, especially at this price. After eight months, I still use the juicer almost every other day and nothing has broken or malfunctioned. Juice extractors tend to be jet-engine loud. While the Omega’s motor is strong and hums with authority, it’s killer quiet. I can easily juice in the early morning or night without waking my wife or the neighbors. It’s also not too large in size and the folding handle on top makes moving the machine around much easier than other machines. The construction is solid. Omega backs it up with 10-year warranty. — Jim Rubel

Before purchasing a juicer I extensively researched what was available and ultimately purchased the Omega Juicer 8004.

I have been using the Omega juicer twice daily for the past few months. There are two major types of juicers, centrifugal and masticating. The Omega 8004 is the latter. Centrifugal juicers have higher juice yields for some kinds of fruits and vegetables and are a bit faster than masticating juicers, but masticating juicers are better for a litany of reasons.

First, they’re quiet. The Omega juicer operates at about 80RPM at a tolerable decibel level. Centrifugal juicer are LOUD. They also work better with leafy greens like kale, swiss chard, spinach, etc. They also can be used for a variety of tasks. Masticating juicers are multifunctional in that they can be put to use making pasta, nut butters and milks, and baby food.

One of the biggest reasons the Omega 8004 is superior is because it is easy to clean. It disassembles quickly and the parts can be cleaned in just a minute or two. The construction is also quite solid. The Omega 8004 and its slightly more expensive counterpart the Omega 8006 are the only juicers on the market that have a 15 year warranty. And the only difference between the 8004 and the 8006 is the finish: the 8004 is white plastic and the 8006 has a black and chrome finish.

On the downside it is ugly, but in my opinion all juicers are ugly and in this case it is a question of function over form. It also has a large footprint compared to other juicers, and this is an issue for people who have small kitchens. I live in New York, but am fortunate enough to have a decent sized kitchen.

One other small issue is the size of the feed tube, which is rather narrow (about an inch and a half in diameter), which makes it necessary to cut up fruits and vegetables a bit more than some other juicers on the market.

Omega has another line of masticating juicer which are “vertical” taking up less counter space, have larger feed tubes, and are highly recommended by people who seem to know what they are talking about on the Internet. However, they are a lot more expensive.

I chose the 8004 over the Omega vertical models, because the 8004/8006 seemed mechanically simpler and has a 15 year vs. 10 year warranty. Overall, I have found the Omega 8004 easy to use and actually fun. The variety of juice you can make is amazing. I will let others discuss the health benefits of juicing, but unscientifically after using it I have lost some weight and feel really great. — Max Abramowitz

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The ultimate blender

VitaMix 5200 Countertop Blender

I once believed that a blender only needed two speeds: Off and High. I was wrong. With ten variable speeds, it makes short work of anything and everything we’ve ever put in it. We use it every single day, often multiple times. The 1380-watt motor surprisingly quiet on low, and a barracuda at high speeds. Clean-up is incredibly quick: Add water, a bit of soap, turn on high for ten seconds, and then rinse and dry.

The 64-ounce Lexan pitcher is amazingly tough. I always figured plastic was plastic, but this stuff is really tough. If you do happen to somehow break it, the company will replace it free of charge through its seven-year warranty. After that, you can simply purchase parts/replacements.

So we extended our 30-day trial to 90-days, since I still thought it was a lot of money for a blender. Ultimately — after using it EVERY day, usually multiple times a day — I realized it’s worth $350. I hesitated to send this review, because of the considerable expense. Anyone who uses a blender regularly will find this to be the best blender they ever own. My previous $45 blender, which I once thought was pretty good, now sits gathering dust. I’ve been spoiled. — Jeff Jewell

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Hand-powered juicer

Ra Chand Citrus Press

Living in Southern California, we have an abundance of citrus nearly year round — lemons, limes, kumquats, grapefruits, and more. I also have a household of beverage enthusiasts, from my kids who love to make lemon-, lime-, etc. -ades, or “kid drinks” as they call them, to my wife and I who are crazy about cocktails, flips, fizzes, and sours. This is why I graduated from my fine, but slow, hand juicer, to the monstrous, restaurant-calibre Ra Chand J210 Bar Juicer. It makes quick, efficient work of juicing tons of citrus. Rather than dread all the labor, I’m now happy to juice enough fruit to make a full pitcher of Ginger Limeonade with my kids to sell in their DIY juice stand.

The Ra Chand is dead simple. No motors or fragile plastic parts to break — in fact it only has six parts, made of cast aluminum, plus a wire return spring and a few bolts. The mechanical advantage it provides is tremendous. With its long lever and offset pivots, even my six-year-old daughter can use it to easily squeeze a half-lemon dry. The Ra Chand is big enough for me to juice a medium grapefruit — when I have a larger-sized one to contend with I quarter it (and secretly wish I had the even-larger model, the J500).

The straining cone (which looks like a half beehive) allows juice and the occasional small seed through, but very little pulp. This is also due to the fact that pressing (rather than twisting like a motorized juicer) bursts the cells of the fruit, but doesn’t shred the membranes.

If I have one complaint it is that the juicer can be tipped forward easily until you get the hang of pulling the lever down, not down-and-toward-yourself. I’ve gotten used to this, but I do hold onto the base when my kids use it to avoid a mess.

In all, the Ra Chand is hands-down the best citrus juicer I’ve used. I appreciate its size, speed, power, ruggedness, and simplicity. I imagine it’ll be in our family for many years, hopefully providing juice for generations. — John Edgar Park

10/28/24

Vorfreude/Mini-pharmacy/Stress less series

Recomendo - issue #433

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Vorfreude: the joy of anticipation

Vorfreude means “the pleasure of anticipation.” I learned it from Jono Hey’s excellent Sketchplanations newsletter. “The magic of vorfreude lies in how it stretches out the pleasure of any upcoming event or experience,” writes Jono. “Once I hit ‘Confirm’ to book a trip, it kicks off joy for months whenever I think about the trip.” — MF

Mini-pharmacy 

I’ve long carried a mini-pharmacy in my daypack, packed with small doses of common over-counter medicines for occasional use. Mosts are used to supply my companion travelers. I recently upgraded to a very compact container that takes up almost no room. The Portable Travel Pill Box ($4) can hold 10 different medicines, which I label with dosages. It is very handy, and goes with me everywhere my bag goes. — KK

Stress Science 101 series 

NPR’s Stress Less newsletter series shares actionable strategies to reduce stress and increase joy. This series, based on a resilience course created by psychologist Judith Moskowitz, teaches eight strategies to boost your day-to-day well-being. 

The 8 skills to manage stress are: 

• Positive events: Notice when positive things happen in your life
• Savoring: Relish the positive things in your life
• Gratitude: Appreciate what brings you happiness
• Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment without judgment
• Positive reappraisal: Find the silver lining 
• Self-compassion: Be kind to yourself
• Personal strengths: Recognize your unique abilities
• Attainable goals: Make plans that set you up for success

The series launched on September 30, and I am currently on week 2 of the 5-week program. However, you can sign up for the Stress Less newsletter at any time and access the archived issues, as well as the upcoming weeks, if you subscribe now. — CD 

Ask AI to write your prompts

I’ve learned that ChatGPT and other chatbots are often more useful when you ask them to help you write your prompt. For example, instead of asking “Write an action-item list for planning a trip to Kyoto next fall,” ask “I’m taking a trip to Kyoto next fall. Write a prompt I can use to ask you to create an action-item list.” — MF

Compare text online

Difftext.com is an online tool that quickly finds the differences between two blocks of text. You can copy and paste text or drag in files, and it will highlight the differences in plain text, markdown, or code. There have been many times in the past when I wished I had something like this, so I was very happy when Recomendo reader Spencer Smith shared it. — CD

Visual experiments

An Instagram artist I enjoy following is Adam Hale. His Daily Splice artfully spans photography, collage making, photogramery, gifs, cut outs, video clips, mash ups, and other visual experiments. — KK

10/27/24

What’s in my NOW? — Ander Garcia