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Which Ratcheting Screwdriver is Best?
There are few hand tools that people seem to have more opinions about than ratcheting screwdrivers. And, now we have some decent testing of this everyday tool by Todd at Project Farm. Todd tests 14 different brands for efficiency, precision, and durability. Tests included working arc swing, ratchet back drag, magnet strength, bit retention strength, build quality (shaft wobble), shaft rotation in the locked position, bit failure load, and screwdriver failure load. Bottom line? The PB Swiss screwdriver, at a whopping $144 (at time of testing, now $178!), performed the best. This was followed by the $70 Linus Tech Tips driver. The Megapro and Williams also performed well, at $34 and $36, respectively. I have the Williams driver and have no complaints.
Tips on Quickly Learning a New Skill
In this video, engineer Jeremy Fielding drops a ton of wisdom via 26 strategies for learning a new skill, fast. Many of these might seem obvious (you must be motivated, mistakes will happen), but it’s in the unpacking of these ideas and the case examples he uses that make this video most valuable. And, there are a number of tips that one might overlook or not consider, like asking family and friends if they have resources related to the skill you wish to learn, not being afraid to ask someone to teach you what they know, and the idea that you only need to learn the essentials first, then you can dive in and learn by doing.
Making Clay Out of Common Soil
As my Southern mamma used to say: “Put a new wrinkle on your brain every day.” Here’s today’s wrinkle: I had no idea that you could derive clay, suitable for making pottery, from common soil. I thought you had to find a vein of red clay and harvest that. Sure, such clay is obviously preferred, but you can also render out clay using reddish soil (which has high clay content) or really any type of soil. All you need to do is suspend the soil in water and filter out the heavy materials. After straining through a cloth, you are left with clay.
Maker Slang
Jargon, slang, and tech terms from the diverse worlds of DIY.
Hero prop – In movie-making, a detailed prop designed for close-up shots and closer scrutiny from the audience. In contrast, action props are used where the audience will not see the prop in close-up.
Scumbling – In painting, to soften (the color or tone of a painted area) by overlaying opaque or semi-opaque color applied thinly and lightly with an almost dry brush. I learned this one from my artist wife, Angela White.
Weeding – In vinyl cutting, the act of removing all of the unwanted vinyl around your cut design.
TOYS! Better Sink Strainer
I watched a video a few weeks ago on Cool Tools where Donald Bell extolled the virtues of this OXO sink strainer. Like him, I hate the design of most metal-basket strainers. I ordered one of these and was so impressed with it that I wrote a Boing Boing post about it. Hundreds of BB readers followed suit and many of them are as happy with theirs as I am with mine, so I thought I’d share it here, too.
I made two racks for my Stanley and Harbor Freight sorting boxes. One I welded and later decided it was way overbuilt. Too heavy especially once loaded with full trays of screws, etc. The second one I built a simple frame from 2 x 4s, then slid small shelves out of thin material like Masonite across both sides. It may not be as easy as baker racks, but I’m pretty sure it’s the cheapest way to build a rack in terms of materials. Plywood would be nicer all around, but 2x4s are cheap new, and almost free used.
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Reader Jim Landis wrote:First, thanks for all the fascinating information you keep publishing. I’m a big fan. I’m sure others have discovered this, but some readers might find it useful. When I’m knocking together a quick model out of soda straws and paper clips, etc to get a feel for a project, 1 centimeter to 2 inches is a very convenient scale to use.
1. It’s easy to double or halve numbers without too much mental effort.
2. There’s always a ruler nearby with both inches and centimeters marked in parallel.
3. It’s very close to a 1:5 scale, so models are a nice size for desktops. For context, the original GI Joe dolls, -ahem- action figures, were 1:6 scale.
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Cool tools really work.
A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted.
From the bestselling author of The Psychology of Money, The Art of Spending Money explores the overlooked side of personal finance — arguing that true wealth isn’t about what you accumulate, but how you use money to build freedom, meaning, and joy.
Core Principles
Use Money to Buy Freedom
Wealth is not about luxury — it’s about control. The highest form of wealth is the ability to wake up and do whatever you want. Money is a tool that buys you time, allows you to make choices about where and how you live, and provides peace of mind. As Housel puts it: “I’d rather wake up and be able to do anything I want than try to impress you with nice stuff.”
Comparison Is a Losing Game
There are two ways to use money: as a tool to live a better life, or as a yardstick to measure yourself against others. Many people aspire for the former but spend their lives chasing the latter. Spending to impress others rarely leads to happiness because there’s always something more to strive toward — and disappointment is often the outcome.
Experiences Over Possessions
Spend on things that either resist adaptation or that you can repeatedly rediscover. You adapt to your new couch almost immediately, but a meaningful trip creates memories that bring pleasure for years. The best spending often looks invisible — living in a modest home you love, cultivating friendships, preserving mental health — things you can’t display but deeply feel.
Spend Extravagantly on What You Love
The goal isn’t extreme frugality — hoarding money for its own sake is another trap. Instead, spend extravagantly on the things you truly love while mercilessly cutting the things you don’t. Think about spending in terms of minimizing future regret: no one gets a prize for dying with the highest account balance.
Try It Now
List your top 5 purchases from the past month. For each one, ask: “Did this bring me lasting satisfaction, or was it forgotten within days?”
Identify one recurring expense that doesn’t actually improve your life. Cancel or reduce it this week.
Think of one thing you’ve been denying yourself that would genuinely increase your daily happiness. Permit yourself to spend on it.
Write down what “enough” looks like for you — the point where more money wouldn’t meaningfully improve your life.
For your next purchase over $50, wait 48 hours and ask: “Am I buying this for me, or to impress someone else?”
Quote
“There are two ways to use money. One is as a tool to live a better life. The other is as a yardstick of status to measure yourself against others. Many people aspire for the former but spend their life chasing the latter.”
