Gar’s Tips & Tools – Issue #211

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

The History of Heathkit

This is such an eye-opening mini-doc on the history of Heathkit and the role it played in post-WWII DIY/maker culture. I’m fascinating by that period in American history when all of these skilled G.I.s came home and turned their talents toward auto and motorcycle mechanics, aviation and aerospace, electrical and other engineering, Ham radio, and more. It was a remarkable moment when technical literacy, hands-on problem-solving, and the confidence to build and repair things yourself were woven into the fabric of everyday life. And the cost of owning your own tools and the space to use them became affordable to many.



In Heathkit’s case, they turned war surplus electronics components into kits with highly technical, clearly illustrated instructions that became home training for generations of hobby and professional electronics enthusiasts. I still remember, in the 1970s, as a teen, seeing a friend’s oscilloscope kit being built on his workbench and marveling at his methodical journey through the assembly instructions, checking off each step as he went. He was so freakin’ proud of that thing when he finally finished it and it worked!

Are Expensive Work Gloves Worth It?

In this episode of Project Farm, Todd tests 17 different pairs of work gloves, ranging in price from $2.80 to $32. He tests them for comfort, thickness, force required to bend glove fingers, puncture and abrasion resistance (wear), impact protection, cut resistance, and grip. The results are surprising, and as he points out at the end, it’s always so rewarding when some of the cheaper options come out on top. In this case, the $2.80 G&F gloves got As in almost every testing category. But sadly, they got a C and D in comfort and bendability. The glove with the best price/performance sweet spot was the leather $10 WZQH glove. You can see the final results matrix here.

The Eureka Zone for Finding Lost Items

In Kevin Kelly’s Tools for Possibilities, in a piece about the book How to Find Lost Objects (available as a free e-book), Kevin shares his own object-finding strategy:

The majority of lost objects are right where you figure-once you take a moment to stop and figure.



Others, however, are in the immediate vicinity of that place. They have undergone a displacement-a shift in location that, although minor, has served to render them invisible.



Some examples:

A pencil has rolled beneath a typewriter.

A tool has been shoved to the rear of a drawer.

A book on a shelf has gotten lodged behind other books.

A folder has been misfiled, several folders away from where it belongs.

Objects are apt to wander. I have found, though, that they tend to travel no more than eighteen inches from their original location. To the circle described by this eighteen-inch radius I have given a name. I call it the Eureka Zone. With the aid of a ruler, determine the Eureka Zone of your lost object. Then explore it. Meticulously.

Making a Mint Tin Storage Cabinet

I just ran across this maker channel, Evan Monsma, and I’m digging the vibe. He had me at his mission statement: “I want to encourage everyone to build a shelf and change their own oil, that’s all.” Subscribed!



In this video, Evan introduces his hardware system of color-coded mint tins for housing screws, nuts, bolts, washers, and misc. small parts. But his tins collections is getting out of hand so he decided to build storage shelving using a technique he’d never tried: dado joints. The way he talks through his planning and building process is very satisfying. And I enjoyed see him using a white Pentel Presto pen and drawing out the build directly onto his desk and the material. But I have to admit chuckling when I saw him drafting the dimension for the shelves on the shelf stock itself, thinking: “He’s about to cut those calculations up,” and then him admitting later on in the video that he had lost the dimensions in cutting out his parts. Oops.

I’ll Have a Shot of Drano, Please

Years ago, a plumber told me to never follow the directions on a bottle of Drano (where it suggests pouring as much as a half the bottle into your clog). “That’s marketing hype to get you to waste your money,” he told me. “Just use about a shot-glass worth at a time. Then a kettle of boiling water. And repeat as needed until the drain clears.”

I’ve been doing it that way ever since. A small amount of drain cleaner. Wait 20 minutes. Then pour of a kettle of hot water. Repeat. In my experience, it has worked most every time on the usual suspects: bathroom hair, sink sludge, and kitchen grease slowdown.

The logic, as he explained it, is simple. Most clogs aren’t epic blockages. They’re small, localized buildups. You don’t need half a bottle of caustic chemicals sitting in your drain trap. A small dose often begins the breakdown. The hot water helps move things along. Less chemical, less waste.

But there are caveats. Most chemical drain cleaners are highly caustic. Even in small doses, repeated use can stress older metal pipes. Boiling water and PVC don’t get along well, either. Extremely hot water can soften PVC joints over time.

There’s also the bigger truth: mechanical solutions are usually better. A simple drain snake will often solve what chemicals only nibble away at. And enzymatic cleaners, while slower, are gentler on pipes.

Still, for minor clogs, the shot-glass method has been a reliable trick in my house.

The Right Tool for the Job

Relatable.

[From New Yorker cartoonist, Emily Bernstein.]

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Thanks to All My Subscribers!

I now have well over 10,000 subscribers to this humble little newsletter. And I hover around paid subscribers. A million thanks to all of you. Doing this newsletters is a true joy for me and I especially like feeling like I’m connected to a community of fellow makers. Thanks to everyone who’s sent me an email, made a comment, shared a tip or tool with me. Let’s keep the ball rolling for another 200 issues!



If you want to financially support this work, please consider a paid subscription. It helps keep me in Carhartt work socks. My feet appreciate you.



A very special thanks to Hero of the Realm subscribers: Moses Hawk, Jim Coraci, Donobster, Peter Sugarman, and Will Phillips for your generous support.

06/13/26

Book Freak #213: Sleep Groove

Why Your Body’s Clock Is So Messed Up and What to Do About It

Get Sleep Groove

Sleep Groove is a myth-busting guide to circadian science that teaches you to work with your body’s natural rhythms rather than fight them, using accessible explanations, charts, and comics.

As I get older, I wake up in the middle of the night more than I did in my twenties and thirties. A lot of people my age tell me the same thing. Sleep Groove gave me a new way to think about it. Walch argues that the strength and steadiness of your daily rhythm are more important than a single long, unbroken stretch of sleep.

When your internal clock has a strong, well-defined beat, your sleep consolidates around it. When that rhythm flattens out, which tends to happen as we age, sleep breaks into pieces, and you wake more often during the night.

The fix is to make your clock beat louder by keeping a fixed wake-up time, getting bright light early in the day, and staying in darkness at night. Since I started protecting my rhythm, my night wakings have gotten shorter, and I drop back to sleep faster.

Core Principles

1. Regularity Beats Duration

Forget the eight-hour rule. Research shows that sleep regularity (how much your sleep schedule on one day resembles your sleep schedule the next day) predicts health outcomes better than total hours of sleep. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day matters more than hitting a magic number.

2. Light Is a Drug

Light exposure is the most powerful tool for setting your circadian clock, but timing is everything. Bright light during midday boosts your system and strengthens your rhythms. Light during your biological night confuses your brain and throws everything off. The same light can help or harm, depending on when you get it.

3. Find the Beat, Then Groove With It

Your body is wired to cycle through a biological rhythm, and when your sleep doesn’t follow that pattern, you feel terrible. The same goes for food, activity, and mood. All of it is rhythmic, and acknowledging that is the first step to feeling better.

4. You Can’t Bank Sleep

Oversleeping on weekends doesn’t make up for undersleeping during the week. Sleep debt doesn’t work like a bank account. The goal isn’t to average out over time but to establish consistent rhythms your body can rely on day after day.

Try It Now

1. Pick a wake-up time and stick to it every day this week, including weekends. Regularity matters more than duration.
2. Get outside for 15-30 minutes around midday. Bright natural light strengthens your circadian amplitude.
3. If you wake up in the middle of the night, stay in the dark. Don’t check your phone. Let your body find its way back to sleep.

Quote

“Light is a drug—use it wisely.”

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Book Freak is published by Cool Tools Lab, a small company of three people. We also run Recomendo, the Cool Tools website, a YouTube channel and podcast, and other newsletters, including Recomendo Deals, Gar’s Tips & Tools, Nomadico, What’s in my NOW?, Tools for Possibilities, Books That Belong On Paper, and Book Freak.

06/12/26

Create Like a Kid/Bulgaria Living Costs/Summer Flight Deals

Nomadico issue #210

Don’t Call It Art! Book

I got especially excited about a package that arrived this week because I was finally able to read my preorder of the new book from Austin Kleon: Don’t Call It Art! The subtitle is 10 ways to create like a kid again and it lives up to that promise. The core idea is to let your inner child loose and make things with joy, as a form of play instead of something you’ll be judged on. As always with his titles, the hardback is full of fun illustrations. This time they’re joined by drawings from his two young sons, which brings the whole message home. It is a fun read and would be a great gift for someone who is stuck in a rut creatively or just starting a new job or business. The author of Show Your Work is on Substack as well.

Where Americans are Moving

For the first time since the Great Depression 90 years ago, more people moved out of the USA last year than moved in. That was widely reported around the world, but if you’re wondering where they ended up, most studies I’ve seen peg Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Colombia in the top 5, though sometimes the order is a bit different after the clear winner south of the border. This site lists 10 countries and a reason for each, like a truly useful digital nomad visa in Thailand and Italy’s remote worker visa. I expect #10 Bali to drop off after recent actions. (See the previous issue.)

Living in Bulgaria, Post-euro

Bulgaria has gone from unknown to undeniable hotspot in the past 15 years, thanks in part to great conditions for nomads in Bansko and a cost of living advantage that’s hard to beat in Europe. They adopted the euro and became part of the Schengen Zone recently though, so I tapped native Bulgarian Maria Stoynova from Sofia Expats to give me a rundown on how things stand now with prices. See the current results here: The Cost of Living in Bulgaria.

Where the Summer Flight Bargains Are

Dollar Flight Club crunched some data and named the destinations that are still a good deal this summer for flights. In general, the most popular cities are up 15-20% over last year, but others have barely budged. In Europe, they point to 10 destinations going for $570 or less round-trip from U.S. gateways. The ten ranged from expensive (Stockholm and Bergen) to bargains (Krakow and Budapest), but in general were secondary cities except for Dublin. Heading south, check Guatemala, Costa Rica, and a few different spots in Mexico and the Caribbean.

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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.

06/11/26

What’s in my NOW? — Jordan Meyers

issue #257

I’m an anesthesiologist working in beautiful British Columbia. I am passionate about rock climbing, exploring film and learning how to cook (at the age of 31).

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PHYSICAL

• Dr. Pepper Zero: With the emerging evidence that artificial sweeteners aren’t all that bad for you, I can now engage in diet soda without restraint. Coke Zero, Crush Zero, A&W Zero…they’re all incredible, but there’s nothing more refreshing than the spicy cherry goodness of Dr. Pepper.
• Patagonia Black Hole 40L: This is the perfect duffel bag (so good I own two). It’s carry-on compliant for most planes, has ergonomic shoulder straps, and is extremely durable. I keep one fully loaded with climbing gear for bouldering days in Squamish, and another “clean” bag that I use for travel. The 40L bag has more than enough space for international travel. It’s stylish and comes in a range of colours (although I prefer the black with rainbow print).
• Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Pan 11.75″: This pan inspires me to be a better cook. It’s my daily driver and is seasoned enough where I can make an omelette without any sticking. The Matfer pan has a welded handle without rivets, allowing for a completely smooth cooking surface. It’s lighter (and heats faster) than a cast-iron, is oven safe (at reasonable temperatures), and avoids the potential health impact of nonstick pans.

DIGITAL

• Instapaper: I have a tough time reading news articles (mostly movie reviews if I’m being honest) on my laptop. Instapaper lets me save articles without ads within the app, which I can then access on my Kobo. I can read without distraction on my handheld reader while I’m on the go or using a cardio machine at the gym.
• The New York Times Cooking app: This has been essential in my cooking journey. I love that I can save recipes that I enjoy or want to cook in my recipe box. Additionally, the search function lets me choose dishes based on time investment or ingredients that I’m keen on playing around with. Learning how to cook with the NYT app has been low-stress, easy and a ton of fun.

INVISIBLE

I’ve always had a predisposition towards delayed gratification and type II fun. As a result, I haven’t felt much type I fun or joy in my life. I recently had an experience of pure pleasure drinking the best coffee of my life in a Parisian cafe (shout out to Joachim at Substance), which led to a lightbulb moment. I can still strive and work hard, but experiencing bliss, awe and wonder is also important. That was a bit of a ramble, but the TL;DR of my invisible now is chasing moments of simple joy just for the sake of it

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06/10/26

Parent Hacks / The 50 States

Issue No. 121

134 TRULY USEFUL TIPS THAT PARENTS OF YOUNG KIDS WILL USE

Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids
by Asha Dornfest
Workman
2016, 272 pages, 5 x 0.8 x 7 inches

Buy on Amazon

In 2005 Asha Dornfest, a new parent, launched the blog Parent Hacks as a way for parents to share tips that make raising young children less nerve-racking. This book has the 134 best tips from the blog. Here are a few examples from the On the Go section:

• #116 Write your phone number on your kid’s belly.
• #113 Strap ankle weights to a lightweight stroller to keep it from tipping.
• #110 Line your car’s cup holders with cupcake liners.
• #118 Use adhesive bandages to baby-proof hotel room outlets.

Other tip themes include pregnancy and postpartum, sleep, food and mealtime, organizing time and space, and getting dressed. Craighton Berman’s clear illustrations make it easy to understand most tips at a glance. If you or someone you know is pregnant, this book is essential reading. – Mark Frauenfelder

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A CHILDREN’S BOOK OF MAPS CRAMMED WITH FUN FACTS ABOUT THE U.S. STATES

The 50 States: Explore the U.S.A. with 50 fact-filled maps
by Gabrielle Balkan
Wide Eyed Editions
2015, 112 pages, 11.5 x 13.8 x 0.8 inches

Buy on Amazon

Pack your bags, gas up the car and hit the highway! You’ll want to plan a road trip this summer after perusing The 50 States, a children’s atlas crammed with fun facts about every state from sea to shining sea. This carefully detailed book contains over fifty quirky, infographic maps that highlight famous people, state icons, key facts, regional spotlights and moments to remember of every state. Flip to the back of the book and you’ll also find a helpful, detailed index, a listing of all the presidents, and each and every state flag unfurling across the pages.

If the delightfully appealing cover didn’t give it away, you’ll know as soon as you flip to the introduction that this gigantic atlas is no ordinary collection of maps. Author Gabrielle Balkan insists that readers not invest in these detailed, sprawling maps as geographically correct renditions but as wonderful canvases to narrate the rich history and culture of the states they represent. You’ll journey from the shores of Alaska, populated by Kodiak bears, to our nation’s capital, where Ben’s Chili Bowl nabs a spot in history right alongside the columns and fluttering flag of the White House. Children and adults alike will come away from the book not only with obscure facts about our nation’s history, but with a new appreciation of the amazing and diverse cultures that spill across the pages of The 50 States and that make our homeland so unique. – Kaz Weida

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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.

06/9/26

Handy Stuff

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 193

Maximize contents held in tube containers

Tube Wringer

My new favorite tool is the Tube Wringer, from Gill Mechanical.

From their website: “The Tube-Wringer efficiently squeezes the contents from tubes of caulk, glue, medical compounds, adhesives, and toothpaste. Nearly indestructible, the Tube-Wringer will last a lifetime under normal use and pay for itself in short order.”

In addition to sqeezing every little bit out of just about any tube, the squeezed part is left with a zig-zag texture so future usage doesn’t undo the squeezing. Tubes are left efficiently squeezed, and cool looking. My only problem is that I wish I had more partially-used tubes available because it’s so satisfying to squeeze every last bit out of them. — Sally Rosenthal

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Stabilizing plastic shim

Wobble Wedge

As a grad student, I spend a lot of time working on a laptop in coffee shops and living in old houses. What that means: sitting at notoriously-wobbly cafe tables and shimming furniture on uneven old wood floors. Wobble Wedges are small, clear plastic shims with a ridged surface that are invaluable in both instances. Since they weigh just an ounce or two, I always keep a couple in my computer bag (better than jamming newspaper under a coffee shop table). I usually go to a coffee shop twice a week, sometimes more, and find myself having to use them about 30 percent of the time. Sometimes I forget and leave them behind, but they’re cheap enough it’s no big deal. At home, these also work great because they are clear enough to be almost invisible. They are plenty strong enough for a fully-loaded bookshelf and, in the five years I’ve been using them, I’ve never had one break down or crack. Losing them is another story: I once used some to shim a pedestal sink and never saw them again. But the sink never wobbled either! — Donovan Finn

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Better door closer

Touch n’ Hold

If you have a storm door or screen door, you probably have a pneumatic device that closes it. And the device has a little washer thing that will hold the door open if you put down your bags, and the baby, and let the dog go free while you fiddle it down the bar, so it can jam against the piston. It’s a hassle.

The Touch n’ Hold is a device that makes this a happier moment. The Touch n’ Hold door closer lets you set the door open with a simple tap of your toe or elbow. Then once you’ve got all your stuff inside, just nudge the door (not the thing) open a little more and it will go back into closing mode.

I use it every day, and it always makes me think of Cool Tools. — Thomas T. Ballantine

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Stick-ons, boosts visibility

SOLAS Marine Reflective Tape

We’ve been using 3M’s SOLAS reflective tape for several years. It was designed for the Coast Guard to use on life jackets, so you know it has to be tough and withstand time, bad weather and wet conditions (SOLAS = safety of life at sea). It is a bit expensive, but it is the brightest and most durable stuff I’ve ever found. We use it everywhere and have put in on just about everything: garbage cans, walking sticks, jackets, kayaks, a bicycle, a stroller, a trailer, traffic cones, automobile door jams (so oncoming traffic sees me right away), the trunk of my car (an instant safety device if I get stuck on the side of the road) and the car’s mudguards. The strips on our mudguards — which take a lot of abuse! — are still sticking after more than seven years. Now that I’ve seen how effective it is, I really think it should be a law that all cars come stocked with reflective stripping on door jams. — Jeff Ellis

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The Best Rat Trap

Snap-E Rat Trap

There are certain less-than-glamorous homesteading chores that I am really good at. Shoveling, doing dishes, and trapping rats. Sigh.

Rats around here are not the loathsome Norwegian variety, but rather wood rats, or pack rats, which look like a big mouse — kinda cute. In the woods, rats build pyramids of twigs 3 feet or so high — rat architecture — always in secluded spots, so you have to be bushwacking to come upon them. In semi-rural areas like mine they cruise human habitations for easy pickins. One year I trapped over 40.

For years I used the standard wooden Victor traps and would put peanut butter in a little piece of plastic (with punched holes), tied to the trigger with baggie ties. Then I started sheet-metal-screwing a 1/2″ copper pipe cap to the trigger, which I filled with peanut butter.

I went through maybe 4 types of other traps until I discovered these. They have a bait cup so the rat has to tug at it, thereby releasing spring—plenty strong enough to ensure fatality.

I’m writing this after getting one last night that had been eluding me for a week. Outwitted by a rat night after night.

Method: I washed 3 traps (getting rid of scent), smooshed some bacon in the cups, surrounded by smears of Skippy peanut butter — mwah!

And whack! Mighty hunter. —Lloyd Kahn

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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.

06/8/26

What’s in my NOW? — Jordan Meyers