And please spread the word if you like what you see here. Thank you!
A Look at the Proxxon Motorized Angle Polisher
Last issue, I wrote about Adam Savage restoring the yellowed plastic cover of a vintage Nagra IV-S audio recorder. He ended up using a combination of a 12% hydrogen-peroxide bath and stages of a polishing compound to bring the cover back to its former glory. In this video, he talks about the Proxxon motorized angle polisher he uses while restoring the faded and scratched plastic dome on a spacesuit helmet replica and extolling the virtues of the tool.
Paint Coatings: The Great Weapon Against Rust
Grady of the fantastic Practical Engineering channel continues his series on corrosion engineering by looking at one of the great weapons wielded in the war against steel rust: paint (or more accurately paint coatings).
Next-Level Oscillating Multi-Tool Tips
Wow. James of Stumpy Nubs always brings the goods, but I learned so much from this video on improving one’s use of an oscillating multi-tool. I just recently bought my first cheap oscillating tool (to see how I like it) and am just beginning to learn how to use it properly. Even if you’ve had an oscillating tool for a while, I bet you’ll learn something here. How to angle your plunge cuts, pre-scoring cuts, holding onto the blade for better control (yes, it’s safe), using semi-circular blades for making straighter lines, so much more. Lots of tips for cutting metal with an oscillator, too. And, James has a good recommendation for an inexpensive blade assortment.
Quick ‘N Dirty Aluminum Casting
In this Daniel LupienYouTube short, he shows you how easy it is to create a simple sand mold and cast it in aluminum. All you basically need is a chunk of aluminum, a crucible and tongs, a source of heat, some kinetic sand (or regular casting sand), and something to press into the sand to create the mold.
No-Cost Stud Finder
When my wife and I moved to our new digs in Benicia, CA last fall, I needed to install a swivel-arm wall mount for our TV. I simply used a 1″ disk magnet I had on-hand to locate the stud. No fancy stud finder needed. In this Becky Stern tip, she shows the method of using a string and a magnet. Easy peasy. If you’re uncomfortable with this method and want to make sure to find the center of the stud and locate (and steer clear of) any wire runs, pipes, etc., sophisticated imaging scanners can be had for under $30.
Fixing a Leaky Faucet with a Ten Dollar Tool
We know that professional plumbing doesn’t come cheap. Doing your own basic maintenance and repairs may seem intimidating, but it shouldn’t. Jobs like clearing a trap, changing a toilet float assembly, or replacing faucet washers are relatively simple and easy. Years ago, I changed a toilet float kit. It was easy (after getting the very frozen-in old assembly out). And, I felt like I’d accomplished something and saved myself over $100. The replacement kit was $15.
Mark Frauenfelder of Cool Tools recently replaced the rubber washer in his shower. He writes in Recomendo: “Our shower head was leaking, even after I replaced the rubber washer. YouTube informed me that I had a scarred valve seat, which is the brass ring that’s supposed to form a tight seal against the washer. I bought a reseating tool for about $10 on Amazon, which smooths the surface of the valve seat. It worked, and saved me a $150 plumber visit.”
Notable Quotables
“Move carefully and fix things.” -Civic technologist, Bill Hunt
“Read your fear as excitement.” -Author and public speaking guru Scott Birkin [Said about public speaking, but applicable to many other, similar situations.]
Shop Talk
Reader Art Elliott shares this tip:
“My fav pencil is the tri-conderoga. It’s the best of both worlds. Three sided, so it doesn’t roll away, and thinner than a regular carpenters pencil, so you get sharper lines, but it’s also thicker than a regular pencil, so the lines are still nice and thick. My family got me a pack for Father’s Day and they’re my go-to in the garage.”
***
On the issue of CA glue curing accelerated by water or baking soda or baking soda and water, reader Josh Martin writes:
“Setting CA glue with water makes an inconsistent, often crumbly consistency to the set glue. Baking soda improves on this, but nothing works as well as accelerator (or just time).”
In reference to storing CA glue in the freezer, reader KX4WD enthuses:
“The money I could have saved on super glues over the years with this storage tip!”
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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.
Speech-to-Text by Borg is an automated transcription service with a generous free tier. You can upload MP3s up to 25MB (roughly 30 minutes of audio) and get fast, high-quality transcripts without paying a cent. They offer a paid tier at $0.06/hour for longer recordings. I use it for interviews, meeting notes, and voice memos. — MF
Compare yourself to others
Than Average is a small, “unscientific” investigation into how you compare yourself to others—for fun. Just answer the questions instinctively and see where you land in a room with 100 strangers. You can view all the questions and see how many people have answered them. I left my emotions and insecurities out of it, and found all the results interesting. — CD
Used stuff marketplace
Rather than trashing my old stuff, I like to find a new home for it, selling it or giving it away for free. The real action for used stuff has moved away from Craigslist to Facebook Marketplace. (The broadest reach is on eBay, but everything needs to be packaged for shipping.) Facebook Marketplace is the best for local and bulky things. It is a lot easier to use than Craigslist, and in my experience has 10 times the responses (for selling) or varieties (for buying). It is free to use. If you have patience you can find almost anything you want on Facebook Marketplace used, or get rid of almost anything you want with minimal hassle. — KK
Suction cup caddy
I needed a caddy for a newly tiled shower stall but was skeptical of suction-cup mounts, which in my experience always fail. The Hasko Shower Caddy changed my mind — it uses a knob-tightening mechanism that creates an incredibly strong hold on smooth tile. I installed it a month ago and it hasn't budged, even when loaded with heavy bottles and supplies. For rough surfaces, it includes adhesive mounting discs. — MF
Beginner’s Wood Whittling Kit
Through ACER, an online integration community I am part of, I occasionally host wood whittling sessions. I am not a detail-oriented person or particularly skilled with my hands, but I find it very soothing and meditative to shape and smooth out tree sticks, which I then glue crystals and feathers onto to create wands. My only tool is this beginner’s carving kit by BeaverCraft. I’ve used it for a year now, and the knives are still sharp and easy to hold. They’re helping to build my confidence to someday carve a figure. — CD
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