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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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.
Van Neistat goes over 10 of his no-nos in the shop, including: No bare feet!, avoiding trip wires (poorly organized/placed power cables), no fixing cheap garbage (reserve time, tools, and attention for meaningful, well-made stuff), don’t Rob Peter to pay Paul (no taking a tool from one toolbox, e.g. the car box, for work in another location — get duplicate tools), never use the last of anything (reorder before you’re out), and many other wise, well-earned nuggets of wisdom. Here’s one that was new to me: No using a straight edge to guide a razor knife (when making straight cuts, guiding with a straight edge tends to cause slips. It’s better to freehand along a drawn line for safer, straighter results). I need to try this and see how well it works.
8 Non-Hobby Hobby Supplies and Materials
https://youtu.be/3sbmuc5hK3Y
In this episode of Black Magic Craft, game-crafter JeremyPillipow runs down eight of his most trusted unconventional hobby supplies. He lists old faithfuls like baking soda and super glue and coffee stirring sticks (for making wooden flooring, fencing, etc.), but also covers a few more obscure items, like inkjet printers (for printing out pictures of flooring, DIY decals and miniature poster, even full terrain pieces — printed on sticker paper and adhered to foam core). And, anyone who’s watched Jeremy’s channel knows that he’s fast n’ loose with the latex caulk (for sculpting, ground effects, and other terrain-making applications).
Unconventional Creativity Tips
https://youtu.be/_l-d-eFF3nQ
In this idea-packed video, “artistic woodworker” Dave Picciuto, challenges conventional creative advice by presenting 10 (actually 20) unconventional design “hacks” aimed at unlocking your creativity. From working under absurd constraints and sketching badly (on purpose) to seeking inspiration in flea markets and other unconventional places (instead of Pinterest), Dave emphasizes that creativity is a muscle that you can develop through consistent, intentional practice. With additional advice on remixing past failures and giving yourself nonsense rules to constrain your designs, there are a lot of good (and uncommon) ideas here for makers eager to break through creative blocks.
I especially endorse his daily sketching advice and giving yourself permission to draw badly. We tend to do things like write or draw as if someone is standing over our shoulder, judging our work. But if you’re drawing (or writing) for yourself, ditch the invisible judge. Draw for yourself, to express ideas, not to enter an art or drafting contest. Working those muscles for expressing yourself is a true superpower that only takes one thing: Time. Might I recommend the Maker’s Notebook as a place to record your DIY ideas. This was a project I spearheaded when I was at Make:. Dave also offers a free poster and PDF reiterating the 10 main points in the video.
Dollar as a Ruler
I found this image while cleaning up my office recently. I think it’s from Family Handyman. It shows how you can use points on a dollar to measure 2”, 2-1/2”, 3”, and 6”. Handy in a pinch. I’ve written before about knowing the measurements of your hand (width, length of fingers, between joints) and eyeballing teaspoon, tablespoon, and cup measures in the palm of your hand. Now you can add the measures of George to your impromptu ruling.
Fire Blankets
Luckily, so far in my time down here on the Big Blue Marble, I’ve never had to use a fire extinguisher. But I’ve always known how and always had a number of them around my workshop and kitchen. That said, I’ve also never gotten one serviced and have always wondered, in a real fire situation, if that dusty extinguisher on the wall or under the sink would actually function properly. Several years ago, I added fire blankets to my fire suppression tech and I feel way more confident in them. Of course, they have limitations over an extinguisher: You have to get up close and personal with the flames, the fire needs to be small, and you can’t suppress fire in an area that you can’t reach with the blanket. So, while you’re stuck with needing both, I feel more secure knowing there are blankets at the ready in the kitchen, garage, and my wife’s art studio.
Shop Talk
Readers offer their feedback, tips, tales, and tool recommendations.
The Slice cutters are great. I have two of them. But not the ones mentioned.
I like their manual mini cutter. It also has a magnet. Ours sits on the fridge where it’s easy to grab to open a package from the grocery store or Amazon.
And, as mentioned, they’re great for cutting open that thick plastic clamshell packaging. It's a lot safer than a pair of scissors. You aren't going to cut the produce inside. You just run the blade along the fold, and bend it open.
This one sits on the garage fridge handle. It is shaped like a hook so you can hang it, which makes it very convenient. This one is perfect for breaking down boxes and packaging to put into the recycling bin. We’ve had ours for years. They have never gone dull. Never rust. Never had an issue. Can't recommend them enough.
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