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Pry Bar Tips and Tricks
Image from Family Handyman
Through an article in Family Handyman on pry bar tricks, I learned of something called an inflatable pry bar. Maybe this is a tool common to others, but I’d never heard of it, and now I think I need one in my life.
Beginner’s Tips for Using an Oscillating Multi-Tool
I recently broke down and bought my first oscillating multi-tool. If you’re also new to this strange-looking type of tool, here are 20 basic tips for getting more out of it. I especially agree with the tip about buying cheap accessories first, finding out which ones you use most often, and then investing in better quality versions. That’s what I did. Here’s a follow-up video on sharpening multi-tool blades. And the Project Farm video he refers to on the best multi-tool blades (TL;DR: Get the EZARC blades, $7.60 each in pack of 3).
Great Collection of Sewing Tips
I am working on a special project that has me going through the archives of Makezine.com. In doing so, I’m unearthing some gems, like all of the sewing tips that were posted over the years by Haley Pierson-Cox and others. Sewing is one of those foundational DIY skills that everyone should at least know the basics of (both hand and machine sewing).
Using a Hobby Polishing/Sanding Tool to Smooth 3D Prints
I have long been a huge fan of the Mr. Hobby Polisher Pro sanding tool. This is a simple (and a bit overpriced) battery-operated disc polisher/sander sold to the hobby market for sanding off sprue material and finishing models. It’s basically an electric toothbrush with a sanding disc head. The Polisher Pro comes with 3 sheets of sanding pads in 600, 800, and 1000-grit. There are 45 pads in all. I’ve had my tool for several years now, use it often in game modeling, and still have plenty of pads left. There are also replacement sanding pads available on Amazon (and there are pads available in other grits). This video introduces a use I hadn’t thought of: sanding layer lines and joins in resin and FDM 3D prints. The video doesn’t have a lot of content beyond that basic idea, but I was happy to discover another use for a tool I already own. I know many will say: Just use a Dremel tool! You can if you have a mini Dremel, but for modeling, this tool is better sized and not as aggressive as a Dremel. And, don’t be like the guy in the video. Always wear a mask when sanding resin and plastic.
The Creative Process in a Nutshell
1. This is awesome 2. This is tricky 3. This is shit 4. I am shit 5. This might be OK 6. This is awesome
This was posted on film/theater director Marcus Romer’sTwitter feed. This is a riff (to put it kindly) of an original list by Kazu Kibuishi. I like the above saltier expression of the idea, but your mileage may vary.
TOYS! Carhartt Work Shirts
For years, I’ve seen other people wearing Carhartt work shirts and for some reason never thought of buying one myself. I recently bought two, one in charcoal and one in denim blue. Man, do I like these shirts! Super well-made, comfortable, nice fabric, rugged, and good looking. And I love the pencil/pen slit in the right pocket. I think these shirt will be my go-to garment forever more. Carhartt work shirts are also available in women’s sizes.
Shop Talk
I got the following message from reader John Baglio. I don’t recall such a playlist crossing my transom, but it sounds great. If this rings anyone else’s bells, please message me.
“I was just thinking back over some of the better engineering videos I’ve seen in the past, and I was thinking of a playlist that I thought I saw in one of your newsletters. It was done by an engineer who I think was either Russian or Israeli and it was a whole series of pieces of wisdom for people fabricating parts. One of the things that I remember him saying was design captive hardware whenever possible. I was wondering if you might remember what that playlist was. If so, is there a way you could either send it to me or posted in one of your upcoming newsletters? I remember it being chock-full of amazing advice for fabricating parts.”
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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.
Want to know what it’s like to drive around a foreign city, listening to a local radio station? You can do it from home by visiting DriveAndListen.app, which uses dashcam footage. The tunes really transported me to the scene in Delhi and Izmir and when I pulled up Havana, I was riding in a vintage car. If you don’t like the station you can change it, just like in a real car.
Countries the Expat Execs Rank Highest
I hesitated to highlight this Internations Expat Quality of Life Survey since that site mostly appeals to relocated corporate executives living in walled-off enclaves. Turns out it’s full of interesting and detailed insights though. Panama was the big winner, moving from 16 to 3, joining always-highly-rated Spain and much richer countries like Luxembourg and Austria. Czechia and China moved into the top 10 and I’m assuming someone will replace #2 Dubai in the next one. But the Philippines got trashed despite the sea and sunshine (#45 of 46) and wow does the survey kill that “America is the greatest” boast since the country ranks #43. “The USA ranks dead last when it comes to Healthcare and receives disappointing results in the Safety & Security Subcategory (43rd).”
Online Security Issues at American Airlines
If you have an AAdvantage account with American Airlines, you should probably change your password. As in today. The company is being quiet about how much data was compromised in several hacker-claimed cyberattacks in the past year, one of them in April. Based on my wife’s frustrating experience though, it was a lot. The company locked her out of her account a month ago, saying it was compromised, and she still doesn’t have access. After a month of hold times, six sessions of being passed around between agents, and unkept promises about a fix, they’re now apologizing that “The fraud department is completely overwhelmed right now.”
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.
Image from Family Handyman
