{"id":38051,"date":"2021-03-18T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T16:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=38051"},"modified":"2021-03-16T10:15:05","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T17:15:05","slug":"more-on-1-2-3-blocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/more-on-1-2-3-blocks\/","title":{"rendered":"More on 1-2-3 Blocks"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the next reader-contributed content, I want to talk to you all about DIY storage tech \u2013 storage systems made from milk jug bins, detergent boxes, jelly jar racks, etc. Anything either made from recycled materials or designed and built by YOU.\u00a0Please share with the class<\/a>.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Not maker tips-related, but I wrote a piece for the productivity and self-help site,\u00a0Better Humans<\/em>, about living with chronic pain. I thought I might as well\u00a0share with my readers<\/a>\u00a0here.<\/p>\n

More on 1-2-3 Blocks<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The

The Swiss cheese of shop tools.<\/p><\/div>\n

Anyone who reads this newsletter knows that I have a bit of a thang for 1-2-3 blocks. These precision-milled hardened steel blocks are precisely 1″ x 2″ x 3″ and weigh exactly a pound. They were created for machinist-use, but have now been widely adopted across many maker disciplines. You can use them as shop weights, for quick measuring and aligning, to hold parts in place for gluing, and a thousand other uses. In this\u00a0Stumpy Nubs video<\/a>, James shows some of the things he uses them for around the woodshop and he clears up a few misconceptions about 1-2-3s. He shows both the\u00a0hole<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0solid types<\/a>\u00a0of blocks and how you can use them in combination with\u00a0brass set-up gauges<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Backpack Theft Deterence Using Diamond Knots<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Hassle-based

Hassle-based theft deterence.<\/p><\/div>\n

This nifty knot \u201clock\u201d<\/a>\u00a0using diamond knots in\u00a0paracord<\/a>\u00a0won\u2019t prevent a determined thief from getting into your backpack, but it offers just enough annoyance in figuring it out and opening it, that it will deter the quick pick-pocket from boosting your stash. And, it looks cool!<\/p>\n

Testing Torx Bits<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A

A little bit wobble is a good thing.<\/p><\/div>\n

Todd at\u00a0Project Farm<\/em>\u00a0strikes again<\/a>\u00a0with a series of tests to gauge the efficiency, hardness, and wear on 12 different brands of Torx (star) bits. In the end, pound for pound, he concludes that the\u00a0DeWalt bits<\/a>\u00a0offered a really well-made and easy to drive bit at a reasonable price (.40 each). Also, the\u00a0Makita bits (.67 each)<\/a>\u00a0fared well in the testing.<\/p>\n

TOYS!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"It's

It’s two, two, two tools in one!<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u2019ve never used these\u00a0lineman\u2019s pliers<\/a>, but recently, I\u2019ve seen several makers raving about them on social media, so I thought I\u2019d share. They combine a pair of lineman\u2019s pliers with a set of wire strippers. If any of my readers have experience with these, I\u2019d\u00a0love to hear<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Life Hacks: What Has It Got In Its Pocketses?<\/strong>
\nI suck at organization. And even organized thinking. So, like a lot of people, I don\u2019t think about what I stuff into my pockets and where. I usually carry a wallet, phone, pen, pocket notebook, gum, and a handkerchief. But until recently, I paid no mind to what went where. It all just got stuffed into whatever pockets were available. Same with\u00a0my sling bag<\/a>. But, I finally decided after x-number of years down here on the Big Blue Marble (never you mind the number), I should start thinking through the organization of my EDC (everyday carry). With a little bit of forethought and discipline, it makes a big difference. Do you know where the contents of your pocket, purse, or backpack are?<\/p>\n

Using Aluminum Foil as Faux Chrome on Models<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Sometimes,

Sometimes, cheap is best.<\/p><\/div>\n

Most scale modelers and game crafters, when adding chrome accents to their models, use special products like\u00a0Bare Metal Foil<\/a>. This stuff is ridiculously expensive ($14 for a single 6\u2033 x 12\u2033 sheet!). In\u00a0this video<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Custom Scale Models<\/em>, Brandon shows how you can get the same, some argue even better, results using the\u00a0cheapest aluminum foil<\/a>\u00a0you can find and some white glue. You can get super thin (which is good) rolls of at the dollar store.<\/p>\n

Shop Tales: I Told Them So!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"See,

See, it pays to keep EVERYTHING.<\/p><\/div>\n

Reader\u00a0<\/em>Gary A<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0wrote in with this story. I am always all-ears with stories that validate my hoarding instincts:<\/em><\/p>\n

Finally, after years of \u201cWhy are you saving that \u2026?,\u201d I\u2019ve been vindicated! My father always put leftover screws, parts, and other components aside because he \u201cmight need them some day.\u201d I\u2019ve always done the same. Well, some day finally came and neither my wife nor kids have apologized yet for 50 years of chastisement!<\/p>\n

The post at the top of the above image was a \u201crivet\u201d type (aluminum) fastener which failed. Before I headed off to the hardware store, I pulled out my \u201cI might need that one day\u201d stash and couldn\u2019t have been more correct. I had saved several bolts from a canopy tent that had been destroyed in the wind. The bolts were the perfect size and length to make the repair! See, I told them so!<\/p>\n

Maker’s Muse<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A

A resident of Hamnavoe, Shetland, Anne Eunson, knitted herself a fence using twine (the same kind used in fishing nets)<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gareth’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales – Issue #83<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13684,"featured_media":38052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2371],"tags":[2372],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38051"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13684"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38051"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38059,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38051\/revisions\/38059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}