{"id":42053,"date":"2024-04-05T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=42053"},"modified":"2024-04-02T13:10:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T20:10:25","slug":"gars-tips-tools-issue-176","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/gars-tips-tools-issue-176\/","title":{"rendered":"Gar&#8217;s Tips &#038; Tools &#8211; Issue #176"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Gar\u2019s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales is published by Cool Tools Lab. To receive the newsletter a week early, sign up\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/garstips.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1><strong>Tips and Must-Haves for Small Shops<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_75226\"  width=\"480\" height=\"270\"  data-origwidth=\"480\" data-origheight=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6nN8sFOXGFM?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;modestbranding=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this \u201cAsk Adam\u201d video,&nbsp;<strong>Adam Savage<\/strong>&nbsp;gets asked what are the essential things to consider when setting up a small home workshop. He points out something that a lot of people likely overlook: the quality, design, and utility of your workbench(es). He says that you should have workbenches that you love being at. I have work surfaces I love and one I don\u2019t. I have two large&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biomorphdesk.com\/\">Biomorph<\/a>&nbsp;adjustable worktables in my upstairs office\/shop\/studio and a cheap Harbor Fright workbench in the garage shop. Love the former, hate working at the latter. One of these years, I\u2019ll upgrade my garage shop and I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll spend more time in there as a result. He also emphasizes lights. The more light, the better. I have frequently said the same here and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/K46jD4V\">recommended this system<\/a>&nbsp;which I have bought 3 sets of now. He also loves long power strips and recommends t<a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/ASr4FDI\">hese 12-outlet strips<\/a>. He points out something you may not have thought of. If you\u2019re a one-person shop, you don\u2019t have to worry too much about overloading a large power strip. You\u2019re not likely to be using more than one (or two) tools at a time. In answer to another question about rust, he recommends one of my fave shop products which I\u2019ve talked about in this newsletter many times:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/Rttabx8\">Evapo-Rust<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1><strong>Elevating Your Workshop Game<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_65201\"  width=\"480\" height=\"270\"  data-origwidth=\"480\" data-origheight=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xnf5q5fxDtQ?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;modestbranding=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This recommended shop tool would likely fit in my \u201chomely tools\u201d category, an indispensable, everyday tool that fades into the background of your work process: apple boxes.&nbsp;<strong>Wesley Treat<\/strong>&nbsp;shows you how to build simple, nesting apple boxes which he argues are the kind of tools you don\u2019t realize how bad you need them until you have them in the shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1><strong>Turning Dowels with a Hand Drill and Jig<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C3aKd1-rTRf\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C3aKd1-rTRf\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C3aKd1-rTRf\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Takurou Seino (@takuwoodcraft)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m not a woodworker. I see a lot of these easy dowel-turning jigs using a drill and a blade (here from a hand plane) and always wonder if they\u2019re practical. Or BS. This is one of the easiest and seemingly solid ones that I\u2019ve seen. What do my woodworking readers make of this? Here\u2019s another one&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Qw1DUNtQ4PA?feature=shared\">using a modified nut<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1><strong>Three Toolchangers to Watch<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C4tfBBfs6tP\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C4tfBBfs6tP\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C4tfBBfs6tP\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Caleb Kraft (@caleb_kraft)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Caleb Kraft<\/strong>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<em>Make:<\/em>&nbsp;has started posting short tips and recommendation videos on his&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C4tfBBfs6tP\">Instagram feed<\/a>. In this installment, he offers three DIY toolchanger projects for 3D printers that he thinks you should keep an eye on:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/zombiehedgehog_?lang=en\">@zombiehedgehog<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/tiBiHgYTNiU?si=5bJ0m86zUo7OdhlB\">Vinny5915<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ankurv2k8\">3DUnplugged<\/a>. I love efforts like this of people in the know in a given domain telling the rest of us what to pay attention to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1><strong>Steven Roberts\u2019 \u201cThe Digitizing Report\u201d<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc63af354-fb77-43a6-a1e7-c0b1493898ec_1456x1206.webp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc63af354-fb77-43a6-a1e7-c0b1493898ec_1456x1206.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"473\" height=\"391\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It is impossible to overstate what an influence&nbsp;<strong>Steven Roberts<\/strong>, aka the High-Tech Nomad, has been on my life as a maker. He was a maker OG who landed on my radar in the mid-80s with his absurdly ahead-of-its-time Winnebiko project, and then the even more amazing BEHEMOTH in the early 90s (see above). I covered these ingenious technomadic projects for&nbsp;<em>Wired<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>Mondo 2000<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>The Futuris<\/em>t,&nbsp;<em>bOING bOING<\/em>, and&nbsp;<em>Make<\/em>:, subscribed to Steve\u2019s newsletters, and we eventually became friends. We remain so to this day. Steve is one of the most talented and inspiring independent engineers and technical thinkers I\u2019ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. As an engineer with the soul of a poet, he\u2019s the embodiment of his own well-known quote, \u201cArt without engineering is dreaming. Engineering without art is calculating.\u201d So, I was thrilled to hear from Steve that he\u2019s launched a new newsletter,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/microship.substack.com\/\">The Digitizing Report<\/a>. Steve\u2019s latest tech obsession (and business) is digital archiving. He has a huge 48-foot mobile lab that he\u2019s outfitted with a \u201ctoolset for recovering analog treasures.\u201d The newsletter covers his media digitizing efforts with the level of useful detail that Steve is known for. Lots of great how-to info here \u201cwhether someone is running a business or just wants to put Dad\u2019s musty VHS tapes onto a thumb drive for the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1><strong>Buying Longer Than You Need<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac0b1c3d-63bb-49de-9170-d172f22a572b_1198x676.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac0b1c3d-63bb-49de-9170-d172f22a572b_1198x676.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"496\" height=\"279\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not following&nbsp;<strong>Kevin Kelly<\/strong>\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kevin2kelly\/\">Instagram feed<\/a>&nbsp;or purchased his book,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/1W2w7nG\">Excellent Advice for Living<\/a>, here\u2019s another useful, aphoristic reminder. In addition to such life advice, he\u2019s also started a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/1dtRYW9\">Pattern Language<\/a>-like series of \u201cLOOK Design Tips.&#8221; Here are a few:<br><br><strong>LOOK Design Tip 51<\/strong>: Arrange a patchwork of uneven parts into a unbroken whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd9e9edf-1701-44ea-8670-37fce1195588_1254x1746.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd9e9edf-1701-44ea-8670-37fce1195588_1254x1746.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"443\" height=\"616\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LOOK Design Tip 52:<\/strong>&nbsp;Take a conventional simple form and make it very ornate<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9398f19a-c552-4bc2-bb13-bc0c1281c2c0_1706x1284.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9398f19a-c552-4bc2-bb13-bc0c1281c2c0_1706x1284.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"410\" height=\"308\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1><strong>Shop Talk<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Readers offer their feedback, tips, tales, and tool recommendations.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>In response to my \u201cDon\u2019t Buy This!\u201d entry in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/garstipsandtools.com\/p\/gars-tips-and-tools-issue-175\">the last newsletter<\/a>,&nbsp;<strong>Lawrence Kampf<\/strong>&nbsp;wrote:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>The Ikea MOPPE chests do fine if you give the drawers a sanding on the edges. It doesn\u2019t fix the weird shape of them that I find too deep for their width, but it easily fixes the binding.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Any ideas where to find shallow draw units for storing punches, small chisels, etc? The closest I\u2019ve found so far is oil pastel storage units from art stores.&nbsp;<\/p><p>\u2018Luck and thanks for the tips!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I knew about sanding (and soaping\/waxing the bottom edges, as other readers suggested), but have just been too lazy to try these. I have now tried both. The sanding really does help the drawers slide. The soaping wasn\u2019t as successful for me. I would definitely recommend sanding the bottom edges smooth if you buy these chests.<br><br>In answer to Lawrence\u2019s question about shallow drawer units: Have you seen\/tried the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/qeQmYA\">DeWalt TSTAK IV<\/a>&nbsp;stackable drawer units? They might meet your needs:<br><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2be33d0a-f020-4b81-89ff-ff14251a7a6c_1499x988.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2be33d0a-f020-4b81-89ff-ff14251a7a6c_1499x988.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"445\" height=\"293\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em><br>A number of readers were alarmed by the safety implications of recommending angle grinder tool hacks. This response from&nbsp;<strong>yrtagentman<\/strong>&nbsp;speaks for others:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Angle grinder &#8220;hacks&#8221; look useful but are very dangerous. Angle grinders spin at about 10,000 rpm so things &#8211; like flying parts or work pieces &#8211; can go bad very fast.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Yes. In all posts in this newsletter, in YouTube videos, and the like, you should always make sure that you know the tool, what the tool can do, how the tool wants to hurt you, and safe and secure shop practices. Anything that spins at 5-10,000 RPMs is dangerous. Your safety and the safety of those around you should always be the top priority when using tools, especially aggressive ones like angle grinders. The appeal of &#8220;hacks&#8221; can sometimes overshadow the inherent risks involved, leading to complacency about safety. It&#8217;s critical to remember that even experienced pros take rigorous precautions when using such tools.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Weekly-ish access to tools, techniques, and shop tales from the worlds of DIY<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13684,"featured_media":0,"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\/42053"}],"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=42053"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42053\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42062,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42053\/revisions\/42062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}