{"id":42237,"date":"2024-05-29T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=42237"},"modified":"2024-05-28T13:40:32","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T20:40:32","slug":"gars-tips-tools-issue-178","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/gars-tips-tools-issue-178\/","title":{"rendered":"Gar’s Tips & Tools – Issue #178"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gar\u2019s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales is published by Cool Tools Lab. To receive the newsletter a week early, sign up\u00a0here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now Offering Paid Subscriptions<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m now offering paid subscriptions<\/a> to Gar\u2019s Tips & Tools<\/em>. It\u2019s $8\/month or $80\/year. So, what do you get for your paid subscription? Same great tips, only carefully and lovingly candy-coated with my most sincere thanks for your generous support. Subscriptions will help keep this labor of love going. Of all the writing and DIY endeavors in my life, I\u2019ve gotten the most positive support for this newsletter. People seem to really enjoy and derive real value from it. So, I figured some of those subscribers might be willing to chip in a few bones a month to help keep the shop lights on. If that\u2019s you, a million thanks! Periodically, I\u2019ll also choose a paid subscriber and send them a little something special in the mail as a token of my appreciation. I also have switched on a \u201cHero of the Realm\u201d patron level. If you support me at this level, I will be truly humbled. All Heroes of the Realm will be sent a fun package of surprise goodies.

Thanks in advance to all paid subscribers. You are the wind beneath my Carhartts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design and Engineering as a Superpower<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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In my youth, for around 15 years, I was an offset printer (part of that time) and a graphic designer (all of that time). Beyond a high school vocational class, some night classes, and weekend workshops, I was self-taught. In addition, all of my life, from my teen years to the present, I\u2019ve been a maker of some sort. And, my day job has always involved writing about DIY\/making, engineering, science, and technology. I know a lot of technologies and techniques that I have never actually engaged in. For instance, I know a surprising amount about machining and welding, but I\u2019ve done little of the former, none of the latter.

I share all this not to recite my resume, but to highlight a unique kind of insight gained from those many years of engaging with the designed and built world. Like many of you, I\u2019m sure, this life-long journey has endowed me with a something of a superpower. When I look at any designed, mechanical, or constructed object, I can usually understand something of the design process, the mechanisms, and the engineering principles\u2014the physical science\u2014behind it. This ability isn’t just a useful skill; it’s a different and powerful way of seeing and interacting with the world. And along with it comes a deep satisfaction in understanding at least the basics of how physical systems work. I\u2019d love to hear <\/a>how your superpower has served you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using Refillable Propane Bottles<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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