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KnurledNut

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
8,147
Location
n/a
Menards soldering haul

The snow plow wiring on my JD Gator was installed by Ray Charles using his toes. It’s a hot mess.

They actually bent a spade connector over a male bullet connector and wrapped the mess in electrical tape.

One by one I am soldering the connections.

Never soldered before but the first one came out okay.

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That's a piggyback spade connector. Not the intended use. But as long as it was crimped tight around that bullet, that's not a bad hack. :lol:
 
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Squankum

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
7,719
Location
Southeast
When I fought fire for the USFS many years ago, we did wear our Hard Boiled hard-hats backwards to keep hot embers from going down the back of our necks. This drove some of the AR firebosses (generally, retired sergeants) over the edge. You learned to turn your cap around before returning to fire camp.

Hmm.... that's a tough call. I always come down on the side of utility. When I was a boy, my father tried to teach me The Proper Way to wear a black watch cap. Not over the ears! I was cold, we had real winter. I considered this to be stupid. I pulled the hat down and covered my ears, so that they could be warm.

I learned a few years ago that the Russian ushanka hat (what we now call "mad bomber" hat), which is about the best winter hat there is, the kind with the big ear flaps that can tie together under your jaw? They're great but if you're a man in Russia you can't bring the flaps down or you're a sissy.

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Car hobby

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2012
Messages
75
Location
DFW,Texas
I mostly use this kind of wrench because I have large sets of similar to these...


If I only need a slap set I grab the v series... But my protos are reversible.
I really like my Craftsman V Series. I have both the SAE and Metric sets. I filled in the gaps with a Towallmark set that guys from GJ recommended. The only other ones that I have are the laminated type from the 1960s.
 

Beerhippie

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2023
Messages
9,811
Location
Far NE Oregon
Hmm.... that's a tough call. I always come down on the side of utility. When I was a boy, my father tried to teach me The Proper Way to wear a black watch cap. Not over the ears! I was cold, we had real winter. I considered this to be stupid. I pulled the hat down and covered my ears, so that they could be warm.

I learned a few years ago that the Russian ushanka hat (what we now call "mad bomber" hat), which is about the best winter hat there is, the kind with the big ear flaps that can tie together under your jaw? They're great but if you're a man in Russia you can't bring the flaps down or you're a sissy.

1765139178512.png
Wodka warm Russian man.
 

cody1325

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2024
Messages
1,094
Location
Southwest Virginia
Went to Walmart to buy sandpaper for cleaning up some 3D prints, and came out with more than just that.

Would you believe Lowe's had absolutely zero decent-sized packs of sandpaper in stock?!! I tried the cheap stuff from Dollar Tree, and that stuff was garbage. The grit would just fall off. It got into the tensioner of my Adventurer 5M (which is getting fixed) when I put it back on, and it somehow knocked the heat-insert nut that held it onto the Z-axis pulley loose.

Bought both the Gator brand palm sanding blocks they had.

These are made from foam, which means they handle curves and weird shapes well.

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Hyper Tough 4V Rotary Tool.

The 12V that worked with the system I have was $40, and kinda heavy. This one was $18.

Been wanting a cordless rotary tool for years--I've had the same corded Dremel since middle school...

This one, like the 4V screwdriver which I also have is rather weak--great for small, hobby jobs where you don't want too much torque or RPM. It's got 5 speeds, and USB-C charging.

This one was bought mostly to cut away and sand thicker supports from 3D prints, as well as occasionally see use as an engraver and light-duty sander. Decent amount of accessories as well.

Note; I accidentally left the collet wrench upstairs.

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Hyper Tough 12V "3-in-1 Drill".

Didn't need a regular 12V drill from the brand, as I have a nice Bosch I got on clearance at Tractor Supply. But, I wanted A: a decent bit driver (not impact) and something that could both put screws in and drill at weird angles. This handles it well, at $40 compared to the Milwaukee installation driver.

Also, virtually all my 12V stuff is Hyper Tough, so I have a stack of batteries and the fast charger. In fact, the battery in it is one of my regular ones.

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Ozark Trail Glacier. I've been carrying a bit driver and pliers, as opposed to the multitool I normally carry. Used my knife and forgot to put it back in my pocket this morning.

Most of my knives are a lot higher end, but I've really came to like the cheaper of Walmart's two Benchmade Bugout clones. The orange one has awful fit and finish, terrible feeling handles, and improperly heat treated "D2" steel. Meanwhile, the cheaper one (which has unknown steel) has great feeling handles, smooth action, and is a little lighter due to partial liners like the Benchmade.



I have the white one and several spares (bought last year as "emergency" Christmas gifts for people that don't visit often and drop-in unexpectedly); but liked the new grayish green (true "Olive Drab" if I'm not mistaken) one in the Christmas knife assortment MUCH better.

In addition, it was inexplicably cheaper than the white version (which was slightly upgraded and added to the regular Walmart knife lineup). It's only $7 compared to the $8 white one.

With this model (plus the white one), they've added threads for left-hand carry (which I will swap) and a better clip.

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neophyte

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 23, 2012
Messages
9,679
Location
Pennsylvannia
My dad was a very gentle soul. But when he would see someone with their baseball hat backwards he would get irritated and say he would like to smack it off their head.😆
Now that I’m older when I see someone with the cap backwards they always look like loudmouth broski attention seekers so I just ignore them. HOWEVER, if I see someone with a cap askew, either rotated left or right or tilted, it hits my OCD and sends me into a murderous rage. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!
Don’t welders routinely wear caps backwards?
 

YesIHaveAHammer

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 1, 2025
Messages
842
Timco Fixings Gauge and Ruler 300mm
Chucked this in with an order for fasteners. It's come in handy while organising things. However it has an unforgivable flaw of zero not being at the left edge like on every other steel ruler I've ever used. The illustration of how to measure different screw types could have been done differently to avoid this. It was just to keep in the fasteners cabinet anyway. But still, I might cut it down or at least paint the edge in a bright colour.

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Steel_Rain

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 23, 2024
Messages
1,367
Wurth Zerba Screwdriver Set:

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Milwaukee 48-22-9044:

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Wurth mini-1/4" drive kit:

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Koken RS4450M/10, RS3450M/11 and RS2450MS/11:

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Knipex TwinGrip Set:

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Gearwrench GW72MLCBMTS (Crazy deal @ Tractor supply):

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Gearwrench GWCBMTS54P (another crazy deal at Tractor Supply):

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Klein Tools KNECT-M 39pc set:

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mikegt4

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 12, 2005
Messages
3,271
Location
sw ohio
I have been thinking of acquiring a low profile jack so that I can lift my vehicles without having to first drive them up on a 2x6 to get enough ground clearance to get my trusty 30 year old Sears (China) 1-1/2T jack under any lift point. Also wanted something that would reach far under the car so I wouldn't be hitting the front bumper cover with every stroke of a handle. I just couldn't bring myself to buy a HF low profile jack, I wanted something to last a long time without leaking. I have been looking at an AC Hydraulics low profile jack for a couple of years, expensive but built like a tank. Few places sold them but not many actually had them in stock, most just have them drop shipped which may take months. Summit had them at the lower end of the price range and I saved the $130 shipping charges (the beast has a 100# shipping weight) by picking it up at their main store. The guy at their pickup counter offered to load it for me, a 200+lb,6'+, 25 year old struggled to get it up into the car's trunk so I figured that being 75 years old I would have a hard time getting it back out but I didn't. Apparently gravity worked in my favor.
 

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Jarhead0408

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
5,738
Location
Who knows?
I have been thinking of acquiring a low profile jack so that I can lift my vehicles without having to first drive them up on a 2x6 to get enough ground clearance to get my trusty 30 year old Sears (China) 1-1/2T jack under any lift point. Also wanted something that would reach far under the car so I wouldn't be hitting the front bumper cover with every stroke of a handle. I just couldn't bring myself to buy a HF low profile jack, I wanted something to last a long time without leaking. I have been looking at an AC Hydraulics low profile jack for a couple of years, expensive but built like a tank. Few places sold them but not many actually had them in stock, most just have them drop shipped which may take months. Summit had them at the lower end of the price range and I saved the $130 shipping charges (the beast has a 100# shipping weight) by picking it up at their main store. The guy at their pickup counter offered to load it for me, a 200+lb,6'+, 25 year old struggled to get it up into the car's trunk so I figured that being 75 years old I would have a hard time getting it back out but I didn't. Apparently gravity worked in my favor.
There's one of these available locally to me. I don't need it at the moment, but it is tempting...
 
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Squankum

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
7,719
Location
Southeast
However it has an unforgivable flaw of zero not being at the left edge like on every other steel ruler I've ever used.

I believe the theory is that the end of the rule can wear over time. I learned this as a "tip for precise measuring" in Popular Science as a yute. Maybe applies more to wooden rulers. The tip was to measure from the mark for 1", and then do the math. (Remembering to do something and math in my head, not my favorite things, but even I can swing "minus 1.")

This does, however, violate the principle of "don't run off and do things your way if it's just going to cause confusion for the customers."
 

Squankum

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
7,719
Location
Southeast
I have been thinking of acquiring a low profile jack so that I can lift my vehicles without having to first drive them up on a 2x6 to get enough ground clearance to get my trusty 30 year old Sears (China) 1-1/2T jack under any lift point. Also wanted something that would reach far under the car so I wouldn't be hitting the front bumper cover with every stroke of a handle. I just couldn't bring myself to buy a HF low profile jack, I wanted something to last a long time without leaking. I have been looking at an AC Hydraulics low profile jack for a couple of years, expensive but built like a tank. Few places sold them but not many actually had them in stock, most just have them drop shipped which may take months. Summit had them at the lower end of the price range and I saved the $130 shipping charges (the beast has a 100# shipping weight) by picking it up at their main store. The guy at their pickup counter offered to load it for me, a 200+lb,6'+, 25 year old struggled to get it up into the car's trunk so I figured that being 75 years old I would have a hard time getting it back out but I didn't. Apparently gravity worked in my favor.

And made in Denmark!


They make... bigger ones.

 

bugnut

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Jul 14, 2012
Messages
3,910
Location
Central Ohio
Had to make a quick trip to Ace for a set of Craftsman Torx bits as the existing were not large enough. A quick $60 for the best of made in taiwan. When I mentioned the trip to the bursar, she thought I already had every tool available. Little does she know!
 

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SouthernIllinois

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2024
Messages
1,678
Had to make a quick trip to Ace for a set of Craftsman Torx bits as the existing were not large enough. A quick $60 for the best of made in taiwan. When I mentioned the trip to the bursar, she thought I already had every tool available. Little does she know!
I got frustrated the other day needing a Torx I didn't have.

In a temper tantrum I decided to remedy that situation.

1/4 (long and short) and 3/8 drive Tekton Torx socket sets, Pittsburg impact Torx sockets and I warrantied some of my worn, small Snap-On Torx bits.

Plus a Quinn Master Bit set

Screenshot 2025-12-08 at 7.25.26 AM.png
 
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66HertzClone

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
4,040
Location
Long Valley, NJ
Timco Fixings Gauge and Ruler 300mm
Chucked this in with an order for fasteners. It's come in handy while organising things. However it has an unforgivable flaw of zero not being at the left edge like on every other steel ruler I've ever used. The illustration of how to measure different screw types could have been done differently to avoid this. It was just to keep in the fasteners cabinet anyway. But still, I might cut it down or at least paint the edge in a bright colour.

1 - Copy.jpg


1765149397980.png
However it has an unforgivable flaw of zero not being at the left edge like on every other steel ruler I've ever used.

That drives me crazy, I have several scales that are like that and I have been tempted to trim the extra bit off using my bench grinder.
 

Skyman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2021
Messages
1,171
Location
Central Maryland
This does, however, violate the principle of "don't run off and do things your way if it's just going to cause confusion for the customers."

Right. But, I tend to think of it more in these terms:

This does, however, violate the principle of "don't run off and do things your way if it's just going to cause confusion for royally piss off the customers."
 

mikegt4

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 12, 2005
Messages
3,271
Location
sw ohio
My dad was fond of saying ‘I guess that hat didn’t come with instructions’ when he’d see someone wearing one backwards. Always in jest …
My grandson would always wear his backwards, I'd kid him by saying that I could never figure out if he was coming or going. As a young boy his father would buzz his hair off several times during the summer resulting in a white head and a dark tanned body. I would call him "gearshift head" referencing a white Hurst shifter ball. He didn't like that either.
 

lund

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2019
Messages
788
Location
Michigan
Hmm.... that's a tough call. I always come down on the side of utility. When I was a boy, my father tried to teach me The Proper Way to wear a black watch cap. Not over the ears! I was cold, we had real winter. I considered this to be stupid. I pulled the hat down and covered my ears, so that they could be warm.

I learned a few years ago that the Russian ushanka hat (what we now call "mad bomber" hat), which is about the best winter hat there is, the kind with the big ear flaps that can tie together under your jaw? They're great but if you're a man in Russia you can't bring the flaps down or you're a sissy.
This surprises me unless something was lost in translation. I speak some Russian and worked there before (including the winter) and generally speaking, it seems Russians are more phobic on cold exposure -- particularly on the head. In fact, they look at pics on American midwesterners in T-shifts and even shirtless out in the cold and regard it as a sign of insanity like the people are going to die for sure. There is a reason for all of this though since the Russians have serious winter cold in many regions where our arctic cold snaps are pretty much normal winter days. I used to get lectured for going out without sufficient coat + hat + gloves in minus 25 ish C => -13 F. I saw no shortage of ear flaps down. But for sure, Russian guys do tend to like to act macho outside of being adverse to cold exposure! Insults can be frequent and very unenlightened by sensitive western standards.
 
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Beerhippie

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2023
Messages
9,811
Location
Far NE Oregon
This surprises me unless something was lost in translation. I speak some Russian and worked there before (including the winter) and generally speaking, it seems Russians are more phobic on cold exposure -- particularly on the head. In fact, they look at pics on American midwesterners in T-shifts and even shirtless out in the cold and regard it as a sign of insanity like the people are going to die for sure. There is a reason for all of this though since the Russians have serious winter cold in many regions where our arctic cold snaps are pretty much normal winter days. I used to get lectured for going out without sufficient coat + hat + gloves in minus 25 ish C => -13 F. I saw no shortage of ear flaps down and Russian guys do tend to like to act macho outside of cold exposure.
Oh, what? You think your first-hand experience trumps someone else's learnin'?
 

Beerhippie

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2023
Messages
9,811
Location
Far NE Oregon
No slight intended. It just struck me as funny when immersed in Russian culture in the late 90s to early 2000s (with scientists though) how cold adverse the group was relative to our "crazy" mid upper westerners!!

It is really sad what has happened in Russia with 25+ years of propaganda building on the mess communism left. The scientist group I was around was mostly not so bad though also not fully immune. However, convos with more ordinary folks (to the extent I could communicate well enough with my not so strong Russian) were sobering on the impact of propaganda. I used to think we were way better here in the USA, but I have to say I am less sure in recent times with how things are evolving with all the them vs us on both sides and cooked up tribal-like narratives.

I do not think I can go back to Russia. I would likely be arrested for a loooong stay before I would get out of the airport :( I cannot understand why some American's are putting Putin on a pedestal. But the problems run much deeper than Putin. Cold aversion is just a minor footnote.
That was meant to be sarcastic.
 
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