Recent content by cdods

I looked around for a decent Fluke alternative for automotive / small engine work a while back and settled on this one. Tossing it out as I haven't seen it mentioned. https://www.amazon.ca/PDI-DM-930-Handheld-Automotive-Multimeter/dp/B00X3GDQRC?tag=atomicindus04-20 I'm completely happy with...

On my grinders, even if I flip the nut, the real thin disks won't tighten up. I keep a few used thin disks around, that were ground down about as far as I could go, and use them as a washer / spacer. Works for me.

Depending on what you are trying to do, you might also want to look at Kanban style project management software. Monday.com or Trello are a couple of popular ones, but there's many, including lots of free options.

I work in a business where hand held magnifiers are common place. There's always one available, including very high end optics if required. 95% of the time when doing a quick examination we now use our phones to zoom in. It has a light built in and provides great magnification. Just...

I worked for and lived with my Aunt & Uncle during my summers as a university student. They lived in a typical older suburban neighborhood. I had brought a toolbox, but needed pair of vise grips when changing my brakes. Neither they or any of their immediate neighbors had a set. This was...

As mentioned, the shelter logic style don't last long, but there is a solution. They break down quickly in the UV. What I do is cover the garage with a sacrificial tarp. I use the silver ones, which typically last 2-3 years. But they are cheap to replace, and protect the shelter logic...

I have a pair of channel locks that come with a variety of different size tips, in both straight and 90 degree. The single pair has covered every snap ring I've encountered, except one very large one that would be outside the range of most snap ring plier sets. They are a little fiddly, and...

I had about 30 bends in concrete project. A mix of 3/8 & 1/2 rebar. I did them by clamping it in a vice and sticking a pipe on the rebar to bend it around the edge of the vise. Worked well, but wouldn't have wanted to do a lot of 1/2" bends that way. The 3/8 was easy.

I've replaced all of my bifold hardware with Johnson. I've found it good quality works much better than the cheap stuff that comes with the doors.

I'll throw out another option. I just had to repair a plastic canoe and used an epoxy repair kit from West Systems. I was very impressed with how easy it was to work with, and I can't imagine why it wouldn't work for a bumper. Kit is here. https://www.westsystem.com/plastic-boat-repair-kit/

I'll echo this. At least around here used, brand name vises are essentially impossible to find a prices much less than new. If you've got the money, a brand name vise is the way to go. If you don't, buy the HF and see what happens. I bought a cheap vise, over 10 years ago. I think I paid...

I built my 30" deep, and I find it's about perfect. The front 24" actually are used, and the back 6" or so are good for shoving parts, tools etc to keep them out of the way. I just have to remember to clean up that back 6" or it slowly accumulates junk.

You can get much of the same benefits of slatwall by put up a few rows of french cleats, which are easily cut from a sheet of plywood or 1x. I'll try to get pictures of my setup. Cheap, not fancy, and not quite complete, but works pretty well for me.

We took a different approach to the snow plow and mailbox problem when I was a kid. The "post" was an L shape with the long arm of the L in the ground (L upside down). The mailbox was hung with chain from the short arm of the L. This has two benefits. First It puts the post further away from...