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Going through my dad’s toolbox after Mom passed, I came across an older 12” Crescent adjustable wrench. Likely my grandpa’s or maybe his dad’s. I was struck by how much beefier this wrench is than a modern version. Was this the norm at the time, or was this a special purpose wrench. Long line...

I had my day all planned out. A little gardening this morning followed by mowing in order to beat some incoming rain. Then I had an appointment at a lumber yard to get a list of materials for some deck and stair railings figured out. 5 minutes before I finished mowing, the ZTR shut down just as...

I have a bunch of bluebird houses. The doors are hinged at the bottom. It’s basically a live hinge, a two inch wide piece of plastic with a thinner section at the hinge point. Rather than being a commercial hinge, it really looks like a piece of vinyl building material adapted for the job. I...

I’m in the process of running power to a new building where we store our 5th wheel. While planning the trench, I asked myself what else I might want to send to the building via the trench. Fiber is already happening as it’s handy for keeping TV firmware updated and there is an outdoor hookup for...

No water in my shop, though there’s a hydrant in the yard that I can swing by on my way to the house. Not planning to bring water inside as it’s not heated all of the time. I’ve been entertaining the idea of a station with a roll of paper towels, rags, waterless cleaner and a bucket for used...

Rolled in late last night after a lengthy stay in a warmer place. Walked out to the shop this morning and just soaked it in for a minute! I helped a friend with a small remodeling project during the trip, but I was often missing a tool I wanted from home. I did spend a little of his money on a...

When I built my shop, we were 8 months from building a new house, so finances were a little tight. We had equipment and tools stored in the basement, at our parents homes, under tarps and at rented storage, so getting a building up was high priority even given our recent expenditures. To cut...

I dumpster scavenged some HDPE from a cabinet shop that does outdoor kitchens. It’s King Starboard, so I believe it’s good quality. My wife has a potting bench that has some adjustable wooden shelves that have warped. I thought the HDPE would be a good replacement. Shelves are 10”x14” and just...

https://untappd.com/b/collision-bend-brewing-loosen-up-lager/5630910

I go to auctions, and often buy the torpedo heaters that don’t work. Pay $15, spend a couple of hours getting it working and sell it for $100 is typical. Not big money, but it pays for most all of my beer if I count driving to the auction as an entertainment expense. Three or four years ago, I...

I have a 2” square tube frame that had gotten a crimp and bend in it. The piece that was supposed to telescope inside wouldn’t go in, then wouldn‘t come out. Fun times, since I couldn’t source the material to replace it. I made an expanding tool to open it up, then made a square “mandrel“ to...

Sentimental value so you understand. The ball doesn’t always come out to hold the socket on, but it does occasionally. Working under the dash on my boat yesterday and dropped an 11/32 socket that hit me in the teeth. Sounded and felt like an explosion! Is there any way to repair it? I’ve...

I got a call earlier today from my mother-in-law. The owner of the local auto parts store had stopped her after church asking to get in contact with me. He had a customer in yesterday looking for 35A ATC fuses for his RV. customer was the brother of a local guy who was in town visiting, and a...

Planning to upgrade the heat in my shop. The building is a 32X64 with no ceiling, modestly insulated, 12ft eaves and a 3.5:12 pitch roof. Most of the work is done in a 24x32 area at the east end, though occasionally I need to work on the bigger equipment parked at the other end. My goal is...

I have one that is driving me crazy. Tire placard on the vehicle says 35psi. Tire loses 4-6psi in a month, whether parked or being driven. This is accounting for temperature related variation. Things I’ve tried: Multiple close inspections of the tire, including the sidewalk, and rim for any...

An older screwdriver that was in my late father-in-law’s stuff. Brass handle with no brand markings. But wait, there’s more! Take the rear cap off and inside is… Another screwdriver. If you order right now, you can take the rear cap off of that one and… And finally, you take that one...

Testing

Installing rear air bags on my 2014 truck. Need to remove the rear jounce bumpers and it has been a nightmare. Above the axle, inside the frame rails with brake lines, exhaust, gas tank and wiring in the way. It would be nearly impossible to get anything in there other than a standard box or...

Work project has a quick need for some portable work tables. My vision is like a card table on steroids. We need about 6 tables that can handle a 150lb piece of equipment along with the twisting and shaking that goes along with general maintenance work. These will be broken down, set up, loaded...

I searched, but found little useful info. I’d love to see tools split into general mechanical tools and woodworking tools. I bet I’m not weird in that I do woodworking, vehicle maintenance and repair, metal fabrication and just general handyman work in my garage. Welding, grinding, sawing...