Gar's Tips & Tools - Issue #186

Access to tools, techniques, and shop tales from the diverse worlds of DIY

Model Home Building

When I was in high school, in my shop class, we built a scale model house just like this one (from scaled blueprints). It was so much fun, so enlightening, and I fondly think back on that project often. I loved framing up the walls with scale 2x4s and 2x10s. Even though my Dad was a building contractor, and I learned a lot from him, I think I learned more about the overall mechanics of home building from this type of model construction than anything else.

timber_reimagined

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Understanding “Water Hammer”

The other night, I, my wife, and our cat, Toci, were awakened in the dawn hours with a sound that made us think the house was seriously haunted (or suddenly shaking apart). Imagine a big ol’ boot banging around in a dryer, and project that sound throughout the house — boom-boom-boom. Going into the garage, it was clear that the water heater was the likely source. And, figuring it was some sort of pressure issue, I turned on the water in the laundry sink and the banging soon stopped. Turns out what was happening is called “hydraulic transience,” or “water hammer.” It’s a surge of pressure caused by the changing momentum of the water inside a plumbing system. In this Practical Engineering episode, Grady shows how water hammer happens, how destructive it can be on large municipal water systems, and what’s done to prevent/alleviate it. After doing research, I discovered that one DIY solution for home water hammer is to turn off your Main, turn on all of the faucets and other water outlets in your house to drain the system, and then turn the water back on. If that doesn’t work, there are water hammer arrestors you can install.

Best End-Cut Pliers

In this Project Farm episode, Todd tests a bunch of end-cutting pliers to determine which ones are best. He tests Knipex, Milwaukee, Blue-Point, GearWrench, Channellock, Gedore, NWS, Tekton, Barnwell, Wazakura, Bates, Speedwox, Kseibi, Hautmec, WorkPro, American Mutt Tools, Performance Tools, and Irwin brand. Todd compares the pliers for performance on the closeness of the flush cut, handle-force to cut through nails, screws, and drill bits. Only one brand successfully cut through a hex key. Can you guess which brand reigned supreme? Yes, the Knipex (at $63 at time of testing) slayed the competition. But, the Wiha (at only $25) also performed surprisingly well.

What are Confirmat Screws?

I’ve certainly seen confirmat screws before, but never really knew what was special about them. They are specifically designed for fastening melamine plywood and commonly found in flat-pack furniture. Who knew? In this video, Jeff from Today’s Craftsman explains the screw’s design, how it offers superior strength due to its thick shank, and the specific drill bit required for proper installation. He also performs a comparison test between the confirmat screw and traditional wood screws, in plywood and melamine, demonstrating the clear advantages of the confirmat for projects involving melamine.

Travel with a Night Light

The Mrs and I recently went on a “glamping” trip to Glacier National Park (out of this world, BTW). We stayed in a “glampod” at the Moose Creek RV Resort (right near the entrance to the park). The pod was a cool wooden tent-like hut with a bed, a small sitting area, tiny kitchen, and a surprisingly generous bathroom. Getting out of bed several times a night to use the toilet (shut up, I’m old!), I wished that they’d had a night light in the bathroom. When I mentioned it to Angela, she said: “We should travel with one.” Great idea, hon! I had just bought a nice amber-colored, motion-sensing night light for our main bathroom. It came in a pack of two (for $12), so we actually have a spare. It will go in my suitcase on our next excursion.

Angela and I in front of our “glampod” at Glacier National Park.

Finally a Decent Tip?

tool_tips.official

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We love to make fun of the many low-yield tips channels (especially @tool_tips.official), but this tip that showed up on their Instagram recently might actually be something: using a small zip-tie to retwist splayed bike brake cable wires (and possibly other wire types, too). It’s funny reading the comments with everyone delightfully surprised to finally see an actually useful, “aha” tip.

Maker Slang

Slang, jargon, and technical terms for the many realms of making things

Creeping up - The process of making gradual, small adjustments to a cut or fit to ensure a precise final result. By taking off thin layers of material or making incremental changes, a woodworker, for instance, can achieve the exact dimension or fit required without over-cutting.

Deinfluencing — The act of discouraging people from buying certain products or following certain trends, typically in contrast to the culture of influencers who promote and recommend products.

Delvish — Coined by sci-fi author Bruce Sterling to refer to the “dialect” that AI speaks. Named as such because the word "delve" is returned on almost every ChatGPT query. Sterling calls “delvish” the first non-human patois.

Weeding — In the context of sign making, vinyl cutting, silk screening, 3D printing, plotter cutting, etc., weeding is the process of removing the unwanted excess material from a cut out design.

Shop Talk

Readers offer their feedback, tips, tales, and tool recommendations

Rex Burkheimer responding to my recent Carharrt sock discovery.

Loved the article on socks. I'll add an endorsement for these Cabela Medium-Weight Boot Socks. I bought 8 pairs of these many (15? 20?) years ago. I liked them so much I went back the next week and bought 8 more. I still have all of them, and wear them year-round. They are comfortable in heat or cold, never make me sweat, not too tight at the top, and they do NOT wear out. I've not had so much as a single hole in any of them. Even the elastic is good. The medium-gray color works with anything short of formal wear. I feel like I need to replace them, but I can't think of a good reason to do so. Now I'm wondering if Carharrt makes them. Keep up the good work!

Reader Trevor Flowers writes:

As always, thanks for sharing shop tips and tricks. I'm a retired coder who now spends my days in the shop making and selling tiny art machines so right now my budgets are all dang tight. If that changes then I'll happily upgrade to a paid subscription because I get something from each issue.

I'm writing because I'd like to sing the praises of Blu-Tack for the electronics bench. Since I started keeping a stick of it on my bench, it's improved my life in at least a dozen new ways. Most recently, a couple of little snakes of Blu-Tack held thin 30 gauge (0.6mm OD) wires in place while I inserted them into through-holes and then soldered them. Afterward, the Blu-Tack pulled away easily and left no residue. Kapton tape was my go-to for holding components before, but I haven't touched it since the putty arrived.

Paid Subscribers: You Rock!

Thanks so much to all recent paid subscribers! Your support means the world to me. Not only does it help keep me in plastic razor blades, but it also fuels my motivation to create even better content. It feels like a true vote of confidence in this project.

If you find value in this newsletter and are able to contribute with a paid subscription, I’d greatly appreciate it. Every bit helps!