Gar's Tips & Tools - Issue #189
Access to tools, techniques, and shop tales from the diverse worlds of DIY
Scale Modeling Tips and Tools
This 22-minute video is not only an excellent and thoughtful inventory of go-to hobby modeling tools, it is also chock-full of great tips, things I’ve never thought of, like picking up tiny parts with a moistened toothpick, using an old CD as a superior cutting surface for photo-etched parts, and using thin masking tape to create an edge for marking straight lines on uneven surfaces. Some of the tools he mentions that I want to eventually acquire: A pick and place tool, the RP Toolz mitre cutter, a foam-pad hobby glue bottle holder (which you can easily make yourself), and metal scribing templates for creating panel lines in styrene. He also recommends cushioned sanding sticks, which I’m already a huge fan of. He provides a handy list of all the tools mentioned in the video, organized by Holding, Cutting, Drilling, etc.
Steel Rule Tutorial
After watching a few of these other 1940 industrial-training films, I’m kind of obsessed. This one looks at the humble steel rule and its importance in machining. The video (sporting some really innovative animations for the time) covers how to use various scales on the rule for different levels of precision, from 8ths to 64ths of an inch, and highlights specialized versions, like flexible and hook rules, for more complex measurements. It also discusses the use complementary measuring tools, such as micrometers and calipers, when higher precision is required. Proper technique tip: holding the rule parallel and checking graduation scales—along with regular maintenance, like oiling and cleaning, is important for reliable, accurate measurements.
Heat-Shrink Labeling on the Brother H-110
Way back in Tips & Tools issue #15, I talked about the ability to print onto heat-shrink tubing using a Brother P-Touch H110 label printer. Apparently, the heat shrink label cassettes are now hard to come by for the H110. But Canadian maker, James Liang, was able to get cassettes not identified as compatible with the H110 to print labels, after a few tweaks and changed settings.
Saggy Hose Got You Down?
Last issue, I covered Geoff Meston’s shop revamp. He just sent me the link to this little shop hack for creating a simple mount to stow his air hose.
Claude Paillard, YouTube Maker OG
Seventeen years ago(!), a video showed up on a then two-year-old YouTube that blew my mind. I see it as the first, or at least among the first, of the countless maker YT channels that proliferate today. It was this video by French radio amateur, Claude Paillard. With Claude’s virtuosic electronics and fabrication skills, the near magician-like sleight-of-hand flourishes with which he advances each stage of the build (making triode vacuum tubes), the charming music — it was all so inspirational at the time. It’s amazing to think how many maker channels there are now and how huge this space on YouTube has become. Here is a moment of its origins.
Notebook Index
In the last newsletter, I showed a workshop notebook I created years ago. Here’s the indexing I created in the back. This is an easy way to navigate to different sections of the book. You devote the back page to an index, making marks along the edge for each category, and corresponding marks along the notebook’s lead edge to identify those sections at a glance.
Makers Gotta Eat!
While I don’t do a lot of posting about kitchen and food hacks, sometimes they are just too good not to share (hence this new periodic section).
My first entry is a recipe from Milk Street magazine. It’s a “fake” ragù that’s easy to make and uses celery, carrots, and mushrooms (instead of meat) that are on their last leg. Dicing these ingredients up small creates a texture that’s similar to a meat sauce. The taste is amazing. Perfect comfort food. The recipe also calls for a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil over the top. Something I’ve never thought of. This integrates beautifully with the grated paramesan.
There’s also a Facebook video showing the recipe being put together.
Shop Talk
Readers offer their feedback, tips, tales, and tool recommendations.
Cool Tools reader yrtagentman shared this insightful thought about the otherwise impressive and admirable Project Farm tool reviews.
Todd is great and Project Farm does great testing, but one thing that doesn't show up in the tests is durability and reliability. Often the biggest difference between an expensive tool and a cheap one is not performance on basic functions, but on the materials/design that make a tool that will last for many years and still have top performance.
In this case, if all you need is a tool set for in the house that you will never use most of the tools in, then by all means the $60 disposable set is probably the way to go.
Paid Subscribers: You Rock!
Thanks to my paid subscribers! Your support means the world to me. Not only does it help keep me in CA glue accelerator, 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!
Congrats to paid subscriber, James Huckenpahler. You won the drawing for the Workpro 18-in-1 multitool! I will reach out via email.
Special thanks to Hero of the Realm Jim Coraci for your generous support.
Another wonderful edition! My fave, this week, is the historic "Claude Paillard, YouTube Maker OG."