Gar's Tips & Tools - Issue #195

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

What Are Your Inspired Objects?

I love the concept of the “inspired object,” first introduced to me by maker-philosopher, bike guru, and “shade tree mechanic,” Mister Jalopy. An inspired object is something — a tool or other physical object — that manages to inspire or elevate you whenever you use it. It’s usually something that embodies one or more of the following qualities:

• It’s perfectly designed; a marvel of appropriate technology.

• It’s beautiful, pleasing to the eye, feels good in the hand.

• It’s incredibly well-made, high-quality in every regard.

• It’s imbued with memories — maybe something that you made yourself or has been handed down to you.

An inspired object always impresses you with its extra-special qualities whenever you use it. The effect is almost magical.

So, what are your “inspired objects?” Let me know — share pics!

Maker’s Formulary

Homebrewed recipes, formulas, and low-cost supply substitutes

Periodically, I’ll be sharing these formularies around different areas of making, For this first entry, here are some useful craft and hobby painting recipes.

Paint Washes

• Acrylic paint or artist’s ink (color of choice)

• Matte medium

• Distilled (de-ionized) water

• Flow Aid (optional)

Washes are used in a lot of hobby painting, such as tabletop miniatures, scale modeling, and cosplay costuming. Washes add realistic weathering, aging, and deep, contrast shading. To make your own, all you need is a few drops of your desired paint color or artist’s ink, some matte medium, and distilled water. There are many wash recipes online. Some add Flow Aid (used in airbrush painting) to the mix to help the wash resist clinging to high surfaces and flow better into nooks and crannies where you want it.

Matte Glaze Medium

• Distilled water (~ 6-8 oz)

• Matte medium (~ 4-5 drops)

• Flow Aid (few drops, optional)

Thinning paints in water tends to separate the water and pigment, making it difficult to get a thin coat with adequate coverage. Enter matte glaze medium. It is designed to maintain the integrity of thinned paint for fuller, smoother coverage. There’s no set recipe here. Experiment with the amount of matte medium (and Flow Aid) until you get a nice, thin but pigment-rich mixture.

Acrylic Paint Thinner

• Distilled Water (1 part)

• Matte Medium (1 part)

• Dish Soap (Drop or two)

Airbrush Cleaner

• Windex (without ammonia) or Glass Plus (2.5 oz.)

• Distilled water (5 oz)

• 91% Isopropyl alcohol (25 mil)

• Glycerin (Around 15 drops, available at most drugstores)

Have You Been Doing Loctite Wrong?

Loctite is a go-to product for preventing bolts from loosening, but many people misuse it. In this High Performance Academy video, Matt from Loctite explains the differences between purple, blue, and red thread lockers—and how to apply them correctly:

• Purple: For small, adjustable fasteners.

• Blue: Medium strength; removable with hand tools.

• Red: Permanent; requires heat for removal.

One common mistake is overusing red Loctite—many assume stronger is better, but Red is meant for permanent applications and can be a nightmare to remove. Another issue is applying too much; only two drops are needed where the threads engage. Any excess stays liquid and doesn’t add strength.

Another major error is using Loctite on high-heat components like turbochargers and exhaust manifolds, where heat degrades its effectiveness. Instead, use mechanical fasteners and anti-seize to prevent galling.

Proper Loctite application:

1. Clean the fastener surface.

2. Use a primer on coated or non-ferrous metals.

3. If working with a blind hole, apply Loctite inside the hole not just on the bolt.

Using the right thread locker correctly ensures bolts stay secure without creating unnecessary headaches.

DIY Tablesaw Fence System

Maker pal Geof Meston sent me this video detailing his DIY answer to the Bow Xtender Fence System. innovative DIY table saw fence system that enhances accuracy, safety, and infeed support—all while being more affordable than commercial alternatives like the Bow Fence Extender. The Bow Fence Extender is a popular upgrade, but it comes with drawbacks. It’s expensive, costing around $259 (£240), and its 8.8 lbs (4kg) weight makes it cumbersome for job-site saws. Instead, Geof’s DIY solution uses aluminum extrusion, 3D-printed brackets, and other affordable hardware, reducing the total cost to just $120 (£95) while maintaining excellent functionality. The key improvements in Geof’s system include hold-down clamps to prevent kickback, a thin-rip jig for precision cutting, and customizable support brackets for infeed and outfeed stability. The setup is lighter, just as sturdy, and fully adjustable, making it a great alternative for woodworkers who want a high-quality fence without the high price tag.

More on the Harbor Freight Mini Toolbox

My quest for the mini Harbor Freight toolbox continues. I waited patiently for them to come back into stock (store-only), but by the time I got to my local Freight, they were already sold out. While I’m waiting, I’ve been watching more reviews of the box and videos from makers who’ve created storage trays (and other accessories) for them. What’s kind of hilarious is how controversial these boxes have become. Some people love them, and see the utility in a tiny, sturdy toolbox for small tools and parts. Others see it as a useless gimmick. I guess your use case (and personality type) will determine what you think about this product. I plan on buying at least two and using them for scale modeling tools, airbrush parts, Dremel accessories, and similar.

Simple Green is Simply Great!

I assume most of my readers are familiar with Simply Green. It’s a versatile, biodegradable, non-toxic cleaner used for all sorts of cleaning tasks, both in the shop and around the house. Besides water, the main ingredients of Simply Green are Ethoxylated alcohols (surfactant/detergent), Sodium Citrate (a pH buffer and water softener for adjusting pH and improving cleaning effectiveness), and Sodium Carbonate (washing soda/alkaline builder for more cleaning power, and grease-cutting). I use it for everything from stripping acrylic paint to getting stains out of carpet (diluted) and many other around the house and office cleaning tasks. Recently, I used it to clean a really stubborn, impossibly sticky spill of an ant trap in my office. With a spray of Simply Green and a plastic razor blade, the goo came right up.

Shop Talk

Tips & Tools readers join in the conversation

About the Disaster Prep docs piece in the last issue, Cool Tools reader Stephen wrote:

While it may seem like a good idea to have all those documents stored somewhere in the cloud (Someone else's server) in case of a disaster. Be careful on where that is, because not all cloud servers are created equal and this list contains everything a would-be threat actor would need to wreak havoc on your identity and life…Use a service like Fidsafe or Trustworthy for important docents like these.

Consider a Paid Subscription

Gar’s Tips & Tools is free, but if you really like what I’m doing here and want to support me, please consider a paid subscription. Same great taste, but more cheddar for me to help keep a warm pad under my aching old bones. I will also pick paid subscribers at random and send them out little treats on occasion.

Special thanks to all of my paid subscribers so far and an extra special thanks to Hero of the Realm, Jim Coraci.