Tips and Tricks

[splitshot]

Easy things that work and make one look like they know what one is doing.

Semi truck gladhand insulators, inexpensive, and just need a proper sized holesaw..Work great for vehicle wire grommets or for vibration dampers for plumbing air lines outside a metal building.


http://www.grainger.com/product/5NEF5?gclid=CKOFoLGIuMQCFVKFfgod4VUAyg&cm_mmc=PPC:GOOGLEPLAA-_-Fleet and Vehicle Maintenance-_-Automotive Exterior-_-5NEF5&ef_id=UgZQwgAAAFL3TOr0:20150320231745:s

Bumper;

New 60 gallon shop compressor (that needs to be locked up at night).

 

[rusty_tlc]

Cool.

 

[splitshot]

If you have an irrigation clock that wont activate the valves...

Check your board, the problem is 9 out of 10 in the solder joints in the circuit panel where the 24 volt transformer wires connect or the load side terminals that supply the valves.

Solder must be in short supply in 3rd world countries because this is the norm.

.
With just limited skills and a few minutes one can save the purchase of a new irrigation timer.
(Shameless plug, I highly recommend Irritrol btw, either the Total Control or the Rain Dial).

 

[rusty_tlc]

That is not a solder joint that failed because of insufficient solder, it is a "cold" solder joint. This is the result of the terminal (pointy metal thingy) not reaching the melting point of the solder. The solder never alloyed with the lead tin plating on the terminal so there was no mechanical strength in the connection. This is typical for a transformer, they have a lot of thermal mass and take a lot of time to heat up. It looks like that one was wave soldered with the rest of the components. A better practice is to add big heavy components like Xfmrs after wave soldering and hand solder them.

I screw around with this stuff sometimes.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Anybody else keep a bar of Lava soap in the shower? It comes in handy after a day working on cars.

 

[splitshot]

No, but have hauled in the jug of Go-Jo w/pummice, good for sanding the water deposits off the floor at the same time.

Today I had to get on the roof to fire up the swamp cooler. For anyone who has a steel roof with a pitch greater than 4/12 and there is any hint that moisture might be involved, fan belt dressing.. Spray it on your boots (very important to let dry) and you can walk around like Spiderman.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I keep the Lava right next to the exfoliating body wash my wife has in there. They are in the same category.

Now there's a thought, if I run out of Lava I can use her exfoliating stuff.

 

[FJ60Seth]

Dawn detergent will remove grease from your hair.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Dawn detergent will remove grease from your hair.

so does coleman fuel...a zip tie wrapped around your buddies driveshaft will make him think he needs to go to the mechanic- best used where you can watch him drive away...

 

[Weber Sarge]

Industrial sized wire ties work better , a buddy of mine loves doing that to "company idiots" on job sites ....
Sarge

 

[rusty_tlc]

A speed square and plumb bob can be used as an ad hoc level.
Run the plumb bob string through the notch and lay the long side of the square on the surface you want to check for level. when the string is even with the 45 degree mark the surface is level. Any piece of string with a weight tied on the end can be used in place of a real plumb bob.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

. Any piece of string with a weight tied on the end can be used in place of a real plumb bob.

who you callin a plumb Bob? I have also used a glass of water as a level....

 

[rusty_tlc]

Teflon air line tape can be used to seal flare brake line fittings as a temporary trail fix.

 

[Parsnip]

Just replaced the aged drain valve on my compressor with a 1/4" street elbow, 8" nipple, 1/4" ball valve, and barbed fitting for hose.

It was at the point where I had to get under it and use pliers to open and close the drain so I stopped draining out the water every time and I knew that was just going to bite me later if I allowed it to go on.

Now it's a simple flip of the valve that I can see poking out the side.

 

[Parsnip]

Teflon air line tape can be used to seal flare brake line fittings as a temporary trail fix.

Also good for the bleed screw if you're using a vacuum bleeder and it's sucking air from the threads.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Here's a trick I used this morning:
If bright sunlight is causing your automatic garage door to not close clean the lens that is in the sun. Most of the time that will solve the problem.

My neighbor who installs garage doors taught me that.

 

[splitshot]

For anyone with a septic tank and especially with limited use and a long run to the tank....
If you get a blockage, pull the concrete plug to access where the plumbing feeds the tank. If all you see is solids, poke them down with a stick before opening the clean out (I dealt with a mini volcano today).

Problem is, with long runs the solids pick up speed and stick to the baffle wall and over time build up enough to block the inlet pipe.
This is after, and what you should see when things are right.

 

[splitshot]

Anyone else have problems with others in the household borrowing your favorite pair of scissors and not returning them? Think I may have just found the answer.

 

[splitshot]

Need to paint beyond a rattle can and need a good mechanical mixer???
I just tossed this together today with some 5/16" round and a cut section of 1-1/2" x 1/8" flat stock. Easy...

 

[e9999]

watch those sharp corners on the bucket wall, you don't want to spring a leak at the bottom of a paint bucket...

Easy also to just twist the flat bar 2 ways and keep the thicker profile less likely to cut, but again better to round off the sharp corners.


Then again, it's good to live a bit dangerously every so often...