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The Fixer archives

simple pleasures in the workshop

Once in a while I simply get lucky as a photographer. I suppose as a modestly inspired amateur, that will be the only way I get a photo that really tickles me. Below is one of them.

At my skill level, getting the lighting just right to comfortably light the background while focusing attention, and projecting a welcoming feeling has to be totally a lucky shot, but this one speaks volumes for the shop guy, and the car guy in me.

I briefly opened the bay doors to admit the Honda for its overdue wheel swap from summer […]

December 16th, 2022 | Category: Fixer, tools, transport | Comments are closed

welding lighting

I graduated from heavy-metal farmer-grade stick welding to light metal shielded wire feed welding with mixed success.

I recently figured out the pattern.

When the sun through my shop windows was lighting the work, I could see the two metal pieces through my dark helmet screen. When I could see what I was doing my welds were fine.

As soon as that light came on, I ordered some modern LED task lighting. Looking for a way to put it in the right position led me to a tripod I bought three years ago without any purpose […]

March 4th, 2021 | Category: Fixer, tools | Comments are closed

rack for long-handled tools

I have made several versions of this. My new one is based on heavy-gauge steel hog panels, also known as livestock panels. I had, have some scraps kicking around that needed repurposing.

The photographs are actually celebrating my moving the tool rack from the “Tool Port” to the adjacent “Car Port”. Since my diminutive Honda CRX is occupying a full-sized parking space, there is plenty of room for the tools which were contributing to the overcrowding in my tool shed.

Last year I repurposed a plastic strip door, but snow blew in and made a hash of […]

September 27th, 2020 | Category: household, practical, tools | Comments are closed

long handled tool storage

Nine years ago I turned some thrift store bedframes into tool storage – see tool jackstraws. Today the need for something like that finally made the top of my ToDo list, but the salvage bedframes were not in my inventory.

On the other hand, I have a bunch of hog panel scraps lying about…

The plan is quite similar. Construction substantially easier. Results are every bit as rewarding. I suspect that hog panels, also known as livestock panels are more readily available to most folks.

Dang this went quick and easy.

If you are looking for […]

June 3rd, 2020 | Category: gardening, tools | Comments are closed

table saw, router table upgrade

My OLD, second-hand Ryobi table saw was the weak link in my workshop. Since I use the heck out of it, and the safety, ergonomics and power were all marginal, I finally brought that tool up to my shop standard. That, of course, necessitated construction of a new stand. This time I wanted to integrate my router so I could quit having to bring it out to set up every time I wanted to use it – a diversionary task that often had me selecting a plane, files and lots of sanding rather than going through the router […]

April 15th, 2020 | Category: tools | Comments are closed

sticker removal

We bought our first new vehicle in 13 years, a Polaris Sportsman 570 with plow. It teamed up with our snow blower to make dealing with a yard full of snow possible. See snow shoveling for old men for a more thorough coverage of that.

Other benefits of this particular tool include a lot of brush clearing on my agenda that by itself did not justify this micro-tractor.

Yesterday I was getting around to installing its license plate and the sticker proclaiming we paid the US Forest Service for the privelege of traveling in our own forests. But where […]

April 1st, 2019 | Category: household, practical, tools | Comments are closed

Winterizing Outdoor Power Equipment

 

Prepare your outdoor power equipment now for the seasons to come. (NAPS)

(NAPSI)—When the colder weather blows in, it’s often time to put away such outdoor power equipment as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers, and get out snow throwers, generators and other small-engine equipment.

Questions To Consider

To help home and business owners prepare for this change, the experts at the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing more than 100 power equipment, engine and utility vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, suggest you ask yourself seven questions:

 

1. Do you know how to […]

December 5th, 2018 | Category: gardening, tools | Comments are closed