The helpful thread...........Tips and tricks for fellow members

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by cody599

 

Thanks for the mention Cody!

I cannot stress enough how invaluable empty coffee cans are! I use them to store different sized nails and screws and write the size on the lid with a Sharpie. I keep different small pieces for crafting in coffee cans and cover those with fabric or construction paper so they don't even look like coffee cans. At Christmas time I cover coffee cans in festive fabrics and fill them with homemade candies, cookies, and homemade ornaments for my friends and neighbors. The uses are endless!

It's also always good to keep a friendly monkey handy for when certain things need a good scrubbing, but we won't get into the details here!

Canned monkey



Jut add galoshes

Sorry guys that's several threads rolled into a couple answers

I'm gonna sign off for tonight

Have an awesome time and enjoy making a difference

Cody

The only bit of advice I can give, is upon the subject of lubrication. And before we go any further, there will be an element of individuals who will not be able to leave such an introduction un-molested by vulgarity, thinly veiled, but vulgarity none the less. I am watching. Nuff said.

Now, what I mean by lubrication is, when a bolt, or any bit of metal which needs to move and wont, gets stuck, most people jump right on the WD40, or nearest local equivalent. Some use Plusgas penetrant spray (I am still watching... you know who you are). This is fine if you want to free something that is locked solid, but those products are not the best thing for maintaining simple mechanisms. The reason for this, is that even though they evaporate rather quickly, they do leave a residue of any random bits of dust and grit, which happened to blow onto the still damp pools of the chemical, before evaporation is complete. This traps the crap on the wind, and lets it sit in your equipment essentially, which means later on, you may end up with problems.

My solution to this, is to only use spray lubrication when I am freeing a part that is locked up with rust or dirt. The rest of the time, I use powdered graphite. Because graphite is basically carbon, and because of the way carbon atoms are shaped and the way they bond, a layer or two of graphite between all the moving parts of a simple mechanical device (unpowered) is a much better solution. Under pressure and movement, the carbon dust forms layers, which move against eachother with VERY low friction indeed, and because carbon dust does NOT evaporate, the effect lasts and lasts and lasts. I have been using powdered graphite in replacement of WD40 and similar stuff, since I started working as a locksmith and noticed how helpful graphite can be when maintaining a lock.

You can apply it like print dust, you can dab a q-tip into it and rub it on with that (thats a little stick with some cotton wool on the ends), or in the case of locks particularly, you can puff a little bit of it into the keyway, or put some in a ziploc bag with your key, and shake it till the key gets coated, and insert it a few times to get the dust to move around in the lock.

Its versatile, contains no CFCs, and has none of the drawbacks of liquid or spray lubrication. The only thing to watch out for folks, is that carbon dust is black, so you want to cover up any materials into which that dust might get if the wind catches it, but other than that, its bloody brilliant.

Some great ideas here! ATS'ers are such a resourceful group!

Here's one that I haven't tried, but should I ever bite the bullet and try camping in a tent again, I'm absolutely going to give this a try:
To soften up the floor in your tent, place those foam tiles you find in the toy section of stores.

reply to post by TrueBrit


Would that work on brake pads (the slides and backs obviously) rather than a high melt point grease ?

Just a thought

Cody

Just another quickie before hitting a hard days work :

Keep that used coffee that is left in the filter and dry it out in the sun.

When you are enjoying that evening BBQ outside and are nicely installed at the table, place the coffee in a small plate and light it.

It will slowly consume like incense and keeps the mosquitos away.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

reply to post by meemaw


Speaking of camping

If you have anything of value with you

Put it in the bottom of your sleeping bag when go to sleep and make sure all food is secured
and away from your tent.

It's a pain in the morning but better than waking to a troop of monkeys or worse looking at you whilst
they eat your breakfast and terrorise your wife.

Cody

reply to post by Rodinus


I'm gonna hold you to that Rod

Good idea mate

Cody

[ but better than waking to a troop of monkeys or worse looking at you whilst

I wake up to a troop of monkeys every morning!!

Even when i am stashing everything at the bottom of my bed!

Kindest respects

Rod

This is an old washing tip I have used many times (having kids who both enjoy white and tomato sauce...)

If you spill tomato sauce, or any sauce for that matter on white cotton or polyester, wash it immediately with lukewarm water, no powder or cleaning agents, and put it straight out in the sun. The UV light basically breaks down the colours in sauce and removes the stain.

This, however, is my personal favourite. The can of a thousand uses.

I don't know if you guys have WD40 in your countries, but it is literally used for practically anything.

The can of 2000+ uses

reply to post by cody599


Not being a driver, because for one thing I barely trust myself to WALK in a straight line, let alone control a tonne and a half of steel in any given direction, and because I cannot afford to do so, I have not had the oppertunity to find out how well graphite would work in place of high melt point grease when dealing with brakes. Much as it galls me to say it, I have never stripped a brake down in my life, unless one counts the brakes on a bicycle.

However, some quick research reveals that powdered graphite is used in the manufacture of brakes, although due to changes in the way brakes are made these days, it is loosing market share to other products. It is not, however, recomended for the use you intend. This is because although graphite is pretty gnarly stuff, its melting point is not as high as stuff like copper grease for example. Bits of burnt graphite flying about your brakes will not be helpful, not least because apparantly graphite may burn onto the surfaces you have coated with it.

This last little bit was researched from a petrol head forum somewhere random.

Here is a good one for cooling your house without A/C:

Beat the heat without A/C

Works great... our house was downright COLD at bed time...

S&F Great post Cody!

Wipe your electronic screens (tv, computer, etc) with a dryer sheet. The static "busting" stuff will help slow down the dust build up.

reply to post by boymonkey74

Never trust a bald barber.

Or a skinny cook....


Not sure who started this:

It's also always good to keep a friendly monkey handy for when certain things need a good scrubbing, but we won't get into the details here!

SNL's Bathroom Monkey:

www.ebaumsworld.com...

reply to post by madmac5150


Brilliant thanks

Just in time as well, I'll try that as soon as the wife decides which towels I can use

Cody

reply to post by Martin75


Thanks

Good tip much appreciated

Cody

reply to post by Gazrok


Boymonkey

The wife just invited you over for the weekend

Good luck mate

Cody

Originally posted by madmac5150
Here is a good one for cooling your house without A/C:

Beat the heat without A/C

Works great... our house was downright COLD at bed time...

I had read this when you first posted it, and I think it is a very clever idea. I was telling my wife that I am definitely going to try it soon! Thank you for sharing it.