Show Us a Tool

[PedalUma]

@spokewrench. I took one head like on the right and squared the face. I removed the backside burrs. I honed it, finishing with buffing compound to strop it like a barber's razor. I then brass wire brushed and buffed it all rust free, smooth, gleaming silver, and painted it black, then added a California framing handle. It was perfect for oak kindling. It could shave hair off the back of your arm. Sometime I will tell of the sheep shearing shed in NZ, the giant tree, and the station owner who almost dislocated his shoulder.

 

[Old-tool-guy]

I did a dumb and amateurish blunder.

Not sure that qualifies as dumb. What were the guide tubes made of? I wouldn't think you could tighten the ties enough to crush the tube.

 

[spokewrench]

It could shave hair off the back of your arm.

Grandfather had a straight razor and a strop. He didn't use the tools in the photo to shave his arms.
Here's another hint. My uncle also had a straight razor and a strop, but he never had mules. About the time Grandfather retired, I saw one of my uncle's Poppin Johnnies set up in a way that obviated tools like the ones pictured.
One more hint. The railroad didn't come to this area until about 1875.

 

[6zfshdb]

Not a tool, but tool adjacent: A smart guy who worked for a cabling vendor I used once advised me that when you open a bag of zip ties, you always make the cut in the center of the bag and perpendicular to the zip ties. This prevents them from falling out.

View attachment 204437

Once opened, I store my zip ties in short pieces of PVC pipe. Easy to organize and convenient to grab when needed.

 

[spokewrench]

Once opened, I store my zip ties in short pieces of PVC pipe. Easy to organize and convenient to grab when needed.

I'd rather store them ON a piece of 1" pipe.
As it is, I pick up open plastic bags, looking for the size I want. Some ties may fall out, making the process slower.
A year ago, I bought 24 of these clips. They are so useful that I immediately bought 24 more. In addition to securing things to hang, the clips will hold a bag shut.
Thanks for the inspiration. Now I have 5 bags of ties hanging on 4 inches of a pipe. Now I can get down to see the various ties I had under those bags.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8L92BBG

 

[PedalUma]

Not sure that qualifies as dumb. What were the guide tubes made of? I wouldn't think you could tighten the ties enough to crush the tube.

No, over time the shift housing became slightly compressed. It took years.
I went to the hardware store to buy zip ties a bag of 50 was $17.50. A bag of 25 at the dollar store was $1.25.

 

[RunForTheHills]

Okay, I'll bite: Show us your zip tie system. Mine has always been to throw the bag of zip ties into a tool bag or into a storage bin. If the bag has failed, I use a zip tie to bundle them altogether. Home Depot sells zip ties in a jar with a screw on lid and I have bought that before. Since the IT / networking industry has moved away from zip ties to velcro, I use a lot less zip ties these days.

 

[spokewrench]

No, over time the shift housing became slightly compressed. It took years.
I went to the hardware store to buy zip ties a bag of 50 was $17.50. A bag of 25 at the dollar store was $1.25.

I have ties rated at 120 pounds. I know it may take weeks for steering to stretch the housing of a rear brake cable enough to make the brake feel mushy, and lashing the brake on overnight will recompress the housing.

You must be dying to know the purpose of those ex-axes. Oak sills, 12x12" and 30 feet long in 1856. No RR to take logs to a sawmill and bring timbers to a builder. A big enough green log would weigh a couple of tons, quite a problem for mules to drag without a road. You could set up a steam-powered mill at the scene, but that would be a hassle. A century later, my uncle used his Poppin Johnny to power a rip saw with a huge circular blade, but they didn't have Poppin Johnnies in 1856.

You'd use wedges to split a square timber from a round log, where it fell. You might get rid of half the wood that way, and the timber would dry faster, further sparing your poor mules. You'd want handles to start a wedge without getting your hand in the way of an errant sledge hammer, and to pull the wedge loose. Wedge handles would work fine if they wiggled and were rough to hold.

 

[spokewrench]

Okay, I'll bite: Show us your zip tie system. Mine has always been to throw the bag of zip ties into a tool bag or into a storage bin. If the bag has failed, I use a zip tie to bundle them altogether. Home Depot sells zip ties in a jar with a screw on lid and I have bought that before. Since the IT / networking industry has moved away from zip ties to velcro, I use a lot less zip ties these days.

I don't know if you meant my system, but here are 6 bags of ties and 2 cloths hanging on a pipe.

Here's a velcro strap making a cardboard box into a tool case. I also use them on tool boxes so I can see at a glance that I can pick it up without having it open and scatter bits. These straps can be great for fastening things on bikes. You cut what you want from a roll and use a metal ring for a buckle that gives you a 2-to1 mechanical advantage for tightening.

 

[PedalUma]

I often put lights on helmets. Two of these are close motion activated. You move through modes such as solid to strobe by waving your hand. The ones on the ends are epoxied on. The middle one is attached by rubber straps. The one on the left is removable with the visor. What is great is that the light moves to where you are looking, like at a driver while entering a crosswalk. I also use fixed lights on bike. This is supplemental.

 

[spokewrench]

I often put lights on helmets. Two of these are close motion activated. You move through modes such as solid to strobe by waving your hand.

Thanks. I bought a couple of usb chargeable motion-detector headlamps in 2020. I decided they had too many light functions, so I bought a simpler one. After 5 years, I decided that 3 AA cells were a hassle, so I bought a couple like the ones I bought in 2020. I'd forgotten all about the motion activation until you reminded me.

I've put headlamps on helmets, but I'm uneasy about it. It's great to see where I look, but some headlamps may generate, I think, more lux than a car headlight by concentrating the lumens in a narrow beam. I don't want to leave a driver night blind.

 

[PedalUma]

Thanks. I bought a couple of usb chargeable motion-detector headlamps in 2020. I decided they had too many light functions, so I bought a simpler one. After 5 years, I decided that 3 AA cells were a hassle, so I bought a couple like the ones I bought in 2020. I'd forgotten all about the motion activation until you reminded me.

I've put headlamps on helmets, but I'm uneasy about it. It's great to see where I look, but some headlamps may generate, I think, more lux than a car headlight by concentrating the lumens in a narrow beam. I don't want to leave a driver night blind.

Because I have bike lights on bikes. I normally use a strobe mode and do not use the motion detector. I can turn my head to give a car a quick flash and then look to the side.