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How to get what you want from epoxy – for me it is long life, shock resistance and strength

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Folks, I work a lot with epoxy and reply on it as a structural adhesive to both fill gaps and bond parts together.  I’ve done everything from fixing car parts, wood furniture, tools, rifle bedding, scope mount bedding, custom knife handles and much more with epoxy.  It is incredibly versatile but you need to do some planning to really get what you want out of it predictably.

In case you didn’t know it, “epoxy” is a general term for a wide range of cured polyepoxide resins glues with different physical characteristics such as how long they cure, strength, temperature resistance and so forth (click here if you want to learn more about the chemistry).   There are a ton of options out there as quality manufacturers experiment with different resin and hardener formulations.  In short, not all epoxies are the same and for people concerned with the quality of what they are building, they need to think things through.  For quite some time I’ve wanted to write down a series of tips for folks to get strong reliable results so here they are:

Buy a quality brand epoxy to begin with

What I have found over the years is that not all epoxies are created equal so spend the money and buy quality epoxy.  There can be a huge difference in how well the epoxy will last over time and/or how strong it really is.  Do not buy the bargain basement junk.  In general, if the maker lists all the physical properties then it is a well thought out and executed formula.  I have three epoxies that I use the most in order are Brownell’s AcraGlas liquid (not the gel), Locite E-120HP, JB KwikWeld and ITW Devcon Plastic Steel.  Once in a while if I need a fast cure epoxy, I will get a retail blister pack of some five minute epoxy and I’ll explain more in a moment.

Strongly consider what your application is

Epoxy comes in many formulations.  They can vary the chemistry of the resin, the hardener and the filler to behave differently.  Consider the following example characteristics:

  • Liquid, Gel/Paste or Putty/Bar — The liquid can seep into pores and fibers plus it can be spread but it can run into places you do not want.  Gels and pastes tend to stay put better but do not seep in as well.  The really thick puttys and bars are great for filling space or creating an impromptu clamp or to seal a hole but they definite don’t sink in much.
  • Temperature – you need to think both about the temperature when you are mixing and applying the epoxy as some will not set up at all if too cold.  You also need to think about the heat when in operation because many epoxies soften and lose their bond the hotter they get.   For example, you may apply epoxy to an exhaust manifold but it will blow off when it gets hot.
  • Pot life – this is how long you can still apply it before it starts to thicken.  Some folks will refer to this as working time.  You need to mix the two parts together, apply the epoxy, position and clamp the work before you run out of time.  Keep this in mind.
  • Cure time – this is how long until the epoxy reaches full strength
  • Color – you can get epoxies in different colors
  • Ratio / mixing – some are by volume or by weight.  The easy consumer stuff is usually 1:1 by volume but when you get into the more sophisticated epoxies the volumes vary or a digital scale is needed
  • Heat resistance – some epoxies resist heat better than others before they soften and “let go”
  • Shock resistance – some formulations hold up better than others before they start the break apart and “sugar”.  Sugaring refers to the powdery look epoxy gets as it breaks apart.  Brownell’s AcraGlas, Loctite E-120HP, JB KwikWeld and ITW Devcon Plastic Steel have all held up very well for me under shocks.  My go-to epoxy for most work is Acra-Glas liquid because it holds up so very well.
  • Others – there are other factors that may matter to you but the important thing is to think through your application

Go with as long of a curing time as you can for maximum strength

What many people do not know is that the faster an epoxy cures, the weaker it is.  Conversely, the longer the formulation takes to cure, the stronger it is.  All things being equal, a 24 hour curing epoxy will be stronger than 90-second, 5-minute, 30-minute and so forth epoxies.  Now there is a time and a place where speed is needed and also situations where strength is paramount.  When I make khukuri hands and other things where strength is critical, I always use a 24 hour epoxy.

Use the Proper Ratios

Be sure to carefully follow the mixing ratios.  For volume ratio work, I use 10cc or larger syringes without the needles on them to meter liquid resin and hardener.  For example, I like AcraGlas and it is 4 parts resin to 1 part hardener.  I keep two syringes separated that I re-use over and over.  With the syringe in the holding cup labeled “resin”, I use it to draw 4 cubic centimeters (CCs) of resin out and squirt it into a mixing cup.  With the hardener syringe, I meter out 1 CC of hardener into the cup.  Now you can vary that.  If you need a smaller about, meter out 2 CC of resin and 1/2CC of hardener.  The syringes really help.  If you are doing larger volumes then either use bigger syringes or disposable cups that have measurements printed on the side.  Also note how I pour from the bulk container into the smaller intermediary containers that are easy to work with plus I avoid contamination, dropping a big bottle, etc.

The Loctite E-120HP comes in a specialized dispenser tube that uses a gun and tip to do all the mixing.  It’s cool as can be for volume work where additional coloring or fillers are not needed.

For the Devcon Plastic Steel, I use my digital scale.

Here’s one thing not to do:  Some guys have heard that if they add more hardener it will cure faster.  This may be true but the resulting cured epoxy will be weaker.  Do not deviate from the manufacturer’s recommendations if you want the physical properties they report.

Mix thoroughly

Folks, I can’t stress this enough.   Mix the heck out of the two parts and combine them thoroughly.  If you are doing larger volumes, consider doing what is known as a double pour.  Pour the two parts into a first container, mix them thoroughly and then pour the combination into the middle of a second container and mix.  What a double pour does is avoid having unmixed materials that have stuck to the walls of the container come out when you are applying the epoxy.  Keep your pot life / working time in mind.

Most of the time I am using a generic 5oz plastic cup and plastic knife to do the mixing.  I buy them by the hundreds for Ronin’s Grips and they are cheap regardless.  Do not use styrofoam.

Prepare the surface

Whatever you want to bond epoxy to had better be clean and free of oils, greases, waxes, release agents and so forth.  Second, the more abraded the surface the better.  If you abrasive blast a surface not only can you double the surface area being bonded together but the irregular surface creates many opportunities for the epoxy to get “under” material to create a better grip.  If you can’t blast then at least sand the surface with 80-100 grit sand paper.

So here are two rules to bear in mind when it comes to the surface:

  1. Clean, clean, clean and wear gloves to not contaminate the surface with oil from your skin
  2. Shiny is bad.  A polished smooth surface will not give you anywhere near the bonding strength that a blasted or abraded surface will.  I blast everything that I can – metals, micarta, plastic and even wood.  It makes a world of difference – seriously.

The following is a bakelite handle from an electric griddle of my parents’.  The unit works great and has sentimental value so I cleaned it, blasted it, cut a quick cross hatch pattern to give even more grip and then cleaned it again.  It set up like a rock and we used it all Memorial Day morning to cook hundreds and hundreds of pancakes with no problem.\

Heating Epoxy

Heat can help you two ways.  First, by warming epoxy it tends to flow better.  If you need to to soak into wood or other surfaces, consider using a heat gun to blow/chase the epoxy into the wood.  Do not burn the epoxy – just warm it up.  Second, in general, warming epoxy up tends to make it cure faster.  Now there are limits and you need to either experiment or talk to the vendor before doing anything too radical.  I will often use a halogen light or other heat source to warm the surface up to 80-100F.  In chemistry, there is a formula known as the Arrhenius Equation that notes that for each additional 10 degrees Celsius added, a reaction rate doubles (click here for more info on the equation).  My experience is that you want the heat to penetrate and warm all of the epoxy and not just the surface and you also do not want to burn the epoxy.  In general, I do not exceed 100F but that is just me.  I found something that works good enough and have just stayed there.

Also pay attention to the minimum temperature requirements for curing.  Some epoxies will not do anything at all at freezing.  Some take forever to cure at 50F.  It just depends.  When in doubt, use a lamp or something to gently heat the part.

Coloring Epoxy

What many folks do not know is that you can actually color epoxy.  I have found two approaches that work.  First, use powdered tempera paint.  You can stir in a bit of black powder to get black epoxy.  Now I did this starting out and have since moved to using epoxy dyes so I am added less powder to the mix because I want to save the volume for glass fillers which we will talk about next.

Fillers

You can modify the physical strength of epoxy by adding a substrate or fillers.  For example, fiberglass is matted glass fiber that bonded together with epoxy made for that purpose.  Folks working with carbon fibers are using epoxy for bonding that together.  I add 1/32″ milled glass fibers to my epoxies to get more strength.  If I want more of a paste, I add more glass fiber and if I want it to be more of a liquid, I use less.  The exact volume of glass fiber depends on what you are trying to do.  Some vendors will give you recommendations and others will not.

Clamping / Work holding

In general, you want to apply the epoxy and then clamp everything together really well and then let it sit.   You may choose to use traditional clamps, vacuum, etc.  Bear in mind two things:

1.  Be careful that you secure the material and that it can’t shift while curing.  I can’t tell you how many times I have checked stuff and found out it moved and had to change my approach.  Figure this out before you apply the glue in case you need to make something, change your approach, etc.  Check it regularly to make sure it hasn’t shifted regardless.  Every time I think something can’t move – it does.

2.  The epoxy will run out of what you are working on.  Decide how you are going to deal with it.  Wax paper can protect your tools and table.  You can scrape the epoxy off after it has partially cured.  You can wipe things down with acetone when partially cured.  Just think it through otherwise you are going to glue stuff together really well that you do not want bonded – trust me.  It is a real headache so plan for seepage/dripping and how you will deal with it.

Patience

This is something I have gotten better at over the years – wait the recommended amount of time.  If they say 24 hours then wait 24 hours.  If you have questions about using the part sooner then ask the manufacturer.  For example, you might be able to assemble something after 10 hours but not actually put it under strain for 24 hours.  Factor in the temperature.  The colder it is then the longer it will take.  Remember what I said about the heat from lamps above.

Safety

Yeah, I had to add this.  Follow all guidance from the vendors.  The resins aren’t too bad but some of the hardeners are nasty.  Wear rubber gloves, use eye protection, work in a well ventilated area and wear a real good dust mask when sanding.  I use N99 masks now for everything.

I hope you found this general epoxy guidance helpful!

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Tools

Review: Wen 61720 Brad Nailer Works Great and is VERY Affordable!!

Hiya folks, my hands shake due to what is known as a hereditary tremor.  When I try to do fine work it often gets even worse and I hate trying to drive fine nails/brads.  A number of years back I bought a Harbor Freight brad nailer that broke in 2016 after a few years of very light use (read that to mean the quality was very disappointing from the get go).  So, rather than play Russian Roulette with Harbor Freight, I went to Amazon and started digging on brad nailers and reading the reviews.

I came across the WEN 61720 3/4-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer.  It is both their best seller and with 926 reviews, it has 4.7 stars.  Folks, when you have that many reviews and that kind of score, it says something.  If a product sucks, reviewers can go back in and change the score so I figured the quality must be pretty decent.  I paid $26.33 for it in May 2016 and now it is $19.34!!  Yes, the price actually went down.  But I tell you what, I have no regrets.

The Wen uses regular 18-gauge brads.  It came in a simple plastic case with a small tube of oil and instructions.  It even had the 1/4″ air fitting installed.  I’ve used Senco, Bostitch, Porter Cable and Harbor Freight brads no problem.  I bought a few variety packs of brads but most of my nailing seems to be 1″, 1-1/4″, 1-3/8″ and 1-1/2″ with this unit.  I have a bigger 16 gauge nailer that I use for longer heavier nails.

 

To make moving the nailer around easy, I have a 1/4″ x 50′ Amflo Polyurethane air hose on it with Milton fittings.  This hose is light and very flexible.  Even in the winter it has been great – I use it to put air in my truck tires when it is so cold that my rubber hoses are stiff.  By the way, if you want air couplers that hold up over time and do not leak – go with Milton.  They beat the beat the heck out of Harbor Freight and Husky.

I tend to run the tool between 60-90PSI depending on how hard I want it to hit the nail.  If you are working with really soft pine, it can really drive it in so I run a lower pressure, usually 60 PSI, in those cases.  I will drive a test brad and look at the results to decide if I need to adjust the pressure further or not.  Most of my work is with pine but I have also done some poplar as well as a bit of oak trim.

As with just about any air tool, be sure to lubricate it with air tool oil.  I don’t run inline oilers due to needing clean air for my plastic work so I simply put in a few drops when I start using the tool for the day.  I have used all kinds of oil and just stick with name brands.  Right now, I have bottles from ATS and others sitting by various tools.  I would recommend sticking with a name brand and one that is relatively light for use in nailers vs. thicker for impact wrenches (Lucas is an example of a heavier pneumatic tool oil).  Also, unless you have an inline oiler, a squeeze bottle with a spout really helps vs. a pour top that will make a big mess.  For guys getting started, the small bottle that comes with the nailer will last you quite a while – just be sure to use it!!  Don’t run the nailer dry.

My project the other day was to resurrect and old planter from my dad.  I took the screws off and each shelf that was stapled together had become very loose.  I put a few drops of air tool oil int he Wen’s inlet fitting, selected brads that were a hair shorter than the wood I was putting together, and then drove 2-3 of the small 1-1/4″ brads into each individual slat to stabilize it.  I then reassembled the plant stand with new screws, stained it with Minwax Provincial Stain and applied 4 spray on coats of satin spar polyurethane on top.  The project turned out great.  It’s rock solid and it’s a little something from my dad that reminds me of him.

So I have driven probably at least 500 brads with this over the past year without one problem of any kind.  The reliability is a huge plus as I hate having to mess with tools to get them to work.  I have no problem recommending this Wen brad nailer to you for relatively casual use – I do not use it in production.  I’d certainly buy it again – you can’t beat the combination of quality and price.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Tools

Review: Chicago Pneumatic CP7200 Mini Orbital Sander is Solid!

Well folks, I bought three Jet small dual action sanders from a closeout tool shop 4-6 years ago and have to replace the little valve on them several times each.  This year when two failed, there were no little valves to be found so I decided to go with a name brand.  I did this for two reasons – solid quality and replacement parts.  These get a ton of use in my shop.   I did some digging around and ran across the CP7200 that has a nice grip, variable throttle, integral regulator to adjust the speed and both a 2″ and 3″ hook and loop pad.

For me, the backer is really important.  I need to sand curved shapes, constantly switch grits of sandpaper and those backing pads do wear out.  I can’t tell you how many I replaced on my Jet sanders and not all of them are good quality.  I made sure this unit used a standard thread (1/4×20) so I could readily find replacement backers.   Note the little tool in the next photo, it slides into a key hole so you can lock the head and screw the backer in securely.  Many of these little sanders are this way.  I have a tool glued into a length of fuel hose to find it easier, I’ve used little philips head screw drivers, etc.  Bottom line is that you need to lock the head in place so you can thread on the backer and tighten it down.

Any air sander uses a lot of air – let’s just be up front about that.    The manual recommends 16.6 CFM @ 90PSI.  That means you’ll want to have a decent compressor and need to figure out how much you want it to run vs. you waiting.  In other words, using this with an air compressor intended for an air nailer is going to suck.  The little compressor will not be able to keep up and it’s tank is way too small.  I have a Ingersoll Rand 2340 with a 60 gallon tank and the pump can deliver 14.3CFM at 90PSI and fills the tank to 175PSI.  This that if I am running the tool wide open non-stop, I will use air faster than the compressor can refill the tank.  However, it is a big tank at an even higher pressure plus I sand and stop, sand and stop over and over.  It really does not tax my compressor at all.

Oh – one last comment about the air supply – use a 3/8″ internal diameter (ID) hose so you can get enough air to the tool.  With a 1/4″ hose you may well starve it because the air will be very restricted until it gets to the tool.  It’s like having too small of a gauge extension cord going to a power tool – you can just get so much air down that small 1/4″ diameter hose.  Quarter inch fittings are fine but do use the 3/8″ hose.  With that said, as usual, the unit did not have a 1/4″ quick connect installed so I took one out of my parts bin, installed some PTFE tape and snugged it down. As you can see, the tools weighs in at 1 pound 9.7oz.  Not too bad and the grip is nice.

Before you put it into production, squeeze in 2-4 drops of air tool oil.  I’ve had good luck with all the oils I have bought and just stick with a name brand such as ATS, Porter-Cable, CH, and even Husky.  Your air tool needs this to run.  If you have an in-line oiler in your air lines then you may be able to skip this step.  I filter the heck out of my air and have to manually oil my tools.  My rule of thumb is to oil them before each day of use.

So I bought the unit on May 14th, 2017, and already have probably 20 hours on it with no hitch.  Not surprisingly the head was a little stiff but everything wore in nicely.  It appears to be working like a champ so I am recommending it to others.

Here it is at Amazon:

Note, CP backers are a fortune.  I’ve had very good luck with this brand of Chinese backing pad with my other sanders so I’m providing the eBay link.  Be very sure the thread is right (I’ve found three so far – 1/4, 5/16 and M6 so be careful) and look for the particular graphic label.  I’ve had other Chinese backers that just disintegrated with very little use.  You figure the tool can spin up to 15,000 RPM so your pad needs to be rated for that as well.  If you can find them elsewhere, great.  I scrounge around on eBay until I find them.

Update 7/7/2017:  The sander is still working great – no problems at all.  I’d estimate the unit has somewhere between 30-40 hours of use on it at least – it gets used a lot.

Also, I swear by Milton air line fittings.  Harbor Freight and Husky female fittings just do not hold up.  I do have a ton of HF and Husky male fittings that I am slowly using up but only buy Milton female quick connects now and will switch to all Milton as soon as I run out of the old plugs.  I’ve been using Milton Type M female couplers for over a year and they are solid.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Tools

How to remove rust from a tool with apple cider vinegar

I live in Michigan and work in an unheated shop.  In the winter, when I use a space heater to work, condensation forms on metal surfaces and rust happens.  I try to keep my tools oiled but once in a while I miss something.  There is a real simple way to remove rust that is dirt cheap and very effective.  In fact, you may even be surprised.  Apple cider vinegar is a safe and easy way to remove rust.   Note, it may well remove finishes such as bluing so you just want to do this on bare metals.

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid at a low concentration.  All you need to do is let your tool, or whatever, sit in the cider while you do other work.  In general, warmer is better.  I’d shoot for 60-70F or it will take forever but I wouldn’t bother boiling the cider either. It was 62F when I fixed these needle nose pliers and it took about half an hour.

Be sure to do this outside or some place well ventilated.  If you don’t, the vapors can cause rust.  I do most of my work out in my drive way to avoid causing problems.

So, here are a decent but rusty pair of small Ace needle nose pliers with plenty of surface rust.  All I needed to start was cheap apple cider vinegar (Spartan is a store brand here) and a small plastic container.  The one caveat is that the pliers can’t have oil or grease on them so I did spray them with brake cleaner to remove any oils before the next step.  You could use whatever cleaner or solvent you like.

 

So I just submerged the tool in the vinegar.  I’ve used everything from wall paper tubs to cups to bowls and so forth.  After a while you should see foam around the metal from tiny gas bubbles coming up and this means it is working.  It may take 5-10 minutes before you see any bubbles because this is a slow reaction.  If you never see bubbles then it may mean either there is oil on the metal, the remaining acetic acid is too weak (if you are re-using vinegar over and over the acid gets used up so there is less and less of it per given volume) or it is too cold.  I would not bother doing this under 50F or it will take forever.

 

In this example, i was about 30 minutes before I pulled the pliers out.  In general, the warmer the solution the faster it will react.  It was 62F when I did these and I didn’t bother heating anything.  Look at how foamy the rust looks and the steel has turned a grey color.  The rust will come right off.  I used 0000 steel wool to remove it.  If the tool needed more time, I could dunk it back it.   In my case, the tool was definitely done.  I then hosed the tool down liberally with WD40 to remove the vinegar and avoid rusting.  If you want to pour boiling water on it you can but you need to get something on there fast to prevent rust.  In general, I just use WD40 followed by CLP or oil because the acid in the vinegar is so weak and I’ve not had a problem with rust later.  If I was using a stronger acid, then I would be worrying more about neutralizing, then rinsing, applying WD40 and then oil.

 

Here’s what it looked like after I oiled it.  After that, I just put it away – it was that easy!  I do this a few times a year at least and the process has worked just fine.

When I was done, I put the vinegar back in a separate container to use again.  If you want, you could throw it out.  It will slowly weaken with repeated use.  If I have any doubt about effectiveness, I toss the cider and use some that is fresh.

I keep this just in the garage and well away from the kitchen.  The point is that you don’t want people consuming contaminated vinegar so label it and keep it away from the kitchen, pantry, etc.

 

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Tools

Buy a big Neiko 10048A set of quarter inch driver bits and not worry about having the right one when you encounter something weird

You know the quarter-inch bit really gives you amazing flexibility 4 installing or removing different types of screws, bolts and even using some tools such as Spade bits and step drills. With them you can overcome the problem of having the right type of screwdriver to install or remove specialty security screws or even things such as Torx and Allen heads.

For the most part when I am using Phillips bits I stick with name brands such as DeWalt, Irwin, Milwaukee and so forth. What I have found is that cheap bits aren’t always very rugged and round the tips over very quickly compared to name brand higher-quality bits.

For security/tamper-proof bits and specialty bits, I have this large set from Neiko.  The below set has served me well so far when I hit the “oh man, do I have a bit for that” moments when working on cars, guns and electronics:

In case you are wondering, here is what Neiko reports about their 10048A bit set:

The 100-Piece Security Bits Set Security bits set contains many of the most common tamper proof type security bit sizes, including tri-wing bits, torx bits, spanner bits, and hex bits. Security bits set contains: 1 – wing nut driver. 1 – magnetic bit holder. 1 – socket bit holder. 1 – 1/4-Inch sq. x 1/4-Inch hex x 1-Inch extension. 1 – 1/4-Inch sq. x 1/4-Inch hex x 2-Inch extension. 3 – clutch bits (No. 1, 2 and 3). 3 – torque bits (No. 6, 8 and 10). 3 – spline bits (M-5, 6 and 8). 4 – tri-wing bits (No. 1, 2, 3 and 4). 4 – square recess bits (No. 0, 1, 2 and 3). 4 – spanner bits (No. 4, 6, 8 and 10). 6 – metric hex tamper proof bits (2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6). 6 – SAE hex tamper proof bits (5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 9/64 and 5/32). 8 – Phillips bits (0, 1, 2{5} and 3). 8 – pozi drive bits (0, 1, 2{5} and 3). 9 – slotted bits (3, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7 and 8). 9 – metric hex bits (1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 5.5, 6 and 8). 9 – torx bits (T-8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 35 and 40). 9 – torx tamper proof bits (T-8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 35 and 40). 10 – SAE hex bits (1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 9/64, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32 and 1/4). Set includes plastic storage / carry case.

Based on my experience, for the price it is cheap insurance and it has saved me more than once so you might want to consider a set.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Tools

Irwin Lock-n-Load Quarter-inch bit extensions can save your bacon

Irwin make some very nice quarter-inch drive extensions in different lengths that you can use for extending your reach of everything from screwdriver bits, socket drivers and even step drills. I have even stacked the units for getting into really bizarre locations. I have use them for everything from reaching down inside butt stocks to loosen Frozen bolts, to truck firewalls, to holding Spade bits while drilling custom holes for recoil absorbing mercury cylinders, and so forth.

They are not very expensive and are definitely something I would recommend keeping in your toolbox for those times you have to reach something that is set way back.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Tools

Blazer GB2001 micro torches are very handy

I work a lot with plastics, paracord and webbing.  Thus, I need to melt ends, heat small tools/probes to poke holes and what have you.  I use lighters for a while but the problem was they didn’t generate very much heat. They were good for searing the end of a paracord but not quickly. Sometimes they quit it heat tools up enough to poke clean holes in webbing.

As usual I did some digging around and came across the Blazer torch as you see in the above photo. This thing is fantastic. I have used it for probably at least two years with no trouble. I bought this in 2014 and after hundreds if not thousands of clicks, the little piezoelectric spark unit is still working just fine – as is everything else.  It’s just plain reliable.

It is refilled vs standard butane cartridges. You can save a bundle by buying packages of them off of Amazon versus from the local drug store, grocery store or whatever. Surprisingly the torch does not use a ton of butane fuel at a time. I think it is because the jet is actually fairly small. You can adjust the intensity and the air:fuel ratio depending on what you’re working on. I bought a six-pack of the few will you see in the photo and I think I have only gone through one and a half cans in a couple of years.

The rubber base is removable if you don’t need it and in the next photo you can see a clear picture of the butane fill port.

So if you are looking for a very portable small torch this Blazer has worked great for me and I recommend it so I am listing it below for your reference.

Update:  7/23/2018:  It still works great.  No problems to report and am still using it regularly for rope and nylon.

Update 11/28/19:  The seals went out last month and it will no longer store butane for more than a day or two.  Based on reviews on Amazon, I am going to try out a Bernz-O-Matic ST2200T and see how it lasts.  I bought the Blazer on 11/29/14 so it almost made it four years,

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Tools

Step Drills Can Simplify the Drilling of Clean Holes in Sheet Metal and Relatively Thin Stock

One type of drill I use a lot are step drills.  They are best thing since sliced bread for cutting circular holes in sheet metal and relatively thin stock where the the thickness of the material is less than the height of the “step” in the drill.  Unlike a normal twist drill, the step drills will not thread onto sheet metal and make a mess.  You get a nice hole on one side and if you can reach the back side, you can come at it from that direction and remove burrs very easily.

I keep a variety of step drills including some odd-ball drills that are very similar but stepless that I mainly for opening up some odd non-critical sized hole.

I also have several lengths of Irwin extensions that I use for holding step bits, spade bits, screw-drivers and just about anything else with the common 1/4″ interface.  I’ve even plugged one extension into another to reach really remove parts and can’t even guess how many times these extensions have saved my bacon.

I’d recommend that you keep all of these handy. If you can, buy a known good brand as it will probably last longer.  My problem with imported cheap bits in the past is that they dull fast.  Irwin, Dewalt, Klein, Milwaukee and other name brands might be something you want to invest in if you plan to use them a lot.

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