Tips 'n' Tricks

[old man emu]

When building things, one comes across little tips and tricks form others who have discovered things that make completing a task easier. They are things that have application in many areas, but few people take the time nowadays to publish them. Back in the day, magazines like Popular Mechanics had pages and pages of these tips'n'tricks. So here's a chance to let others know what you've found to be useful and time saving.

 

1. CONTAINERS FOR MIXING EPOXY CEMENT.

Next time you are getting some sushi, keep your eye out amongst the free chopsticks and soy sauce fishies for little metal trays. You are supposed to put your dipping sauce into them for the sushi. These little metal trays make handy containers for mixing small amounts of epoxy glue, or for any small quantity of material, such as a bit of tough-up paint.

 

2. PAINT STRIPPER IN A SAUCE BOTTLE.

Paint stripper is hard stuff to get out of the container. The lid is usually in the centre of the top and the stripper can only be got out by dipping a brush into the tin. Wash out and empty tomato sauce squeeze bottle, (or buy a picnic sauce bottle from a $2 shop). Upturn the open tin of stripper into a funnel in the neck of the sauce bottle and let the stripper drain into the bottle. When most of the stripper has drained out of the tin take the top of the tin off with a can-opener and let the rest of the stripper drain out. MAKE SURE that the squeeze bottle is clearly marked with the name of the product inside, and a danger warning.

[facthunter]

Geez OME. Keep this up and If I ever say "the Cemeteries are full of Indispensible people" I'll get hundreds of "what about OME !?" abuse. Nev

[Thruster88]

To clean spider webs from the hangar I use 8mm dowel up to 2m long in a cordless drill, it winds them up spiders and all. Also had some birds that would sit on the wire rope bracing cables in the roof, a thick coating of wheel bearing grease on the cables resolved the issue, no birds for years now.

[facthunter]

OK you smarties . How do I get Bats (not pink ones) out of my shed and workshop? They crap and pee on everything and ruin paint and chrome. In return I can tell you how I got rid of ringtail Possums from the bottom shed. My Youngests UNDERARM deodorant.. I can't stand it, neither can the possums.

Thruster, I suppose those birds do the best greasy landings around, now. Nev

[nomadpete]

Tell us.

 

Please

 

What brand of deodorant????

 

And..........

Hope do you hold the possum still for long enough to spray deodorant under its arms?

[IBob]

This is my most satisfying bit of home innovation. You know how the vacuum cleaner won't stay upright, falls out and attacks you when you open the cupboard door etc? This is a hook made from surplus aluminium strap, holds the wand in the corner where it belongs. I have to say my qulaity of life is now greatly improved...........)

[IBob]

......and while we're on it, that's a Miele Cat & Dog vacuum cleaner, which has some really serious suck.

Right now we don't have a cat....or a dog....but I'm looking forward to vacuuming one when we do............)

[old man emu]

How do I get Bats (not pink ones) out of my shed and workshop?

 

Seriously, why not contact a local reptile park (there are a few around Melbourne) and ask their advice on a suitable python to house in your shed? A python might not eat many bats, but it will sure scare the hell out of the others.

[IBob]

Another nifty thing I noticed in a rental: someone had taken red nail varnish, and marked the knobs for the two front plates of the cooktop.

It meant you didn't have to decipher...yet again......the little pattern of dots next to each knob to figure out which one you were turning on.

Does anyone else have to do that every time? For some reason, I do.............(

[kaz3g]

OK you smarties . How do I get Bats (not pink ones) out of my shed and workshop? They crap and pee on everything and ruin paint and chrome. In return I can tell you how I got rid of ringtail Possums from the bottom shed. My Youngests UNDERARM deodorant.. I can't stand it, neither can the possums.

Thruster, I suppose those birds do the best greasy landings around, now. Nev

Hi Nev

 

I would love a photo of your bats If you can get one. If they are in your shed, I’m guessing they are the tiny ones smaller than a mouse (microchiroptera), not fruit bats.

 

You are actually really lucky to have them around. They keep the mossies and moths down so you and your fruit and veggies will benefit.

 

kaz

[old man emu]

Does anyone else have to do that every time? For some reason, I do..........

 

Identifying the correct control comes from practice. Try doing more cooking - if the missus will let you near the stove.

[facthunter]

Kaz, I can only go by the dead ones I occasionally find and they "may" be Juveniles but I don't think so for some reason. They are quite small. Yes they consume large amounts of insects and I'm thinking of getting / making special (bat houses) so they go outside. They will get under a metal garbage tin lid on a flat topped fence post and can fit through a 8mm gap in house structures. I certainly don't wish to kill them (or anything much else) Nev

[pmccarthy]

This thread seems to be merging the themes of cooking and bats. Haven't you been warned?

[old man emu]

What started out as Tips 'n' Tricks for the Workshop has become Helpful Hints for the Housewife.

[Blueadventures]

To clean spider webs from the hangar I use 8mm dowel up to 2m long in a cordless drill, it winds them up spiders and all. Also had some birds that would sit on the wire rope bracing cables in the roof, a thick coating of wheel bearing grease on the cables resolved the issue, no birds for years now.

I hope you leave the daddy long legs alone as they are the first line of defence against Red Backs. In my place the Daddy Long Legs are friendlies.

[IBob]

I started carpeting my build with Ados F2 brushed onto the metalwork, and F2 aerosol sprayed onto the carpet pieces.

The spray was especially messy, and I went through a lot of it with the job still not complete. I also felt I was not getting particularly even application and adhesion.

 

I found that by adding some 2-way thinners to the F2, it gave me a liquid mix that was much easier to brush onto both the metalwork and the carpet, with good even coverage, and adhesion. It also slows the curing, allowing more time for application and FOR positioning of the carpet.

Had I realised this initially, I wouldn't have bothered with the aerosol.

 

HOWEVER: DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE A BREATHING MASK WITH ACTIVATED CARBON FILTERS, PLUS DOORS AND WINDOWS OPEN. THE FUMES ARE SOMETHING ELSE AGAIN..............

[Bruce Tuncks]

After noticing that the sump-drain plug on my Jab 2200 was on the side of the sump, I tried an experiment: I used a suction tube through the oil-filler to do the draining. Then I undid the sump-plug and noticed that nothing came out. You obviously get a bit more with the suction tube ( I did start with a warm engine and left the tube overnight).

So these days, I just use the tube and it saves time and mess.

[Flightrite]

After noticing that the sump-drain plug on my Jab 2200 was on the side of the sump, I tried an experiment: I used a suction tube through the oil-filler to do the draining. Then I undid the sump-plug and noticed that nothing came out. You obviously get a bit more with the suction tube ( I did start with a warm engine and left the tube overnight).

So these days, I just use the tube and it saves time and mess.

What device us used for the suction?

[Bruce Tuncks]

I just put the receiver ( an old oil container ) on the floor and syphon it out. You gotta be careful you don't get oil in your mouth at the start.

[old man emu]

Jabiru owners suck!

[kgwilson]

I might give this a try. Saves having to re lock wire the plug too. I remember when I was in the UK in the 70s they used to do 5 minute oil changes at some service stations by putting a tube gown the dipstick hole to suck the old oil out. It didn't include a new filter but I think back then they were the old internal type and you had to remove the casing to get it out invariably spilling oil everywhere.

[Bruce Tuncks]

kg, you have nothing to lose although I recommend that you do the plug as well the first time just to make sure you are getting the tube right down.

Yes I reckon I got the idea from a car service place.

 

The other thing I do is to use 3 super-magnets on the oil filter. I hold these down with stainless lock wire and then some electrical tape. This idea came from an aircraft maintenance book. There sure is some fine black sludge on the inside of the filter where the magnets were when you cut it open, and this can only be ferrous wear-metal from the rings and cylinders.

When I asked the guy at the auto-parts shop why filters didn't all have magnets in them, he told me that there used to be such filters.

[flyhi]

I might give this a try. Saves having to re lock wire the plug too. I remember when I was in the UK in the 70s they used to do 5 minute oil changes at some service stations by putting a tube gown the dipstick hole to suck the old oil out. It didn't include a new filter but I think back then they were the old internal type and you had to remove the casing to get it out invariably spilling oil everywhere.

I remember the Sydney Taxis doing the 5 minute oil changes by sucking it out the dipstick tube back in the mid 1960's

[Old Koreelah]

This is an excellent thread!

My next oil change will be soooo much easier when I suck it out thru the filler tube!

I have three super magnets doing nothing at present; they're going to be wired and taped onto the outside of my Ryco Z-386.

[waraton]

This is what I use. Mine is a 6 litre container same as this, there are various types, inexpensive, quick and no oil in the gob!