Life, Liberty and DIY

BudDIY Podcast – Episode 63 – What I Learned Replacing a Roof

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BudDIY Podcast Episode 63

Learning about replacing a roof, and actually doing it are very different. This week I had a hard lesson with that.

Part of the problem comes from the fact the building I am replacing the roof on is nearly 100 years old. The other part is I learn by watching YouTube, and everything they do is “the right way” from the beginning.

So trying to transpose from scratch builds to retrofit of a 100 year old building has been quite the exercise. Plus just learning to do a metal roof in general was a great step forward in my skillset.

Follow along in todays podcast to find out what it takes to do a new roof, and the fun time I had doing it. While replacing the roof sucked at times, it was totally worth it.

A Tape Measure that is Actually Worth Buying

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FastCap Measuring Tape Notepad

Finding a good tape measure can be a real pain. I know when I was researching them actually finding a review was a huge tough.

Most people don’t actually talk about tape measures, or they just dismiss them out of hand. That is understandable since it is just a tape measure.

As I have been learning more about DIY I have wanted to get the best tool I could afford for each tool I have. So at some point I thought “Hey I wonder if there is a better tape measure.”

This research lead me to the FastCap Measure Tape.

About the Tape Measure

Most tape measures do one thing. They pull out with lines on them to signify length. That is about it.

FastCap Measuring Tape pencil sharpener

The FastCap Measuring Tape definitely measures, but it has a unique feature where the opposite side of the tape has the measurements in reverse. This is so you can see the length from both angles, you aren’t left reading numbers upside down.

There is a tab on the clip that you can press at the top to attach to your belt or jeans instead of trying to push it down. This saves wear and tear on your clothing and saves time from repeatedly not getting it to slip on.

It also features a notepad on side so you can note down a measurement instead of trying to remember the measurement as you walk 50 feet away to make a cut.

Finally, there is also a pencil sharpener for your standard round pencil, which is genius. Think about the number of times you can’t just quite make a mark with your pencil that you need to. You have to hunt down a pencil sharpener, now you have one on you.

What I Like About this Tape Measure

FastCap Measuring Tape belt clip

There are really only 2 features I like the most. The first one, and oddly my favorite, is the tab on the clip to clip it to your clothes. I hated trying to attach a tape measure to my jeans and not quite being able to get it to clip on. Now I never miss.

The second feature I like is the reverse side measurements. I measure at a lot of different angles, so it is great to get a good view of numbers no matter the angle I am measuring from. It also measures down to the 1/16″ on both sides so the precision is there when needed.

Tape Measure Cons

The only con I have run into so far is the clip I love so much. It does stick out so when I get into a tight spot the clip tends to grab onto things. As an example I was getting in and out of my jeep, and I am a bit big for it so when the tape measure grabbed on one too many times it broke the clip off.

FastCap Measuring Tape features

Conclusion

As a testament to my appreciation of this tape measure. Once I broke the tape measure I pulled out my phone and bought another one right on the spot.

This is the best tape measure I have owned. The rubber sides adds to grip, and I find it a great size for my hands. When I can help it I only use the FastCap Measuring Tape.

All that said while I like the notepad I personally don’t use it often at all. However, I have seen people on YouTube that swear by it so some people use it a lot.

I definitely recommend the tape measure, and I recommend you add it to your tool belt.

BudDIY Podcast – Episode 62 – Winterpocolypse 2021 Retrospective

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February of 2021 brought unprecedented cold blast across the entire United States. Part of the country were brought to its knees.

A lot of people had a really bad time of the weather due to lack of preparedness for bad weather. There are a few things if everyone had done it would have made life more manageable for all.

In this episode I go over what happened during the winter storm. Some statistics on power outages that all people deal with. And finally I talk about 5 sensible precautions I think everyone could make to help in future bad events like this.

Marmot Rain Coat that Actually Works to Stop Rain

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Staying dry while working outside in the spring can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be.

I have gone through several rain coats, and inevitably they either leak or I sweat a lot in each of them.

The Marmot Precip rain jacket has been the best one I have warn. I stay dry, and when I sweat it actually seems to wick out. I can work for a couple of hours in the rain without, well as long as it isn’t too hot, and can stay comfortable.

About the Jacket

The features of the jacket are pretty basic. It has a hood that covers your head, and folds up over a collar you can zip up to your chin. This helps prevent water from leaking down the front of you.

The wrists, and the bottom of the rain jacket have elastic you can tighten up so other parts of the jacket can get a seal as well from running water into it.

The pocket openings are flat agains the rest of the jacket to help stop water from getting in. The pockets interiors are netted so it helps to vent the inside of the jacket as well.

Finally, you can also velcro a flap over the front zipper to help water run over the zipper.

What I Like

There are two features of this jacket that I think are the best.

  1. Zipping up the collar to the top of the neck to keep rain from leaking in from the top. I don’t know why this is the biggest problem I have with leaking jackets.
  2. Pockets that are nets, and not plastic. I like that it vents the jacket, but also doesn’t make my hands sweat when I have them in there.

I like most everything about the jacket, but the above are my 2 favorite.

Cons

You need a hat with this jacket. When you tighten down the hood even a little bit it starts to curl into your eyes. Maybe it is just my height and head, but without a hat it is very annoying.

While you can do manual labor work, make sure it isn’t rigorous work. If you snag something big enough it will probably tear the jacket. I mostly move animals around the property, or drag large limbs from one place to another, or even just check on water flow and saturation of different parts of the property.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great rain jacket for all of your daily work needs. If it is raining in the spring/fall or summer I grab this jacket almost every time.

I don’t use this if I am running fence, digging holes, or cutting stuff down. Other than that work this is probably one of the best rain coats you can buy.

Pair it with some muck boots, and some good shorts, and I can stay out for hours “working”.

BudDIY Podcast – Episode 61 – 5 Reasons to Learn DIY 3D Modeling

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Learning 3d modeling as a DIYer is not an obvious thing to do. However, I think learning how to 3d model at least basic things can save you a lot of time and money.

While time and money are super important things to save there are other reasons to learn 3d modeling. With the swath of options and tutorials out there now is a great time.

In todays episode I will go over the 5 reasons I think you should learn how to 3d model.

Peppermint Tea Yourself

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Tea is a surprisingly good thing for you health. This wasn’t something I was aware of growing up. I mostly thought tea consisted of, black tea, and fruit flavored tea, which I don’t like.

I used to get sick every year at least a couple of times a year with a cold of some sort. Getting sick was not fun, and I starting thinking “Surely our ancestors didn’t get sick this often, and had remedies”.

Going through that exercise lead me to research natural remedies. Which lead me to all sorts of different teas. Peppermint is one of the more important teas that I drink as it has some great benefits.

The best value seems to be Twinings of London Pure Peppermint.

About

There are four main benefits I like from Peppermint tea, that personally helped me.

  1. Antibacterial and Antiviral
    • Helps from a prevention standpoint for getting sick.
  2. Antioxidant
    • Helps to clean the blood and make the antiviral and biotic more effective.
  3. Menthol – active ingredient helping with headaches
    • I don’t often get headaches, but when I do I dislike taking pain pills. I was surprised when this tea really helped me.
  4. Anti-inflammatory
    • I didn’t believe this one until some joint pain went away.

What I Like

I have loose leaf tea, and these bags. I like the loose leaf tea when I want to make something strong because I can get a nice blend I like. However, I think these bags are a great and quick way to make peppermint tea when you don’t have time to use loose leaf tea.

Cons

To be honest there aren’t really any cons with this, that I can think of. It is bagged peppermint tea.

Conclusion

For me this tea has been a great addition for my health. I enjoy the taste of the tea by itself, and mixed with other teas. It provides the health benefits I am after, and is cheap and readily available.

BudDIY Podcast – Episode 60 – Building an Air Quality Monitor

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Everyone should really have an Air Quality Monitor in their workshop so they can stay safe and healthy.

Unfortunately, they can be pretty expensive to buy off the shelf. However, there is an alternative to an expensive machine. Just make one yourself.

In this episode I talk about what I did to make one, future development plans I have, and the quality difference from the research I did.

I also talk about the future plans I have to help others make their own.

Links

  1. Arduino Uno
  2. 22AWG Silicone Hook Up Wire
  3. 500pcs Electrolytic Capacitor
  4. Crystal Resonators Oscillator Assortment Kit
  5. 18pF Disc Capacitors
  6. 22pF Disc Capacitors
  7. Atmega328P-PU with Bootloader
  8. Gikfun Solder-able Breadboard
  9. KEYESTUDIO Pm2.5 Dust Sensor
  10. Kaisi Heat Insulation Silicone Repair Mat

The Best Mechanical Pencil You Will Use

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This pencil doesn’t break its lead like almost every other mechanical pencil. I hated using mechanical pencils until I saw this one in action.

There are a lot of different pencils that exist out there for using with woodworking. While this isn’t directly meant to work with woodworking, it is excellent for it.

The Pentel GraphGear 1000 is a great pencil you should add to your arsenal.

About the Pencil and What I Like

I think the feature of this pencil that stands out above all other mechanical pencils is the retraction of the tip does. When you open up the back clip to put it in your shirt or apron the tip retracts. This helps to protect the led from breaking.

Another great feature is the lead comes out at a slower rate. So every click pushes out less graphite than most other penciles. This is great for not overusing graphite and wasting it.

A feature the manufacturer doesn’t talk about, which I like, is you can take it apart and clean it. I get sawdust in there at times and need to blow it out, and I can get all of it out.

Cons

There are a couple of different problems with the pencil that you should be aware of before you buy.

The first problem is the pencil seems to break easily if it falls just right. I accidentally dropped it on the concrete floor and it broke the retraction ability of the pencil.

My experience with the eraser has been terrible with the 2 that I have owned. I don’t know what it is about some erasers, but it just seems to smear the graphite. My dads pencil seems to erase fine, but mine suck.

Conclusion

I know I mentioned that these pencils can break easily, and the eraser isn’t that great. However, I also went and immediately bought another pencil when it broke. That is how much I like these pencils.

I also think the small feature where it pushes out just a little bit of graphite at a time is one of the key reasons I haven’t had to replace the graphite since I have bought it. I was expecting to replace it regularly, as that is what I remember from high school.

I totally recommend the Pentel GraphGear 1000. Check it out I think you will like it too.

BudDIY Podcast – Episode 59 – Raised Beds and Dust Collectors

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Health, safety, and good food are all things to a great life.

In this weeks episode I talk about a couple of projects I worked on this last week that leads to better health, safety, and food.

First I talk about the new raised gardens I built, and some of the lessons learned. This should hopefully lead us to more nutritions, and good food.

I then jump into the Harbor Freight dust collector my dad and I customized for his shop so he has the most efficient dust collector he can from harbor freight. I also go into what is a bit different about this build vs others builds.

Links

  1. Episode 58 – Introduction to Aquaponics
  2. Govee Thermometer

Govee Indoor Thermometer and Hygrometer

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Do you know what the temperature is in your shop? What about the humidity?

I always wanted a digital thermometer in my shop, and a hygrometer as well. However, I wanted to make one with an Arduino and some components. The problem is I never got around to making it.

After looking at cheap digital thermometers I think the best feature for price is this Govee Indoor Thermometer.

About the Thermometer

The thermometer is actually a nice size. It isn’t HUGE, and it isn’t something stupid small. Although it could be a tad bit bigger, but I am happy with it.

I also like that it isn’t overly complicated, with a lot of features. literally there are 2 large numbers. The top one is the temperature, and the bottom one is the humidity.

There is also min and max humidity and temperature off to the side and below the main numbers. I honestly do not ever look at these numbers as I don’t care.

Finally, it has bluetooth capability so you can do things with that. I have not used that feature so I can’t tell you what all it can do.

What I LIke

They main thing I like about these thermometers are they are cheap, and just work.

The thermometers don’t try to be too much, they tell you the temperature, and humidity. They don’t tell you the time or barometric pressure, or anything else. Just temperature, and humidity.

Cons

The size is good, but if it was about 1 to 2 inches wider and taller that would be nice. I can’t quite make out that small of text across the shop. It isn’t a big deal as I can just walk over, but on occasion it would be nice.

I do wish it had a backlight I can click on at times. There is the occasion I’ll walk through my shop while it is mostly dark to get a tool for in the house. Sometimes I am curious of the temperature in the shop at the moment. Not a big deal, but would be nice.

Conclusion

At the end of the day this is a great thermometer that does its job well. I tells you the temperature, and humidity. The batter seems to last a really long time, and I can easily move it wherever I want because it is compact.

They are also cheap enough I have multiple, and will probably get more.