Life, Liberty and DIY

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

The Only Insulated Leather Work Gloves You’ll Need

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Cold hands are the worst. Especially when you have to get work done.

I have spent years with cold hands while working outside, and it has not been a fun time.

The problem with finding gloves has always been finding a combo glove. The gloves I buy are either the gloves are great insulated gloves, or great leather gloves. Never both.

That is until I found the OZERO Insulated Winter Work Gloves.

About The OZERO Gloves

The leather is actually leather so you get the tough self healing nature. This is what we all expect from leather gloves, but the fake leather does not deliver.

This is going to sound strange, but I really like that the thumb is not joined to the rest of the hand. That is the thumb is not cut out with the fingers.

The manufacturers sewed the whole thumb on separately. To me, this gives it a better more natural feel for your hands.

Also the insulation is “lambswool”. I feel like they keep it together like that because it is synthetic, and not really lambs wool. However, that does not mean it is bad as an insulator. In fact it works quite well.

My Experience

I think the best way to describe how good a product actually is. Is by telling you what it has done.

I use these gloves anytime the weather gets down into the 30’s and I have work to do outside. They are great for as little work as just walking around the property checking fence or for what critters have messed up now.

These gloves are also great for actually doing work too. They are tough enough to pull and fix fence, as well as handle picking up heavy loads for hours on end. That also includes move endless amounts of wood, and tree branches.

The other great thing is while I don’t recommend using them in the rain they do last, and stay warm for a while in the rain. Once you are done using them put them in front of something warm to help dry them out. Don’t put them in the dryer.

Cons

These gloves are great, but there are a couple of things I don’t like.

The main con is they don’t last even longer in the rain. I have debated getting a second pair and experimenting with some waterproofing so I can use them in the rain longer. There have just been times I have had to get stuff done, and been in the rain for too long. While the gloves stay warm’ish. They do get cold when soaked.

Finally, the thing I dislike is they are a little fluffier than I like so I feel like I have big hands. It makes handling smaller things frustrating. I guess that is true for most gloves that are made for warmth.

Conclusion

Overall I plan to use these gloves until they wear out, which might be a while, and then buy another pair. In fact I am tempted to buy a couple more pair just to make sure I have some if they ever stop selling them.

The price is great, and the protection from cold they offer is amazing. I was super skeptical that real leather gloves with synthetic fibers would be good, but these exceeded my expectations.

BOW Products Feather Board Probably Your Best Choice

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Have you ever cut your finger on a table saw? I have, it isn’t the funnest of activities.

If you want to hear more about me putting a finger in the table-saw listen here: My tablesaw sent me to the emergency room

With that in mind the I think the Bow Products Featherboard is one of the best on the market, and the one you should buy. Here is why.

How The Feather Board Prevents Cut Fingers

One of the problems that comes up with cutting on the table saw is if you get distracted, you can lose track of where your hands are. You don’t have to always be distracted, you can also just be super new and trying to think of everything at one time. (points at self)

Giving a physical barrier for your fingers to touch is a great way to help you keep track of where those fingers are.

As an example as you are feeding long boards through the saw. Your left hand is generally holding on to the board to keep it steady while on the table. The question is how far forward do you move that hand before taking it away?

Do you know how far you have pushed that hand forward?

Some people hook a thumb at the edge of the table to so they keep it there.

Well the feather board can allow you to touch something with your fingers giving you feedback to stop moving your hand. That alone makes a feather board super important in my opinion.

Helps Prevent Kickback

Most feather boards just help to keep wood pressure against the fence. However, the bow products board has a rigid foam with teeth. These teeth will help to grip on to the wood if the saw tries to kickback on you.

It does this by being slightly flexible, then when the board moves backwards it causes the teeth to protrude more than normal putting extra pressure against the fence.

Multi-tool

I think one of the final, great, things about this feather board is you can use it on multiple types of tools. So it isn’t just limited to the table saw.

If you get the double stack option you can use take them apart and use them as 2 separate ones. If you stack them together you can use it with taller stock on various tools.

There is also a t-track option if you have t-tracks on your router table, or assembly table.

Cons

I have talked pretty extensively about the pros, and by far there are a lot of pros. Enough to make this an easy buy.

However, you should know about the cons.

  1. I think the biggest frustration is since the foam board is so big you can’t use too wide of a board so it really only works for smaller cut offs on the side opposite the fence. Now most of the time this is not a big deal at all, but on occasion it can be annoying.
  2. The parts that go into the miter slot can be tough to actually push into the slots, sometimes. I don’t really understand why. At times they just slide right in at others I have to coerce them. (that said the new version has a bit of a different way so this cold be fixed)

That is really about it.

Conclusion

If you don’t have a feather board totally buy the Bow products featherboard. It is well worth the money. If it is possible to use it, then I do. I am also going to make sure when I build a router table, I can definitely use these feather boards with it.

Finally they have a product for the bandsaw to re-saw wood. I like this one so much I am going to buy it to test out and use.

Carhartt Quilt Lined Duck Shell Coat

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This quilt lined Carhartt coat single handedly changed my views on winter clothing.

I used to think there was no hope staying warm in the winter with clothing alone. I have done a lot of winter camping, and just stuff outside in the winter. However, I was always cold unless I was working, or hiking, or just constantly moving.

I would be warm, sometimes, in a low degree rated sleeping bag. I just never could stay warm.

Why I Got the Coat

To be honest I never really did a lot of research into winter clothing because I had never successfully been warm in winter, and for some reason I just accepted it would never happen.

A couple of years ago we got chickens and I was going to have to go out everyday no matter the weather and do chores. I decided I needed to figure out how to stay warm. Realistically, I wasn’t going to do the chores if I couldn’t be mildly comfortable. That would not be fair to the chickens.

The Coat

I started looking around at fellow farmers, and homesteaders in my area. Also those same people in colder climates. Most of them wore a Carhartt coat, so I figured they have to know something I don’t.

So I set out to buy a Carhartt coat with absolutely no knowledge of what I was doing, and I bought the wrong one.

The company I worked for offered branded Carhartt coats at a discount if you bought 5, it was mostly meant for sales staff.

I rounded up the people, and we bought 5. Only these were jackets not actual coats. I almost swore off Carhartt coats then and there.

However, my wife convinced me to try one last time. We went to atwoods, and I tried on coats. They were much different than the jacket I owned. They were thick, heavy duty, tough, and super warm. I even started sweating in the store.

It was glorious, but I didn’t buy just yet.

The Purchase

I actually, out of curiosity while my wife was looking at the clearance rack, scanned the coat with the amazon app. On amazon for that day I could buy that coat for $30 off, so… I did. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but it was $30 off.

The Coat is Amazing

For the last two years I have used this coat extensively in all kinds of weather. Here are my favorite reasons I like it

Pros

  1. It actually blocks wind, never experienced that in clothing even when they claim it.
  2. Sheds water for a long time before it starts to soak in. Usually plenty of time to finish the task I am on.
  3. Super warm just standing around down into the 30’s, and down into the 10’s if I am working. With a t-shirt or long sleeve t.
  4. Resistant to tears, I don’t know how many times I have nicked this thing against branches, wood, and other things. No tears.

Cons

  1. The hood. The only con I have is the hood, and it really isn’t one. I don’t like hoods as I wear full brim hats, a lot, so the fact it is there I don’t like. However, the coats without them I didn’t like as much so…

If you are on the fence about buying one, definitely do it. It is totally worth the money. I am so on-board with this coat I will buy one full price if I need to once this one wears out. That said I don’t know when/if it will wear out. It still feels, almost, new and is a couple years old.

After this purchase I have put more time an energy into finding good winter clothes instead of assuming they will all be bad. So, if you are in the same boat I was. Don’t give up.

Maglite 3-Cell D Battery is The Only Homestead Flashlight You Need

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LED plus Maglite is an instant win because you know it means quality. That is why I recommend the Maglite LED 3-Cell D Battery.

I have been around Maglites for years, and owned and used several different types. Maglite is, if not the best, one of the best flashlight companies around, period.

LEDs have also been the best lights, pretty much, since they were invented by GE. I have loved LEDs as general lights since before the compact fluorescent craze set them back several years. LED lights are stronger, lighter, produces less heat, lasts longer, and are safer for you and the environment than any other type of light.

So when I saw there were LED Maglites, I put away my old ones and immediately ordered them. I heard at one point these were not great, but have been fixed in recent years. I only learned about them a couple of years ago, I was still happily using the old incandescent lights.

Which Maglite should I buy?

I think the answer is easily the D-Cell sized Maglites. Preferably the 3 D-Cell.

My reasoning is kind of simplistic. It is a great form factor for most hands to hold on to. It is has a little heft to it so you aren’t swinging it around everywhere as your hands twitch so it forces you to be specific about what you do.

The D-Cell sized lights are also super durable, and with the amount of power they store lasts a LONG time. Also if you need to use that durability for other things, they will do that too.

Plus one of the most important things is the lights are super bright. I can shine it on my neighbors house 300 feet away and see what is happening in their yard. This is great when checking for predators at night.

I just wish they made a 6-Cell version of these.

How many flashlights to buy?

At least 1.

I also try to have one at each exit in my house, and I have these D-Cell Maglite Mounting Brackets for quick access to a lite on the door I am heading out.

I also recommend one for each vehicle, but I haven’t found a good way I like to secure it inside the car. So I keep removing them, and they don’t make it back for a long time.

Conclusion

To be honest it is crazy how often you use a flashlight, especially in the winter, that once I started having one on hand most of the time I wondered what I ever did before.

So to wrap it up I recommend the Maglite LED 3-Cell D Battery for the light, and to mount the light. I recommend D-Cell Maglite Mounting Brackets