Thursday, January 26, 2012

Yet Another reason to Prepare!

I went out to my car this morning and it gave me a another reason to think about backup heat for our house. Most people never think about there heat going out. I know why because there is no easy answer. I've been thinking about it quite a bit, and what I've been coming up with range of answers from solar to wood heat. I think we as a people should put more thought into it, and listen to our cars they might be trying tell us something!


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lesson's Learned Warranty and the Web

I purchased these side cutters for cutting my HO train track about 2 years ago, and  after about a year they broke as you can see. I have been meaning to get around to taking them back to where I bought them from, to see if I could get a replacement for them. They cost around $14.99. I couldn't find the receipt for them and I keep meaning to take them back but another year went by. I was cleaning my shop and on the computer looking at my blog when I came across the cutters and my post about the X-Arcade project and that was it! I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice so sense I was on my computer, I went to the website and emailed customer service a picture and how they broke and now we wait and see!


Friday, January 20, 2012

Update to the Soldering fume extractor project


This is an update to the Soldering fume extractor project. I added some white LED's to see what I'm working on. I salvaged the white LED's from broken led lamp that someone gave me.


I finely figured out what to make the base out of a friend of mine gave me a 4" steel roller from some type of machine I cut off a chunk with my band saw and drilled and taped a hole in the center to mount the arm to. I've found quite a bit use out of that roller never pass up free metal!

I also added a power supply and a on and off switch. Every thing on this project salvaged now I need to find a charcoal fish filter to hang on the back.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

DIY coupon organizer's!

So I had allot of coupons laying around and not organized at all. Ya lets get real, I have a lot of stuff just laying around but coupons are a pain. When you go to the store there falling out of the cart your pocket you never know what you have and ya I could pay for a nice one at the checkout lane at the store, but you know me by now if your read this blog, I'm not buying one. I have way too much laying around I can just make one for free.


Step one free folder from some vendor catalog.

Step two some free CD protectors from some old software that has been upgraded. 












Step three cut them down so they fit the folder.









Step four put in folder and label each one section tab by type of coupons.


Step five the ones you cutoff to make it fit into the folder punch a hole through one corner  and take an old key ring with a clip and put it through the hole.

Now you can organize them at home take out the ones you want for your shopping trip and put it in your key ring holder and snap it to your cart and now your organize and doing something with that stuff just laying around your house. Final cost just time.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Movie Review Countdown to Zero


This is a must see for any one that thought the cold war was over. It is still a scary world out there! One of the more interesting comments in the move was if there was an all out nuclear war you would get 15 to 30 minutes warning max and we though people building bunkers in the 60's were crazy.It was also scary how many nuclear bombs the US has lost and how much nuclear material there is on the black market. All in all two thumbs up!   

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

DIY Emergency Lights

So I've been thinking about building some emergency lights for the basement for a while now. I was just at a conference and scored some jumbo white LED's from a DIY led throwies build and figured it was time to build the lights. A quick trip to the junk box for a few parts like some washers,nuts,screws,threaded rod,some angle iron and a light reflector from an old broken garden solar light.    


I figured I could screw them floor joist's in the basement so if the power goes out during a storm and we had to take shelter we could have light.



Now I need to get power to them a little wire and some screw terminals and little Perf board.


 So there up now for a test run!


We have light! It's just the right amount of light to see in the basement and it will run for a vary long time in a extended power outage. Now I just need a automatic switch to turn them on during a power outage well I guess will have to think about that for a wile and check the junk box. Not bad for 0 dollars! 

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

DIY Junk Box Flashlight

I decided to do this project because I wanted a small but vary bright flashlight, so that I could use to use up all the old smoke detector 9V batterys.  I change them every New year so I have a good supply of half dead batterys. This is what I came up with 3 white LEDs a chunk of pc board and a top to a 9V battery and some hot glue and some solder.





Monday, December 26, 2011

Emergency Chocolate

Emergency Chocolate well there goes another one of my ideas. I guess it has been around for years in c- rations and MRE's but as direct marking what a great idea. I need to get some for my wife!


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

MISTO the Magnificent

No It's not some hot new magician. But it does preform some magic!
I don't endorse products unless I have used them. I have had a MESTO now for a about a year and I have to say it was one of the best buys I have ever made. It has saved me quite a bit of time and money on PAM. Plus I can fill it with what ever oil I like and who knows what is in PAM?  So if you do a lot of cooking like I do its worth your time.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Movie Review :Alone in the Wilderness the story of Dick Proenneke















I've seen this documentary in bits pieces over the past few years on PBS, but finally after years I broke down and rented it from the library. It's about a man named  Dick Proenneke who move to the Alaskan wilderness and hand built his home and everything else he need. He built every with just a few hand tools. It is a unique look into the life of a truly free individual. So if  you get a chance rent it.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Cheap tent stakes!

I saw these tent stakes at a flea market and thought what a simple yet ingenious design. I just had to share I'm thinking of making a few. 

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Brass Oil lamp for 5 Bucks!

 I picked up this oil lamp from a salvage store for five bucks!  It reminded me of an old emergency civil defense lamp. I figured I could shine it up plus it came with a bag of new wicks and heck you never know when you might need emergency light. 


Friday, August 26, 2011

Another reason to Prepare!

This picture was after a heavy rain the other day. The white line in the water in the lower part of the picture is the divider between the right and left lane on the express way I was on my way to work we had to drive through the water water to get to work.



Sunday, August 21, 2011

X-Arcade project

OK so I learned a big lesson on this one. I got this for free and it had a bad connector on the control board so I went to the scrap electronics heap and found a donor board that had the part on it. Then proceeded to replace the part and reinforced it so it wouldn't break again and it worked!  Now here is the lesson it was a wast of  time because when I went to look up the user Manuel on line this is what i found. 


Indestructible Design With Lifetime Warranty

Office building
Whether you are thinking about forking over some cash for the X-Arcade™ Tankstick or the X-Arcade™ Machine, your X-Arcade™ product is built tough, really tough.

How tough?

Well let’s put it this way, some scientist friends of ours predict that when the world ends there will be two things that will survive; cockroaches and your X-Arcade™.
Now having your X-Arcade™ survive the apocalypse may not be all that useful, as you probably won’t be around to enjoy it, but it does give you an idea of what kind of punishment it can withstand.
So go ahead, let the kids beat way at it, have your rowdy friends over, put it through the paces, this materials are soo tough it is hard to even scratch it.

Cuddle it if you want, but you don’t need to!

Most electronic gaming gear is built with Barbie doll plastic components, but each component of your X-Arcade gear is industrial grade stuff, tough stuff that is then riveted and bolted together with the loving care of drill sergeant.
You’ll probably love your X-Arcade™ so much that you will want to coddle it and wipe it with diapers and we do encourage that, if that is your thing. But you really don’t need to. We mean it when we say X-Arcade™ game room gear is tough and guaranteed to bring you a lifetime of fun.

Built to last: tested for 10,000,000 Uses!

Xgaming x-arcade lifetime warranty game controller
Xgaming Lifetime Warranty covers your X-Arcade™ for LIFE. It’s that simple. No gimmicks.
In the event that your X-Arcade™ can’t take a beating or is defective, Xgaming will either fix it, or send you another one. We’ll even pay the tab for all the shipping charges! (USA ONLY).
No other gaming company on the planet has the huevos to offer such a warranty. See all details here.
Oh yeah!.... you’ll also get Toll Free Support, Online Live Help, and a 30 Day Money Back 

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Fast tasty and healthy


This is something that makes a quick lunch or dinner it inexpensive fast tasty and healthy. It's a good way to use up extra production from the garden in the summer too. So here is what you need a cucumber,red pepper, 1 veg burger,some wheat tortilla and some garden blend cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese on the tortilla and peal and cut up the cucumber place on the tortilla cut up the red pepper and put on the tortilla. Now cook the veg burger and crumble on top of the whole thing and rap up and enjoy!


Friday, May 13, 2011

Experiments in money Update!

So here is a clip from a email that I got from a friend that knew I was saving my pennies and nickles.
The Government just keeps closing the loop holes, but that's ok I'm still saving my pennies and nickles can't melt them or sell them out side of the U.S. But you can still sell them in the U.S. and we all know they will keep going up in value.













Have you ever spotted a 1964 quarter in your spare change?
Odds are slim to none.
If you’re a student of history, you know why. These coins were hoarded out of existence... years ago... for their silver content.
And that’s why beat-up quarters - dated 1964 or earlier - sell for $5 or $6 apiece on eBay.
But now, the lowly penny and nickel are following suit.
Most people don’t know this - but it’s ILLEGAL to carry more than $5 in pennies or nickels out of the country.
The U.S. Mint says, “We don’t want to see [these coins] melted down so a few individuals can take advantage of the American taxpayer.”

What’s going on here?
Well thanks to the surging price of nickel... copper... and zinc, the government is terrified. If they allow these coins to freely move about - they could disappear overnight.
In short, anyone with half-a-brain would melt them down - and double their money.
So to put a stop to this, the government has slapped a $10,000 fine or five year jail sentence on anyone caught with more than $5 in coins heading out of the country. (Thanks to David Hall Rare Coins and Van Simmons for passing this story along.)

Did you get that?
The Government will throw you in jail if you so much as try to make a $5 profit melting down pennies and nickels.
If that’s not a sign of desperation... and that the end of the dollar is near... I don’t know what is! It’s literally a financial death-threat from the Treasury.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers


I had to find out how to make Black Bean Burgers after paying $3.98 for 4 burger patties. I mean a buck Pattie get real!

So here is my try at it!

1 Can of Black Beans
1/2 Onion
1/2 Green Pepper
1 Table Spoon of Garlic Powder
1 Table Spoon of Chili Powder
1 Table Spoon of on Cumin Powder
1/2 Sleeve of Wheat Saltines Crackers
Hand full of shredded pepper Jack cheese

First drain the can of beans and rinse the put them in a blow and mash with a fork. Then add all of the spices. Chop the onion and the Green pepper and Crackers into small bits and add to the mix. Now form them into patties.
Now Cook them!
I found that the Gorge Foreman works the best for cooking them. I have heard that freezing them you can cook them on the grill. I'll will try that and let you know you can also pan fry them too.



Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Experiments in money

So I have been doing a long term experiment with money for about a year or two. I walk everyday at lunch and look for change and other things of value that people have lost. I find quit a bit of each, I like to call it Urban Treasure Hunting. So let me get to the experiment part, all of the pennies I pickup I sort out by date and all the pre 1982 pennies I roll and put on the shelf. Any thing that is 1983 or newer I put in a jar take to the bank and cash in.

 So here is the idea behind it. The pre 1982 penny's are 95% copper and worth 2 cents in copper value. So if I melt them down I just dubble my money. On a side note it's illegal to destroy U.S. currency in the U.S. so I would never do that. But you can sell it to some one out side of the U.S. for it's copper value and what they do with it is there own business.

The other though on this subject is that the goverment is going to get rid of the penny all togather. Basically because it costs the government to much to make a penny. It costs the government about 3 cents to make a penny. If they stop making them it's no longer money, so you could melt it down legaly. Also if pepole start melting them down, those coins will become more rare so they will increase in value because there will be less of them in circulation. I'm also saving nickel's because there basically just a nickel coated copper slug and there worth about 6 cents each. I also live close to the Canadian border so I save there pennies and nickle's too.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Here a few things you should know about Our Money!

Is U.S. currency legal tender for all debts?


According to the "Legal Tender Statute" (section 5103 of title 31 of the U.S. Code), "United States coins and currency (including Federal Reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal Reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues." This means that all U.S. money, as identified above, when tendered to a creditor legally satisfies a debt to the extent of the amount (face value) tendered.

However, no federal law mandates that a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services not yet provided. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills.

Some movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations as a matter of policy may refuse to accept currency of a large denomination, such as notes above $20, and as long as notice is posted and a transaction giving rise to a debt has not already been completed, these organizations have not violated the legal tender law. (http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/faq/faqcur.htm)

What is legal tender?

31 USC 5103. Legal Tender United States coins and currency (including Federal Reserve Notes and circulating notes of Federal Reserve Banks and National banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts.However, there is no Federal statute which mandates that private businesses must accept cash as a form of payment. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a state law which says otherwise.(http://www.moneyfactory.gov/faqlibrary.html)


The following table gives specifications for U.S. Mint legal tender coins presently in circulation.


Quick Circulating Coin Facts:


•Mutilated Coins: United States Coins no longer fit for circulation are classified as "uncurrent" or mutilated.
◦Uncurrent coins are coins that are worn yet recognizable as to genuineness and denomination, and are machine countable. Uncurrent coins are redeemed by the Federal Reserve Banks, then forwarded to the Mint for disposition.
◦Mutilated coins are coins that are chipped, fused and not machine countable. Mutilated coins are only redeemable through the United States Philadelphia Mint facility.
All uncurrent or mutilated coins received by the Mint are melted and reused in the manufacture of coinage strips.
I have some coins that were damaged and the bank will not redeem them. What can I do with them?
The Treasury Department has prescribed regulations regarding uncurrent and mutilated coins. Let us explain the difference. Uncurrent coins are whole, but are worn or reduced in weight by natural abrasion. They are easily recognizable as to genuineness and denomination, and they are such that coin sorting and counting machines will accept them. Merchants and commercial banks will generally accept or refuse these coins at their discretion. However, Federal Reserve Banks and branches handle the redemption of uncurrent coins.

Mutilated coins, on the other hand, are coins that are bent, broken, not whole, or fused or melted together. The United States Mint is the only place that handles redemption of mutilated coins, and they should be sent to the Mint at Post Office Box 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
(http://www.ustreas.gov/education/faq/coins/sales.shtml)

What happens to United States coins that are no longer fit for circulation?

"Those coins are classified either as uncurrent or as mutilated. Coins that are chipped, fused, and not machine-countable are considered mutilated. The Mint redeems mutilated coins at the value of their metal content.
Mutilated coins are only redeemable through the United States Mint at:
United States Mint
P.O. Box 400
Philadelphia, PA 19105
(215) 408-0203

Uncurrent coins are worn, but machine-countable, and their genuineness and denomination are still recognizable. Uncurrent coins are replaced with new coins of the same denomination by the Federal Reserve Banks, then forwarded to the United States Mint. All uncurrent or mutilated coins received by the Mint are melted, and the metal is shipped to a fabricator to be recycled in the manufacture of coinage strips."

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Ahhh Bread the staff of life


So I got a bread machine and man it's nice!

No more $3.98 a loaf bread for me. We have 4 people in our house so we go through about two loafs a week. So far we have only made Whole Wheat Bread and we have been doing it for about two months and I will never go back to the store bread again!

It's vary easy but it does take some time so you have to plan ahead. It only takes 5 minutes to mix the ingredients and start the machine. But you should be home for the 4 and a half hours it takes to mix and bake it just in case something goes wrong like a fire. You know Murphy law the first time you leave it by its self it will burn your house down.




Here is the ingredients for the bread:


  • 1 Active dry Yeast packet or 2 1/2 teaspoons of instant yeast

  • 1 1/3 cups of water

  • 1/4 cup of vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup of Molasses or Honey or maple syrup

  • 3 1/2 cups of Whole wheat flour

  • 1/4 cup nonfat dried milk

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

  • 3 to 4 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten














Here are the keys to making this bread.

1. You must use 3 to 4 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten (Unless you like short dense loafs of bread)

2. Mix the Wheat flour and the wheat gluten and the dried nonfat milk in a bowl

3. Put the oil in the the bread machine pan first and then molasses and then the water it should be around 80 to 95 degrees

4. Add the dry mix to the pan

5. Now in one of the corners add the salt then cover it with the mix (you want it deep in the corner but not in the water)

6. Now add the yeast to the center of the mix in a hole and cover it up like the salt.

Other tips that will help:

1. use the 1/4 cup for the dried milk first then for the oil and last for the molasses this way the milk won't stick or the molasses.

2. When you measure out the flour stir it up with a spoon to fluff it up first so it doesn't pack and then use the edge of the handle to level it off in the cup you will get better results if you do this.

3. The yeast temp should be 80 degrees but I make it about 10 to 15 degrees higher because once you put it in the pan and get all the other stuff in the it cools off 10 to 12 degrees.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Droid Dock 30 bucks (Ya Right!) DYI

So I now have a new cell phone, this one is a Motorola Droid by the way (way cool!). I guess you can get a car mount and a home docking station for ($29.99) each. When you put the droid in the home docking station it goes into media mode and when you put it in the car mount it goes into nav mode. Now true you can use apps to turn on these modes but you have to push buttons! God forbid we have to do work! Plus $60 bucks come on. Well you know me DYI.








So I guess how it changes modes is with magnets how fun is that!






I wasn't sure how to approach this I wanted to do it in metal because I'm a better metal worker then a wood worker. Since I wanted to test the concept fast I used some scrap trim that I had sitting around. The magnet came out of an old CD drive





You have to kinda play with the position of the magnets because there two magnetic switch's in the phone one for the car nav mode and one for the home media mode. I think should incorporate power and speakers next, that will be (DYI Dock 2.0) coming soon to a blog near you!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

What to do with one Old Cool Fork.

More fun with metal but the sad part is no fire for this project. So what can you do with a Old Cool Fork. Well you can make a Cool Business Card holder or a table place card holder.

This is a easy project for a quick present for someone or quick cash if you just sell them to other people. To make them you need a vice a tack hammer or any small hammer will do and a pair of needle nose pliers. The vice and hammer is for the neat 90 degree bends on the front and the needle nose pliers are for the loops on the back. A good place to find forks is the good will store or garage sales.