Friday, April 29, 2011
DieHard Portable Power 750 with 12 Volt Outlet and Light Review
After having this unit for over a year I figured a review is needed. So this is the DieHard 750 jump starter. I bought one when we were taking a long extend vacation that would entail driving over 4000 miles. I had been looking around for something like this for a few weeks before I decided to buy this one. It has saved me once from a dead battery and that for me means it has paid for itself.
Pros:
easy to use
good size battery
solid construction
Cons:
no lead supplied to recharge
incandescent lamp
As far as the cons go, you can recharge with a male-male 12v plug or you need an extension cord of some sort. This does not mean it is a bad unit just some forethought is required to remember to bring an extension cord (which on its own can come in handy). Also, when I bought this, LED lights were just making it into everyday items so since it was not included I don't really consider it a big failing.
As a portable power unit it was nice to have on vacation. We had rented a house and had some family stay with us. They had only brought 12v car chargers with them. Whenever they wanted to charge their ipod or cell phones they had to go out to the car. I remembered I brought this along and figured it could work for a while. They could charge them in the house now and it hardly drained the battery after a week of this.
I would give it four stars if only for the lack of charging cord. I would buy it again or give one as a gift.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
My Review of GSI JavaGRIND Coffee Grinder
Nothing starts a morning or ends an evening in camp like a fresh cuppa joe. With the GSI JavaGRIND™ you can take "fresh" to a whole new level.
Great little manual coffee grinder
Pros: Compact, Lightweight, Durable
Cons: Unstable
Best Uses: Car Camping, Single cup, High Altitude, Backpacking, Hiking
Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational
What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist
Was this a gift?: No
It was a long search to find a good, reasonably priced manual coffee grinder. It holds a fair amount of beans so you will not have to carry more if you are going away for a few days. It is a little unstable but if paired with the GSI press it fits just right. I would buy it again for a gift for someone else if I could.
(legalese)
Monday, January 3, 2011
My Review of Yaktrax Pro
Regain your confidence when walking on packed snow and ice with the updated, simple-to-use Yaxtrax Pro traction devices.
Great Product
Sizing: Feels true to size
Width: Feels true to width
Pros: Easy To Put On & Adjust, Great Grip
Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational
Was this a gift?: Yes
I got these for Christmas and love them. I walk to work on some icy streets and at times almost fell down. With these I can walk comfortably and not feel like at any moment I am going to fall.
(legalese)
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Just "Screw it"
So anyway, why the post title? Gold star screws is the reason. I might never go back to phillips. They are self drilling....no really they are. They have a Torx head on them so you don't have to press down to keep the bit engaged in the screw. I know, Torx you say, not everyone has a Torx bits lying around. But in fact if you do any car maintenance on newer cars you have come across them, in quantity. Also, the bit was sold right next to the display for $0.88.
I would HIGHLY recommend these screws. Just as a disclaimer, Gold star did not give me anything for this. I was simply at the hardware store, saw them and thought I might give them a try.
For the Bunk beds, it will be a twin on top and a full on the bottom (we have the mattresses already so no need to by new ones). I am making them out of "2 by" white pine material. The rails will be 2x6 and the legs will be a corner made from a 2x4 screwed and glued to a 2x6. They will be sturdy that is for sure. Probably way over engineered but it puts my mind at ease. I will post pics in a few days and the girls will probably be sleeping in them next weekend after a good coat of paint.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Veritias MKII Honing Guide
Veritas MKII Honing Guide
The first blade was a 3/4" chisel: easy to set up. I did not know it but I my chisels were ground at 30 degrees and not 25 as I had thought. Now I can put them back in the guide and with only a few strokes, a sharp edge appears.
The second was the Zen Toolworks plane blade. It came beveled but not honed. I flattened the back (easy as it was essentially flat to begin with), then put it in the guide and away we went. After about 5 min of working through the grits I had a honed, micro-beveled blade.
My conclusions
Pros:
I never really had a sharp edge before this. I only thought I had a sharp edge. The difference between what I could achieve freehand and with the guide is night and day. All my chisels can now pare end grain like butter. Before it was really difficult and frustrating, now it is almost a joy to see them flow through the wood.
I like that I can come back to the same settings easily and without fuss. Makes getting and maintaining an edge a much more enjoyable process.
Cons:
Holding thin chisels can be tricky (1/4"), they want to skew as they are worked on the grit. You have to be extra careful and tighten them in the guide well and be mindful on keeping the chisel straight when drawing it on the grit.
All in all I give two thumbs up. Look around for the best price. I got mine off ebay (NIB) but only saved $2 dollars or so.
Zen Toolworks Plane review
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Zen Toolworks Plane
So the details: Measurements are about 9x1.5x2.5. The blade itself is with my none caliper ruler 3/32" to 1/8" thick, nice and stout. Instead of a wood blade holder it has a brass cap with a well knurled thumbscrew.
Here is a close up of the throat. It is square with the body and well cut. The blade ramp is smooth and there is no wobble with blade that I can feel.
Overall I am quite happy with the plane. I have not made any shavings yet but I have not been able to properly sharpen the blade yet. I have my eye on a Veritas MK II honing guide and setting up a "Scary sharp" system. This blade will be the one I run through that. Should just be a week or so.
Just as a side note. Hard maple is a pain to cut dovetails in when it is 3/4" thick. I am making a shelf for over the stove and thought this would look nice. It will contrast with the oak trim I put on for the kitchen remodel.
Also a tip of the hat to Kari at The Village Carpenter. I don't know what you use to compose your thumbnail pics but this was with powerpoint. Yours always look great so I thought I would try it. More refining needed on my part.