Ask Adam Savage: Tips for Building Within Tight Budget Constraints

In this live stream excerpt, Adam answers questions from Tested members David Hopkinson, Jim Horton and Chris Brewin about angled cuts, tools he's modified and what to do when you have only JUST enough materials to finish your build. Thank you, David, Jim and Chris for your support and questions! Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam a question:
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Thanks for watching!

[@user443]

When only having enough material for the final product, consider these possible options: 1) Practice with a less expensive substitute material. Use paper, cardboard, foam core, polystyrene insulation board or other materials. Even if they're not the exact thickness, just assembling something in three dimensions can be informative. 2) Practice building a small scale version which consumes far less of the expensive materials. The small scale version does NOT need to be a scaled down model per se; rather, it could be scaled down in certain aspects while retaining full scale attributes at key points. 3) Practice high-risk cuts, holes, joins on a small, sacrificial piece of expensive material. 4) Practice glues, primers, paints, finishes and anything with a potential chemical reaction on a small, sacrificial piece of material. 5) Pre-visualization! Before any irreversible action (cutting, drilling, painting, gluing, anything) physically go through the motions of positioning the material, almost doing the action, walking along the board with the circular saw, etc. Do power cords get hung up? Is there enough room on the outfeed table? Are you about to send overspray onto something by accident? Physical pre-visualizations and pre-walkthroughs are always informative. 6) Take a break! If you've been working and concentrating for a while, take a break. Clear your mind. 7) Related to taking a break, the day before you plan to work on your project, clean up your workspace, stage the materials, supplies, tools, and bits or attachments you plan to use. That way you can approach your workspace the next day and everything is ready for you.

[@Beamer1969]

Preparing the workspace may be the most important of these steps

[@helion6884]

5 and 7 remind me of the best workshop/job site lesson my dad shared with me, always clear the trips and traps

[@heatherfraserdaley460]

As a Journeyman Mechanic for 20 years I’ve been plagued by the “what to keep” problem from day one. We’re always hanging onto oddball fasteners and wires and such but there’s always only so much space in the toolbox junk drawer. Seems once I’ve held onto something for years, grow tired of looking at it or digging around and moving it, I’ll toss it. But this guarantees I’ll need it within the week.

[@scottmantooth8785]

*which means you just need a bigger tool box...DUH!!!!*

[@alexreith4877]

This is just about as guaranteed as a law of nature. The only addendum is that sometimes the need for a piece that you declutter waits just long enough for you to forget that you decluttered it so that you wrack your brain trying to figure out where the heck it's gone. At least that's how it works for me.

[@Grain_side_carving]

Knowing what to keep plagues me endlessly although I have figured out for leather i can prototype with paper and save alot of material

[@componenx]

As a set builder and material hoarder, I go through a yearly cycle of "dump the junk" in August, but for the rest of the year, I keep all scrap longer than about 6" in a bin (except for totally trashed/warped/split/knotted wood). Even with that, I find myself always going to the trash to get shims, wedges, temporary scabs, clamp blocks, "wood for notes", etc. We recycle as much wood as possible, so we don't use nails or glue, but eventually pieces of wood look like Swiss cheese, and are no longer usable. As wood prices have gone up, creativity has become much more important! When 3/4" plywood hit $70 last year, and arctic birch was cheaper than garbage sheathing, I triple checked all measurements!

[@loucatozzi7656]

"If you are not sure how it is going to go...slow down." Truer words have never been spoken to me. I should have that on a very large poster on the wall of my shop! I have one project right now that I thought would take me 6 months to complete and instead I am now in my 6th year of working on it.

[@OrigamiMarie]

I have another thing to add to that: if you only get one test run before the real thing, make sure you sleep between the test run and the final run. Neuroscience experiments show that especially mechanical skills settle in better when you sleep. For instance, they had people learn a mechanical task, then half of them did whatever for some time while the other half napped, and the half that napped improved by noticeably more when doing the task the second time, the same amount of time later.

[@deadrabbit5566]

Have been on Adam savage benge for the past week. Not regretting it what so ever. Absolutely love the content.

[@tested]

We appreciate your watching and your comment!

[@TimSzabo]

@@tested Adam If you see this I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to tell you that "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." If you have not already you can. Jesus can forgive you of your sins if you confess them to him and believe in him.

[@criminaloffense7434]

@@TimSzabo If you want to preach then consider a church. YT comments aren't the place.

[@TimSzabo]

@@criminaloffense7434 I just care about Adam because he was a part of my childhood on mythbusters. Have a nice day friend

[@criminaloffense7434]

​@@TimSzabo And preaching is how you show that? Can't say I get it...

[@teedermcdribble]

Years ago I used to do decking with a guy and he was on such a tight budget that he'd tell me to save the holes in the ground for the next job. Thanks for the great vids.

[@joyl7842]

I saw the "ya gotta screw up to know how not to screw up" answer coming! 😄 It was the main teaching tool for myself when I used to build and paint model airplanes. "The greatest teacher, failure is." - Yoda

[@zachquigley1550]

That's how I learned to work on cars! There's no feeling like realizing you need to pull an engine out for a second time because you screwed up the clutch replacement 😭

[@MobiuSphere]

As someone who uses it professionally, I can tell you the Makita tracksaw is 95% of the tool that the festool is, at half the price. Honestly unless you are in the festool ecosystem already, I would not recommend going that route over the Makita

[@user-zz8ln3uh5x]

And the Festool and Makita saws and tracks are pretty much functionally compatible with each other.

[@taunokekkonen5733]

Yes, and if you look up AvE's vid where he disembowles the Festool tracksaw, you'll see the price is not in the materials at least.

[@malcolmrose-zadow5517]

I haven’t used the makita, but I find that Mafell tracksaws are about as good as my festool, and the rail is a much better design, the clamps go in super easily, they’re secure and out of the way, plus, you can attach to rails together for longer cuts

[@kennethelwell8574]

The factory edge of a sheet of plywood will be straighter (and stay straighter) than most 1x boards. If your project involves 2 or more sheets, plan your long cuts first, using another sheet as a guide. A long offcut of plywood is probably the one long, skinny piece of scrap worth keeping around.

[@OrigamiMarie]

And if you need a rough-but-straight edge for marking out something and it needs to be longer than any of your dedicated measuring / straight-edge possessions, that long skinny off-cut is super useful.

[@davethekiwibloke]

You've hit a hole-in-one with that comment...I do exactly that myself in my own workshop. In my case I have plenty of space and keep a couple of bins, one has lots of long thin straight offcuts...the smaller ones a foot or so long end up as paint stirrers or stabilising wobbly tables on my slightly uneven concrete shed floor. The longer ones are, as you say, used for drawing straight cut lines on other material...and getting cut up for paint stirrers when I run out :) I even keep short stubby thick offcuts...they are great to clamp bits of metal on for when I'm welding a small piece on my workbench, so the workbench top doesn't burn, or as a base to drill holes through something into, or for propping something up while I spray it etc etc...they usually finally end up in the fireplace as starter wood.

[@cloud9skin88]

Such perfect advice! I've been screwed on some of my builds due to my own impatience, and need to work on this for sure. When you say this it just really hit home. The ol "measure twice, cut once" quote in the viewers question definitely transends to other stages as well for me (or at least I need it to). For me I've found that spending extra time in the planning stage helps a lot. Take the extra time early, don't rush, it will pay off in the end. Love the content, Adam, thanks for all you do! Huge fan.

[@4dthinker582]

Skip the screwdriver with the threaded inserts. We use a hex head bolt with two nuts on it locked together. Spin the insert onto the bolt, then use a nut driver to sink the insert into the wood. Once driven flush, back out the bolt. If the insert want to come with it then an open end wrench can loosen the nuts and the bolt will spin out clean.

[@jogvanjakupsson2952]

I had just prepaired to make this very recommendation. Here is a link with someone explaning this very method. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4TEn5Rvi82Ljrc

[@authorizeduser6507]

I think the slots help cut threads too

[@ksavage681]

Great tip!!

[@vll3302]

I’m not a machinist, engineer or prop designer. I didn’t watch Myth Busters regularly or anything like that. However, watching you work and interact with your audience the brings me so much joy. The passion and enjoyment you have for your work just makes me smile. Thanks for being you and sharing your passion.

[@lamartinez20138]

I'm a novice floor/tile installer one thing you've said about no room being truly squared is 💯 facts. Even new houses can be 1 inch off

[@googiegress7459]

HAHAHA maybe 1 inch off per inch ;)

[@pamelabraman7217]

I have always found that heavy duty packing materials, cardboard and foam, useful for making mockups of projects.

[@jsig2300]

As a maker on a budget my recommendations are to plan thoroughly (sketches, measurements, watch multiple videos, read articles, etc) and be ready to adapt when something doesn’t go as planned.

[@Mich_Angel]

My mantra for tight budget is a (saying/verse/poem) that popped in my head after making mistakes.. like the.. aah! noo.. and argh! not again..! ha ha ha! " To Achieve greatness! " " Experience comes from mistakes, and greatness comes from experience! " Great video as always Adam thank you.. CHEERS!

[@tested]

Thank you, David, Jim and Chris for your support and questions! Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam a question: kzbin.info/door/iDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOAjoin If you have tips on building within a budget, please weigh in! KNIPEX High Leverage Diagonal Cutters: amzn.to/3roeJZA Festool Cordless Track Saw TSC 55 5: www.festoolusa.com/products/sawing/track-saws/576718---tsc55kebifplusxl-sca-us

[@olsonspeed]

Threaded inserts are best installed by using a bolt with a locking nut, the insert is driven into the material with a ratchet or nut driver. When the insert is flush, the locking nut is loosened and the bolt is removed.

[@JamesWhittle]

Absolutely. I only use the slots for removing them.

[@kennethelwell8574]

I made a custom tap for those brass inserts, to cut the external thread into a hard wood (teak) to frankly make inserting them even possible, let alone squarely. They do sell an installation driver tool, that has a hex shank, round pilot, and blades to drive the inserts. $10 well spent.

[@ksavage681]

They also make inserts with phillips cross inside.

[@robertdascoli949]

" you gotta screw up to know how not to screw up." That's one of the truest statements I've ever heard.

[@thatbeatboxguy103]

Great video and great infos as always Adam!

[@Aeidotronics]

The "K" in Knipex is actually not silent. It's weird, I know. The American distributor insists on "Kuh-nip-ex" and the actual Germans say "Kih-nee-pix" or something similar.

[@washellwash1802]

Weird? It's only English where that K is silent. You're the weird ones! ;)

[@animalchin5844]

I love his shop, owning a shop like that is my goal in life, probroubly 45 years of accumulation

[@xXCigarXx]

I don't know,Adam probably has a pretty high income comparative to most people....I'd say he probably accumulated this much faster....but I'd say 45 years probably isn't a long stretch for someone on a normal wage to accumulate.

[@davethekiwibloke]

Trust me...45 years of accumulation ends up with you either a) building yet ANOTHER shed to store stuff in; or b) spending the vast majority of your time attempting a clean-out only to convince yourself that everything you have will be critical at some point in time (it's true, they are); or c) wallowing in chaos...or more likely all of the above :D

[@theguylevi]

I have found the 'screw up to learn' point to always be true. Even if it is much later that you are able to attempt the project again, when you have forgotten much of the fine detail, it always turns out better. Personally, it actually helps to completely forget about a project before a second attempt. 🤷‍♂️

[@MajorHavoc214]

My favorite recommendation for bugetary constraints is Harbor Freight. I know they sell some poor quality products, but some of those tools are actually well made like the Icon tool line.

[@BGraves]

Disposable Tools are Great?!!

[@zachquigley1550]

Couldn't agree more! I try to buy harbor freight first, and then get a higher end replacement if a tool breaks. I generally avoid their power tools, but I've had surprisingly great luck with their hand tools!

[@joshweed2042]

This right here. it might be more economical to buy expensive, but thats not always possible so if that 30 dollar drill is what you need, itll work for the time being and maybe down the line you can bump up and get a more expensive one. Also, go to facebook market place. Particularly around christmas and fathers day there is a surge of people selling old tools that they just got new ones of. Sometimes you can find super nice tools for really cheap, if you arent sure how to tell if a tools working properly bring someone who would know!

[@snoopu2601]

Hay I like HARBOR freight if something goes wrong with the tool I take it back no questions asked. Where else do they do that. I had a reptcal saw all beat that little tool up for year's. I ended up buying the new version with the blade quick release. Haven't had any problems with it. Yes some tool's have poor quality but that's in any hard wear store. I look every where for tool's flea market,, Garage sales, Face book market place, Craiglist, "free adds" have to be careful about that counting gas price to pick it up.

[@twestgard2]

Buying nothing but Snap-On and Festool is like framing a house with quartersawn ebony. Buy quality tools when you need them, don’t when you don’t.

[@aggeman2]

@tested I think you can get the same type of inserts with a hex mounting solution instead of the flathead.

[@YagiChanDan]

Damn...beat me too it 🤣🤣

[@Humanxperiment]

There is a bit, that fits into your drill/driver, for those brass inserts.

[@jwfmcclain]

"obviously you want to save everything" ... super useful words for me right now

[@af22man]

I use CAD. Or Cardboard assisted design. Mock up what I want in cardboard and then use that as templates for my final Materials

[@ek4dr98]

Thank you for your influence on future builders .wish my hands were as gifted as yours .

[@fldaniel7]

Well said You are absolutely right I agree 💯

[@DeltaDemon1]

In terms of non-specialized materials, dumpster diving is a great way to get mundane materials. Every September, I roam around the neighbourhood on garbage day and pick up bits of discarded materials (plywood, two by fours, etc...) from summer construction projects. It's not materials but discarded medicine cabinets and other furniture make great workshop storage solutions on a budget. For the expenditure of an hour, you can get enough junk materials for many small projects.

[@jimflagg4009]

Always mock before you build. Use cardboard or scrap wood before you use the nice wood.

[@PointShotDR]

A tip that I use to reduce the number of errors (and waste of material) is to do the planning in some 3D software. Like Blender. I pretty much build a virtual version of what I want, and that allows me to find mistakes before I make them in the real world.

[@felreaverguy]

any good tutorials you’d recommend? I’ve tried getting into blender a few times for this exact purpose but i get overwhelmed and give up lmao, im a much more hands on learner so trying things like that takes so much patience for me

[@PointShotDR]

@@felreaverguy About tutorials, it depends a lot on the type of work you intend to perform. In general I use it for furniture, so you can solve almost everything with just cubes or other simple shapes. Once you get used to it, it's easy. Don't forget to configure the software for the measurement units you use. If it's for projects like this, any basic 20-minute hard surface tutorial will have everything you need to get started. And it's good to learn how to use the "snap" tool, it helps a lot to align and fit the parts of the object. Another software that is very good is SketchUp. Despite being more limited than Blender, it is much more focused on projects of this type. I only use Blender because I already work with 3D, so it's natural for me to stick with it.

[@johnplath1072]

I have access to CAD through work, it's Civil 3d so total overkill for workworking, but just drawing rectangles and extruding them, putting them together and then splitting them apart is a great way to generate a cutting list, figuring out how to use an 8x4 sheet or 8 or 10' lengths optimally. I've been in plenty of situations where I changed the size of timber I would use for one part to match another so I'm not buying extra material.

[@PointShotDR]

@@johnplath1072 Yea! I've used CAD a lot for that too. Another one that I use sometimes that helps me think about measurements is photoshop. I create an image and consider each pixel to be 1cm. And it's great to do the first measured planning

[@j.r.millstone]

You will not regret owning the festool track saw.

[@robertharker]

For the brass inserts have you thought about putting a bolt with a jam nut into the insert. Then threading the nut down to the insert and jam locking it. You can then hold the bolt and use a standard screwdriver to screw the insert in.

[@WyldeWoodworks]

For the threaded inserts I've always put a nut on the end of a small threaded rod and then the insert on the end of that. Then I can use a drill to install the insert. I smashed like!

[@pigeondeceased2591]

Great video, every build I do fits this bIll

[@googiegress7459]

Cheap materials: There are often reclaimed materials shops around town. You can often find stuff like old doors, windows, light fixtures. Habitat for Humanity offers inexpensive tile in small lots (because it's the extra left over from someone else's project) or even cabinets sometimes. If you talk with flooring vendors they'll often have small pieces of vinyl flooring or carpet left over from a job which will go in the bin, but they're willing to give it to you. For model makers, a LOT of businesses get rid of cardboard boxes, and certain ones like office supply stores end up with a lot of weird pieces of styrofoam that would go into their trash. And there are generally neighborhood "buy nothing" websites or apps where you can spot people giving away half cans of house paint or whatever that they don't want to just throw away. As for any materials you'd buy in the hardware store: figure out who is buying those things / what projects they use them for / what businesses do that stuff, and call them and ask for their offcuts. Be willing to pick them up on short notice or regularly, whatever is easier for your benefactor.

[@thomaskrebs3459]

Threaded inserts - Threaded rod with a nut and jam nut chucked into a drill is good. Install with the slot facing down for a clean look.

[@brucey39]

Love my track saw . Mine is a cheap budget saw with the tracks based on the Makita model .

[@mctavishmcardle6906]

got some threaded inserts off mcmaster a few years back. they were intended for wood but i was using them in uhmw; mcmaster listed a little hex shank insertion tool for a few bucks, so i picked one of them up too. the little lugs (that engage with the slot in the inserts) sheared straight off the first time i tried to use it ... so i put it in the mill & re-machined some stouter lugs. worked great after that. mentioned it off-have in an Instagram post about what i was making & mcmaster refunded the price of the little tool, which was nice of them

[@stinkyham9050]

For angle cuts without a table you can use a rotary saw with a carefully measured and clapped straight edge. Set the saw at the desired angle first, then place it on the cut line, then place your straight edge guide at the side of the saw, take a measurement and mark it the same measurement both sides, clamp down the straight on those marks and then make the cut using the straight edge as a guide. It's a slower process then other methods but if you're only doing a cut or 2 every once and a while it does a good job at a low price.

[@danevenson6597]

I think the project Adam's referring to is the bailer bar for his Asis helmet

[@denniscassidy8535]

I have a solution for your threaded brass insert conundrum. My solution is to not use a screw driver of any sort. Instead, use the bolt intended for use with the insert ie. 1/4 20 with two nuts jammed against one another half way up the threads of the screw. Thread the insert onto your new bolt with jam nuts on it and use the head of the bolt with a wrench to insert the insert.

[@JS-hu7pv]

For better or worse, Festool makes tools that just work for me. I own several but have had to be selective due to their cost. Their track saws are awesome as is the Domino.

[@wanglydiaplt]

You need to visit more workshops to get more hacks! PS the way to cut a shallow taper on a thin piece of plywood is to do it with a hand planer the way two pieces can be 'scarfed' together to make a loooong piece of plywood for stitch-and-glue boat building.

[@messylaura]

Adam, with the threaded inserts could you not use a threaded bolt with a nut to lock the insert onto the bolt, drive the insert into the hole then use a spanner to unlock the nut and unscrew the bolt from the insert. the nut is put on the bolt first then the insert, use a spanner to lock the nut down to the insert so the bolt doesnt turn in the insert while installing

[@MPenzlin]

For metal: Scrape-yard to save money. Was just at my local scrape-yard and spend 10€ für about 3kg clean aluminium blocks and 10€ for some 10kg steel round stock (two parts a 60mm x 270mm) About 1/5 of that I would have paid on ebay Everytime a little bit like a treasure hunt

[@DuluthMachineWorks]

Sadly here in my neck of the woods, the scrapyards aren’t interested in selling to anyone but the mills. I have had good luck buying drops and offcuts from local steel suppliers though.

[@matthiaspenzlin6465]

@@DuluthMachineWorks "my" scrapyard, seams to buy the drop off from bigger workshops and maybe shipyards or somebody who flame cut up to 70mm steel. sometime the dropoff have even the alloy numbers still stamped on.

[@DuluthMachineWorks]

@@matthiaspenzlin6465 I’m definitely jealous of scrapyards like that! That sounds great.

[@MorningDusk7734]

Designate a specific area as "scrap storage" (I have a rather sturdy cardboard box I use), and when that's full, pull everything and compare "what could I actually use this for?". You'll find yourself keeping much more functional pieces around as a result.

[@lemastji]

I use Foam Core for prototyping parts to keep from using more expensive shop materials. Super cheap at your local Dollar Tree/Store.

[@TheKesslerFoundation]

The aluminum bending, was’t that when you were making the holder for your multi Tool?

[@ScottKraft]

Those brass inserts? Always install them with a screw IN them, I used Allen head screws to do this. Especially in harder wood like Baltic birch.

[@poozizzle]

The set screws. If they are what I think, have their own special centering driver.

[@kamodt]

His drawing is giving us the “bird!” LOL

[@tomhorsley6566]

I've very successfully clamped a 1x2 to plywood sitting up on concrete blocks and run a circular saw along the 1x2. (Of course it is a challenge to find a 1x2 that isn't warped :-).

[@twestgard2]

I just use a chalk line to mark a line that’s dead straight, then use clamps and screws to hold the straight edge exactly where I want it. Pin nails are good too.

[@Glaedien]

4:50 The build he was working on was "Adam Savage's One Day Builds: NASA Spacesuit Helmet!"

[@brioshoveit]

The first cut is the crankiest

[@lorawaring883]

would a Robinson (Robertson? the candadian one for use with airplanes heretofore) screwdriver work with the inserts?

[@shocked_shocked7703]

3:40 Adam cleverly gives us the finger

[@NyeMechworks]

I work on a shoestring budget, and minimize mistakes by planning everything down to the last bolt and screw. All the more important to minimize mistakes as often I'm either riding or sealed inside my projects, only able to escape if it works... first time power armor clamps shut on ya is a scary experience ^^;

[@alwayscensored6871]

You got a new sub for that comment.

[@borisg.3987]

Those brass inserts are so finicky. A good way I found for installing them is to use a threaded hex standoff. Thread it into the insert, grip the hex portion with a drill, go in slow, then just reverse the drill out. My drill also has a bubble level, which helps to make sure I'm square with the board, and so going in straight.

[@sailingeric]

Sneak up on cuts. You can take material away but you cannot add it back.

[@clemmcguinness1087]

Alignment pin? File or grind down the sides of a star screw driver instead?

[@corylohanlon]

Corrugated cardboard as a test piece. It's cheap & strong & gets proof of concept down with a lot of shop infrastructure kind of things.

[@blackoak4978]

About slowing down to get something right when it's critical, that's actually along the same lines as my principles for warehousing. For just about any space and job you need 3 things, Time, Space, and Money. The more you have of one, the less you need of the others. If you have a project that needs doing and you have lots of money and space, but no time, hire more people to do it, hire a professional. If you have loads of time, but no money, then work on it as and when you can, optimizing price on all parts. If you have loads of space you can spread out and have a different area for each part of a project. As I said, I use it mostly for warehousing, where space matters a lot more, like offloading a truck in the least time possible is easier with lots of space to spread stuff out instead of putting it away properly right away.

[@Dead_Oak_Crafts]

Adam, I like you have been plagued by the dreaded threaded insert. It wasn't until about 2 months ago that someone showed me a trick. Take a hex cap screw the size of your insert and thread that into the insert, Then use a socket to drive the insert into the material. You then just back out the cap screw and voila, threaded insert installed. Something so simple and one of those "why hasn't this occured to me before now" moments for sure.

[@jasonhalvorsen1248]

I had often wondered as a collector of amazing tools why you had never shown a track saw

[@guyver96]

Adam my i go to your shop and just watch you work lol....

[@wyw876]

We need a Call For Anecdata (LOL) to begin a conversation about which makers' needs can be met with which sized scraps of which materials. There'd be so much Venn overlap btw the "pay it forward" guideline, and the "one person's trash..." wisdom!

[@YagiChanDan]

They make those threaded wood inserts that use hex dri es instead of flat head screwdrivers.

[@MattShade64]

The 'materials' problem really blows out the other way when you save recycled components. I work with recycling paper and some plastics and have had to limit myself to one cubby for paper and a large tub for plastic otherwise it takes over in a heartbeat.

[@OddBike]

Tool tip for screwdriver woes: gunsmith screwdrivers/bits are straight walled, not tapered like standard tools. They fit better and won't cam out or gall the edges as easily... and might be a solution to the insert problem?

[@CoBrhilot]

Go slow, take time, but never NEVER stop making !

[@robertmiler6652]

A nut bolt and socket is my favorite way to install a threaded insert. I don't like the slotted screwdriver, or even a hex key.

[@ThorvikHaroldsson]

Do we get a one day build video for the magnificent Louis Vuitton trunk in the back?

[@sespach]

Adam, I’m laughing OL! Your drawing of your adapted screwdriver looks like it’s giving us the finger.

[@markcrummett7831]

As an assemblage artist who often works with a single cool unique found object, I know I spend _a_lot_ of time staring at it, thinking about it, building the piece completely in my head, before I start cutting and drilling on that object.

[@grendel1960a]

My take on this is to watch out for free available materials, there can be a surprising amount of good timber in an old solid wood wardrobe, or a ply panelled wardrobe, charity / thrift shops similar.

[@GaryGraham66]

WOW, How spooky is this I just came into my garage and clicked on this video and my mouth literally fell open! I had just cut down some large sheets of 18mm plywood with my trusty old circular saw so they would fit in my laser cutter 600x400 ! Do you have a spy camera on me? LOL

[@TristanGrimaux]

Please sew the Savage patch on your shirt!

[@jasonbirch1182]

Here's a tip. Always drive a truck or station wagon/suv. I've gathered tons of material from the side of the road. Delivering pizza is the best because you are getting paid and driving through all the neighborhoods.

[@bojanbuljan9041]

Love your working, for sezer's 100$ for cabel

[@jonclary4109]

the balance is always between buying the nicer tools or more supplies for your project lol

[@microbuilder]

Tips for building within a tight budget: Get boned! lol

[@SyzygyNoon]

That threaded-insert-screw driver diagram is flipping me off.🤭

[@akulaa4853]

4:20 Think thrice, measure twice, cut once ;)

[@Drutron73]

Festool is amazing. Very expensive though. The Wen model… Affordable, but… I have no idea as to quality

[@helmimakes]

Draw before you build. Build a model first. Make it out of a cheaper material like foam or cardboard. Tape it together before glueing. Think about the cheapest mistake you can make and how it could be corrected (or covered up) if it did happen.

[@craigejacobs]

There are cheaper track saws that work well on the market. Also, and good straight edge, clamps and a circular saw work too...

[@WalterMelons]

Love my makita track saw. I almost regret not getting the battery one though.

[@brianwaskow5910]

Adam hair is styled by Jim Henson.

[@snoopu2601]

For tool's and materials they are practically giving stuff away these day's with all these different sits . Facebook market, Craigslist, HARBOR freight, flea markets, garage sales, free adds just take it. I was going to buy a 20 tone press, I waited and put the word out and ended up getting one for free, I just had to get 20 tone jack.

[@nealleffler4267]

Did Adam just flip us off with that screwdriver diagram? Am I the only one that saw that?

[@joyl7842]

00:44 correction *the shop is too packed with stuff and cluttered...

[@charlie9ine]

A: I can’t afford Festool. B: I can’t designate enough space for a table saw. That is priority based not space based. You have a lot of, “Big tools” in your shop. What would be interesting is alternative methods of doing big tool jobs.

[@skezus]

they make allen head inserts that are much better

[@mmcc2852]

bending a metal stick concerns the malleability, not ductility

[@taunokekkonen5733]

Question: "How could I make angled cuts on a piece of plywood?" Adam: "..so I bought this really expensive Festool this christmas.."

[@charlie9ine]

I just did some work that required Phillips head screws... I gave up based on frustration and used my own Robertson screws. So much easier and efficient. The US has progressed from one really bad screw head to the almost as bad screw configuration. Go metric and learn about the Robertson screw.

[@asdfasdfadfasdf2979]

Those threaded inserts allegedly don't have the groove in them to be inserted with a flathead screwdriver but to cut their own threads. Supposedly they go into the wood with the groove downwards and you're supposed to screw them in using a threaded bolt with a locking nut on it. I remember someone stating all this very authoritively and irritated and wondering how anyone could know this so certainly 🤷