My 10 Favorite Tool Modifications

[@jpjp3873]

Just wanted to thank you for the inspiration to build my own 24x26x10 garage single handed! I’m retired and didn’t need to be in a rush. It has taken me a couple of months (after pouring the concrete last December). Great sense of satisfaction! Setting trusses was fun and probably broke every osha law known!😂

[@OFCbigduke613]

Good for you sir. Makes me wanna do the same thing. Thank you

[@israels6189]

I also gained a lot of confidence taking on a building project by myself (and I'm a computer guy by trade). Thank you Scott for sharing all your knowledge!

[@ProleDaddy]

OSHA regulations only apply to employers and that's only because they churn workers through their meat grinder to bleed money out of them.

[@ebk304]

This is amazing! God bless you and our teacher.

[@electricmick357]

I am a quadriplegic former electrician. I love seeing you do things I am no longer able to do. Thank you so much.

[@IronsInTheFire-Official]

This man will entertain you, educate you, surprise you, sell to you, and hit you with that real life wisdom all at once. Thanks Scott; Best KZbin content available.

[@JacksonDunnoKnows]

I second that! Him, John at black bear forge, Roy and Jessica with christ centered, Brent Bailey, Mark aspery and more are great teachers!

[@leon.benedict]

Still baffles me that the info and hard earned wisdom that you fought for through DECADES of hard work, you're just giving it away for free. As a young carpenter/homesteader I can't tell you how many times you pop up in my mind whenever I'm about to do something stupid/wasteful. Thank you, God bless you and much love from Hungary!

[@17Scumdog]

Agreed! Free for us, but Scott and Nate are getting something for the work that goes into this amazing channel 😁 Interesting to know that google actually takes a loss on KZbin consistently in order to pay their content creators. Really is an amazing thing when you think about it

[@ThomasLips]

One of the greatest modifications I ever made was cutting off the tips of two fingers on my left hand. I was working one night late in the shop and I managed to stick two of my fingers in the jointer. That event did two things in my woodworking career. It gave me more clearance on my left hand😉 and it was a great teaching tool for the young men who came up behind me. You'd be surprised how long it takes to grow back two fingertips🤣🤣🤣

[@jamesengland7461]

You're cracking me up!😂😂😂😂

[@paulkolodner2445]

Use your good hand to pinch your nostrils together and then blow as hard as you can into your closed mouth. The pressure might pop out a fingertip or two. I use this technique with rubber gloves.

[@jamesengland7461]

@@paulkolodner2445 THAT'S HILARIOUS!

[@patarmentrout9388]

Try taping your mouth shut to sleep better

[@UTube354]

Sorry for your loss. I was helping a scout with his pinewood derby car. When he was using the saw I asked which was his least favorite finger. Put that one in front of the blade. At something like 7 years old I watched as he held up his hand and tried to decide which one with a puzzled look on his face. He picked one placed it down and I stopped him right there. Nearly 20 years later our paths don’t cross as often but we laugh about that. So many lessons learned from that experience. Think safety every time,everywhere. Think it through, know what you are about to throw away, not lose, when you are pressured into something stupid. Think for yourself. Do what’s right. Be prepared to throw something away when you blindly listen to what others say. Accidents will happen but not doing the right thing, when you know better, is no accident. Once things are gone they may never come back. They are all favorites whether fingers, cars, kids, tools, days…

[@JCab13]

I have been watching you for a few years now started when i showed my grandfather a few of your videos. I dont know if he was more amazed at youtube or your amazing skill set and how you make it a joy to watch. But keep it up. He has now passed but when i watch anyone of your videos you help bring back strong memories of him so i thank you. Happy Memorial Day to you sir.

[@zenjon7892]

Miseducation? I don't know, but I made a welding helmet hook at Home Depot for $20 using a magnet, a storage hook and a 1/4-20x3/8 bolt and a ny-lok nut. Keeps the helmet scratch -free and it has a home

[@wesstone8141]

If I could only pick one KZbin channel to watch, it would be yours. Know your stuff, keep it simple for those of us who are not in the trade, always humble. Thank you, sir.

[@evan-edstrom]

I have a 25' cord on my Mag77 thanks to your recommendation, and I think it's a great improvement. I wanted to share a particular replacement plug I love. It is from Legrand, model number PS5266XGCM. It's just a normal male replacement plug, but it has a built-in circuit tester. A light on the end illuminates green if powered and wired correctly, or red if the outlet you are attaching to is mis-wired (ground continuity loss or reversed polarity). This is useful for two reasons. One, you can see if the outlet actually has power before you go to use the saw and find out the breaker has tripped or something. Two, you can see every time you plug in to a new place, if there is a dangerous condition that could cause an electrical shock.

[@JordanHaisley]

Thanks for that suggestion. I’m probably going to use it. I’ve started putting 6 inch IEC C14 pigtails on my tools. The cord that goes from the outlet to the pigtail could use the GCM connector.

[@mystic24100]

I am 79 years old, but love to word in the garage. Been looking at anvils and can not justify buying one, they are really expensive for me.

[@mrhayes9897]

I watch every Essential Craftsman video. I really enjoy them. Listen to every word this man says, he is a treasure. Estacada, Or.

[@jamescrow8822]

Honestly couldn't be more grateful to receive this man's wisdom and at the low low cost of free no doubt.

[@spaceman6215]

Definitely going to get a stringed pencil! Going through every pocket every 10 seconds to get my pencil and mark, but i need both hands to move across a roof. Brilliant idea!

[@diverdave4056]

I bought a large DuraMark Chalk Box and removed the heavy line it came with and installed flourescent Pink dry line ! It is makes it very easy to do lay outs and quickly reel it up , instead of wasting time trying to wind the line up on a wood stick ! The Tajima Plumb Bobs RULE !

[@TinManKustoms]

My favorite tool modification was Welding a hammer face to my vice grips. It first came about cause a guy I work with was always using his vice grips to tap various items into place or knock something loose when installing garage door hardware instead of climbing back down a ladder to go grab a hammer. It works very well and it saves space in our tool pouch we wear which at the end of the day is a plus cause you're saving your back.

[@McMurphyMillions]

The Bob Ross of construction

[@OFCbigduke613]

So right on

[@rawrmusic55]

Well said.

[@thehilltopworkshop]

With a good splash of Mr. Rogers. 👍

[@jakemustian99]

That is the highest honor possible. Well said

[@dittilio]

Nailed it.

[@bd9494]

One great modification I have made is screw in carbide studs for rubber tracks on a track loader or excavator for wintertime use. Totally transforms the machine from being useless on ice to functional

[@ja8898]

I built a small bench-top lathe from an old drill and a skateboard bearing. It's been great for turning handles. I've literally thrown a scrap piece of wood on, turned a handle for my chisel and got back to work within the hour. It's my first thought when it comes to tool modification.

[@autumn5592]

Good rule of thumb is to have at least 2 handles on standby incase you break any. That way you only need to spend 5 mins fitting it.

[@jrhattenstein]

I am an industrial pipefitter by trade and now in the craft instruction side. One of the best modifications I have ever made to a tool was to make cut squares. You take a speed square, like a Swanson speed square you know the one that looks like a triangle, and you cut the right angle end off leaving just the hypotenuse side about 1-2 inches thick. This is very useful when fitting socket weld pipe as it jumps over the the socket and allows you to square your pipes to each other without having any other tools involved. Its also useful for pipe upto 2 in nps.

[@magicmic384]

Thanks for all your videos. As someone else said “you are the Bob Ross of Craftsman”. I think it would be great to have a beer and work with you on a project or two.

[@bruceg1845]

EC you're the best! Just today I brazed an old narrow handleless chisel onto an an old screwdriver with a good handle to make a small weeder...

[@donalddicorcia2433]

+1 on the pencil-on-a-retractor. I’ve been using a dollar store id badge retractor for about a year and it’s still going strong.

[@TanyaLairdCivil]

Those deck board spacers are really a great example of elegant simplicity. Nothing more than a pin joined to a small plate. Yet clever application of simple principles can work wonders.

[@xoxo2008oxox]

He could make each dimension thickness a side and pin and have 4 versions (each pin, each bar side/end). Then only need one set.

[@TanyaLairdCivil]

@@xoxo2008oxox That might work. Though I think you might end up in a Swiss army knife situation (can do multiple things, but not as well as separate tools.) Having the spacers as completely separate sets has one major advantage, ease/speed of use. If you have multiple pin thicknesses on a single spacer, you'll have to carefully look at each one of them before placing it. You'll need to figure out which pin on a given spacer is the right one to use. At that point, you're diminishing the greatest value of such spacers, speed. When building a deck, there's nothing requiring you to actually physical spacers. You can just lay one board down, attach it, measure the next one very carefully, attach it, repeat. The whole point of spacers like this is to speed up your work. You don't need to carefully measure out a 1/4" gap between boards, you just grab your spacer, pop it in, and go. And with a set of spacers, you can use parallel sequencing. You lay out a half dozen boards in quick succession, you drop spacers in, and then you fasten a whole batch down at once. It saves you time swapping out tools and allows efficient motion. The nice thing about having a dedicated spacer set for each size is that you simply grab a set, drop it in a tool belt, and you don't have to think about it. When laying out boards, you just grab your spacers and pop them in without having to spend time thinking about measurement or which pin size on a given spacer to use. I think what you're proposing would certainly be more efficient in terms of total number of tools you have to make and haul around, but you would lose a lot of the benefit that such spacers provide in the first place.

[@timothydillon6421]

Screw them tight and run them long.

[@RichardMerrill3Hawk]

Can't build houses anymore, or repair my own, but I used to sharpen my flat bar (the L-shaped pry bar), both the edge and the nail notches. I also ground little parallel flats on the ends of my flat screwdrivers so they wouldn't pop out of the screw slot. We had more slotted screws in Maine in the 80s. I don't know why screwdrivers are always wedges when they could be forged with a parallel end just as easily. Your videos are such a joy to watch, even if I never did blacksmithing and I don't do framing or form setting anymore. Your love of good work and the people who do it just shines through everything you do. A heartfelt thank you.

[@knackers2773]

grandfather is a joiner by trade during the great depression. He would grind the end of a half round file to double as a chisel. comes in handy when they did all those different joins back in the day.

[@44R0Ndin]

You know how you "can't sharpen a file"? Dull files turn into "good enough" chisels, since the kind of metal used is very similar (most files are just heat treated to a harder and more brittle state than chisels are) Additionally, since you mentioned that your grandfather was a joiner during the great depression, I think part of why this started was also to save money by recycling old and dull files into chisels that can potentially keep working well past the point you'd send a dull file back to be melted down and turned into something new. Plus if the supply of dull files is good enough you don't have to worry about "ruining" a "Real" chisel to maybe create a custom tool for a joint type you don't make very often (especially if you need to make one of those joints now, and need it done right). All of that to say, that your grandfather was a very smart man, and that idea to turn files into chisels (or file and chisel in one tool) is very impressive.

[@johntiefel4248]

Great stuff, I always enjoy learning from you. As a matter of preference: with my power cords, I did the opposite. I cut the cords on the power tool off to about 8" and changed the plug to a male twist lock. I then created different size extension cords, from 30, 50, 100' an longer thus I could select the shortest extension cord that would reach the power pole. If I was doing something close to the power pole I could use a shorter cord to minimize having to pull current any further than necessary, thus helping with the longevity and performance of my power tool. For those people not familiar with subs working on development projects, the developer loves to play a game called "Let's see how far away and how many subs can we have on one power poll. I've seen as many as six or seven subs sharing one pole, all of them using big power tools at the same time. It would look like a large spider web at the pole. The second reason I cut the power cords is it made for a quicker, neater roll out and roll up. Well, that is my story and I'm sticking to it. God's speed.

[@colinselby2405]

I machined a slide hammer and made attachments for it my favorite is a vise grip it works great at work.

[@iangunther2194]

I'm a pipe welder and I do some fabricating and welding that isn't just pipe. I modified a speed square to fit pieces together on a table by cutting one side of the face off so the square lays flat to the table. I also have a cheapo that I cut a notch out of the pivot point to aid in squaring pipe into a flange.

[@timbylander7015]

I’m thankful you are here. I come to your channel for more than just your wellspring of knowledge. I also come to hide from the news. Thanks.

[@railfan439]

A table saw push stick, if it's comfortable to use, WILL be used. A hand saw handle, is comfortable. Combine a shop-made hand saw handle to a table saw push stick, add a magnet to the side so it won't vibrate off the saw, and a glue-on replaceable "shoe," and you have something you will use. Thanks for the video. Hope to see you at the Bar-Z Summer Bash. Jon

[@craigsnyder2063]

Adding the long cord to the worm drive is fantastic. Did that to mine and used your video like a “how to” video. Thanks for sharing that.

[@badlandskid]

A game changer. That was my rafter tail saw for years until cordless technology got good.

[@badlandskid]

I just got my 3 pound forming hammer this morning. 😁 The handle def has linseed oil in its near future. I did that with my framer years ago, I sanded the paint off the hickory handle, shaped it to my hand and applied several coats of linseed oil.

[@robertb4969]

I think it’s really something that after hundreds of years, there is still something added to blacksmithing to further enhance the craft.. the other methods work just fine, but that swinging arc tool is pretty slick.. it’s also worth noting that blacksmithing, while a hobby to some, is just as important a profession, or a skill today as it was 500 years ago.

[@44R0Ndin]

Indeed, we might use a lot more automation these days, but technically pressing a car fender out of sheet steel using a set of dies or forging a crankshaft out of a piece of billet alloy steel is still just blacksmithing like it always was. And if you don't think that's blacksmithing, I have a question for you that might make you see things my way, or at least understand why I see them as I do. Think back to when humanity didn't have those innovative machines that we now take for granted, that can produce a car fender in a single stroke of a 50 ton press, or forge a crankshaft in minutes, and ask yourself, before we had those machines, which trade would give you the best odds of success if you asked them to try and make that modern car fender, or that modern forged crankshaft? Personally, my money's on the blacksmith. All machinists need to at least learn how blacksmithing works even if they never work a piece of metal into the desired shape with a hammer, otherwise they lack the foundational knowledge to ply their craft to their best ability. Same with people making boxes or other shapes out of sheet steel, but even more so in that case because before we had these presses and dies that could bang out sheet steel parts at incredible rates, we had people with hammers and anvils, hand-working sheets of metal into the desired shape, or even just upsetting an ingot of metal into a nice flat sheet to be later worked into whatever shape. Point I'm trying to make is that if you look at the way things were developed, all metalworking comes from the discovery of blacksmithing.

[@unfi6798]

Nothing is better than learning from the best. The maestro himself..!! Australia say hello.!

[@kaceesavage]

I got one of those high quality retractors that you use for the lumber crayon for my grandpa at woodcraft. It was labeled as a Starrett. Great video!

[@johnn2557]

I love the hold down clamp for your anvil! I also have changed out the six foot cords on my power tools for longer ones, what a difference it makes. Thanks Scott!

[@ebk304]

Sir you are so amazing, I have so much love and respect for you & what you do to educate us. It is priceless! God bless you.

[@michaeldougfir9807]

Another great video. When I was marking & cruising timber (1980s) I got a Spencer tape like your blue tapes. I learned that it needed a horseshoe nail. And because measuring tree heights is part of the job, I got the 100' model tape with diameters on the back of the tape. To me, the ability to measure diameters was half the reason for having a specialty measuring tape. When measuring tree heights the cruiser needs to anchor the tape in the tree bark. Then walk out 66' or 100' depending on the tree size. Then measure the tree from that spot. (We used a clinometer at this point.) But when you do this a zillion times a day, it is handy to wrap a couple layers of electrical tape sround the Spencer tape at the 66' and 100' points. Then, running the anchored tape through your fingers as you walk out from the tree, you can feel when you arrive at 66' or 100'. You don't have to keep checking your distance from the tree being measured. Then you turn and make your sighting. Just be careful as you approach the 100' mark, not to overextend the tape. (Learning to "pace" is a good self check.) Timber management was a high point in my life. I miss it.

[@charliebaucom1310]

As a timber cruiser working in the thick brush & briars down South i use a Spencer logging tape 5% of the time to measure tree diameters, 95% of the time to measure distance for circular plot diameters or measuring heights. Nothing is less productive & discouraging than retracing your hard earned steps back to the tree to release your horseshoe nail from the tree (that’s 4 trips thru the same briars). The trick is to place the nail on the side of the tree on some loose bark which can be dislodged with a quick jerk from the plot center some 50 or 75 feet away. However this technique will only work a handful of times before the tape breaks near the zero mark & returns to “rattlesnake”as the spring exhausts itself on your hip, scaring you to death. The solution, as i noticed on one of Scott’s Spencers is to reinforce the end of the measuring tape with black electrical tape as Scott did. A modification that i use is to apply clear ½ inch fiberglass reinforced tape. Cut the first strip 12 inches long, pass 6 inches thru the chrome eyelet that holds the horseshoe nail, sticking 6 inches to both sides of the Spencer tape, reinforcing the weak link in the Spencer setup. Do the same with a 24 inch strip of fiberglass tape, then repeat with a 48 inch strip. Before attaching the 48 inch strip place a small piece of bright pink flagging under the fiberglass tape at the “zero “ mark on both sides of the tape (on loggers tape, standard length is on one side & diameters are on the other). As long as you don’t have a kink in your Spencer tape you can safely jerk the nail off the tree without damaging your Spencer & save a lot of time & frustration. Works best with pine trees (loose bark) - we’ve got a lot of those down South.

[@michaeldougfir9807]

@@charliebaucom1310 Hi Charlie! Wow that was pretty thorough. Glad you found system that works. Are you talking about southern California? I know there's a lot of brush on the Angeles & San Berdoo forests. I am in the northeast corner of the state: we have lots of PP, SP, DF, LP, IC, etc. But not as much brush I'm glad to say. I'm also an arborist and use a smaller D tape at times which is handy. I love the woods but enjoy the personal contact and people's appreciation when I make their property look good. I love doing both.

[@charliebaucom1310]

@@michaeldougfir9807 South Alabama

[@craigthompson792]

Many thanks for these! My top tip this will stop your belt sander accidently eating it's own power cable is to add 12" of plastic cable spiral wrap to the mains lead nearest your belt sander body.

[@lorengordon9626]

Loved this , excellent. As a retired mechanic I have modified dozens of tools to get the job done without the frustration I use a 24oz rip hammer to dig open a sizeable hole then finish it with a spud bar. Rip hammers are also great back scratchers. I also use a broken estes roofing hatchet for spacing boards or twisting the hammer in between boards to push in the dog leg. Good video !

[@ebk304]

I mean what can’t you do? It’s unbelievable the skills and knowledge you have!

[@jacobkoder4903]

My dad always wired a 50' cord into his Skilsaw as well. So, I've been doing the same for 25 years and infact just did mine yesterday before watching your video. I also like to cut about 3" off the end of my squangles. I still have two of them that are full aluminum.

[@EricLS]

That “hit you in the chops” bonus is a SWEET DEAL, sign me up!

[@RickSolid1]

Drilling holes in truck frames (class 7&8) I’ve learned layout takes time and you should work with the smallest dimensions you can. But when you drill, which is fast, the results are spot on. All my tools are modified lol.

[@markbernier8434]

A very simple mod, make tool handles for chisels and saws that fit your hand and are comfortable. A tool that fits, like a shoe that fits, will be used much more.

[@alec4672]

They sell good quality retractable lines like that at truck stops for your CB mic. They come with a standard "belt" visor clip and a key ring on the end usually.

[@kimnelson8687]

I have my plumb bob on a chalk like block, for several reasons, but mostly just to hold the string, and yes chalk block has chalk in it because I use it for things other than plumb.

[@Traveling-Lite]

The best ever modification for using a plum bob is to incorporate it with a chalk box. A standard aluminium chalk box is approximately the same weight as a 12 oz plum bob. Open the winding hand and drill a small hole in it to accommodate a nail. Then in a clockwise pattern at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, drill through into the chalk box. Fill the chalk box with strong Dacron fishing line and attach the plum bob. As both parts weigh almost exactly the same, the plum bob can be tossed over a beam and the friction alone will allow it to be adjusted with one hand. If the plum bob needs to be set to a near exact length, simply wind it up and put a nail or wire in the handle at one of the convenient holes. As a carpenter, I found this to be a great modification.

[@psidvicious]

Another good pro about the Gammon reel is, it comes with braided line, not twisted. A plumb bob hung on twisted line will spin and spin and spin, and then when you think it’s finally all spun out, it starts back the other way 🙄. The con on the Gammon reel; sooner or later that nice braided line is going to break and need replacing. No problem, replacement line is readily available. BUT, I will tell you, from experience, those boogers are not “replacement line friendly” at all. It can be done. But it’s going to take a little longer than you had hoped. An almost inherent tool “modification” is about your plain old carpenters pencil. Always sharpen both ends. Obviously you’ll have a ready-to-go point twice as long between sharpening and contrary to some ill-thought through thinking, you DO NOT go through your pencils twice as quickly. Just think about it for a second and you’ll understand.

[@44R0Ndin]

I have a suggestion for what kind of line to use when it comes time to replace the line on one of those Gammon reels. Braided fishing line. It's crazy strong, highly resistant to abrasion (more so than traditional nylon line because the braided stuff isn't nylon), and chances are if you put it on the Gammon reel you won't have need to replace that line again unless it gets physically cut by something (it's actually kinda hard to cut, slips right out of non-serrated scissors). You do need to use a different knot to tie it to the plumb bob (and the reel) due to the peculiarities of braided fishing line, but overall it's better than what you get on the reel when you buy the reel. It also takes up less space on the reel, because it's stronger you can use a much thinner line for the same tensile strength. For instance, when I'm looking at the stuff in the store, I can fit as much 20 pound rated braid on my fishing reel as I can fit 6 pound rated nylon monofilament. The stuff's much more flexible than nylon monofilament too. Honestly, I stopped using braided fishing line because I think it's TOO good at what it needs to do. With braid, it feels like there's no challenge left to fishing aside from choosing the right bait, because the "fight" that happens when you get a fish on the hook is extremely one-sided. With braid, you can just keep winding the fish in with all your strength and you don't have to worry a bit about the fish breaking the line or wearing the line out by rubbing it on rocks or branches or whatever. In other words, it removes the line as a failure point in the connection between the fish hook and your hand on the crank of the reel, and if I don't have to let the fish run at least a little bit I don't feel like it was a fair fight.

[@oldschool6345]

100% on point - the most important modification we can make is to learn

[@guye7763]

I use a retractable belt gizmo like the one you showed to retain the chuck key on my milling machine. Saves time and considerable cursing.

[@kennethelwell8574]

*25 years ago did the Skil77 long cord after too many hang-ups and un-pluggings while ripping plywood, a 6ft./2m cord on a saw is criminally useless. I went with 25ft. which worked fine for me around the shop. After my brother "pawned" it for drugs, I bought a new 77 along with a new 25ft cord and installed it before I ever plugged it in! *The pencil reels are a godsend! Saves time spent looking, bending and picking up, re-sharpening broken points... *I like the multi bolster! will have to make one (three?) for my anvils. (maybe an adjustable pivot)

[@BackyardEngineer334]

My most prestigious mod was cutting a pick axe down with a bandsaw to make a pickaroon. Cut the fiberglass handle down to 36” & ran a 3/4 hole saw thru the top of the handle.

[@christophersines8238]

For me it’s taking a pitchfork heating an bending the tines over to make a cultivating fork for weeding and working in the garden. My grandpa made one for my mom over fifty years ago and since she won’t part with it I made my own. Great for digging potatoes and loosening the dirt.

[@sunoclockoneday2576]

As a plumber the first time i saw a gammon reel in my buddies tool bag ( hes a surveyor) i thought , ive got to have one. It lasted a couple weeks and never had enough string. I keep my plumb bob on a roll of salt and pepper masonry string (?). I can roll it up and keep it neat with a heavy duty spring clip that also helps when i need to plumb a line off of a bar joist , beam , end of pipe etc.

[@josephtober9417]

“As a bonus it will hit you right in the chops if you don’t watch out! A good laugh, my dog, coffee and good video, makes a great start to my day! Thank you sir!

[@essentialjudge2279]

When I was doing a lot of field layout, I used a mushroom cap/rebar cap with a pin inserted in the top of it to hold my tape measure. Like an 8-32 screw with jam nuts. The caps fit 3/4 inch round steaks

[@pappysproductions]

You're a great story teller/speaker

[@peterbarlow8912]

We found with 2x6 PT decking not to leave any spaces as massive shrinkage would make large gaps. We started screwing the first and third board down, remove unspaced loose second board to drop in pipe clamps, pull successive courses tight together, and couple on more pipe as needed for reach. When that pressure cooked wood shrank there were adequate gaps. The classic spike spacer method would result in 1/2”+ gaps otherwise.

[@jamesokeeffe8575]

I cut the open end off a 10mm spanner and ground it down into a flat blade, I keep it on my key ring and as an old mechanic it's brilliant. I've been meaning to grind a notch in the side to make it easier to use as a bottle opener as well.

[@patrioticmisinformation7184]

My shop is in need of many modifications to work on vehicles and I need to learn to weld far better. Thank you for your life long acquired knowledge. I feel like I am cheating to learn this stuff at 33.

[@MarcAndre197]

A true mentor in my life thank you for everything my friend greatly appreciated !

[@PalmSandsRanch]

Have had a few of those logger tapes hanging from my belt. And he was exactly right about the horseshoe nail!!

[@kencross25]

Informative video. Your modifications gave me the inspiration to take an look at all my hand and power tools in a new light. I will give you an update on all my improvements.

[@mauricewhite8924]

Great voice, sounds like Paul Harvey. Beautiful delivery. Great ideas.

[@davidpatterson1574]

Greetings from six miles south of Belfast, Northern Ireland--many thanks for all the knowledge you impart, through your videos-I always learn something from them

[@MattyH907]

Nail in the circular saw shroud to hold the guard up! How did that not make the list!!! By far the best modification I use on an almost daily basis! Love the content, keep up the good work!

[@lordaleksandre]

What does that do for you?

[@NathanNostaw]

That bolster jig is just awesome. What a game changer. Now I just need an anvil. :)

[@AlBarathur]

I real simple one that I made is I cut the long tips of the MIG plier to half length. Some MIG nozzles come with a fiber glass lining in the area around the diffuser to prevent arcing with the diffuser. When you use those long MIG pliers to clean the spatter on the nozzle you rip of the fiber glass (or whatever that lining material is) and after that any spatter that is large enough can cause arcing between the nozzle and the diffuser. A MIG plier with shorter tips that don't reach that area solves the problem.

[@seafire7701]

Great video. I use a retractable dog leash where Scott uses a gammon reel with a plumb bob.

[@fabianherrera5427]

one mod that stumpynubs introduced me to is wrapping hammer/axe/ hand tool handles in hockey tape for comfort and grip! you kinda do one normal start of a wrap at top of handle for maybe 2 wrap arounds then twist the tape into a string(for finger groove type grip assistance) and go arounf a few times in a spiral pattern then straighten tape back out and wrap over those spirals normally! or using a rasp or file add some knurling to your handle in a x pattern , then lightly sand and finish with some boiled linseed oil for grip

[@davet7509]

My earliest and simplest tool mod was just to cut the claw off a cheap claw hammer to nail in tight spaces. Soon I discovered that hammering with the squared off sides of the hammer was pretty useful for hammering in corners, too.

[@cooders71]

The handiest tool i have in my toolbox, actually isn't in my toolbox, it's in me pants pocket. It's a small, 4" vice grips that I welded a small stainless circle in the tightening bolt. I use that tool daily, I mean, absolutely daily. From doing the obvious of tightening and loosening bolt and nuts, to cutting wire, clamping it to the peak of a roof and lashing a chicken ladder to it so it doesn't pop of if it bounces. I even used it as a shifter lever for my bike when the original one fell off going doing the road. I filed the jaw tips to be flush and sharp and have used them to pull splinters, twist wire together, extract stripped screws and pinch air lines to lessen the pressure on a paint gun. The thing is invaluable to me. And for right around $12 or so, I say pick one up and start carrying it, like a pocket knife. I used to carry a Leatherman but now, I don't see I need. Let me know what you think and if you pick one up, I'd like to hear how you like it and use it.

[@timsinnott4462]

Can you explain what the “small stainless circle” is for?

[@localeightironworker]

@@timsinnott4462 gives you 1. a place to hang the tool and 2. better purchase when tightening the jaws i have welded a washer or eye bolt to every pair of vice grips i own. on the bigger ones i'll use that to get a wrench on it and really tighten those down if i'm in a bind

[@twestgard2]

The retractable string for a plumb bob is sweet. Gonna get one of those.

[@plower221]

Thanks for all of your insights - your advice always feels transferable to other domains.

[@stansbruv3169]

I love these spacers!

[@rarityfind]

Always a joy to watch your videos

[@madbearforge8550]

That clamp is sublime

[@seantucker1571]

Any day you don't learn something new a other maybe faster way or different way to do something is a waisted day. Always something to learn got 2 ears 2 eyes watch and listen around you. Highly enjoy all your work and videos. Keep up the awesome job

[@user-ch4ex3yy4l]

2 ears 2 eyes and one waist 🙃

[@tips4truckers252]

I'm a truck driver, I made a portable tire inflation hose that uses the trucks air brake line. I made it from things I had laying around, a half inch hose 50', tire chock, glad hand, and some pneumatic fittings and clamps. I have used it over 50 times in the middle of nowhere.

[@mihamaker]

Always nice to see your inputs! Cheers

[@erichill5208]

As a heavy duty mechanic/welder. I have modified and customized many wrenches and other tools over the years to get a particular job done. It becomes necessary sometimes

[@billyallen7519]

thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I have learned a lot and put it to use.

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

As someone that clears trails having a tool like a billhook or notching the top of a machete that can pick up material after you've cut to move it away is a game changer.

[@Vaessen13]

My favorite tools are a mattock (root cutter with adze head), a broadfork, billhook, and wheel hoe......I like gardening lols.

[@localeightironworker]

so far the most useful tool mods i've done have been punching a half-inch square hole in the end of my adjustable wrench's handle, so i can fit a breaker bar onto it, and welding a nut to the bottom of my 4lb sledge so if I miss I don't snap the head clean off

[@CleaveMountaineering]

That bolster is genius.

[@timclements-dh9sq]

The Boss of Tool Knowledge

[@LoganAwesomeFunTime]

I added a magnet to the end of my Spencer logging tape and now I can attach it to anything metal as well, and with a firm tug I can dislodge it when I’m done without having to go back.

[@dougvazquez6571]

Ah yes, the long, light cord on the Skil model 77. A roof stackers trick. Along with that would be the saw hook, so you can hang the saw from a joist or a rafter. Along the lines of modifications for the model 77, was adding several degrees of angle to the angle quadrant…we called them a “flop table”. Also, a model 77 modification was the dado mod, which enabled the saw to be set to depth and angel to cut the plumb and level rafter seat cuts in one motion. Both production roof cutter tools.

[@timothybird2850]

Those form setters are nice and very similar to making sets in trapping with a trapping type jack or sod buster

[@brianpriest3638]

That bolster got my attention! What a great tool!

[@renegade1520]

One of my favorite channels. Always great content and experiential knowledge that gets me thinking. Keep up the good work!

[@gawdzalien2811]

The anvil device could live on for a long time what a great design and idea!! Great job!

[@44R0Ndin]

Personally I think EC should try to draft up some blueprints for that anvil hold-down device, it's very elegant and a far sight better than the kind you just hammer down into a hole in the anvil!

[@25centsapop]

I love your content, I have learned so much from your vast bank of knowledge

[@koenbus]

DeWalt has those magnetic drill bit holders that screw on to the side of their drills. I like them a lot but all my drills are Makita. But you can actually buy those things as spare parts. You need to file away a bit of the plastic tabs, and find the right bolt with a small head, but then they fit perfectly on makita drills / impact drivers as well!

[@doncoday4775]

This is going to be a good lesson.

[@jaywood8296]

My Swiss army knife (the big one) has the small knife blade reground to a sharp point and surgically sharp. The tweezers are ground to a point (no honing, leave them rough). They're still not great, but better. Anyway, always ready for splinter removal and minor surgery. The speed square has various Sharpie marks, center punch and nail set indents for common spacings and angles. The Construction Master calculator has rafter common line length, H/V line length, and plywood cut numbers scratched in to the case for the common roof pitches. Don't tell OSHA, but I often make longer cords by cutting off the plug and splicing on more cord, using crimp connectors, or solder, and heat shrink tubing. I favor ~20' skilsaw, and ~12' shop tools. When replacing a cord, it's often better to butt splice new to existing near the switch as the ring terminals can be a hard to come by size. On the table saw, the blade washer on the fence side is polished so that it's easy to measure to the moving blade- just hold the tape measure a couple of inches away. Hockey tape to fatten tool handles, screwdriver shanks (easier spin, stay put in pouch), etc.. Fat rubber bands around carpenter pencil so it stays in pouch pocket and doesn't fall through. Adjustable as pencil gets shorter. Spray paint tools so they know where home is, and to not get lost in the mess and debris. Paint ladder feet and tops for safety, and paint the balance point of extension ladders so you know where to pick them up. Woodworking clamps often have anvils that are not flat, and need grinding/filing to true them up.

[@cosmichasm]

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. I love that!

[@aaronschulz5077]

Epoxy or 2k glue 2-3 magnets to your drill I usually do one on the base and one on each side of the top. They should be these strong new ones. And about the size of the nail of your index finger. It's a dream! It's also realy helpful on jigsaws. Blessings!

[@josephtastic]

Big respect and appreciation.

[@LifeontheMoose]

Great video. I always learn something!