Tool Chart

On the machine, you don’t use brute force, you manage your energy. You create heat through friction that needs to be released, you don’t just … Read more

How do you make the choice on blade steel? You learn that each grade is a compromise. It is a trade-off. Get more of one, … Read more

One hand is holding your old broken bearing; the other clutches a new replacement. Over time friction and grease have eroded the part number and … Read more

When a machine is failing it typicaly begins with an ever-so-subtle whine. Then, escalating to a rattle of a complaint requiring action. Typically, it’s not … Read more

You have a tank containing fuel, another device (furnace) that requires fuel and air, and the pipe connecting the two of them. If all your … Read more

I’m talking about the kind of panic you feel when you cut a pipe only to discover it’s an inch too short and won’t fit … Read more

Struggling to stuff wires into a conduit? That’s because the wires go in loose at one end and then bind up halfway through the run. … Read more

If you’ve been to the hardware store, you’ve likely walked down the aisle looking at all those black things that appear identical. They’re elbows. One … Read more

Choosing metal tubing for your project is confusing. You might grab a tube that appears right only to find that the fittings don’t fit, buy … Read more

There’s a piece of steel sitting in the shop. The one next to it look just like it. You stand in the shop holding a … Read more

Welding symbol charts are a language unto themselves, one that you have to learn how to read. They’re your way of communicating with other technicians … Read more

For example, watch a group of guys debating over how runny or stiff their batch of concrete is. It’s an everyday occurrence on a building … Read more

When you load your SUV down with gear, or hook up a trailer, you get anxious. Why? Because you’re not sure if your tires will … Read more

And so there you are, standing in an empty room, holding a tape measure, staring at a span that seems like maybe it’s a little … Read more