It would be possible to restore an older car (late 90's to early 2000's) which have much lighter chassis, and convert it to electric power. Unfortunately it wouldn't be very cost effective until you break even on not buying gas, and I'm not sure how well insurance companies would like it.
They're not so bad when you have the pipe handle installed, which gives you a lot of leverage over the body of the drill.
That being said, even the cordless ones have an absurd amount of power. At my work we use them to send a 3-flute, 1 1/4" auger bit about 5 feet straight through Douglas Fir (drilling concealed electrical wiring chutes in columns). I've seen them roll a 10' 8x8 (~150 lbs) across the sawhorses when someone forgot to clamp it before drilling.
There are concrete trucks that hold the various ingredients in different containers and can start the mix on demand.
Unfortunately they're (obviously) more expensive to purchase and operate, but they are super neat and could pave the way towards 3d printing options going forward.
Can't agree on this at all. You twist the wires together in the direction the nut threads on, then screw it on. After it's done give each leg a light pull to make sure it's secure.
Where and how are people fucking this up? I could see using the wrong size, leaving stripped wire outside the nut or stuffing way too many wires into one nut, but other than that I'm baffled.
Here are some of the ways in which I've seen people mess this up:
- too small a diameter wire to properly engage the thread
- uneven insulation so only the tops get joined
- not enough twist so only the first couple of threads engage
- stranded wire cut through completely by the threads
- wrong kind of wire
(aluminum! which really needs its particular kind of connectors and is fortunately phased out but you may come across it in older installations).
- too many wires for the size nut (usually 5 is the max, depending on thickness)
- re-using oxidized wire ends because there isn't enough wire length
- wires not twisted at all before applying the nut
- leaving out the wire nut spring (!)
(presumably to make room for more wires...)
- spring upside down
- untwisting the nut and the spring, then untwisting the wires to add another splice
- bending the copper too often (metal fatigue)
- not inspected after twisting it on
- too much insulation stripped
- wire end damaged during insulation stripping
- wires twisted in the wrong direction
And so on... In comparison some of these will apply to Wagos but in general they have fewer ways of doing things wrong and adding another splice is much easier with a Wago. DIY electrical is great, it saves a ton of money. But the kind of stuff you come across can make your hair stand on end. The house I live in came with an electrical installation that was downright dangerous, I live here for 5 years now and I think I've fixed most of it but every now and then a new surprise pops up. Recently: a wall socket stucco'd over but before they stucco'd it over a piece of flex wire (twin strand) was connected through a groove cut into the wall to a brand new in-wall grounded socket of which the ground was left unconnected. Whoever made that (I suspect the previous occupant) is a complete idiot when it comes to electricity.
Of course it depends on those running the server and moderating, but most of the larger Discord "servers" I've joined have extensive information as pinned messages.
I did grow up with PHP forums, but they feel a bit clunky now. I'm sure a well-made one with a more modern stack and new features could be superior to Discord for text discussion though.
One of my most memorable Uber rides was with a younger mother that had a tough child custody schedule that prevented her from working a regular job.
In a perfect world this wouldn't even be a concern, but as she explained it to me, Uber was one of the very few options that let her work when she could.
It's code that you must have outlets every so many feet, regardless if 12V / 5V appliances are more efficient. Even then you still need to be familiar with code to run low voltage wiring. Things like
- How high outlets and switches must be off the floor
- How close to plumbing / ducting wires can be and where you can run them
- Which areas need GFCI
- How to hammer in a wire staple securely without damaging the insulation (harder than it sounds)
- How to divvy up circuits and pick appropriate gauge wire
- How to wire n-way switches
This stuff is not idiot-proof, even at low voltages. If you get it wrong, your house burns down and insurance won't pay out. In my experience it's better to have a master electrician lay out the circuits and give advice while you do the grunt work of routing and pulling runs. Let them handle the panels, wiring switches, outlets and lights, and listen to their stories (most electricians have some good ones)
It depends on the type of woodworking you do, but larger stationary tools like belt-fed drum sanders and 4'x8' capable CNC's take up a large amount of space. While they're extremely handy tools for some projects, it's hard to justify purchasing them unless you're running a decent business.
Cam at Blacktail Studio, who has a successful business and an impressive collection of quality tools, still rents time on the large machines at a different company. I'm not saying makerspaces are perfect, but unless you have a full size shop with 480V power there's always going to be some tools that make more sense to rent.
Wages for construction workers have not kept up with inflation, much like other fields. Unless you're a Master - tier specialist in your field, you will probably be making at best $15/hr to $25/hr with minimal (if any) benefits.
There's simply few reasons to enter the field and risk long term health issues when you can make the same amount, or better doing paperwork in an office.
we also had a whole new category of job (gig economy) and a massive increase in a related category (delivery) show up for unskilled work. In general there seems to be a labor mismatch now, and existing regulations certainly don't help (e.g. you need to not have smoked weed in the last six months to hold a CDL to drive a truck around, and these days that probably eliminates a good chunk of that skill segment)
