I thought I would start a thread regarding cheap alternatives to every day firewood products or problems. My hope is that others share their experiences on what works equal too...or better than...commercial products or standard practices so that collectively we can maintain our equipment easier and cheaper. I can start... (1) Forget expensive Locktite, fingernail polish has the same chemicals and can be bought at a dollar store with just as much product in the bottle. (2) WD-40 has a lot of uses, but on my farm I use it more for a cleaner then a lubricant. It can clean grease that no other cleaners can, like crater compound used on locomotives. (3) WD-40 makes a lousy lubricant; a better homemade version is a mixture of automatic transmission fluid and acetone. (4) The best brand of chainsaw file in the world will not outlast the use of a file card wire brush. Using a cutting fluid also extends their life extensively. (5) The best cutting fluid is the fat left over from cooking bacon. It even beats out dark cutting fluid. (6) To drive screws or lubricate bolt threads use plain bar soap. Ivory is the best in my experience. (7) There is no need to buy expensive, seldom used cast iron welding rod for small stove fixes, 6011 works quite well. (8) The key to welding cast iron is to preheat the steel first, weld, then allow the weld to cool very slowly, post heating or sticking the part in sand to do so. (9) Welding is a skill that will serve almost everyone well. Most adult education locations have a class and it is well worth the financial and time cost to learn. And in my experience, women make the best welders due to their amazing dexterity so don't let gender deter you. (10) Do not let a lack of welding skills or welding tools stop fabrication of things you need. Rivets and bolts fueled the industrial revolution, it was not until the 50's that welding really started taking over. (11) 80% of fabrication is putting holes in the right spot. A drill press should be in every persons garage even if it is just a small benchtop model as they drill accurate holes. A hand held 4-1/2 grinder and sawzall will be in constant use as well. (12) The best hydraulic oil is from John Deere. A lot of pick up owners who pull trailers a lot or have high demand applications replace their automatic transmission fluid with John Deere hydraulic oil for its superior properties for this reason.
what ratio do you mix your atf and acetone at? I remember reading a thread about that being the best years back, but I forgot all about it. It doesnt store too long, does it?
# 10 isn't true the old villave black smith welded thing so far back I don't beleve any book even has the date the first smith welded two pieces of metal together. They just didn't use gas and rod or electric and stick. Al
Re: learning to weld. One of my biggest regrets is not paying more attention to my old man when he would weld when I was a kid. Great skill to have and develop with time... well said!
The best thing I got from my first job out of college... I found out that they paid for college courses... so I took a summer course...
I know right; it is like the LGDB community or whatever it is called; I just say my bolts are going through an identity crisis at the moment.
I just call the collective group the Alphabets....because every time you turn around there seems to be another letter added.
It is a wire brush specifically made for files. After a few strokes of the file you run the file over the very short, very stiff wire brush and it cleans out the steel filings of the file's teeth. It really makes the files last longer because they are not loaded up. If you watch the video on how to square file a chainsaw you will see the guy use the wire brush frequently.
Great tread. Keep them coming. LodgedTree, I think you forgot one, or two: (13) When you get tired of your current chainsaw , just run it over with your vehicle ( works better if said vehicle has tracks)
You have a point; the chainsaw I ran over with my bulldozer was a lot more mangled then the one I mashed with my skidder. I kind of wish I had an ATV though, I think that might be the best vehicle to run one over with...a lot less expensive!
WD-40 is mostly a solvent, so good cleaner I've used fingernail polish on screws on electronics for ages. Old timers in a machine shop all had little pill bottles of bacon fat. I keep one as well. One of my favorite drill presses had a magnetic base. Never broke a bit or threw a drill with it where I could use it.
