Hand Tools
85 episodes
#5984: Reading a Mystery Adapter's Voltage Without a Label
An unpowered DC jack is electrically silent — so how do you find the right voltage? The answer isn't in the pins, it's in the current curve.
#5810: Standoffs, Anchors, and the Outlet Behind the Whiteboard
A missing whiteboard, a metal-stud surprise, and the thread mismatch that turns one fastener into two.
#5784: The Cheap Knife That Lies to You
Why a cheap sharp knife is worse than a dull one, and how to pick tools for stripping cable without nicking a conductor.
#5783: Can a Dremel Be Gym Equipment?
A Dremel afternoon left Daniel drenched in sweat. Turns out the research on power tool physical load barely covers his tool at all.
#5781: Measuring Keyhole Spacing: Why the Tool You Want Doesn't Exist
A digital slider that reads millimeters? It's actually two tools — and for keyhole spacing, the right answer might be no measurement at all.
#5780: Why Keyhole Slots Never Line Up
Keyhole slots are on everything and standardized on nothing. Here's why the spacing never matches and which screw actually works.
#5745: Why Europlugs Fit Israeli Sockets So Badly
A 2.5-amp plug, a 16-amp socket, and half a millimeter of interference. The physics of a connection that was never meant to hold.
#5737: Why Measuring a $4 Spudger Tip Is Weirdly Hard
A listener wants to put a number on his spudger's tip thickness. Turns out that's a real metrology problem.
#5707: Epoxy vs Superglue: The Tooling Gap Nobody Talks About
Epoxy beats superglue on every measurable axis — so why does everyone still grab the tube? The answer is metering, and the tools that fix it.
#5655: Organizing the Electronics Repair Bench
Why phone repair benches resist order, and the trays, lights, and magnification that fix it.
#5654: Why Hand Driving Beats Power Tools on Tiny Screws
A precision screwdriver set, ESD tweezers, and a spudger — the case for the manual tool in a world that reaches for the motor.
#5645: Who Teaches You to Fix Your Own Home?
Wiring a plug but never welding metal — why hands-on skills have holes, and what a real DIY curriculum would cover.
#5634: Battery Platform Lock-In: Innovation vs Stability
Cells change every three years. The battery interface barely moves. Buyers research the wrong one.
#5610: Magnetizing Screwdrivers: Do the Cycles Wear Out?
Can a screwdriver be magnetized forever, or does the magnetism wear out? A deep dive into magnetizer blocks, coils, and demagnetization.
#5579: Cutting Things With a Dremel: What Actually Works
Cut-off wheels vs cutting bits, RPM by material, and why lateral cutting is fine with the right attachment and fatal with the wrong one.
#5553: When 52 Volts Meets a 12-Volt Modem
A fried fiber modem raises the real question: where do you draw the line between preparedness and "done enough"?
#5529: 15 Forgotten Hardware Parts Your DIY Kit Needs
A 64-drawer parts bin reveals why you keep buying the same screws twice — and the 15 fasteners worth actually stocking.
#5514: Drilling Concrete: Jigs, Anchors, and Fidelity
Why your hammer drill wanders off mark, which wall-capable jigs actually grip, and how to match drill bits to anchors.
#5382: 10 Commercial Gear Upgrades for Your Home
Commercial dishwashers, washers, and fridges can outlast consumer gear — if your electrical panel cooperates.
#5287: Does an Engraver's Practice Material Kit Exist?
Hand engravers have practice plates. Designers have plastic sample sets. Nobody's combined them — here's how to build your own reference library.
#5283: PH vs PZ: The Screw Bit Difference Nobody Notices
Two cross-head bits sit in every driver set. One was an accident that became a standard; the other was engineered on purpose and almost nobody can ...
#5270: Teardowns as Documentation: Inside the Hardware Repair Playbook
A dead Dremel sparks a deep dive into teardowns as a documentation discipline — and why board-level knowledge matters more than ever.
#5127: Brushless vs Brushed Motors: What You're Really Paying For
Carbon blocks, copper windings, and a controller that changes everything. Here's what "brushless" actually means on your tools.
#5124: Sharpening, Cleaning & Polishing with a Rotary Tool
Can a Dremel really sharpen a knife? What about drill bits? We break down which accessories work and which are a waste.