#hardware-standards
33 episodes
#4730: Can You Wear a High-Vis Button-Up to a Bar?
ANSI safety standards don't care about garment type — only square inches. The result: fluorescent cargo shorts.
#4718: ISO Standards: The Hidden Code Running Your World
From country codes to tea brewing — exploring the 25,000 standards that quietly run global commerce.
#4591: The Tea, Bananas, and Shipping Containers of ISO
Why does an international standard specify the exact angle of a banana's curve? We explore the surprisingly sensible logic behind the world's stran...
#4486: Industrial Household Hacks: Euroboxes, GN Pans & Brute Bins
Save money and gain durability by replacing consumer goods with industrial standards. Euroboxes, GN pans, and more.
#4342: Open-Front Bins vs Drawer Cabinets: Workshop Storage Deep-Dive
Open-front bin, hopper bin, or drawer cabinet? We decode the confusing terminology of small-parts storage systems.
#4331: Cutting Consumables: Blades, Safety & Storage
Every replaceable blade for DIY, from utility knives to oscillating multitools — what to stock, how to stay safe.
#4325: The 80% Fastener Kit That Stops Saturday Trips
Stop emergency hardware store runs with a curated stock of screws, plugs, and consumables.
#4271: Concrete Screws vs Plastic Anchors: Best for Renters
Concrete screws hold 2-3x more weight than plastic anchors and leave smaller holes. Here's what Israeli renters need to know.
#4270: The Anchor Go Bag: A System for Hanging Anything
Stop googling anchor sizes. A decision tree for drywall, concrete, and everything in between.
#4143: How Screwdrivers Became a Museum of Bad Decisions
Why are there so many incompatible screw types? The surprising history of Phillips, Robertson, and the design that won by failing.
#3878: Three Axes of Every Screw on Your Bench
How to identify any small screw by thread form, head style, and drive type — and never lose a project to a missing fastener again.
#3825: Low Voltage, High Stakes: Electricians vs Linemen
Why 120V is "low voltage" and what separates electricians from linemen at the meter.
#3821: The Blue Plug That Runs the World
Everything you never knew about the industrial plug hiding in plain sight on every construction site and festival stage.
#3818: Three Fixes for Loose Europlugs in Israeli Sockets
Stop wrestling with loose power tool plugs. Three cheap, practical fixes for the Europlug-to-Israeli-socket mismatch.
#3654: Safety Glasses Over Prescription Frames: 3 Paths
The gap between what most people use and should use for eye protection is enormous. Here are three real paths.
#3539: Mapping a Room with Just Your Phone
Can your phone turn a video walkthrough into a measured 3D model? We break down the tools and the real-world limits.
#3335: Industrial Standards That Outlast Consumer Gear
Gastronorm pans, 19-inch racks, Euro pallets, and DIN rail — the industrial standards that save money and last decades.
#3132: Why Your Storage Bins Don't Stack (And How to Fix It)
One cubic foot could fix your garage chaos — if manufacturers would agree on it.
#3080: How Flags Actually Pick Their Blues
Pantone, RAL, and NCS — three systems, three philosophies, and one very blue flag.
#3048: How to Read Sandpaper Like a Pro
Grit numbers, mineral types, and why your pine sandpaper clogs instantly.
#2915: The Barcode That Changed Everything
MPNs, UPCs, ASINs, and the secret hierarchy of product codes that engineers use to buy the right thing.
#2884: How to Pick Safety Glasses That Actually Protect You
ANSI Z87.1+ vs. Z87, anti-fog coatings, fit-over goggle seals, and why squinting means your protection failed.
#2269: Ungrounded: The Hidden Danger in Your Israeli Socket
Why does your imported vacuum feel dangerous? We trace the fault path from a Europlug to a potential shock, explaining which appliances need ground...
#2268: The Universal Power Cord's Quiet Masterpiece
A deep dive into the humble IEC power cable—the C13 and C14 connectors. We explore the history, physics, and surprising engineering that makes this...