Crane, Ace, Tees, Compare
No, it's not an alternative shipping forecast, it's Malty Mail.
Outernet
things I've been up to
It might seem strange but big machinery is often cheaper than small machines. You pay a premium for being able to move the thing around! The common options are engine cranes, pallet jacks and pulley blocks. All are great options and things I've tried in the past.
Entry the Gantry Crane
The design is pretty trivial and certainly open to a DIY (Nick from TheGrainDoctor built one based on Frank Howorth's design). While ideal if you're using it frequently, it's not really designed to be collapisble for storage.
Another option is a steel gantry crane - Alec Steele has talked about buying one more than once but they're too heavy to disassemble by hand.
The best option, I think, is an aluminium, portable gantry crane. And while expensive if bought domestically, it's an ideal bit of kit to buy direct from China.
My crane has was loaded on the HMM Helsinki in early June and is currently in mainland Europe... I hope. The process of shipping something from China is, as you might expect, confusing if you've never done it but reasonably simple once you understand the terminology.
Internet
Spiffing things to focus on and grab your attention
GxAce is a channel I've been enjoying for quite some time now. If cinematic production with future dystopian vibes are your thing then you'll love it - even more so if you're into cameras. His latest video is a little strange but it's an interesting comparison of AI and analogue photography. At 5:37 long, it's worth watching twice!
There's no middleman and no company here. I bought the shirts direct and printed them myself. They are a limited run so if you can't see your size then sorry, you missed out! I've got them in men's, women's and universal fit so there's hopefully something to fit which ever style you'd prefer.
If you're reading this on the newsletter (vs online) then there's a discount code below as a way of saying thank you. While there's no t-shirt company here, just me, I still wanted to give you the option to get some money off.
Compare
The section that introduces a comparison
'Buy cheap then upgrade' or 'buy once, cry once'? It's a hotly debated topic and as you might expect, both can be right at different times. Most of the time I go down the buy good quality, cheap, used tools unless you know you're going to use it a lot or there's a noticable difference in usability of a new/expensive tool. I've seen plenty of people put off using a jigsaw because of cheap, poorly functioning tools.
To that end I thought I'd add a section about tools I think are worth spending money on. They are tools I've used and I think are worth buying but I've also included the entry level option as a comparison so you can decide if it's worth it.
First up, adjustable parallel pliers:
Ubiquitous from IKEA tool kits and starter DIY sets - the adjustable spanner. The two jaws can be adjusted to a range of sizes but remain parallell to each other, unlike regular pliers where the jaws move apart at an angle. The downside? The only way to apply pressure across the jaws is twisting the thumbscrew.
I love these. You keep the advantage of parralel jaws but the handles let you put pressure across the jaws, reducing the chance of you slipping when tightening a fastner. Another neat feature is there's just enough movement in the handles that when you open them fully you can rotate around the head of a fastner before re-gripping - almost like a ratchet mechanism. Unlike the adjustable spanner, you can also use them to squeeze or pinch connectors.