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NOTE: Some of the photos are pixelated. Click the link to see the actual product.
PRODUCTS I USE: ====================================
Fms Ravenox Bird Houses for Outside | Flying Martins Purple Martin Vertical Gourd – Handmade in USA Durable Bird House with A Conley II Hole Entrance Gourd Rack System Compatible (4 Pack): I’ll be the first to say, these are NOT cheap. But you also get what you pay for. These are my favorite houses by far. Martins like this style of house. Be sure to place them at least 12′ high and in a wide open area for flying. Also in the general area of buildings, wires, ponds, and creeks are also a plus
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Super PHATIC ALIPHATIC Glue Fast Drying, Bonds Wood, Foam Paper ETC: I use this glue for gluing non-similar materials. Nuts to wood, plastic binding to wood, etc. I will say that Canopy glue (below) is my first choice for modern plastic binding, but this is a close second.
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TRIAX Guardian Heavy Duty Grease with Moly, True Multi Purpose, Wheel Bearings, Shock Loaded Components, Extremely Tacky, -400 F Drop Point, Zero Separation (10 Pack – 14 Ounce Tubes): I use this grease for all my equipment. Bobcat, tractors, lawn tractor, etc. Great stuff. Heavy duty means it is thicker and will stay put better.
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Lawn Mower 40V Brushless 18″ Cordless, 5 Cutting Height Adjustments Electric Lawn Mower, Quickly Folding Within 5’s, 4.0AH Battery and Super Charger Included: Quite honestly, I was completely skeptical of this thing. I got it free for making a video. But, if you have a small yard and cut it at least twice a month, you will love this thing. Its light weight, and easy to push. The power ramps up automatically if you get into heavier grass.
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MINELAB MANTICORE High-Power Multi-IQ+ Waterproof Metal Detector for Adults with Advanced Target ID (11″ Double-D Coil Included): This comes with headphones too. I have this detector and it is truly one of the best on the market.
Manticore (my recommendation): https://amzn.to/4a3wNuV
Equinox 800 (my previous detector and still a great machine for less money): https://amzn.to/3WiSd42
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Epson EcoTank ET-4760 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with Scanner, Copier, Fax, ADF and Ethernet – White: In my opinion this is the best printer you can get for a small business. Large paper tray, Ethernet, print quality, speed, ease of use, etc. But that’s NOT the main reason. The main reason is the ink is cheap by comparison and it lasts forever. HURRY there were only 2 left in stock at the time I posted this.
ET 4760: https://amzn.to/3UqWT5E
Same ink, smaller paper tray, and NO Ethernet. Only 1 left at posting: ET-2760 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with Scanner and Copier: https://amzn.to/3wfXFu3
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2 Pairs of Bamboo Working Gloves with Touchscreen: These are really great gloves for gardening or metal detecting. They feel great, last a long time in the dirt, and maybe best of all, you can still use your cell phone with them on. I love these gloves. Best 
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CKG Metal Detecting Shovel and Heavy Duty Edge Digger with “bonus” pouch: These are great for metal detecting. But, they are also fantastic for any type of digging. They are very heavy duty. You won’t bend these things. But, they are also a bit heavy to tote around. For me the weight is a non-issue. Our ground is so rocky which makes the narrow blades perfect for digging and prying in this tough ground. I LOVE THESE!
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EnHulk 930 CFM Blower: This battery powered blower is the real deal. It gets the job done. It is a bit heavy and the power will push on your arm a bit. But that’s what you want in a battery powered blower. Lasts about 15 minutes or so using full power.
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Spark 40 Positive Grid Amp: I use this amp at Dickey’s BBQ Pit for our twice monthly gigs. It is really great and has many more capabilities than I use. Warning, you should be pretty good with smart phones and Bluetooth technology if you decide to purchase this amp. It is NOT a typical plug and play amp. It is really fine.
Same amp with a carrying bag:
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POWOXI Solar Panel Kit 12V 20W Magnetic + MPPT Charge Controller Waterproof Solar Battery Charger Maintainer Solar Trickle Charger Alligator Clip for Car Boat RV Motorcycle Marine, etc. This Solar battery charger is the real deal. I has built in controls to keep the battery topped off without overcharging. It has fixed the charging problems with my 2009 Polaris Ranger. AWESOME!
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Kuject 200PCS Solder Seal Wire Connector Kit: These Solder Seal Wire Connectors are really great for certain applications. Trailers, cars, etc. To be honest, I don’t they are necessarily the best option for all connections. They they do come in handy.
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This is a real handy AC voltage detector. It has found its way into my electrical tool kit.
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These are great safety glasses with 1.5 Bi-focal for “close-up reading”
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LG-3D Laser Level Self Leveling 3×360°, 3D Green Beam Cross Line Laser for Construction and Picture Hanging, 2 Rechargeable Batteries: I received this product for free in exchange for me making a video. I can tell you with all honesty. It is a really fine product. It is way more useful and easier to use than I could have imagined. There are similar products listed cheaper, but they may not “self level”.
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IPS PH-200 Non-marring Plastic Jaw Soft Touch Slip Joint Pliers: These soft jaw pliers are great when you don’t want to mar a surface. I have used them quite a lot and they hold up great.
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Kirschen 1101000 6-Piece Chisel Set in Wood Box: This 2 Cherry chisel set (sold under a different name, but the logo and tool style, looks the same) seems to be exactly like what I use. I have used them exclusively for many years now. They hold up really well.
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DJI Pocket 2 Creator Combo, 3 Axis Gimbal Stabilizer with 4K Camera: This is a really good camera. The stabilization is fantastic. I prefer it over the GoPro cameras.
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LED Headlamp Rechargeable Flashlight, 2-Pack: These headlamps comfortable, affordable, lightweight, and as handy as a pocket on a shirt:
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ROCKWELL Sonicrafter 10-Piece 4.5A Variable Speed Oscillating Multi-Tool Kit with Soft Case: I use both a corded and cordless Rockwell Oscillating tool. This is the corded tool. I could NOT find the cordless version on Amazon.
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Lincoln 1886 PowerLuber 20 Volt Lithium Ion High Pressure 2 Speed Cordless Grease Gun, 10,000 PSI, LED Indicator, Single Battery with Carrying Case and Charger: The style has changed, but this is the closest Lincoln grease gun I could find to the one I have. The one below is 20V which wasn’t available when I bought mine.
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Mini Tank Electric Water Heater 2.5 Gallon Under Sink Instant Hot Water Heater 110V/120V: These little water heaters are really great for either getting hot water to a remote faucet in your house, or a utility sink out in the garage. They provide more than enough hot water to wash your hands and that is pretty great on a cold day in the shop.
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Rust Converter Ultra, Highly Effective Professional Grade Rust Repair Spray (1 Gallon): I have used it to cover bare metal several times. It goes on easy. Clean up is easy and it provides a great base for paint afterwards.
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Massage Gun, Muscle Massage Gun for Athletes Handheld Electric Deep Tissue Back Massager, Percussion Massage Device for Pain Relief with 30 Speed Levels 9 Heads: This is a similar vibrator to the one I use. It is the ONLY thing that I have found that relaxes the pain in my hands. If I vibrate my hands for 5 or 10 minutes, it allows me to play my instrument without pain.
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300-Amp T-Style Welding Ground Clamp Brass: I have bought and installed 2 of these ground clamps on my welder and plasma cutter. They are the real deal.
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Dremel 4000 Rotary Tool Kit – Variable Speed, Engraver, Polisher, Sander, and Accessories: You’ve seen me use this Dremel 4000 many times. It is a real workhorse and is far superior to the competition.
Dremel Flex Shaft Rotary Tool Attachment with Comfort Grip and 36” Long Cable: I don’t actually use the flex shaft myself. In case you want one, this one works with the Dremel 4000 above.
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Clic Magnetic Reading Glasses (Long Temples), Computer Readers, Replaceable Lens, Original Long, (Black, 1.50 Magnification): These Reading Glasses are the perfect addition to your workbench for detailed setup work. Very handy to snap together when needed and hang around the neck between uses.
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INSIZE 4630-1E Taper Gage, 0.01″-0.15″, Graduation 0.001″: I use this INSIZE taper gauge to set/check the action at the 12th fret on all stringed instruments. It can also be useful for checking the action at the 1st fret as well as the width of any internal (through) crack.
INSIZE Taper Gage: https://amzn.to/3xVQQyg
Here is a “cheaper alternative taper gauge. (I have never used this one. But it is probably fine.) https://amzn.to/3UCEbcc
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iGaging IP54 Electronic Digital Caliper 0-6″ Display Inch/Metric/Fractions Stainless Steel Body: This is one great set of calipers. iGaging makes great tools. I have two sets of these. Very happy with them.
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iGaging Angle Cube Digital Level + Bevel Gauge 2 in 1: I often need to find the angle of some thing. If the thing is sitting on a level surface, this will tell you the precise angle. In fact you can set a zero and check any angle from that point. Really nice tool
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Korg OT-120 Orchestral Tuner: This Tuner has been a critical part of my setup work for more than 20 years. It has been very reliable and seems to work as well as any tuner I have ever used. I prefer the table top model to the “clip-on” style for doing setup work. It is a great tuner to set on your bench.
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HORUSDY Band Clamp: This band clamp is very useful for holding the neck heel tight to the body when doing a neck reset. I use it every time I set a neck.
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Violin Crack Repair Tool: This is very similar to the edge clamp I use. It is great for gluing/bringing together the edge of a thin top or back. There are others available on Amazon, but some have a flawed design. I think this one is more practical and it costs slightly less.
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5 Pieces Violin Making tools: Here is a complete kit that includes common tools that are used to work on violins. I have all these tools individually. This kit appears to be worth the money.
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Violin Peg Hole Reamer with Wood Handle for 3/4 4/4 Violin: To be honest I am not certain this reamer is exactly like the one I use, but from what I can gather, they are all pretty similar. This one is priced right and has good reviews.
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ELMERS X-Acto #11 Blades for X-Acto Knives: These “X-LIFE” Blades are more expensive no doubt, but they are by far the best blades that I have ever used. This is a 500 blade pack. (the 100 pack was only 1/3 cheaper) So at this quantity, the price is not bad. Believe me when I say there is a difference. Buy once and cry once.
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Carbide-Tipped Band Saw Blades: To be clear, I don’t know if this is the same brand that I purchased years ago. But if you have to do “re-sawing” of wide boards, then carbide teeth is the way to go. A few of the common sizes are listed below:
93-1/2 Inch (93-1/2 x 5/8 x 2TPI): https://amzn.to/3QkMerI
93-1/2 Inch (93-1/2 x 3/4 x 2TPI): https://amzn.to/3WmlfQn
105 Inch (105 x 5/8 x 2 TPI): https://amzn.to/44g5IDN
105 Inch (105 x 3/4 x 2 TPI): https://amzn.to/3UCHJeS
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4″ Wood Carving Disc Grinder Shaping Disc: These wood carving wheels for the angle grinder make short work of shaping wood. Great for roughing out carved tops and backs, and necks. Note this one will fit 5/8″ or 7/8″ grinders
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Titebond Original Wood Glue: I use Titebond original wood glue to glue all wooden parts on all wooden acoustic instruments. It has superior properties when compared to hide glue. Glued joints can be easily taken apart with either heat, steam or both. Don’t believe all the myths surrounding hide glue. This stuff is way superior in every regard. In 40 years use, I can honestly say I have never had one single failure when the glued joints were correctly fitted and clamped.
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Starbond 2 oz. Super Fast Thin CA Glue: I use CA glue on wooden parts that cannot be easily clamped. E.g. if I have to hold odd shaped pieces together by hand. Or if the crack that I am gluing is really tight, I use CA glue to penetrate into the crack. Starbond brand is a proven good choice.
Regular: https://amzn.to/4bdRO7n
Odorless: (costs more worth it for filling pores over a large area): https://amzn.to/3y5PX64
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Activator (2 x 13.5 fl oz) Spray Accelerator for CA Super Glues (2 Pack): CA glue accelerator is a must in my opinion. Especially when you are holding parts together by hand. It makes the bond almost instant. TIP: Wait about 10 seconds before applying and you will get great results. There will be no “white” build up.
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Glue Tips, 100Pcs CA Glue Tips, Precision Glue Micro-Tips for Bottles with Nozzle: These tiny glue tips are useful with the CA glue. They help by controlling the amount of glue being dispersed. NOTE: these are MICRO TIPS very tiny compared to others.
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POWERTEC 71407 Abrasive Cleaning Stick for Sanding Belts & Discs: These sand paper cleaning sticks are essential for keeping your sanding belts, discs, and drums clean so that they last much longer.
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SIMICHROME Metal Polish Paste 2-pack: I use this metal polish to polish out light scuffs and scratches on the finish/surface of most instruments. It works great for that. It also will polish plastic, and most any metal surface. After polishing, I usually coat the area with Renaissance wax. See below:
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Renaissance Wax 200 ml: Paste wax is all I use on acoustic instruments. I never use spray polishes due to the many chemicals. Those chemicals can curl up your pickguards and other plastic parts. My preferred brand of was is Renaissance Wax. It works great and is easy to apply compared to many other brands. You can use this stuff on nearly anything. Including priceless works of art. GREAT STUFF!
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Scott Shop Towels Original 30-Rolls: This is my absolute favorite shop towel. I use them for polishing and buffing out guitars and then save them for later use while soaking up spills, grease, and cleaning up messes. These are by far the best. The others jus don’t compare. IMPORTANT NOTE: Notice these are NOT quilted. The quilted version is worthless for the kind of work I do.
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Formula 560 Canopy Glue: This Canopy glue (Formula 560) is awesome for gluing on plastic binding to a wooden acoustic instrument. Especially useful with the newer types of plastic binding (ABS, PVC, etc). Important note: This stuff is water clean up. So it won’t damage your finish. For the “old style” plastic bindings (celluloid/acetate based) I prefer Beacon 527 (however, this can damage your finish) see below:
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Beacon Adhesives 527: I use this Beacon 527 glue for attaching the “old style” (celluloid/acetate) bindings. This glue will melt the plastic to the wood ensuring a great bond. It can also be used to melt the ends of the plastic so that corners and intersections bond with a seamless appearance. It can also be used with minimal results to melt the modern plastic ends together. But I prefer the Canopy glue (above) to actually attach the newer bindings to wooden instruments.
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Timbermate Wood Filler: This is really good filler. Very minimal shrinkage compared to other brands. Cleans up easily with water. There are many colors available. However, I only use the light maple color and then dye it with Fiebings Leather dyes (see below). For luthier work, a small tub like this will last forever and a day.
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3M SandBlaster Pro Sandpaper 11 in. L x 9 in: I use 3M Sandblaster Pro sandpaper exclusively. 220 grit is my overall “go-to.” Enough to keep you going for quite a while. In my opinion the difference is night and day compared to the others. This 220 grit is very useful and cuts very well while leaving a “finish ready” surface.
220 grit (4 sheets per pack w/4 packs): https://amzn.to/49Vlh4L
400 grit (5 sheets per pack w/4 packs): https://amzn.to/4aPWpgn
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Fiebing’s Leather Dye 4oz Alcohol Based penetrating & Permanent Leather dye: Fiebings (alcohol based) dyes are one of the most useful products in my repair shop. They will color almost anything. You can mix and match colors to blend the color to a near exact match. The most useful colors for me are Black, Dark Brown,and Light Brown. Other helpful colors are Yellow, Red, and Green.
Black: https://amzn.to/3Qm3w86
Dark Brown: https://amzn.to/3UgRmOM
Light Brown: https://amzn.to/49UCyv1
Yellow: https://amzn.to/49UCE5R
Green: https://amzn.to/4djD7Se
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Boiled Linseed Oil – Quart: Boiled linseed oil is very useful for treating guitar bridges, fretboards, bare necks, and any other “bare” wood. Simply wipe on and then after only a minute, wipe off. It is also useful for wiping over really old and very damaged finishes like old violins. You’ll be amazed how much better the finish will look. Great stuff!
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Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil Gun Stock Finish: This is a really great finish for acoustic instruments. A very small quantity will handle most instruments. There are many ways you can apply it. You can literally use your fingers, a pad, cloth, brush, etc. My favorite method is to spray it. However, I warn you, you can not spray it too light. One pass only or it will run. But that is true regardless of the method of application. You must apply light coats. But the results are really great. The 3 oz. is probably enough for most projects. The shelf life is not good on this product.
3 oz Bottle: https://amzn.to/4beybfj
8 oz Bottle: https://amzn.to/49Utg2g
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Terlans Liquid Blonde Shellac 8.4 fl oz: NOTE: I have NOT used this specific brand. It does have a good rating: I don’t know for sure what color to expect as is states “Blonde”. Shellac is a good 1st coat under the Tru Oil Varnish. It works well as a pore filler because it dries quickly. It can also be used as a top coat. But the negative is that it is not very scratch resistant and it might turn white if you sweat on it. However it works great as the undercoat and it is acoustically sound. It works great for touching up chips and dings too.
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Watco Lacquer Wood Finish Spray, 11.25 oz, Clear Gloss: I use this “rattle can” spray lacquer for small jobs. E.g., custom wooden pickguards, or truss rod covers. However there is no reason why you couldn’t use it for an entire instrument. I have used several brands. This brand is best by far in my opinion:
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3-IN-ONE 10038 Multi-Purpose Oil 8 oz (Pack of 2): 3 in 1 oil is an old standby. Keep one in the house, one in the shop or anywhere you can use some lubrication. I use it on tuning keys. It will not hurt bare wood. In fact, it is ok to apply it to bare wood. However as a general rule, I use linseed oil for that.
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Zippo Lighter Fluid, 12 Ounce: Zippo lighter fluid is great for removing “sticky” stuff off the finish of an acoustic instrument. It will not harm most finishes. But it is always good to test first.
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American Line Single Edge Razor Blades – 100-Pack – 0.012″ Heavy Duty High Carbon Steel: Heavy duty single edge razor blades (.012″ thick) are a must have in the shop. They are great for scraping defects off of bindings and for shaping small parts. I use them all the time while leveling the fretboard between frets. Don’t use the thin “cheap” blades they are only .009″ thick and are too flexible most of the time.
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Pentel GraphGear 1000 Mechanical Pencil: I rarely use a standard pencil anymore especially after finding these. I recommend getting both the .5 and .9 sizes. Love these pencils.
Black Barrel .5mm size (Comes With Eraser and Lead Refills): https://amzn.to/49VbSKG
Yellow Barrel .9mm size (Comes With Eraser and Lead Refills): https://amzn.to/3xV6JVH
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Ultra Thin Razor Saw, 32 TPI, .008-Inch: These razor saws are a must for making fine cuts. The kerf is only .008″. That is the thickness of only 2 human hairs. Highly recommended for Luthier work.
5 Pieces Telescoping Inspection Mirrors: This is a must for diagnosing the insides of acoustic instruments. I decided to pick this 5 piece set as I have several myself. The lighted one appears to be an exact match.
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Ibex Violin Makers Finger Planes: I consider finger planes to be an essential tool for a Luthier. It will take some practice to become proficient with them. I use a variety of sizes. The 10mm is a good all around plane. The 8mm is also very useful for fine detail and is easier to push if you have sore arthritic hands..
10mm: https://amzn.to/44kG4xr
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SEEKONE Heat Gun 1800W: Heat guns are very useful in the shop. They are great for a variety of uses. e.g. removing labels, bending wood, plastic, etc. This is not the exact gun I use. But, it seems to be comparable and is one of the guns rated very highly.water for steaming off a neck. The “hotter” side of the plate gets hot enough to create steam but is self regulating and won’t allow the water temperature to keep rising. I also use this when making my own varnish.
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Carlyle Electrical Pliers: These are hands down the best electrical pliers I have ever used for small type work (cars/trailers etc.). The wire strippers work great. They also have 2 cutting areas. The end of the jaws has a grip that won’t slip. I first found them at my local NAPA store. They are also available from Amazon by clicking on this link. You’ll LOVE THEM!
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AmScope Professional Binocular Stereo Microscope, WF10x Eyepieces, 10X and 20X Magnification: To be clear, this is NOT the exact scope I use. It is made by the same company. It appears to be similar and costs less.
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TP-Link TL-SG105S | 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch: This type of switch is really nice when building a home network. Much faster than WIFI. You don’t need to know much. Just run an ethernet cable from your modem/router to the switch and then you can plug in up to 4 other devices. Real life example: Say your router is upstairs and your game room is downstairs in the basement. Simply plug in an ethernet cable to the router, then drill a hole in the floor to drop it through. Then in the basement connect the switch to the other end. Now you can connect up to 4 other devices using more ethernet cables. The best thing is they will work much faster and you won’t “drop off”. Beats wifi hands down. You will love it!
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These cables are compatible with the switch above and most all other network devices (Modems, Routers, PCs, Macs, etc.). Ethernet wire connects are far superior to “wifi” connections. Always use ethernet when you can. (of course fiber optic is even faster, but that’s outside the scope here).
10′ 10 Pack Black: https://amzn.to/3Qm7Zr6
25′ 2 Pack Blue and Black: https://amzn.to/3we2hAY
50′ Single Black: https://amzn.to/3UlhhFa