Must have caught my knife clip on something…
![[IMG]](https://akadventurer.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/20200709_103217.jpg?w=930 "Click this image to show the full-size version.")
Less than a minute with the Spirit fixed it.
![[IMG]](https://akadventurer.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/20200709_103304.jpg?w=930 "Click this image to show the full-size version.")
Tough clip though, was putting a lot of twist on the Spirit jaws to do it! Light build of the knife, I was a little worried about bending the frame/liner. But it worked fine.
I first saw these last winter sometime, I think around November.
Took me till January to decide “why not?” and try it.
A little background;
I use my phone as my only internet device at home, and e-book reader too. Holding it is fine, but invariably after a while, you end up resting the end of the phone on a surface. The end with the charge port. That about half the day (or longer on a 5 year old device on its 4th battery) has a cord plugged into it… You bend the cord over. A lot. Too much.
Aftera while it breaks the thin wires in the cord.
I was going through about 1 good flexy braided cord every 2 months.
So, I figured a 90deg ended cord was a good idea. But most had the 90deg end aiming the cord left… which meant for the 3 places where I sit(or lay) the most, the cord would still make a bend or loop, 180 deg, to get to where it needs to goe. Not only does that eat up cord length, but its another place that can wear out.
Then I saw these. 90deg. End. 360deg rotation. Fast “plug in” (get the phone within 6″ of the cord end and it jumps to the phone! Great for one handed while driving!!), braided cord cover. LED that shows it has power.
I got a 3 pack. 3 cords, 3 micro usb ends.
And there is the other great feature; You can get Micro usb, Lightning, Usb C tips that go into the phone– and they snap in, staying put.
And use just 1 cord for any and all devices!
Recently with my new phone, I needed a USB C end. Ordered 1 more cord and that tip, which are whats shown here. My other 3 cords are bright red.
Now, I did end up damaging the end on the one cord I use the most, to charge you now have to press the cord into its magnetic tip slightly. Loosened a wire. But it took 3 months to do it!
The set of 3cords (3ft. Each) w/ tips was $16. The single set was $8.
$5 to $8 every 3 months IF I ruin them is plenty cheap enough. Much better than monthly as before!
My only real gripe, and its a minor one, is the LED indicator end. In a dark room, you can read by it! Hell, it does a passable job as a night light in a dark (15’x15′) room! Its just a little annoying as a bed side charge/reading cord.
I’m keeping one cord in the truck, one in the den, and one at the bedside. And currently I use them for 4 devices! An old phone thats media and gps in the truck, another old phone that’s media and internet at home, a tablet, and my EDC phone.
I’m intending to get more of the inserts/tips to do 3 or 4 other items, like Bluetooth speakers, and headphones, etc.
Just some misc. EDC stuff from this last week.
Been collecting keys to other peoples houses lately, for things like house sitting, checking on places/people etc. But it’s a pain keeping track of separate small key sets.
So I added a permanent unused/empty S-biner to my keys. Doesn’t add really any bulk when empty, but any day I need another houses keys I can clip them in, and know they’re safe.
![[IMG]](https://akadventurer.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/2020-01-19-16.20.02.jpg?w=930 "Click this image to show the full-size version.")
Strategically placed between other items to keep it from catching anything in my pocket or in the truck. And placing any kets I add where they don’t tangle with the keys I use the most.
Annnd, found out if you grip extremely hard with this little SwissTech tool, you can bend the handles at the rotary joint. Don’t even remember now what I was working on, but I did apply a LOT of pressure. All I could as I recall.
![[IMG]](https://akadventurer.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/2020-01-19-16.21.18.jpg?w=930 "Click this image to show the full-size version.")
They bent in far enough that they wouldn’t clear the jaws to fold up again.
So, bent back out… which took some considerable force.
Problem there though, is that the back and forth flex loosened the joints, and they were a friction joint that kept them roated up. And staying up is what keeps the tool closed, and compact too.
Plus the way I carry it is a ring trapped in the locked closed jaws… no good if the handles flop down and let the jaws open.
Tried pressing thd joints in a vice, but the two handle pieces were still tight to each other. Ended up simple putting a cone ended expanding punch on the hollow rivet end and whacking it… Actually over did it the first time, had to loosen again, and reset again.
![[IMG]](https://akadventurer.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/2020-01-19-16.21.45.jpg?w=930 "Click this image to show the full-size version.")
Angle of the handles is still a little tighter to the jaws than it started, but it’ll just stay closed better. Better a bit too tight than flopping around!
Next time I need that much torque, I’ll go get bigger pliers! Not like I’d be far from any since this is in-the-house edc anyway.
Part two, or, darn those gloves! 😉
Parg one was here;
https://ak-adventurer.net/2019/10/13/darning-leather-gloves/
Have a pair of nice heavy deer skin work gloves that I wore almost all summer. They started developing holes about a month and a half ago.
*snip*
they’re broken in, already stained– don’t have to worry what I get on them, they fit me, and are comfortable as all get out now… I’ve been missing them!
With socks its called darning. Maybe only on knit socks. Ive been saying I’m darning gloves. But they’re not knit, and darning might not apply even to knit gloves… lol.
*snip*
But at any rate, I’m enjoying it, it improves my sewing, saves some gloves, and fills some time.
I still have one big hole and one small one to patch, and two seams to re-close.
So, thus, onto the finish!
One more finger tip done;
And a thumb;
Not perfect by any means, but I think they’ll last a while again. A bonus, I’m getting better, and faster at the sewing!
I switched to a skin needle– its a cutting needle, a triangular cross section and sharp edges. Goes through the glove leather easier.
I also changed to a smaller, but stronger thread, that’s easier to sew with.
What I had before is a heavy waxed braided cotton that’s sold for leather work.
What I changed to is a braided synthetic fishing line. Designed for ice fishing, it has a high abrasion resistance, and is s 20# test. It looks likd a super fine and weak thread, but is some tough stuff! Should last a while anyway.
So there we have it. probably an hours work that took me a couple weeks.
They’re not perfect. One finger got shorter because I over trimmed. One got longer from over compensation for the previous over trimming. The last thumb I did stayed in length but got narrower/tighter,
Hahaha, Just can’t win, eh? 😉
but I have my gloves back!
Or actually, re-installing a shield on a congress. 🙂
A friend on EDCC forums posted a knife of a distinct style, that I hadn’t remembered him having. Upon inquiry he informed me that he has actually had it for aboug 6 years. It got shelved at somepoing after it lost its shield.
Some time later he found the shield (in the dryer) and put it in a safe place. Then forgot where. A time passed and it was found, then the knife found. The morning he posted about it, he had finally gotten the shield super glued back in.
The whole thing reminded me that Somewhere I have a Colt congress, that lost its shield. And I remember where I put the shield when I found it, about 5 or 6 years ago!
Thus;
Had to scrape some bone and glue off the back of the thing;
And voila;
Haven’t been able to wear my Eco-Drive chrony for a while, after I found a problem with the band.
Wore through around the under straps keeper ring. (Strap is a leather NATO style)
Technically the watch is still secured by the top strap, but I wasn’t comfortable wearing it til I got it fixed.
Took a couple months to get to where, today, I had time/wanted it enough to actually do something about it.
Some of the rest of the band is also a little rough, here is where its worn through on the bottom strap next to the spot I’m fixing. But its only through the one layer, it’ll be fine for a while though, I think.
I simply stitched the bottom strap to the top one, and trimmed off the worn loop where the ring sat.
From the back;
Got a little too far from the edge there on one side, but it works. 🙂
Side that shows;
Easy fix and all I lost at this point, is that it isn’t an easy change band anymore. I’ll have to pull the spring bars to take the watch off. No big loss really though; Except for about 2 weeks when it was new, the watch has been on this band since about this time of year in 2011. 😀
Since I was welding that day, it meant finger burns (yes we had dedicated welding gloves, but generally I don’t bother with them, they’re a heavy leather gauntlet that allows no dexterity at all.)
Add to that some muscle damage and inflammation that I have right now in my shoulders/arm pits and lower arms that has been doing a carpal tunnel like effect of a piched nerve or restrictions in blood flow; making my hands tingling or numb over most of the past week anyway;
It makes this extremely slow, somewhat frustrating, and sort of painful to do.
I still have one big hole and one small one to patch, and two seams to re-close.
While killing time in the shop with misc. little projects, and trying to find parts for one, I came accross the Buffalo Alaska Mint coin/silver proof from my old money clip. Several years ago the curve of the clip broke– its brass, and it had gotten brittle, work hardened from repeated bending back and forth.
I had intended to put the coin on a new clip, but never could find one I liked, wanting one similar yo what it had, a hinged camming action that clamped it shut.
Got to thinking that I hadn’t really been in any hurry to solder the Marlboro cowboy emblem back onto the clip I’ve been using after it came off last summer either…
So, why not combine them, eh?
The curve of the broken end on the coin backing plate almost perfectly fit the clips curved end.
Cleaned the chrome platting off the one, cleaned the other to bare brass and tinned them in solder. Pressed and heated. Twice.
Filled with solder along the curved end. Three times…
Have I ever mentioned that I Hate soldering? Well I do!
But sometimes I get lucky!
It ain’t perfect but its solid and will fer sure work.
All that holds the coin on is the bezel, 4 little tabs that bend/crimp over the backing plate.
Two old friends with a lot of memories attached
— the Marlboro clip I’ve had since I was a kid. The buffalo clip I got 10 year ago this spring on a 2 week trip to the big city, hanging out with a good buddy when he came home from the service, Fun Times!—
back in service together, finally!
Alaskan, Adventurer, Engineer. 