fm2176

Never got into fishing, but if I did, I'd be the Store Brand Hero since I work for probably the largest outdoor retailer, owned and founded by a fisherman. We get 50% off of store brands which applies to everything from apparel to gun safes. I gotta watch myself!

I can imagine. I'm hanging onto helmets, like the IHPS I got in my last year of service, the PASGT I wore in Iraq, and a MICH. I think the MICH I was issued in 2005 was turned in, though, despite being the one I wore the most, including in Afghanistan. I should have an extra lying around somewhere. As the kids continue growing into adulthood, I'll probably have my little space somewhere to display some of the uniforms; maybe I'll even expand the gun room from the closet it's currently in. I'm thinking Dragonman (I jest). As well all get older, though, it would be nice to have an out-of-the-way place to store military memorabilia so I can show the grandkids one day and make it easier for everyone to loot when I'm gone. 😇

Well, the kid is here, and my sister stayed busy, doing more in a week than I've done in a year. My double garage is half-cleared out and we filled a 15-yard dumpster. The good thing about having her do a lot of the cleaning while I was at work is that there is zero attachment. A lot of things bring back memories, so it's hard tossing something that I picked up in Iraq 20 years ago, or Afghanistan 10 years ago. I tried to salvage my M65 field jacket I'd had rank and patches sewn on when still with the 101st Airborne, but that thing was dry-rotten. So long as the Republican Guard uniform is still around (I think it's in the gun room), I don't really need to continue hanging on to everything. Heck, I might be a step closer to finding my Saddam picture liberated from his namesake Airport (now Baghdad International) in early April 2003. My neighbor's bringing his trencher home once it cools off a bit more and replacing the shed's light fixture with a 4-ft LED. I'm going to run a security light on the side of it as well. The dogs are getting along fine; the lab is too old to really care but has shown a little aggression if he thinks the husky is overstepping her bounds, while the cur is just vocal about everything. Surprisingly, the husky hasn't started talking back...yet.

I hadn't been tracking this. Thanks for sharing!

I find myself stopping by Walmart almost daily, and while picking up oil change supplies and a tarp yesterday, I noticed this on the cart that a lady was using to stock the clearance aisle. HART 215-Piece Mechanics Tool Set, Multiple Drive, Chrome Finish - Walmart.com It was half-off at $69, and 16-year-old Husky blow-molded set is finally starting to show its age, with a few replacements here and there. The only reason this was on clearance was that the handle was broken. Not the end of the world. I had my shed delivered yesterday, so between it and the single garage, I'll gradually start organizing tools and hardware. My neighbor walked over as soon as he got home and started estimating what he needed to bring from work to run power out to it. Having a good neighbor and friend who happens to own an electrical contracting business is nice.

So, for about 13 months now, I've been out of the Army. As some of you know, I moved back to the house I bought as a Recruiter. Custom home, built in 1979/1980, and in need of updating. For better or worse, it's been a constant struggle to conjure up the motivation to do much these past few months. I've maintained the place, but that's about it...replaced the water heater elements, then the dishwasher went out and had to be replaced, and most recently the washer was replaced. Oh, and my neighbor had the AC unit replaced when it went out just before I moved back, so that and more means that I've sunk well over $10k in doing stuff this past year. The full-time job and other things just sap my energy. All that changed a few days ago when I found out that we'll very likely be getting guardianship over a family member's toddler and hosting their husky by the end of next week. I went out yesterday and got a 10'x12' shed. Not the most financially sound decision, but I needed one time now to start organizing the garage. It's nice, with electrical installed, a 72" double door access and a pre-hung entry door. With space organization comes tool organization and--hopefully--the motivation to knock out some projects around here. We'll also have a dumpster coming, hopefully by this evening. Originally, I took unpaid time off to go to an event. We cancelled those plans, and I would be in Georgia right now clearing out some storage units, but this came up. So, we've got until next week to shift a kid to another room, make small improvements while cleaning ("GI-ing" in Army terms, basically, everything comes out of a room and a deep scrubbing is done), and prepare for this unforeseen chapter in life. The good thing is that we're finally in a stable enough position to not only care for another child and a dog, but that as I get the garages cleared out, I can begin turning them into another 600 square-feet of living space. It's going to take some work, but it'll be well worth it.

Good to hear.

Wish I could help more at the moment. I found this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/175763197038?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&srsltid=AfmBOorC28o0TeczNGn6OTrosS2Sx2_qB3S7PSc2UjKT6nQprINEufHz_M8 No idea as to brand or single replacement shafts but I'll do some more research.

The last video did forget to include what we've all seen here and on ToolGuyd, though: "I was DeWalt until they replaced that excellent 18v XRP system with the garbage false advertising 20v Max. That ain't 20v, and besides, my last DeWalt drill fell off a three-story house and they refused to warranty it. MILWAUKEE!" "My Milwaukee caught fire, burned down my neighborhood, and somehow survived. Still using it to this day." "Heh, Ryobi...LOSER! Buy something good for a change." "Y'all just wasting money. If Harbor Freight don't sell it, I ain't buying it. Bauer>Milwaukee. Hercules>DeWalt." "They might not have the selection, but Makita is far superior to those other Made in China brands...it's Japanese...and they have a coffee maker!" "I wish DeWalt came out with a 120v Max FlexVolt right-angle drill. Hell, I'd take an 8v Max SDS-Max rotary hammer." "You paid that much for that? What were you thinking? I just got an email offering me the 32-piece M18 Fuel One Key combo for $75." "You don't need that 20v Max nonsense, my M12 outperforms it any day of the week." "Bosch make tools, Bosch make O2 sensors. Bosch best." I could go on...hopefully no one takes this the wrong way; it's all in jest, and besides, I've already made it clear that I own nearly every major brand and don't really pick sides when it comes to which is best.

This is a pretty accurate depiction of online brand fanboys:

Pump guns are reliable and can digest nearly any ammunition suitable for them. Most home defense 12 gauge guns will come with a 3" chamber that can use those or 2-3/4" shells, while a lot of hunting guns have the option of 3-1/2" chambers for magnum loads packing a bit more power. Then there's the Aguila 1-3/4" Minishells that have a lot less felt recoil and allow a few more shells in the magazine. I have a few, from the Mossberg 590A1 to my go-to police surplus Winchester 1200 Riot, the Winchester SXP I bought on a whim earlier this year, and the Winchester 1897 Riot. They are popular for home defense due to a relative lack of penetration through drywall and other materials combined with stopping power. Honestly, the 20 gauge with modern ammo may be even more suitable than 12 gauge for most, especially smaller statured people or those who can't handle recoil or who have disabilities.

Here's another:

Got a Proceed pretty quickly. From what I understand, it's pretty common for veterans who hold or held a security clearance to be hit or miss when it comes to the FBI NICS (background check) system. The shotgun is a Stevens 320 and ended up being $167 plus tax. Made in China, like so many of our power tools are, but it's a name brand and being a pump action, shouldn't be too bad. I was looking at the same model in 20 gauge for my soon-to-be 25-year-old, and liked the $250 or so price, so getting it for under $200 with tax was a no-brainer. I did finally bring a few handguns in today, so in a few hours I'll be at the range shooting .38 SPL, .357 MAG, and .44 MAG.

Christmas time! I got into work this morning and had a price change on a shotgun. Instead of printing a new tag, I figured I'd just buy it and have it for a few months before gifting it to one of my kids. I also went ahead and started paperwork on a Walther P22 for my 15-year-old to train with. Now, I guess I need to get something for my son so he isn't jealous come holiday season. We'll see if I get a Delay. It happens at least 50% of the time; not a big deal since I work there, but it's funny that I'm the ATF compliance guy and still get delayed buying firearms.

Thought this was funny: https://youtu.be/jODoK2zmPXg

Well darn, here I am joining Gun Owners of America for life, Firearms Policy Coalition, US Concealed Carry Association, and keeping my Black Rifle Coffee subscription (I think I cancelled Manscaped?). I might check out Tool Crate. If they are worth the monthly subscription for some surprise tools, why not? I just bought the black Packout 20 oz. tumbler a couple of days ago. I have the red 30 oz. since I lost my Yeti, but in the past month or so I bought the Yeti 128 oz. jug and a plastic Yeti water bottle (basically a more expensive Nalgene bottle).

I've been ordering from Amazon for over 20 years, but admittedly I'm not a regular shopper. I like the instant gratification of in-store shopping, but recently I've made some purchases from Bass Pro Shops and I've become somewhat of a regular Sams Club app user. It's nice when you have a pleasant shopping experience and your purchases arrive in a timely fashion, but it can be a hassle when the wrong thing is shipped, or you need to return a product.

Looks handy, for those with the money and the need. I've used my DeWalt rolling (non-ToughSystem) toolboxes for things like spray paint, caulk, and wood glue in the past. It's nice that with a little thought and maybe a 3D printer, someone can come up with useful accessories for the expensive modular storage that's available.

That's something we don't see in the States. I would assume the FatMax V20 batteries are the same as Cranftsman, albeit with different colored shells? IIRC, Walmart used to sell Fatmax cordless tools, and I believe Costco also had some. Walmart's FatMax line didn't last long, though, and Bostitch 18v tools (not compatible with the 20v Bostitch line) replaced them.

I started this thread because guns are considered tools by many. Law enforcement and security guards carry them to protect others, military personnel carry them in defense of our nation, hunters carry them to procure food and for sport, etc. They're also amazingly precise machines when you get into design and function. I used to go out of my way to break down M240B and M249 machineguns in order to show young Soldiers how open-bolt systems work, and what happens if the sear is damaged or disengaged (runaway gun). My 129-year-old Winchester 1892 and my 121-year-old (IIRC) Mosin-Nagant M1891 are both excellent pieces of design and function for their respective purposes. The 1892 worked well as a complement to the Colt 1873 and other revolvers during the waning years of the Old West. Kind of like my Ruger PC Carbine with its Glock magazine well coupled with one of my Glock pistols, interchangeable cartridges (and magazines for semiautomatic arms) between a sidearm and carbine are nice. Time is tight, and the little knowledge I've gained is from decades of reading about, researching, handling, and of course, owning guns. If I had to share one regret, it's not shooting more while I was in the Army. Ammunition gets expensive, and belt-fed machineguns are a little pricey to own or even rent and require regular maintenance.

No new guns...I'm taking a brief hiatus from gun buying to afford the 64-gun Cabelas by Liberty safe. One of the perks of my job is a 50% discount, so with tax and delivery it should come in under $2k. In the next year I'll probably add a couple of smaller 33 or 48 gun safes. I learned from my first gun safe that they are mostly useful as deterrents and for fire protection. The electronic lock failed, and it took about 15 minutes with a breaker bar, pry bar, and 4lb hammer to get into the approximately 550lb 36-gun safe. I recently joined both Gun Owners of America and the Firearms Policy Coalition. I know that some of the TIA Crew probably doesn't see eye-to-eye with me on firearms ownership, especially those from outside of the States, but I'm of the firm opinion that guns in the hands of trained, knowledgeable, and law-abiding Americans are the answer to increasing crime and are key to protecting our loved ones and ourselves. Anyway, just an update, hope everyone is doing well!

I've found the key thing is to not jump the gun. I've started assembling them on the floor in the past, only to realize that the installation is essentially modular for a reason. Hang the fan portion, then the light (if included), and finally the blades, or however the instructions indicate. I've probably hung about 20, so not a whole lot, but my key frustration is getting everything up and assembled, only to realize a connection's wrong or I overlooked something. Also, I hate working overhead, even on one of my work platforms or platform ladders.

I haven't bought any tools today, but I've advantage of Ryobi Days thrice, so far this year. I got the two-piece Verse clamp speakers and a fan with the 2-pack of 4Ah batteries and charger a few weeks ago, then went back and got the One+ HP starter kit with 2,4, and 6Ah batteries, opting for the pet vacuum. I like the Verse speakers more than the Score speakers I already owned. I guess their clamp fan design was a prototype for a whole lineup of clamping accessories, as the speakers use a very similar design, and there is also a clamp light now. The Score speakers relied on a primary unit and SKAA technology, allowing up to four hub speakers to be connected to the primary. The Verse speakers are Bluetooth and each can be programmed as a primary, with 100+ (according to Ryobi) being connected at once.

I paid $160 out the door for the Cabela's 24" pellet grill and five bags of pellets (Competition, Apple, Cherry, Hickory, and Bourbon BBQ...I overlloked Mesquite, so I'll pick up a bag today). We have newer models that start around $600 now, so at $125 it was a no-brainer, and I need to check our systems for other clearance deals. We get a 50% discount on store brands that applies to clearance items, but not to sale prices, so the $250 smoker was $125, while the original $500 price tag would have been $250, even though the smoker had been on sale for $400. I'll be sure to start a new thread in the near future. I'll be smoking a brisket and maybe some chicken next weekend, and we have a big rock festival coming up, so I'll be breaking in my camp stove then. I found a couple of 56" ceiling fans on clearance at Home Depot yesterday, so the wife and kids are tasked with cleaning the back patio so I can hang those and start setting up my makeshift outdoor kitchen. I'm thinking about getting one of the fish cleaning tables with faucet to have a rudimentary outdoor sink until I plumb in something more permanent.

When I first moved back South nearly a year ago, I left my rusted out charcoal grills and smoker as well as my portable gas grill. Fortunately, my job came through, and while I initially had only a Walkabout charcoal grill and a fish fryer setup purchased shortly after the move, a few months ago my outdoor cooking game was enhanced with a 24" Blackstone griddle, found on clearance for $150 minus employee discount. Shortly, I'll be the owner of a 24" pellet grill I've had in my cart for a few months. I noticed the price dropped from $500 to $250, so with the discount I'm looking at under $200 with a few bags of pellets and some accessories. As the year goes on, I'll update this thread with some more cooking adventures. So far, I've been slacking, having only fried some alligator and fish, and cooked breakfast, cheesesteaks, and more mundane foods on the griddle.