Tips-A2Z: The best tips on (Useful things) Miscellaneous

Sub-categories

Useful things (187)

Category | Discussion (0)Miscellaneous (General)

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Zip ties
Erect a tarp by putting zip ties through the eyelets. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Zip ties
Attach a torch to a carabiner with a zip tie, which you can then connect to your back pack. Keep the torch attached to the carabiner for later use. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Zip ties
In the garden zip ties can be used to attach tall plants to a stake, so they don't blow over in the wind, or to help direct climbing plants to go where you want them to go. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Zip ties
Secure your luggage by tightening pairs of zips together with zip ties. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Zip ties
Unclog a drain by joining up to five zip ties together in a chain. Insert one end into the drain and feed into the drain, holding on to the other end. Move up and down to loosen debris and hair clogs. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Zip ties
Emergency shoelace. A zip tie will keep your shoes together in a pinch. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Rubber bands
Renew loose zips on jeans: If the zip teeth are so worn that the zip won't stay closed, you can use a rubber band to connect the zip tag to the waist-band button above. ^{kellyjones00 (593)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Binder clips
Hang miscellaneous things on your desk with binder clips. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Binder clips
Hang things on walls with binder clips. Use a rubber band between the two arms for padding. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Binder clips
Binder clips are traditionally used for binding paper. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Vaseline / Petroleum jelly
When applied to the end of a hot glue gun vaseline can help prevent stringy bits of hot glue. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Binder clips
A stand for a glue gun can be created with a large binder clip. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Heat-shrink tubing
Fix broken or split tent poles with heat shrink tubing. For extra strength, wind duct tape around the pole first. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Remove a stuck ring from your finger. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Kill cockroaches. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Remove price tags from plastic items. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Remove chewing gum from the bottom of your shoes. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Remove dead bugs that are stuck onto your car. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Remove glue from your fingers. Wash your hands afterwards. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Make your boots waterproof. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Loosen stuck zippers. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Clean your golf clubs. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > WD-40
Remove crayon marks from walls. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Super glue (cyanoacrylate)
To remove super glue, use acetone (found in some nail polish removers), but if used on your skin it can cause irritation. If glue is stuck to your skin, soak in warm soapy water, and gradually rub the glue off over a period of time. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Super glue (cyanoacrylate)
To remove super glue from fabric, use an old toothbrush, soaked in warm soapy water, to gently scrub the affected area. If necessary, do the same thing using warm vinegar, warmed up for a few seconds in a microwave oven. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Super glue (cyanoacrylate)
Freezing a super-glued joint can make the bond brittle, if you need to break it apart. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Super glue (cyanoacrylate)
Acceleration of the drying (polymerisation) process can be achieved by sprinkling a small amount of baking soda over the seam of the join. Alcohol has similar effect. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Acetone
Acetone is often the active ingredient in nail-polish remover, but it is also very commonly used in chemistry labs to clean laboratory glassware. It can be diluted with water. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Acetone
Remove permanent markers or super glue with acetone. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Acetone
Donâ€™t put acetone in a styrofoam cup, because it will dissolve the cup. Similarly with some kinds of plastic cup. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Acetone
General tips:

- Clean stains on china
- Remove scuff marks from watch faces
- Remove scuff marks from floors
- Remove molten plastic bag from oven
- Remove paint from windows
- Sanitize razor blades and make them last longer
- Remove ink stains from clothing (dilute with water)
- Dissolve super glue
- Dilute correction fluid that has gone too thick.
- Remove gunk from stickers left on glass or metal.
- Remove leeches from skin.
- Clean computer keyboard using an old toothbrush and a q-tip/cotton-bud. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Acetone
Acetone can be used in 3D printing to smooth out printing artifacts on items printed with ABS plastic. ^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Staple gun (and staples)
Staple size:

Generally, the staple should be three times longer than the thickness of the material.
When fastening to hard wood, the staple should be twice as long as the thickness of the material.
For thin materials such as plastic foil or fabrics, the staple should be four millimetres longer than the thickness of the material.

^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Staple gun (and staples)
Safety with stapling:

It is highly recommended to use safety glasses when using a staple gun, just in case a staple goes flying.
If using long staples, be careful you are not stapling into electrical wiring beneath the surface.
Be careful not to have your fingers beneath the thing being stapled if there's any risk the staple can go through.

^{thesource (378)}

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Knots
Needle knot: to connect threads or fishing lines of different material and thickness, e.g. slippery/coarse, thick/thin:

Hold the eyelet end of a darning needle (or doubled-over thin wire) flat alongside one thread, so the end of the thread ('tag end') juts out a little. Let the rest of the thread ('standing end') fall where it will. Take the other thread's tag end and lie it perpendicular across both needle-end and thread. Where it crosses, pinch with thumb and forefinger. Let its standing end fall away parallel with the needle and other thread - in the opposite direction. Seven times wind the tag end of this thread around the needle, and two threads. Loop the tag end back through the needle eye, then pull the needle out through those windings. Very important: Tighten by pulling only on the two ends of the winding thread.

Application: this one can be used in fishing to join backing line to flyline, or flyline to leader. ^{kellyjones00 (593)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Knots
Blood knot: to tie a thread to some object, e.g. fishing line to hook:

Thread tag-end of line through hook-eye, and loop back towards standing-end (the rest of the line). Pinch this loop between thumb and forefinger. Five times wind the tag-end tightly around standing-end. Thread tag back through the loop. Pinch the tag-end with thumb and forefinger. Now pull only on standing-end to tighten. Tag-end should be pointing towards hook, so as not to snag on anything when reeling in fish. ^{kellyjones00 (593)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

Main > Miscellaneous > Useful things > Knots
The bowline knot form a secure loop in the end of a line. With this knot you can attach a rope to a tree, post, or ring. For safety, use a bowline with two turns.

For extra safety, if your life depends on it, you can further secure the knot by tying the end of the rope to itself using a double overhand knot. ^{thesource (378)}

Click to enlarge

– –– ——— –– –

« < 1 2 3 4 »

To post a new tip, sign up for a free account.
(Unfortunately this is a necessary spam prevention measure)

Who is online

In total there is 1 user online :: 0 registered and 1 guest (based on users active over the past 5 minutes)