DIY essentials

A forum for DIY, cars, pets and all things related to home life
Mountain Man
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2021 12:38 am
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 23 times

DIY essentials

Post by Mountain Man »

I’ve never really done much DIY before, but now I own a kominka it seems that I’ll be spending most of my time either farming or doing odd jobs around the house.

Any of you more seasoned types have any advice for building up a collection of indispensable tools and other items (preferably easily sourced online or at home centers)? A kominka survival kit if you will.

One of my first projects is likely to be restoring an old desk - I’m thinking I’ll need a sander, wood fill and varnish at a bare minimum. Any recommended brands etc?
Thanks in advance!

Savot
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2021 3:36 pm
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 75 times

DIY essentials

Post by Savot »

Hi Mountain Man. I'm not a 'seasoned type' but am in a similar position to you having just moved into a place needing a bit of DIY. Komeri has therefore become a bit of a second home to me!

Here's a list of tools I've bought to date in case it's of any use (NB: I'm not necessarily recommending these but they've generally suited my needs and budget):

- Husqvarna 120e Mark 2 Chainsaw (https://www.komeri.com/disp/CKmSfGoodsP ... 23&dispNo=)
- Fiskar X27 Splitting Axe (https://varuste.net/en/p65793/fiskars-splitting-axe-x27)
- Makita M966 Angle grinder (https://www.komeri.com/disp/CKmSfGoodsP ... 79&dispNo=)
- ACES-280 Recip saw (https://www.komeri.com/disp/CKmSfGoodsP ... 52&dispNo=)
- Drill Driver VS-BTL3500 Cordless drill (I got this from 2nd Street)
- Floureon 82 Piece Tool set (I got this from 2nd Street too)

The previous owner also left behind a BigM KC20A brush cutter, which has performed admirably.

I'm in the market for a circular saw, orbital sander and possibly a lawn tiller, so will be watching this thread closely!

Tora
Posts: 489
Joined: Tue Apr 24, 2018 8:53 am
Has thanked: 279 times
Been thanked: 847 times

DIY essentials

Post by Tora »

Brush cutter was the first tool I needed to “renovate” my place. Still need it….
Impact driver. 14.4v or 18v. Pro type (14.4 might be enough and your arm will thank you) if you have the cash and plan to really work it hard.
Circular saw.
Angle grinder
Square.
Tape measure
Decent set of chisels
Chainsaw if you have trees or a wood stove- electric (or battery) if you value silence and won’t be working it hard. My OLD shindaiwa 350 chainsaw i got for free and rebuilt is a workhorse that hero’s going and going and going….

All my engine tools were broke when I got them except the one that was working when I got it but is broke now! I fixed and rebuilt each a few times. It was a pain but now I know how and I don’t have to run to the tractor supply when something doesn’t work. That being said, it did get old when I was spending more time fixing machines than the initial job that needed doing.

With d or used tools, you can get a better quality tool but expect to have to fix it. Or you can get a cheap tool and it might get the job done well enough. Or she’ll out a lot of money fo a good new tool and enjoy the feel and reliability.

Unless you’re into an expensive hobby or know what you’ll need in advance, buy what you need when you really need it. Remember that people built everything we now say is amazing before power tools. Also, “tools do the work” as my good carpenter friend says. Everything he says makes more sense after I suffer enough. Good tools get the job done easier and sometimes better.

If you’re gonna go cordless, stay with one brand and voltage so the batteries can be switched to different tools read up on Zasso’s advice to buy a set overseas and have it sent here. Japanese tools are expensive. Oh wait! I forgot the yen isn’t worth much now….

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

DIY essentials

Post by Zasso Nouka »

The other guys have already given some great advice so I'll just add that I agree with Tora's advice to buy good tools. For me it's worked out cheaper in the long run to buy a good quality tool as I only buy it once and it lasts forever, either because it's well made or because parts that do wear out are easy to get and replace.

Personally I like cordless tools but you have to balance the convenience with replacing batteries from time to time over always being within reach of a power socket.

If you are getting some engine powered tools then I highly recommend Small Gas Engine Repair by Paul Dempsey or a similar book if you've not worked on small engines before. It has saved me a fortune in repair bills. Briggs & Stratton, Makita and Honda engines are easy to fix and parts are widely available.

Mountain Man
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2021 12:38 am
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 23 times

DIY essentials

Post by Mountain Man »

Thanks for the replies guys, some very helpful ideas there.
I’m sure I’ll have plenty more DIY-related queries in due course!

User avatar
DocDoesFarming
Posts: 1382
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2019 8:26 am
Location: 福島県
Has thanked: 824 times
Been thanked: 857 times

DIY essentials

Post by DocDoesFarming »

Hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread but I'm looking at buying an air compressor to help with cleaning tools and such but also to do some airbrushing for models.
Well I mainly wanted one for airbrushing but if I buy one of those cheapo small things on amazon I doubt it'll have the juice for cleaning tools so would a medium sized one be suitable for both situations. I mean i suppose if I could change the psi on it it should be ok right? Would I also need to get an adaptor for the airbrush to fit or a different cable?? Probably a stupid question I know.

Does anyone have any experience with these?
I write a load of bollocks, don't take me seriously.

Tora
Posts: 489
Joined: Tue Apr 24, 2018 8:53 am
Has thanked: 279 times
Been thanked: 847 times

DIY essentials

Post by Tora »

DocDoesFarming wrote:
Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:45 pm
Hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread but I'm looking at buying an air compressor to help with cleaning tools and such but also to do some airbrushing for models.
Well I mainly wanted one for airbrushing but if I buy one of those cheapo small things on amazon I doubt it'll have the juice for cleaning tools so would a medium sized one be suitable for both situations. I mean i suppose if I could change the psi on it it should be ok right? Would I also need to get an adaptor for the airbrush to fit or a different cable?? Probably a stupid question I know.

Does anyone have any experience with these?
I’d check what pressure or pressure range and coupler size you need for your airbrush and make sure the compressor can handle that. A bigger tank capacity will be better for cleaning tools or the compressor will be running all the time- not good for most units. Not a big deal if it’s minor cleaning with occasional short bursts of air.

Oilless compressors seem to be quieter but oil compressors seem to have more longevity despite requiring an occasional oil change. Not sure which is recommended for air brushing.

Haige makes some good looking and cheapish compressors that my friend uses for his paint repair business- mainly air brush stuff. He recently bought his second one cuz it could run off of Makita batteries making it completely cordless aside from the air hose. He uses an inline water/oil trap (can’t remember the real name) you can get from a good home center or Monotaro or Amazon.

Don’t forget to bleed the air and condensation out of the tank every day.

User avatar
gonbechan
Founder
Founder
Posts: 2531
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:10 am
Has thanked: 2687 times
Been thanked: 1436 times

DIY essentials

Post by gonbechan »

DocDoesFarming wrote:
Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:45 pm
Hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread but I'm looking at buying an air compressor to help with cleaning tools and such but also to do some airbrushing for models.
Well I mainly wanted one for airbrushing but if I buy one of those cheapo small things on amazon I doubt it'll have the juice for cleaning tools so would a medium sized one be suitable for both situations. I mean i suppose if I could change the psi on it it should be ok right? Would I also need to get an adaptor for the airbrush to fit or a different cable?? Probably a stupid question I know.

Does anyone have any experience with these?
if you just want to try airbrushing, you can use an empty propain tank filled with air and get pretty good results.
It takes a while to get used to an airbrush and a lot of ppl give up before that.
After that you can get a proper compressor ..

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

DIY essentials

Post by Zasso Nouka »

As @Tora a mentions oil compressors last longer. I have an oil/water trap on mine and that seems to work fine but I've never used it for an airbrush so you might want to check if it's suitable.

Chuck2
Posts: 130
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:36 am
Has thanked: 583 times
Been thanked: 267 times

DIY essentials

Post by Chuck2 »

DocDoesFarming wrote:
Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:45 pm
Hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread but I'm looking at buying an air compressor to help with cleaning tools and such but also to do some airbrushing for models.
Well I mainly wanted one for airbrushing but if I buy one of those cheapo small things on amazon I doubt it'll have the juice for cleaning tools so would a medium sized one be suitable for both situations. I mean i suppose if I could change the psi on it it should be ok right? Would I also need to get an adaptor for the airbrush to fit or a different cable?? Probably a stupid question I know.

Does anyone have any experience with these?
I have a 30L capacity oilless compressor that I bought at a home center. I think I've had it for about 7yrs. Works great and use it a lot for adding air to tires and this time of year inflatable pool. One thing that I would caution about is that it needs to be directly connected to a plug-in. Can't use an extension cord for it. Not sure if this is just an issue with my compressor or this is a common thing with compressors. It's fairly heavy and a bit of a pain in the back to move around so I got a really long hose for it. Having a tire inflation attachment with pressure gauge is my added recommendation.
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

Post Reply