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Cool Tools

Anti-thorn sealant for cyclists
Tire Slime


I have found that anti-puncture strips are often not wide enough to stop thorns from piercing bike tubes, as the strips are only useful in the middle of the tire. I started using Slime, a green liquid sealant, after talking to a bike-borne cop who had very good results. I now use the stuff in my mountain bike and wheelbarrow tires. Actually, I bought pre-Slimed bike tubes when I got new tires recently. No flats at all for six years, despite rough use. I will confess to having to pump up a few times, though. If the bike is left parked in one position in, say, the winter season, the Slime may run down to the bottom of the tire, thus unsealing some of the sealed holes. As such, you will have to pump the tires and ride a while to reseal everything after a month of non-use. In cold weather, Slime puddled at the bottom of a tire while parked will cause a markedly unbalanced tire for the first few miles. This is most noticeable on dual suspension mountain bikes like mine, but it doesn't seem to affect the operation of the bike.

The last time I changed bike tubes, I found 29 thorn holes Slime had sealed! Slime works in both tubeless as well as tubed tires, but with a few more caveats:  it adds weight to the wheels, which is a disadvantage in racing. For normal road or trail use, you won't notice. Also, Schrader valves are what to use with Slime, as the skinny Presta ones clog too easily. Tubeless tires, which are already heavier, also require special rims or rim treatments to prevent leaks through the spoke holes. I'd appreciate lighter wheels and tires, but my present tubed setup is fine for my use. Tubeless tires are much better than tubed tires at resisting "snakebite" (tire damage from striking a sharp-edged bump or hole at high speeds). However, tubeless tires obviously can be punctured by thorns, etc. -- Slime will dutifully seal such. I have heard Slime itself will not patch "snake-bite" damage, as it is too far up the
sidewalls for Slime to be thick enough to work. As I do not race (especially downhill) at 74 years old, tubeless tires do not tempt me. Slime does not last forever either. After a few years, it isn't as runny, and may not seal a thorn hole in time to prevent needing to pump.

Some people say a Slimed tire cannot be patched by the usual means. Don't believe 'em. You just have to wipe off the Slime from the area before patching it in the usual way. They offer incarnations of Slime for cars and motorcycles, too. Personally, I would not use Slime in automobile tires, as the high temperatures and odd balance changes might prove obnoxious. It'd be expensive to find out I was wrong. Bottom line: if you cycle where there are thorns  (we call them "goat-heads"  or "concho burrs"), Slime will greatly reduce flats. I have had only one flat in the last 10,000 miles — from running over a broken bottle bottom. Slime couldn't seal the 1.5-inch slit. Neither could my patch kit.

-- J. Baldwin

Tire Slime
$17
Available from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BOC2E2/ref=nosim/kkorg-20

Manufactured by Accessories Marketing Inc.
http://www.slime.com/

--
Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:


NoTubes
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000587.php


Nokian Ice Bike Tires
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000239.php


Schwalbe Marathon Plus Bike Tires
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001642.php


*******
Catches fish via multi-senses
VibraSpin Lure


The VibraSpin fuses together two concepts that are very popular in fishing: the standard spinning lure, which uses a rotating blade to create a visible flash in the water, and the newer principle of using a flat blade that pushes the water as it is pulled forward. Fish, more specifically predators such as bass, muskie, pikes and walleye hunt by not only sight, but all their senses. Sight hunting is covered by the flash of the spinning willow blade as well as the back and forth of the "vibrashock" blade and the various colors available. Sounds and actual vibration are added by the spinning blade, and even more so by the swim blade. The flat blade imparts a thumping or vibration on the lure that has to be felt to be believed. Since I started using a prototype of these last spring, I have caught more fish than I used to with the standard spinning lure.

-- Doug Mainor

VibraSpin Fishing Lure
$7
(various colors)
Available from the manufacturer, KaRu Lures
http://www.karulures.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=32

[Click here and scroll down to see a video of the lure underwater -- sl]

--
Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:


Wiggle Rig
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001811.php


The Curtis Creek Manifesto
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001044.php


Hookout
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001732.php


*******
Plastic lens revival
Armour Etch


The last time I got glasses, I let the salesman talk me into the UV/Anti-Glare coating, which I'd never had before. After time, the coating began to develop tiny, really fine scratches, which kept building and building. They got so bad, I was going to get new glasses -- until a friend recommended Armour Etch, a glass etching cream you can get at art/craft stores like Michael's or Dick Blick. The way it removed the coating, leaving me with a perfectly unscratched lens, was phenomenal!! I do experience a little more glare without the coating, but I can live with that -- having the scratches was driving me nuts! Instead of having to spend $100+ on new lenses, I got away with spending a little over $10!

 A word of caution: this acid (hydrofluoric) solution is for glass etching, so you CANNOT use Armour Etch on glass lenses; otherwise, you will literally etch and ruin your lenses. You must be certain you have plastic lenses. It should be safe on most polycarbonate lenses (it left mine completely unscathed). However, I'd only try this when you have nothing to lose. Always do a small test first, too. After applying the cream to a tiny spot, I went ahead and did the whole lens, coating each side for 1-2 minutes, rinsing and then repeating. While I wore standard latex gloves and did this in a well-vented area, Armour Etch is designed for crafters, so it doesn't require a fume hood or anything. Afterwards, I rinsed the glasses for a few minutes under hot tap water, applied soap and water, and finally used a lens cloth. I was taking a big risk since I'd never done glass etching before and I wasn't certain it would work. But it did, and I got a "like new" pair of glasses for just a few bucks!

-- David Gulbransen

Armour Etch
$10
Available from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018BOYHA/ref=nosim/kkorg-20

Manufactured by Armour Products
http://www.armourproducts.com

--
Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:


Micro-Mesh Abrasives
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001399.php


Soft Reading Lenses
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002847.php


Simichrome
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002522.php


*******
Digital multimeter w/built-in AMP meter
Fluke Voltage, Continuity & Current Tester


The T5 is as reliable as a good, old-fashioned "wiggy" voltage tester, but adds the functionality of a digital multimeter (DMM) and an AMP meter combined. I've found the T5 to be a bit more robust than the average DMM and very reliable for a device in this price range. More importantly, it has a "fork" or "OpenJaw" that can be extended over a current-carrying cable so that it acts like an AMP-clamp, except you don't have to maneuver or close the jaws, making it quicker and easier to use. The fork is also a lot less intrusive and requires less space than the old open-and-clamp design. Perfect for a cramped motor panel or junction box. For most functioning/troubleshooting, it's helpful to know first if there is voltage and then if there is current (the garden hose comparison:  do I have water pressure? is water flowing?). And, for service work for instance, it's great to be able to check both voltage and amperage of a motor running with one very lightweight, ergonomic tool.

I have been using a range of Flukes for well over 20 years -- everything from a multimeter to a scope meter and other devices. However, this relatively small unit remains my go-to instrument. It is the first one I grab both at home as well as on my job (I oversee the installation of packaging lines nationwide and, at times, do trouble shooting on pieces of automated equipment). There are two version of the T5, the 1000 and 600 models. The main difference between the T5-1000 and the T5-600 is their maximum voltage ratings, 1000 and 600 VAC respectively. To me, the relatively small price difference between the 600 and 1000 was worth it, but for general work around the house, the 600 should be perfect.

-- Ad Verkuylen

Fluke Voltage, Continuity & Current Tester 
$78
(T5- 600)
Available from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006Z3GZU/ref=nosim/kkog-20

$115
(T5-1000)
Available from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LDKX62/ref=nosim/kkorg-20

Manufactured by Fluke
http://us.fluke.com/usen/home/default.htm

--
Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:


Pocket Ref
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000510.php


Fluke VoltAlert
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001336.php


Nuts & Volts
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000267.php


*******
Excellent career advice
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko


Presented in the form of manga (a comic book for grownups), this is the most succinct course in career counseling I've ever seen. Not what career you should pursue, but *how* you should pursue it. You can read this masterpiece in an hour, but it will take a lifetime to work out the details of those six lessons. This compact sermon will make the most difference to those just starting out in the workplace. The six quick lessons [with my comments in brackets] are:

1. There is no plan. [The economy changes too fast for your career to have a plan]
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses. [Find your advantages]
3. It's not about you. [Serving others serves you best]
4. Persistence trumps talent. [Keep showing up]
5. Make excellent mistakes. [Take risks, but fail forward]
6. Leave an imprint. [Do something that matters]

Each point is given consequential flesh in this engaging story. In my experience these six lessons highlight the skills needed at work better than, say, the bestseller Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. And it is far more fun to read. I've bought copies of Bunko for each of my kids and for a few adult friends currently struggling with their path. I'll probably re-read it myself in a year.

-- KK

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need
Daniel H. Pink (Art by Rob Ten Pas)
2008, 160 pages
$11
Available from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594482918/ref=nosim/kkorg-20

Sample excerpts:





--
Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:


Hiring Smart!
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000452.php


Peopleware
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001248.php


Die Broke
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000228.php


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Previously reviewed COOL TOOLS items can be found at http://www.kk.org/cooltools/ -- sl

--
Steven Leckart        
Editor, Cool Tools

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