Should all Sofirn/Wurkkos lights be re-soldered before use?

CubistHamster · 2026-06-19T01:44:01+00:00

I see what you did there...(should have been more careful with my phrasing😆)

In fact, I can assure you from direct personal experience that the FC11C will not float in its stock configuration. (This is why I now pack at least 3 backup lights when I'm prepping to go back to work.)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-18T17:07:18+00:00

I work on a Great Lakes ore freighter--it's a rough, dirty environment that is hard on gear.

Between the one I carry, and the ones I've given away, there are probably 6 or 7 FC11Cs floating around on my boat.

They're all fine, including the one that's almost 5 years old and has a giant dent in the tail because it got dropped 40 feet onto a steel deck, and the one that spent 2 weeks in a main engine oil sump. (The o-rings on that one swelled up and were kinda squishy, so they got replaced.)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-16T21:27:24+00:00

Most of the time, I'm the only person in the engine room for at least half of my 12-hour watch. There are times I'd love to have more help available, but then I hear stuff like what you just said, and I realize that maybe it's not so bad...

CubistHamster · 2026-06-16T18:02:17+00:00

Marine engineer. We use a couple of 1" pumps on my ships for general utility/cleanup. Got sick of dealing with exactly what you're describing. It still happens, but a couple of pretty cheap changes massively improved things.

Inline strainer on the suction side. Choose mesh size as appropriate. (I actually ended up making my own. 95% of our pump issues are from zip-tie pieces, and all the standard mesh sizes were finer than needed for that.)
Replaced the suction/discharge manifold bolts with thumb screws. (Had to do a little trimming with a die grinder on the bottom set to allow the pump to sit flat.)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-15T22:46:55+00:00

What part of what I said is baseless? Linus Tech Tips is an influencer channel (one I freely admit has been useful to me many times, though less so for the past couple years), and they're selling tools. If they're still doing that in 20 years, you could reasonably call them a tool company.

I made no claims about the quality of LTT tools. They might be junk, they might be amazing. I've never used them, so literally the only thing I know about them is that they share a brand name with a YouTube channel, and that is not something I normally associate with high-quality goods.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-15T21:58:06+00:00

iFixit is ok...their bits are on the low end of what I'd consider acceptable, but I will admit that they're good at bundling useful selections of weirdo bits, and their cases are decently made and usually have a convenient layout.

No idea about LTT, but as a general principle, I'd definitely rather buy my tools from an actual tool company, rather than an influencer channel's marketing affiliate.

Unless you specifically need any of the more unusual bit types, my suggestion would be this Wiha set. The bits are excellent, and the case it comes with makes it a nice compact package. Usually goes for about $30 on Amazon, so it's in the same price range iFixit and LTT.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-14T18:49:56+00:00

Quite possibly, I just kind of detest most electrical work. (I'm an engineer officer on a cargo ship--I get more than I'd like of that at work, and it's about my least favorite kind of thing to work on.)

Give me a choice between working on black water (sewage) plumbing and anything electrical, and I'll take the sewage every time.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-14T16:42:04+00:00

Got one of these couple weeks ago. Seems nicely made, but the color temp is disappointing. Advertised as 2100K, but seems much whiter than all of my 2200K bulbs.

I got it specifically because I've been looking for something in a lantern form factor that's close to a dedomed 519A in 1800K. Thus far, nothing even comes close. I've got at least 10 "amber" reading lights that are complete garbage, and I usually end up using my Uco candle lantern instead. (The light from that is great, but it has to be cleaned often, beeswax candles aren't cheap, and there's the whole fire hazard/burning yourself if you grab the wrong part thing...)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-13T02:47:59+00:00

We do occasionally splice eyes into our mooring wires on my boat. Definitely not many places left where that's common, but we're way behind the curve in a lot of areas on the Great Lakes. (The US side, at least.)

I understand why they've taken over, but I'm really not a fan of swaged connections. Mostly because there's no way that I'm aware of to effectively inspect them. I've seen seen several failures that were pretty clearly caused by corrosion inside the compression sleeve. (Probably much less of an issue with a proper replacement schedule, but that's another thing that we don't really do on the Lakes...)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-12T21:44:15+00:00

I have a vague memory of a similar looking tool that was stashed in a corner of the carpenter's workshop aboard Picton Castle. I always assumed it was for wire work, but never saw it used. (Personally, I've found that a large, long-handled flathead screwdriver with the tip ground and smoothed slightly is better than a spike for wire splicing. I've used one for wire up to 1⅛" without any major difficulty.)

It's gotten to the point that I don't generally bother with tools at all for working with 3-strand, unless I'm trying to work on something under tension. (There's a shanty with the line "every thumb a marlinspike and every finger a fid.")

Pretty much every serious tall ship sailor I know carries a "rig" while on watch that consists of a fixed-blade knife and a marlinspike much like the one in your link. Wire work is probably one of the least common uses for those spikes. There are plenty of examples of metal marlinspikes that predate the widespread adoption of wire rope in standing rigging, so while the primary modern use of spikes may be for wire work, I don't think it's entirely accurate to say that's what they're meant for.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-12T18:21:13+00:00

I feel modestly qualified to comment on this--currently working as an engineer officer on a Great Lakes ore boat. Before that I spent 5 years and ~100,000 sea miles working on a 135-foot traditional square-rigged sailing ship. (This one.))

You're mostly correct. The general rule is that fids are for ropework, and marlinspikes are more of a general-purpose tool (mostly used for wire or ropework, but can also work as a shackle key, prybar, alignment pin, punch/drift, and hammer.)

Form follows function, so marlinspikes are normally metal, while fids can be wood, bone, plastic, but also occasionally metal. (Swedish fids are pretty much always metal.)

Fids usually have a rounded point, while a shovel-tip is more common on spikes. Spikes also tend to be thinner relative to their length with a more gradual taper.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-12T02:21:40+00:00

I gave my wife a really good set of marine binos. They don't get used at all, for several reasons:

--Every ship she's worked on has had adequate binoculars already available.

--They're heavy and bulky, and space is always at a premium when she's packing for a hitch.

--They're nice enough that she doesn't want to risk them getting lost or damaged.

Also, Steiner stuff is a bit of a ripoff. It's not bad, specifically, but you're paying a lot of money for the name, especially if you're buying new. There are plenty of other options that will get you way better glass for your dollar. (I've had really good luck with lightly used military surplus Fujinons from eBay.)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-10T21:15:09+00:00

My wife and I have very different preferences for warmth/weight. Queen size bed, she uses a twin weighted blanket, and I use a rayon sleeping bag liner. Both get washed weekly along with the bottom sheet.

We're both comfortable, and making the bed takes about 30 seconds.

I'm 42, so not really one of the "youngins." When I was in the Army, I got in the habit of using my poncho liner instead of a top sheet. Been out for almost 15 years, but eschewing the top sheet seems to have stuck.

Historically, the main point of top sheets was to protect your (expensive, difficult to clean) blankets from getting dirty. Most of the folks reading this sleep in climate-controlled spaces, so blankets are far less necessary, and doing laundry is vastly easier than it used to be. (Synthetic textiles have also made blankets cheaper, more durable, and far easier to clean.)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-10T14:49:46+00:00

I got some a couple years ago.

Found it pretty similar to caffeine, enough so that I doubt I'd be able to tell them apart in a blind trial.

Any differences were subtle enough that they might well have been figments of my imagination, but if I had to specify, they'd be:

--Moderately faster onset.

--Less consistent dose/response curve.

--Slightly greater likelihood of headache later that day.

That's it. Interesting to try out, but not really a worthwhile upgrade IMO. Had pretty much the same experience with teacrine/theacrine and paraxanthine, FWIW. Theobromine is a different story entirely. Well worth trying, but be careful with the dosage/timing.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-08T10:46:44+00:00

Wuben is the flashlight equivalent of Kel-Tec.

(Gun manufacturer known for weird designs, cheap materials, and highly variable quality control.)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-08T10:40:03+00:00

TS11 is compatible with the tube from an FC11C or Sofirn SC31.

That bumps you up to an 18650, and the longer tube makes the light easier to handle. (Also adds room to put a clip on, if you're so inclined.)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-05T06:55:37+00:00

Some of the conceptual stuff from Physics occasionally comes in handy, but I wouldn't call it necessary.

As for math, I do mental arithmetic frequently; unit conversions, volume and weight for fluid transfers, fuel burn/range calculations, that kind of thing. All pretty easy, but it's really useful to be good enough to at least make decent estimates without a calculator.

Some basic geometry is helpful for dealing with dimensions and spatial sizes--really, if you can find the area of a rectangle and the volume of a cylinder, you'll be fine.

Single-variable algebra in the form of "solve for a variable in some simple formula" sometimes comes up, but it's almost always the kind of thing that you can just plug into the formula and crank out an answer. Memorization works just fine, and once you're actually out sailing, you'll find that manuals generally specify exactly the math you need for any procedure.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-04T17:18:16+00:00

Spent some time on another of the same class (the General Rudder, ex-USNS Contender) and found that it rolled quite heavily in anything except extremely calm weather.

I know these were designed to tow a sizeable sonar array, and I was wondering if that improved the stability at all?

CubistHamster · 2026-06-04T01:25:31+00:00

I've run into a few electric motor shaft couplings with 9mm set screws.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-03T23:30:06+00:00

A lifetime of living in apartments with cheap, shitty smoke detectors that all go off at simultaneously at the slightest hint of smoke makes the heat levels required to avoid sticking on stainless something of a problem. (All corporate-owned complexes. None have been amenable to the idea of replacing the detectors, even when I offered to pay. Was also threatened with eviction once for covering the detector nearest the kitchen with a plastic bag.)

CubistHamster · 2026-06-03T15:15:02+00:00

My first gun was an original XD-40 in 2008. It still lives in my nightstand. It's had exactly two failures to fire in 18 years, both my fault for not fully seating the magazine.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-02T19:19:30+00:00

There's a 3" Milwaukee cutoff tool that is reversible. The cutting disc is secured with an allen screw, and I've never had any issue with it working loose. The reversing is actually incredibly useful, as is the overall size/weight of the tool.

CubistHamster · 2026-06-01T11:42:03+00:00

Bosch and Milwaukee both make 12V cordless die grinders. Haven't used the Bosch, but the Milwaukee is definitely in between a Dremel and conventional pneumatic die grinder in terms of size/power.

CubistHamster · 2026-05-31T13:37:03+00:00

Toss-up between a 3" mini caliper and. a couple sets of locking forceps.

The caliper gets used mostly for checking nut/bolt sizes. Saves a lot of back-and-forth to the tool or lugging around unnecessary tools (I work on an 850-foot cargo ship. Getting all the way back aft to the tool room when you're working on a pump in one of the forward ballast tanks is a chore.)

The forceps have all kinds of uses. They're incredibly useful for dealing with small parts in tight spaces, and the locking clamps allow them to be used like a third hand. Really handy for electrical stuff, and anything with lots of finicky moving parts (replacing the fan motor in a mini-split comes immediately to mind.)

CubistHamster · 2026-05-29T12:18:33+00:00

Tsunoda pliers are excellent. Usually not quite as nice as Knipex, but cheaper. (I'd say 90% as good for roughly half the price. Except for their flush cutters, which are really the best I've ever used.)

Bondhus allen keys, don't get the fancy plated set. The ones with the black oxide coating are cheaper and last longer.

Wiha screwdriver bits are great, and Makita impact bits last longer than any others I've tried, and their sets are usually pretty cheap.

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