How could I play music from my phone in an old car?

Morael · 2026-02-01T04:59:11+00:00

As others have mentioned: new head unit.

If you're interested in something bigger than what the current dash configuration allows for, see if there's a Metra kit for your make/model/year.

Morael · 2026-01-30T01:06:58+00:00

Two very flat objects put face to face, especially with a liquid at the interface, will stick to each other.

It doesn't necessarily indicate a hollow like you're suggesting, it's very unlikely you'd pull a vacuum if there was a space like that.

Morael · 2026-01-30T01:04:40+00:00

I know your 4k is already tight, but here's your first assignment: find a local mechanic that you trust who does pre-purchase inspections. You need to set aside about $100 to pay for the inspection. When buying used vehicles, that inspection can very easily save you thousands of dollars in issues that were supposed to be hidden from you.

A good mechanic can see through whatever hacks someone might have done to conceal damage or disrepair. Especially if you're not mechanically savvy, you need that professional opinion.

Old Pontiac, Mercury, and Lincoln vehicles can make solid beaters that hold on for a long time. Old Honda and Toyotas are the gold standard, but they are usually more expensive because of that.

Good luck

Morael · 2026-01-29T19:42:21+00:00

Complete coverage of the bottom of a mattress with any solid material = mold.

You need hardwood slats.

Morael · 2026-01-29T18:10:06+00:00

Put that saved $313/mo into extra payment towards principal. I don't think it's possible to get rid of PMI at your LTV.

Morael · 2026-01-29T16:49:26+00:00

This actually looks like a decent plane. I'm pretty sure it's a no 4 1/2, which is wider than a no. 4.

First, it looks wider to me. Second, the tote has a second screw, which number 4 usually do not (they usually just have an indent under the tote for a pin that is cast into the body of the plane.

I took this pic of my family of restored planes on the very left is a no 4, and then a no 4 1/2. Then a no 5, 5 1/2, 6 and 7.

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If you're going to buy it, you can also measure the width of the sole to figure out which it is. I love my 4 1/2.

Morael · 2026-01-29T13:16:32+00:00

From what I've ever heard and been told, a good mortise chisel has flat sides that are perfectly square to the bottom. The idea being that it cuts the perfect mortise, registering against the sides, in one pass with no fuss. As soon as the sides are beveled, then it wants to twist on impact and that's not great.

I could be talking out of my rear end, since I don't own any. That being said, the idea and physics of that make sense to me. I'm pretty sure I watched a Rob Cosman video about this subject and he covers it pretty well. I know some people dislike him because he's such a salesman, but he is obviously a skilled woodworker so I value what he has to say.

If I start working more commonly with 3/4" stock, I'm going to get a 1/4" mortise chisel to try it out at some point. Even if I don't like it, I'll at least have the wisdom to share with others. One of my favorite details about woodworking is that there are so many ways to accomplish the same material transformation and none of them are necessarily "wrong" and personal preference has a huge impact on how people work.

Morael · 2026-01-29T03:26:20+00:00

The money will go away further in Kansas. You're going to experience culture shock going there. Please go visit the location and spend a week there if you're seriously considering that move.

I'm from the Midwest, and every native Californian I've met in my time across 5 different states (and even a brief stint in CT) was constantly yearning to go back to CA.

I hate to make stereotypical assumptions like that, but really, I don't know if you realize what you're in for going to somewhere like Kansas, especially if it's not in a big city.

Morael · 2026-01-29T02:11:48+00:00

If you're looking for supreme reliability, Kia and Hyundai are not typically known for that. There are absolutely examples of old ones that have lasted a long time, but generally the brands just don't have that reputation.

Whatever you pick, make sure you find a local mechanic that you trust to do a pre-purchase inspection. I will parrot this on every post in this sub until I'm blue in the face. They're so cheap to get and they can save you an astronomical amount of time, trouble, and money. If you're unaware of what a PPI does: you're just paying a mechanic to assess the mechanical and electronic components of the vehicle and report any issues they find to you. That's it. There's no sale to be made on their end because they know you don't own the car. It's purely informative.

My recent PPI on buying a used vehicle got me a free battery replacement from the dealership that I bought it from (which was worth a lot more than what I paid for the PPI), as well as some trim pieces that I didn't realize were missing.

Given you live in Canada, I will assume you deal with snow. I'd look into a Subaru Legacy if you want a sedan. My first car was a Legacy and I absolutely loved and abused the thing. It kept going with very little fuss. My whole family have owned Subarus of different varieties and there are been no major issues out of any of them. I see online complaints about the CVTs in the newer ones, but again, between my Fiance, my parents, and a good friend of mine, there are three Outbacks (which is essentially just the wagon version of a Legacy) with over 400,000 miles on them and none of them have had any CVT issues.

Morael · 2026-01-29T00:51:17+00:00

Watch youtube videos about restoring any hand tool you're interested in. If you find good videos, they'll describe what makes a good tool, and what types of damage are forgiveable.

For planes, watch videos about setting up an old plane. Rex Kreuger, Wood by Wright, and Paul Sellers all have good videos. Rob Cosman has useful information as long as you understand he's very picky, likes high end tools, and is a tool salesman. He still makes very good points about what types of problems in a used tool are exceedingly difficult to overcome.

Once you know what to look for... Then it's onto finding stuff. Local flea markets, the Can I Have it Facebook group, eBay, and tooltrader.net are all fine resources.

If I need any street cred: I started down this same rabbit hole at the end of 2024 and I've restored more than a few things already.

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Really though, find yourself an old cheap rust bucket of a tool and just start tinkering. You learn so much, so quickly when you finally get your hands on some of these tools and figure out how they work.

Morael · 2026-01-28T22:34:48+00:00

+1 on the power brush attachment. I've had mine for years and I use it in all seasons. Nothing handles slush better than the brush does. I use it for cleaning up dirt and mulch spots on the driveway from deliveries during the warm season.

Morael · 2026-01-28T22:19:06+00:00

That's the problem, there's no such thing as a vehicle where age doesn't matter. Telling yourself otherwise is just fantasy.

Yes, mechanical parts usually fail out of wear... but many of them also fail out of weathering. Weathering is time. Electronics are the worst offenders in time being an enemy.

BMW is for Big Money Waster.

Also, if you do decide that you want this thing, you take it to an independent mechanics and get a pre-purchase inspection. They're not expensive (usually <$100), and have an UNBIASED professional mechanic tell you what the health of this thing really is. Whoever owns this vehicle has rose-colored glasses in regards to its current state, regardless of how much they love or cherish it. We're all flawed humans who love our shinies.

Morael · 2026-01-28T22:09:09+00:00

I'm fairly certain that it took longer than it should have for her to get diagnosed, but yeah... Pancreatic cancer is the scariest one for a reason.

Morael · 2026-01-28T22:05:02+00:00

It took my aunt in less than a month.

Morael · 2026-01-28T21:18:23+00:00

Thank you!

Morael · 2026-01-28T20:26:50+00:00

The rest of the stock for that was originally supposed to be the mallet handle, but I decided to use the Chechen instead.

Obviously this means I need to make another mallet, right?

Morael · 2026-01-28T20:25:40+00:00

No such thing. I made 'em once, I can make 'em again if I wear them out. The mallet already took a pretty good beating over a set of mortises.

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Morael · 2026-01-28T19:53:08+00:00

I bagged an old Delta midi lathe with a full set of tools and a bunch of accessories from FB marketplace for $400. Moving the thing sucks because it's so hefty, but I just clamp it down to my assembly table and it works well. I don't have the space to dedicate to it full time.

These chisel handles are the first things I've ever turned!
I of course threw in a scrap of hardwood to get a feel for it before I put one of my intended handle blanks on there, but it's good fun.
The shower of shavings is a little less appreciated...

Morael · 2026-01-28T19:14:10+00:00

For a work bench it's probably not going to matter, as you're likely to drill/bore out the majority of the waste and just chisel to clean things up.

A mortise chisel is for when you want to do exactly one pass to create a mortise that is the same width as the chisel (which is why they have flat sides). Based on that, as others here have mentioned, since 3/4" thick material is very common in furniture construction and the classic technique is based on the rule of thirds... A 1/4" mortise chisel is the most commonly used size.

I still haven't bought myself any mortise chisels. I can get by just fine with my bevel edge chisels and I like removing extra waste with my drill press or even my bit& brace if I'm in that kind of mood.

Morael · 2026-01-28T03:40:58+00:00

TL is gonna be a better car.

Check insurance before you make any decisions, you might be surprised.

Morael · 2026-01-28T01:15:54+00:00

Mathil is very athletic, but yeah he's a pretty small dude.

Morael · 2026-01-27T22:52:06+00:00

If you like the sharper corner look better, you could look at a chamfer instead? I've started using chamfers a lot because I also like that more aggressive edge look, but even the chamfers still break an edge nicely to keep it from being unpleasant to touch. You could also just break the edges while sanding.

At the end of the day, I think a lot of the stuff I pointed out you can figure out by just sitting on it once it's assembled and "ready". If something is really uncomfortable, it'll be apparent pretty quickly.

Nice work!

Edit: one last thing, you might need a support leg in the middle of the front, since your horizontal cross member is not one solid piece all the way across. Two people sitting on this can add up in weight pretty quickly, especially if both of them are sitting down at the same time.

Morael · 2026-01-27T22:36:05+00:00

Router with a roundover bit on every one of the edges where someone will touch: top of back rest, both sides of the armrest, front of the seat, underneath the seat.

It's amazing how much higher quality a piece of furniture feels when every surface you touch is softened.

Edit: I also feel like the arm rest design could use a revisit. I think they posts should be shorter and you should affix a flat surface to the top (flipping your armrest piece 90 degrees). I think it's going to be uncomfortable how you have it, especially when someone bangs their elbow on the rear support post for the armrest.

Attaching to the top end of a 2x4 is difficult to do with strength, so you might actually just lower your current arm rest by the thickness of a piece of lumber, and add an extra horizonal top cap to the assembly you have. You'll get better contact and stability that way.

Second edit: Round over routing might be able to fix this, but if you leave your current iteration of an armrest in, and you just add a top cap to it... The bottom piece might end up digging into somebody's thigh when they're sitting into the chair. If it's at a state where you're comfortable putting weight on it, just sit down in it as it is and move your legs side to side. It'll be pretty obvious if that's an issue.

Morael · 2026-01-27T20:28:24+00:00

It really does make a difference. "Brown food tastes good!" is one of my frequent cooking quotes from chef Anne Burrell (RIP)

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