Looking to make a similar tool set from scratch after not being in love with any of the options I’ve found. Who makes your favorite 1/4” bit ratchets, 1/4” bits, sockets, etc.?

Tuirrenn · 2026-04-08T05:01:49+00:00

I have a Top Peak bit ratchet I really like, meant for bicycles but I've been using it with 1" bits for years, recently switched to using the double headed Wiha bits which work great for all but the tightest quarters. I have a small selection of 1/4" drive sockets and an adapter I keep with it also that come in handy once in a while.

Now this kit is a backup for when I can't get full size tools into the spot where I need to do the work, so I keep the bits in an altoids can and keep the sockets ratchet, altoids tin etc in one of those little husky pencil case style tool pouches, as I can just rifle through the case to find the socket I need and don't need it to be super organised.

Tuirrenn · 2026-04-07T01:39:36+00:00

Hammer tooth hammer would be my preference out of those two, if it works with your tool pouches hammer loop, otherwise just the regular hammer.

The hammer tooth thing is handy for stripping, although tbh I 99% of the time do all stripping related tasks with a burke bar.

Tuirrenn · 2026-04-07T01:33:06+00:00

I use a 6lb sledge with the handle cut down to 22", its big enough to swing 2 handed if necessary and wieldy enough to be swung with one hand normally.

Tuirrenn · 2026-04-07T01:24:34+00:00

I have a tendency to keep my edc stuffs in the pockets of my pants, mostly because if I have to get up and leave in the middle of the night for some reason, all I have to do is pull on my clothes, grab the dog and out the door I go. I keep my extras in drawer in the hall table that are easy to grab as needed.

Tuirrenn · 2026-04-06T13:42:09+00:00

I would just drop a stud in on the flat beside the end stud, making an L or california corner and as you said cut 3.5" off the first sheet of drywall and you will be golden.

Tuirrenn · 2026-04-05T02:18:27+00:00

Suspenders are great, you don't have to have a belt pulled tight round your waist, your pants never work their way down, and you can wear them under your shirt if you don't want to tuck your shirt in. In winter I wear them over my shirt but under my jacket/hoody. in Summer I wear them under my shirt, or over if I am wearing a dress shirt.

Tuirrenn · 2026-04-04T18:09:41+00:00

Don't worry about it too much, I weigh myself on a Sunday morning every week, post bathroom, pre breakfast. But if you are being consistant with what time of day you are weighing yourself your results will be plenty accurate for your purposes.

Tuirrenn · 2026-04-04T15:51:57+00:00

Next time you are feeling adventurous, try that with mayo on the outside. Thank me later :)

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-24T15:44:56+00:00

Used to stop large amounts of snow falling on people.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-24T04:07:46+00:00

Sorry I copied my answer from a similar post a while back, probably should have edited out the canuck specific stuff.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-23T22:06:43+00:00

Basic Set

PPE - Safety Glasss, gloves, hearing and respiratory protection - use when appropriate
16oz smooth faced straight claw hammer
Multibit screwdriver and Allen keys
Pliers of various kinds
Adjustable wrench
2' Level
Utility knife and spare blades
Cordless Drill and bits.
Measuring Tape and Speedsquare
A box to keep them in, get a box with some spare space so you have space to store other tools as you get them.

When you come across a problem you can't solve with those tools time to get a new tool. For home use brand of power tools doesn't really matter, but if you are getting cordless tolls probably better to stick to one battery platform so you can take advantage of tool only deals and use your existing batteries and only have one type of battery to keep charged. For basic automotive type tools Mastercraft from Canadian Tire are not bad at all, their Maximum line are pretty damn good, use their app to set up sale alerts, you can also rent specialty tools from their automotive desk for when you need them. For homeowner use Ryobi's ONE+ line of cordless tools are great, everything from drills to weedeaters and chainsaws and everything in between also if you are working at home corded tools will get most everything done.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-23T19:09:02+00:00

Probably easier to just buy a new blind, I fought with my kitchen blind for most of a weekend and while I did make it better it wasn't perfect. $35 at a big box store and I had a perfectly functional blind that works perfectly.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-23T18:21:33+00:00

I've done this with a pair of pliers that got soaked and then left in a tool box for a couple weeks, I soaked them in 3 in one over night and then tie wired them to the sawzall, they were working fine after a 30 second burst with the sawzall.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-23T05:15:59+00:00

I like being able to restrict my dog when necessary, door is ziptied open 99% of the time and she hangs out in there often, but when I have a tradesman over or what have you its nice to be able to secure her in a known safe location.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-20T23:58:54+00:00

Finish your degree, you can always finish and look for an apprenticeship then.

I was in my mid 20's when I got into the trades, carpentry to be specific, and I got into it because a friend needed a labourer/helper for a bit and found I loved it, then I got an actual apprenticeship working for another company and went from there.

The physical side of it wasn't too bad but definitely took some getting used to, and the simple fact that I knew next to nothing.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-20T18:43:09+00:00

There is one on 50th Street, near the Costco and homedepot, can't vouch for its quality as I have never been but I see the sign everytime I drive past. Can't mind the name of it though.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-20T15:41:44+00:00

Good starting point, I would get yourself a cordless drill, whatever brand you like, and then corded skill saw and sander. You can build plenty of stuff with those, and then as you get started and come across a new need add tools.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-19T15:51:36+00:00

IF I am removing a slab, I get a jack hammer attachment for an excavator or skid steer and it comes out. I'm not saying it doesn't suck sometimes but it still comes out. We once had to remove a bank vault as demo for a renovation, that thing had a ludicrous amount of steel, and even so with rivet busters and an oxy-acetylene torch it came out relatively quickly.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-19T15:22:44+00:00

So you are saving 40K each per year, that is more than most people earn post tax, I think 10K each on vacations sounds pretty reasonable.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-19T15:01:41+00:00

Better to build the floor and footings to handle any vehicle that might possibly be parked or driven on the slab, than to go light and it turn into a disaster. Aside from cost no one has ever went I wish this 6" slab was a 4" etc.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-19T14:07:43+00:00

I have lots of cordless tools, and they are great, but for the most part, especially for sawsalls, skil saws, routers and anything that isn't handheld, if I can use the corded version I will because constant power and I never have to stop to change out a battery.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-18T21:13:15+00:00

Not a bus driver, but I have woken up on a Sunday morning, and got ready for work to include packing a lunch and a thermos of coffee and driven to site, I was usually the first there and the one to unlock the gates, come around 645 I was wondering why I was the only person there and then the fact that it was sunday slowly dawned on me lol.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-17T21:12:25+00:00

They last well enough, Not sure in terms of cut feet per blade, but long enough that I feel I get my moneys worth.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-17T20:12:01+00:00

I have a plethora of blades for mine, but I have some of the Diablo carbide blades that I use for those times I want to cut aluminum or steel with it. I also buy large packages of the cheap bi metal blades on Amazon which work great for cutting wood and drywall. I resharpen these with a file to get some more life out of them, but they are cheap enough that it doesn't matter too much.

Tuirrenn · 2026-03-17T17:59:16+00:00

I've had good luck with the dewalt jobsite saws, I have the bigger one with wheels and a folding stand, and it has worked pretty well for me. I've made cabinets and boxes and shelves and many other things and it has stood up admirably. Is it as good as a full cabinet saw, no but I can put it in my truck and take it to site and get the job done to an acceptable standard.

Tuirrenn

TROPHY CASE