Another One of "Those" Shop Tools.

   Commonly I write about things that I do in my shop.  My shop is a basement workshop that is mostly about interesting and meaningful projects in wood, but not always. I am both a home owner and a bit of a cheap skate.    Those home owner jobs seem to be the ones that make me drag out a seldom used tool, it is usually a tool for striping wire, or working with cement or a big hammer for convincing a fence post or a big rock to move.

   Today I had two such silly little projects that I completed. This is the story of one of those silly little projects.  I while ago I ordered a cane that folds up into four short pieces.

my cane with a necessary modification

   Most of the time now I don't need a cane to help my balance as I walk around but....I wanted one to put in my car for emergencies.  This looks to mostly suit my needs.  Of course when I arrived it was too short, and needed adaptation/modification.

   My first thought was hardwood dowel.  On closer consideration 1/2 dowel might not be study enough.  No trouble I cut a length of copper pipe from my stash of reclaimed building materials and the problem is solved, practically if not beautifully.  I added about five inches to the length of the bottom piece.

   The occasional use tool that I needed for this DIY project.

tube cutter

   I know that you can cut copper tubing with a hacksaw, but it is just so much nicer to do with the proper tool.  A couple of times a year I use a bit of pipe in a project or a repair and I would hate to be fiddling with a hack saw, or have to dig my reciprocal  saw out of the cupboard to cut one piece of pipe.  I have also used my cutter to cut apart a couple of old bicycles to make them easier to deliver to the recycling centre, (i guess it the de-cycling centre once the frames are cut apart)

   If you haven't got a little, inexpensive pipe cutter, but it on your Christmas list, then keep you eye out for someone that has put copper pipe out  on recycling day to put in your stash.  Half inch copper is nice stuff with which to work.