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by Barry B

Bikes in a TEOTWAWKI situation may be the standard form of transportation and highly valued.  I’m speaking more about mountain bikes (MB) than the traditional multi-speed road bike. Mountain bikes are a great utility vehicle. They can traverse rough terrain, are rugged, and geared to make pulling a small trailer much easier.

This article is more about other things that you might need to support your bike, but first a few things about mountain bikes.  Buy your mountain bikes ahead of a world-changing event – now.  Not all MBs are created equal.

Mass produced bikes that are sold by WalMart, Target, etc. are cheaply made and designed for riding on hard surfaces. They are not designed for off-road riding.  Brands such as Giant, Specialized, Fisher or Cannon are designed for the rigors of off-road riding.

They are double or triple butted at the frame joints for better strength. They also use double-walled rims that will endure hitting rocks and roots without folding like a taco. BTW, the term “tacoing” is used to describe a wheel that basically folded in half on a rough trail.

They use quick release wheels for easier repair. But the greatest difference is in the quality of the drive-train. The shifters, sprockets, derailleurs, and chain are the heart and soul of your bike. The bike brands mentioned above will use higher quality components in the drive train,  that will withstand off-road conditions without breaking. Not only are the materials more durable, but they are machined so as to shift gears more smoothly, even when under torque during climbing.

In a situation where a trip to the bike shop isn’t possible, you need to have high-quality bikes, to begin with. And because bike shops might not be available, you will need essential tools and spare parts to be able to make repairs yourself.  A great reference for your survival bookshelf is, Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, by Leonard Zinn. This book describes, with good illustrations, how to adjust or repair anything on your MB. 

The minimum tools and equipment you should have include spare tubes in your bike’s size, tire levers, AND several tube repair kits.  Replacing a damaged tube with a new one is faster and gets you back on the road faster. Tire levers assist in breaking the bead between the tire and rim so that the tube can be removed.

Save the damaged tube to be patched later and reused. Tube repair kits contain sandpaper for roughing the area to be patched, several sized patches, and glue. Patching a tube requires a bit of practice and should be learned before the skill is needed.  To re-inflate the tire, you will need a hand-pump.

Many riders carry CO2 dispensers to inflate tires, but you will quickly run out of CO2 canisters.  Hand pumps are more work, but you never run out.  Spare tubes filled with Slime (a name brand sealing compound) will also self-seal small punctures and keep you moving until you can get to a safe location and in my opinion are worth the extra expense.

You should also have spare tires stored at your location. Tires eventually wear out but also may be punctured to the point they cannot be repaired. Plain rubber tires are the least expensive, but tires impregnated with Kevlar are more puncture resistant and will last longer (and a bit pricier).

A broken chain can be fixed in a matter of minutes if you have a chain tool. A chain tool runs $10-15 and the price beats walking home if your chain breaks.  Chain tools simply hold a link in place while the pin is pushed out or pushed back in.  It keeps the pin aligned with the link.

The broken link can be removed and two links rejoined with this tool. Again, fixing a chain requires some practice that should be done ahead of time. You don’t want to be learning these skills on the side of the road, especially in a WROL world. Spare chains should also be kept on hand.

Many parts of a MB use hex screws. There are three common sizes. While you can carry three hex wrenches, bike shops sell a three-in-one tool with a handle that is very convenient and not as easy to misplace.

A key to keeping your drive train in good shape is to regularly clean the system and lube it. Depending on where you ride, the chain lube will attract and hold sand and dirt. Sand and dirt are the enemies to closely machined moving parts.

There are many compounds that will clean dirty chains and sprockets, but a 10% mixture of Simple Green and an old toothbrush is economical and effective.  Scrub the sand and dirt out of each link with the toothbrush and clean in between each gear sprocket. Use the toothbrush to also clean each roller and tensioner.

Once clean, re-lube using chain lube.  DO NOT lube with WD 40. WD 40 works to unfreeze a rusted chain, but the lubricant does not stay where it is needed. Even 30 weight motor oil is better than WD 40 for your drive train.

In summary, if you plan on depending on a bike during TEOTWAWKI, purchase a quality machine first. Be prepared to pay at minimum $500 for a new bike. Be sure to stock up on spare tubes (store in a cool, dry place), spare tires, tire repair tools, a chain tool (and spare chains), along with hex wrenches and a good multi-tool.

And finally, get in shape by riding your MB regularly and gaining the off-road riding skills you will need.

by Lynn (aka The Thrifty Prepper)

Unfortunately, I am a lot newer to prepping than I would like to admit. That feeling in your gut that something just isn’t right has been there for a while before I finally listened.  Now my family struggles to make up for lost time.

I have become like a machine in the last years attempting to streamline and speed our progress to feeling like we at least are somewhat “set”. My husband asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day and I told him an AK-47 clone was what I wanted the most. He delivered after selling, scrimping and saving.

I was surprised and thrilled. I have gone from being someone who was nervous even having a loaded gun in the house, to someone who is very capable with my weapon.  A bad experience with firearms in my late teens made me a little gun-shy (pun intended) even though I grew up in a family that would target practice once a week. Thank god for muscle memory.

I realize that I am far behind most of you as wisdom goes but can offer some information.  I have rapidly been reading, watching and gathering as much knowledge as fast as possible. One thing that I have a gift for that may be of some use to readers are my skills with shopping.

By utilizing coupons (click here to read MD Creekmore’s article on using coupons) and watching sales, I have been able to rapidly build up a stockpile. Why I realize many of us may be skittish when it comes to social media, I also know what an excellent tool it can be when it comes to saving money.

On Facebook, I have liked sites such as The Frugal Family, Motherhood on a Dime and Thrifty Wifey and when the deals are posted, they scroll across my news feed. For instance, today I was able to score 6 -24 packs of Crayola Crayons for .29 each.  Less money on school supplies, stocking stuffers, birthday presents equals more money in the pocket for preps. Kroger’s this week has a buy 10 save 5 this week. I will purchase 10 gallons of water for 4.90!

Take advantage of the programs that many drug stores offer. I used to just assume drug stores were too expensive to shop at.  CVS and Walgreens (the two main drug stores in my area) are like gold mines. They both offer reward programs with Extrabucks being at CVS and Register Rewards available at Walgreens. The websites I mentioned above are excellent sources that basically spell out which coupon is needed to get the deal you are after.

Sometimes a coupon is not even needed. For example, CVS and Walgreens both will offer contact solution for 8.99 with 8.99 EB or RR back. That equals free! You pay for the product and then upon check out are issued the 8.99 back to be used in the store.  I haven’t bought a contact solution in two years but have 5 boxes sitting in our pantry/store in the basement.

Start looking around to find your favorite sites that fit your situation the best. I have used coupons/store deals to build up three impressive first aid kits (read MD Creekmore’s review of Survival MD by clicking here) for virtually nothing.

I even got the actual first aid kits for free by purchasing two Johnson and Johnson products (at a great discount + coupons).  Study sales cycles and get a feel for when things will go on sale next. Walgreens frequently has baking soda and salt on sale for .59 each approximately one a month.

Buy the limit and build your pantry up.  You can easily search “Sale Cycles” on the net and find when the most optimal time to buy any given item is. I am on a first name basis with the manager at several stores in my hometown. They help me out so much by pointing me to deals I may have missed and making sure I get a rain check for any items they may not have in stock.  I am always polite and thankful and they appreciate it and in return, they look out for me.

So get that Sunday Paper and pull those ads/coupons and sit down and make the deals work for you! There are also excellent coupon sites on the web where you can print out coupons as well. Couponmom.com and coupons.com are two of the best.

Also, even Sam’s club has jumped in with the preppers.  They now sell Auguson Farms products at great prices and allow us to build up our stores quickly (you can also find Auguson Farms products on Amazon.com).   Less money on beans and more money on ammo is working out pretty well for us.

Amazon is another great asset. While of us may not have a “Kindle”, you can download the Kindle for PC free and those sites I mentioned above are always alerting me to free books. I have gotten books on how to make soap, can, garden, survival medicine, you name it! While I realize these tools would not be available in a grid down situation, I print or write out the most important information and put it together in a grab and go form.

I have a young daughter and she outgrows shoes and clothes as fast as we buy them. Yard sales, Thrift stores, and Goodwill are a godsend in these times. When I find something at a yard sale that is three sizes too big but in great shape for the right price, I snatch it up and put it a labeled bin with the size on the side.

We have picked up brand new camping cookware set at a yard sale for only 5.00! Our major scores have also been hand crank grinders, old-fashioned washboards, iron skillets, and camping gear. We have been able to accelerate the rate of our prepping by utilizing these sales to gather things that we could never afford to pay full price for.  Keep a list of things you are looking for and carry it with you. I almost believe it wills the item to you.

Several times I have set out thinking, I hope I can find some shoes for our girl only to happen upon a yard sale with shoes in her size or one size bigger to get us through the school year that is in fantastic shape! I have happened upon a nice dehydrator in this same fashion as well as affordable second-hand tools.

In part of my education, I follow my grandma and grandpa around as they can and garden and they patiently explain to me exactly what they are doing and why. I have also taken to watching documentaries that have changed and challenged me in ways I can’t even explain. If you have not already viewed the documentaries below, they are what shook me awake and I am in complete awe of what our great country is coming to.

• Zeitgeist: The Movie
• Independent Intervention
• Food, Inc.
• 911 In Plane Site
• Loose Change 9/11 An American Coup
• Ethos
• The End of America

Highly recommended and if you are a Netflix customer, free to watch.

We are working on a plan to acquire land and unfortunately, that is a slow process. My biggest fear is looking into my daughter’s eyes and not being able to help her. I know that is not something that needs to be explained to most parents. I learn daily from you all here on this blog and am so thankful for the valuable information that you all share. Thank you for reading.

by Lynn T

My first prepping goal was to stock a year’s worth of everything we normally use that has a year plus shelf life. This took a few months but we were able to accomplish the goal.  (We did allow for freezer storage for this interim goal, so we’re really more prepared to not have to buy groceries for a year than being REALLY prepared a major long-term disaster.

One thing I noticed is that the storage takes up A LOT OF ROOM!  We have a bedroom, a walk-in closet, an upstairs ‘landing area’ plus several other small areas for all of the storage.  We want to downsize when we buy land soon, so I’ve been trying to figure out how to streamline as much as possible.

Over the past several months I have also started getting more concerned about many of the chemicals we bring into our house and decided to try some of the homemade green cleaners I’ve read about.  After using a few of them I realized how much less storage space they take up.

Most of the homemade cleaners utilize common ingredients, so you could theoretically make all of the cleaners you need from a pretty short list of storage items.  I also realized that most of the ingredients are a lot cheaper than buying pre-made cleaners.

There are a few items that require an upfront investment (like essential oils) but the amount used in these is very small so they will last a very long time.  They are also better for your family and the environment.

I’ve spent a lot of computer time looking for recipes.  I read reviews,  cross-searched ingredients to find other sources that use the same ingredients for cleaning, and looked for multiple blogs/forums/sites that ‘touted’ identical or very similar recipes.  I compiled a group of recipes for my Home Notebook and would like to share these with you.   I’ve also included an ingredient list explanation at the bottom.

Disclaimer:   Although we have made and currently use several of these, I have not tried all of them.  We are still in transition because we have so many products in storage.  I wanted to give credit for the recipes, but since I didn’t save the sources when I copied them, and since I visited many sites with the same recipes, I wasn’t able to find many of the real sources, so my apologies!

Homemade Cleaners

Lavender Anti-Bacterial Spray

– 1 Cup water

– 20 drops lavender essential oil

It smells great and lavender is naturally antibacterial.

All-Purpose Cleaner

– 3 Tablespoons vinegar

– 1/2 Teaspoon washing soda

– 1/2 Teaspoon castile soap

– 2 Cups hot water

It’s a great daily cleaner on everything from counters to floors.  Be careful when mixing this.  It will bubble a lot . . . . so don’t double up to fill up your containers!  And mix over the sink just in case.

Scouring Powder

1 – Make a paste of baking soda and warm water

2 – Make a paste of baking soda with a few drops of castile soap and warm water

Grease Cleaner

– 2 Cups water

– 1/4 Cup castile soap

– 10 drops lavender oil

Bath & Sink Cleaner

This makes a thick paste-like cleaner.  So use a squirt bottle (like a plastic ketchup/mustard bottle from the dollar store)

– 2/3 Cup baking soda

– 1/2 Cup castile soap

– 2 Tablespoons vinegar

– 1/2 Cup water

– A few drops of Tea Tree oil

Dishwasher Rinse Aid

Use plain white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment.

Dishwasher Soap Recipe

– 1 cup borax

– 1 cup washing soda

– 1/4 cup kosher sea salt

– Two packets of Unsweetened Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid

****Only lemon, other flavors will dye your dishwasher!****

Put all of it in the container and shake it up.  (It tends to get clumpy after sitting but a good shake will loosen it up).  Per load, you only need a tablespoon or so into each cup of your dishwasher.  I read that is can leave a film on dishes if you don’t use rinse aid.  So use the vinegar in your rinse aid compartment OR in the bottom of the dishwasher.  It was also recommended to wash on the hot cycle. Source:  decorganizecrafts.blogspot.com

Homemade Fabric Softener

– 6 cups HOT water

– 3 cups white vinegar

– 2 cups Suave Refreshing Waterfall Conditioner {or another favorite scent}

Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely.  Add the vinegar, and mix well.  Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc}  Pour into a downy ball… or use approx. 2 tbsp. in the fabric softener spot in your laundry machine… then wash!  Source:  thefrugalgirls.com

Homemade Laundry Detergent

– 1 5.5 ounce bar Fels Naptha soap

– 1/2 cups washing soda

– 1/2 cups borax

– Water

Using a cheese grater or food processor, grate the entire 5.5-ounce bar of Fels Naptha, finely.

Powdered laundry detergent: In a container that has a tight-fitting lid, combine the grated Fels Naptha, washing soda and borax. Stir to mix well. Store in a sealed container that is properly labeled. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons in a front-loading machine, and up to 1/4 cup in a top loader. Note: The amount required depends greatly on the hardness of your water. Experiment by using the lesser amount, and then increase as necessary. Cost: About 15 cents per load when using 2 tablespoons.

Liquid laundry detergent: Place grated Fels Naptha into a cooking pot. Add enough hot water to cover and heat over low heat, stirring, until soap is melted, not boiling. Remove from stove and pour into a large bucket that has a lid. Add washing soda, borax and 3 gallons of hot water. Stir until well incorporated. Cover and allow to sit overnight. In the morning stir again. Use 1/2 cup to 1 cup per load, experimenting with the lesser amount to start, and then increasing as necessary. Note: The liquid version will be “gel-like.” Some call it gloppy and gelatinous. This is normal. Simply give it a quick stir before each use. Cost: About 3 cents per load using 1/2 cup.

What, no suds?! This detergent does not produce suds. Suds should never be considered visual evidence that a detergent is working. Dirty water is the sign that the detergent is doing its job. Because it does not create suds, this is the perfect product to be used in HE front-loading washing machines. 

Source:  debtproofliving.com

Foaming Dish or Hand Soap

Re-use your foaming soap pump container!  Mix your choice of liquid dish or hand soap with warm water at a ratio of 5:1 (water to soap), mix gently.

Homemade 409 Recipe

– 2 Tbsp. Distilled White Vinegar

– 1 Tsp. Borax

– 1/8 cup Dawn Dishsoap

– 1 cup Hot Water

Pour vinegar, borax and hot water into a spray bottle.  Then continue filling the spray bottle with cool water.  Add Dawn last. {no need to shake}  Source:  thefrugalgirls.com

Homemade Glass Cleaner

– 1/4 c. rubbing alcohol

– 1/4 c. white vinegar

– 1 Tbsp cornstarch

– 2 c. warm water

Combine everything in a spray bottle, and shake well. Shake well before using, too, as the cornstarch might settle at the bottom (and subsequently plug the spray mechanism if it’s not mixed in well).  Source:  crunchybetty.com

NOTE:  when beginning to use vinegar (plain or 50/50) to clean windows and mirrors after having used commercial glass cleaners, it may be necessary to add several drops of dish washing liquid to your solution for the first few cleanings to remove the buildup from the surface.  I’m not sure if the cornstarch has the same effect or if the dish soap still needs to be added the first few times.

Homemade Furniture Polish

– Olive oil, walnut oil, or jojoba (my preference as it doesn’t go rancid)

– Water

– Lemon juice

Blend 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon water, and a squeeze or two of lemon juice in a small bowl. Place a small amount of the mixture on a soft cloth.  Wipe the polish onto a piece of furniture and give it a good buff.

The oil leaves furniture with a glossy shine, while the lemon juice cuts the oil so it doesn’t go rancid (as well as giving a fresh scent that lingers in the air). NOTE: a small amount on the cloth goes a long way!

Make the mixture as you go, so as to create less waste. You don’t want to leave this mixture sitting around because it will probably go bad before you use it again.  If you want a more shelf stable version, use jojoba and replace the lemon juice with white vinegar.  Use Olive or walnut oil to polish food surfaces (cutting boards, serving platters, wood bowls, etc).

Ingredients

• Lavender Essential Oil – Essential oils can be found online or at health food stores.  I bought a collection at Sprouts Market on one of my trips to town.  They are pricey but the small bottles last a LONG time.
• Tree Tea Oil – can be found at a health food store and at most drug stores.  Tree Tea oil has a lot of other uses around the home.  But it has a very strong odor!
• Castile Soap – an all natural soap that is also very strong so a little goes a long way.  I use Dr. Bronners and found it at CVS.  It is also sold at health food stores and I believe Target.
• Washing Soda – Sodium Carbonate is a strong base that works great as a laundry detergent and has a ton of uses around the house. I use Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, found in the laundry section of my grocery store.  NOT TO BE CONFUSED with baking soda!
• Borax (Sodium Tetraborate)– is a natural mineral compound.  According to a chemistry.about.com article, it has many uses in the home as a natural laundry booster, multipurpose cleaner, fungicide, preservative, insecticide, herbicide, disinfectant, dessicant, and ingredient in making ‘slime’. Borax crystals are odorless, whitish (can have various color impurities), and alkaline. Borax is not flammable and is not reactive. It can be mixed with most other cleaning agents, including chlorine bleach.  I found 20 Mule Team Borax in the laundry section of my grocery store as an ‘all natural laundry booster and multi-purpose household cleaner’.
• Jojoba oil – is actually a wax ester.  It is all natural, shelf stable, and is non-comedogenic.  It has many health uses, including eye make-up remover, lip balm, massage oil, moisturizer.  I found organic Jojoba at a health food store.
• Fels Naptha soap – this is a laundry soap found in a soap bar.  Many people experience difficulties in finding it, but I found it in the laundry section at my local (rural) grocery store.  It is also supposed to be good for poison oak and ivy.  HOWEVER, this is not an all natural/pure solution.  Many people have said they substitute Kirk’s Castile Bar soap, ZOTE!, or even ivory if the ingredients in Fels Naptha bother them.

by Karen I

Being able to repair things is a useful skill to have – believe me, when you’ve knocked your iron off the ironing board repeatedly, it’s awful handy to know how to fix it.   Tackling simple mechanical objects like an iron or (my recently fixed) Foodsaver vacuum machine (see article – Can I Use My FoodSaver® to Vacuum-Seal Mylar Bags?) can be intimidating, but with certain exceptions, you can do it.

First off, find out everything you can about your non-functioning device.  Find the manual (you did keep the manual, yes?  Got it at a garage sale?  Time to Google!), check the manufacturer’s website, check sites that have manuals for sale if absolutely necessary.

You might find that instructions for your device aren’t readily available.  Fear not; much of what is inside an appliance is just air, and there is no magic dust, just mechanical and electrical/electronic parts.

The safety nag:  never, never work on anything while it’s plugged in if the cover is off or there is the possibility of getting shocked.  Electricity is your friend, but it also has a nasty sense of humor and loves to zap you.  Keep water out of electrical devices when you clean as well.

In a pinch, if you have to, a barely damp Q-tip, moistened with rubbing alcohol helps dig out crud and gunk.   Never force things to fit; having to press hard or use a screwdriver to move a latch to get something to fit isn’t forcing, trying to get things to go where they don’t fit or belong with the potential to break is.

Take care if you are using any tools that have sharp edges; you can cut yourself with a screwdriver, so work away from yourself, not toward your body.  You do not want to be driving your husband through a 25 MPH residential district at 40 MPH, panicked and looking for someplace to get his punctured hand fixed as I did once.

A muffin tin or pie pan is useful for keeping parts from rolling off the table, and paper and pencil or pen is useful for making a note of where things go like ‘long screw goes in the upper right-hand hole looking from the front’.

The first step (and hardest, believe it or not) is to get the case off or open it up.   Once you’ve done that, stop and look at the guts of the thing.  Make a diagram of where things are in case you get interrupted, or take a picture.   Doesn’t have to be technical – you can put ‘black pump gizmo’ on your diagram as long as you understand what it is.

You already know what isn’t working, so next, try to figure out just what you are looking at.  In an iron, for example, you have something that holds water to make steam, something to heat the water, something that lets you set how hot the water is, and tubes to get the water from the filling inlet to the water tank and thence to the steaming ports, plus where the electricity comes in (the cord).

The reason for doing this is because you need to find what isn’t working, and if the iron isn’t heating you don’t need to focus on the fancy steam gizmo that lets you shoot a shot of steam, you need to find what heats the water and the path it takes.

Here’s a more detailed example.  My Foodsaver II was acting funny while it was vacuuming a bag, and then completely stopped heating and sealing bags.  This renders the device unusable, and since I had things I wanted to vac-pack, I needed to fix the thing a.s.a.p.

I took it into where I had decent light to work with, and it being unplugged already, began by taking off the bottom of the case.  I set aside the screws, which were all the same length, and gently removed the bottom.  Inside, I noticed that there is an electrical transformer on one side, some wiring, some tubing, and what looks like a pump.

I also noticed that there was a partial blockage of one of the clear tubes that goes from the inlet in the device where you put the open end of the bag to the pump itself.  Solving at least part of the problem, then, was to see if I could get the blockage out because that’s an easy potential fix.  I found the ends of the affected tube, removed it from its fittings, blew out the offending blockage and replaced it.

At this point, I decided to check and see if this resolved the problem, so I put the case back on, minus the screws, and carefully set it on the kitchen counter and plugged it in and tried to seal a spare, empty bag.  The vacuuming part of the problem seemed to be fixed (at least it worked better with no intermittent stalls/chokes), but still no heating and sealing.  Oh, well…back to the repair bench.

The cycle of the machine is to pull out air and then heat and seal the bag of stuff I’m vac-packing, and since the heating and sealing only happens after vacuuming occurs, vacuuming has to be finished before heating can start.  Vacuuming seemed to work, but obviously wasn’t finishing.  Since vacuuming occurs inside what looks like a little pump (there’s a black knob-like thing I could turn and see that a piston-like device moved in and out, so obviously a pump) the next step was to take a look inside the pump itself.

I removed the set screw from the arm going from the motor to the pump arm so that I could remove the arm, onto which the pump piston was attached, and two long skinny bolts with washers and nuts that held on the pump part onto the mechanism that makes it move.

I carefully pulled out the pump piston and looked inside.  Aha!  Gunk, plus some tiny bits of something white, like miniscule rice grain bits, were inside the pump.   I carefully cleaned out any residue with a Q-tip dampened with rubbing alcohol, then got some fine point tweezers and carefully picked out the tiny white bits, then reassembled and replaced the pump in the machine.

I put the case on to test it again, and this time the machine worked, fully vacuuming and then heating and sealing.  The only tools I used were a Phillips screwdriver, fine-tipped tweezers, and my brain.

Now you might think ‘so what, this is a vacuum packer and I need to fix something else’.  Well, the basic process is pretty much the same, no matter what you work on:

• Identify the problem
• Open up the device
• Identify the parts and try to figure out what they do and which ones might be the source
• See if you can reconnect, blow out, use a Q-tip on, run a pipe cleaner through
• Reassemble to test
• Repeat until you’ve fixed the device or determined that you can’t fix it

What if you mess up the device and can’t reassemble it or it won’t work even as good as it did before you worked on it?  Well, think of it this way:  it wasn’t working properly before.  You didn’t lose anything except some time and gained some experience working on things.  Not all devices lend themselves to being fixed by consumers/amateurs, and sometimes all you are doing is forestalling the inevitable:  getting a new one.

Now, there are, as mentioned, exceptions to what can be worked on safely or reasonably.  Most clocks and watches of the mechanical sort are beyond the average DIY’er, and things that require testing while plugged in may fall in that category because of the difficulty of getting the covers on and off repeatedly (and nothing should be tested with the covers off).

Some devices consist of a lot of electronics or things like lasers (DVD players come to mind as an example of things that the consumer can’t easily fix).  However, many devices can be fixed by following this process, and you shouldn’t be afraid to try your hand.

by M. Roberts

Most people have something to hide regardless if the object is valuable, sensitive, dangerous, illegal, or subject to confiscation.  Storing objects in a safe under key or combination lock can be a good security measure, but not everyone wants a large, heavy, and expensive safe and a small safe bolted to the floor can only contain a limited number of items.

A safe of any size also commands attention from thieves and police as something which is virtually guaranteed to hold something special.  Depending on size and weight, thieves sometimes take the entire safe without knowing what is inside.

If the homeowner is present then a burglar with a gun or police with a warrant can persuade them to open the safe immediately.  Again, a safe can provide a high level of security, but sometimes it can also make sense to hide things in other locations around the home.

Most people also tend to hide things in places which can be found quite easily by burglars and police.  For example, objects which have been hidden in a typical home can usually be found in a drawer or closet located in the master bedroom.

Burglars and police know this to be true so they often begin their search in that part of the house.  Regardless if the home invader is a burglar or police, the amount of time they can invest in a search is limited.  To be productive home invaders tend to follow the same basic three-part rule when conducting a search:  1) Look for interesting items which are openly-displayed, 2) shift attention to the most interesting containers, and 3) inspect other containers which are likely to hold something interesting.  If you haven’t guessed already, they are looking for interesting things.

When a home invader begins a search they typically notice openly-displayed things such as a rifle on a gun rack, a plasma television mounted on a wall, or a jewelry box on a chest of drawers.  This process usually only takes a matter of seconds per room before a deeper search begins, but we can slow them down by having more interesting (yet unimportant) things on display.

Taken to an extreme we can create distractions for home invaders, for overwhelming them with a large number of interesting display items can cause them to single out only the most exceptionally interesting things to inspect.

It is quite possible they will overlook an interesting object because it lacks sparkle compared to all the other shiny things in the room.  Another delaying tip is to secure some of those openly-displayed items with locked display cases.  The more time they spend trying to access and investigate displayed items the less time they have to sort through our containers.

We can also create some diversions too.  For example, hiding a gold coin inside a dull matchbook and leaving it on a coffee table will likely be overlooked because it is uninteresting and unlikely to contain anything special, but we can divert their attention away from it even more by placing a beer mug full of common coins right next to it.

In the next phase of the search, their attention turns to storage spaces and interesting containers.  Because there are more containers to search they will prioritize and inspect the most interesting containers first such as a closet, drawers, briefcase, suitcase, gun case, ammunition box, and decorated boxes.

Each time the home invader accesses and inspects a storage space or container they will apply the three-part rule to prioritize their search.  Regardless of how deep their search takes them, they continue to follow the same rule.

It can sometimes be wise to hide certain “give-away” objects in easy-to-find places.  Humans tend to look harder when their search produces little results, but home invaders are apt to call off a search once they found enough interesting things.

We’d like them to leave with nothing, but sometimes (mostly in the case of thieves) it would be better to have them leave early with an armload of minor and insignificant objects than to risk a prolonged search which exposes the things we really don’t want them to find.  Take care, however, not to give them cause to prolong a search.  For example, having an empty handgun box in the closet will inspire them to continue looking for that handgun.

Eventually, the most interesting containers will have been searched and their focus will shift to less-obvious containers which still hold the promise of something interesting.  Examples include mattresses, couch cushions, toilet tanks, and shoe boxes.

They will continue to disregard dull and boring containers which are unlikely to contain something of interest, such as a toothpaste box or bottle of shampoo.  A home likely has hundreds if not thousands of uninteresting containers, everything from sugar packets to garment pockets, so these things will probably not be inspected very closely, if at all.

There is no perfect hiding place as everything can be found with enough search time, but time is something home invaders do not have in excess.  With that in mind, our goals should be to disguise things so they appear to be uninteresting and/or hide things in the most uninteresting and unlikely places while hoping their search time runs out before certain objects are discovered.

As a home invader works his way through a house the pantry is one of the last places to be searched.  They will search for the most interesting objects and containers first which could include storage tubs, but very few people will take the time to carefully inspect each and every can of food.  There are simply too many of them, they are not interesting, and it is unlikely a sealed can of food contains anything but food inside of it.

We can take advantage of that reasoning by using a can to hide small objects such as gold, jewelry, cash, bullets, etc.  First, shop for a can of solid food (e.g. refried beans, cranberry sauce) which meets your size specifications, but is not a brand or food product you would normally consume.  After carefully removing the label from a can of food use it as a template to cut out an identical-sized piece of thin yet firm and flexible cardboard.

Next, place the can on the workspace so it can roll freely and cut it in half using a hacksaw (take care not to bend the can!).  After discarding the contents and washing the two halves of the can, insert the piece of cardboard into one half of the can and cover it with the other half of the can.  The cardstock is the same size as the label so it should fit almost perfectly inside the can to serve as an inner support wall for both can halves.

Tightly pack objects inside the can while taking care to match the original weight of the product, seal it with strong tape, and carefully glue the original label back on to the can.  Place it near the back of the pantry along with dozens of other cans of food to hide it.  Because it is sealed at top and bottom and doesn’t make noise when shaken it will look and feel just like any other can of food.  Yet, the owner will be able to identify by sight which can contain his valuables.

Hiding things under the floorboards is somewhat common but few searchers have the time to thoroughly investigate that possibility.  However, these places can be searched rapidly with metal detectors so it’s not a great idea for hiding firearms, ammunition, coins, and precious metals.  Home invaders do not expect things will be hidden in messy or dangerous such as under aquarium rocks or behind an electrical outlet (turn the power off first!).

These places are commonly overlooked during a search because they do not appear interesting, are unlikely to contain anything interesting, and are not easy to access and inspect.  With a bit of creativity, fake sewage pipes can also be installed in a basement which has screw caps that serve as access points.  Even the most dedicated searcher will likely avoid messing with sewage pipes which could leak or spill stinky human waste everywhere.

A cramped attic filled with loose insulation is another good place as few have the desire or time to sift through all that nasty fiberglass material in a dark and dirty place which is likely full of spiders and mice.  However, because attics are dusty, they may notice foot and hand prints so conceal your tracks carefully.

If long-term storage is desired without the need for periodic access then the open spaces behind internal walls can be used to hide large and small objects.  Repairing damaged drywall does take some skill but few will ever find what has been hidden behind a finished wall.  Scanning a wall with a metal detector is unreliable as metal pipes and electrical wires oftentimes exist behind walls.

Floor level cabinetry, Formica countertops, and virtually all windows and doors have trim, molding or wall guards which can be modified with hinges or strong magnets to become access panels for secret storage spaces.  Stair steps can also serve a cover for an accessible hiding place, but take care to secure it in a way which doesn’t cause an accidental fall.

Most doors of the home are hollow so they could also offer some well-concealed hiding places with access points at the top or bottom of the door.  Keep in mind accessing these empty space areas of the home requires a bit of destruction as well as construction which rely heavily on carpentry skills.

Shoddy workmanship will likely attract attention of a home invader to scrutinize something that is out-of-place so aim for perfection when tackling this kind of project.

Hollowed out furniture has been used to hide things for centuries, yet it’s not a very common practice today.  A table leg doesn’t attract attention because nearly everyone has a few of them in their home.  It’s difficult to determine if it’s hollow just by looking at it and most won’t expend the energy to do a lot of heavy lifting to inspect or access it (especially a pool table), so it can serve as a good hiding place.

Those who have a large library could consider hiding objects in a hollowed-out book as it takes time to inspect each one.  However, this is a fairly common practice.  What is not common is to expect to find a hollowed-out cavity inside a thick a stack of old home/garden magazines which have been tightly bound together with twine.

When an object is too close in our field of view then it often becomes difficult to see, which is the basic concept behind the idea of hiding something in plain sight.  Suppose one desires to hide a map which marks the location of their buried caches.  No one else knows about the map or the buried caches, but the discovery of the map could put your plans in jeopardy.  After all, what else does a person do when they find a “treasure map” but go look for the treasure to find out what it is?

Rather than hide the map it could be used instead to construct a plain-looking lampshade which is visible to everyone.  It will blend in quite well with a room décor theme which includes a globe and a picture of an old map.  Someone could take the time to inspect the lamp itself, but they will likely overlook the obvious and set the lampshade aside when doing so.  It simply isn’t interesting nor likely to contain something interesting.

This isn’t a topic which is discussed publicly very often because those who have great secret hiding places don’t want to reveal their locations.  Even so, understanding a bit about the psychology and methodology involved can help us find or create some really good hiding places, plan distractions and diversions for home invaders, and even motivate them to stop a search sooner rather than later.

by Jim Shy Wolf

Before we begin, we’ve got to lay down the rules. First, this is a potentially very dangerous activity. The least that can occur is mild burns, progressing to severe burns and culminating in burning down your home or shop. It is mandatory every safety rule is followed- both those of the tool-maker and common sense. Fools will suffer their foolishness: don’t be a fool. Wear safety glasses at all times. If you can manipulate tools wearing gloves, so much the better- wear them.

Also, my experience is that of having been doing this since 1975, without any training other than reading and experience. I am not- repeat: not- a professional nor do I claim to be doing all procedures correctly, only as they’ve worked for me over the years.

With that out-of-the-way, should you decide to engage in this activity, do so at your own risk. I lay no claim nor desire to claim ownership of your errors, foolishness or injuries incurred. We are a Free People, let us act thusly.

We’ve been reading post after post of ‘What’s the best gun I can get for my buck?’ And every person with a weapon has put in their two cents.

We’ve brought those shiny new weapons home and looked at the box and fondled the gun, anxious to get to the range and fire off a few bazillion rounds of bullseyes. So we grab that expensive box of XXX Guaranteed Bullseye rounds and head to the range.

Unless we’re the well-heeled type, after a few boxes we start to realize how spendy this little game is becoming. But we love shooting and begin to wonder if there are ways to cut those costs so we can keep shooting and having fun.

Hark! We can hear the glass shattering as the light breaks ‘pon yon window…

We Can Reload!

Reloading can take many forms with many different tools, but all lead to the same point: a bullet down the barrel headed down range. What we’ll be doing from here on is making our own Guaranteed Bullseye rounds from the ground up. (OK: I’m going to renege on the ‘guaranteed bullseye’ bit since I have no control over another’s quality control. But we’ll get that led down the barrel.) And we’re going to do it from the beginning, starting with making our own bullets.

Required tools are going to be minimal and not very expensive even with today’s weak dollar. As you’ll notice, all my tools are Lee brand. No particular reason other than those are what was available when I wanted the tool. I have no experience with and will make no comment about another maker’s tools because I think such arguments are no more valid than the 9mm vs. .45 arguments. If anyone is interested in pricing Lee products they can go to www.leeprecision.com and peruse the catalog. Otherwise, I will make no claim to usefulness for any particular purpose you intend putting the tool to.

When it comes to doing or learning something, I’m about as low as a human can get on the mental ladder. Which means, if I can do something, I’m absolutely positive there is no one else in the world who cannot do the same thing. So don’t think you’re incapable of learning or that it’s too difficult. Also, think of all we have in today’s world and consider the people who invented it. Really, Folks- cavemen invented the bow and arrow, so how hard can things be to learn? You can do it, be sure of that. After all, it ain’t brain surgery or rocket science. Now, let’s make some bullets…

It takes a very secure man to paint his cave pink… oh, wait- sorry, we’re not painting…(sorry: Honey was nudging me)… but you’re going to get burnt and those burns will be pink, then white, then red. And they’re going to hurt! So be very careful: don’t listen to MSM news, the Tv, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh or especially BSHO while working.

Follow manufacturers’ directions for all tools and keep a fire extinguisher handy. A gel burn-blanket won’t be a bad idea, either.

What We Need…

Our tools will be minimalist: just enough to get the job done well at low-cost and super efficiency.

Note the picture above: from the bottom left and going up, you will see a towel. This is what we will drop our molded bullets onto. Some people like a pail of cold water, which also helps make the bullet a little harder.

We will need a slice of wax- any kind will do, I use paraffin. We will use this to flux our lead before molding. Later we’ll use it to make a lubricant.

Besides the wax is a bung stick for working the mold’s sprue bar and to tap the bullet(s) free if needed. Do not use a hammer or metal to beat on your molds.

Next is the bullet mold. This is a two cavity 158-grain Lead Round Nose (LRN) .357 mold. Beside that is the ladle. This is what we dip the lead with to pour into the mold.

Next is a spoon: don’t use your eating utensils for working with bullets. We don’t want to ingest lead particulate. Use dedicated tools for this and all reloading. The spoon is used to load lead into the pot rather than dropping with our fingers. The pot gets very hot and lead can splash. We don’t want accidents.

Finally, the melting pot. Mine will hold two pounds of lead, which gives me about 75 finished bullets of this size.

To make my bullets, I use lead wheel weights, ‘found’ bullets from the range, and lead ingots. Wheel weights are getting more difficult to find since recycling is so rewarding. When the fed made lead shot illegal for ducks, I suddenly found myself in possession of a ton of lead shot- perfect for making cast boolits. (OK, not a ton, but a couple hundred pounds.

If/when TSHTF, some of this shot will go back into shotgun cases.) You can see the dross in the spoon: wheel weight anchors, sand, copper, steel- anything that is foreign to lead will float to the surface to be scooped off before we flux with wax.

Fluxing is taking a thumbnail size piece of wax and dropping it onto the molten lead. Be very cautious here- this will most likely flare up. If your body parts are in the way, you will be burned. Wait for the smoke to clear, then with the spoon, gently scoop the black/dark gray scum from the surface of the melt. Our lead is now ready to be used.

Our ladle/dipper and mold will have to be heated. I use one of two methods, depending on my mood and how antsy I am to get started. The recommended way is to set the ladle in the pot and rest a corner of the mold into the melted lead. If I’m in a hurry, I open the sprue cutter and pour a ladle of melt into the cavities, dump them, and repeat five or six times. You’ll know the mold is hot enough when the bullets come out uniformly neat, with no folds or vacancies in the finished bullet.

As stated earlier, I drop the bullets from the mold onto a folded towel. Since the bullet is still very hot and soft, I have to be careful to not drop them onto each other: they will deform, sometimes badly. Once the molds reach maximum temperature, even dropping from too much height will imprint the towel pattern onto the bullet, so we have to be careful.

A note here about my bullets: these are for the .357 revolver and rifle. I’m not overly concerned with ‘¼ MOA’ results for either of these, just good, acceptable accuracy. Two to three inches at 100 yards is sufficient for my desires. For the LR rifles- .243, .308, 30-06- I don’t cast bullets, I buy them. Reason being, with those calibers I am very interested in ¼ MOA accuracy (though I don’t achieve it often). I can’t make as good a bullet for those calibers as I can buy. Perhaps one day, when the pockets are overflowing…

Once we’ve reached our goal on the number to be molded, turn off the melting pot, set the tools on a fireproof pad and dig out the bullet lube.

The WUT?

Cast bullets shot from modern firearms reach some very hot and fast velocities. As a result, as the bullet goes down the barrel, it leaves small deposits of lead on the lands and grooves. This results in poor accuracy and can lead to barrel damage if unchecked by cleaning and using a lubed bullet. Anyone who has handled .22 bullets knows about the lubricant on them. A greasy, wax type something that… well, is sticky. Bullet lubricant.

Lubes can be bought- Lee sells Alox bullet lubricant, which is supposed to be really good. Others sell their brand and all are probably really good. If anyone has questions on which is better, ask around the gunny sites and you’ll get enough answers to confuse you more.

Since I’m the kind of guy that Honey says is ‘cheap’ because I think spending more than five bucks on a gift for a kid we don’t know is a bit much, I make my own for pennies and save the bucks for other things. Like primers.

To make my cowboy type lubricant, I melt one block (a one pound brick of paraffin is comprised of four blocks) of paraffin in a double boiler. With this is a small 3.75 or 4-ounce jar of Vaseline petroleum jelly. Stir and blend (they’re grease, they’ll blend themselves, really), remove from heat and add about ¼ cup of Marvel Mystery Oil and blend in. No more than a quarter cup or you’ll get a mess. Of course, you could add more paraffin and Vaseline to smooth things out… but why? This quarter pound batch is going to last a long time.

Using aluminum pie tins (‘cuz they’re cheap and everyone has a few), stand about 30-40 bullets nose up and pour enough lube in to cover the lubricant grooves. (Those are the ‘rings’ you see on the bullets.) Don’t go past these- it’s not needed above the groove and just a waste. Once covered, put the tin in a freezer until the lubricant hardens enough to pull itself easily away from the tin.

Once free of the tin, just push the bullet nose until it goes out the bottom side of the lube plate. All done. Now rinse and repeat for the next batch – and this time, you have holes pre-punched to put the bullets in before liquefying the lube and freezing again. Rinse and repeat… until you’re done.

Up next: Putting all this fun together with more fun before the real fun begins.