How to Make a Cheap Cable Lug Using Copper Pipe

How to Make a Cheap Cable Lug Using Copper Pipe

How to Make a Cheap Cable Lug Using Copper Pipe
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I needed some large terminal lugs for my microwave spot welder and they were both hard to find and expensive. I decided to make my own cable lug using copper pipe

What I decided to do was make my own out of copper pipe.  This DIY terminal clip was for 2 gauge wire and used a short length of 1/4 copper pipe.

Looking around the hardware store I saw a short section of heavy gauge copper pipe. a 2 feet long section was under $4.00.  This is much lugs cost

Even if this DIY experiment failed, I would not be out a lot of money.  I decided to go for it.  In the end it worked really well.

I used a pipe cutter to cut a couple inches off of the end of the copper tube.

Next I used the vice to smash one end closed.  I could have used a hammer, but the vice gives a little more control.

After the end is smashed flat, drill a hole through the flat end to make a terminal clip.

Lastly we used a swage to press the copper pipe to the wire.  You could solder it, but I find a good pressure fit works well.

TNGun Fan Finder Ad

 

TNGun Fan Finder Ad
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TNGun started as a firearm school where David Nash taught Tennessee handgun carry permit and armed security courses, but as David evolved and matured this site morphed into the Shepherd School and began to teach more than just guns.  The video below is the YouTube fan finder ad for the tngun channel.

The TNGun website showcases all of the Shepherd School YouTube videos in a way that is much easier to search than they are on YouTube.   Besides the videos we have articles and hundreds of free downloads.

The goal of this site is to help people become better prepared and to pass the message that stuff is not enough – you have to have skills and knowledge to complement gear.

I don’t claim to have the best way to do things, and many of my projects are rigged together and make experts in that specific area scream, but they are all real and unedited – and if something does not work I don’t hide it.

I appreciate all the people who visit this TNGun website, my students, and the friends that have helped me grow and do the things I do.  This website is more than just words on a screen, it is my life.

4 Uses of Dry Ice

 

Kitchen DIY: Dry Ice Uses
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Most often I use Dry ice to seal up plastic buckets with bulk food, but there are a lot more dry ice uses a guy can do.

You can also use dry ice to force carbonate beverages, but if you do this it can cause the bottle to explode so be careful.

I have also used it to make fog (which is not a prepper use I guess)

Something else I find to be a fun on of the dry ice uses is if you put cubes of dry ice into a container of rubbing alcohol the CO2 will super chill the alcohol making an extremely cold liquid that replicates some of what liquid nitrogen can do.

How to Frugally Stretch Ground Beef

 

Kitchen DIY: Gound Beef Stretcher
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I try very hard to be frugal, as a matter of fact one reason I put in the work into these videos and articles is so the ad revenue can partially pay for the materials in the projects – otherwise I could not afford to make all the stuff I do. (so please pardon the ads – I prefer them to asking for subscriptions)

One way I can be frugal is to use meat as a flavoring and not a main ingredient – to do so I like to add “taste neutral” things to stretch the meat by cooking them with the meat and letting them absorb the fat and flavor.

My friend and partner in Dual Homestead, James Burnette told me that when he watched this video he was screaming “NO DAVE!” because he is Paleo and thinks adding grains to meat is blasphemous.  However, he did tell me he also uses food as a ground beef stretcher so he is not all bad…

Lots of Options to Stretch Ground Beef

I like to add oats, rice, or sometimes breadcrumbs to my meat when making things like meatloaf or hamburgers – I also do it when making spaghetti (but I don’t use breadcrumbs when I am making something with broken up ground beef – its too mushy).

Depending on how I am feeling – normally that depends on how long till payday – I use 1/3 to 1/2 rice or oatmeal in the meat.

However, when using oatmeal as a ground beef stretcher it can change the texture and make it more dense.  (The way I deal with that is to let the meat sit with a little salt and make a loaf – I then call it Gyro meat – and people think I made it dense on purpose)…

That reminds me that gyro meat is on my list of articles and I really should get around to posting how I do that.

By the way, if you are interested how the paleo punk stretches his ground meat I will share that he uses cabbage.

Recipe: Waffle Cone S’Mores

Recipe: Waffle Cone S'Mores
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This Waffle Cone S’Mores recipe was put in one of my books so I am not going to add the recipe (I have done this before and both my publisher and reviewers got made at me for selling books with content that could be found for free on this site).

however,

i still want to share because it is a really fun recipe for camping (or just in your home oven).

I really like doing this recipe with kids.  Letting your child make their own waffle cone lets them be creative as well as allow them to make choices with little consequence.

These S’Mores are a pretty fun family activity.  Additionally they are a very tasty and kid friendly recipe.

Making this video was a win-win scenario.  I enjoyed making this video, and my son really enjoyed eating the desserts.  Unfortunately, Genny is still on her diet, so I don’t get to make these very much, she says I only cook desserts when I want to tempt her.

I am not the kind of guy to tempt a hungry mamma with melted chocolate.  I take risks, but I am not suicidal.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy this video and take some time to cook with your kids.