How to Make a DIY Wire Basket

How to Make a DIY Wire Basket

DIY: Wire Basket
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This DIY Wire Basket is a neat project, which makes a useful basket – which you can use to organize or meet some

metalworking requirements on a scouting merit badge.

I like them for gardening, as I can easily wash my fruit and vegetables off with the hose before I bring them in the house.

My wife likes it because I use it to wash vegetables before I bring them into the house.

Either way, it is an easy project that is very useful and a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Material:

  • 2’x10’ Hardware cloth
  • 26 Gauge Floral wire
  • Metal Coat hanger (Optional)
  • Rubber hose (Optional)

Tools:

  • Tin Snips
  • Needle nose pliers

Procedure:

  1. When designing your basket you need to allow for the sides. We are going to make a 5 inch deep 8 by 8 inch basket to carry in our vegetables. Since the sides will fold up we will need to cut out a piece of wire that is 18 inches square.
  1. Using tin snips cut this into a cross shape with 5 inch squares taken out of each corner. This will make eight inch “wings” that stick out on each of the 4 sides.
  1. Make your creases/folds along the “wings”

    DIY Wire Baskets
    DIY Wire Baskets
  2. Cut the floral wire 1.5x the size of the side you’re going to connect. This means for a 5 inch seam, cut the wire 7.5 inches (or 8 if you want extra).
  1. Start at one end, and pull the wire almost all the way through leaving about 1″ of slack to wrap around that first corner several times before weaving up the side.
    • Hitting every square looks better, and make a stronger basket, but you can save time by only weaving every other square if you desire.
  2. Lastly, trim the ends of your wire, and tidy up the basket.
  3. If you desire you can make handles by cutting up a metal coat hanger and using needle nose pliers to create loops on each end
  4. You can make the handle fit your hand better by sliding a rubber hose (like an aquarium hose) over the coat hanger before attaching it to the basket.

T-Post Puller Review

Gear Review: T-Post Puller
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I have tried all manner of ways to pull t-posts.  I finally spent the money on a dedicated t-post puller.  Let me tell you the $40 was well spent.  I recently was offered a bunch of posts from my father in law if I came and took down a fence.  I allotted 4 days to do it based upon my experiences with DIY hacks.  I pulled over 100 poles in just a few hours.  They were deeply embedded, goat tight posts that were in the ground for over 10 years.

I only bent one pole.

It is a very easy tool to use, the arm has a grooved arm that snags on the t-post teeth and since the fulcrum is so close to the arm, it pulls almost straight up.

I also like how the arm has a chain hook, but I haven’t gotten a chance to see how it pulls small saplings yet.

My video does not show the deeply set and time embedded posts I pulled out at my in-laws.  They decided to get out of the goat business and turned much of their pasture into grape arbors.

The cross fences made it hard for them to do work on the grapes so they gave me the poles.  I allotted several days to dig them all out, but I did it in two short mornings.

Gear Review: Conflicted Cards Financial Collapse Deck

Conflicted Cards Financial Collapse Deck Review

I love the guys at conflicted cards – they had a great idea and really did a good job implementing it.  They recently gave me the opportunity to both review their 7th set of cards as well as offer a contest.

The financial collapse deck is timely, as I have come to believe that financial collapse is the most likely cause of a collapse of our society.  It is a little more educational that the previous sets, but not so much that it will turn away preppers.

Like the other card decks it stirs up heated discussion and makes for a better prepared user.

The conflicted card financial collapse deck is a little harder than the first versions.  It takes thought.  But, if you have been keeping up with the decks as they come out, you probably are ready for the challenge.

I like the deck, and I especially like how it can also double as a regular deck of cards.  This makes it even more useful and makes it more likely to be used.

The military is also sneaky about making decks of cards that use blank space to add information they want their personnel to remember.

Conflicted Cards Contest Financial Collapse Deck is more specialized that the original set, but not so much that the common prepper would find it boring or overly complicated.

These guys understand their audience. and are constantly developing better products.  I want to thank them for what they do, and to thank them for sharing with my audience by sponsoring the contest below.

36W Cree LED Flood Beam Lights Review

Gear Review: 36W Cree LED Flood Beam Lights
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The amazon pictures do not do this product justice. I was offered the chance to review these 36W Cree LED Flood Beam Lights.  In all actuality, I was not expecting much.  However, the quality of the lights impressed me.

These lights are very solid, and have a very flexible mounting system.

I had every intention of doing a full video of installing them in my off grid shipping container and powering them with a 45 watt solar panel I already have.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and I am stuck in the house this weekend.

As soon as I get a chance, I will install these lights in the shipping container and show how well they work.

I did receive this product at a reduced cost, but after using them, I am going to buy more.

Update:

I have used these in testing my solar set up in preparation for setting it up in my conex box at the land.  They are really nice.  I like how bright they are and how easy they are to set up.  Finally, these lights are not very expensive, and I am thinking about buying a couple more sets and making a light pole from a volleyball net post.

Portable Water Filter Bag Review

portable water filter bag
portable water filter bag

I got to review this collapsible 16.2 ounce water filter bag. The bag comes with a built in .1 micron water filter straw which is capable of cleaning and purifying the dirty water you scooped up.

What I like best about this kit is that you can screw the filter directly into any standard (28mm) plastic bottle.

It filters up to 300 gallons of contaminated water with a single unit.  At the recommended survival amount of one gallon per person per day, this is almost a year supply of fresh water in a cheap and portable bundle.

I really liked the idea.  The package was very light and compact, and the design was well thought out.  I left it with my dad to do more testing, as he is living full time out on the land.

This kit is a nice idea, and it is a good price.  It is not as robust as a more expensive set-up.  I would not use it for day to day use.  I would however use it for kits and to use to give away to friends or to barter.

For a low price water and fire is taken care of.  Add in a knife and you have the basis of a cheap kit.