So you are living in a societal collapse and something breaks. Let’s say that your generator dies. You’ve gotta fix it. The following describes what have I learned about fixing things:
I used to go through the repair process in my mind a few hundred times. I would pull the cover by loosening two screws, then unbolt the coil with a socket wrench. Then pull the coil and inspect for a broken winding. But first of all, I must borrow my friend’s socket set.
I have learned over the years that the most efficient route is often to just tear into the project cold. So I don’t have the sockets, I just start the project. So I get the cover off and guess what, it is not bolted, it is attached with big screws requiring a big Phillips screwdriver. I just saved a trip to my friend’s house, to find him not home and a second trip to borrow the sockets which were never needed.
Often, tearing into the project gives the most bang for the buck. It is like an army patrol going out and getting intelligence. It is very easy to go on a wild goose chase in your mind of how the job will go. It can be the paralysis of analysis.
Take pictures of the process on your smartphone, if your phone is still working in a collapse. Doubtful. Make notes of the assembly process. Have magnetic bowls for the removed screws and bolts. Have some Master Blaster or fish oil nearby to loosen stuck bolts. Spray the rusty screw or bolt and let it sit for a while to let the liquid work. Even let it sit overnight. Give it a shot and then take a break and come back and give it another shot. Let the penetrating liquid do your work for you. Consider heating it up with a torch if the bolt or screw really frozen-up. But be careful, of course.
Ask people. When I have a project that is new, I ask everyone in sight. Well. I just put it out there. My generator broke and I am stumped. The information flows in: “Mine broke and it was the connector between the motor and generator”, “Hank fixes those, so talk to him”, and: “Look online for the diagram”. This is free and easy and fast. Call around. (If the phones are still working.) Gather data.
Then there is the misinformation. You ask Hank, but he now has dementia, was thinking of his Honda generator and your’s doesn’t even have the same design. You go off on a wild goose chase.
The trick is to factor in that each and every piece of data that you have received may possibly be wrong data. This is very hard to do. Ever finally completed a project and see where you got bad info along the path to success. It becomes so obvious once you are done. You see the wrong turns based on wrong assumptions. All assumptions must be considered to possibly be bogus.
This applies ot other situations.. If you are sick, you conclude it is the flu but it is pneumonia. You assume the cut is infected but the red is normal to healthy healing. And on and on. You have to be suspicious of all data and subsequent conclusions. But you got to proceed the best that you can anyway. It is like walking a tight rope. You must proceed boldly, but leave room for completely changing course when you realize your early assumptions were wrong.
Then there is the time lag factor. So you try to get those sockets from your friend and after several visits over the next week, you find him home and get the sockets. In a few days you get around to taking off the cover of the generator to find that not only do you not need sockets, but that the problem is a blown fuse. You put the fuse in the car, cut some firewood, take a nap and head off to the parts store. You go to the counter and learn that the replacement fuse must be special-ordered. Further, the warehouse closed 20 minutes ago and will not be open till Monday morning. And the warehouse must order the fuse from Dallas with a 4-day delivery time. If only you had pulled the cover right off the bat.
This is a further reason to jump right into a project ASAP and determine what you are dealing with.
All projects are different but somehow similar. The inherent urge to think them through, the reluctance to jump right in, the mix of true and false information that you get along the way. And the time lag that you never see coming.
Then there is the preparedness factor. I once got a 4-foot long breaker bar thinking that if I ever needed to break something loose, this would do it. Sure enough, some time later, I needed it. If I am working on a project and need, say, a pair of Vise Grips and can’t find any after looking in all of my tool boxes, I buy half a dozen pairs. I was short in that category and never will be short again, ever. Same with Master Blaster, 3-in-1 oil, WD40 with the long application straw. Point being, you can mentally run through future projects and somewhat prepare for them. You know that if you live on a farm that you are going to need engine starting fluid at some point. So why not buy a dozen bottles? They are not going to be less expensive in the future.
So if I am at a place that is cheap like Costco or Walmart, I start throwing bottles of Heet, Techron, 50/50 antifreeze, etc into the cart. This is the cheapest I’ll that I’ll ever buy it and I have the money now. In a way, it is forced savings. And if things collapse, I have extra for my use or for barter.
When setting up a toolbox, often in a military canvas tool bag, I picture myself out on a dark country road in a broken-down car, alone. What would I want? A couple of flashlights, some red rags and a couple of those little pouches of GoJo that you find at the register at a parts store. I like to throw in a small can of WD-40 about the size of a medicine bottle and a couple of road flares…also good for starting a fire.
I like the screwdrivers with a shaft that can be removed and turned around with a reversible blade on each end. Thus, you have two straight blades and two Phillips blades. The screwdrivers with ten bits in the handle have the drawback of the bits falling out and getting lost, but the four-bit ones do not have that drawback other that sightly-reduced stremgth. I like having a big screwdriver to serve as a pry bar and a big pair of pliers to grab onto something. Duck tape is a must, although recently I have shifted to Gorrilla Tape. having bailing wire and some insulated wire is good. Electrical tape is a must. [JWR Adds: Don’t forget plastic cable ties!]
A big nail is lightweight and does not take up much room and can come in handy. Let’s see, a tube of graphite, some 3-in-1 Oil, and of course a good old-fashion pocket knife and a box cutter. A Bic lighter goes into every bag, tool box, glove box, haversack, et cetera. This turns all of them into a Go bag of sorts. Likewise, 10 feet of Paracord or bankline goes in there, too. This is standard operating procedure. Then there are the headlamps that go on your head. I get the ones that use AAA batteries instead of the rechargeable ones. You do not always have a working USB port on a dead car on a country road but you can have extra batteries.
Farm Shows. I love cruising farm shows. Here you find industrial strength tools and equipment. Where else can you find 20’ heavy duty jumper cables. Sold for use on diesel tractors and combines, these carry the juice. Likewise with nylon tow straps. Often, I get ideas at farm shows and the like.
Mother Earth fairs. They still have these. They have the darndest things. I got some mats/rugs that were kind of shag and really grabbed the dirt when entering the house. I got a huge rain gauge for the yard. Unusual stuff.
Gun shows. Again, here they have unusual stuff. A good place to get army blankets. But I have learned not to buy electronics here, because if the item breaks and the vendor might not be at the next show. But buy at Bass Pro Shop and returns are easy. Also, I do not buy anything with moving parts at Walmart as they tend to break. I go to Home Depot instead. If they don’t have it then it is to Ace Hardware where you pay more since they buy by the truckload and Home Depot buys by the trainload.
I keep a flat carpenter’s pencil and some Post-It notes in each tool box. I like the extra-sticky Post-It notes. A dental pick goes in each toolbox. You can get these at gun shows from the vendors selling medical supplies.
Toss in a small can of Pepper Spray and a whistle and then you have a combination toolbox/go bag…kinda.
Handymen. I was an accountant, good with forms, bad with my hands. So I am always on the lookout for these guys that can fix things. It is a poor craftsman who complains of his tools. I had a painter who fixed a hole in my office wall with spackle, a scrap piece of board, and a coat hanger. Perfect. These are the guys that I am constantly on the lookout for. They often do not read. They survive by fixing things. They are masters of their craft. The good ones are soft-spoken and nice. The poor ones are loud and abrasive. They come in all shapes and sizes. They can fix anything. They are reasonable, efficient, and good — very good at repairs. These guys are like gold. But they tend to retire, move, get real jobs, et cetera. Most of these people have poor organizational skills. Poor vocabularies. Poor people skills. But, boy, can they fix stuff! The key is to reward them. Pay them well and give them a constant stream of gifts. A nice screwdriver, a nice pocket knife, a can of Master Blaster (the best penetrating oil ever). Always a kind word and “There is no rush”. Once you are befriended, your life becomes much better.
My favorite YouTubers: Scotty Kilmer (cars), The Mercedes Source (cars), The Essential Craftsman (carpenter), Blackie Thomas (camping), Dave Canterbury (camping/survival) and all of his wares are the best…His canteens and big space blankets are both must-haves.
In conclusion, jump in and start the repair project. If you just remember this one thing, your life will be much, much easier. Happy repairs!
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