Letter Re: Strong and Sticky Stuff for Sticky Situations

Sir:

Do you or any of your readers have any experience with J-B Weld? Is it recommended for use as a survival item — i.e., pros and cons versus traditional methods of joining [materials]?

Thank you! Best, – J.C.

JWR Replies: Yes, it works quite well, and I do recommend it.  But don’t let the “liquid steel” marketing hype fool you.  It is just a two-part epoxy.

To be properly equipped for emergency repairs on vehicles, tractors, and assorted gear at your retreat, I recommend watching for sale prices and stocking up on a variety of sticky and strong stuff. I recommend keeping not just J-B Weld epoxy on hand, but also some Rec Repair patch material, a couple of cans of expanding insulating foam, a roll of self-fusing silicone tape, some Krazy Glue, a can of Slime tire sealant, a tube of blue Permatex Form-a-Gasket, a tube of clear RTV silicone, a tube of Shoe Goo (useful for much more than shoe repairs!), several rolls of galvanized steel wire (for versatility, get several different gauges from 8 gauge to 22 gauge), and of course some paracord and duct tape. (Both in olive drab, naturlich). Some people also suggest carrying Bar’s Stop Leak (or similar) for emergency radiator repairs. But my old friend Ken X., (a senior mechanic) advises against using them. He tells me that these miracle radiator goops can do as much damage as they do good, since they can constrict the flow of water through a radiator. Use it only as a last resort!

Letter Re: Antenna Launching Alternatives

Good day,
I was just reading about Antenna Launchers in SurvivalBlog and it occurred to me than rather than constructing a complex pneumatic launcher, you could alternately use either an arborist throw weight for shorter distances or or a throw weight with an elastic launcher for heights well over 100 feet. Throw weights are inexpensive and designed to tow a line over tree branches.