SurvivalBlog Readers' & Editors' Snippets

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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At Instructables: A Simple Trash Can Faraday Cage.

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A useful article that was originally posted in 2016 and updated in 2024: Proper underground propane tank installation.

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Why Does So Much of America Look the Same Now? (A hat tip to D.S.V. for the link.)

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How to Activate Starlink Service Without a Smartphone.

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Connie wrote:

“I enjoyed seeing the graphic last week. I was surprised at how many states are still at $7.25 per hour. One thing some people don’t know is that if your state has a minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum, many nonprofits type businesses do not have to pay the states minimum wage, only the federal. Places like public schools can/do pay their non-credited staff less than the state’s minimum, while constantly pushing for teachers and management to constantly get wage increases. Remember teachers have unions that donate to politicians. Most people see the principal, the secretary, and their kid’s teacher. They don’t really notice the bus drivers and school cooks.

I do not personally believe there should be a minimum wage. Let the free market dictate what people are paid. If you don’t earn what you need, change jobs or start your own business. If a business needs employees they can’t get at their current pay, they will pay more to fill the opening. But I also am a person who believes that one employer should not be forced to pay a higher amount just because they are in the private sector, while government/nonprofits can pay much less.

There was a sort of revolt in our local school district this fall. Pay is decided when the new budget is done during the summer. Many of the support staff subs would have been making less than the new minimum wage here in Missouri. It went from $13.75 to $15 an hour, starting the 1st. This happens every time the minimum wage goes up. For the spring semester, those people make less than minimum wage until fall. Most of the time it is not a huge deal, 25 cents an hour. Many of the employees stay because of personal reasons. Summers off. School canceling during bad weather. Basically, the same hours as their kids. This time, a $1.25 an hour was too much to swallow so there was a mass exodus threat. Everyone got the raise mid-year to at least the states minimum wage. I guess the “free” market such as it is allowed, worked. I found it funny they “found” the money to increase the pay when forced. Too bad they didn’t do it before. Now those employees know they do have some power.”

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Reader C.B. spotted this news: Geological survey in Texas uncovers 1.6 billion barrels of oil.

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Mr. Mark wrote the following on silky saws and reciprocating saws:

“I am familiar with a variety of saws, and have time with all of them through the years; thus these comments:

If the motion of the blade does not allow for sawdust (or chip) removal, the blade cannot progress. Once enough debris fills the space between the teeth, and reaches a sufficient density of compaction, it is as if the blade has no teeth at all!

Only recently did I discover the Silky folding saws. The first worked so well that I purchased several more. They are, as are many Japanese saws, designed to cut on the pull stroke. One should best not bear down on the push; it is ineffective for cutting, and may bind or permanently bend the blade. In the advertisements for the Silky saws, the maximum cut diameter is approximately 1/2 of the toothed length of blade.

If one uses such a blade with only a small fore/aft motion, it will not allow the sawdust to clear from the blade teeth, thus the recommended cutting capacity allows tooth clearing, as long as one uses the full length of the blade.

The reciprocating saws I have used have a very short stroke. In practice, this means when cutting wood of any considerable size, only a few teeth are ever in a position to “unload”. The recips with oscillating motion tend to do better in this regard, particularly on metal. They are still handicapped by the short stroke, and the characteristic of wood fiber to not be released freely, as wood bits when compressed will tend to expand when pressure is released. Thus, the limited lift of the oscillating motion only slightly improves sawdust clearance.

It seems a reciprocating saw would need a stroke as long as the diameter of wood to be cut to truly be effective and practical. That way, all the teeth would have a chance to drop their burden. If you were to fasten your latest blades on a pole, and give them adequate stroke, they would likely give fair performance. But a reciprocating saw with a flywheel and connecting rod to give enough stroke would likely be burdensome and clumsy. I love my Silky

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Reader Large Marge wrote:

“Re: ‘Exterior doors…need to be thick, solid core, and have a deep throw deadbolt…’

In 2003, we built our Expedition Vehicle on a 1996 Ford CF8000 commercial truck.

We avoid campgrounds, preferring to boondock in isolated areas without neighbors.

This’s often hog, cougar, or bear territory.

For quarters, I mounted a commercial truck dry-van box. I removed the roll-up door, and built a steel wall and steel door. Two deadbolt locks help secure it. Although at 20-gauge, my sheet-metal for the wall and door ‘skin’ material is quite light, I compensated with an obsessively excessive frame of 2″ .125-wall square tube. The frame around the door is 2″ .250-wall square tube, as is the door’s upright members at the hinges and latch.

Although manufactured with a seam, that 2″ .250-wall square tube is otherwise identical to the steel in the receiver hitch at the rear of many pick-up trucks. My door should survive a Post-Apoc world.

Now, onto today’s subject: The majority of residences in North America are constructed of sticks. Unless you specify something else, doors are sticks, too, but thinner.

I am a semi-retired welder-fabricator. Anybody at pretty much any skill level can easily replace a wood door frame and wood door with steel. As a minimum, I think each door requires two deadbolt locks.

An aside: I read someplace about securing the interior of a residence with similar steel doors for each bedroom… and at the entrance to the hall going to those bedrooms. That would slow down a crew of invasive species, giving the family time to mount an adequate debate, convincing the invaders to be someplace else.”

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Video: Starlink Mini PoE (Power Over Ethernet) Modification.

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Some practical info on WinLink: WaveTalkes Resources.