DIY Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Knowledge Weighs Nothing

How To Build A DIY Generator From A Lawnmower (UPDATED)

So you know getting a backup generator is a great idea, but you just can’t afford to purchase one? Well, could you afford $50 give or take, for a small backup generator?

If you search around at yard sales or your local junkyard or landfill you should be able to pick up most of the bits required to build this DIY lawnmower generator. There are a few extras you’ll likely need to purchase, but you could bring this in for around $50.

I have listed several different tutorials below that show how simple and affordable it is to build a basic generator out of an old lawnmower engine.

Below is a great video showing how to build a lawnmower generator.

This is a really interesting and entertaining video tutorial. I think a lot of the build is overkill, but it does give you an idea of what can easily be accomplished with some cheap/free scrap parts and a little DIY skill. I particularly like the fact the generator was built onto the frame of the lawnmower, rather than removing the lawnmower engine and mounting it on another base.

Here is a different, written tutorial for DIY generator built from a lawnmower. As with all these lawnmower generators, it isn’t going to power your whole house, it won’t run your AC, heating or large kitchen appliances; it will, however, keep the lights on and power smaller electronics etc.

Additionally, here are links to two further written tutorials for building lawnmower generators for you to check out lawnmower generator tutorial from doityourself.com & and lawnmower generator tutorial from theepiccenter.com

(Image used from Oliver Motorized)

This Charger CAN Recharge Disposable Batteries. Learn More. Save Money

From an early age, I knew it was kind of possible to reuse disposable, single-use batteries; as a kid, we used to leave dead alkaline batteries out in the sunshine for a few hours, and this seemed to recharge them a little bit, so we could get a bit more use out of them… What I didn’t realize is that you can now actually purchase specific battery chargers which are designed to recharge dead single-use alkaline batteries. Now maybe everyone else knew this already, but I certainly didn’t… Either way, I am sure Duracell and Energiser don’t want you to know this.

This means that once you have purchased one of these specific battery chargers, such as the: Maximal Alkaline FC999 Universal Rapid Charger, you then effectively have free batteries for life. Follow the tips below, and you don’t even need to purchase the disposable batteries, to begin with…

FREE Batteries For Life? How?

Our local authority recycles dead batteries, they pick them up with the garbage once a month. If I went out into the neighbourhood that day, I could literally collect 1000s of free alkaline batteries which could then be recharged and reused. Even if your local authority doesn’t provide this service, you could still get all the free batteries you need, by asking friends and family to save their batteries for you. You could also ask local stores and commercial premises if they could save their batteries for you.

Now I am sure there is a lifespan for recharging disposable batteries, so one set isn’t going to last forever. With this in mind, you’ll need to replace the free dead batteries you collect, from time to time. This shouldn’t be an issue, as simply ask friends etc to save all their used, dead batteries for you, and you should effortlessly have a constant supply of used, dead batteries to recharge.

Just to note – the Maximal Alkaline FC999 Universal Rapid Charger doesn’t just charge alkaline batteries, it also charges RAM, Ni-MH, Ni-CD, AA, AAA, C, D, N, and 9V batteries, so it’s got you covered for everything. Additionally, you might also want to purchase a cheap battery tester, to check batteries are dead and check how well they have recharged.

Anyway, as said, this might not be news to some of you, but hopefully, it is useful information and saves some money for people that didn’t know. All our flashlights, remotes and radios etc take batteries; not to mention, if you have young kids, you get through a huge amount of batteries with all their toys and games. If nothing else, it is for more eco-friendly to reuse old batteries, rather than just throwing them in the trash…

NOTE: Obviously exercise caution and use common sense when choosing spent disposable batteries to recharge. Do not attempt to recharge old looking, damaged or leaking batteries.

Free Firewood: Heat Your Home 100% For Free! (UPDATED)

With the cost of living skyrocketing in areas all throughout the country, many consumers are seeking out cheap, or preferably free, ways to curve their utility bills. When it comes to heating your home throughout the winter months, a wood-burning stove effectively warms your living spaces without burning through your bank account. To further deepen your monthly energy costs, stop buying your firewood and turn to these completely free, and completely legal, ways of gathering perfectly good free firewood.

Ask Tree Surgeons/Arborists For Free Firewood

Update: We use this method every year now. It is the only method here that we need to use, to get all the firewood we need (for FREE). We simply get the green, unprocessed wood delivered in the spring and early summer. I then saw, chop it, and store it for use the following winter.

Most tree surgeons (Arborists) are clever enough to realize that logging, seasoning and selling their hardwood waste is a no-brainer. However, there’s only really any value in hardwood logs, as this is what most people want to burn. This leaves a lot of fresh softwood being wasted or chipped for biomass (that usually just gets taken off their hands in bulk for little or no money). If you are willing to burn softwood (and if it is free then you should be willing!), it’s not too difficult to find a local tree surgeon/arborist who will be happy to dump loads of cords/tree rings on your driveway for free. This literally is an untapped resource for free firewood! All you need to do is cut it up and season it. Contact some of your local companies and ask. Some will ignore you or say no. Some may offer to deliver loads for $20 etc, but some will also be happy to help you out for free, as it helps them out.

We do this and get all the firewood to heat our home for free. As we have built relationships with a few local companies, they also sometimes deliver hardwood loads as well. If they are cutting several trees close to us, it is easier for them to quickly dump loads with us, rather than travel further to their depot each time during the day.

At the beginning of this year, we had several large loads of tree rings and branches delivered. None of it was perfect firewood, there was some very wet (but not rotten) oak that had been laying on the ground for sometime and some green sycamore and pine. This was all sawn, chopped and stored to season throughout the summer. We now have more than enough free firewood to get us through the winter, without spending a penny on heating. If you want free firewood, get in touch with local arborists!

A note on burning softwood: providing it is well dried and seasoned (which takes half the time of hardwoods!), and you get your chimney/flue cleaned once or twice a year, there is absolutely no problem with burning pines and other softwoods. Sure softwood burns through a bit quicker, but it is not an issue when it is free!

Free Firewood From Construction Tree Debris

As construction crews clear the land for new developments etc, there may be a significant amount of heavy brush or tree branches left in their wake. While some construction companies sell wood to firewood merchants or lumber yards, smaller branches and brush are often available free of charge as long as you receive permission from the construction manager. It is always worth asking when you see new developments in your area.

Find Free Firewood On eBay, Gumtree & FreeCycle

Every day, there are people in your area giving away waste wood (pallets etc) and wood from trees and bushes they have cut down on their properties. People without wood-burning stoves and fireplaces are only too happy to give their wood away for free, rather than having to dispose of it themselves. All you have to do is go around and pick up the wood. Check eBay, Gumtree and Freecycle and other similar websites, and search in your areas for free firewood and logs etc. Some people will charge a small amount, but most are only too happy to have someone to come over and take it away for them.

Gather Dead Tree Branches

Often times, dead tree branches are found scattered throughout residential or commercial properties. If you notice dead or even dying, trees lining a property, ask the owner if you can gather some of these branches. In many cases, property owners don’t have the need for the wood, or the financial resources to have the trees removed. Therefore, by gathering these potentially hazardous tree branches you’re not only stockpiling your free firewood supply but also helping out a neighbor.

Post Storm Tree Debris

After a major thunderstorm, tree branches tend to accumulate along the side of the road or in yards of commercial and residential properties. While most property owners simply throw away storm debris, ask the property owner if you can help collect and remove the debris with the premise of keeping some, or all, of the wood. If you live in an area that frequently sees windstorms, this could be the sole source of your free firewood supply.

Wooden Pallets Make Excellent Free Kindling

Commercial retail stores and warehouses use wooden pallets for a myriad of reasons. While many businesses reuse pallets, once damaged, or once their stock of pallets becomes too large, many are open to donating to local residents for firewood purposes. The size, shape, and portability of wooden pallets make them a perfect source for firewood, especially kindling. Just be sure to check they are pressure treated, rather than chemically treated. Most are these days, but it is better to check. A quick Google of the stamps on the pallets will tell you.

Ask Sawmills For Free Waste/Off Cuts

Many sawmills actively search for ways to reduce their overhead, which includes disposal costs associated with end cut removal. Contact your local saw mill and ask about pick up times for scrap lumber. While you’re there, don’t forget to pick up a bag or two of sawdust, which may be used as kindling. The sawmill got rid of some waste and you got some free firewood!

BONUS Section: How To MAKE Free And Virtually Unlimited Fuel To Heat Your Home

FREE fuel and unlimited fuel to heat your home – that’s quite a promise! It doesn’t actually promise to be a solution to provide ALL of the fuel to heat your home, but depending on the size of your home it probably could do just that… If you have a small house or cabin heated by a wood stove you could probably heat your house using just this method. For larger homes with a wood fire or stove, this would be an excellent addition to firewood which could possibly save you 50%, maybe more on your fuel costs.

You are obviously not going to be able to generate enough junk mail, cardboard and magazines etc to save a fortune (although still worth doing!), but if you ask friends, neighbors and family to save all their paper waste you’ll start to generate a significant amount of fuel material. You could also ask around local businesses for their waste paper too!

(Image from Tiny House Listings)

(Image from: Wikipedia)

How To Make Swedish Flour Paint: Natural, Durable & Cheap

Normal outdoor wood paint is expensive, an ecological nightmare (eco paints cost even more money!), they are toxic, harmful to nature/humans, take ages to dry and you have to use even more nasty chemicals to clean your brushes etc when you are done…

What if I told you there is a natural, healthy/eco-alternative that’s easy to clean, dries in an hour and that costs the equivalent of a few dollars a tin? It’s called flour paint, or Swedish Paint! Just mix the natural ingredients in a pan on the stove and in 30/40 minutes you’ll have an awesome natural rustic outdoor wood paint that will last for between 5-10 years depending on your location/weather etc. You are not restricted to red either, there is a whole load of natural earth pigments you can use to colour your paint. Find out more below.

It’s called flour paint, or Swedish Paint! Just mix the natural ingredients in a pan on the stove and in 30/40 minutes you’ll have an awesome natural rustic outdoor wood paint that will last for between 5-10 years depending on your location/weather etc. You are not restricted to red either, there is a whole load of natural earth pigments you can use to colour your paint. Find out more below.

Now, you might be concerned about the durability of an outdoor timber paint made from flour. You shouldn’t be, this paint originates from Scandinavia. They have used flour paint for 100s of years to paint their timber houses and outbuildings. If the paint can withstand Scandinavian weather, it’s going to withstand pretty much anything1

How To Make Flour Paint (This is a French site, so I have used Google Translate to make it easier to read!)

(Photo from: http://engelleben.free.fr )

Quickly Turn An Off-The-Shelf Carport Into A Barn (Or Even A Cabin?)

What a great idea! Purchase an off-the-shelf carport, assemble it, clad it with timber, add a door, and you have an awesome low-cost barn… You could cut costs even further by cladding with wood stripped from free wooden pallets. If you ask around local businesses, you can get an endless supply of free pallets. See our 160+ pallet tutorials post for more pallet projects and ideas.

What interests me about this the most though is not necessarily building a large barn as in the photo, but the opportunity to use a smaller carport to build a tool shed/workshop. In fact, come to think of it, you can pretty much build any single-story building by adapting one of these off-the-shelf carport kits.

In fact, I am sure you could build a low-cost cabin using this method, providing you insulated the ceiling and possibly the walls as well. It would appear fairly straightforward to cut and install additional windows and doors, so why not a cheap/quick/affordable cabin or single story house?

Anyway, I thought I would feature this great project from ‘Mulligan’s Run’, as it provides plenty of food for thought for affordable and very quick building. Check out how the barn was made here: Turn A Simple Carport Into An Awesome Barn

(Image from: Mulligan’s Run)

How To Get Rid Of Wasps: Includes A DIY Wasp Trap!

There’s nothing as terrifying – and painful – as finding yourself surrounded by the buzzing of wasps or hornets. If you’ve spent any time in your yard or enjoying the peaceful serenity of nature, you’ve likely had an encounter with these flying demons. Regardless of where you’ve had this encounter, the overwhelming desire to never have to deal with such creatures is universally strong.

Before learning how to get rid of wasps and hornets, it’s important to learn about these creatures. There are distinct differences between these two bugs. Understanding these differences can help set up effective and long-lasting remedies.

Wasps | A Basic Overview

The terms “wasps” and “hornets” can be quite confusing as they are often used interchangeably. However, a wasp is its own species of insect, which is strikingly different than hornets. Unlike bees, which survive on a diet of pollen or nectar, the majority of wasps live on a diet of other insects. Wasps are social creatures, and much like bees, live in a colony.

As winter gives way to spring, wasp colonies begin to flourish. A colony is started with a single queen wasp that survived the winter. Worker wasps build their nests out of paper, which they naturally produce by chewing on wood, cardboard or scraps of paper. In the beginning, a wasp colony is small. However, as summer progresses, the number of wasps rapidly develop. By the end of summer, a social wasp colony can be in the hundreds.

When fall approaches, only a handful of wasps remain. These typically include several fertile females, which are potential queens, and several males. As the temperatures turn cooler, colony is abandoned and the fertilized female wasps scatter in search of shelter. The remaining male wasps die with the cold weather.

Wasp Quick Facts

Wasps are typically smaller than hornets. These insects measure less than 1 inch.
The nests of wasps are both found suspended in the air or on the ground. It’s not uncommon for a nest to be built underground. In general, a single nest can hold anywhere from 100 to 5,000 individual worker wasps.
Wasps can range in color, which makes it difficult to suggest a single primary coloration.
Wasps prey on other insects. While some wasps may feed on pollen or nectar, they are not pollinators. They often scavenge for sweets and proteins.
Unlike popular belief, the average social wasp is not an extremely aggressive insect. This is quite different than yellow jackets, which are extremely aggressive. A social wasp is only likely to sting if it feels threatened. When compared to bees, which generally die after a sting, a wasp can sting multiple times without perishing.

Hornets | A Basic Overview

Hornets belong to the Vespa genus and closely resemble social wasps. Because of this, many confuse these two insects as being the same bug. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are over 20 different hornet species, which can be found throughout Europe, North America and Africa.

Much like wasps, hornets are social insects. They construct hives by chewing wood and transforming these shavings into a paper-like pulp. Hives flourish through a fertile queen hornet, who primarily gives birth to asexual female workers. There are very few male hornets. The few males born have a very specific job – mating with the queen. After their sexual task is completed, they die soon thereafter.

In the same vein as wasps, hornets thrive during the spring and summer months, only to die during winter. The majority of worker hornets do not survive the colder months; however, fertile queens survive by finding shelter under tree bark or sneaking into your home. As soon as winter gives way to spring, the fertile queen begins laying eggs and a new hive is born. Before the queen dies, she gives birth to several queen hornets and males. This ensures the next generation of hornets is healthy, strong and capable of building a new nest.

Worker hornets defend their hive with venom-filled stingers. Unlike yellowjackets, which are quite aggressive toward humans and animals, hornets only attack when they feel the nest is threatened.

Hornet Quick Facts

Hornets measure anywhere from 1 to 1.5-inches in length. They are typically larger than wasps and other stinging insects within the same genus.
The nests are constructed out of a paper-like pulp and are globular in shape. Nests are elevated above ground, such as in trees or along the gutters of a home. The colony size of a hornet nest is much smaller than wasps. The average hornet colony houses anywhere from 100 to 700 workers.
Hornets feature two distinct color variations. They are either black and white or feature a brownish-reddish color.
Hornets feed off other insects. They rarely go after pollen and typically don’t scavenge for sweets or proteins. This is why the majority of hornets are immune to general traps that use sweets.
If the nest is undisturbed, hornets are not likely to sting. However, if the nest is disturbed or the hive feels threatened, hornets can be extremely aggressive. A single hornet can sting an individual several times in a row, which leads to severe pain.
The venom in a hornet sting can lead to serious allergic reactions in some individuals. The quantity of stings sustained in an attack may result in life-threatening reactions to those sensitive to its venom.

How To Get Rid Of Wasps And Hornets

Wasp Trap | How To Get Rid Of Wasps Safely

Now that you have a more thorough understanding of these insects, how do you get rid of wasps? Of course, you have the option of hiring a professional pest management service, but these services are often very expensive and use harmful toxins to control wasp and hornet colonies. If you’re searching for a more natural way to eliminate these insects, you may want to look into homemade wasp traps.

By the time wasps or hornets become a concern, it’s likely because a colony has grown to exponential numbers. As a general rule of thumb, if the wasps aren’t causing a problem, such as a nest far away from social spots or areas of your yard where you and friends congregate, it’s best to leave the hive alone as it’ll disappear during the fall and winter months.

The most effective way to safely eliminate wasps and hornets from your property is to limit the number of potential nesting spots. Seal all openings in hollow tubing, such as the interior piping of children’s playground equipment. Of course, if you’re dealing with a large, active nest, you’re going to need more proactive measures.

While there are many insecticides on the market designed to kill wasps and hornets, these can fill your yard with poison. The toxins used in the majority of commercial insecticides are dangerous for the environment, pets and humans. Perhaps the most effective form of pest control is making a homemade wasp trap out of materials you likely have around the house.

Homemade Wasp Trap | Step-by-Step Instructions

The basic premise of this homemade wasp trap is quite simple. With a standard 2-liter soda bottle, wasps enter the bottle, get trapped and die. This is one of the most effective remedies to minimize the number of wasps; however, the only way to completely eliminate wasps is by removing their nest and killing their queen. This will be discussed in the next section.

Cutting the top of the soda bottle for the homemade wasp trap

Step-by-Step Directions for the Homemade Wasp Trap

Step One | Gather a 2-liter plastic soda bottle and cut the neck of the bottle around 4-inches below the bottle cap region.
Step Two | Remove the freshly cut neck and flip it upside down. Place it in the opening of the bottle you just cut.
Step Three | With packing or duct tape, tape these two pieces together. Make sure the tape is secure and there are no openings in the seams.
Step Four | Because wasps and hornets are attracted to protein, place several pieces of raw meat inside the bottle. While some suggest sugar water, this doesn’t always attract wasps. Rather, you’d likely collect an army of yellowjackets or other insects, such as honey bees..
Step Five | To prevent the wasps and hornets from climbing out of the bottle, coat the interior lining of the flipped portion of the bottle with petroleum jelly.
Step Six | Hang the wasp trap by attaching it to a string and place it away from where you and your family gather. A great spot is along the perimeter of your yard.
Step Seven | Once the bottle is full, which may take several days, pour boiling water into the bottle to ensure all the wasps are dead. Dispose of the bottle in an outdoor trashcan and replace with a new wasp trap.

Homemade wasp trap! Made in 2 Minutes!

Natural Wasp Nest Killer

Exercise extreme caution when messing with nests! Make sure children, pets and neighbours are out of harms way. If you’re unsure, you may want to consider a pest control company to destroy the nest safely.

As mentioned earlier, the only way to truly eliminate these pests is to kill the nest and all its inhabitants. Up until recently, the majority of products contained harmful poisons to accomplish this goal. However, there is a new product capable of safely eliminating wasp nests without the use of harsh ingredients.

EcoSMART Organic Wasp and Hornet Killer utilizes natural plant and tree extracts to safely and effectively kill nests and colonies. When used with the aforementioned homemade wasp trap, this is one of the most effective ways to keep these pests at bay.

When using this product, it’s important to keep safety in mind. You never want to try and kill a nest while standing close to it. Wasps and hornets get quite agitated when their nest is disturbed. So you only want to use a product with far-reaching jet spray. This product features an 18-foot spray, which allows you to be close enough for an accurate reach, but far away enough to prevent being stung. Locate the wasp or hornet spray.

Stand 15 to 18-feet away and thoroughly spray the nest with this product. Try to completely saturate the nest, but if the wasps come out and begin making their way toward you, immediately seek shelter and repeat at a later time. It’s best to do this in the early morning hours when the entire hive has returned from its day of seeking food and supplies. Repeat if the hive is not completely destroyed.

Wasp and Hornet Prevention | Keep the Insects Away

One of the most effective natural prevention methods is also one of the least understood. Homeowners and insect research alike aren’t sure why it works, but as millions will attest, it’s incredibly effective – and easy.

To prevent wasps, hornets and other insects from infiltrating your home or yard, simply fill a clear, sealable plastic bag with water and place 3 to 5 coins in it. Seal the bag and hand along the perimeter of your home and yard. Instantly, wasps, hornets and other flying insects will immediately leave your property.

While it’s not known exactly why this works, the most commonly accepted hypothesis is these creatures feel threatened by the hanging bag of water. They may believe that it’s another hive. The majority of wasps and hornets do not wish to nest near a competing hive. Therefore, they’ll leave your property and seek shelter in another location.

If you’re looking for a professional visual deterrent, then you may be interested in the Get Lost Wasp Deterrent. This preventative measure looks like a common wasp hive. It works by activating the natural territorial behavior of wasps. According to the manufacturer, it prevents wasps and hornets from building a hive within 200 feet of its location. Hang this product underneath decks, eaves or in tree canopies.

It’s suggested to hang several throughout your property to keep it completely free from wasp and hornet colonies. When combined with the water bag method, you can expect zero wasp or hornet nests. This is, by far, the most environmentally-friendly method of keeping these insects away. The goal is to not kill off these insects, but rather, prevent them from entering your space.

(Images from: slgckgc)

How To Reuse Old Car/Truck Batteries To Power Your Home

Car and truck batteries need to provide 100s of amps to get an engine started. An old car/truck battery might no longer have the power left to start a high drain engine, but it will probably still be capable of providing 100+ of watts of power, which can keep the lights on and power small devices.

You can use old car/truck batteries together with solar chargers to provide off-grid electricity. The solar chargers top up the batteries each day. An old car battery can easily provide 100 watts of electricity for several hours at a time. If your energy demands are higher, use two or more batteries.

The best part of all this is you can get old car batteries for zero cost. Garages are replacing car, van and truck batteries daily. They have to pay to recycle/dispose of these old batteries. If you ask, they should be happy to give you several batteries for free. Alternatively, old car batteries are often dropped off at household waste and recycling centres. If you swing by you will probably be able to get more than enough old batteries.

Check out the video below, explaining about using an old car battery with a solar charger to provide off-grid electricity.

How To Make A DIY Soup Can Forge

We have done several posts about making your own knives, arrowheads and other small tools over the years, but the main stumbling block preventing most folks having a go is that the tutorials usually require a blacksmiths forge to heat, shape and harden the steel.

Building or buying a full-sized blacksmiths forge is beyond most people, however, how about building a small DIY forge from a soup can or similar? I think most people interested in kife making could manage that, especially as this soup can forge is simple to make and costs very little to build. A DIY soup can forge like the one in the video tutorial above would be perfect for those interested in making and forging their own knives or arrowheads etc.

Watch the video below to see how to build this simple soup can forge. I guess if you wanted to make larger tools such as axe heads, you could just use a larger can or a paint tin and make a larger forge in the same manner.

(Image from: LifeBuzzN)

How To Get Power From A Phone Line In An Emergency

Firstly – please note the words ‘In An Emergency’. This works but it could get you in trouble if you abuse the technique. This post isn’t about showing you how to power and charge your USB devices via the phone line for free. This cable set-up should only be made for use in the event of a SHTF emergency scenario.

The information is provided for use in an emergency. For example the power may be out and you need to charge your phone so you can head out in a disaster. Alternatively the power may be out in a SHTF scenario, but if there is still power running through the phone line, you could get one last charge on your phone, which could maintain communication for another day or two and make a huge difference…

I am not sure about this, but there may still be power running through your home phone line, even if the phone is disconnected. You would have to check to be sure though.

It is pretty cheap and easy to make up the cable used in the video above. It might be worth making one up now and storing it with your emergency supplies, as it may come in handy one day. It is simply not worth doing this daily and abusing the free power – the trouble you could get in is way out of proportion to any benefits gained.

(Photo from: DIYHacksAndHowTos via Instructables)

How To Open A Locked Padlock With A Soda/Beer Can

There are many emergency and survival scenarios where you may need to get past a locked padlock, but you don’t have the key. To be honest, there are also many non-emergency times you may want to open a locked padlock too. For example, I once lost the key to the padlock that secures one of our sheds. It wasn’t an emergency, but I wanted to get in without damaging the door of the frame.

There are obviously ways around smaller padlocks – smashing/hacksawing them etc, but in a SHTF scenario these can attract unwanted attention and might not be successful on larger padlocks anyway. Below is an excellent way to hack a soda can to make a tool which can be used to pop open a locked padlock. The video below shows how to make the shim tool and how to open the two most common types of padlocks using it.

This technique of opening padlocks has been around online for years. It is not new knowledge, but if you are now concerned about the security of gates and buildings you have padlocked, read on, and find out how to make your padlocks shim proof so they cannot be opened with the above method in the video.

How To Secure A Padlock With A Soda Can (To make it shim-proof)

When we posted the video above showing how to make a shim from a soda/beer can, LOTs of people complained… They said we were showing folks how to access and steal their goods. With this in mind I searched around to see if there was a method to make padlocks shim-proof. Guess what? There is! And it uses soda/beer cans too.

In a similar way to the original – where you make a small tool (shim) out of the can to pop open the padlock, this time you are making a small insert tool from a can which when used correctly, will stop a shim from working and being able to open the padlock. There we go, the balance of power has been restored!

By the way – you can use any beer or soda can!