During 2020, I spent a good amount of time (during the hours that I should have been sleeping) designing new DIY projects.  In order to complete these complex projects, I need new tools.  My first investment was in a DEWALT Metal Cutting Saw (DW872) with an after-market base.  Some of my metal projects require stainless steel bolts; but, some projects require the liquefaction of metal via electricity to form joints.  Hence, my second investment was a welder and welding equipment.

After reviewing and comparing several welders, I selected the Eastwood MIG 135 because it can weld up to 1/4″ thick steel via flux core on standard 110V electricity.  The welder also comes with a gas regulator to weld up to 3/16″ thick steel via solid MIG wire on standard 110V electricity.  Unlike other welders in this category and price range, the Eastwood MIG 135 can also weld aluminum via spool gun.

The most essential equipment for welding is safety gear.  I chose the Eastwood Panoramic View True Color welding helmet.  The auto-darkening, the large 180 degree view, and the viewing clarity is amazing!  You have to be able to see your liquified puddle of metal to make a proper weld.  I also got a pair of welding gloves, a pair of MIG Welding Pliers, and a flame resistant and anti-static welding jacket.

The Eastwood MIG 135 comes with a MIG wire tip and Flux Core wire tip.  These are great to get started; but, it’s best to have replacements available before you need them.  Hence, I ordered a consumables kit.

The Eastwood MIG 135 also comes with a spool of solid MIG wire.  I am planning to weld via flux core, hence I ordered flux core wire and a can of anti-spatter spray to make the post-weld clean up easy.

I have tested my new welding equipment on scrap iron to become comfortable and confident in my equipment and with welding.  The equipment has exceeded my expectations.  In fact, the Eastwood MIG 135 makes welding easy!  Check out Eastwood’s great videos on welding and how to setup the Eastwood MIG 135.

As an all species, all methods angler, I have a lot of leaders.  I have used several different leader wallets.  They work well in my garage.  But!  When I fishing, they get dirty quick.  Cleaning them takes more time than making new leaders.  I hence now use a simple storage solution that works well off, on, and in the water.

I tie all my leaders when I am on terra firma between my trips.  I store each leader in a ZipLock Snack bag.  For Saltwater fishing, for example, I use 40 lb, 60 lb, and 80 lb monofilmaent line for my leaders.  I make them in pink, green, and clear, respectively.  This allows me to quickly know the strength of the line.

I group my leaders by species, strength, and type in a ZipLock Freezer Quart bag.  A ZipLock Freezer Quart bag with ZipLock Snack
bags containing leaders is my Leader Wallet. 🙂

This simple storage solution has a small footprint and provides optimal organization.  But!  Most importantly, this simple storage solution $aves me money and time.  Time is fish!

During 2020, I spent a good amount of time (during the hours that I should have been sleeping) designing new DIY projects. In order to complete these complex projects, I needed to invest in a metal cutting saw. After much research, I decided to go with the the DEWALT Metal Cutting Saw (DW872). Even though the saw comes with a 14″ metal cutting blade, I purchased a back up blade (DWA7747) so that I can continue my project without interruption, if the blade burns out.

The stock base of the DEWALT Metal Cutting Saw (DW872) is solid. However, since I will be working with long metal stock that I need to cut at 90 and 45 degree angles accurately and safely, I purchased an after-market saw base from John Saunders Machine Works. I have already put this set up use on a DIY project. OMG! The base, the 45 Degree Jig, the Clamp Adapter for DeWalt Fixture Plate, and the Sliding Arm Clamp are all worth their weight in salt!!!