#toolmaking — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #toolmaking, aggregated by home.social.
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@stepheneb @RuthMalan @ewen Maybe it's a good moment to bring out some classic quotes again:
"We make our tools and then they shape us."
(not giving attribution because I've seen far too many conflicting sources for it)"The limits of my language means the limits of my world."
— Ludwig WittgensteinAlso this one:
"You don't need tools. You need techniques."
(here I actually don't know the source)All of them, but especially the latter two, have been very influential on my tool-building journey and design philosophy in general. Tools are concrete instantiations of concepts, techniques, but techniques themselves are much more important, more transferable and more valuable to learn, to adopt and to internalize.
Tools are replaceable, or at least they should be.
In almost every other field of human endeavor, tools have mostly been replaceable and skills learned (aka techniques) are directly transferable. Only when it comes to software have we changed this behavior to fully bind large parts of our problem solving skills & approaches, and in many cases, our entire livelihoods, to a handful of increasingly monopolistic tool vendors, whose only interest is to extract value, bind us to their tooling, their platforms and their network effects.
I've seen this in all parts of the creative and tech industries: Help and condition people to become a power users/operators (or "thought leaders") in these insular systems, support and entice them with a few extra morsels thrown here and there to select people (e.g. sponsorship deals), dangle career opportunities, invitations to conferences/events where they sing praise to the platform lords and opportunities. In the end, this "community engagement" is all a form of marketing for these providers, platform-based nepotism, connections, revolving doors, more than about the actual work produced or transferable skills obtained.
For the longest time, I found this behavior especially predominant and so very alienating in the "creative industries", which just seemingly can't get enough of this model! Rather than investing time & effort into helping shape and co-create ownable tools and transferrable techniques themselves, to experiment and create with techniques "outside the box", for the longest time the de-facto behavior has always been to become a "company man"-type person/expert.
Narrow field experts, consultants and "platform wars" everywhere, for as long as I can remember: AtariXL vs. C64, ST vs Amiga, Flash vs. Director, Cubase vs Protools vs Ableton, Adobe vs Affinity, Houdini vs. Alias vs. Blender, Light Room vs. Dark Table, Processing vs. OpenFrameworks vs. Cinder, React vs Angular vs. Vue, C vs Rust vs Zig etc.
In some sense it doesn't even matter if these are closed or open source platforms/providers. Entire disciplines/sectors are tied up in monolithic & monopolistic tools and the streamlined visions/philosophies of their purveyors.
Every creative idea and solution is mostly approached & judged through the lenses of these tools and their capabilities. For many even only unconsciously so. Auto-pilot mode engaged.
Almost every one of these discipline-defining tools has turned into super complex bloatware, deemed necessary to establish and maintain monopoly status, cover all bases. And even though these tools have become so huge and do afford a vast spectrum of creative expressions, I've been finding it extremely disturbing and alienating that, as a social group, especially "creative" professionals are exhibiting such strong consumerist behaviors and just aren't more interested in questioning and shaping these workflows, these tools and possibilities/options themselves, seemingly unaware (or uncaring) about that second part of the first quote above:
"...and then they shape us"
#ToolMaking #Creativity #Tech #Monopolies #Platform #Behavior #Quote
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Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal?
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-clovis-toolmakers-difficult-quartz-crystal.html
#HackerNews #ClovisTools #QuartzCrystal #Archaeology #AncientTechnology #Toolmaking
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Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal?
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-clovis-toolmakers-difficult-quartz-crystal.html
#HackerNews #ClovisTools #QuartzCrystal #Archaeology #AncientTechnology #Toolmaking
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Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal?
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-clovis-toolmakers-difficult-quartz-crystal.html
#HackerNews #ClovisTools #QuartzCrystal #Archaeology #AncientTechnology #Toolmaking
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Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal?
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-clovis-toolmakers-difficult-quartz-crystal.html
#HackerNews #ClovisTools #QuartzCrystal #Archaeology #AncientTechnology #Toolmaking
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Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal?
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-clovis-toolmakers-difficult-quartz-crystal.html
#HackerNews #ClovisTools #QuartzCrystal #Archaeology #AncientTechnology #Toolmaking
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Made a thing I saw some Youtuber use. Its as useful as it looked, and easy to make.
Couple bits cut off a rusty rod, cleaned up and welded together as letter "h" and voila, a webbing winder for use with a battery drill.
Instead of a tangled mess in a bucket, I've got my cargo straps ready for next use in record time. Should also work with the firehose, but I haven't tried that yet.
If you're making one, two tips:
1. The short leg should be terminating before the long leg reaches the bottom so it can be used against a flat surface. About 5-10mm shorter.
2. The legs should be slightly narrower at the bottom than at the top, to make it easy pulling the tool out of a tight roll when done.
#Tools #Toolmaking #Welding #DIY #Webbing #Winder #Homestead #CargoStrap
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Made a thing I saw some Youtuber use. Its as useful as it looked, and easy to make.
Couple bits cut off a rusty rod, cleaned up and welded together as letter "h" and voila, a webbing winder for use with a battery drill.
Instead of a tangled mess in a bucket, I've got my cargo straps ready for next use in record time. Should also work with the firehose, but I haven't tried that yet.
If you're making one, two tips:
1. The short leg should be terminating before the long leg reaches the bottom so it can be used against a flat surface. About 5-10mm shorter.
2. The legs should be slightly narrower at the bottom than at the top, to make it easy pulling the tool out of a tight roll when done.
#Tools #Toolmaking #Welding #DIY #Webbing #Winder #Homestead #CargoStrap
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Made a thing I saw some Youtuber use. Its as useful as it looked, and easy to make.
Couple bits cut off a rusty rod, cleaned up and welded together as letter "h" and voila, a webbing winder for use with a battery drill.
Instead of a tangled mess in a bucket, I've got my cargo straps ready for next use in record time. Should also work with the firehose, but I haven't tried that yet.
If you're making one, two tips:
1. The short leg should be terminating before the long leg reaches the bottom so it can be used against a flat surface. About 5-10mm shorter.
2. The legs should be slightly narrower at the bottom than at the top, to make it easy pulling the tool out of a tight roll when done.
#Tools #Toolmaking #Welding #DIY #Webbing #Winder #Homestead #CargoStrap
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Made a thing I saw some Youtuber use. Its as useful as it looked, and easy to make.
Couple bits cut off a rusty rod, cleaned up and welded together as letter "h" and voila, a webbing winder for use with a battery drill.
Instead of a tangled mess in a bucket, I've got my cargo straps ready for next use in record time. Should also work with the firehose, but I haven't tried that yet.
If you're making one, two tips:
1. The short leg should be terminating before the long leg reaches the bottom so it can be used against a flat surface. About 5-10mm shorter.
2. The legs should be slightly narrower at the bottom than at the top, to make it easy pulling the tool out of a tight roll when done.
#Tools #Toolmaking #Welding #DIY #Webbing #Winder #Homestead #CargoStrap
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Made a thing I saw some Youtuber use. Its as useful as it looked, and easy to make.
Couple bits cut off a rusty rod, cleaned up and welded together as letter "h" and voila, a webbing winder for use with a battery drill.
Instead of a tangled mess in a bucket, I've got my cargo straps ready for next use in record time. Should also work with the firehose, but I haven't tried that yet.
If you're making one, two tips:
1. The short leg should be terminating before the long leg reaches the bottom so it can be used against a flat surface. About 5-10mm shorter.
2. The legs should be slightly narrower at the bottom than at the top, to make it easy pulling the tool out of a tight roll when done.
#Tools #Toolmaking #Welding #DIY #Webbing #Winder #Homestead #CargoStrap
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FOSS, single-file, vanilla, save with CTRL + S. This is designed to make single file webpages/programs in absolute position or VW. The keyboard is like Vi. 20 levels per project. #OpenSource #FOSS #IndieDev #ShowAndTell #Maker #HackerCulture #KeyboardShortcuts #ToolMaking #SelfHosted #WebDev #CodingLife #SoftwareEngineering #DIY #DevLife #WebTool
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FOSS, single-file, vanilla, save with CTRL + S. This is designed to make single file webpages/programs in absolute position or VW. The keyboard is like Vi. 20 levels per project. #OpenSource #FOSS #IndieDev #ShowAndTell #Maker #HackerCulture #KeyboardShortcuts #ToolMaking #SelfHosted #WebDev #CodingLife #SoftwareEngineering #DIY #DevLife #WebTool
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FOSS, single-file, vanilla, save with CTRL + S. This is designed to make single file webpages/programs in absolute position or VW. The keyboard is like Vi. 20 levels per project. #Maker #Creative #DIY #ShowAndTell #OpenSource #FOSS #CreativeToots #DigitalArt #IndieDev #BuildInPublic #ToolMaking #HackerCulture #WebTools #AppDesign #UserInterface
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Cameron Koczon how Fictive Kin’s product development starts with “a Seinfeld” - an app that does nothing - and ends with a polished core experience.
📻 Tune in: https://interfacecafe.com/designing-tools-cameron-koczon/
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Cameron Koczon how Fictive Kin’s product development starts with “a Seinfeld” - an app that does nothing - and ends with a polished core experience.
📻 Tune in: https://interfacecafe.com/designing-tools-cameron-koczon/
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Cameron Koczon how Fictive Kin’s product development starts with “a Seinfeld” - an app that does nothing - and ends with a polished core experience.
📻 Tune in: https://interfacecafe.com/designing-tools-cameron-koczon/
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Cameron Koczon how Fictive Kin’s product development starts with “a Seinfeld” - an app that does nothing - and ends with a polished core experience.
📻 Tune in: https://interfacecafe.com/designing-tools-cameron-koczon/
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Cameron Koczon how Fictive Kin’s product development starts with “a Seinfeld” - an app that does nothing - and ends with a polished core experience.
📻 Tune in: https://interfacecafe.com/designing-tools-cameron-koczon/
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https://www.europesays.com/ie/307033/ China’s Xigou Site Yields Evidence of Advanced Stone Tool Technology #Asia #China #EastAsia #Éire #Henan #Hominin #Homo #HomoJuluensis #HomoLongi #HomoSapiens #Human #IE #Ireland #MiddlePleistocene #Pleistocene #Science #StoneTool #ToolMaking #ToolUse #Xigou
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China’s Xigou Site Yields Evidence of Advanced Stone Tool Technology
Technological innovations in Africa and Western Europe in the later part of the Middle Pleistocene signal the behavioral…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #Asia #China #EastAsia #Henan #hominin #Homo #Homojuluensis #Homolongi #Homosapiens #human #MiddlePleistocene #Pleistocene #science #Stonetool #technology #Toolmaking #Tooluse #unitedstatesofamerica #Xigou
https://www.europesays.com/2735936/ -
China’s Xigou Site Yields Evidence of Advanced Stone Tool Technology https://www.byteseu.com/1751268/ #ASIA #China #EastAsia #Henan #Hominin #Homo #HomoJuluensis #HomoLongi #HomoSapiens #human #MiddlePleistocene #Pleistocene #StoneTool #Technology #ToolMaking #ToolUse #Xigou
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Why do monkeys waste time on frivolous activities rather than cooperate to make tools and build industries?
#monkeys #primates #animals #animalbehavior #toolmaking #industry #zoology #timemanagement #animalintelligence #monkeyintelligence #animalpsychology #socialbehavior #wastingtime -
Why do monkeys waste time on frivolous activities rather than cooperate to make tools and build industries?
#monkeys #primates #animals #animalbehavior #toolmaking #industry #zoology #timemanagement #animalintelligence #monkeyintelligence #animalpsychology #socialbehavior #wastingtime -
Why do monkeys waste time on frivolous activities rather than cooperate to make tools and build industries?
#monkeys #primates #animals #animalbehavior #toolmaking #industry #zoology #timemanagement #animalintelligence #monkeyintelligence #animalpsychology #socialbehavior #wastingtime -
Why do monkeys waste time on frivolous activities rather than cooperate to make tools and build industries?
#monkeys #primates #animals #animalbehavior #toolmaking #industry #zoology #timemanagement #animalintelligence #monkeyintelligence #animalpsychology #socialbehavior #wastingtime -
Building a Shifting Ratchet Wrench - Convenient though they may be, [Trevor Faber] found some serious shortcomings in ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/08/30/building-a-shifting-ratchet-wrench/ #adjustablewrench #ratcheting #toolmaking #toolhacks #ratchet #wrench
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Building a Shifting Ratchet Wrench - Convenient though they may be, [Trevor Faber] found some serious shortcomings in ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/08/30/building-a-shifting-ratchet-wrench/ #adjustablewrench #ratcheting #toolmaking #toolhacks #ratchet #wrench
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Building a Shifting Ratchet Wrench - Convenient though they may be, [Trevor Faber] found some serious shortcomings in ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/08/30/building-a-shifting-ratchet-wrench/ #adjustablewrench #ratcheting #toolmaking #toolhacks #ratchet #wrench
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Building a Shifting Ratchet Wrench - Convenient though they may be, [Trevor Faber] found some serious shortcomings in ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/08/30/building-a-shifting-ratchet-wrench/ #adjustablewrench #ratcheting #toolmaking #toolhacks #ratchet #wrench
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Building a Shifting Ratchet Wrench - Convenient though they may be, [Trevor Faber] found some serious shortcomings in ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/08/30/building-a-shifting-ratchet-wrench/ #adjustablewrench #ratcheting #toolmaking #toolhacks #ratchet #wrench
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Herb chopper make from scrounged up steel the blade is made out of some old cultivator tine
And the handles are made out of some hickory tool handle scraps
There’s something deeply satisfying about turning discarded materials into something useful again.
One of my favourite parts of forging is foraging.#blacksmithing #reclaimedmaterials #handmadetools #upcycleddesign #herbchopper #toolmaking #scrapmatalart
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Adjustable Allen Key After All These Years - The Allen key turns 115 this year. It’s strange to believe that in all that time, ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/08/18/adjustable-allen-key-after-all-these-years/ #manualmachining #toolmaking #toolhacks #allenkey
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Adjustable Allen Key After All These Years https://hackaday.com/2025/08/18/adjustable-allen-key-after-all-these-years/ #manualmachining #toolmaking #ToolHacks #allenkey
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Finally completed this project. Been working on it far far far far far far far too long. It's a bluing tray based on the design by clickspring. (Search YouTube for Clicksprings video for a better idea what it's for).
The cup is my first ever go at silver soldering, and it ain't pretty. But it's gonna spend it's life being shoved into a blow torch flame, so never would stay pretty. The handle is made of ash. With a brass ferrel.
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First proper go at wood turning in over two decades. I had to make two as I made the hole in the near side handle too big the first time. They are almost but not quite identical.
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I received a lot of positive feedback about Danny Stutz and my talk at #PSHSummit25 about our experience building an internal #PowerShell and #Toolmaking community at West Monroe.
I was shocked by how many hands were raised with questions at the end of our talk! We were tight on time, so if we didn't get to you, find us in the hallway, at a meal, or in the hotel lobby, and we can chat some more!
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Chimpanzees act as 'engineers', choosing materials to make tools
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250324142002.htm
#HackerNews #Chimpanzees #engineers #toolmaking #animalbehavior #chimpanzees #scientificresearch
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Axe to grind: #toolmaking father and daughter revive lost #Sheffield tradition
Tired of cheap, poor-quality tools, Robin and JoJo Wood decided to resurrect the craft – with orders now coming from around the world
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/02/axe-to-grind-toolmaking-father-and-daughter-revive-lost-sheffield-tradition -
I received a lot of positive feedback about Danny Stutz and my talk at #PSHSummit25 about our experience building an internal #PowerShell and #Toolmaking community at West Monroe.
I was shocked by how many hands were raised with questions at the end of our talk! We were tight on time, so if we didn't get to you, find us in the hallway, at a meal, or in the hotel lobby, and we can chat some more!
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I received a lot of positive feedback about Danny Stutz and my talk at #PSHSummit25 about our experience building an internal #PowerShell and #Toolmaking community at West Monroe.
I was shocked by how many hands were raised with questions at the end of our talk! We were tight on time, so if we didn't get to you, find us in the hallway, at a meal, or in the hotel lobby, and we can chat some more!
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I received a lot of positive feedback about Danny Stutz and my talk at #PSHSummit25 about our experience building an internal #PowerShell and #Toolmaking community at West Monroe.
I was shocked by how many hands were raised with questions at the end of our talk! We were tight on time, so if we didn't get to you, find us in the hallway, at a meal, or in the hotel lobby, and we can chat some more!
-
I received a lot of positive feedback about Danny Stutz and my talk at #PSHSummit25 about our experience building an internal #PowerShell and #Toolmaking community at West Monroe.
I was shocked by how many hands were raised with questions at the end of our talk! We were tight on time, so if we didn't get to you, find us in the hallway, at a meal, or in the hotel lobby, and we can chat some more!
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A 10-inch-long handaxe from 300,000 years ago was found at an Ice Age site, revealing early human mastery over materials and tool-making. The discovery raises questions about knowledge transfer and social interactions among early humans, and highlights their resourcefulness in adapting to harsh conditions. This handaxe is a tangible link to our ancient ancestors' resilience and creativity.
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I have decided to start blogging a bit more about some of the other things I get up to. I have diverse interests, but maybe some of this could be of interest to a subset of music fans who share some of them…? Let me know what you think, and what sorts of topics you’re interested in. (Besides making music, I’m a modular synthesizer maker, a jeweller, a visual artist, and lots more!)
#VintageSinger #Sewing #restoration #repair #ToolMaking #MetalWork
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A 10-inch-long handaxe from 300,000 years ago was found at an Ice Age site, revealing early human mastery over materials and tool-making. The discovery raises questions about knowledge transfer and social interactions among early humans, and highlights their resourcefulness in adapting to harsh conditions. This handaxe is a tangible link to our ancient ancestors' resilience and creativity.
