The story starts about ten years ago on a photoshoot. Another photographer was managing all his cable runs with these little bungees from ThinkTank called Red Whips. Basically, short pieces of shock cord with a cord lock… simple, clever, and stupidly useful. I stole the idea immediately.

But after a while, I noticed two problems. One, Red Whips are just too big. Great for extension cords, but as soon as you step down to something like a USB cable, the bulk becomes a pain in the ass. And two, they only come in red. How the hell is an obsessive organizer supposed to build a system with one color? That’s chaos.

So I set out to make my own. Should’ve been easy… buy some shock cord, buy some cord locks, done. Nope. Lots of shock cord loses elasticity after only a few weeks and plenty of cord locks don’t grip worth a damn right out of the box. It took months to find the right combination.

Here’s the cheat code: 2.5mm shock cord. Not 2mm. Not 3mm. 2.5mm. The best I’ve found comes from Paracord Planet – it stays elastic for years. Then pair it with these specific miniature cord locks from Zpacks. They’re meant for tents, but they’re perfect for doubled-up 2.5mm cord and built to survive harsh environments.

Once I had the right materials, it was game over. I made a handful… then a dozen… then 40. They’re everywhere now – shop, camera bags, travel kits, glove box, around my wrist. I even used one just the other day as a makeshift hair tie for my daughter during a volleyball game.

But mostly, they’re for cable management. I color-code mine: red for USB-C, blue for power, yellow for mics, and so on. The more you use them, the more uses you find. That cable slapping around on your shop lamp? Tie it down. Power cord sliding down your Festool hose sleeve again? Tie it down and get on with your life.

Even if this sounds pointless, make a few and try them. I’d bet money you end up using them more than you ever expected.

To see how I put these together, check out this video.

To see how I assembled the ”Packout Work Bench,” peep this.

The pull of flathead glory is real, and it’s making me about as productive as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.

So in the spirit of multitasking and half-assing, I slapped together a quick and dirty video about a case I built for storing Stromberg 97 jets. It’s barely produced, probably riddled with mistakes, but it let me touch the car today—so I’m calling it a win.

Watch it, don’t watch it. I’ll see ya on the other side.

So I pretended my brother’s hot rod shop was making coils back in 1951, imagined how one might look, and then drew it up. Twenty minutes later and the Hellfire Ignition Coil was born.

Anyway, here are the details:

But woodworking has always been more of a hobby for me—a way to unwind. My real passion lives in the garage, buried under layers of grease and history: traditional hot rods and early Porsche race cars. And while the BF/MFT often pulls double duty as a mechanic’s bench, I started to feel the need for something smaller. Something more nimble. Something I could roll right up to the car without it getting in the way.

So I built one.

I call it the Atomic S/MC—short for Small Mechanics Cart. I filmed the entire build process, but as I started editing the footage, it became clear it was basically a mini version of the BF/MFT build. Rather than repeat myself, I figured I’d focus on what makes this thing different.

It starts with size. The S/MC measures 36 inches wide by 17 inches deep, and stands 35 3/16 inches tall—same height as the BF/MFT. I landed on those dimensions after a year of testing a rough prototype. I needed something narrow enough to fit between open doors and quarter panels, but still long enough to offer real working space. The result is something surprisingly versatile. It fits where I need it to go, but never feels cramped.

And yeah—I got a little carried away with the casters. They’re 4-inch units scavenged from a hospital gurney, chosen because they roll over power cords and air lines like they’re not even there. Zero friction, zero frustration.

The drawers mimic those in the BF/MFT, but they’re outfitted for quick access—just the tools I constantly need, plus a few dedicated accessories. One of the stars of the system is Gridfinity. If you’re not familiar, it’s a modular bin system that uses a gridded base to keep things organized. I use it for all the little stuff—nuts, bolts, washers—and also for organizing smaller tools. I’m still sorting out what deserves a permanent home in the cart, but honestly, that’s half the fun.

You’ll notice one drawer slot is missing. That’s where I built in a power center, anchored by a Milwaukee M18 inverter. I relocated the battery to the side panel with a 3D-printed bracket, so now power runs from the battery, through the inverter, and out to a handful of outlets and USB-C ports around the bench. That powers everything from my iPad to a task light—more on that in a second.

Why a powered cart? Easy. I wanted to be able to use things like my soldering iron without dragging extension cords across the shop. Also, I had a nice piece of aluminum plate collecting dust and needed an excuse to use it. A few printed grommets, a hacked extension cord, and suddenly I had something that looked way more polished than it had any right to be. And it works—so far I haven’t drained a single HD12.0 battery in less than a full day.

Originally, I envisioned the bench with a ½” aluminum top. That didn’t happen—aluminum prices exploded halfway through the project. Instead, a friend-of-a-friend who runs a skateboard factory handed me a sheet of ½” hickory, easily the hardest plywood I’ve ever dealt with. I laminated that to ¾” birch, CNC’d it to fit, and now I’ve got a vacuum-fit 1.25” thick top with a clean ½” lip around the edge. It wasn’t what I planned, but it’s worked out beautifully. One day I might still go aluminum, but for now? No complaints.

Now for the extras.

Because I spend a lot of time working on old Porsches and referencing service manuals, I added an iPad mount. I couldn’t afford the paper versions, so PDFs have become my go-to. The mount itself is just a modified aluminum desktop stand, bolted to the 80/20 frame. Simple. Super functional.

Lighting? That’s handled by a repurposed aluminum mic stand. It already had a ¼-20 thread on the end, so I attached a USB-C powered video light. The setup lets me position the light exactly where I need it and adjust both the brightness and color temperature. It has its own internal battery, but when that runs low, the M18 system charges it right back up.

And then there’s the vise—a gift from a Garage Journal user. It’s a very early Versa Vise. It needs a full restoration, but even in its current state, it’s fantastic. Lightweight, fully adjustable, and perfect as a third hand. When I don’t need it, it pops off its mount and slides neatly into one of the drawers.

Actually, everything on the bench stows away. That was intentional. Since the S/MC matches the height of the BF/MFT, I can use it as an extension when I need to. But more importantly, I wanted the option to roll it out of the way entirely. When I’m done, the cart slides under a bench and disappears. No clutter. No footprint.

So yeah—that’s the Atomic S/MC. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now, and it’s been exactly what I hoped for. Completely unnecessary… and absolutely worth it. If you’re curious about the details or want plans, just reach out… I’m working on putting together a package with all of my .STL files as well as some plans. In the meantime, here’s a quick rundown of the parts I used:

Extruded Aluminum: I used Parco Inc this time. 40-series. They were affordable and even did all the machining for me… Saved me a ton of time.

iPad Stand: Cheap and shitty… I cut off a part of the base, drilled some holes and mounted it to the side extrusion of the bench. The one I used is no longer available, but this one is similar.

Mic Stand: This is what I used to mount the light. Again, it was surplus in my lab… But it’s made well and infinitely adjustable.

Light: I’ve owned this unit for years and have used it quite a bit. Fantastic light for all sorts of purposes… Plus, it’s tiny and absurdly light.

Milwaukee M18 Inverter: Got mine here. These are pretty great…

VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO: Justin Blevins for all of the help with the M18 inverter STLs. You can find his work here.

***

And that’s about all I can think of at the moment as far as parts go… If you have any questions, just fire away and I’ll add to the list if anything else comes up.

Also, if you build one of these – I wanna know about it!

Now, let’s talk about my Rivian. It’s got an onboard compressor—cool, right? But here’s the rub: I’ve barely touched it. Why? The damn hose. It’s stashed away in a bag that lives in one of the gear tunnel doors, and every time I want to use the compressor, I have to fish out this bag and wrestle with the hose. It’s not a huge deal, but stuffing that hose back into its tight little bag is such a royal pain in the ass that I usually don’t even bother.

So, I thought one of these nifty reels might just be the ticket. But this wasn’t just about convenience—I wanted to dive into a project where I handled the design from my lab, while all the fabrication was outsourced to third-party shops. While this idea was percolating, I stumbled across a post on the Rivian Forums. Some guy had mounted his own Compact Reel System to his gear guard ports. I reached out, got the files, and then tweaked them to fit my own needs.

Next step? I sent the “sheet metal” parts off to Send-Cut-Send for cutting, bending, and anodizing. The machined parts went to PCBway for the same treatment. Once everything arrived, it was time to test my measuring and modeling chops—would it all fit together?

To my surprise, it did. The system came together like a charm. Will this lead to me using the compressor more often? Who knows. But that wasn’t really the point. The point was to experiment with this hands-off approach to fabrication—me as the mastermind, them as the muscle.

So, what’s the verdict?

Send-Cut-Send? They’ve never let me down. Their cuts are precise, and the finish is top-notch. This time was no different, and I can’t recommend them enough. PCBway? A pleasant surprise. They took my files, machined the aluminum, and slapped on a sweet anodized finish—all in under two weeks.

In the end, it’s not the same as sweating it out in the shop, making stuff with my own two hands. But there’s still a sense of pride in what I created, and the process was fun—just not quite as fun as doing it all myself.

Continuing education, my friends…

So, if you’ve got the nerve and a penchant for just a little DIY chaos, here are the basic materials:

• 3/8ths inch shock cord. Go for the military spec. Trust me, you’ll want it. Get it here.
• 3/4 inch hog rings. These little bastards are essential. Find them here. (I can’t seem to find the really good round ones any more)
• Metolius Mini carabiners. Rock climbers loathe these damned things, but they are great in this application. Grab some here.
• 1/2 inch marine grade heat shrink with internal adhesive. This stuff is gold. Pick it up here.

And that, my friends, is all you need to dive headfirst into this delightful little project.

Anyway, I decided to design my own. I call it the Atomic S/MC or Atomic Small Mobile Cart.

The idea is that it’s plenty wide, but shallow enough to go places. Also, it’s mobile… But, I really like to have an iPad on hand for manuals as well as good lighting. So, it needs power. That will come from a Milwaukee M18 battery source.

But wait, there’s more… I’ve also sourced a really neat, old, and flexible vice for the bench top, a modern hardware sorting system, and other ideas that just might work.

I’ve been working on it on and off for a few weeks now and it’s starting to take shape. I think I’m gonna dig it. I’m making a video, but will try to keep this thread updated as well.

Stay tuned.

I can’t imagine I’m ever gonna model with clay or even build a 1/43 scale 750 Monza, but the skills sets and tools these guys use fascinate me. As someone that spends a lot of time in his own shop, there’s just something so fun about seeing other guys work in different mediums, using tools I know nothing about, and making things that are truly breathtaking.

Check it out.

He gasped when he I heard I hadn’t and as soon as we were off the phone, a link came through via text. I’ve been down for the count ever since…

Much of this content is comedy, but once you are done rolling around on your floor watch this guys technique and marvel at his mastering of multiple disciplines. Dude is crazy talented on too many levels to count.