william_garcia•2mo agoMost Upvoted

Update: I used to just eyeball pottery shard thickness with calipers, but after a dig in Tucson last fall where we misclassified a whole batch, I switched to using a digital micrometer for anything under 2mm.

Has anyone else found a specific tool that changed how you handle a basic field task?

4 comments

4 Comments

Yeah, a simple laser distance measurer was a total game changer for me on site surveys. I used to fight with a tape measure in the wind for hours. Now I just point and click, and I can log way more data points in a day. It feels almost like cheating, but why make the job harder, right?

hannah4002mo ago

My Bosch GLM 50 saved me so much time last week.

fiona_west211mo agoTop Commenter

Milwaukee cordless die grinders are no joke, I grabbed one after watching my buddy use it on shell middens and it completely changed how fast I can get through consolidated matrix. @hannah400 Bosch laser measurers are legit too, I picked up a similar model after getting sick of pulling tape across uneven terrain on a blustery morning. The real game changer for me was switching to a diamond impregnated saw blade for cutting core samples halves, it used to take forever and now it's like butter. Dakota415 nailed it, why struggle when a decent tool just does the job better and leaves you with more energy for the actual science. I still keep my old calipers in the kit for rough checks, but the micrometer is the go to now for anything that needs precision.

vera_lewis22mo ago

Switched to a Milwaukee M12 cordless die grinder for cleaning finds. Cuts prep time in half, no more hand cramps. Dakota415 is right, why fight basic tasks when a tool fixes it.