Love the smooth, precision feel of expensive tools but can't afford to fill your toolbox with top shelf brands? As it turns out, it is possible to get the same feeling out of budget brand tools. All it takes is a dab of something called "damping grease".
Damping greases are lubricants specifically designed to improve the feedback of sliding and rotating parts. They are normally used by manufacturers of microscopes, binoculars, and expensive stereo systems to give their switches and knobs their smooth, buttery feel.
I used a cotton swab to apply a tiny bit of Nyogel damping grease under the adjustment knob of this cheap $20 digital caliper. Now it had the same feel and feedback as my $100 Mitutoyo calipers.
This trick works on a surprising number of household tools: Tactical flashlights, ratcheting wrenches, and household scissors just to name a few. You can also use it to breathe new life into the tired knobs and switches of your project car. Just try not to touch any of it, or you will learn a whole new definition for the phrase "sticky fingers."
