| ShortCuts© |
March 16, 2012 |
Column 747
This week's column: #776 |
Previous Columns |
| April 26, 2013 #775 |
| April 5, 2013 #774 |
| March 28,2013 #773 |
| March 9, 2013 #772 |
| February 22, 2013 #771 |
| February 8, 2013 #770 |
| January 25, 2013 #769 |
| January 11, 2013 #768 |
| December 21, 2012 #767 |
| December 7, 2012 #766 |
| November 23, 2012 #765 |
| November 9, 2012 #764 |
| October 26, 2012 #762 |
| October 12, 2012 #761 |
| September 28, 2012 #760 |
| September 13, 2012 #759 |
| August 31, 2012 #758 |
| August 10, 2012 #757 |
| July 20, 2012 #756 |
| July 6, 2012 #755 |
| June 22, 2012 #754 |
| June 8, 2012 #753 |
| May 25, 2012 #752 |
| May 11, 2012 #751 |
| April 28, 2012 #750 |
| April 14, 2012 #749 |
| March 30, 2012 #748 |
| March 16, 2012 #747 |
| March 2, 2012 #746 |
| February 17, 2012 #745 |
| February 3, 2012 #744 |
| January 20, 2012 #743 |
| January 6, 2012 #742 |
| December 23, 2011 #741 |
| December 9, 2011 #740 |
| November 25, 2011 #739 |
| November 11, 2011 #738 |
| October 28, 2011 #737 |
| October 14, 2011 #736 |
| September 30, 2011 #735 |
| September 16, 2011 #734 |
| August 12, 2011 #733 |
| July 29, 2011 #732 |
| July 15, 2011 #731 |
| July 1, 2011 #730 |
| June 17, 2011 #729 |
| June 3, 2011 #728 |
| May 20, 2011 #727 |
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  A FORTUITOUS ACCIDENT
For this little vignette I have to go back a few years in time but I will try to make it as brief as I can. Ten or more years ago Gwen and I were looking for what we hoped would be the best aluminum storm door that we could get and we chose an Aluminart Regal Deluxe door as it is a two inch thick door and has a built-in rolling screen and two closers. The door also has an automatic stop on the lower closer that holds the door open while you are bringing home the bacon and other vittles.
The door served us very well for a number of years until about three years ago when the screws pulled out of the bracket holding the lower closer. They pulled out because the lower part of the door frame rotted out. The lower closer has that convenient ‘hold’ feature but the upper was still enough to close the door.
Fast rewind a little bit!
Our newspaper carrier has been instructed to leave our daily paper between the storm door and the inside door because at 77 years of age I do not relish the thought of traipsing out into two feet of snow in my bedroom slippers at 5:00 AM or, in a rainstorm.
Tropical Weather
Fast forward to last Thursday!
The weather on Thursday here at the beginning of March was almost (but not quite) a tropical, 65 degrees in the sun, an almost unheard of mark in Nova Scotia. Now, with the heat came some winds, gusts of up to 90 km. can you see what’s coming?
 Very early Friday morning the newspaper arrived and it was tossed between the doors as usual. At 5:00 I went to open the inside door and lo and behold the storm door was missing. Apparently the newspaper carrier did not quite latch the storm door and of course a gust of wind that just happened to be coming from the right direction and tore the storm door right off its hinges. It was there just hanging by the upper closer.
Hinges
Fortunately the glass panes did not break but, the hinges were torn from the frame and the screw holes were enlarged on the door. The closer was all bent out of shape and the whole thing looked irreparable.
 I immediately got on the phone to price a replacement plus installation and the quote was well over $700. I called my insurance broker thinking that they might cover the replacement. Their response was that there is a $500 deductible and if you make a claim your premiums will rise by 15% for three years and then, drop by only 10%. Nice deal eh? Not!
Then, the light bulb went off. I remembered my friend Roddy and thought that I could get some ideas from him. He said he would be here in an hour.
The Door Saver
Roddy arrived, took a look at the door and said “it doesn’t look all that bad” and went to his truck to get his tool belt.
An hour and a half later after repositioning the hinges, drilling new holes in the door and frame and a little twisting here and there plus a new closer, the door worked better than it ever did. Roddy charged me a mere $50 plus the cost ($15) of a new closer for the work. Roddy was also able to fix the bottom area and reinstall the closer there.
FUN STUFF
I thought I would add a little bit of tool humor to this week’s ShortCuts column. First up is the cheater up on the roof trying to take a quiet break. WhyMenHaveBigToolBoxes.wmv
Next in line is the cowboy with a six-shooter. However this guy’s gun goes way off the target but he does manage to score big around the house. Nailgun.wmv
This must be the same guy because he seems to be real handy around the house. The trimmer line seems to be extremely durable not to mention the trimmer itself. Trimmer.wmv
Now, when the neighbor’s kids are a pain in the a.., you can simply get rid of them with this little gadget and clean up at the same time. LeafBlower.mpg
When your neighbor shows up you may want to take him for a spin after you show him your new cordless drill. PowerDrill.wmv
Okay, when all the work is done around the house you may want to take in a NASCAR race and check out the fastest pit stop. Impact_Wrench.wmv
I hope that these helped to brighten your day and put a smile on your face.
RECALL
Hydrostatic transmission Lawn Tractors have been recalled that include Cub Cadet, MTD and Troy-Built brands. Take a look here.
OUR SOMETIMES REGULAR BOOK REVIEW
Back in my youth (and I’m surprised that I can remember it) I can recall an old farmer in rural Quebec, sitting on his porch whittling a walking stick while rocking in an old and probably carved rocking chair. It’s amazing what can be achieved with a sharp knife.
Column 747
 Big Book of Whittle Fun
Chris Lubkemann
Fox Chapel Publishing
128 Pages
What a great way to relieve the stress of everyday life. Simply pick up a branch from a birch, maple or cherry tree, a sharp knife and whittle away. Lubkemann’s “little” book can get you started whittling immediately. There are 31 whittling ideas in the book as well as some basic information. The author suggests what types of wood to select, what type of knife to use and most of all, how to keep the blade sharp.
In the author’s eclectic collection there is a fully detailed weather vane, a weather station (if the stone is wet, it’s raining), a sling shot and a tic tac toe game to name but a few.
You don’t have to be an expert carver to enjoy whittling, even a novice can get started right away and the author can help. So, pick up your Swiss Army Knife, a stick of wood and throw away those tranquilizers.
Stanley
 A FuBar is a tool used to dismantle stuff! The name of the tool is an acronym for Fouled Up Beyond All Repair and that is the unbleeped version.
Stanley has had several models of the FuBar in the past but this one (model 55-134) is a more compact model with some neat modifications.
So-called wrecking bars can only do a small part of what the FuBar can do, like cut drywall, pull nails and screws, pry and lever and jab.
Small & Convenient
The new 55-134 is only 14” long so it will nicely fit into your tool box or bag and the rubber overmold grip is comfortable in the hand. You can whack the devil out of this one and the only damage you will cause to the tool is maybe a scratch or two.
The new and innovative shape of the  FuBar can get at hidden nails and screws and can jamb through just about everything and at less than $30 it’s a real bargain.
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