Keep Apron Stocked for Household Projects
Swapping the rooms in my apartment has been a huge undertaking. I get up each day and put on my denim apron with all the stuff in it I need to do what needs to be done without walking all over the place.
Get an Electrical Tester Screwdriver
If you haven't gotten one of those electrical tester screwdrivers with a little neon bulb in it and a metal cap at the hand end, GET ONE! They are cheap enough that you can afford a spare. Friends and neighbors WILL be borrowing it!
Store Screws in Plastic Vegetable Tray
I like fresh vegetables, but live alone so I buy the vegetable tray from the super market that has celery, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. and it has a little cup of dip in the middle. When empty, I use it to store nuts, screws, and other small hardware items.
Use Rubber Bands Keep Tools from Slipping
To keep tools from slipping in your hands, wrap those free rubber bands that come on vegetables or newspapers around the handle. It really makes for a good grip and sure a lot cheaper than the liquid you can buy for the purpose.
Leather Washer for Emergency Water Heater Fix
For a quick and highly satisfactory repair of a leaking metal water tank, put a bolt with a good-sized leather washer both inside and out through the hole to be fixed and screw a nut on tightly.
Make Tool Holster from Old Work Glove
If you'll cut the worn fingers off an old work glove and then add two slots to the back of what's left, you'll have a quick, recycled tool holster that you can slip right onto your belt and put into immediate use.
For a really quick and inexpensive soldering iron holder, drive two spike nails into a scrap block of wood to form an "x" and rest the tool's hot end in the cross.
The next time you need a wrench in a hurry and you don't have one handy, try this: screw two nuts-flat sides together-onto a good sized bolt. Space the nuts apart so that the head of the one you want to remove fits snugly between the "jaws" of your makeshift arrangement.
There are times when busting out a chunk of concrete or modifying a piece of heavy farmstead equipment that a home handyman has to put in a long stint with hammer and cold chisel or star drill.
If you're ever trying to install a nail or other drive-in fastener higher than you can reach, try this. Saw a short slit just a little narrower than the shank of the fasteners you're using into the end of a yardstick or other light piece of wood.
If you have a wet/dry vacuum and you are tired of checking if it is set up for wet or dry, make your own sign.
Lubricate Nails Before Hammering into Hard Woods
To drive nails into hard wood without bending them, try dipping the points into lard or other grease. You can accomplish the same end by moistening the points of the nails in a can of water.
What is the best way to take care of my paint brushes?
Phillips Screw Driver in a Pinch
In a bind needing a phillips head screw driver but cant seem to find one? An old fashion potato peeler is an excellent substitute. It works as well as a screwdriver. The angle of the tip of the potato peeler makes it perfect.
Spray Snow Blower with Silicone
Always use spray silicone on the auger and chutes on your snow blower before using it. The snow will not stick.
Short on space does not present a tool/junk drawer type organizing fiasco. Buy a shoe organizer and affix to the wall of your laundry room/ mud room.
Use Kerosene to Clean Wrenches
For the home DIY mechanic: to clean the grease from your wrenches, use a rag dampened with kerosene. Not only will it remove all the grease and grime, but kerosene leaves a very light oil coating, even when wiped dry.
Remove Staples With Nail Clippers
Don't have a staple remover? You can use a regular nail clipper to neatly pry out unwanted staples! My hubby discovered this while working at home.
I put together my own little repair and tool box so that when I need to fix something quickly, I don't need to go to the shed and search for the tool I need.
Use Needle Nosed Pliers when Hammering Nails
Hammering nails into wood is absolutely fraught with peril! You smash your thumb instead of the nail or bend the nail and have to start all over again with a new nail. Avoid both problems with this simple tip -- hold the nail with needle nosed pliers!
Run Your Mower Out of Gas Before Storing
If you have a gas lawn mower, every time you use it, before storing it, make sure the mower runs out of gas. You'll stop the carburetor from gumming up. Also, they make a fuel additive for lawn mowers, that helps clean the carburetor.
If you have a hard to hold nail, secure it with a small ball of plastic putty or clay. After the nail is firmly pounded in place, remove the putty.
reate a cheap and effective depth gauge for precise drilling by using a cable tie. Secure the tie around the drill bit at the desired location. Snip off the excess. The tie can then be adjusted for each subsequent change in desired depth by sliding it up or down.
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