Handyman

I have a co-worker who likes to poke fun at my addiction. Now, it’s not usually nice to make fun of someone’s addictions, but in this case, well, it’s part of my coping strategy. And at least I admit that I have this addiction, which I’m told is the first step toward dealing with it. My problem is…that aside from admitting the existence of this addiction, I have little intention of stopping it any time soon. My addiction? Flashlights and worklights. I can’t get enough of ’em. I love ’em. Whenever I find myself in possession of a gift cardDown the rabbit hole….

Here’s a nice article about the next wave of indoor lighting, the natural-spectrum LED bulb. These will almost certainly be supplanting even the compact fluorescent bulb within five or ten years. They’re available right now in smaller wattages, but a 100W version is coming. (That’s wattage equivalency, not actual wattage of the bulb. We should really discuss bulbs in terms of lumens, rather than wattage.) I switched Casa Jaquandor over to CFLs entirely (except for our dining room light, which is on a dimmer) a few years ago. I’ve never had a problem with fluorescent light, and I especially preferDown the rabbit hole….

At the end of last year, all the big hardware stores started displaying what I came to call “dog bone wrenches”, because they look like dog bones. On each end was not one single head to fit a single size of fastener, but a swiveling doohickey with four different heads on it to accomodate multiple fasteners. Here’s a representative example. None of the reviews I read of such tools were particularly enthusiastic, and the things just look gangly and unwieldy, so I never even considered buying one. But I was in AutoZone a month or so ago, and I sawDown the rabbit hole….

see more There I Fixed It You know, it’s not a hard job to do. A new plug will run you about $4 at Home Depot (or around $15 if you want the “professional” one). Replacing a plug on a wire takes about fifteen minutes, and the only tools you really need are a screwdriver and a sharp-bladed knife. I can’t believe someone did this. Share This PostDown the rabbit hole….

The other day, I posted a photo of a tool I occasionally use at work and solicited guesses as to what the tool might be: It’s not a home-made plumb bob; I already have an honest-to-goodness plumb bob in my tool bag. Aaron identified what the tool is, but not what it’s for. It is the magnet from a cabinet door catch, removed from its housing and tied to a length of fishing line. He suggested that I might use it to retrieve metallic objects from tight spots, and yes, I could use it thusly, but generally for that kindDown the rabbit hole….

Seriously, how do you interview people for this job? Those workers have to climb to the top of a transmission tower that is 1,768 feet high. That’s taller than the Sears Tower. The video starts off OK, kinda-sorta scary, but they’re inside a somewhat-protective metal structure. And then they reach the top of that, and have to keep going up. I have very little fear of heights, but this video is making me think, “Oh, hell no!” And get the banal voiceover narration — such as when the climber stops and looks around. “It’s good to take a look aroundDown the rabbit hole….