I get High With a Little Help from Werner

Werner Fiberglass Extension Ladder D6224-2

If you have a set of stairs (or two [or three]) in your house, one day you'll realize that trusty six-foot stepladder just doesn't hack it for outside work. Even standing on the top step – which, by the way, is a definite safety no-no – your hands wave several feet short of second-story gutters. Nope, the only way to go is with an extension ladder, and the longest one you can fit in the garage is probably a good start. I already had a sixteen-foot aluminum ladder when I got my first two-story house, but a mere sixteen feet wouldn't cut it there: so I schlepped on down to the local orange hell (they call it "Home Depot," but that's their story) and went ladder shopping. They carry a pretty full line of Werner Ladders: wow: what a wealth of choices!

Now Why Didn't I think of This?

Craftsman Magnetic Steel Bowl

A symptom of my being a geologist is that I tend to look down more than up. As a side effect of that habit, I tend to find an awful lot of things that people have lost: two birth control pill holders, an orthodontic retainer, a Lexmark printer, bunches of flash drives, and a Starbucks card are some of my recent treasures.

It's pretty rare that I go more than a few days without finding a tool of some kind lying in the street, and the most common tool is a socket. As an occasional shadetree mechanic myself, I have a pretty good idea where a lot of them came from. They're the ones mechanics dropped while working on their cars and just couldn't find to get them out. Trust me: I've lost some myself, not to mention the occasional bolt, lots of washers, several gross of screws, and more nuts than I'd care to think about. I don't lose 'em anywhere near as often these days, however; I now have the cure for common "dropsy": a Craftsman Magnetic Steel Bowl.

Simplify Door Replacement with a Lock Installation Kit

Irwin Tools Wooden Door Lock Installation Kit

As the owner of a large, somewhat nervous Lab (see note†), from time to time I find it necessary to replace doors she’s damaged. In truth, finding a replacement door is not usually very difficult because the sizes of door slabs are fairly standard. What is difficult is moving the hardware from one door to the other. I’ve picked up a couple of simple tools along the way to make it possible. One is a butt template, the other is my Door Lock Installation Kit, made by Irwin Tools (their catalog number 3111001). When it comes time to install the lockset, this tool makes life a lot easier.

Now This is a Hot One!

BernzOmatic 2 Piece Brass Utility Torch Kit UL100

There’s something seductive about using a propane torch for soldering: the scent of hot metal, the sizzle of solder flux beneath the flame, the nearly invisible blue flame, and that faint tang of incompletely burnt light hydrocarbons tickling the cilia at the back of your nose. Yeah, sweating pipe – it’s my latest addiction: no namby-pamby soldering irons and little globs of solder on wires for me, gimme that graceful cone of blue fire any time.

OK, buy me that graceful cone of blue fire… my tool of choice is an everyday ordinary brass torch from the people who brought propane torches to the masses: BernzOmatic. My Dad had one of these puppies at least forty years ago (hmmm, wonder where that one disappeared to?), so it's made by a venerable company. I picked up one of their UL100 kits when I started sweating pipe myself this past spring, and here’s what I got:

How to Make Putting Up Fence a G-Rated Task

Cooper Tools Heavy-Duty Fence Pliers BMC-3276

My dad was a quiet man, a man not much given to “blue” language;neither of which traits I confess I didn’t fully inherit. However, there were a couple of incidents that could usually make my dad loose his cool and mutter an oath or two (and not always under his breath, either). One of those things – for both of us, in fact – is a good shot on the thumb with your hammer.

How to Save Cash When Die-ing

Irwin Tools Hexagon Die HNS6520, 1/4" #20

Years ago I was headed north through California’s central valley in a fog that would give London a run for its money. I reached for the the truck’s sideview mirror to make an adjustment and, to my horror, it came off in my hand. The next day, I asked my father-in-law if he knew of a junkyard (now promoted to “auto salvage dealer”) to buy a replacement mirror, but he had a better idea. A small threaded rod in the guts had broken, so he just rummaged around in his workshop for a matching piece of rod stock, dug out a die and a big wrench, and in a few minutes he’d fashioned a replacement. Almost two decades later, it’s still in there. “I gotta get me some of those!” I thought at the time, and soon after, I did.

Center Yourself with a Best Way Dowel Center Set

Best Way Tools 25860 Dowel Center Set

Every woodworker learns pithy adages from whoever teaches him (or her) the basics. “Measure twice, cut once” is probably the best-known, but another one my dad taught me is, “It’s all about the joints.” There are many ways to join two pieces of wood, and the most elegant ones don’t involve nails or screws. Doweled joints are an excellent method for making a strong joint without visible fasteners: you simply drill a hole in each piece, stick in a short piece of dowel, and glue the two halves of the joint together.

He said “Simply”: Ha!

A Tasty Solution to a Woodworking Dilemma

Bench Dog Plastic Bench Cookies (4-Pack) 10-035

As a member of the fraternity of woodworkers I share a couple of their most infamous traits: a) a propensity for buying a new tool for just about every project I start, and b) a gigantic collection of bits of scrap wood to be used in making jigs and as clamp blocks or props. The significant problem with using wood scraps to raise a piece off the workbench is that the smooth wood is slippery, allowing the workpiece to move as I sand or rout along an edge.

The Added-Torque Option: Craftsman 10-Inch Flex Handle

Craftsman ³⁄₈-inch Drive 10-inch Flex Handle

A homeowner’s tool kit is not complete unless it includes an assortment – make that a set (or two) – of socket wrenches and the necessary drivers. These tools come in a range of drive sizes, where “drive” refers to the dimensions of the square bit that plugs into every socket and allows you to turn it. Drive sizes range from ¼ up to ¾ inch , though the biggest drives are only needed for work on large machinery. Most homeowners get by quite well with either ³⁄₈- or ½-inch drive set, which as a rule comprises seven or eight sockets and a ratchet.

Our Go-to Storage When We Run Out of Drawers

Sterilite 3-Drawer Cart #2830

Murphy’s first law of storage space states that, “A homeowner will always need one more drawer than is available.” [It doesn’t: I made that up, but it sounds pretty plausible, doesn’t it?] The good folks at Sterilite are, apparently, great fans of Murphy and the Ms is (in her turn) a great fan of Sterilite. That’s why there are boxes, tubs, and other assorted clear plastic storage items scattered around our house. There are several rollaround drawer units, including at least one wide-track setup, but this one – a Sterilite 3-drawer unit – is mine.