Handy-Man Corner

[Iowanian]

I'm tired of bad Chiefs news.....


I thought it would be a good idea for a thread on the Handy-Man.

Do you have any Home remedies, gadgets you've made, advice on car repair, home maint, sollutions to kill weeds in your yard, bugs in your garden?

Use Coke to clean your batteries? That type of stuff.
Home made floor dry?

[Abba-Dabba]

I dunno about your neighborhood but in mine it seems more people like to smoke their weeds.

[Iowanian]

Anyone have any Brilliant ideas to roll up a garden hose........or an easy, cheap way of rolling and storing extension cords?


It may not be rocket science........but I keep some of the plastic Laundry soap jugs, cut the tops out of them and use them to store nails, screws, electric stuff and other "garage items".

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Anyone have any Brilliant ideas to roll up a garden hose........or an easy, cheap way of rolling and storing extension cords?

I finally invested in some of the store-bought garden hose rollers. I resisted for a long time, but they really are effective. I have one that is self-standing and another that I attached to the house. I like the one one the house better, but they're both adequate. I know it's not a homeade remedy, but it works.

As for extension cords: Coil it in an electrician's loop, drive a #16 nail into your shed racks, and hang it up.

[NewChief]

Oh here's one for all you hunters/skiers/whatever that wear down jackets:

Wash in one of those side-loading washers found in laundromats (or hand wash) using NikWax down-friendly detergent. Don't panic when you remove the jacket, and it looks ruined. Throw a couple of tennis balls into the dryer with the garments, and it will fluff back up as good as new.

[redbrian]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Anyone have any Brilliant ideas to roll up a garden hose........or an easy, cheap way of rolling and storing extension cords?


It may not be rocket science........but I keep some of the plastic Laundry soap jugs, cut the tops out of them and use them to store nails, screws, electric stuff and other "garage items".

Extension cords (especially the flat type) are best kept in an empty sheet rock mud bucket.
Cut a hole in the top of the lid, cut another hole on the side of the bucket towards the bottom. Take the male end (the end that plugs into the wall) and pass it through the bottom hole (from the inside out), coil the rest of the cord in the bucket. Take the female end of the plug and pass it through the hole in the lid, then place the lid on the bucket.
To use you just pull out the amount of cord you need, when done just shove it back into the bucket.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Oh here's one for all you hunters/skiers/whatever that wear down jackets:

Wash in one of those side-loading washers found in laundromats (or hand wash) using NikWax down-friendly detergent. Don't panic when you remove the jacket, and it looks ruined. Throw a couple of tennis balls into the dryer with the garments, and it will fluff back up as good as new.

Or you can have your wife wash it.

Now get out of here Martha, this a man's thread.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

Or you can have your wife wash it.

Now get out of here Martha, this a man's thread.

My wife doesn't come anywhere near my "gear."

[donkhater]

I braid my extension cord. It keeps it compact, easy to carry and it pulls apart without tangles every time. Here's how (the best I can explain it).

Take the cord and fold it in half. Loop the folded end over your wrist and grab the doubled up cord with the same hand. Pull through to make a loop. Stick your hand through the loop, grab the doubled up cord and pull through, creating another loop. Repeat until the end and knot it up so it doesn't unravel.

It may sound difficult here, but it really isn't and is the best way to store extension cords, hands down.

[Iowanian]

Thats a good idea red........I've got a couple of drywall buckets and lids. They'll take up a little more storage space that way...........but thats the kind of stuff I"m looking for.

Donk......I think I've seen that done.......and I think I can follow that instruction.

I tend to just grab the end, and loop it like a rope, wrap and connect the ends and hang it up........and its a pain every time I try to use it.


My contribution................You know the big orange Koolaide jugs.........and how they drip.

Take a 2ltr bottle, cut a small hole just below the neck that will hang over the button/spout.........Cut the side out, leaving the bottom.............It leaves a hole large enough to stick a cup inside to fill, and collect the drips and little spills that kids make.......saving a mess.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by donkhater

I braid my extension cord. It keeps it compact, easy to carry and it puulss apart without tangles every time. Here's how (the best I can explain it).

Take the cord and fold it in half. loop the folded end over your wrist and grab the doulbed up cord with the same hand. Pull through to make a loop. Stick your hand through the loop, grab the doubled up cord and pull through, creating another loop. Repeat until the end and knot it up so it doesn't unravel.

It may sound difficult here, but it really isn't and is the best way to store extension cords, hands down.

That's what I call an electrician's loop.

[donkhater]

My wife wanted a clothes line but I didn't want to build one and have something else to mow around. Instead, I bought a retractable clothes line and attached to my barn. The other end hooks onto a tree and tightens up well. When she it done with it, she releases the hook and it retracts back into the wheelhouse like a measuring tape. It can be lifted of the barn and placed inside over the winter so it doesn't get corroded or rusted.

Works well for some nieghborhoods that may frown on that sort of thing as well.

[donkhater]

Originally Posted by NewChief

That's what I call an electrician's loop.

Oh. For some reason I was picturing an old wheel nailed to the wall that the cord is wrapped around. Probably would work alright, but not very mobile.

[Iowanian]

Sneaky Leaf Camo enhancer....as seen here
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...rch&hasJS=true


You can get the same damn thing, for a fraction of the price.........Brideowanian bought a bunch of the decorative fall leaf strings at some hobby/craft store........... I took a bunch of it apart and pulled the leaves off, and safety pins to connect them to the bibs and camo coats.....and use camo tape to connect a few to my Bow. same stuff.

[Brando]

Use a clean paint brush to detail the cracks and vents in your dashboard.