Friday, November 16, 2018

Quick Fix Essentials

It’s a given. Things fall apart. As, Red Green says, “If I ain’t broke, you’re not trying.” Sometimes we don’t have the time to repair things right. We need them to work right now. For Instance, a while back, my sump pump had issues. I couldn’t go out and buy one, because we were leaving to visit family for a couple of days. So, I jerry-rigged something. Redneck-repaired it. Or, whatever kind of name you might call the deed. But, not only do we at times not have time to fix something right, there are other instances we don’t have the money, and the repair just needs to be good enough, until we can fit the fixing into our budgets. With that being said, I figured I’d offer a list (top 8) of quick fix essentials, that are good to have around the house. 


8. Metal Coat Hanger. I know this one seems out there and crazy, but there are a lot of redneck uses for this common household item. Most have heard of using them when you locked your keys in your car (though with newer cars it has become quite difficult). Apart from that, the rigidness of a hanger holds it shape well. I’ve used it to hold various contraptions in place, like my lawnmower flap. Or, to hold a bag open. Plus, if you have a clogged drain, but no snake, you can bend a sharp hook into the end, slip the coat hanger down the drain, and pull up the obstruction. 

7. Lalths. I’ve devoted an entire post to the value of laths in the past, but they are also quite useful for quick fixes. Use them to nail plastic over a broken window. Secure them to broken wood structures for a quick split. And, they are great makeshift shims. 

6. Plastic Sheeting. Whether clear or dark, plastic sheeting has a gob of uses. If you’ve broken a window during a rainstorm, it is a great fix. Or, perhaps a car window won’t roll up because of an electrical short, in the dead middle of a record low winter (personal experience)--fix it with plastic sheeting. But, depending on the look you’re going for, you many not want to drive that way for long. 

5. Zip Ties. I’ve fiddled around with trying to find the right bolt and nut to fill certain hole, only to eventually give up and secure it with a zip tie. These things have many uses. I love the fact that when I need something secure tightly, I can crank on them until they reach the desired tautness (or break). 

4. Super Glue. Great for securing broken things, from ceramic to plastic. A good super glue makes all the difference. Our kids have the habit of breaking our blinds, and we got sick of buying new ones. (We’re just waiting for our color scheme to get in line before we buy curtains.) Eventually, we learned a good dose of super glue does the job well enough. 

3. WD40. Famous for being a rust remover. The numerous bolts this stuff has loosened growing up, particularly since I grew up with mostly ‘gently-used’ equipment. But, apart from being an anti-rust agent, this product has a gob of uses. If I’m out of paint thinner, I can use it to clean oil-based paints from my brushes. Other great uses: gum removal, fire starter, bug killer, stain removal, remove silver tarnish…

2. Wire. I know many would place WD40 and my number one item, as the two most important quick-fixers, but for me, wire has come in handy some many times. I mean, yeah, one can certainly use it for fences, but what’s the fun in that. It’s great for securing things. Or, you can stretch it across rafters for hanging. I’ve held a dropped muffler in place with it. Plus, I’ve even made my own charcoal-starter chimney out of chicken wire. It’s moldable, pliable, easy to tighten. It’s great. For emergency fixes, everyone should have a spool of wire on hand. 

1. (I’m sure this is no surprise).... Duct Tape. It secures. It sticks. It binds. It finds. It’s water proof. Windproof. Is there anything duct tape can’t do? I’ve quoted him before, and I’ll quote him again. Jamie Hyneman from the Mythbusters said duct tape, “is adequate for everything, but perfect for nothing.” He said that in an episode where they made a boat out of duct tape. That sump pump issue I’d talked about earlier? Yeah. I used duct tape for that. From clothing to airplane building (yes, on Mythbuster they built an airplane out of duct tape) a person can configure nearly any quick fix repair with this ingenious product.

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