I dropped my hammer down a narrow space, well out of reach. I couldn’t hook it because it landed head down. Looking around for a helpful tool, I noticed the clip-on light fixture that 1 was using. I quickly unscrewed the simple Target ball-and-socket joint to remove the spring clamp from the light, and then press-fit the ball into a length of electrical conduit that was handy. Then I opened the jaws of the clip and inserted a small block of wood to keep the jaws wedged open wide enough to fit over the hammer’s handle, as shown in the drawing above.
I lowered this apparatus into the crevice and lightly placed the block against the handle. Then I gave a quick push. As the block fell away, the clamp closed firmly around the handle. I carefully extracted the hammer, and in a few minutes the light and the hammer were back in action.
Brian Carter, Concord, NH
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #67
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Very clever! Nothing like Yankee Ingenuity.