I could not find my putty knife today…so I forced a Swanson’s Speed Square into duty. It did OK spreading the water putty around.
Not long ago, I forgot a spoon for my yogurt…lucky for me I had my putty knife that day.
Anyone else using tools for illegitimate purposes?
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Replies
This one is going to get me shot probably, I used golf tees and nails to put vinyl siding on concrete. Not really a tool, but not what a golf tee is used for.
It worked awesome and I'm going to keep doing it.
What's wrong with me? I could ask you the exact same thing.
As long as you used the ACQ golf tees and HDG nails I don't think anyone will shoot you. ;o)
The tees were pre primed and a clear coat of some sort on it. That should help my case some.What's wrong with me? I could ask you the exact same thing.
<G>View Image
Have to detail the word 'illegitimate' first.
I mean sometimes I use my mitersaw in ways if I caught someone else doing I'd slap 'em up the side of the head. But it gets the job done.
be dangerous
"The old Quaker Meeting house is almost 300 years old and as my sawzall made its way into the pegged ancient wood, a smell emerged that told me about dried, cracked things. The ancient Quakers sitting in the well worn pocket of their silence on the darkened pine benches were whispering something to me across the years. Something about why I was here, why we're here. Lord but it was hot. I reached in to clear anything out of what was the sill, nothing but the hardened mud, lime and sand mortar, dust and shadows." -- Jer
--"sometimes I use my mitersaw in ways if I caught someone else doing I'd slap 'em up the side of the head."I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about........PACHING! POW!
Misuse pisses me off. I generally don't misuse my tools. But other people seem to have no problem with it.
The other day, I was working on the roof and I saw one of my guys walking away from the work van when he should have been using a drill press. I went down to check; caught him mid-swing, my large Klein flat-head screwdriver in one hand, my waffle-faced framing hammer in the other attempting to chisel the chuck off of the drill press. We were step-drilling holes and he found it was easier to remove the chuck to change bits but had gotten it jammed in his last attempt. I told him that there are chisels and mallets in the van...JUST ASK. He obliged, but as I turned to get him the tool he began smacking the chuck with the waffle-face. I snagged that and gave him a brass hammer.
Not to get on anyone in particular but I find that 'specialty' trades misuse more often. Being in remodeling, I carry a wider variety of tools and thereby lessen my need to misuse.
gk
If you are whacking a chuck with a chisel, you are just as bad. There is a drift key for that purpose or a tie rod fork.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Enjoyning the finite of matter, in an infinite realm of possibilities...
After assesing the situation, I only gave him the brass hammer. After re-assesing the situation, I removed the bit for him, hammered the chuck back on, and told him not to remove it again.
this guy is always doing something dumb. Using ratchets and crescent wrenches as hammers, prying and chiseling with screwdrivers, using chaulk lines as string lines, using hammer as ax. He is too quick to do and too short to think. The other day, it began to rain and we tarped the project. After securing the tarp I did my final walk around only to find that he quick took down the ladder and threw it into the bushes...bushes full of poison ivy. I let him dig it back out and made him wipe the whole thing down...in the rain.
gk
Clearly the cost of tools (original and replacement) doesn't come out of his pocket.
So did wiping down the ladder work? And what did you use? I was working on a deck, and at the end of framing one day, my boss throws the air hose through poison oak, and drags it straight through to coil it. I managed to avoid that hose for about 6 months then eventually had to use it, and consequently, to my dismay, got severe poison oak on my face, to the point that it looked like I had oral surgery. My boss, of course, is immune to poison oak.
Young, poor, and eager to learn
I had him use acetone to wipe the ladder down. So far it has seemed to work. Although I still try to wash my hands after using it. The guy who threw it claims to be immune too, so far he's shown no signs also.
gk
crescent wrenches ARE hammers
The roto rooter guy used a hammer as a wrench to remove the cleanout plug. Now I have one of the rubber plugs because the threads are wasted on the pipe.
Anyone see the trend here? You had to use your Swanson as a putty knife because you used your putty knife for yogurt consumption. If you use a spoon for measuring and angles, you'll have come full circle.
I wonder if putty knives are dishwasher safe?
Pete Duffy, Handyman
I used a screwdriver to open a can of paint. And a hammer to close it when I was done.
And I DO have a tool that is made specifically for those 2 purposes, but it's small and easily misplaced. Anybody else have a paint can opener/closer? It's a really nifty little gadget that works great.
Pete Duffy, Handyman
Why would you want one? All that would happen is it would never be around at the moment you needed it without running all over cration trying to locate the thing.
Be a utility knife, tapemeasure, and writing utensil in every box."The old Quaker Meeting house is almost 300 years old and as my sawzall made its way into the pegged ancient wood, a smell emerged that told me about dried, cracked things. The ancient Quakers sitting in the well worn pocket of their silence on the darkened pine benches were whispering something to me across the years. Something about why I was here, why we're here. Lord but it was hot. I reached in to clear anything out of what was the sill, nothing but the hardened mud, lime and sand mortar, dust and shadows." -- Jer
I always use a hammer to close paint cans. To me, it's the right tool.
However, I don't use screwdrivers to open them because it deforms the lid making it ever harder to re-open and re-close. I have several of those special paint can openers and leave them where they will usually be handy. Toolbox, paint bucket (bucket boss), workshop and near the side door of the van.
I haven't figured out how to use that special opener to close paint cans. Is it just me?
-Don
I have several of those. They work fine. One end is a sort of flat hook for opening paint cans, the other end is a loop that opens beer bottles. I keep one with the paste wax can, and more hanging on a nail in the paint closet. They were a freebie from Dunn-Edwards.
-- J.S.
Those are handy, too, but I think I'm talking about something different, without the loop. This one actually CLOSES paint cans.
The left side is a little screwdriver like, for prying open cans and, well, driving screws. The teardrop opening in the left side is for pulling nails. The arch on the edge is for scraping rollers, and the right side is for closing cans. It works great. Similar to a bottle opener. Put the tongue under the outside edge of the paint can and pry. The small radius on the end pushes down on the paint lid.
Don't know what the rectangular cutout on the top edge is for (scraping square rollers?)
2 pics attached. Anybody else see these?Pete Duffy, Handyman
http://www.reddevil.com/productDetail.cfm?id=4035RT&c=pt&cat=19
Nope, ain't seen a square roller, but that ruler under the picture looks like it would be exquisite for pushing spline into corners when yer rescreening windows....you could measure how far you pushed it in with great accuracy.....Eric
I ran into some more slotted flat head screws this past weekend (I still can't figure out why they make those damned things...) and was forced to, once again, use my chisel to remove them.
Also didn't have my drywall sanding screen with me at a crucial moment, so I "shaved" some bumps off the joint compound with a 6" taping knife instead.
...I really wish I had a trailer so that I wouldn't have to improvise all the time - my tools would all be out in the driveway ready to go.
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
> I ran into some more slotted flat head screws this past weekend (I still can't figure out why they make those damned things...)
It's history and tradition. Slotted screws were the first and simplest design, been around at least a couple hundred years. Phillips, Allen, Robertson, Torx, etc. are all better, but more complex, designs.
Given the big head start for slot heads, most people have simple straight blade screwdrivers. So, they make more slot screws because they're compatible with the installed base of screwdrivers.
This may be one of the earliest examples of interface design inertia and the difficulty of replacing standards. (BTW, we're all supposed to throw our TV sets away and get those new digital HDTV's. Another example of replacing standards.)
-- J.S.
Have you read "One Good Turn--A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw", by Witold Rybczynski?I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I knew there had to be other lunatics out there. People looked at me funny when I read a whole book on the history of the pencil, and when I followed it up with "One Good Turn", they just shook their heads and walked away...
What you need now is "Flushed with Pride--The Story of Thomas Crapper" by Wallace Reyburn.One never knows what oddities might be found on my bookshelf. : )
No, I'll have to look for it. Thanks.
-- J.S.
I'm right in the middle of "One Good Turn". It's really great. The author lives not too far from here and he talks about Henry Mercer and all his works right close by in Doylestown Pa. Mercer had a lot to do with the Arts & Crafts period especially with pottery and tile. If you're ever in that neck of the woods it's really worth it to take a day and come see the Mercer Museum, The Moravian Pottery and Tileworks, and Mercer's house. They still make handmade tiles there the same way they did 130 years ago. Mercer's collection of old tools is astounding.
Very cool book and the tiles and tools would be awesome to see.Did you read "Home" by Rybczynski? Most excellent, as well.
I just recently picked "Home" up and started reading it for the third time.
20 pages in, I remembered I had read it twice before, so I stopped reading, and put it in my pile of books to give away.
The only tool I misused today was my hammer- I keep forgetting that it's made to pound nails, not mash thumbs. When will I learn.zak
"so it goes"
I have not read "Home", but thank you for the recommendation because I will pick it up.
I actually did a little misuse on my japanese saw today as I was cutting back casement around some windows to retrofit stools to it. Hit a nail, and then some sheetrock, but no matter, the thing was on its last legs and I need to replace it.
All my tools seem to be in one big pile these days because I'm so damned busy. I gotta take a half day somewhere and do some major sorting and tossing. I have more tape measures than I ever remember buying. Duplicates and triplicates of everything. A big pile.
If you havent triedit yet get a silky! Saw Mike Smith endorse them in a thread and they are super sharp. super dooper sharp. In fact took two weeks for the nice cut I put in my palm to heal.
http://www.silkystore.com/
HEY !!! - I finally found another person that's been to the Mercer Museum!I was out visiting friends in that part of PA and I managed to spend the entire day there. That is by far my favorite museum of all time.// still amazed that felt actually stays together...Learned a ton that day!
the mercer museum is one of my favorites. have you done the other henry mercer related museums?
-nickt.-
nope - just the one in Doylestown.But if there are others that are as cool as that one - I'd like to see them.
the others are in doylestown as well. there's fonthill
http://www.mercermuseum.org/fonthill/
and the moravian tile works
http://www.buckscounty.org/government/departments/tileworks/index.aspxhave you not been to those?
there's also a significant amount of his work at the upenn museum but i don't think it's very accessible to the pubic.
-nickt.-
Cool.I was only in Doylestown for the day, the day I went to the museum. I live just outside of Boston, so it's a bit of a trip to head back to check out the others.I hope to someday thought!
they're all well worth it. ever time i go to the mercer museum i see something new. same with fonthill. the tile works i visit less often but it's still worth the occassional trip.
-nickt.-
> I ran into some more slotted flat head screws this past weekend (I still can't figure out why they make those damned things...)
I still use straight slot brass screws on all door hinges. It is easy to get the paint out of the slots if some bozo paints the hinges. ( As is the case of our 1920's bungalow) Have you ever tried to pick out paint from a phillips, square drive or torx screw. If their is no chance of ever being painted i prefer square drive.I saw a guy using a level as a pry bar when setting windows.
Edited 8/14/2006 2:49 pm ET by stevent1
> Have you ever tried to pick out paint from a phillips, square drive or torx screw.
Yes. Old dentists' picks are the best thing I've found for that.
-- J.S.
Absolutly. I use those same picks on restoration work.
why look for dental picks, just hammer the right screwdriver tip into the puppy. Of course of Robertsons, you have to twirl the tip of a screw in the head first..Save yer dental picks for cleaning yer paint spray toolsEric
That ain't misuse.good mudders apparently only sand on the final coat....Their "spatular" tools got an edge on em that would put some cabinetmakers edgetools to shame.Eric
I'm a drywaller and it's true, only sand on the last coat- typically 3 coats of mud-- first is the fill in coat-. then after it is dry we knock down any high edges with a 6 to 10 inch knife- then another coat of mud goes on, this one basically makes the walls like they will look when done-- but there will be errors in it, so after this one dries we knock the wall again- then on goes the final smooth-as-silk coat. Before it dries we take a wet sponge and smooth the edges. then let it dry-- sometimes depending on texture we can stop right there and never even bring the sandpaper out of the van, otherwise a few minutes of sanding per sheet and it's all ready to go.
A sometimes employee of mine and myself were cutting metal bead one day-- I would call out the mesmo and he would cut it and bring it in for installation. We placed the tape measure on the floor so he could just lay the bead and know where to cut it-- there was a few minute delay on one of them-- couldn't figure it out until he came in the room laughing his butt off-- he had placed the bead on the floor and cut through both the bead and my tape measure-- thank god it wasn't my new fat max!
Tool misuse? Us? HaHa! Now, I'm not sure what the folks at DeWalt would have to say about this, but I often use the battery end of my drill to tap in plastic wall anchors, into the hole I've just made.
Dewalt probably doesn't mind.... just means you'll have to buy more batteries!
how about dat...
a bonafide use use for a DeWalt...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
aside from a boat anchor?
actually The Dewalt planer I have is pretty good...
:) Ditto, but with a Bosch cordless drill...saves at least 2 seconds not having to reach for the hammer and put it back...
Mebbe all cordless drills should have a metal cap on the backside...
Whatever works....
Not sure if this is misuse or simply overkill...
That looks like a good knife...if you are really really careful, it could be a spoon. <g>
I also learned on that sink install that i could get my plumbers putty soft and lovely by using the "Beverages" setting on the microwave.
I would have to suggest the "pizza" setting for plumbers putty, but go ahead and throw caution to the wind.
I used to wash the dirt off my carrots in my top-loader Maytag, but that doesn't work very well with a front-loader, it turns out, which acts a bit more like a juicer in that configuration. Now i spread them on a hardware cloth screen and pressure-wash them, fan spray only. I'm working up my nerve to use my dryer to make prunes.
muffin a bit stale???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Think i should have used the bandsaw? It works pretty well on those winter squashes...
I use the Pota-Band on Elk...
so why not...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I thought the Porta Bandsaw was for slooowww elk, and the sawzall was for the quick kind...? I might be confurzed....i never pick the right fork for the salad either.
sawzall leaves too many fine bone splinters..
better off with an axe...
the vibration seperates the marrow too..
a 3/4" cold chisel and a 2# hammer make for a quick easy joint seperators...
so use only one fork.. it will always be the right one...
besides.... less dishes to do...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I saw a fresh-killed deer on the side of the road yesterday and a large, white dog tucking into a hind quarter. No saws or forks. Maybe the direct approach is best. It certainly was *direct*.
I do snack as I put up a harvest...
is that considered a direct approach...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
You and Oreo on the same de-worming schedule?
yup....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
got news for youit's possible to have a 14' traier and still not have all the tools you might need on the job
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
the solution is simple..
bigger trailer...
be go semi
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Sombody over on the recycled joke thread posted a buch of Laws corolarys and axioms...
Ferritos law of remodeling:
No matter how many tools and supplies you bring to a job nor how many tasks need to be accomplished, at some point the entire job will bottleneck for the need of one tool that is back at the shop..."The truth, when told does nothing but bolster a mans character." -Big Cal Stew 2006
"There are 2 kinds of people in the world, those who divide the world into 2 kinds of people and everyone else" -Gloria Steinham
I never misuse tools, especially my crescent-hammer.
My crescent hammer actually works better now that those wobbly loose parts fell off. What were those things for, anyway?My father taught me early on; NEVER use your tools for purposes other than they were intended. I'm always careful to borrow someone else's chisel to open a paint can.
Is that a metric crescent-hammer or a standard crescent-hammer?
"Is that a metric crescent-hammer or a standard crescent-hammer?"
It is one of those new metric/imperial/torx/square drive framing mauls with an impact setting. That is why I am so careful with it.
<<I never misuse tools, especially my crescent-hammer.>>Same here -- especially the pry-dozer and the vertical descent skidsteer.
I saw a guy on a job eat a can of tuna with an old sawzall blade.
What a timely topic!Yesterday, I "caught" my favorite helper cutting a brass drain pipe with a coping saw. I was laughing so hard I couldn't beat him. He figured since "it had those little teeth" it must be for metal.He bought himself a hacksaw at lunch and told me he liked the coping saw better.
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.- Fyodor Dostoyevski
<G>You just reminded me to get coping saw blades. Thanks.
Hah!Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I was working with my old man on a job and we split a sub sandwich,
with a sawsall.
It worked great!
You could carve a turkey in no time with that bad boy. ; )
A sawzall with a new short woodcutting blade is great for butchering deer. Splits spine and pelvis like butter. Grandpa nearly fainted when he saw me break the saw out at deer camp, but he used it on his own deer later on. Just make sure you sterilize saw and case between cutting old sewer pipes and butchering.
Demo work - lath/plaster. End of the day. Tired. Dust everywhere. Respirator full of heat and sweat.I had the right tool in my hand, I'd been using it all day. My trusty demo hammer. Took a swing. I didn't miss, BUT I was holding it backwards!!??! Hit my demo bar with the claw............. d'oh!Thought to myself "had I ever done that before?" glad no one was looking.A good signal that It was time to start cleaning up and go home for a shower and some rest............
That could be the start of a new thread:You know it's time to call it a day when...
"all tools are hammers except chisels and they are screwdrivers"
I have no comment...
<G>
I like:
"all tools are hammers, except hammers, and they're for digging"
Forrest
sounds like a canditate for
General Discussion - non-tradtional use of HPL in worksite
HPL samples not only serve well as putty knives, but also for yogurt too!!!
hmmmm.
I used my block plane to plane away some putty/caulk and, of course, I hit metal!!
http://grungefm.com
the size and hardness of said metal is inversly proportional to the time since you last sharpened..."The truth, when told does nothing but bolster a mans character."
I used my tape measure as a hammer.
In fact, I used a craftsman slotted screwdriver as a nail set, too.
http://grungefm.com
I used a big rock as a hammer to close a paint can yesterday. Twice. Not sure if this is really misuse or proper use of a rock.
the proper use of that rock would have been to smash the snot out of the paint can..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I used a pair of tin snips to cut a wire tie.
http://grungefm.com
Used a mitersaw to rip 28inches.
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John RuskinAndrew Clifford of Clifford Renovations, who serves as a steward of our history for future generationsWe can imagine something that only exists in our heads, in a form that has no measurable, tangible reality, and make it actually occur in the real world. Where there was nothing, now there is something.Forrest - makin' magic every day
How in the h#ll did you do that?
http://grungefm.com
Likewise.How did you do taht?live, work, build, ...better with wood
You must have a SCMS- I can do 20" with my yellow 12" CMS (one side, then flip it end-for-end)
Forrest
And I'll bet if you lift the board up into the blade at the end of the cut you'd squeek out that other 8" or so.
It's a bit dangerous though. Not that I'd know. I must have seen someone do it once. I'd never try it though. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :)View Image
Well, if you'll all promise not to report me...
It was ply and needed just one rip quick so...
well, it's an old standard dewalt705 ya know, and ya know with the blade up there's that little sill area that's back there before ya bump into the stem of the saw housing, and iffin you put da end of the board on there and drop the blade, after you get done you can lift the board up into the blade to milk a little more distance out of it.
Then flip it around and do it again.
Now I'm so ashamed you all know how I abuse tools. There should be a special place in hell for folks like me.
be I hide my face away from public view.be the end
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin Laminate is just a picture of hardwood printed on countertop for your floor.We can imagine something that only exists in our heads, in a form that has no measurable, tangible reality, and make it actually occur in the real world. Where there was nothing, now there is something.Forrest - makin' magic every day
While I usually work as a trim carpenter I found myself installing a battery back up sump pump for a friend. I needed to drill a hole 1/8" in the discharge line between the pump and the check valve. According to the instructions this is necesary to prevent the pump from becoming water locked. Anyway, I had everthing on the truck except my drill and bits. I ended up using a dry wall scew and my impact driver. It worked pretty well after I used the screw as a punch to give me a place to start, PVC pipe is really too slippery even for a sharp pointed dry wall screw.IT'S NOT TOOL ABUSE, IT'S THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
so easy a framer could do it...
:)Namaste
"The truth, when told does nothing but bolster a mans character." -Big Cal Stew 2006
"There are 2 kinds of people in the world, those who divide the world into 2 kinds of people and everyone else" -Gloria Steinham
"The shrub administration is a bunch of Focking CrIminals" -Me
Well lemme tell ya li'l cowpoke...
when a snake falls in love with the spaghetti, it's time to buy a new hat... - Scott Adams
I may not want to admit it but I'm a fool for your stockings I believe... ZZ-Top
I'd be inclined to say "all of them" for various reasons. Most abused is probably screw drivers used as nail sets, chisels and pry bars (works well couple with a drywall knife to remove molding). Have used chisels as screw drivers and pry bars. Use the hook on tape measure all the time to score Styrofoam as I slide the smart end along the edge of the panel, then can just snap the panel at the measured score line (and it doesn't really hurt the tape measure). Use hammer claw as chisel, help in picking up heavy walls, breaking banding on bunks of wood, as climber's axe to get off steep roof (before it was shingled). That's about all I can recall right now--the list would be pretty long!
(Oh, the fave I learned from my framing boss was using circular saw as a fan to blow sawdust off the roof deck so you don't slip on it--also used the saw running the blade perpendicular to its normal mode of travel to plane boards, clean out notches, etc.) Oh, I tried to trim my thumb nail once with a jigsaw--did too good a job! (Just kidding--it's a long story, but I got my thumb in front of the saw while cutting a sink opening in a countertop.)
I once forgot a fork for my salad and punched a few brads into a piece of wood.
Very creative!! After all, a man's gotta eat,,,even if it is salad.
http://grungefm.com