A screeching motor is often crying for oil and lubrication, whichcan be vital to its life. Many times though, you'll find that theplace where the oil needs to be is almost impossible to get to. Tomake matters worse, the oil can itself might not have a spout longenough to reach that far. This is when a good sports-drink bottle cancome in handy. No, not to drink from, but to use to dispense the oil.Many the sports bottles have a long spout or straw, which makes themperfect at getting into those hard-to-reach spots. Put a little oilin the sports bottle and see if it can give you the extra reach youneed to take care of the lubricating.
DEAR AL & KELLY: The last time I had a flat tire I pulled off theroad into a very soft spot. Before I had a chance to move, the tirewent completely flat. I thought I was not going to be able to changethe tire because I couldn't get anything flat under the jack tostabilize it. I finally found a scrap of wood to use in the ditch. Ihave kept that scrap of wood in my trunk for months now and plan toleave it there. You never know, as I didn't, when something like thiswill happen to you. You should be prepared.
A SUPER HINT: It's not always a good idea to tightly wind upextension cords while they are being used. Heat can build up anddamage the tools, or, even worse, the cord itself can be a firehazard. It is best to keep them loosely coiled instead, even thoughit might mean they are more in the way.
DEAR CARRELLS: I get a lot of lime and scale buildup in my kitchenand bathroom because of the water supply in our area of the country.It can be hard to clean if you let it build up too much. I have foundthat household hydrogen peroxide works very well to break it down. Ihave used vinegar, too, but this can be tough on the hands. Theperoxide works just as well, and it doesn't smell bad, either.
Q. We were lucky after they finished building our home. We found alarge stack of bricks that were left over. We were thinking aboutusing them for a walkway or a small patio. Are they OK to use forthis purpose?
A. These bricks are made for walls and are not really the righttypes for walkways or patios. They might break apart after a while,but you can certainly try if you like. The price is right ... ormaybe you've already paid for them and just didn't know it!
DEAR AL: I was tired of our plain concrete steps, so I wanted topaint them. I cleaned them off really well and then went to buy thepaint. I thought I could find a paint that had some texture alreadyin it to make the steps a little safer when they are wet or icy, butI found nothing. I finally bought a bag of regular play sand and usedit. First I painted and then, before the paint dried, I sprinkled thesand heavily over the wet paint. Some of the sand came off once thepaint was dry, but quite a bit of it is embedded in the paint. It'sgot a rugged look to it and looks pretty neat. It works, too.
SHOP TALK: Task lights are lamps that are designed into areaswhere extra light might be needed to perform special tasks on demand.Adding task lights can be difficult and costly, but GE has a reallyeasy-to-install, ultra-thin, 8-watt fixture that can be installed inminutes. It is very low-profile and has a nice swivel head to allowyou to have the light right where you need it. It's made to fit undercabinets, making it perfect for a kitchen or small office, laundryroom or workshop. It comes with a three-year warranty. Look for theProfile Fluorescent Undercabinet Fixture Swivel Light from GE athardware, discount and lighting stores, as well as many home centers.For more information, you can contact GE by calling (800) 435-4448 orby visiting its Web site at www.gelighting.com.
Got a question or a handy tip? Send it to the Super Handyman c/othe Chicago Sun-Times, 401 N. Wabash, Chicago 60611, or visitwww.thesuperhandyman.com.
