Loosen a stubborn screw, bolt, or nut with a shot of penetrating oil. If you don't have oil, use hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar, kerosene, or household ammonia. Should these prove ineffective, heat the metal with an iron, rap it sharply with a hammer while it's still hot, and try again to loosen it. You can work most rusted bolts loose by pouring a carbonated beverage on them. If a bolt repeatedly loosens due to vibrations, coat the threads with fingernail polish and reinsert it. It won't loosen again. And if you need to remove it, you can break the seal with a little effort. You can prevent a knot in nylon rope from working loose by holding it briefly over a small flame. The heat will melt and bond the fibers.
Avoid burning your fingers when lighting a pilot light with a short match. Simply clamp the match in an alligator clip at the end of a straight-ened coat hanger. You can use a coping saw blade to remove a broken-off key from a lock. Slide the blade in beside the key, turn it toward the key so its teeth sink into the key's soft brass, and then pull the blade out along with the key fragment.
Dipping the ends of a rope in shellac will keep them from unraveling. To prevent metal tubing from denting when sawing it, insert a round dowel that fits the tube s interior tightly. To hide a screw head, drill a counterbored hole, seat the screw, glue a piece of doweling into the counterbore, and sand it flush. If you don't have a carpenter's level, you can substitute a tall, straight-sided jar with a lid. Fill the jar three-quarters full with water. Lay it on its side on the surface you're testing when the water is level, the surface is, too.
If you know the exact width of your hand with thumb and fingers spread, you can make rough measurements without using a ruler or tape measure. As an aid in measuring lumber or pipe, paint lines a foot apart on a concrete floor. If you're out of penetrating oil, you can substitute hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, or kerosene. An old nylon stocking makes an effective strainer if you're out of cheesecloth. For easy workshop measuring, fasten a yard stick to the edge of your workbench. Cut keyhole slots in the yardstick so you can remove it when you need it elsewhere.
Avoid burning your fingers when lighting a pilot light with a short match. Simply clamp the match in an alligator clip at the end of a straight-ened coat hanger. You can use a coping saw blade to remove a broken-off key from a lock. Slide the blade in beside the key, turn it toward the key so its teeth sink into the key's soft brass, and then pull the blade out along with the key fragment.
If you know the exact width of your hand with thumb and fingers spread, you can make rough measurements without using a ruler or tape measure. As an aid in measuring lumber or pipe, paint lines a foot apart on a concrete floor. If you're out of penetrating oil, you can substitute hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, or kerosene. An old nylon stocking makes an effective strainer if you're out of cheesecloth. For easy workshop measuring, fasten a yard stick to the edge of your workbench. Cut keyhole slots in the yardstick so you can remove it when you need it elsewhere.
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