My old 8-inch flexible brush finally gave out halfway through a job in Cedar Rapids last Tuesday.

I had to finish the flue by hand with a wire whip, which took an extra two hours and made me think about how we all rely too much on one tool - what's your backup plan when your main gear fails?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_cooper2d ago

Honestly, that "rely too much on one tool" thing hits home. I once had my only drill die on me right before anchoring a big threshold. Now I keep a cheap corded one in the truck as a backup, just in case. It's saved my butt more than once.

blair_chen812d ago

Oh man, you're smarter than me... I once tried to use a butter knife as a flathead when my screwdriver vanished. How many stripped screws does it take to learn that lesson? Apparently more than I've stripped so far.

-1

wright.leo2d ago

Wait, you actually tried a butter knife? Did it even fit in the screw head? I'm surprised you didn't just snap the knife tip off. That's the kind of move that makes me wince, man. I've seen some bad fixes, but using kitchen tools for hardware is a new level of desperate.