Pop top makes a handy picture hanger

Tag : Needle Nose Pliers

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just drive a nail into the walland hang a picture? Sometimes, it's just that simple. But sometimesit isn't. If the frame doesn't have a hook or wire, you mustinstall that first. The easiest hanger can be made from a pop top.That's right - a pop top. Just open a can of soda, pull thepull-ring off and then you can attach it to the back of the frame.Find the centre of the frame by measuring and then use a small tackto attach the ring to the top back of the frame. Now you can hangthe frame on the wall with a nail. It's simple, and it's FREE!(Except for the price of the soda.)
Dear Carrells: When I washed my car after our last camp out, ittook forever to get all of the bugs off the front grille. After Ihad finished scraping and cleaning, I sprayed on some oily cookingspray. My wife tells me it will keep the bugs from sticking to thegrille and the license plate. Well, so far, I've not seen any stuckbugs, and I'm thrilled about that.
- N.D.
A SUPER HINT - The old way of sticking a long nail into an opentube of caulk to keep it from clogging up still works, but there'sa better way. Insert a long screw instead. The screw seems to sealbetter and is easily turned back out when you are ready to use moreof the caulk.
Dear Al: My wife wanted to install a very long curtain rod in ourden. I went with her to shop for one, and they cost a fortune. Isaid I could do better, and brought her home a long rod from thehome centre. It was a thin piece of metal conduit, and it only costa few bucks. Of course, we had to install some expensive finials onthe ends, but I still came out way ahead on the price. It reallylooks nice, and nobody can tell the difference.
- N.J.
Q: I have an electrical outlet that a plug has broken off in. Oneof the prongs is stuck in the receptacle. How can I get it out?
- M.D.
A: Turn off the electrical supply to the outlet at yourcircuit-breaker box. See if you can pull it out with someneedle-nose pliers. If you can't find a tool to pull it out, youshould replace the receptacle.
Dear Kelly: I have to admit that I hate to throw anything away. Ihave come up with some pretty creative ways to store things, and myfavourite is to use an old chain as a hanger. I use hooks tostretch it horizontally along the wall. Then I hang things by meansof some simple "S" hooks that I purchased at the hardware store.You actually can hang quite a bit of stuff on a long length ofchain, and it's very easy to get to all of it since you can seewhere it all is. Just don't hang it too high on the wall. I have acouple of chains in my garage for this. Actually, the chains werediscards from another project that I didn't want to throw away.See, I did find a way to use them!
- R.F.
SHOPTALK - The Flip Knife is a patented double-ended utility knifethat is a real time-saver. Since two different blades can be used,you can take care of two chores at once, or have a backup bladeready if the first one fails. The one-touch system makes bladechanges super-quick and simple, and the soft grip offers morecontrol and safety. Check it out at your hardware store or homecenter, or online at www.chhanson.com.
* Got a question or a handy tip? Visit our website atwww.thesuperhandyman.com. Those of general interest will be used infuture columns.