What every day tool device or object do you use in an unconventional manner?

[ebinmaine 67,271]

This question popped into my head this morning as I was stirring my coffee ... With a butter knife.

It's a habit I picked up from my Honey about 3-1/2  years ago when we first started hanging around together.

As most of you can well imagine the first time I saw her do that I was instantly convinced that she was insane.

Stirring things is done with a spoon. Everybody knows that.

When queried about her obvious weirdocity her response was Laden with dubious amounts of Common Sense and logical thinking.

 

When she was younger her family never had enough spoons because they were always using them and they always had too many butter knives because nobody was ever using them. Also, they have a broad blade to induce appropriate stirration of the Java. And, the total length of most butter knives is longer than the total length of most standard spoons thereby enabling one to stir a tall to go style cup without dunking ones digits which is obviously undesirable for multitudes of reasons.

 

All that I had ever known to be good and just and correct about spoons was instantly undermined and changed my life forever.

 

 

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

I do know one thing you don't do with a butter knife is eat peas!! 

[peter lena 8,580]

interesting subject, my mother told me of camping in the Adirondacks in the 1930,s and stirring coffee with a  stick , making do with everything, and adding that it was the best coffee she ever had, thanks mom, pete  

[ebinmaine 67,271]

3 minutes ago, peter lena said:

interesting subject, my mother told me of camping in the Adirondacks in the 1930,s and stirring coffee with a  stick , making do with everything, and adding that it was the best coffee she ever had, thanks mom, pete  

I make Camp coffee, Cowboy Coffee, boiled coffee, whatever you want to call it. Every weekend. There's a bit of a science to getting it just about right but it's great stuff.

[Ed Kennell 38,022]

Now you guys are taking me back some 60+ years to my Boy Scout  back packing days  on the Appalachian Trail.

Our favorite hot beverage was hot chocolate.     We folded the aluminum packets tightly into a swizzle stick to stir the chocolate. 

[dells68 7,498]

My Mom commandeered my Dad’s channel lock pliers to use to open pop bottles many years ago.  She passed over 3 years ago and we still had them until recently when Emory borrowed them and misplaced them - aka lost them.  Don’t know if this counts, but I bought a door panel removal tool (for the clips) and used it along with a pair of vice grips holding it to the engine as a valve spring compressor on the little 3hp Briggs I’ve been helping Emory with - works great!

[Sarge 3,463]

Does using a Ford Model T jack to lift a Wheel Horse count?

Or, my wife's use of a pair of my old CeeTeeCo Chanellock Pliers (USA) to break up the dog's treats to mix into his food?

 

Sarge

[SylvanLakeWH 25,490]

Screw drivers as tent stakes.

 

Any type of tape folded backward over hand - lint remover.

 

Old pair of scissors up side down on drill motor - handles spin and you have a paint stir device.

 

 

 

[oliver2-44 9,681]

In my youth I had a 66 Ford F250 and the inside door handles kept falling off due to the splines in the pot metal handles being worn out.  Replace them with cheap vice grips tightly squeezed and they stayed on for several years.

  Today my sons think my shop built 4 ft sand blast cabinet, 55 gallon E-tank and 5 gallon bucket of vinegar for rust and paint removal are unconventional for the typical home shop. ( I have cleaned several neighbors black cast iron pots that had gotten "too" seasoned.  I also use a leaf blower to clean my shop ever so often, especially after a large woodworking or paint sanding project. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by oliver2-44

[Chris G 3,296]

I have a motorcycle down tube for the forks, that I have put rubber grip tape on the one end as a handle and I use it as a breaker bar. 

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

4 hours ago, The Tool Crib said:

I do know one thing you don't do with a butter knife is eat peas!! 

Just don’t eat peas 😂

 

9 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said:

I also use a leaf blower to clean my shop ever so often, especially after a large woodworking or paint sanding project. 

Also good for helping bonfires take off. 

 

I have an extra 1in wrench that makes a good thin hammer when not a lot of weight is needed and space is tight. 

 

One of our air compressors has a Y so we can run the air, and it runs a foot operated can crusher my FIL built from scratch. 

 

You can also take an old wooden wooden spoon and use it with a drill to stir paint as well. I also used this method to degas wine. 

 

If youre using onions for cooking, it’s easier to dice them in sections, so I use a apple slicer to section them in one go. 

 

Dawn dish soap will clear up diaper rash in kids, and helps with chaffing if you’re a sweater (a person who sweats, not a pull over top 😂)   Just add it to bath water as you fill the tub. 

 

Kitty litter works great on oil spills (most people know this but someone may not) 

 

If you’ve got some PVC pipe laying around, you can cut it into sections, screw it to the wall and have tool holders. This is how we keep our fishing poles organized. 

 

Ocassionally when i cant find my lighter i use my propane propane torch to light my smokes, that usually gets some wide eyes.😂

 

 

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

I work in a shop that some people not myself  will use a battery operated drill as a hammer. Just turn it around and beat it! That can't be good

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

4 minutes ago, KyleLengerich said:

Just don’t eat peas 😂

 

Also good for helping bonfires take off. 

 

I have an extra 1in wrench that makes a good thin hammer when not a lot of weight is needed and space is tight. 

 

One of our air compressors has a Y so we can run the air, and it runs a foot operated can crusher my FIL built from scratch. 

 

You can also take an old wooden wooden spoon and use it with a drill to stir paint as well. I also used this method to degas wine. 

 

If youre using onions for cooking, it’s easier to dice them in sections, so I use a apple slicer to section them in one go. 

 

Dawn dish soap will clear up diaper rash in kids, and helps with chaffing if you’re a sweater (a person who sweats, not a pull over top 😂)   Just add it to bath water as you fill the tub. 

 

Kitty litter works great on oil spills (most people know this but someone may not) 

 

If you’ve got some PVC pipe laying around, you can cut it into sections, screw it to the wall and have tool holders. This is how we keep our fishing poles organized. 

 

Ocassionally when i cant find my lighter i use my propane propane torch to light my smokes, that usually gets some wide eyes.😂

 

 

You forgot W-D40 for arthritis!

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

1 minute ago, The Tool Crib said:

I work in a shop that some people not myself  will use a battery operated drill as a hammer. Just turn it around and beat it! That can't be good

I’ve never understood that. 

I can see using another solid object as a hammer in a pinch, but with the prices of drills and other power tools these days, and as quickly as they fail these days, that just doesn’t make sense 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

 

Ive also used a  fish tank filter as a water pump. Attach a length of hose to the inlet siphon and it’ll pump small amounts of water out of places quickly depending on the pump. 

1 minute ago, The Tool Crib said:

You forgot W-D40 for arthritis!

No, you use that on your food when you’re constipated 😂😂

 

But! WD40 and a lighter make for a good bug killer 😂😂

[formariz 11,987]

In 1980 I had a car where the main muffler clamp broke so muffler was dragging on floor. As an emergency repair I took one of my vise grips and clamped it in there.Sure enough I forgot about it. About 6 years later car went to shop for new shocks.Guy calls me and asks me if I also want him to fix exhaust or just leave the vise grips on. At first I just said "what" but then it came to mind. So he fixed it and I still use that vise grip today.

[Ed Kennell 38,022]

Some have been known to use the Ms.  blow dryer to remove old  license decals from the boat hull.

[oliver2-44 9,681]

This made me rember, some years ago we got a new dish washer because the baskets were all rusted out on the old one. I used the old one for a parts washer till it died.....I need another dish washer.

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

3 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

Some have been known to use the Ms.  blow dryer to remove old  license decals from the boat hull.

And here I spent the better part of an hour scrapping! 😂

[bottjernat1 2,190]

I can use any key to start my truck or screwdriver. LOL I think the key switch is a bit wore out. LOL

[Ed Kennell 38,022]

1 minute ago, bottjernat1 said:

I can use any key to start my truck or screwdriver.

 

  OK,  what engine is in that screwdriver?     

[bottjernat1 2,190]

7 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

 

  OK,  what engine is in that screwdriver?     

i just discovered this about a year ago. She has been a good truck it an 01 dakota i have had her since 2004. but she is needing more tlc then i want to put into her. I about lost it when i tried a ford 8n tractor key in it once and it worked. LOL weird thing is it doesnt work all the time just once in a while i can use random keys. LOL

[The Gman 476]

I use my floor jack a strap and a flat bar to break stubborn tire beads

[pfrederi 17,663]

Clothes pins resolve the problem of throttle cables that no longer twist lock .. for a lot less than new cables...

 

 

 

[oldredrider 2,548]

While driving in a snow storm, one of my wipers flew off. To prevent scratching the windshield, I used a condom on the wiper arm. Got me thru the 70 mile trip.

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

25 minutes ago, oldredrider said:

While driving in a snow storm, one of my wipers flew off. To prevent scratching the windshield, I used a condom on the wiper arm. Got me thru the 70 mile trip.

That reminds me: tube socks to cover wipers for cars parked outside. Keeps em from freezing. 

 

I also keep an old CC in my wallet for an impromptu scrapper in a pinch. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by KyleLengerich