Tool Tips -- June 2006

Send us your Tool Tips for the chance to win a $200 RIDGID® Prize Package.

Radio Flyer On Steroids

I do a lot of residential plumbing and due to high water conditions in our area, most houses are built over a 4-ft. crawl space instead of a full basement. I use a heavy-duty wagon (my wife thought I was crazy when I told her I wanted a wagon) with pneumatic tires to move my tools and materials back and forth in the crawl space. It's a lot easier than the old bucket system. Keeps my tools out of the dirt and easily accessible.

It's actually a “nursery wagon,” 38 inches by 20 inches, with 10-inch pneumatic tires, ball bearing wheels, auto-style front steering, 1,000-lb. weight capacity, expanded metal steel deck with 2-inch siderail. I purchased it through Northern Tools and Equipment for around $100.
Joe Zuback
T&J Plumbing Inc.
Pinedale, Wy.

Rubber Meets Road

This tip is for anyone who has ever encountered problems with battery-operated flush heads that have extreme buildup of lime or are just plain tired of hitting your knuckles on the wall when the wrench slips. Simply purchase an oil filter wrench for automobiles and line the inside with a thin layer of rubber (make sure you use a good adhesive). This will eliminate slipping of the wrench and gives you a lot more torque for those hard-to-get ones.
Dave Carrero
D-L Mechanical
Passaic, N.J.

Copper For Chrome

When cutting a chrome extension tube for angle stops during finish work, try first inserting some 1/2-inch copper tubing. It makes the cut cleaner and allows your escutcheon to slide over it more easily, so the escutcheon stays tight. It also saves time because you don't have to ream it, which is what causes the escutcheon to get loose in the first place.
Matt Boulay
Travers Plumbing and Heating
Portsmouth, R.I.

Send Us Your Tool Tips

If you have an idea that has saved you time and money, Plumbing & Mechanical would like to share your tip with our readers. You can e-mail your idea directly to PM editor Steve Smith at smiths@bnpmedia.com, or mail it to him c/o PM, 1050 IL Route 83, Suite 200, Bensenville, IL 60106.

Our first-place winner will receive the following from Ridge Tool Co. The RIDGID® Prize Package consists of eight professional hand tools and has a $200 total value:

14-inch and 18-inch HD RAPIDGRIP™ Self-Adjusting Wrenches for easy, one-hand operation.
One-Stop™ Wrench, a compound tool for installing compression couplings.
10-inch Wide-Mouth Adjustable Wrench featuring tapered jaws for tight areas.
10 1/2-inch Plumber's Tongue-and-Groove Pliers with extra-wide opening jaws.
No. 117 Midget Tubing Cutter for use in confined areas.
No. 151 Quick-Acting Tubing Cutter for smoother operation.
6-in-1 Multi-Purpose Screwdriver with two Phillips heads, two flat heads and two nut drivers.

Ridge Tool Company is the sponsor of Tool Tips and does not necessarily endorse the readers' submissions.