Month: June 2016
Charlotte Pipe
Some things change. Others stay the same. Our local plumbing supply is a bit of both. Old-school methods and materials tested over generations, some unchanged since Roman times. New ideas to save time and expense now, some destined to fail yet introduced to a hungry public. The spawn of change? Entire developments of luxury homes with Tinker-Toy waste pipes, flexible water lines secured with hose clamps, already springing leaks not one lustrum after completion.
All that new stuff, proven in manufacturers labs but unproven in the final test, Time. Not for me. Copper and cast iron is what I learned and how I stay. Lead and oakum, a centuries old method of pipe connection, or the “new” method of No-Hub® cast iron pipe attachment – now decades old and proven durable.
When the call for multi-generational durability goes out, I head to the same supply house patronized as an apprentice. To the same stack of cast iron pipe I drew from as a lad. The same brand, Charlotte (or Tyler. This is almost a “Skippy or Jif” comparison).
When the builder asks, “Plastic or iron?”, they are talking about the horizontal waste pipes dropping through your home. Perhaps your dining room or den walls. Nothing beats the quiet serenity of cast iron pipe.
Chapman Manufacturing Co
Last weekend I acquired several special chairs at auction. One has a cracked frame and looks beyond salvage – a wintertime project?. The others will be recalled to life with deep cleaning, some frame tightening, and a donated seatback from the fractured chair.
While performing this nostalgic refurbishment – these mid-1950s chairs recall earliest memories – three flathead screws were in need of removal. My new Chapman Master Set was ideal for this task. Previously I have never NOT had a flathead slip upon a tight wood screw. Chapman’s squared edge precision flat screw-bit fit the screw head perfectly, transferring full torque. Definitely the right tool for the job!
Some Mid Century Goodness for your viewing pleasure:
Craftsman Garden Hose
Two winters ago we wrote of our beloved Craftsman garden hose. Pulling the hose from a snowdrift during a daytime thaw of 44˚F in January. Treating my truck to a quick wash-down before temperatures again plummeted (it dropped to 8˚F that night).
This hose is still going strong, does not kink, no splits, perfect performance with every use. The price, double or even treble a vinyl hose, is forgiven. Rather than endure mediocre performance of a cheap one-season hose, I went with the best. The investment has paid off handsomely.
With Father’s Day around the corner, I’ve thought about a second hose for Dad. A quick internet check shows Craftsman 50′ hose prices starting at $20, nearly half the usual. Shopping for Dad was never easier, with quality like the Craftsman hose a few clicks away.
American Toolbox 