- #61
larkspur
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gravenewworld said:
If I turn my TV on with the power button on the TV, then my remote starts beeping. When the remote beeps my cats run to it...
Clever Little Ideas - Share Your Tips Here
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Discussion Overview
The thread invites participants to share clever tips and ideas for everyday tasks, covering a wide range of topics including cleaning, cooking, automotive maintenance, and practical life hacks. The discussion includes both practical advice and humorous anecdotes.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Conceptual clarification
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant suggests using liquid soap on hands before greasy jobs to make cleaning easier.
- Another shares a humorous idea of using a broken washer fluid hose as a defense against tailgaters.
- A participant mentions cutting onions underwater to avoid tears.
- Using a 50:50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and water as a cheap and effective cleaner is proposed.
- Creating fossils with fish bones in cement is suggested as a fun activity for children.
- One participant shares a method for removing cat hair using duct tape wrapped around a beer can.
- A method for cutting glass using a string soaked in lighter fluid is mentioned, though its effectiveness is uncertain.
- Concerns about gasoline density and temperature are raised, with one participant questioning if buying gas in the morning yields more volume due to cooler temperatures.
- Another participant notes that modern gas meters adjust for temperature, suggesting that the volume difference may be negligible.
- Using vegetable oil to remove sticker residue is shared as a practical tip.
- A method for cutting cake with dental floss is proposed, with one participant expressing interest in using it for workplace celebrations.
- One participant discusses the thermal expansion of gasoline and its implications for fuel volume in vehicles.
- Another shares tips for maximizing pushup effectiveness and incorporating hand exercises during runs.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express a variety of tips and ideas, but there is no consensus on the effectiveness of all methods discussed, particularly regarding gasoline volume and cutting glass. Some ideas are met with humor, while others invite further exploration or skepticism.
Contextual Notes
Some claims about gasoline density and temperature adjustments may depend on specific conditions and are not universally applicable. The effectiveness of various tips, such as the glass cutting method, remains uncertain and anecdotal.
If I turn my TV on with the power button on the TV, then my remote starts beeping. When the remote beeps my cats run to it...
- #62
Moonbear
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larkspur said:If I turn my TV on with the power button on the TV, then my remote starts beeping. When the remote beeps my cats run to it...
Even easier for me...the remote is usually UNDER the cat. I don't know why, but she seems to like to sleep on top of the remote.
- #63
larkspur
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Moonbear said:Even easier for me...the remote is usually UNDER the cat. I don't know why, but she seems to like to sleep on top of the remote.
That can't be comfortable. Does she mind when you remove it?
- #64
Ivan Seeking
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Not a trick but very cool. The deductions for a home based business are based on the percentage of the home's area dedicated to doing business. Since my office is actually a converted barn that counts towards the total sq footage of our home, my percent of usage is very high - nearly a third of the total square footage. This means that one third of all maintenence expenses for all five acres are deductible. This came in handy when, for example, we bought a $10K filter system for the well. Since it was maintenance and not an improvement, this would normally not be deductible now, or later [as a home improvement expense against capital gains], but as a business maintenance expense it is completely legal. This applies to almost everything that we do to maintain the property -weed control, hired help, window replacement as we did a few years ago, tree maintenance, gravel for the driveway, etc. I once knew someone who even claimed their cats as a rodent control expense, but I don't think I could look an IRS agent in the eye and claim that I'm entitled to that one! 
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- #65
Artman
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Summary thus far:
1. When I have a greasy job to do, such as changing the oil in a car, I take some liquid soap and rub it into my hands until it is dry. Then when I finish the job, washing the liquid soap off your hands carries away most of the oil and dirt with minor trouble and much less scrubbing.
2. My clever idea: I didn't fix the hole. Instant defense against tailgaters. They follow too close, I'd have my Cherokee pee on them.
3. Here's mine- when I cut onions I do so with the onion submerged in water-no more tears!
4. My wife and I keep spray bottles around filled with 50:50 rubbing alcohol and water. It's a great cleaner (especially windows, mirrors, counter-tops) and it's really cheap.
5. Make your own fossils by putting fish bones in a bucket of cement. Then leave them out in the garden as a fun weekend activity for children.
6. For removing cat hair from clothes, duct tape wrapped inside-out around a beer can works great.
7. if you need to cut glass without a proper tool you can lay a string soaked in lighter fluid down on it in the pattern you want and light it. A mild tap then supposedly breaks it along the burn line.
8. When I was a kid, my uncle bought me a season ticket for the L.A. Rams games for several years in a row. While learning to maneuver the Coliseum at which we became real pros, I learned that one can cut through any large crowd by holding up a cup of hot coffee and announcing, "Coming through, look out, hot coffee!". For some reason people part like the Red Sea and make room.
9. buy gasoline in the morning when it is cooler, you will get more volume per gallon than if you buy it later in the day when it is warmer and lower density. (May have worked a little a few years ago, but modern gas pumps compensate.)
10. put some vegetable oil on a rag to easily rub off peeled off sticker residue.
11. If you need to cut a cake at a party and need a lot of pieces cut quickly, but neatly, dental floss soaked in water works great. You can make a perfectly straight cut the entire length of the cake.
12. When doing pushups, pause for about 2 seconds at the top each time. This let's blood flow back into your muscles to get oxygen back in (you can feel the whoosh in your arm muscles). You'll be able to do about 50% more pushups with this trick
13. When going on your training runs, take along a GripMaster light tension (4-button) hand exerciser. Gently work the buttons as you run, and switch hands a few times per mile. It's amazing how much easier it makes the run go. Must take your mind off the run or something
14. After learning about brake and throttle control at a racetrack school on my sportbike, and after reading a performance driving book about left-foot braking when driving a car with an automatic transmission, I started using both feet when driving my car. It's amazing how much you can smooth out your driving, cornering, stopping, starting, etc.
15. Read “Out of Wack’s” funny list in post #20.
16. I think I read once that the average person spends almost 24 hours of their lifetime looking for the remote for the TV. Could someone please invent a button on the tv so that when you push it, your remote starts beeping? I'm not sure if this has already been done before.
17. When riding a Harley (and some other bikes, of course) the clutch is swimming in an oil bath. It does not harm the clutch to feather it, and it saves wear on other components if you will feather the clutch to slow, maintain position, and gently resume speed with the clutch only.
18. if you're in a crowded place and you need some room, if you're with others, just say to your friend 'man.. I still can't believe that (insert disease here) test came out positive..' and cough every 30 seconds or so, and in the middle of sentences for added effect. you should get a bit more breathing room after that.
19. The best way to clean the fuzz clogs out of Velcro is to dip it in fish oil and give it to a cat.
20. Never buy fish on a Monday -- not really a clever idea, but good advice
21. Read idea list from the web posted by Art in #39.
21. Here's another one, to keep television screens and computer screens (the old CRT type) from getting too much static and attracting dust, rub a thin film of toothpaste on the screen. (Note that toothpaste is slightly abrasive. It was suggested later to use Vasoline.)
22. I used to be so bad with losing the remote, eventually i just tied it to the tv table with long string.
23. If you have fluorescent fixtures with long-tube-type bulbs (I have some in my shop and garage) and a bulb seems to want to flicker instead of coming up to full brightness, just swipe your fingers along the bulb - that often does the trick.
24. When we lived in a city here, someone kept breaking into vehicles in the lot of the apartment building. I installed a Radio Shack pager alarm in my car. There was no siren or horn in the car, just a transmitter that set off my pager when someone shook it, tried to open the doors, etc, so I could take a run downstairs with my fungo bat.
25. Check out Evo’s post #51
26. My dad's clever idea was to place a spare key in a small metal box with a magnet superglued to it, then hide the box somewhere on the frame under the car. He kept it there for years and hounded on me to do the same after I locked my keys in my car during one of my trips home.
27. Take a look at Integral’s really cool cat box. #57.
Please let me know if I missed any.
1. When I have a greasy job to do, such as changing the oil in a car, I take some liquid soap and rub it into my hands until it is dry. Then when I finish the job, washing the liquid soap off your hands carries away most of the oil and dirt with minor trouble and much less scrubbing.
2. My clever idea: I didn't fix the hole. Instant defense against tailgaters. They follow too close, I'd have my Cherokee pee on them.
3. Here's mine- when I cut onions I do so with the onion submerged in water-no more tears!
4. My wife and I keep spray bottles around filled with 50:50 rubbing alcohol and water. It's a great cleaner (especially windows, mirrors, counter-tops) and it's really cheap.
5. Make your own fossils by putting fish bones in a bucket of cement. Then leave them out in the garden as a fun weekend activity for children.
6. For removing cat hair from clothes, duct tape wrapped inside-out around a beer can works great.
7. if you need to cut glass without a proper tool you can lay a string soaked in lighter fluid down on it in the pattern you want and light it. A mild tap then supposedly breaks it along the burn line.
8. When I was a kid, my uncle bought me a season ticket for the L.A. Rams games for several years in a row. While learning to maneuver the Coliseum at which we became real pros, I learned that one can cut through any large crowd by holding up a cup of hot coffee and announcing, "Coming through, look out, hot coffee!". For some reason people part like the Red Sea and make room.
9. buy gasoline in the morning when it is cooler, you will get more volume per gallon than if you buy it later in the day when it is warmer and lower density. (May have worked a little a few years ago, but modern gas pumps compensate.)
10. put some vegetable oil on a rag to easily rub off peeled off sticker residue.
11. If you need to cut a cake at a party and need a lot of pieces cut quickly, but neatly, dental floss soaked in water works great. You can make a perfectly straight cut the entire length of the cake.
12. When doing pushups, pause for about 2 seconds at the top each time. This let's blood flow back into your muscles to get oxygen back in (you can feel the whoosh in your arm muscles). You'll be able to do about 50% more pushups with this trick
13. When going on your training runs, take along a GripMaster light tension (4-button) hand exerciser. Gently work the buttons as you run, and switch hands a few times per mile. It's amazing how much easier it makes the run go. Must take your mind off the run or something
14. After learning about brake and throttle control at a racetrack school on my sportbike, and after reading a performance driving book about left-foot braking when driving a car with an automatic transmission, I started using both feet when driving my car. It's amazing how much you can smooth out your driving, cornering, stopping, starting, etc.
15. Read “Out of Wack’s” funny list in post #20.
16. I think I read once that the average person spends almost 24 hours of their lifetime looking for the remote for the TV. Could someone please invent a button on the tv so that when you push it, your remote starts beeping? I'm not sure if this has already been done before.
17. When riding a Harley (and some other bikes, of course) the clutch is swimming in an oil bath. It does not harm the clutch to feather it, and it saves wear on other components if you will feather the clutch to slow, maintain position, and gently resume speed with the clutch only.
18. if you're in a crowded place and you need some room, if you're with others, just say to your friend 'man.. I still can't believe that (insert disease here) test came out positive..' and cough every 30 seconds or so, and in the middle of sentences for added effect. you should get a bit more breathing room after that.
19. The best way to clean the fuzz clogs out of Velcro is to dip it in fish oil and give it to a cat.
20. Never buy fish on a Monday -- not really a clever idea, but good advice
21. Read idea list from the web posted by Art in #39.
21. Here's another one, to keep television screens and computer screens (the old CRT type) from getting too much static and attracting dust, rub a thin film of toothpaste on the screen. (Note that toothpaste is slightly abrasive. It was suggested later to use Vasoline.)
22. I used to be so bad with losing the remote, eventually i just tied it to the tv table with long string.
23. If you have fluorescent fixtures with long-tube-type bulbs (I have some in my shop and garage) and a bulb seems to want to flicker instead of coming up to full brightness, just swipe your fingers along the bulb - that often does the trick.
24. When we lived in a city here, someone kept breaking into vehicles in the lot of the apartment building. I installed a Radio Shack pager alarm in my car. There was no siren or horn in the car, just a transmitter that set off my pager when someone shook it, tried to open the doors, etc, so I could take a run downstairs with my fungo bat.
25. Check out Evo’s post #51
26. My dad's clever idea was to place a spare key in a small metal box with a magnet superglued to it, then hide the box somewhere on the frame under the car. He kept it there for years and hounded on me to do the same after I locked my keys in my car during one of my trips home.
27. Take a look at Integral’s really cool cat box. #57.
Please let me know if I missed any.
- #66
Artman
- 1,507
- 40
If you are working with an electrical extension cord you can loosely knot the appliance cord and the extension cord together before connecting them. this will keep them from accidently disconnecting. The knot should not be tight, just loosely looped around the other cord.
- #67
turbo
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Another extension cord trick that works great with long cords. When you are coiling the cord after use, twist your wrist 180 deg on every other loop when transferring to the hand you are collecting the loops. The keeps the cord relaxed so that there won't be any twists in it and it will lay out easily next time you use it. I also loosely wrap one end of the cord around the loop and plug the male and female connectors together to hold them. NO tangles or twists.
- #68
Jimmy Snyder
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I was surprised that driving at 55 mph on the highway was not included. This saves more gas than buying it when it's cold.Artman said:
- #69
Danger
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This is just a basic safety tip, but some people might not know about it. Attach the chuck key for your electric drill, or the collet wrench for a router or saw, to the end of the cord right by the plug. That way, you have to unplug the tool before messing with the business end.
A companion to that is that if you have Evo's tool-using skills, you might want to grind off the trigger lock on hand-held things like drills so you don't activate it by accident. You can still poke it with a screwdriver or something if you really want it locked.
A companion to that is that if you have Evo's tool-using skills, you might want to grind off the trigger lock on hand-held things like drills so you don't activate it by accident. You can still poke it with a screwdriver or something if you really want it locked.
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- #70
Artman
- 1,507
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Danger said:
This tip also helps you to keep track of the chuck key or collet wrench. Good tip.
jimmysnyder said:
Sorry I missed this.
- #71
Mk
- 2,040
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I was pretty proud of myself one night when I was laying on the bed and the remote control was too far away for me to reach on the bed. So I pulled the sheet closer to me so I didn't have to stretch or move 
I thought it was a clever little idea.
I thought it was a clever little idea.I don't exactly believe that.Artman said:
- #72
Ivan Seeking
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Mk said:
It works! When the lime juice gets into your eyes you will forget all about your headache.
- #73
BobG
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Mk said:I was pretty proud of myself one night when I was laying on the bed and the remote control was too far away for me to reach on the bed. So I pulled the sheet closer to me so I didn't have to stretch or move
I don't exactly believe that.
Head On! Apply directly to the forehead!
- #74
Danger
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Back to electricity...
I have a self-rewinding extension cord bolted under the hood of the car, with the block heater and in-car heater plugged into it. Saves messing about with a separate cord. (Just make sure that it doesn't rewind too hard if you have a plastic grill. )
I have a self-rewinding extension cord bolted under the hood of the car, with the block heater and in-car heater plugged into it. Saves messing about with a separate cord. (Just make sure that it doesn't rewind too hard if you have a plastic grill. )
- #75
Artman
- 1,507
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A wood working tip:
If you are drilling a hole through a board and you need both ends to have a fairly clean hole, clamp a scrap board underneath the one you are drilling that you can also drill into. This scrap board keeps the wood from splintering away from the exit hole on your primary piece of wood.
If you are drilling a hole through a board and you need both ends to have a fairly clean hole, clamp a scrap board underneath the one you are drilling that you can also drill into. This scrap board keeps the wood from splintering away from the exit hole on your primary piece of wood.
- #76
Artman
- 1,507
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Another drilling tip:
If you are drilling pilot holes, wrap a piece of tape around the bit where you want to stop your hole. For example, if you need a 1/2" deep pilot hole, wrap the tape around the bit exposing 1/2" at the tip. Then when you drill, watch as you approach the tape and stop your hole when you reach it.
If you are drilling pilot holes, wrap a piece of tape around the bit where you want to stop your hole. For example, if you need a 1/2" deep pilot hole, wrap the tape around the bit exposing 1/2" at the tip. Then when you drill, watch as you approach the tape and stop your hole when you reach it.
- #77
Ivan Seeking
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You can cut glass underwater with a pair of scissors.
- #78
Evo
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I had to look this one up, apparently there is a bit of truth to it.Ivan Seeking said:
"In less than an hour, Chris was back in my office with the following technical report: "It works, sort of." He held in his hand three crudely cut cathedral glass circles, still wet. We examined the evidence. Most apparent, the circles hadn't been "cut," they had been grozed. Identical results, we agreed, could have been achieved with a cheap pair of grozers and no water. Superior results could have been achieved accidently by a three-year-old with a rusty Red Devil."
http://www.spectrumglass.com/Library/ScoreArticles/NoFishStory.html
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- #79
turbo
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And remember all about margaritas?Ivan Seeking said:
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