Reader Shares His Creative Ideas

Reader Shares His Creative Ideas FARM HOME Miscellaneous FARM SHOW reader Ben Parks knows the value of a homemade solution for a lingering problem Here he shares some of his ideas Parks didn’t want to throw away an old broken coiled phone cord so he disconnected it from the phone and using electrical tape attached one end to a ballpoint pen and the other to a clipboard clip hole securing it in place with a plastic bag twist tie Now when he grabs his clipboard a pen is always included Second Parks figured out how to use a dryer vent brush that was too short to reach the end of his vent pipe Clearing out the dryer vent helps it dry more quickly uses less energy overall and reduces fire risk “The way my house is built the washer/dryer is in front of an interior wall instead of an outside wall ” says Parks “Because the dryer vent is on the inside wall the plumbers ran the dryer vent pipe up the wall through the roof making the need for such a long brush 18 ft to reach the bottom ” He reused a 20-ft piece of pvc pipe left over from a construction project and taped the brush to the pipe to extend its length Now he can get through the 18-ft pipe to the roof without issue Third Parks wrapped the left sun visor on his truck with the clear plastic that comes covering mailed magazines He left the side ends open on each side to form a pocket that he can slip papers into it So far the plastic visor guard has proven helpful for staying focused and organized on the road “I did this to keep from soiling the visor with my hands but a side benefit is that I can keep my insurance papers on display as well as slip notes receipts and other papers behind the plastic Everything is in plain view when driving ” explains Parks Finally Parks purchased a compact 1-gal shop vac in 1992 that he’s depended on ever since “Its only downfall is that it’s so lightweight that it won’t stay upright and tends to flip over easily when pulling in the house ” he shares Parks’ solution is to keep it in a plastic milk box Not only does it stay upright but the handles on the box make it easy to carry “I also keep my attachments inside and roll the cord and hose up neatly for easy storage ” he says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ben Parks quincy443@yahoo com

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