On Mon, 03 May 2010 00:46:22 -0400, the infamous Gerald Miller
scrawled the following:

On Sun, 2 May 2010 21:54:27 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"Winston" wrote in message
...
Was at the hardware store looking for a wheeled plastic
trash can for yard cleanup. There was only one that
matched my size requirement. Pulled it off the shelf
and one of the wheels fell off!

The end of the axle was dinged and apparently
would not allow the 'top hat' nut to stay fixed.
Figured I could fix it, so I bought it.

Drilled and tapped the end of the axle for 1/4-20 and
parted off a piece of tubing to make a spacer. Wheel
back on with a machine screw, washer and spacer.

It works a treat and I am *much* happier than I have
a right to be!

You rich Californicators love getting that nickel discount, don't you?
titter


I have fixed more than one $1 garden cart, two wheel dolly, or wheeled
device for pennies in the shop. Some were actually a few bucks, but there
was always a profit at the next yard sale.

Ditto. And I never tell the seller how I'll fix it. They may have
more in the future and I don't want to encourage them to attempt
fixing other things I might want.


Like the Lumina APV driver's door exterior handle, a "bell crank" is
mounted to a pot metal post by peening over the end of a 5mm pivot on
top of the post, when the pivot snaps off, the handle just flops
around. Having a broken wrist at the time, and having replaced both
exterior handles previously (when the low strength casting bent out of
shape) at $27.00 each, I visited the nearest Chevy parts counter. When
he rang it up at $69.++, I told the clerk to put it back on the shelf
and I would repair the broken one. He looked at me as if I had four
ears but sarcastically wished me luck. Back home I drilled and tapped
the post and reassembled the mechanism with a 5M cap screw + lock
tight. No more problems until the vehicle was written off 7 years
latter.

Gerry, me lad, you've just led me to the discovery of why so many
people buy Chebbies: They _like_ the fact that their POS cars are
always breaking down because they're inescapably "fixers" at heart.
It gives them justification to buy more tools and use them often.
As is said in some 12-step circles, "Some are sicker than others."

Question: Will you buy a -new- Obamamobile in the future?

--
Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
-- Raymond Lindquist