Neat household MacGyver tricks you've learned

[flashflood]

A plant sprayer, 91% rubbing alcohol, and Bic lighter make a nice flamethrower. It's particularly useful when you get a fast-moving fly inside. I've found that the flame is short-lived enough that it won't damage paint, but YMMV and definitely not recommended near drapes.

 

[raggie33]

mine is while cooking and say waiting for wate rto boil or noodles to cook i clean the kithcen always staying busy.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Member flashflood: That is intriguing. Can you provide additional details? Spray pattern, sweeping movement or stationary blast, duration of stream?

I used to use 91% isopropyl to start wood stove fires (yeah, don't do this at home) but our place of work was throwing out expired hand sanitizer at the beginning of the COVID lockdown and turns out it is outstanding for even old, opened hand sanitizer to quickly get a fire going on a cold winter morning. Flame movement is slow compared to the alcohol. Just remember to not spray it on an already lit fire (just in case), and if you get sanitizer on your hand while applying, do not use those fingers to light the match...

 

[Poppy]

Chance we are in the Atlantic Flyway of the Canada goose. You are in the Pacific Flyway. At any rate, they can be a PIA. We have a large detention pond within our development, and some of the neighbors whose property backs up to it have found that they are as welcome as rats.

They also put motion detectors on their lawn sprinkler systems, to deter the flying rats.

 

[Poppy]

A plant sprayer, 91% rubbing alcohol, and Bic lighter make a nice flamethrower. It's particularly useful when you get a fast-moving fly inside. I've found that the flame is short-lived enough that it won't damage paint, but YMMV and definitely not recommended near drapes.

Much safer! Use windex!

Flys don't fly well with wet wings. You can spray them and they'll drop to the floor, or window sill, where you can crush them before their little wings dry off.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Much safer! Use windex!

Flys don't fly well with wet wings. You can spray them and they'll drop to the floor, or window sill, where you can crush them before their little wings dry off.

Hairspray.

Drops mic and walks off stage. 😎

 

[bykfixer]

Look,
This Megeyver has pockets full of duct tape, chewing gum, tools to build a rocket launcher, some playing cards and a tooth brush. No room for Windex, rubbing alcohol or hairspray.

However, one of the best flyswatters man concocted is the baseball cap. Especially the vented back trucker version. And if I'm awake, there's one on my head or nearby. "Hold still liitle housefly"………"sher-pwack!!!!" done.

 

[Glenn7]

Sprinkle bicarb soda on superglue = Instant! rock solid dry, file/sand off ruff stuff.
Sprinkle that on your tea bag nail fix, post 1.

 

[orbital]

+

If you make your own cables for things, there is a way to not have to buy a big crimper or the hammer type.
Purchased just the die set and put them in my bench vice to crank down on & get a vault solid crimp.

Got some 4awg pure copper lugs (came w/ shrink tubing) and carefully put them loosely into the vice w/ the dies..
Once everything was sorted & holding in place, insert your welding cable or whatever your using and crank down on it all the way.

Also soldered into the neck for the best possible anchoring/connection,, maybe a bit of overkill, but its' really good. Then shrink tube.
Made a couple cables about an hour ago,, worked perfect.

I find making cables very satisfying


** dies used were labeled (25) for 4awg cable & lug

these::: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098R455L4/?tag=cpf0b6-20

 

[PhotonWrangler]

I'm not sure if this counts as a MacGyver trick, but it's been working for me:

I can usually sense the very beginnings of a sinus infection from a unique odor in my nose that's hard to describe. It's somewhere between mushrooms and old sneakers. Anyway I've learned that if I sense this odor and I immediately flush my nasal passages with sterile saline, I can stop the infection in it's tracks before it spreads. This has worked for me many times.

 

[thermal guy]

One neat trick I have learned is to load the dishwasher completely different than your significant other. They will get frustrated and tell you to forget it and they will do it from now on😁

 

[PROFG59]

How to get home fuel oil out of 275g top siphon tank with no pump. Wet/dry vac output just enough pressure but not too much to rupture tank. Obvious clone is 2 hoses in car gas tank with plastic bag rapped around - blow into one to start siphon - no gas in mouth!!

 

[PhotonWrangler]

In a pinch for a flexible tape measure, a length of Kevlar mule tape will work as long as you only need 1 foot accuracy.

For another quick & dirty measuring tool, take a measurement from the tip of your finger to the first joint. You may find that you've been carrying around a 1-inch ruler all the time.

 

[globen6]

Saw but haven't tried reinforcing superglue with baking soda for repairs to plastic.

 

[LEDphile]

For another quick & dirty measuring tool, take a measurement from the tip of your finger to the first joint. You may find that you've been carrying around a 1-inch ruler all the time.

There are a number of old measurement units based on (nominal) human dimensions. To wit:

• "Hand" = width across the palm with fingers together ~= 4"
• "Span" = width tip of thumb to tip of little finger with fingers outstretched ~=8"
• "Foot" = length of your foot (this one is worth measuring on yourself, as it's useful for estimating small distances)
• "Cubit" = distance from fingertips to elbow ~=18"
• "Yard" = distance from fingertips to body centerline (think measuring cloth by holding it close in one hand and counting it out with the other)
• "Pace" = distance covered by stride with both the left and right legs a during normal walking ~=5.28 feet (at least in Roman times - a mile was originally 1000 paces) (this is worth measuring on yourself as it's very useful for getting rough distances, it's typically close to your height)

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Great tips!
The width of some peoples's thumbs is an inch; if both hands are available it is quick to use both thumbs for some measurements, having thumbs facing opposite directions using a kind of leapfrog action.

In the 70's, my university offered a Surveying and Drainage course. One entire class session was held on a field that was measured out for us to fine tune our paces. After deciding on a certain speed and step length that was consistent, we calculated each pace to the tenth of a foot (as I remember it). We only counted when the same leg went forward (so as not to be burdened with having to count too fast or too much)

 

[bykfixer]

There are a number of old measurement units based on (nominal) human dimensions. To wit:

• "Hand" = width across the palm with fingers together ~= 4"
• "Span" = width tip of thumb to tip of little finger with fingers outstretched ~=8"
• "Foot" = length of your foot (this one is worth measuring on yourself, as it's useful for estimating small distances)
• "Cubit" = distance from fingertips to elbow ~=18"
• "Yard" = distance from fingertips to body centerline (think measuring cloth by holding it close in one hand and counting it out with the other)
• "Pace" = distance covered by stride with both the left and right legs a during normal walking ~=5.28 feet (at least in Roman times - a mile was originally 1000 paces) (this is worth measuring on yourself as it's very useful for getting rough distances, it's typically close to your height)

1 yard = 1 circumfrance around my waist post covid

 

[Toulouse42]

1 yard around your waist. If you're over 60 that's damn good.

 

[bykfixer]

1 yard around your waist. If you're over 60 that's damn good.

It was a meter at one point (3.25 feet) but I'm working on it little by little. When my fat jeans no longer fit I said "alright this is ridiculous".

If 60 was a car in front of me I'm right up against the bumper of it.

 

[orbital]

+

If you have crazy birds, driving you nuts, smashing into your windows thinking it's fighting another bird for dominance.
Take your strongest thrower light, have it on max output & shine it at them.

They get the memo