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Show Home Magazine, THE DAILY HERALD, Friday, September 20, 1996 Page 22 Many have tried to build the better mousetrap Using wrong tool can have bad resylte 150,000 people injured yearly in tool mishaps Newspapers "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." That saying commonly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson still inspires inventors. to American the magazine, mousetrap is the most invented machine in U.S. history. "Since it first opened for business in 1838, the U.S. Patent Office reports that it has granted more than 4,400 mousetrap patents to inventors, 95 percent of them to amateur inventors. Roughly 40 new mousetrap patents are granted each year." would-b- e According Heritage A BRIGHT IDEA: Wattage does not tell how bright a light bulb is. Watts are a measure of energy, not light, and fluorescent bulbs today produce the same amount of light, at a fraction of the energy, as incandescent bulbs, Today's Homeowner magazine reports. That's why light-bul- b today lists packaging light output in lumens as well as wattage. AMERICA ON THE MOVE: Woe to you who have a one-ca- r garage. Most U.S. households these days have two or more vehicles, accordto "Commuting in ing America II," a major new Eno the study by Foundation Transportation whose findings are cited in U.S. News & World Report. ON HOME HAWKISH PROTECTION: If you have a problem with birds crashing into your windows, paste on the silhouette of a hawk in flight. Doing so will cause robins and such to turn tail and run, USA Today reports. Hawk silhouettes sometimes can be bought from the Audubon Society or the gift shops of zoos and natural history museums. MOLTEN SION: WITH PAS- Those of you who don't love the lava lamp must be - "frightened of sex." So says Walker. inventor Craven Explaining his theory about sexuality and the lava lamp to People mag. Walker, 77, said you turn on the '60s flashback and the mystery goo inside "grows possibly a little bit feminine," he says, "then a little bit masculine, then breaks up and has children.". . By KAREN WOLF r Newspapers If you think a screwdriver is for can support chiseling or a a scaffold, read on. You could become one of the 150,000 people a year who receive emergency room treatment for serious injuries due to misusing hand tools, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. It's not surprising that so many people are fixing up and repairing their own homes, "what with the number of how-t- o books, videos, and television sitcoms encouraging home improvements. But homeowners should be aware of what tool they're picking up and how it should be used before building that deck or adding that extra room, experts Knight-Ridde- Knight-Ridde- r end of a tool, like a wrench, to give yourself more leverage. The tool's jaw isn't used to withstanding the extra torque, so the handle will crack and send the user flying. Carl Shelenberger, a salesman for Ace Hardware in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., sees all types of customers ranging from those who know what they want and how to use it to those who don't know much but have plenty of questions. Another group is those "who don't use (tools) that much and say Hand-to- ol "We try to educate tool users to recognize when danger is lurking," says Bill Cosmides, a spokesman for the Hand Tools association Institute, a manufacturers. of U.S. hand-toMany people aren't aware of the large number of hand-toaccidents because they generally don't get reported in the newspapers, he says. ,But that doesn't mean the accidents don't happen. often get hurt because they're too lazy to stop what they're doing to get the right tool, or they try to make the tool they have work for the task at hand, Cosmides says. Most serious injuries result from using a striking tool, like a hammer, or a struck tool, such as a chisel. "You've got the force of impact coming down," he says. A loose fragment of the chisel, when hit, can also go flying. "That chisel should've been discarded, but some people say. Just one more time,' " he says. Other common mishaps occur by using "cheater bars," he says. That's when you take a. pipe or other extender and place it on the safety tips Safety tips from the Hand Tools Institute: Be certain that the hand tools used are the correct ones to do the job. Many people are surprised to learn that there are at least 10 types of wrenches, more than 125 types of pliers, 12 types of screwdrivers and 15 types of hammers. Plastic covered pliers handles are for comfort only, tiotr protection from electrical cur- say. rent . Claw hammers are for driving and removing finishing and common, unhardened nails. Don't strike other steel tools such .as chisels, punches or masonry nails with a claw ham-- , ol ol mer. When working with a wrench, always pull the wrench, never push it. Hand sockets should never be used on power or impact wrenches. Hand sockets usually understand they it, their own renovation or construction work. Make sure your hammer is in good working order and is free of chips or other deformities. "If you don't have a good hammer, it's hard to drive nails," he says. Also, a piece of the hammer might break off and strike you. Don't use defective drill bits, because you'll want to press harder on the drill causing you to lose control. "It's harder on you and harder on the drill," he says. but they don't," Shelenberger says. Those are the people at greatest risk. Besides selecting incorrect tools, some folks are injured when they don't wear protective goggles, he says. "It may not be the tool that hurts them," he says. "It may be a piece of something they hammer that flies off and hits them in the eye." Shelenberger offered several tips for people who want to do have bright finish but may have black finish. Never use an ax to strike a wood splitting wedge, use a woodchipper's maul or a sledge and never use the ax as a splitting wedge. Discard any chisel or punch that is chipped or mushroomed. Don't use a screwdriver for prying, punching, chiseling, or scraping. scorng Screwdrivers should only be used to drive or remove screws. for Never use a for or hoisting supporting a scaffold or platform or for securing a load that may be carried on a vehicle or truck. Never use an extension bar, such as a length of pipe, to increase leverage on a wrench. This could result in breakage of the wrench and personal injury. Wear safety goggles when working with hand tools. you use the wrong one, it will make a sharper edge. Nine times out of 10, it will get ya. It's like a razor blade," he says. residenteaches Preston Royal tial and commercial carpentry at Okaloosa Applied Technology Center in Florida. Modem technology has changed the way people build things, he admits. "You don't use hand tools like you used to," he says. "Now, there's cordless drills; so many automated power tools that make life easy on the carpenter." His advice is keep your tools sharp. "People get hurt more often with a dull tool than a sharp one," he says. When a tool is dull, the user ends up pushing too hard and not maintaining control. Cut or chisel away from your body, rather than toward it, he says. The Hand Tool Institute has booklets, videos, charts and posters on hand tool safety. To obtain materials, write the Hand Tools Institute, 25 N. N.Y., Tarrytown, Broadway, 10591. i --J pis , If you're working on your roof, use shoes that grip. "Some people will go up there with slick shoes," ' he says. Heed the recommended height and weight warnings on ladders. 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