IMMOVABLE OBJECT: A stubborn nut on an old lawnmower or pickup truck refuses to budge.
THE QUICK FIX: The standard tactic since the dawn of the acetylene torch has been to heat the nut until it glows red. When heat alone won't cut it, touch a candle to the glowing nut. The wax will melt and flow into the threads, acting as a lubricant.
RISING WATERS: The toilet is about to overflow, and you know that your usual tactic of slamming the lid and crossing your fingers won't work.
THE QUICK FIX: As soon as the water level in the bowl starts rising, reach into the tank and prop up the fill valve (the ball or cylinder that floats on top of the water). That will stop the flow to the toilet, thwarting an overflow. The plunger, however, still awaits.
BLURRED VISION: The zoom shots from your fancy new digital camera are fuzzy.
THE QUICK FIX: Only use your optical zoom. Most digital cameras have both optical zoom, in which the lens moves (just like a zoom on a film camera), and digital zoom, which manipulates the image electronically. The digital zoom can compromise the quality of the image. If you want more magnification than the optical zoom can handle, it's better to achieve it on a computer after the fact.
SHAGGY LAWN: You need to cut the grass before the in-laws show up but your mower won't start.
THE QUICK FIX: Before you give up and take it to the repair shop, try this. First, take out the spark plug and empty the gas. Then, get a new plug, add some fresh gas to the tank and, more often than not, the mower will start right up.
CRACKED TEETH: Someone--not you, surely--has broken a key off in a door lock, which is now jammed shut.
THE QUICK FIX: Use a grinding wheel to shape an old hacksaw blade into a harpoon-like point. Then, slip the point into the lock over one of the key nubs and use the hook to fish it out.
UNPLANNED POOL: A big rain has flooded your basement. And, since it knocked out the power too, your usually reliable sump pump won't pump.
THE QUICK FIX: If you live on a slope, try making a siphon. First, fill a garden hose with water from the outside spigot. Seal one end with your thumb and have a friend seal the other. Place one end through the cellar window and into the standing water. Then, have your friend carry the other end as far downhill as possible (the outlet has to be below the intake). Release your thumbs and let gravity do the rest.
DAMPNESS AT NOON: Your clothes dryer seems to have lost its zip.
THE QUICK FIX: Clear the vent duct by removing the vent pipe and pulling out any accumulated debris from the pipe and duct. It's a 3-minute fix that can save you a $75 visit from a technician.
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