What’s New – Seasonal

Now that I’m all caught up on our many travels, it’s almost Halloween, and it’s time for some seasonal new products here at the store. These items all fit in with the change of the seasons from warm to cool, and the chores associated with them.

The first one is probably a little late for the season, But if you’re as behind in your chores as me, it might still be handy. It’s a special heavy duty paint scraper. I don’t know about you, but our house always needs a little paint touch up each year. Also, at about 150 years young, chances are pretty good that that paint job will entail scraping off at least some old paint. Regular paint scrappers usually have blades of tempered steel. These work well when new and sharp, but after a little use, especially on really hard, old paint they often fall a little short. Most folks that I know (me included) don’t sharpen scrapers very often. The answer? A new scraper with a tungsten carbide blade. Tungsten carbide is much harder than steel and the sharp edge will last almost indefinitely. Finally get it dull, you can flip the blade over for a new edge. Run out of edges? We also stock replacement blades at a reasonable cost.

The second tool is also related to the cooler weather. Just the other day my wife’s car’s tire inflation light came on. One of the tires was low! I hoped that it wasn’t the same one that we’d had to have fixed on our trip (I didn’t tell you about that one!). No, they were all just a little low. Why? Because it was during the first really cold snap and the air in her tires had contracted, lowering the pressure. That is one reason they advise drivers to check their tire pressure periodically. Small changes happen everyday, but the big seasonal temperature swings have to be compensated for. Tires need to be aired up in the Fall, and you actually have to let a little out in the Spring. A good quality air pressure gauge is needed to make sure the pressure is right. For years I used a series of the little ”pocket” tire gauges. They work, but you have to be careful to get an accurate reading. I usually checked them twice. Then I got a REAL tire gauge. This one is a full 12 inches long and must weigh half a pound. It is much easier to use and I love it. It is a little big to carry around all the time, I keep mine on the shelf in our garage. My old pocket one lives in the glove compartment for roadside checks, but the big one is my new favorite.

The last item is for the upcoming holidays. I like to set a good looking table for folks, and we have some nice silver plated tableware that I like to use. I don’t polish it often, but I’ve had to brighten some pieces up on occasion. A good silver polish is essential, and our new one is by “Howards”. It is good for real silver as well as plate along with chrome and most other metals. Just apply with a cloth and then buff to a clean shine. A good polishing really makes your good silver look nice. Just don’t forget to drop off my invitation for dinner, at The Old Hardware Store…