Stanley Thermos

STANLEY THERMOS

If there ever was a symbol of longevity and a first class product, it is the Stanley Thermos. The Stanley Thermos is now over 90 years old, and it still is the top of the line Thermos in quality and longevity. The stories about the Stanley Thermos surviving falls and being run over by Caterpillar tractors, and still keeping contents hot despite being dropped and driven over are very numerous and common. Some stories are quite amazing, and it is quite refreshing to see a product that is as durable and long lasting as the Stanley Thermos.
I personally have my own stories about the Stanley Thermos, I had made some coffee for an outdoor night beside a campfire, I had made the coffee too hot, and it was actually scalding hot when I poured it into my Stanley Thermos. I thought well, it will be at least 6 hours before anyone will be drinking it, so it should be cooled down enough by then. That was a mistake! Sure it was 7 or 8 hours before anyone requested coffee, wow! When she poured some, she spilt coffee on her hand, and sure enough she was scalded. Another instance was when my cousin and I were working for a logging contractor in the forest south of where we live. My cousin left his Stanley Thermos by the edge of the landing where a Caterpillar Tractor drove by and caught the bottom end of the Stanley Thermos with one of the lugs on its tracks. It pushed in the bottom part of the Stanley Thermos, however though it held about ½ a cup less, it still kept his liquids hot and never leaked.
There are several different types, sizes & styles of Stanley Thermos. But they all come in the same durable condition that they all have been built with. These are not thermos’s that only last for a few years, I have had mine for 28 years now and it is still working as fine as it was when I first purchased my Stanley Thermos.

Plumbing Snake

PLUMBING SNAKE

The plumbing snake is one of the more handy and time saving tools in the marketplace. It can be used to unclog sink, bathtub & most often the toilet drain. There are many models and types of the plumbing snake, also varying sizes. There are also other names for the plumbing snake, those being sewer snake, sewer auger, plumbing auger or toilet jack among others.
Some people may tell you that drain cleaner is better to use than a plumbing snake. That may be true if your pipes are not totally clogged; However the problem with using drain cleaner on a clog that has pretty well stopped all flow, is that if there are two different types are used it may cause a reaction creating a poisonous gas. As well any caustic cleaner still stuck in the pipe, when being mechanically cleaned could be very dangerous to the plumber or handyman.
In most household situations a plumbing snake that is approximately 3/8” diameter and between 15 feet & 20 feet will be appropriate. In many situations, a smaller snake or auger will be suffice, as the clog may be just in the “P” trap below the sink, toilet or tub whatever the case may be. Make sure you observe all safety precautions while using a plumbing snake such as wearing the appropriate gloves for handling a snake. You will also want to have all the proper tools and a pail or bucket to drain any leakage from the pipe or connection where your plumbing snake enters the water or sewer line. Also make sure you read the instructions that come with your plumbing snake because there may be variations of use with different makes and / or models.
The most common of the plumbing snake is the hand models available for the smaller and medium sized jobs. There are also power models available for the bigger jobs and those that require longer snakes where the clog may be in the sewer pipe between the building and the main sewer line. Either way, one of the handiest tools in the handyman trade is the plumbing snake.