How OCD Works

Yesterday I planned to make a run to the hardware store to buy a new drill. I needed to drill out some rivets in a bracket that is part of my attic access. As I posted previously, it’s all jacked up and I needed to get the bracket out.

I went online and researched some quick pricing, knowing that I wasn’t going to spend long on making a decision – mostly being that I’ve always wanted a nice DeWalt cordless drill. I already have a small 9v Makita that I affectionately call my “Misquita” since it’s so small. I needed something bigger for the task at hand. You know how tools work – bigger, better, faster, more. The American way.

I pretty much figure out that Home Depot had the best price on them for some place that I could run down and pick one up. No eBay, no mail order, etc. I also figured, that if I was going to go to Home Depot I might as well pick up a few other items. I thought about a new chain saw, but figured I could hold off on that one. However, I did think that a shade / screen of some type for my back porch would be nice as the plants out there are dying from the little bit of direct sunlight they are getting – hey! When it’s 105 outside you try sitting in the direct sunlight for three hours or so every day and see how you fare.

I also wanted to get some air filters and perhaps a new ceiling fan for the same back porch. Mine hasn’t worked in years and it’s something I miss. I figured if I was going to get a new fan, I better see how it’s mounted so I’d know if I needed a new mount kit, brackets, etc.

I went out on the back porch and proceded to drop the decorative “cup” that hides the mounting and wires. No biggie. Then I realized that the mount is pretty much a ball-and-socket type mount that is free-hanging. I just had to undo the wires that had it all wired up. So I did that and removed the fan. It was kind of dirty.

About two hours later I had the entire fan disassembled. And I do mean the entire fan, all the way down to the bearings in the spindle. Dirt dobbers had gotten up in there and formed a solid layer of dirt that had fused the spindle to the shell. I had it scrubbed, washed, cleaned, lubricated and then re-assembled it. It works like a champ, now.

…but I still didn’t have a new drill to get the rivets out.