I was washing dishes about a week ago when I heard an ominous dripping from under the sink. Sure enough, there was a leak. Leaks fill me with dread because water can be so sneaky and old house plumbing can be so temperamental and one small drip can quickly lead to a giant problem.
I spent some time feeling around and looking carefully at the joints between sink and pipe and trap and I figured out that a locknut was cracked.
I removed it and took myself to my local hardware store where the good people were their usual patient, kind selves and sold me the part I needed for a couple of bucks.
When it came to tightening the replacement locknut, I looked through my tools and chose the largest wrench, which did the job perfectly. A tiny problem really, but I feel inordinately satisfied with having solved it. Yay for the right tool for the job!
I have strong feelings about many of the tools I use. As a maker, these tools are almost as meaningful to me as the things I make. I created #toolsontuesday to keep up the practice of sharing stories about the tools we use and live with.
Every Tuesday, I share one of my favorite tools. I hope you'll share yours in the comments — it feels good to honor these everyday objects.