I posted yesterday about changing my mailbox lock and how I was going to do it myself. Well, I did…kind of. Last night I got home and pulled out all the tools needed to do the job….screwdriver (flat-head), pliers and a socket wrench. Yes, I know you are amazed by my knowledge of all things tools.
Well, as it would be the lock I bought was too small to fit our mailbox, so off to Home Depot where I found that they didn’t even have anything close to what I really needed. And before you ask yes, I did take the old lock with me to compare. Some nice old man with the name of JERRY written in black sharpie on his smock helped me out. I ended up buying three different locks in hopes that one of them would work. As I was leaving the “lock” department of Home Depot JERRY stopped me and asked if he could see the lock I was replacing. Sure, I gave it to him. He didn’t say a word to me (the lock still had a key in it) and proceeded to go over to the “tool” department of the store. I was fearful I would never see my blessed lock again. The whole time JERRY is mumbling something about lubricating and needing to twist something inside…HUH...needless to say I was getting a little scared now.
Next thing I know he hands me a can of WD40 and tells me to buy the locks I have, but before I try any of them to put this original lock back on the box, spray WD40 into the lock itself and any keys we use to open the box…OK. OK, I say and then he says that what he thinks may have happened is that the lock is binded inside…from moisture or from being hit or something. And that I should be able to “lube it up” and be fine.
Ok, so I walk out of Home Depot $20 poorer than when I went in. I get home and once again head down to the cluster of mailboxes at the end of the street. I was a sight I tell you. I had my tools all nice and neat in a box with my Home Depot bag and my hoodie sweatshirt because it was COLD outside. I seriously think I scared at least two people that stopped to get their mail while I was there. I think one of them even asked if I was trying to steal her mail....UM NO...you are like 100 years old...what would you have in your mail that I would want...a letter from Wilford Brimley?Betty White?
Our mailbox is the farthest down on the cluster of boxes and to the right. So I was able to sit on the ground directly in front of our box that had no lock on it since I had stolen it a few hours before (yes, I typed HOURS) and take a good look at what JERRY had been telling me. I did as he said….put the lock back on….not much to it a clip and twist of a wrench and it was back on. I then took out my handy dandy can of WD40 put the little red straw on the end…and blasted three sprays into the lock itself. Let me tell you WD40 smells the same today as it did when I was a kid. And I still hate it today…as much as I did when I was a kid. A little jiggle and the key slid right out. OK…another blast on each of the keys and voila a perfectly working lock…I checked it about 5 times with each key…WHOOO HOOOO. We are back in business baby….and the whole thing cost me $4…for the WD40…so let’s do a price analysis
Cost to have USPS come out in two weeks to change lock….$45
Cost to have me talk to JERRY and fix myself……$4
Total Savings…..$41.
Yeah for me.
BTW…WD40 is not just good for fixing mailbox locks. This site shows almost 2000 different uses for the stuff….man WD40 and Twinkies will survive the nuclear holocaust.
Well, as it would be the lock I bought was too small to fit our mailbox, so off to Home Depot where I found that they didn’t even have anything close to what I really needed. And before you ask yes, I did take the old lock with me to compare. Some nice old man with the name of JERRY written in black sharpie on his smock helped me out. I ended up buying three different locks in hopes that one of them would work. As I was leaving the “lock” department of Home Depot JERRY stopped me and asked if he could see the lock I was replacing. Sure, I gave it to him. He didn’t say a word to me (the lock still had a key in it) and proceeded to go over to the “tool” department of the store. I was fearful I would never see my blessed lock again. The whole time JERRY is mumbling something about lubricating and needing to twist something inside…HUH...needless to say I was getting a little scared now.
Next thing I know he hands me a can of WD40 and tells me to buy the locks I have, but before I try any of them to put this original lock back on the box, spray WD40 into the lock itself and any keys we use to open the box…OK. OK, I say and then he says that what he thinks may have happened is that the lock is binded inside…from moisture or from being hit or something. And that I should be able to “lube it up” and be fine.
Ok, so I walk out of Home Depot $20 poorer than when I went in. I get home and once again head down to the cluster of mailboxes at the end of the street. I was a sight I tell you. I had my tools all nice and neat in a box with my Home Depot bag and my hoodie sweatshirt because it was COLD outside. I seriously think I scared at least two people that stopped to get their mail while I was there. I think one of them even asked if I was trying to steal her mail....UM NO...you are like 100 years old...what would you have in your mail that I would want...a letter from Wilford Brimley?Betty White?
Our mailbox is the farthest down on the cluster of boxes and to the right. So I was able to sit on the ground directly in front of our box that had no lock on it since I had stolen it a few hours before (yes, I typed HOURS) and take a good look at what JERRY had been telling me. I did as he said….put the lock back on….not much to it a clip and twist of a wrench and it was back on. I then took out my handy dandy can of WD40 put the little red straw on the end…and blasted three sprays into the lock itself. Let me tell you WD40 smells the same today as it did when I was a kid. And I still hate it today…as much as I did when I was a kid. A little jiggle and the key slid right out. OK…another blast on each of the keys and voila a perfectly working lock…I checked it about 5 times with each key…WHOOO HOOOO. We are back in business baby….and the whole thing cost me $4…for the WD40…so let’s do a price analysis
Cost to have USPS come out in two weeks to change lock….$45
Cost to have me talk to JERRY and fix myself……$4
Total Savings…..$41.
Yeah for me.
BTW…WD40 is not just good for fixing mailbox locks. This site shows almost 2000 different uses for the stuff….man WD40 and Twinkies will survive the nuclear holocaust.
3 comments:
I have a can in my house, and a can in my car... God only knows what I would do with it, but I have it!!
You should buy Jerry a martini with all your savings. I think he would like that.
Dang...everyone needs a JERRY.
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