Mark Twain wrote that “We live in the age of shoddy.” He was referring to the poor quality of the goods produced in the late 19th century. Apparently the only thing that’s changed is the fact that all these crappy products cost more and they advertise on TV.
I have ceased to be amazed at the bovine stupidity of the American Buying Public, especially since the last two presidential elections. What kind of morons are we, anyway? It’s bad enough to pay to get kicked in the ass, but to bend over and ask for another depresses me.
The most popular waterproofing compound is Thompson’s Water Seal, which is essentially a mixture of paint thinner and paraffin. The stuff soaks in and waterproofs for less than year, then leaves a waxy surface that stops repelling water but effectively repels any other sealer. Best use: leave it in the can and use it as a doorstop.
“Plastic Wood” (any oil-based premixed wood putty) claims to be stainable, but will never take on the hue of the surrounding wood. In fact, the oil in it often repels further staining. A better product is Durham’s Water Putty, which can be matched to the surrounding wood by careful spot staining with an artist’s brush. Best use for Plastic Wood: the small cans are the perfect size for chunking at ‘artistes’ you don’t like.
Folding sawhorse brackets. Apparently 2x4s are smaller in China, because these brackets have to be bent, spindled, and mutilated to fit American Lumber. In addition, the 2x4 must be reduced with a chisel to even begin the process. Best use: leave them to collect dust on the store’s shelves and learn to build your own sawhorse.
Box fans. I have three older box fans that I constantly abuse, but the new fans I just bought break if you just look at them sideways. If you can find the older models, keep and repair them. Best use fro newer models: crush them for cement aggregate.
And just don’t get me started on personal computers or reality TV.
