Ode to a power tool, and to the power of the library

A few weeks back I had the privilege of helping out at the annual radio auction for the Windhover Center for the Arts. It was a life-changing experience.

I dragged myself downtown at the wee hour of 10 a.m. on a Saturday expecting nothing more than a half hour of auctioneering and snappy repartee with my friend Windhover Director Kevin Miller. I walked into a room abuzz with activity. Four or five volunteers manned the phone bank, taking bids. Two or three more kept track of the high bids. There was a variety of donated items being sold at jaw-droppingly low prices. Others milled around the room generally keeping the proceedings moving.

Taking my seat at the microphone, I scanned the sale list. Great stuff: a portrait sitting, a trolling motor, kid’s toys, framed art. And there it was, a real Milwaukee Brand®, half-inch, 18-volt, lithium-ion power drill (extra battery included) valued at $200 and a steal at that. It was as if the heavens opened and bathed the room in celestial light while a chorus of angels broke into song.

I had to have that drill.

Women may think they need their Manolo Blahnik shoes or Alexander Wang bags, but there really isn’t anything like a good power tool. Can Manolos repair a cabinet? Can a leather tote fasten a spring hinge? With apologies to my dog, Good Beagle Sam, power tools really are man’s best friend.

Power tools open the doors to all sorts of interesting projects. A purse is simply a container for the useless stuff women like to carry around. Power tools allow men to build a lot of useful stuff – bookshelves, furniture or perhaps even a storage cabinet for shoes or power tools.

And unlike paying for designer names on fashion accessories, paying $201 for a drill while another can be had for $29.95 at the local big box store makes a LOT of sense. I know. Two summers ago I remodeled my kitchen. I used a knock-off brand reciprocating saw to tackle my vintage 1952 cabinets and walls. It took me five minutes every time I wanted to change a blade and by the time my old kitchen was history, so was my reciprocating saw.

This winter I gutted my upstairs bathroom. This time, with a real Milwaukee Sawzall, the industry standard in reciprocating saws. The saw to which all others – DeWalt, Ryobi, Black & Decker, aspire. The walls came down like a house of cards in a stiff wind. Changing blades was accomplished in 30 seconds flat. I went from slicing through wall studs to slashing through galvanized pipes without breaking a sweat. And today with the project done, my Sawzall is barely broken in.

So I left the Windhover that day having donated $201 to charity, a real Milwaukee lithium-ion power drill under my arm and a world of building possibilities in my future.

All I have to do is to come up with ideas. There are plenty of places to find them. Big box bookstores usually have pretty good home improvement sections. And sure there’s plenty on the web. But for ample selection, full-color glossy renditions of finished projects and detailed, easy-to-follow instructions, nothing beats the books and magazines at your library. And the price is more than right.

Whether you’re looking for building project ideas or wanting to learn more about the world of fashion, Fond du Lac Public Library has it all. Think of us as the Milwaukee Brand meets Manolo Blahnik of information.