TOOLS/HARDWARE

Here’s a nice little bronzed cabinet latch. The receiving end is adjustable with a pair of spring-loaded wheels, and mounts on the side of a cabinet. The male part mates with it and mounts on the inside of the cabinet door. You add bronze screws.

We’re happy for you if you have a U-lock, but those can only reach so far. This keyed padlock with an attached, semi-rigid cable extending approx 58” (roughly 5 feet) when unlocked, can reach and bend around things that U-locks only dream of. Originally a gun lock, this beast makes a circle (an “O”) roughly 19” dia to wrap around your bike wheels, patio furniture or what have you. It’ll still work with firearms if that’s your thing, and it comes with instructions for proper use. Also has (2) small keys on a split ring.

One thing we hate about traveling is imagining baggage handlers opening our suitcases and sniffing our underwear. That’s why we have several of these TSA-approved Wordlock® (4)-letter, resettable padlocks for our luggage. We also use them for lockers so no one can open ours and sniff our gym socks. It’s a thing with us, not wanting to be sniffed. Locks have a 1” long x 1/8” dia shackle with 3/4” clearance, and measure approx 2-1/2” long overall. May we suggest not setting your lock to the word L-O-C-K? You’ll come up with something better.

It’s a 5-draw extension shaft that extends from 7” to nearly 26”. One end has a padded black rubber handle and the other has, well, nothing. To be fair, it has a 3/8” long metal cylinder with a 7/32” ID at the business end, but for what, we don’t know. We suspect it was on its way to being some kind of pick-up tool but got distracted. As is, it’s a dandy pointer or the beginning of a clever something that you’re going to invent.

Handles-R-Us. In the spirit of pure surplus, we’ve got these 1-7/8" long x 3/8" aluminum handles for a mechanical counter. Sized for a 5/32” ID shaft with a set-screw to tighten it down. If you don’t have any handle-less mechanical counters, put a handle on something else.

This classic, laminated, layered steel padlock measures 2-1/2” x 2” x 1”, with an approx 1” x 1” hasp opening. Comes with (2) keys and a rubber strip around the bottom to protect your locker. Everybody needs a solid, dependable steel padlock for something. Some people need more than one.