While experimenting with methods of heat forming plastic girders, I noticed a wisp of smoke coming from my wife's new hairdryer. This was quickly followed by a puff of smoke and the loud SNAP! of the GFI breaker.

I could be wrong, but this might be a little hard to explain. :?

The really bad thing about this is that it looked like it was working, too! I guess that pretty much rules out using it to dry my castings!

Well, now you have an excuse to get TWO new hair dryers.
One to replace your wife's and one of your own so you quit using hers! :mrgreen:

Cannonball Wrote:Well, now you have an excuse to get TWO new hair dryers.
One to replace your wife's and one of your own so you quit using hers! :mrgreen:

There will be no argument about replacing hers, except maybe a sacrifice on my part of something I was about to buy. She'll just move the money from the modeling fund to the "replace her hair dryer NOW" fund!

Might be a little tougher convincing her that I need one, too - just to play around with modeling stuff. Plus, I don't want to reveal what else I've been "borrowing", like using the electric mixer to whip up a batch of Hydrocal... hock:

"Oh what a web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

MountainMan Wrote:"Oh what a web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

Just remember, it's usually easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
:mrgreen:

If I find a household appliance especially handy, I'll buy her a new one, then retire the old one to my shop.

Play dumb. Put it back where you found it, and in the morning when it mysteriously won't work, graciously be the good guy and run right out and get her a replacement.

Cannonball Wrote:

MountainMan Wrote:"Oh what a web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

Just remember, it's usually easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
:mrgreen:

Yeah...but it's even easier if you don't say anything at all! She still doesn't klnow I used it to mix all the mortar and grout needed to tile our old living room!

TrainNut Wrote:Play dumb. Put it back where you found it, and in the morning when it mysteriously won't work, graciously be the good guy and run right out and get her a replacement.

If only I had gotten the opportunity...

"What was that noise?! Something smells like it's burning!"

Well,..er...um...yes dear."

MountainMan Wrote:

TrainNut Wrote:Play dumb. Put it back where you found it, and in the morning when it mysteriously won't work, graciously be the good guy and run right out and get her a replacement.

If only I had gotten the opportunity...

"What was that noise?! lomething smells like it's burning!"

Well,..er...um...yes dear."

Way too funney.

MountainMan Wrote:If only I had gotten the opportunity...

"What was that noise?! lomething smells like it's burning!"

Well,..er...um...yes dear."

Just like that time I "borrowed" a measuring cup to measure and pour some fork oil into my mountain bike suspension. Wife comes around the corner as I'm pouring goes, "HEY! Where did you get that measuring cup from!?!" "Umm...upstairs..." :o

OUCH!! :mrgreen:

We had a similar little domestic “tiff” that time I tried melting the EZ Water pellets on the kitchen stove…
…Oh…& then there was that time I spilled the Testors glue on the dining room table…
Uhhh…and the little incident involving the x-acto knife & the subsequent trip to the ER…
Oh…& while we’re on the subject, never…& I mean NEVER…use any of the kitchen appliances for blending or chopping scenic materials…anybody ever see what a couple of small lumps of coal can do to the average blender? (not to mention the average marriage!)

this thread is making me lol!


I used the good cutting board for soldering work... she caught me red handed..... I inherited a cutting board for my soldering work!
I used one of the shallow cups for wetting the brush tips when painting... I inherited a cup for my train room
I used her vaccume for sucking up loose scenery stuff and foam... yup I inherited that too! (after I fixed it)

The best was when I was rebuilding my computer and was using the coffee table as a work station... scratched the table all to poo... two weeks after we got it too. Man was she not happy!


Lets just say in the past 6 months we have purchased a new coffee table, vaccumee (actually we won a Hover in a raffle...that was nice), and she tries and hides the good dishes...

I'm worried about what she will say when she goes to find the small wisk I used for mixing paint....

harbor freight has a heat gun that works better than a hair dryer, on sale theyre less than $20

I havent had a problem with my in 2 years

How well does it work on plastic?

Most heat guns melt stuff rather than hold it in the thermoforming range.

This might be a little late to do you any good but I will give you some info. anyway.
First--- Get the wife ( CEO of the railroad) a new hair drier. Get a better one than the one that smoked.
Next try this embossing heat tool. It is a lot smaller than any thing that I have seen. I use one all most every day when doing DCC installs.
Works great on heat shrink. Does not blow hot air all over the place. The embossing tool can be found at your local Michales store.
Here is a link for it. BTW it is a Marvy Model 2500 <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.uchida.com">http://www.uchida.com</a><!-- m -->
http://www.uchida.com
Happy heating