Please don’t think I’m complaining about Vince because I’m not. He gets a lot done around here. But, when I ask him to do something and I have to ask him several times, I sometimes just stop asking because I figure he doesn’t want to do it or he would have done it! Here’s how I look at it. If he says to me “I’d like chicken and dumplings soon”, then I fix it as soon as a chicken is defrosted . . like the next day. But he doesn’t do things that way. If he even had to ask me twice to do something, I’d feel terrible. There are times when he will say “Next time you go outside, get my sweater out of my car” and I go out and forget to do it but when there’s something he wants me to do like a meal or sew a ripped pocket or wash the slipcover on his chair . . I pretty much always remember.
I had ordered the hooks to put on the back of the frames. They came the day after I showed the framing on here. I told him the hooks arrived. He took them, looked at them and said “oh, they even sent the screws.” He put them down in the kitchen. A few days later, I said “I’ve got some towels to put down on the table if you want to put the hooks on the back of the frames.” He said something like “I can do that.” Didn’t happen.
After the second time of asking, I feel like I’m nagging. A day or so later, I said “What can I do to help you get those hooks in the frame?” He said “I don’t need any help – just so I know where all the frames are.” I showed him where they all were.
Yesterday morning, I thought . . I’m just going to learn to do it myself. I hate going through this every time I need a hook on the back of a frame. I marked the center of the frame, tried to screw in the screw. Vince asked me what I was doing and he said “You need to use a drill!” OK . . get me a drill, dang it! Nope . . I kept trying to screw them in and finally I asked “Do you have a girl drill?” He said “I’ll have to go find a drill.” Apparently it wasn’t easy to find and he didn’t find the one he wanted. He got one done – the one I had started. ONE! There are still two more sitting on the table waiting. I don’t want to go through this every time I finish something and need a hook on it.
I’m going to see if I can find a small drill, order it and keep it with my framing supplies.
The good news is . . I got one more piece up on the wall.
It looks crooked but it isn’t. I measured from the corner and used a small level to get it right. These two pieces are hung on nails that were left in the wall, obviously for much larger pieces but I left those nails til I get more things to hang and can decide exactly where I want each piece.
Anyone have any lightweight drill recommendations? 🙂
Pat/SC says
How about a Dremel? It can do small holes. It can be corded or cordless. Bet Vince has several . But you need your own. I had another small cordless drill years ago…not expensive. I put in a house full of blinds maybe 20 by myself.
Judy Laquidara says
I think I may order a Dremel. I think that’s perfect for what I want to do. Vince probably does have several but finding them and then keeping them where I can find them . . it’s easier to order my own.
Deborah says
Get one with a cord. The cordless batteries are very heavy. You will have better power with corded also.
Judy Laquidara says
Thanks! I wasn’t thinking about the weight of the battery.
Kathleen says
Look at electric screwdrivers on Amazon. They even have a pink one because men are allergic to anything pink so it won’t show up missing when you want it. I have a small one I keep in a kitchen drawer. Very handy.
Rosalie says
We have Drexel and a Worx
Both are great and small.
Rosalie says
Dremel
Susan says
I second tge Dremel. I have an old one- I only use the drill tip- don’t know what the others are!
Cindy F says
I don’t have a suggestion for a smaller drill as we have the bigger ones and I don’t like to use them. But….I didn’t realize that the Dremel could drill too….I will need to dig ours out and take a look at it! I learn so much from you and your followers!
Judy Laquidara says
Credit where credit is due – I never have answers . . I just have questions and the blog readers are the best at solving all my problems.
Linda in NE says
Back in the day when I did crafty stuff to sell at craft fairs I had a little hand drill with several small bits that worked perfect for things like hooks on your frames. I wonder what happened to it. Hadn’t thought about it in years and now I’ll probably have to go look for it. Ha.
Valerie Zagami says
I agree on the Dremel. It is so handy and easy to use.
Ruth says
Hmm, I’ve never used a drill on the back of a frame. I think I usually take a nail thinner in diameter than the screw I want to use, and hammer it in to create a “starter hole” for the screw. Then I take it out, and put the hanger and the screw in, and use the screwdriver on it. I do have our old black and decker corded drill still. My husband bought a new battery operated drill, but it didn’t have enough power for the last project he did. So out came the old corded drill. Very useful.
Judy Laquidara says
Of the four frames we tried,two of them had such a hard wood that the nail trick wouldn’t work. In fact, one frame, Vince has to find a larger bit because the one he has isn’t even making a hole on the hard wood that is big enough to open up for the screw to go into.
Marcille says
Use Command picture hangers, they are very easy (no tools required) and they don’t leave holes or marks on your walls. If you want to switch pictures around you can do so. And they have different sizes for larger or smaller weight frames
Judy Laquidara says
I do use the Command hangers but there are some nails left in the walls from the previous owners.
Dot says
Years ago, I was looking for a screw driver, and couldn’t find one. My husband said, “There might be one in the truck.” (He drove an International Travelall van then.) I went out and rummaged around, and came back in with 12 screw drivers! I went to Sears and got myself a nice matching set for the kitchen. And which ones did he always reach for from then on? But I was fierce about keeping them all in the kitchen.
JustGail says
I’ve used an awl to make a starter hole for small screws. Even a sewing machine needle will work, if you can get a handle on it. I also have a little hand drill (Fiskar?) that I use if I feel like going to the basement to get it. Don’t forget to get an assortment of small drill bits.
I suggest putting tape on the drill bit marking how far to drill so you don’t drill right through the frames. Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away drilling holes.
Judy Laquidara says
Thanks! I can try that before buying a Dremel.