3. Every Handyman Should Have Bread in His Toolbox

In our March 2011 issue of Canadian Home Workshop (on newsstands now), we have an article called “50 Things Every Handyman Should Know.” Item No. 3 in that list looks at the importance of keeping some bread on hand when you are plumbing.

An infuriating little trickle of water is all it takes to mess up your soldering job. If you’ve shut off the water and still have a little dribble coming out, you can keep it at bay with a piece of white bread–not whole wheat, rye or pumpernickel–and hold the crust. The small piece of bread in the line holds water long enough for you to connect the pipes and then dissolves once the water is back on. You can also dry out a water pipe quickly with a compressor or a vacuum.