TIL how to fix a ball cap

[David Thomas]

You know those little buttons on top of a billed baseball / trucker’s cap?

They’ve always annoyed me when I bumped against a door frame or am carrying something on my head and it got pressed into my scalp.  Or, when I’m running the snow-blower, I like a billed cap to block the air-borne snow, but I have over-the-ears noise-cancelling headphones on and they press down on that little button.  Before (on right) and after (on left):

AND IT WEIGHS MOST OF AN GRAM!

I knocked one off by accident this evening and then ran around removing them from all my functional ball caps.  I left a few more stylish caps untouched.

Just a pair of diagonal cutters will force it open and pop it off.  There are two little metal prongs coming up from the small rivet thing on the inside, into slots on the larger button on the top.

It does nothing to hold the hat together.  Maybe it once did, like rivets on Levis, but not any more.  The stitching was continuous and perfectly adequate in all the ones I’ve mod’ed so far.

(Incrementally) lighter, easier to use, less painful to use, easy to fix – it’s as satisfying as popping the child-safety guard off of Bic lighters!

[Philip Tschersich]

You forgot to mention how they are like a ball-peen hammer to the cranium (specifically, the mid sagittal suture) when they make contact with the roof of a tiny airplane in bad turbulence.

[John S.]

I took one off an exofficio cap the other day and that one was just pressed into the other side with a plastic piece.

[Bonzo]

I’ve had a couple of caps made; guess what they don’t have on them?

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

You forgot to mention how they are like a ball-peen hammer to the cranium (specifically, the mid sagittal suture) when they make contact with the roof of a tiny airplane in bad turbulence.

The School of Hard Knocks. Literally.

[Alex Wallace]

Yeah, those suckers hurt! Like banging your head isn’t enough, but those little “ball-peen hammers” take it to a whole new level.

[Nick Gatel]

That diagonal cutter looks like a quality tool. But you have over 5 grams of rust on it. Time to clean and lubricate . . .

:)

 

[Jerry Adams]

all of my diagonal cutters have huge divots eaten out of them where I accidentally cut through a live electrical wire (okay, maybe just a couple, I think I’ve achieved muscle memory now)

[Jerry Adams]

ball caps only shade the front.  You also need to shade your sides, keep your ears from getting sunburned.  Something like a boonie hat.

[David Thomas]

Nick (re: rusty dykes): 29 years ago, we had a small PVC fire in the warehouse.  The tools I have from that time still have evidence of the hydrochloric acid fumes.

Jerry: Yeah, I don’t use ball caps in the summer – I have full brimmed hats that look even goofier for that.  But in the winter, under a hood, they add some protection from wind and snow.

[Jerry Adams]

And have you ever cut through a live electrical wire?

(I bet not)

[SIMULACRA]

Jerry,

next time just grab hold of the copper grounding wire while touching the live one. Only just a tingle then

*(advice given to me by a professional electrician. Try at own risk)

[Nick Gatel]

I bought this in 1972. Used it daily for over 30 years. Looks just like David’s, although mine has a nice aesthetically pleasing patina ;-)

Cut a lot of wires too. But it never occurred to me to cut through a live wire.

Also removed thousands of cotter keys with it, among other tasks. Used it on just about every brake job I ever did.

Never cut the button off a ball cap though. Probably because the button never caused me a problem — until today (after reading this post). I was outside working and listening to music with over-the ears noise cancelling headphones. Now, the button bothers me.

[Roger Caffin]

next time just grab hold of the copper grounding wire while touching the live one. Only just a tingle then
A good way to kill yourself. Significant current will now pass THROUGH your body, jamming up your heart. Without the earthing, you would just float a bit and maybe tingle.
I suspect that pro electrician was either tying to kill you, or at least hoping to ‘upset’ you.
Rather akin to the electric chair.

Yes, I have done this ONCE – a faulty lighting rig was delivered to my research group, and while adjusting it I touched the stainless steel sink, which was of course earthed. Very not funny. I reported the incident to the work safety c’tee, and found out that the electrician involved was NOT licensed.

Cheers

[Adrian Griffin]

This is getting off-topic, but avoid touching anything grounded when doing electrical work on wires that might be hot. The current will pass up one arm, though your heart and down your other arm to the grounded object you’re touching.

When working on hot circuits, (right-handed) electricians put their left hand in their pocket. That way, if they touch an uninsulated part of their tool, the current will pass up their arm, down their legs and through their boots to the floor. The current and shock will be small because it has to overcome the high resistance of their boot soles which are work boots, not trail runners.

[Jerry Adams]

when I cut through the live wire my other hand wasn’t touching anything, I wasn’t ready to end life then.  or now.

I thought the circuit breaker was off.  It was, but for a different line.

It just puts a notch in the cutters, no threat to life.  And the sound and light caused me to jump.

 

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