Yeezh, Vicki, that's horrible.

Heal quickly Vicki,

So sorry to hear about your ankle, Vicki. Here's hoping for quickl recovery.

Vicki please feel free to let me know if I can help with anything - grocery shopping or laundry etc. I really wouldn't mind at all. I am at fau everyday essentially.

I'm sorry about the fracture I know you were looking forward to riding this weekend.

Feel better soon Vicky.

Sorry to hear that Vicki, take good care of it.....

Shit, piss and corruption Vicki, that sucks. Good news is that it isn't worse and there will be other rides.

Thanks, guys. All I can say is it does suck, and I'm going to take Al's advice and feel sorry for myself again today.

Oh shit. I'm sorry Vicki Are you getting a cast on the leg?

To be determined. They put a fiberglass splint on, kinda like a half cast that they mold to your leg, then wrapped with ace bandages because it was so swollen. I'm thankful for that as I ended up unwrapping it in the middle of the night because my toes puffed up so much and the whole foot was throbbing. I got instant relief, and the swelling seems to be a bit down this morning. I'm supposed to follow up with my ankle doc tomorrow.

Sorry to hear about the ankle Vicki... bad way to get that IMHO. When is your ride, next weekend? While not looking likely, I hope you can make it, and do heal up quickly!

I spent several hours attempting to remove the nuts holding the faucet to the kitchen sink. They are pretty corroded and I couldn't budge them, even using a basin wrench and a crescent wrench as a cheater bar. Normally, I'd use penetrating oil and/or a torch to loosen up something like this, but I don't know how to make penetrating up go up and I'm afraid I might damage the formica top trying to use a torch.

Would anybody (maybe Steve) have a suggestion about what to try next? Worst case is that I call a plumber and have him/her deal with it, but it would be more satisfying to solve this myself.

Sorry about your ankle Vicki.

@Ken - reciprocating saw

Thanks, guys. All I can say is it does suck, and I'm going to take Al's advice and feel sorry for myself again today.

To be determined. They put a fiberglass splint on, kinda like a half cast that they mold to your leg, then wrapped with ace bandages because it was so swollen. I'm thankful for that as I ended up unwrapping it in the middle of the night because my toes puffed up so much and the whole foot was throbbing. I got instant relief, and the swelling seems to be a bit down this morning. I'm supposed to follow up with my ankle doc tomorrow.

I see. Maybe they fit one of those removable casts which allow you to take a shower and start PT asap. Best wishes dear

What a bummer Vicki!

Those fiberglass half casts can get pretty warm. I think the idea is wear it when needed (moving around) and take it off when there's no strain on the effected area.

Just keep in mind that in the early days of the injury, the more securely a fracture is immobilized, the faster it will heal. So it's a good idea to "put up" with the discomfort for the first couple of days.

I'm sure this is all stuff that your doc or nurse told you, but they usually leave out the part about the discomfort of the cast.

Heal up fast! Your fans will be getting restless!

Vicki - that just blows old shoes. Take good care of the ankle and get well as fast as you can.

Ken - I had to do that a while ago and my recip saw worked fine. I was able to get it into position and it it cut like a Jedi light saber. Subsequently I won an oscillating saw in a raffle. It turns out to be a very clever device. Very maneuverable. It's become my go-to gizmo for tight spaces.

I bought a car and went to see the new James Bond movie. (Yesterday, actually)

Sorry to hear that, Vicki. May your healing be swift.

Ken, It might not hurt to give the penetrating oil a try. Its attraction for crevasses should be able to overcome gravity to some extent. Failing that, I agree with Carl re: oscillating saw, and look forward to hearing more about the car.

Edited November 11, 201213 yr by acidbasement

Hey Ken,

Try squirting a good amount of WD40 on it. Give it an hour then try it with the sink wrench. Sometimes finding a bit of pipe or something to use as a drift and tapping on it with a hammer will loosen it up too.

Just be patient. Sinks are crazy $$$ now days!

Thanks. This sink is a throw-away, but I don't want to have to replace it now. If I damage it a little, that will be OK as long as it still works. I've never had any luck with WD40 in this kind of application. I'll try the penetrating oil and tapping. If that doesn't work, I'll try an oscillating saw under the sink. If that doesn't work, I'll try the saw above the sink.

Vicki - that just blows old shoes. Take good care of the ankle and get well as fast as you can.

Ken - I had to do that a while ago and my recip saw worked fine. I was able to get it into position and it it cut like a Jedi light saber. Subsequently I won an oscillating saw in a raffle. It turns out to be a very clever device. Very maneuverable. It's become my go-to gizmo for tight spaces.

I bought a car and went to see the new James Bond movie. (Yesterday, actually)

Good advice. I love oscillating tools!

Also, penetrating oil will still pull itself into the threads, even upside down. I'd heat the threaded tubes first (after applying the penetrating oil), then see if that helps.

Carl, I hope you didn't have to buy the car just to get to the movie!

Good advice. I love oscillating tools!

Also, penetrating oil will still pull itself into the threads, even upside down. I'd heat the threaded tubes first (after applying the penetrating oil), then see if that helpsP

Having trouble reading that post with a "straight" face

Shot. 25 rounds. Didn't do too badly, for a first time out in years. Only got slide-bitten once.

Where did you shoot Dusty? We should go shooting one of these days.

Having trouble reading that post with a "straight" face

You're gay???

Shot. 25 rounds. Didn't do too badly, for a first time out in years. Only got slide-bitten once.

You didn't forget your silencer, did you?

No silencer. I'm a hobbyist, not an assassin.

Where did you shoot Dusty? We should go shooting one of these days.

Silver Eagle Group in Ashburn. I liked them, they were very professional and stressed safety. They've been doing a lot of groupons lately, so a lot of newbies. I'd definitely be up for more shooting. Don't know if I need to go there again, I think I need to find either a closer range of equal caliber, or something. I need to find some place that will teach me the basics on my own gun, specifically care and maintenance/cleaning. But whatever...yes, we can go shooting some time.

I am a member at Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly so I can get you in there for free whenever you want to go shooting. A little bit closer than Ashburn.

Thanks for the advice on the faucet removal. I put PB Catalyst on them, tapped the nuts and waited a bit. I tackled the cleaner nut and was able to loosen it with the basin wrench. I tried the basin wrench on the other nut and still couldn't budge it. So I took the removed nut to my garage to see if I had a wrench that would work. My 26mm closed wrench fit perfectly. I was able to easily break the tough nut loose enough to use my hand. So voilà, the faucet is off. Now to put on the new faucet.