The time I ditched my 2x4 sign stake for a wire hanger, huge difference.

Saw a lady at the rally last Saturday holding her sign steady in 25 mph wind while mine kept twisting, so I asked her trick. She used a wire coat hanger folded into the cardboard and tied to the stake, and I swear my next sign didn't budge an inch. Anybody else got a cheap material hack like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

jana8811mo ago

Tied a broomstick to mine with duct tape once. Worked fine in a drizzle.

the_hayden1mo agoMost Upvoted

Duct tape and a broomstick in a drizzle, huh. Feel like that's just asking for trouble if the wind picks up. Not saying it can't work but the second you get a real gust or a downpour, that thing is probably coming apart. Pretty sure most of these backyard fixes are just one bad storm away from being a problem. Kind of wonder why people don't just buy a proper cheap umbrella instead of risking a mess. Then again, maybe it's not that deep if you only use it for five minutes. Still seems like a lot of hassle for something that might just fall apart.

the_wendy1mo ago

Start with @jana881 giving it a try and it working in a drizzle - that's exactly the kind of thing I see all the time. People patch something together for a light use case, then convince themselves it's a permanent fix. I've watched neighbors spend an afternoon taping up a broken lawn chair so it'll last one more cookout, only to have it collapse the second someone actually sits down. Same logic with a busted hose nozzle, you wrap it in electrical tape and it holds for a week, then you're chasing water all over the driveway again. It's like people would rather invest 15 minutes of frustration than take 20 bucks out of their wallet, even though the proper fix saves you time in the long run. Just ends up being a cycle of makeshift repairs that never really stick.