Dumb Questions Submitted to the All-Knowing Cella!
 

Dumb questions. I'm full of 'em.

Here's one: I bought some fake flowers to put in a vase. They are too tall for my vase, but I don't know how to cut them.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...b/c49b4442.jpg

The stems are wrapped wire and/or plastic. How do I trim them? Do I need to go out and buy some kind of heavy duty wire cutters or something? I can't be the only person with this dilemma.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...b/94573f78.jpg

I've used a pair of my better scissors, but not to cut all the way through (small wire cutters would serve the same purpose, it's kind of hard on the scissors.) It just makes an indentation in the wire then I just bend it back and forth at that point until it snaps off. Rudimentary, but it works. :)

Would the vase allow you to just fold them up Cloud? That's what I've done in those sorts of circumstances before. Otherwise, wire cutters should do the trick. If you have a pair of pliers, they might have a wire cutting section at the back near the handle.

it's a clear vase though--folded would look fucked up I think. I'll look to see if my pliers have a cutter thing (but not sure if I actually have pliers). will look tho

you could fill the bottom with pebbles or something (if you can't find any other solution) :)

go get a Pair of Diag cutters ( Dikes )

Snip , No problem ,

you could just bend the stem into a u.

there's gotta be a "right" way to do it, tho.

Sharp kitchen knife, chopping board.

I'd rather not use my kitchen knives or my scissors. should have had the people at Hobby Lobby cut it when I bought them. They make a bunch of floral arrangements; they must do that

You buy special floral shears at hobby lobby. They're especially made to cut through the wire in the stem. I have used them often and they work like a charm.

Thentake them back there and ask them to do it.

But why not? If your kitchen knives are half decent it won't harm them, and if you wash up well it won't contaminate your food.

These are best
http://www.stitchdiva.com/images/tut...irecutters.jpg

These will work too.
http://img.directindustry.com/images...ers-251276.jpg

DO NOT USE YOUR KNIVES - If they are any good they will be ruined.

The only other option is this:
http://www.ere.net/wp-content/upload...e-240x3008.jpg
Call a man and let him do it for you. :rolleyes:

Bullshit.

They will

Whatever - GFYALMA.

I know this from experience. Knives - especially kitchen knives were not designed to cut metal of any kind.

I know this from experience: My kitchen knives cut almost everything and survived just fine. Where they failed, they did not suffer. I also never paid more than $20 for a knife.

sigh ...

As a knife professional, I wouldn't use a knife for this one -- though taking a shot at the wire with a cleaver would get through the wire. And you'd want to take the nick out of the cleaver edge afterwards. Hatchet, same story.

The Cutco #77 Super Shears will do the job with aplomb. They're also expensive, so use 'em around the house too.

Diagonal wire cutters will do 'er, and are much less expensive, as noted above. The wirecutter "extra" in the throat of slipjoint pliers may get the job done, but cheap loose-fitting pliers may not shear very well. Linesmen's pliers have a wire cutter to them also, and will cut it well.

Monst, if those are the kind of KSO's you buy... eventually you'll come to the good stuff. You do not yet know what a hundred-dollar knife can do for you. I've had a few order cancellations -- but returns after use? Can't remember a one.

My knives rock, I have no complaints, they cut everything I ask them to with minimum effort -including non-food items. Why would I pay more? You guys are just knife snobs. IKEA has the best kitchen knives. Sainsbury's knives are great too, but no Sainsbury's in US.

...and why would I "eventualy come to the good stuff"? My 20yo Sainsbury's knives still do the biz. And we sharpen them ourselves (beest does this). Will you try to sell me a vacuum cleaner next? or a set of encyclopedias?

Humans do a lot of things they weren't designed for either. Sorta makes life worth living. is there a list of things kitchen knives are designed to cut? Say I need to cut a thread, they weren't designed for that -willI fuck them up?

Well, you probably will dent the edge of your knife if you try to use it to cut wire. I know because I have pulled the same trick. Really, the floral shears are much easier, and you can use them for lots of other things, too. I get a charge out of living on the edge myself, but hacking at one of those floral stems with a kitchen knife is not my idea of a good time.

Yeah, I've gotta say, there's no way I'd try using a kitchen knife to cut through wire. We have some expensive and some cheap knives, but all of them would end up with a divit in the cutting edge if I tried to use it to cut wire. Same for scissors, although I have an old pair that I'd probably try to use for this job if I were in Clouds shoes. I'd more likely go out to the shed and get the wire cutters though. :)

I couldn't handle living anywhere, even an apartment, without a basic toolbox that contained wire cutters. Buy a few tools Cloud.

I was in a hurry for spring a couple of weeks ago and bought this.

There was only one least fake looking stem to buy, so the vase was much to large for the stem.

I just bent the end. When the end it bent it pushes on the inside of the vase giving it more stability, or use wire cutters.

As a retired knife professional, I must say...nothing about knives. The simplest solution, while not so lamentable, is probably best.

I'm sure there's a service that goes door to door to cut flower stems for people, there's a great need. It'll cost you, but better left to the professionals. ;)

As glatt said, I couldn't live without my tool box.

Here's mine, with the indented then bendied til breakied ends. Not a great pic but you see I put some of the glass rocks, I used blue and white, as those match the vase and the flowers, (available at craft or fish stores) in the bottom...stabilizes the flowers so they stay the way you want AND it looks really good when it's in the middle of the dining room table with the sun shining through the vase and glass rocks.

ymmv

The glass rock detail is nice. I have some but they are just plain polished rocks. I keep thinking I am going to use them in a terrarium.

Thanks! I need to get a pic with the sun shining on the vase and the vase sitting on my grandma's old clawfoot table. It's lovely. (Table looks like pic below)

nice parlor table and I bet that vase is a beauty in the sun.

Now you need that blue glass lamp to go with your theme. The one I keep seeing on the Target commercial w/ Sabrin Soto.

I have nothing blue, but it is a beauty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxuSewn1iak

omg yes. That lamp is beautiful. Now I want!

I knew you would. It's perfect for your motif.

you know, I think I actually have a pair of these in my toolbox--never knew what they were for, duh. Will have to look.

if I buy shears can I trim my juniper bush with them?

They are wire cutters, and yes you can cut anything LESS than or wire with them. They work just fine on trimming hedges, but you have to clean them with something other than water afterward. They will rust. :3eye:

FYI - They are the best for shaping the top of the Christmas tree.

wait, those dinky little wire cutters won't be good for pruning my juniper (thought better of saying "pruning my bush" here on da Cella, you pervs). I was thinking of bigger shears as was mentioned above.

But I'll try to find those wire cutters and see if they work. I didn't even think of them, duh.

Watch for more "dumb questions" coming your way!

This is by far the best option if you have cash to spare.

eta: oh I see you have them. I give up.

I can just about handle a screwdriver and a mallet, both of which are in my tool boxes, along with duct tape, WD-40, string, and glue.

and various other tools which have migrated into there through the dimensional walls-which I have no idea how to use.

If you have a hard surface, those will work, too.

Monster, you're lucky that you've got kitchen knives that cut almost everything and survived. Personally, I wouldn't do that to my knives. My mom uses the kitchen and whatever knives lying around to cut whatever duty she has at hand. She ruined a number of knives, including my Kershaw. :neutral:

Can't. Must. Resist. Gaaaaawd i can't!
You mean you need bigger shears for that?

Okay, maybe this isn't a dumb question, but I feel like I should know the answer anyway.

I have an external hard drive on my Ubuntu machine that I want to make accessible via ftp but I don't want to compromise network security in so doing.

How do I share it's contents without emailing over 10,000 files?

Yes, there is a list. It's called food.

That's the best you can do? You even fail at trolling -a few days late and several points short.

Hey, for the bonus, go ahead and list all foods......

Snippy bitch.

Hey Classic? Assuming that means 'GoFuckYourselfAndLeaveMeAlone', can I use that?

GFYALMA...I'm loving it.:lol2:

Question is, can you leave me alone? Can you not (please FSM) reference me further in any post you make, or answer any question I ask, or refute (or agree with!) any point I make? I bet not, but I'd be so happy to be proved wrong. Oh and did I namecall? No, but you did (and it wasn't very original). :lol:

Is there an ignore function on the cellar? If so, some should use it.

Two way street and all.

oh, hai, crassic! long time no see! not long enough, but without clouds there'd be no silver linings.

See?

The Russians just use a pencil.

ok i have one. why is a woman's private area referred to as a beaver?

and where did the referral to a mans package as a "johnson" come from?

Hello classic! Good to see you.

oh and you are reading the wrong book. It's this one.

Dear cellar

Two questions, both about movies I can't quite remember.

1 -- on the heels of the Dil Se youtube post I just made, I am vaguely reminded of a Bollywood/crossover movie released here in the US a year, a couple years ago. Was a splashy hit, but apparently not enough to soak into my memory. Any help on a title please?

2 -- Speaking of heels, this is another dance/music movie I'm really struggling to recall. This one was more to do with tango, or flamenco... some hawt latin dancing... I can't remember exactly. One scene in it I do remember well was of a close up of the heel of a dusty boot stomping down onto a wooden floor, perhaps on the patio outdoors. It was the "patrone" of the family, demonstrating the real way to do a move... or some such... aaauuuughhh...


Well.

there you go. PLEASE HELP!

2) Assassination Tango, with Robert Duvall, or something something with that Spanish guy, the one who was in that QT movie a few years ago.

Thanks HLJ, it is now #1 in my dvd queue. I don't recognize it, but that means little. I haven't seen a clip with that image, nor have any of the clips I have seen triggered any more memories. I hope this is it, but even it is not, it still looks good.

speaking of fine little films with Robert Duvall, I strongly recommend The Apostle. It's great.

Oh, the Spanish guy I was thinking of is Antonio Banderas, but I don't know what movie I might be remembering.

Strictly Ballroom?

I saw that not too long ago and it does have a scene like the one you described. Although, since it isn't all about Spanish danicng, it's probably not the one.

Is Slumdog Millionaire the other movie you are trying to recall ?

"Get Low". Good flick.:thumb:

Winner!

That is, *I* am the winner because you nailed it. Thank you very much!!! This is the film, and here is a clip of the scene I remembered. The stomping heels make their memorable appearance at about 1:30. I don't know how much of a spoiler it is, but it absolutely stayed with me. Please note, the link will only be valid until 28 Apr 2011 for reasons important to Google. I love this movie.

As for Slumdog Millioniare, I loved that one too, but that's not the one I was thinking about. The one I'm barely remembering was much more touted as a full on Bollywood film with the music and the dancing. I did see Slumdog Millionaire and it's quite good, just not the one causing this itch in my memory I can't scratch.