Last year, while making strawberry shortcake, my wife discovered that her mixer no longer worked. I went out to the shop, got my cordless drill, placed a single beater in the chuck, and proceeded to whip the cream for her shortcake.

My wife bought a new mixer for the house and I got the old beaters for the shop. Later that week I needed to stir a can of paint and remembered the great job my drill had done on the whipped cream. So I chucked a beater in the drill and mixed my paint.

Beaters can be picked up for pennies at yard sales and thrift shops.

Drawing by Jim Richey.

Drawing by Jim Richey

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