Read a forum post once where a guy said he only ever used two wires unless the specs called for the full four.

Oh man, I saw something online saying you're supposed to keep it under 30%... mine's creeping up a bit this month though.

That chert wedge trick is actually pretty smart for a field fix. For a permanent handle replacement, soaking the old one in a bucket of water to swell the wood can sometimes get you more life out of it. If you're putting on a new handle, make sure you get the right size wedge and drive it in good and tight. A little boiled linseed oil on the new wood after helps keep it from drying out and shrinking again.

Yeah, "asking for trouble" is right. My buddy tried something like that last year. He left his bike unlocked for five minutes outside the coffee shop. Gone. Just like that. Felt like a total public service for the thief, like fiona749 said. He had to walk home in the rain. Never got it back.

Oh man, that's actually a sanitation thing. The blue stuff is disinfectant, not just for cleaning. You're supposed to fully soak tools for the full time to kill germs, not just wipe them.