After 25 years cleaning windows, I knew exactly what tool I needed. The problem? It no longer existed. So I did what any slightly obsessed tradie would do: I made my own. What followed was a crash course in plastic injection moulding, overseas manufacturing, and the humbling realisation that the more you learn, the more there is to learn.

I didn’t realise aluminium kicks like a mule. One chunk of cut-off metal barely missed my wife’s car (this was literally in the garage). I also learned not to wear a good shirt while cutting - the hot metal filings melt straight into the fabric.

Invention is messy, slow, and often frustrating — but when it clicks, it’s worth every failed part and dead-end phone call. If you’re a builder too, let’s talk.