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If your lawnmower is losing gas overnight, but there are no visible signs of it, it’s likely your carburetor has a slow leak. Here’s the 5-minute fix. Visit amateurdiy.com/gasleak to learn how

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DIY Tips Collection #2 – June 2015

Painting

Use water-based primer on new drywall, oil-based primer for surfaces that have water stains or smoke damage.

Use a synthetic-bristle brush for latex paint and a natural-bristle for oil-based paints.

Dip your brush 1/3rd of the bristle length for water-based paint, 1/4th of the bristle length for oil-based.

Woodworking

Help wood glide across your table saw by waxing the table. Or go with GlideCote, a wax alternative.

Hook a shop-vac to your power sander to save sandpaper. This prevents your resanding of the wood dust.

We at AmateurDIY love pocket hole joinery. We just couldn’t pass up this chance to pass along a quick tip to fix wood splits.

When sawing wood, use a marking knife to scribe a shallow cut for the saw to follow. The marking knife edge cuts through wood fibers more accurately than a saw blade.

To bend wood, make a series of cuts, close together, on the side of the wood that won’t be visible.

Prevent wood splits & save time with a counterbit. Combine this technique with the wood screws for a clean & tight joint.

Sharpen new cutting tools before you use them. Many edges come with corrosion-resistant coatings that should be removed.

Plumbing

Improve water pressure by soaking your shower head spray plate in descaling solution (often used on coffee makers).

Before sweating, remove all water from the lines with a shop-vac or hold a piece of bread in the pipe to absorb the water.

When winterizing, use an air compressor to blow excess water from your lines.

General

If you need to replace roof shingles, do it in cooler weather when the old shingles will be easier to remove.

Soap and baking soda is a safer alternative for removing mold than bleach.

Spray vinegar regularly on an area that is mold-prone to reduce the changes that mold will strike again.

Spacers aren’t just for tile. Keep them handy after a tile job. For example, they can be used to maintain the alignment of glass block installations as well.

Here’s a fun one. If you’re lacking a level, you can use a marble in it’s place. If the marble stays in place, you’re pretty close to level.

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How to remove a shrub or bush - the easy way

We know that David Hasselhoff would pay a contractor to remove a shrub or bush from his yard but the rest of us usually take care of something like this ourselves.

There’s two common ways to remove a shrub or bush but you won’t be happy with the results from these methods. One, dig the entire root system up with a shovel and try to pull out the shrub or bush out. This is back breaking work and it’s unlikely you’ll be able to dig around and through a well established root system. Two, use a saw to cut the trunk of the shrub or bush at ground level. If you’re planning to replant in the area this approach will only cause more work and/or inhibit the growth of new plants.

So what should you do? Take advantage of the most powerful tool you already own, your vehicle. It is advisable to utilize a vehicle with an established hitch or tow hook system. Consult your vehicle manual if necessary. Four wheel drive or all wheel drive vehicles work best.

Now there’s still some work ahead of you even when using a vehicle to remove a shrub or bush. Depending on your location, weather, time of year, and age and type of shrub or bush your vehicle may not be powerful enough to simply pull it from the ground. My truck has been unable to pull a shrub or bush from the ground without a little help and preparation.

For those well established shrubs or bushes the first thing you can do is soften the root system with water. Turn on the garden hose and allow water to trickle into the soil around the shrub or bush. Again depending on your situation you may have to do this for an hour or more. The wetter and softer the soil the easier it’ll be to extract the root system. Depending on your terrain you can use a shovel to dig the top layer of soil to properly direct the water where you want it to go.

So after the soil is saturated it’s time to secure the base of the shrub or bush to your vehicle. Your common cotton clothesline or nylon home improvement rope isn’t going to do the trick. You need strapping, chains, or a cable capable of towing another vehicle. There will be tremendous force required to pull the shrub or bush from the ground. I use a tow strap with a 20,000 pound capacity ($20). This is something I keep in my truck anyway for pulling vehicle from the ditch in Winter. I also use a steel D-ring to secure the tow strap to my truck ($10).

What you want to do is feed the strap, cable or chain around the base of the shrub or bush. I use a 20 foot strap so both ends of my strap can be secured in the D-ring to my tow hook on the truck. The higher up on the shrub or bush you can get the strap the more force you’ll have to pull the plant out, but you also risk the strap pulling through the shrub or bush branches and falling off. I always start with the strap at the very base of the shrub or bush.

Now you pull your vehicle away slowly taking up the slack in the tow strap, chain, or cable. When the slack is gone you can start to slowly apply the gas and attempt to pull the shrub or bush from the ground. Every situation is different. It may pull right from the ground or your tires may begin to slip because the root system is still holding. If the shrub or bush is being stubborn you can gently rock back and forth giving small pulls and then letting off. What you want to do here is loosen the root system slowly. You may also want the water running while you’re doing this. As the root system shifts water will flow down deeper and help saturate the soil.

At this point experience and judgment have to come in. You certainly don’t want to damage your vehicle. I’ve had shrubs and bushes pull from the ground with slow steady pulls and I’ve also had some only pull free with a strong jolt. If you aren’t having any luck you may want to get out the shovel and dig a few shallow holes around the shrub or bush. It’s likely you’ll hit the root system quickly. If necessary you can saw a couple of the larger roots to give you a better chance at removal.

When it finally pulls free you’ll show a sign of relief and accomplishment. Now you’re likely left with a fairly large plant with a large ball of dirt attached. This will be impossible to lift depending on shrub or bush size. So use your vehicle to drag the shrub or bush to where it can be discarded, dismantled, or perhaps replanted.

The weight of the shrub or bush is largely due to the soil ball intact with the roots. An easy solution to remove the dirt and hence lightening the shrub or bush is to hit the soil with a garden hose or even a power washer. If you hit the soil with some water pressure the dirt will simply wash right away. You’ll be left with only the shrub or bush which can be cut up, burned, or moved to curb for disposal.

Congratulations. You removed your shrub or bush, had a little fun doing it, and didn’t have to expend unnecessary energy. The trick is using the tools already available to do the work for you.

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DIY Tips Collection #1 - May 2015

After reviewing a number of different smoke alarm placement instructions, it seems that it’s okay to put one in the kitchen, if you have a larger kitchen. Essentially, the smoke alarm needs to be at least 10 feet away from the stove.

When a toilet continues to “sweat” after it’s been used, it could be an improperly adjusted tank valve or a leak.

A great tip for beginner woodworkers that are getting into routers. Put the router fence to the router’s left, as the router naturally wants to sneak to the left.

A simple rule to avoid clutter in any space, including garage, workshop or pantry: Make sure you can see everything. Stack items as necessary, make sure nothing is hidden.

Have an upcoming tile job? After mixing grout for tile, allow the grout to stand for 15 minutes before using it. It allows any dry areas that didn’t get mixed properly to absorb as much water as possible before use.

If you’re doing tile, there’s a good chance you’ll be replacing a toilet. After removing the toilet, stuff a rag into the opening to block sewer gasses until your new toilet is in place.

Most people associate ripping wood with a table saw. But, there’s a safer tool for the job. The bandsaw can tackle smaller jobs without the risk of kickback from the blade. They’re also typically more affordable and portable than table saws.

Trouble removing disposable gloves. Or, maybe you’d prefer they be a little less “disposable”? Add a little talcum powder to them before you put them on. You’ll find they come off a little easier and will have less tendency to break when removing them.

If your shower head is spraying unevenly, it could be clogged with mineral deposits. Try cleaning the holes with a coarse needle.

Want a quick way to remove rust that’s safe for many surfaces? Try 320-grit sandpaper. Finish with a finer grit to remove any scratches if necessary.

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Trimming high tree branches

Have you’ve ever been crazy enough to stand on top of a ladder, holding a chainsaw with one hand stretched high above your head as the blade shreds a tree limb thicker than a caveman’s neck?

If you answered “yes”, read on. There is an easier, and much safer way.

This method doesn’t involve any gas-to-oil mix ratios, fuel stabilizer for the winter, choking or priming. Say hello to the electric pole chainsaw.

While it’s use is fairly self-explanatory, here are few tips to help guide your purchase as well as operate the chainsaw safely and effectively.

Purchasing and Operating the Saw

When the product description states “15-foot reach”, don’t start daydreaming about cutting the tips off your 50-year-old pine trees. The “reach” is not describing the maximum length of the saw itself. In most cases, it is making the assumption that you are 6 feet tall, while the chainsaw itself extends to a maximum of 9 feet.

Be cautious when resting the saw blade on top of a tree branch and “letting the saw do the work”. Once the blade has made its way through the branch, it will drop to the ground. The blade will likely not stop spinning before it hits the dirt, dulling your chain. Make sure you properly support the pole saw during all cuts.

It’s temping to purchase a 16 gauge 100 ft. extension cord with this unit, due to the low cost of the high gauge wire. Consider spending the extra cash going to a 12 gauge cord, it will improve the voltage drop to the saw and the cord itself won’t become as hot during use.

Any chainsaw runs through bar and chain oil quickly. Bring a quart of bar & chain oil wherever you take your saw. You’ll find that the oil tank empties after about 5 or 10 minutes of continuous use. Since this oil is used to oil your chain and it is consumed rapidly, some suggest saving money by using old oil from a car oil change. You can do this, but you might be wise to run it through a filter to remove any dirt or debris first.

Proper Tree Pruning

Now that your comfortable operating the saw, let’s look at a few pruning tips to keep your trees healthy and aesthetically pleasing.

The Three-Step Cut

Make a small cut on the underside of the branch about 6 inches from the stem. This will prevent a tear during step 2 from running into the stem of the branch.

Make a complete cut one foot from the stem.

Remove the remaining one foot stub at the stem.

When to Prune

Remove dead branches anytime, but wait until the end of fall to remove live branches. Trees are more dormant during this time and sap loss will be minimal.

Don’t tackle every branch at once. Spread the pruning out over a couple seasons to reduce the stress on the tree.

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How to Seal a Driveway - The Idiot's Guide

Purchase a driveway squeegee

About $15 at Home Depot or Lowes, or you can snag one online. They look like this:

Buy your sealer

It’s relatively cheap at $15 – $25 per 5 gallon bucket

For previously sealed driveways, you’ll get 400 square feet of coverage per 5 gallon bucket

For new driveways, expect to get about 200 square feet per 5 gallon bucket

Get a mixing paddle for your drill

Mix it up. All the good thick sealant will settle to the bottom of the bucket, so it needs a good stir.

Avoid stirring the sealer by hand, you’ll tire yourself out before you start!

You might think that the paddle would cause the sealer to splash all over the place. You’d be surprised, just keep the paddle near the bottom of the bucket while it’s spinning.

Put up a barricade at the end of your driveway

Cement blocks with a board across them

Thick rope or ribbon between two trees

Road / construction cones, or

Wear old clothes and shoes

You might be thinking, “I’ll just be really careful”. Don’t even try it. Nobody, in the history of driveway sealing has been able to walk away clean, without a spec of sealer on them. Like trying to dive into a pool without making a splash, it’s just not possible.

You could wear decent shoes and wrap some plastic bags around them.  Or, you could spend $10 on a pair of shoes from Walmart that you can say good-bye to forever when you’re finished.

Make sure it���s nice and hot out and won’t rain for 48 hours

In the south, this is an easy rule to follow. But in the North, that really only gives us a window from June – September.

If it does rain on your sealer while it’s still drying / curing, it will combine to create a white-colored rough texture that does not look good against black driveways.

One way to be safe is to do a rain dance in reverse.

Repair cracks and holes with asphalt patch

This seems like more work than it’s worth, but think about it. You’re sealing your driveway for two reasons: aesthetics and protection. The sealer can’t prevent water from getting under your driveway via cracks and holes. This water can freeze and expand – you get the rest.

So, take a few minutes to fill those cracks and holes. Otherwise, this could happen:

Start Sealing

Pour a gallon at a time and spread a thin coat in a cross pattern (squeegee one direction, then the other to fill in all pores).

The 5 Gallon bucket is heavy, so it can be helpful to have a one-gallon bucket on hand to scoop some out of the larger bucket. Unless you’re this guy:

Stay off it!

Give it at least 24 hours before walking or driving on it. Unless you have special talents.

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Does the Shovel Make a Difference?

Our pool pump has been creating a large mud pit next to our side door whenever we need to drain the pool or backwash the filter. I decided to dig a 125 trench and put in a 4″ flexible drain pipe to send the water down to the bottom of our front yard.

My first inclination was to rent a 12″ compact excavator from Home Depot. It ran about $160 or $170 for the day. But two things came to mind:

I had never really installed an trench drain before, so I didn’t want to underestimate the job and require the machine rental for more than one day.

I don’t know what kind of damage those machines do to the rest of your landscape, yard or driveway.

The Wrong Shovel

Given my unfamiliarity with the excavator and everything that comes with it, I opted for the manual route: the shovel.

I had a $5 shovel in my garage that I used to dig about 30 feet of the drain trench. The ground was rocky, so I really had to put some weight on the shovel which, in most cases, involved jumping on it with both feet to get it to penetrate.

After an hour or so, not only were my middle of both of my feet sore, but I had slipped off of the shovel while jumping on it at one point and cut my leg on it.

The Right Shovel

I decided to head over to Home Depot and purchase the best shovel money could buy. I was surprised to find that the most expensive shovel was only $25. I was expecting at least a few shovels with gimmicky features, buttons, levers, etc. The selection was pretty basic, but one shovel really stood out.

The RazorBack Shovel had a much larger surface to put weight onto. Meaning that if you needed to jump on the shovel, you had a larger surface to distribute the weight of your body onto. This meant that it not only reduced the chance of missing the shovel when jump on it, but caused far less pain on the bottom of my foot at the end of the day.

The metal “tabs” that you put your foot on also had a few holes drilled or punch into them. This provides a little bit of grip to prevent your foot from sliding.

Conclusion

I’m not going to say that this shovel changed my life, but it was certainly worth the $25 I paid for it. It probably only saved me 10% time-wise, but it certainly did reduce the foot pain. I actually had no problem using it in tennis shoes, as opposed to work boots.

As a bonus, when I put the shovel in my shopping cart, a guy walked by and said “That’s a nice shovel”.  No joke!

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The Asphalt Driveway Paving Scam

It’s Thursday morning, I’m working quietly in my home office when I hear the doorbell ring. I take a peek out the window to see a heavy duty truck in the driveway and a guy wearing a contractors safety vest at my door.

The Pitch

“Hey, I’m Bob, we have a crew doing road work down on Main Street and have a half a truckload of leftover asphalt. I noticed that your driveway hasn’t been paved and I can offer you a really good rate.”

We had actually requested three quotes to pave one of our driveways and to put a top coat on the other driveway. All three quotes came in above $10,000, so we tabled the project for a better time.

I explained to Bob that we had already received quotes and they were well out of our budget. He replied that he would offer the leftover asphalt in his truck at just $2.50 per sq. ft. And, if that wasn’t enough to cover the driveways, that he would maintain that same price to complete them with a new load of asphalt. He also went on to tell me that they use a commercial grade asphalt that never requires sealing.

“Well Bob, if you think this can be done for under $5,000, I’d be very interested.”, I said.

“That’s no problem at all, I’ll take care of you, and we accept cash, check or charge.”, Bob replied.

I asked Bob if he could show me the job his crew were working on down the road. He obliged and offered to drive me down to see the work. On the way, we talked a bit, and I mentioned how I hadn’t seen any road work around here. He replied that he was actually referring to a residential driveway that his crew was working on.

At that point, I thought it a little strange that he had leftover asphalt from a single driveway job, but I didn’t ponder it any further. We stopped at the residential job, and I saw guys going work to remove high spots on a driveway, but didn’t get a glimpse of completed work.

“Bob, have you guys done any other jobs in the area? I’d like to see how it came out.”, I asked.

“Yeah, hop in, we did a couple down the road last week.”

So we drove by a couple more completed driveways. I supposed he could have shown me anything, whether his crew completed it or not, but his clever conversation along the way was paving the way to earn my trust.

“So you guys really accept credit card?”, I asked, recalling his pitch at my front doorstep. Bob deflected and started a different conversation. I didn’t think anything of it at the time.

The “agreement”

After the ride, I gave Bob the go ahead to get started. I hadn’t signed a contract, but Bob had earned enough false trust from me that I had completely forgotten about it. That afternoon, Bob came by with a BobCat and spent 1/2 hour grading our driveways. The scam had begun.

After grading, Bob informed me that his crew would be back in the morning to start paving.

Friday morning came and the guys arrived in their trucks and started parking their equipment. It started with a load argument between two of the workers. Almost an hour went by without anything getting done.

Around 10AM, the “boss” arrives and work begins. They fire up the garden hose and start supplying water to their machine that heats up and spreads the asphalt onto the driveway. They got about halfway down the driveway, then stopped. I heard nothing for 2 hours.

Then, a knock at my door. It was Bob and his brother. They asked me to come outside and talk numbers. We go down to the end of the driveway and the whole crew comes over to join us. While I’m standing there, surround by Bob and six of his crew members, Bob’s brother explains that the cost for the first driveway will be $7100.

Normally, I might have been intimidated by their crew forming a perimeter around me, no doubt the strategy they were trying to employ. I felt deceived though, and I looked Bob in the face and ask him, “what happened to the $5,000 we talked about for both driveways?”.

Bob didn’t say anything, instead his Brother started going into the costs of asphalt and that he’d be happy to come back in the fall and finish my other driveway once we settle up. I asked him how it possibly could come that $7100 at the cost of $2.50 per sq. ft.

That’s when Bob’s brother explained that they had to run two courses of asphalt on the driveway, and that each course was $2.50 per sq. ft.

I said, “Bob, you guys are playing games. We talked about $5,000 and I can’t spend $7,100 on a single driveway right now.” Then, a bunch of other ramblings that I can’t recall.

Afterwards, we all sat there silently. It was a tension they were clearly used to. But I wasn’t, and they knew that. After what seemed like a couple minutes of silence, Bob said that they could finish up this one driveway and settle up. Then, to call them back in the fall to talk about driveway #2.

I told Bob that I wanted them both completed. “Bob, I was honest and open with you that I was quoted above $10,000.  You were shocked at that number and said $5,000 was no problem.”

Bob said, “Okay sir, I’ll tell you what, I can do them both for $8,200″.

We settled on that number and they finished the first driveway. Afterwards, Bob asked for $6,500 to cover the costs and payroll for the first driveway. I said no problem, we drew up a contract and I signed it. Then I asked them to hold tight while I get my credit card.

Bob’s brother then chimed in, “Sir, we can’t take credit cards.”

“Hold on.”, I said. “What was that? Bob just explained to me yesterday that you accept cash, check or charge”.

“Oh, he must have been talking about those checks you get from your credit card company.”, Bob’s brother added.

“You guys are really something, let’s just get this over with. I’ll head to the bank and get some cash, just hang out for a few minutes”, I said.

While I was driving back from the bank, I had realized I was being scammed and it was really ruining my afternoon! But, whats worse, I had just realized that the $6,500 we agreed on for the first driveway was 75% of the total cost. They were not going to come back to finish the next driveway.

So, I told Bob, “I’m not comfortable paying you guys for most of the job before it’s completed. How about I give you half now.”

Bob replied, “Sir, I’ll need to talk to my brother, it’s in the signed contract and I know he won’t go for it.”

“Okay”, I said, ” listen, you take half now and I’ll give you and extra $300 at the end.” Yes, I was actually going to pay these guys more than the signed and agreed rate, simply because I didn’t trust them to return.

Bob agreed, and did actually return on Monday to finish the driveway. Afterwards, his brother explained the sealing process to me.

“What! Bob told me that this thing never has to be sealed! You guys are killing me”, I said feeling smaller and smaller each time I talk to these guys. I had been completely mislead from the beginning.

Once the paving was complete, I asked them to clean up the asphalt before giving them the final $300 I promised. They cleaned up half of it, then Bob said, “I need to grab my truck to get the rest, it’s right down the road. Could we settle up now?”

I said, no problem. Thinking, surely these guys weren’t going to push me over the edge by not coming back to spend 5 minutes cleaning up.

Well, I gave him the $300, he drove off, and never returned.

The yard was mess, my lawn had ruts from their equipment, the driveway had wavy lines down the edges, and didn’t come flush to the cement in front of my garage.

They told me stories about their kids to gain my trust, then lied to my face immediately after. It was a really strange few days. In the end, we do have paved driveways, but the quality and workmanship is terrible.

So, I’m really hoping this is a lesson to those out there who might fall victim to this scam. I read about it, it’s actually a common asphalt paving scam. The old “I have extra asphalt” line is apparently one of the oldest in the book!

Learn from my mistake:

Get a contract signed before work begins

Get referrals from their other customers

Check them out on the BBB website

Don’t fall for the smooth talking guy in the safety vest!

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White Vinegars, Gutters, Easter Grass, Old Doors

April72014

Spring Home Maintenance? Don’t Overlook Your Gutters

Spring has officially arrived, and that means a whole host of outdoor chores for homeowners. One of the most importan…

April72014

DIY Your Own Safe and Effective Household Cleaners

More household cleaners are on the market than a person could ever know what to do with. But many of them contain harsh chemicals that may not be something you want to expose family members and pets to (not to mention, they can be expensive). Create homemade cleaners on your own that contain simple ingredients for safe, effective cleaning around the house. Multi-Purpose Cleaner Use white vinegar as a general cleaner around the house. It’s an amazing product because it’s safe to use, is a natural disinfectant, is readily available and is inexpensive.

April82014

Spotted: How to Grow Your Own Easter Grass

Give plastic Easter grass the boot! Learn how to grow your own Easter grass!

April72014

Designer MacGyver: 5 Fresh Furniture Ideas for Old Doors

I think the old saying that “when one door closes,…

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Tool Chests, DIY Coasters, Concrete Running Parallel

April52014

HGTVs Color of the Month Is In Full Bloom

With spring days finally upon us, our color team looked…

April32014

Terms of the Trade: What Is a Joist?

In the world of architecture and construction, joists are integral. They’re a series of strong lengths of lumber, steel or sometimes even concrete running parallel to the ceiling, floors and beams they support. Joists can be considered the skeleton of a house, floor, or ceiling because they support the surrounding structure (and everything we fill that structure with). Therefore, they require replacement if they are damp, sag, or show signs of termite decay or a general loss of structural integrity. .

April42014

Weekend Projects: 5 Unique Coasters You Can Easily Create

In bars and restaurants, drink coasters often bear the logos and slogans of popular beverage brands. At home, DIY coa…

April42014

Hot Deal: Craftsman DynaGlide Heavy Duty Ball Bearing Tool Storage

We came across a great deal on Craftsman’s red and black themed DynaGlide ball bearing tool storage chests and rolling cabinet! Read More

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Bob Vilas, Home Improvement Novices, HGTV Gardening Gloves

April42014

Hot Topics: Did I Ruin This Finish?

Here on DoItYourself. com we enjoy providing a place where home improvement novices and experts can come together to share ideas and advice. Inside our Forums, users can browse threads to see what exchanges are taking place on a topic of interest or start their own dialogue by posting something for the community to take part in. With over 250,000 members and counting, this resource is quite active so each week we highlight one of the conversations that may just help you with that next DIY project. Some DIY projects are inspired by other DIY projects the kids started.

April12014

Bob Vila’s 10 “Must Do” Projects for April

Spring has sprung! While cool temperatures may not be completely behind us, it’s certain that April will usher in warmer days, making it the perfect month to get back to beautifying the yard and garden. The season is likely to bring rain, so be sure to clear your gutters of debris and resolve any water issues in the basement. Getting those tasks out of the way now will give you time to refresh your home’s curb appeal, tackle a DIY project or two, and sow some seeds for your summer vegetable garden.

April32014

Spotted: How to Dye Fabric with Tea

What a fun project to try over the weekend! Check out how to dye fabric with tea instead of store-bought dye.

April22014

Decorate This Space: Pick the Right Wall Decor

Can you guess what type of wall decor belongs with…

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Popular Woodworking Magazine, Radiant Floor Heating

March312014

5 Smart Energy-Saving Investments for Your Next Home

March282014

Earth Hour is Tomorrow! Are you going to participate?

Earth Hour takes a lot of flack for not going far enough, but one study actually measured the impact of Earth Hour, and it’s pretty interesting!

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Simple Green, TV House Quizzes, Old Jewelry

March262014

Simple Green Crystal Cleaner and Degreaser

Simple Green Crystal is our favorite industrial cleaner and degreaser. It works well and is relatively safe to use.

March242014

Designer MacGyver: Old Jewelry Crafts That Are Real Gems

When I say in my blog bio that I’m a…

March242014

TV House Quiz: Test Your Memory of 12 Famous Shows

Over the course of watching a television series, you get to know the characters pretty welland you also learn to love (or loathe) the where they live. Test your memory by tuning in to our TV house quiz now!

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Spokeshaves, Hyde Pivotjet Pros, Wago Wire Connectors

March202014

5 Home Maintenance Tips for Spring

Nothing renews that feeling of pride of ownership more than attending to annual home maintenance tasks (especially on…

March202014

New Wago Slimmer & Higher Current Lever-Nuts (221-Series)

To my surprise, Wago is coming out with new 221-series lever-action wire connectors that offer improvements over their 222-series Lever-Nuts. Read More

March212014

Spring into Using a Spokeshave

To celebrate the first day of spring, I bought myself a new tool. It wasnt just an impulse buy. I had reached a sticking point in my Adirondack chair project the night before. Rather than spend any more hours staring at the boards in question, hoping they would change shape on their own, I went out and bought a good-quality spokeshave from a store I trust. Chuck Bender places spokeshaves The post Spring into Using a Spokeshave appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.