Storage Solutions From Around The Web
In the upcoming issue of The Journal of Light Construction, Gary Striegler outlines his take on what makes a great walk-in closet. You can read that article here.
DeWalt has its own version of reality TV with “Top 17 Finish Carpenters.” I’ve had a blast checking over the entries and the step-by-step photos of some of [...]
An Easier Way To Cut Sheet Goods
I hate wrestling cumbersome sheets of plywood or MDF onto my table saw. In fact, I’m never going to do it again. Instead of pushing a 4 X 8-foot sheet of plywood through a saw, I now use my circular saw and a guide track. The product I use is the Eurekazone SGS-1 EZ Smart [...]
Buying Paint: Color Is The Least Of Your Worries
Most people when they are looking at a can of say, off-white interior latex paint, would rather pay $10.99 than $34.99. Chances are that the more expensive paint is a better product, but how can you tell?
A better quality paint will have a higher percentage of volume solids. Volume solids are the pigment and the [...]
DIY Fixes : Repairing Wood Rot
Wood decays, that’s a fact. And to repair it, you’ve got to think like a dentist. First, you’ve got to remove the rot until you get to some reasonably solid wood. Depending on the location of the damage a scraper works great, but there comes a time when you’ve got to do some drilling or [...]
A Dedicated Nail Gun For Delicate Trim
About seven years ago I interviewed Gary Striegler, easily one of the country’s finest trim carpenters for Fine Homebuilding Magazine. During the photo shoot Gary pulled out this 23 Gauge Pin Nailer and asked me if I had ever seen a gun like it. I hadn’t. And being a tool junkie, I had to see [...]
Why Aren’t You Using An Impact Driver?
The first time I used an impact driver I smiled one of those Chesire cat, shit-eating grins and I wondered why the hell I didn’t buy one of these baby’s sooner. These tools can punch-out 1300 inch-pounds of torque without delivering that torque to the handle of the tool like a cordless drill will. That [...]
Quick Tips For Buying Router Bits
Not a day goes by when I’m not using one of my routers. As I said in an earlier post, I own several routers and have specific bits dedicated to each tool. Some people shop for a router bit by its profile or the edge it leaves in wood, but that’s the least of my [...]
The Router: One Of Woodworking’s Most Versatile Tools
I can’t remember a day that I haven’t reached for one of my routers. I know, I said routers. I own several, and of varying horsepower. My wife doesn’t get it, but she owns 10 pair of black shoes.
Hand-held routers are one of the most popular woodworking tools around. I’ve used them for making dovetails, [...]
System One Truck Racks: Some Serious Ladder Envy.
The first remodeling contractor I ever worked for had a brand spanking new F-150 with homemade ladder racks. The racks were nicely built and solid, a real testament to the man’s abilities. The 2X6 pressure treated cross beams were ship-lapped and through bolted. He built a functional product back before truck racks were a commercially [...]
What The Heck Is MDF?
Whenever I get a call to make a cabinet or bookcase out of MDF, also known as medium density fiberboard, I groan. Not because MDF is an inferior product, its not, it’s because the stuff is heavy. A 4 ft. X 8 ft. sheet of ¾ in. MDF can weigh as much as 95 lbs. [...]
keep looking »About
I’m a sawdust making, tool buying, work boot wearing kind of guy. When I’m not building something useful, usually for someone else, I’m writing about it for Fine Homebuilding or This Old House. I’ve spent most of my adult life honing my craft and now I want to share what I’ve learned. From tool reviews to how-to this blog will explore a bunch of interesting stuff. So strap on a tool belt or crack a cold one and let’s have some fun.
