There’s nothing like the feeling of having to go up on the roof to do man work. Even if you’re just cleaning a gutter, removing a fallen tree limb or gathering up the myriad of Frisbees, lost balls or parachuting action figures, roof work reinforces “man-ness” every time. Neighbors come outside, hemming and hawing while … Continue Reading
In my past, I built an entire new kitchen—floor to ceiling. I’ve demo’d the bathroom floor to move a toilet. Hell, I’ve even designed and installed a new septic drain field to go along with that toilet. But nothing seems as scary as water dripping from the ceiling. It’s rained constantly for the past 48 … Continue Reading
So I’m using a 10×10 tamper to help cram about 100 gallons worth of weeds into a 50 gallon sized garbage can. After about the third smash, OH SNAP! (pun intended) Broken tamper handle. Here’s how I fix that broken tool handle. This is what I’m looking at. No problem. Time for some tool handle … Continue Reading
If you want to know how to remove a stripped screw, or what IS a stripped screw, that right up there is a stripped screw. If that happens out in the shed when you’re building a workbench, no big deal. Cut it off with your angle grinder and put in another. When it happens in … Continue Reading
There’s a time in every man’s life when he has to install a new swing-away trailer jack. That time for me was now. I’ve been getting some shop time lately, mostly feeling guilty after writing the “too many projects” post. (Thank you, Star) One of those projects, the popup camper, has been getting some attention … Continue Reading
Assembling the Mongoose Mutant 16″ Boys Freestyle Bike to be exact. The kids went from swaddled little burritos to training wheels…awfully fast. Today my son and daughter, fraternal twins, turned four. I remember on the morning they were born—I was remembering bringing home my first born. Got that? You know, there’s no manual. You don’t … Continue Reading
I think this post is not so much a “how-to” but more of a “how-not-to”. You see, I have too many projects. I don’t really know how I ended up down this cul-de-sac of never-ending DIY tasks, but I always learn something. The same thing. Over. And over. And over. Again. DON’T TAKE ON SO … Continue Reading
A little over a year ago I was given some lockers…school lockers…that were used for employee storage at the agency I worked at. They were downsizing, the lockers wouldn’t fit in the new space, and I was the lucky recipient. I’d like to think it was a gesture recognizing the many, many, many, many hours … Continue Reading
With four kids, 3 vehicles and what seems like endless projects on the house and general fix-em’s, I need any help I can get. With whatever. I seem to have this left/right brain struggle going on all the time as well. I am super organized when it comes to certain things, and others…well…it’s like an … Continue Reading
If you’re building your own deck you’ll find there are a ton of ways to fasten down the decking. You can go high-end and use hidden fasteners, you can go middle-of-the-road and go with screws, and you can go low-end and use nails. I’m going to go ahead and right off the bat tell you … Continue Reading
