UPDATED 3Jul2020 + video below: Where I live in Canada we get about a dozen electrical power failures each year. Some of these are short, lasting only a few minutes. Other failures are 8 hour-long “scheduled” power interruptions that shut…
Steve Maxwell reviews ScotchBlue Exterior Painter Tape and reveals how easy it is to make your outdoor painting projects look as great as your indoor ones.
Manitoulin Island, Canada is where I live, and it’s an interesting place because of its geographic variety. Fields meet forests and lakes. Limestone bedrock is never far away. Click to watch how one spot in our cattle pasture acts as…
Kid-friendly play surfaces and areas have suddenly become a scarce commodity in homes around the world, and that got me thinking about a pile of basement subfloor panels I’ve got in my shop. Click below for a video tour of…
Steve Maxwell, “Canada’s Handiest Man”, discusses the buffering wheel with DIY enthusiasts.
Got some interior wood to finish? Read Steve’s four steps to success and you’ll have a pretty good shot at getting a really smooth, professional-grade results.
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, goes into detail on how to handle sharpening spade bits, one of his favourite tools.
Got a crack in your basement? Or maybe the foundation walls of your home are bowing inwards under soil pressure? Check out this video and see an industrial strength concrete crack repair procedure followed by a shocking strength test involving…
This is chapter 13 in my book The Bailey Line Road Chronicles, the 30+ year story about moving from the city to live a modern homestead life deep in the country on Manitoulin Island, Canada. Missed Chapter 12? Click here…
*NATURE: See a massive, newly hatched cecropia moth.
*HOMEBUILDING: Cut and install fancy sidewall shingles.
*WOODWORKING: Save money making trim and molding.
*POWER TOOLS: Learn the basics of choosing and using a drill.
If you have kids, you might have noticed how aptitudes and interests run in the family while also sometimes taking turns of their own. My oldest daughter, Katherine, is a case in point. Her family line (mine too, of course)…
UPDATED 23Apr2020 + video: Water wells, septic systems, electricity supplies and food storage – these are four of the biggest practical things you need to deal with directly if you’re a hands-on person leading a hands-on rural life. And success…