Earning a Location-Free Living
How can you earn a good living in the country? That’s a question I get from time to time from people who have the desire to build a rural life for themselves, but don’t yet know how the money side…
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Hand Saws Saw Way Better than DIY-ers Often Think
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, dispels myths about the laborious nature of hand saws, an often overlooked and underrated hand tool.
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How to Choose a Great Wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrows are wonderful tools in lots of ways. Click to see which types of wheelbarrows Steve loves best and why.
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How To Know When It’s Time To Replace Your Roof
Your roof is your home’s shield against rain, wind, snow, and sun. Yet, it’s easy to forget its importance until a problem arises. On a stormy night, rain may leak into your interiors. A leaky roof is a significant inconvenience,…
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How to Mix Stain & Paint With a Drill
Some finishing liquids such as stains and paints need to be mixed throughly after storage and before use. Mixing by hand can take a long time, but you can do a better job and more quickly with a cordless drill…
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SUMMERTIME HOUSEHOLD MUSTINESS: Causes and Real Cures
Is your house smelling musty now that hot, humid weather has arrived? I often get seasonal questions at this at this time of year from homeowners with basements or slab-on-grade houses. The true solution to this problem is often surprising,…
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“Why Is Urethane Beading Up on the Wooden Table I’m Finishing?”
I regularly get questions from subscribers, and some variation of the one below is fairly common . . . Question: How can I stop polyurethane from beading up on a mahogany table top I’m refinishing? The table came from a…
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BUILD YOUR OWN STAIRS: Article and Videos Shows Building Basics
Late last fall I got an email from a friend, John, looking for advice on building a new set of stairs going down into the basement of the house he’s renovating. John is not a professional builder, and though he’s…
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HELPLESSNESS, HUMILITY & THE FAMILY OF OTTERS
I’ve only felt deeply and undeniably helpless a few times in my life, but these experiences taught me valuable lessons. Perhaps my story here will help you, too. The recognition of our utter helplessness at times can bring some much-needed…
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How (And Why) to Use a Tubing Notcher
Black iron pipe is a great material for making railings, roll cages, frames and more, the trick is getting the ends to fit well with the sides of neighbouring pipes. Sometimes also called Schedule 40 pipe, and available as galvanized…
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PULLING THEIR WEIGHT: Three Tools That Can Move the Big Stuff
In this article you will learn about: You can always tell how self-reliant you are by looking at your tool kit. The further you move towards various capabilities, the better and more varied your collection of tools will become. The…
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Hidden Plumbing Issues That Could Be Costing You Money
Everyone knows the telltale signs of a plumbing problem: a dripping faucet, a sluggish drain, or an overflowing toilet. But the scary stuff? Those are the hidden leaks, clogged sewer lines hiding under the ground, or water pressure that’s about…
