Steve Maxwell tips on Home Workshop and Tools

SOUNDPROOFING A BASEMENT WORKSHOP: Technical Details & Videos

Got unwanted noise spilling over from one room to the next in your home? Peace, quiet and solitude is something we all expect from our homes, but many don’t deliver. This is especially true if you’ve got a workshop in your basement. […]

Porter-Cable Power Tools: A Century+ of Innovation

UPDATED 10Jan2020: If power tools were the kids you went to high school with, the Porter-Cable brand would be that ordinary, clean-cut person who quietly got great marks, saved thousands of dollars working a part-time job, and remained confident enough not […]

WOODWORKING: How to Prepare Boards for Great Results

Want to build things properly out of wood? Have a dream to make your own furniture, cabinets and shelves? You need to learn some basics, like what you’ll see here.

How to Drill Holes in Thick Steel

In this week’s video, learn how to properly bore big holes in thick steel; discover the best drill bit for steel (hint: it’s not a twist bit!); see the importance of using cutting oil; and learn how to mark metal properly for drilling

FASTENERS 101: Five Fasteners You Should Know About

UPDATED 15Nov2019 + video below: There are dozens of different kinds of fasteners in the world and you can safely forget about most of them for building and maintaining things around the home and cottage. But there are five types […]

LESSONS LEARNED FROM A CHINESE MOTORCYCLE: Sometimes Little Things Really Matter

UPDATED 8Nov2019: Sometimes it’s the little things in life that determine success or failure, and experiences that one of my sons and I had with a Chinese motorcycle back in 2010. Joseph was 12 back then and he got the urge […]

MITER SAW VIDEO TOUR: Learn the Basics of This Great Tool

PUBLISHED 2Nov2019: If I had to recommend one power saw for use around the home, a miter saw would be it. Also called a chopsaw, this type of power tool was first invented by the Delta company back in 1969. […]

WIRE FEED WELDER: Why Wire-Feed Welders Are So Great

Affordable wire-feed MIG welders are now accessible enough for do-it-yourselfers to buy and use successfully. Check out this introductory article on MIG welders, see what they can do and learn why they’re so much easier to use than other welding processes. Lots of ordinary people are getting into welding these days.

Q&A of the Week: Workshop Wall Treatment

Q: What should I put on the interior walls of a garage I’m converting to a workshop? I’ve kicked the car out and two of the walls are currently covered with OSB. Should I cover the remaining walls in OSB […]

Six Top Tips for Succeeding With Rough Lumber (Videos, Too)

UPDATED 13Sep2019: Be sure to watch the videos below and the Q&A section at the end. Milling rough lumber for workshop woodworking projects saves money, but it also opens more creative possibilities than standard, pre-dressed wood. That’s why some woodworkers work with rough […]