In this week’s video episode, see how tractor tire chains are installed, learn a cool way to tension tire chains, and see an old tractor blowing some big snow

High-quality hardwood plywood is a premium cabinetmaking material, but it takes an accurate tablesaw to cut it properly and efficiently. Click below to watch a video explaining how to cut sheet goods well even with a portable benchtop tablesaw. This…

Last time I wrote to you I mentioned how likely it is to find a new funeral card on store counters every week or so in the small town where we shop on Manitoulin Island, Canada. A funeral card is…

Sheltered storage space is always in short supply, but as true as this is, it doesn’t mean your machines, equipment and stuff needs to sit outside and rust. A portable garage can make all the difference. Also called temporary shelters…

UPDATED 23Jul2020: Sharpening a chainsaw properly can take more time and more skill than meets the eye. Electric chainsaw sharpeners make this job much, much easier, but you still have to know how to use the machine. Click below for…

As far as I can tell, there are two reasons more and more people are interested in buying portable generators. One is a lack of faith in the reliability of grid power. Low prices are the second. I’m not sure…

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…

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…

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.

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…