Workshop Date Nights: How We Refinished an Old Pine Cabinet
Have you ever been on a workshop date? Let Steve tell you about the workshop dates that he and his wife Mary do, and what they’ve made together on their last one.
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Home Standby Generators Explained: What to Know Before You Buy
Key Takeaways Thinking about a home standby generator? This guide explains how standby generators work, what an automatic transfer switch does, how load shedding can reduce generator size and cost, and when a portable generator may be the better backup…
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Nitrile Rubber Gloves for Workshop Work: Stronger, Safer Protection
See Steve explain the difference between nitrile and latex gloves; understand how to choose disposable work gloves so they can be reused; watch unboxing of biodegradable disposable work gloves; recognize why protective gloves make sense in the workshop
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CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: Homemade Family Recipe Video
Making delicious chocolate chip cookies in our homestead kitchen!
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Better Days – Original Music Video from Bailey Line Road
There are seasons in life when the best moments seem to live behind us — when memories feel closer than the people we miss, and yesterday feels warmer than today. “Better Days” grew out of that space. It’s a simple,…
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Freeze-Proofing a Water Line (Real-World Retro-Line Installation On Bedrock)
In this week’s video episode, see how a seasonal cottage property is converted for year-round running water; watch a smart heating cable is installed directly inside a shallow water line; see how
pipe insulation and an outer protective casing is applied to the pipe; learn how more or less heat is applied along the length of the cable, depending on temperature. -
Simple Portable Off-Grid Power for Cabins, Cottages and Blackouts
Off-grid power technology is getting better quickly in surprising ways, and this means it’s never been easier to enjoy running water and electric power for lighting and small cooking jobs in cabins and lakeside cottages that can’t connect to utility…
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It’s Time to Make the Trades—and Tradesmen—Cool Again
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, discusses the decline of people entering trade jobs in Canada.
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Why Restoring an Old House Is Nothing Like Building a New One
I’ve built houses from scratch from foundation to roof peak, and I’ve also managed and worked on a number of older home renovations and restorations. Because of that, I can say with confidence that these two types of projects are…
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TOOLS: Watch This 18-Volt Cordless Chainsaw in Action
Back in 2018 I got the chance to try Milwaukee’s then-new 18 volt cordless electric chainsaw. You can see me cutting some hard maple firewood logs using this saw in the video below. I know cordless tool battery technology has…
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TOOLS: Three Up-and-Coming Cordless Options
Power tool technology is the same as every other kind of advancement in the world. New stuff is expensive and exclusive at first, then it gets cheaper and more widely available over time. So what kind of new and interesting…
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LIFESTYLE: What Ever Happened to Personal Responsibility?
A roll of plastic pipe I ordered years ago arrived in a carton that makes me concerned. A stern, 15-word warning of the sort I’m seeing more and more often is the reason why. It highlights a creeping menace that’s…
