RURAL LIVING: The Essential Habits of Highly Successful Homesteading
Feel like opting out of the rat race and making it on your own in the country? It’s a great idea, but success depends on how well you manage your personal work habits.
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Building a Fabric Structure: What I Learned (Before You Buy One)
Fabric structure buildings have become a popular option for barns, equipment storage, workshops and agricultural buildings. Compared with traditional framed buildings, they can go up faster, cost less per square foot and provide bright interior spaces filled with natural light….
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How to Turn Trees Into Firewood (The Right Way)
If trees grow where you live, then making them into firewood is a great way to reduce heating costs and get exercise. I’ve been cutting firewood and heating with it for 35+ years, and there are five main steps to…
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CEDAR RAIL FARM FENCES: How They Tell the Story of Hope & Fear on Manitoulin Island
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, maintains a tradition of cedar rail farm fences by continuing to use and upkeep them where he lives in Manitoulin.
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How to Make Small Logs Into Lumber Without a Sawmill
Question: Is it possible to make something from the oak tree I cut down at my place? I don’t have many tools, and I don’t have any way to bring the log to a sawmill, but I’d really like to…
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Why Hearing Protection Matters for Lawn Care, Woodworking, and DIY Projects
A Saturday spent improving the yard can become noisy before the first cup of coffee has gone cold. The mower starts, followed by the trimmer, leaf blower, pressure washer, or chainsaw. Move indoors, and the sound may continue with a…
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PICKUP TRUCK EXTENDER: “Big Bed” Stands the Test of Time
Steve Maxwell, Canadas Handiest Man, sheds light on a new rural Canadian invention, Seg-Ins Big Bed, a truck extention that improves cargo capacity.
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Building a 42×80-Foot Fabric Structure: Complete Video Series
Need a large, economical building for equipment storage, farm machinery, vehicles, livestock, warehousing or workshop space? This video series follows my construction of a 42×80-foot fabric-covered building here at my place on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. The structure was engineered and…
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How to Build a Mason Bee House: Plans, Instructions & Video Tour
Want to boost pollinators in your garden? Encourage mason bees with this simple but effective DIY project. Click here or the image below to download full plans and instructions for free. Scroll further down for a video tour of the…
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FREEZE-PROOF WATER: How to Protect a Raised Cabin Water Line from Freezing
Got a water supply line from a well or lake that can’t be buried enough to protect from freezing? The video below shows a system I installed a number of years ago for just this kind of situation, and has…
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WHEELCHAIR RAMPS: How to Build a Good One for Your Home or Business
A wheelchair ramp is one of the single most important feature you can build into any home where people with physical challenges live or visit. The thing is, a wheelchair ramp has to be built correctly to work well. It’s…
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VEHICLE WORK: Trick For Drilling Holes Under a Vehicle
If you’ve ever had to drill into a vehicle frame or other heavy steel with a hand-held drill, you’ll want to see this trick in action. This might be because you’re adding a trailer hitch or some other accessory, or…
