TOOLS: Swedish Company Makes Axes Like They Used To
There’s an allure to handmade tools for Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man. Here he talks about axes, specifically Gransfors Bruks small carpenters axe.
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WOODWORKING: Mill Your Own Short Lumber the Simple Way
It’s easy to look past the obvious fact that lumber comes from logs, but once you start thinking this way, interesting things can happen. It’s surprisingly easy to mill short, small logs into furniture-grade boards in your workshop, all without…
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AUTOMOTIVE: Three Secrets for Great Driveway Autobody Work
If you’re interested in reducing the cost of owning a vehicle, then learning to do basic paint repairs and autobody work in your driveway can help you keep your wheels looking respectable at minimal cost. I’ve found that well-engineered vehicles…
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OUTDOORS: Join Us as We Make Home Heating Fuel from Dead Trees
Join us on a tiring but productive family work bee as we turn some dead elm trees into valuable home heating fuel.
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WILDLIFE: Rescuing a Rare Blandings Turtle
Click to see why I think these are the best rubber boots in the world, watch an unboxing video of an impressive Bosch oscillating tool, see a Blanding’s Turtle rescue, and learn how to sharpen spade bits.
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FARMING: See A Little Pasture Management Trick in Action
Over the last few years I’ve been increasing the productivity of the cattle pastures on our Manitoulin Island homestead, and a big part of this is rotational grazing. By restricting cattle to relatively small areas of the pasture for a…
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METALWORKING: Cold Galvanizing Is The Best-Kept Secret in Rust Prevention
If you’ve got any kind of outdoor steel around your house that needs protection from rust, there are a few things you should know about the element zinc. It offers the most effective way to prevent rusting of all kinds…
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RURAL LIVING: Water Well Drilling With Nice Surprise Near the End
If you’ve never had a water well drilled, you don’t know the combination of hope and fear involved. Hope because you’re looking for a supply of water where none existed before. Fear because you never know how much it will…
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EASY-KEEPER COTTAGE: Don’t Build Or Renovate To Make Work For Yourself
Thousands of people who own beautiful lakeside cottages will tell you that owning the place is fun, but a ton of work. If this is your experience, or if you want to avoid being overwhelmed by a cottage that you…
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DECK FINISHING: “What Should I Do About Conflicting Deck Stain Advice?”
Making Sense of Deck Finishes Question: What should I do about conflicting advice I’m getting about deck finishing? I just built a new staircase out of cedar for my deck and the measured moisture content of the wood is less…
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PELLET STOVES: How To Install Your Own Economical Heating Appliance
DIY Installation An Option What’s involved in installing a wood pellet stove as a heating appliance? If you’re wondering if you can do this job yourself, my short answer is “yes”, if you’re a handy person you certainly can. There’s…
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OUTDOOR WORK: Learn to safely & Effectively Use a Firewood Splitter
In this week’s video episode, learn how a hydraulic wood splitter works; see safe methods for using a wood splitter properly; learn how the best hydraulic splitters work both horizontally & vertically; understand proper storage procedures for maintaining your wood splitter.
