Key Takeaways Can a MIG welder work from a regular 110 volt outlet? If your shop only has standard household power, the good news is yes. In my experience a 110 volt MIG welder can handle many light welding jobs…
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.
In this video, Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, talks about three very useful families of router bit profiles for woodworking.
Learning to dry wood is one of the most important woodworking skills. Success depends on understanding what’s going on when wood dries, and how to make it happen reliably. Every woodworker needs to know this if they want to avoid disappointment.
Summer is the season you’re most likely to refinish outdoor trim, door frames, window sashes and finickity woodwork of all kinds, and detail sanders are tools I’ve come to rely on for this kind of work. Also called multitools these days because they can also cut and grind, detail sanders are not for stripping back large expanses of bare wood.
Mold stains can be stubborn—especially on wood and outdoor surfaces where they soak in and darken over time. Oxygen-based cleaners can remove these stains surprisingly well, but only if you use them the right way. In this test, you’ll see…
Wood thickness planers are one of the most useful machines in any home workshop. They turn rough lumber into smooth, uniform boards and open up new design options you simply can’t achieve otherwise. Whether you’re buying your first planer or…
Cordless mini chainsaws are becoming more common in the tool world, and they fill a useful gap between hand pruners and full-size chainsaws. In this short video I show how my DEWALT cordless pruning saw works and why it has…
In this week’s episode of LIFE@Bailey Line Road: Watch how Steve Maxwell chisels a pocket to hold a hand-forged hinge, see a trick for easily making a custom tool box, watch chickens help change motor oil, and go back to the summer for a lesson on when to rotate cattle pasture.
Drying your own wood for projects can take a long time or a short time. It all depends on how you do it. Read on for critical details learned over my 35+ years of woodworking. Drying lumber properly is one…
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
Can a 12 volt reciprocating saw really do a decent job in the real world? See this quick video tool tour and see why Steve likes this small but spunky tool. It may be small, but it’s pretty tough.