Read the latest and previous newsletter articles at the links below.
I’ve produced a new issue of this newsletter each Saturday morning since 2014, so not all issues are listed here. If there’s something you remember seeing but can’t find, just ask me at [email protected]
Thanks for your interest in my work,
Steve Maxwell
| January 27, 2024 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Spray Finishing in the Home Workshop 🎦 Aging in Place Renovations 🎦 Precision Building Layout Tips 🎦 Better Clothes Dryer Venting 🎦 Dealing With Knob & Tube Wiring Soundproofing That Works 🎦 |
| December 16, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Old Chisel Razor-Sharp Revival 🎦 Simple Generator Connection to House Wheelchair Ramp Essentials 🎦 Got Gnats? Here’s How to Deal With Them Advice for Small Entrepreneurs Guard Your Patience |
| November 18, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Avoid the 5 Top Basement Finishing Mistakes How to Create an Antique Distressed Wood Finish 🎦 Sanding Wood the Right Way 🎦 Barndomiums 101 The Truth About Tankless Water Heaters 🎦 One Pretty Little Deck Detail 🎦 |
| October 28, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Watch a Water Well Being Drilled 🎦 Easier Cottage Water Pump Priming 🎦 Basics of Forging Steel Video 🎦 Learn to Build Your Own House 🎦 Building Hurricane-Proof Homes What Love is Really All About |
| October 21, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Splitting a Big Stone With Old Tools & New 🎦 Tighter Woodworking Joints With Kerfing 🎦 Anchoring a Deck the Right Way 🎦 Free Portable Chicken House Plans Download 🎦 #1 Wood Finishing Step 🎦 Tips for Safely Refinishing Woodwork 🎦 |
| September 23, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Understanding Random Orbit Sanders 🎦 How to Avoid Warped Woodworking Projects How to Cast Concrete Parts That Look Like Stone 🎦 Is Vermiculite Insulation Safe? Preventing Basement Summertime Mustiness 🎦 Weird Air Nailer Safety Alert Video 🎦 |
| August 26, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Stair-Building Tips & Videos 🎦 How to Be a Grandfather: The Story of Ken Maxwell 🎦 Make Autobody Scratches Disappear 🎦 Boost Hot Water Safety & Supply 10 Home Energy Upgrades That Really Work 🎦 Power Nailer Tour & Video 🎦 |
| June 10, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| New Hand Plane Video Tour 🎦 Watch My New TV Show “PRACTICAL LIVING” 🎦 Wood Finishing Options for Outdoors 🎦 The Amazing 23-Gauge Pin Nailer 🎦 Super-Efficient “Passive” Houses 🎦 The Hows (and Whys) of Round Firewood Stacks 🎦 |
| May 13, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Selling Off-Grid Power Back to the Grid 🎦 Hiding Woodscrews Well Unvented Attic? Maybe Benefits of Drinking Distilled Water 🎦 Outdoor Adhesives Round Up 🎦 Impractical Beauty |
| March 25, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Why I Like Reciprocating Saws 🎦 In Praise of Older Vehicles Brick Veneer Done Right 🎦 Why Roof Leaks & No Rain??? Wainscoting & Stairs 🎦 Staying Sane in a Crazy World |
| February 4, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Learn to Earn a Living Online “Light Saber” Screwdriver Video 🎦 Cabin in the Woods YouTube Channel 🎦 Ancient Stone Tools Archaeological Site 🎦 Four Sanders and What They’re Good For 🎦 Why I Like Cordless Mitre Saws 🎦 |
| January 28, 2023 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Visit an Off-Grid Energy Installation 🎦 Mold-Resistant Basement Wall System 🎦 Old-Time Stoneworking Tour 🎦 Sanding Cabinet Face Frames 🎦 Install Your Own Heat Recovery Ventilator 🎦 Learn to Use Chalked Paint for a Distressed Finish 🎦 |
| December 31, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| My Favourite Abrasives 🎦 Why Renovation Coaches Make Sense An Excellent Impact Driver 🎦 Sharpening an Old-Fashioned Scythe 🎦 Big Brick Plant Tour 🎦 Three Kinds of Marriages |
| December 24, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Multi-Fuel Generators for Long-Term Blackouts 🎦 Aging Well In Your Own Home 🎦 Free MIG One-Hour Welding Webinar 🎦 Hidden-Cable Rooftop Ice Conttrol 🎦 Mold-Free Basement Finishing 🎦 Working With Rough Lumber 🎦 |
| December 9, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Avoid the #1 Insulation Mistake 🎦 Biscuit Joints for Household Trim 🎦 Choosing Cordless Tools Much Better Insulation Batts 12 Cool Little Innovations 🎦 Ceramic Tiles Installed Right 🎦 |
| November 26, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| $$$ Help for Seniors Renovations 🎦 Build a Boomerang Choosing a Cordless Drill 🎦 In-Depth Pocket Joinery Tutorial 🎦 Meet the Genius Inventor of the Skylight |
| November 19, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Live Root Cellar Training Camp Dec. 5 & 6 🎦 My 4 Favourite Woodscrews 🎦 “I’m Too Slow at Woodworking!” says this reader 🎦 Welding Tip: Meet the Amazing Tubing Notcher 🎦 Asphalt Roof Shingle Repair Video 🎦 What Is Beauty? 🎦 |
| November 12, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Cutting Threads for Bolts 🎦 Easier Chainsaw Sharpening 🎦 Fixing Drywall Screw Pops 🎦 How to Buy a Great Jigsaw 🎦 Smart Thermostats 🎦 Letters from War |
| October 29, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Build Your Own Solar Generator 🎦 Dealing With Partial Basement Insulation 🎦 Extend Your Truck Bed Capacity 🎦 Metal Roofing Basics Five Trim Tricks 🎦 Download Workbench Plans |
| October 8, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Installing Hand-Forged Hinges 🎦 Two Favourite Portable Workstations 🎦 Building Real Sawhorses 🎦 Anchoring Things in Masonry 🎦 Eavestrough Alternative 🎦 What Unplugged People Read 🎦 |
| October 1, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| 5 Woodworking Router Pitfalls to Avoid 🎦 Win Yourself a Great Generator Learn Woodworking Online 🎦 Fix Wonky Cabinet Doors 🎦 World’s Best Brick Tie 🎦 Laying the Last Stone 🎦 |
| September 24, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Why Coloured Finishing Oils are Great 🎦 Build Cabinets Even If You’ve Never Tried Before 🎦 Extend Chainsaw Life Big-Time 🎦 Carving Letters & Numbers in Wood 🎦 Hardware for Easier Timber Framing All About Recessed Light Fixtures |
| September 17, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Brand New Antique Wrench 🎦 How to Apply Caulking Properly 🎦 Choosing a Cordless Circular Saw 🎦 Indoor Clothes Drying Racks Strange Foundations 🎦 Maintaining Your Renovation Sanity |
| September 10, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Ever Heard of Multi-Fuel Generators? 🎦 Building a Wheelchair Ramp 🎦 Simple, Effective Woodworking Trick 🎦 How to Apply Solid Wood Edging 🎦 How to Use a Woodworking Jointer Properly 🎦 Insulation R-Values Not What You Think 🎦 |
| September 3, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Basement Finishing Made Easier 🎦 New Way to Learn Hands-On Skills 🎦 Choosing a Great Chopsaw 🎦 Choosing New Windows 🎦 Painting Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinets 🎦 Is Loving Worth It? |
| August 27, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Bandsawing Big Wood Video 🎦 Surprising Plant Growth 🎦 Jointer Blade Installation Video 🎦 Boosting Indoor Air Quality 🎦 Re-Grouting Ceramic Tiles Grandpa’s Wisdom & Kindness |
| August 20, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Simple Outdoor Wood Finish Video Tour 🎦 Bathroom Renos Done Right 🎦 Outdoor Wood Boiler Tour 🎦 Energy Scams to Watch For Closing the Cottage Better 🎦 The One Year to Live Perspective |
| August 13, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Aging in Place Renovations 🎦 Spray Finishing in the Home Shop 🎦 Precision Building Layout Tips 🎦 Better Clothes Dryer Venting 🎦 Dealing With Knob & Tube Wiring Soundproofing That Works 🎦 |
| August 6, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| A Great Pair of Pliers 🎦 5 Deadly (and common) Basement Mistakes Got a Musty Basement? Here’s the Fix 🎦 Pine Trunk Revival Video Tour 🎦 Rough Lumber Woodworking 🎦 Bare Wood Floors |
| July 30, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Build Your Own Solar Generator 🎦 Hiding Woodscrew Heads 🎦 De-Clutter Your Home Garden Tillage Tools Older Oil Tanks Sane Rural Living |
| July 23, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Smarter Asphalt Shingle Re-Roofing 🎦 End Your Septic Worries & Troubles 🎦 Pasture Plant Tour 🎦 Finishing Wood on the Bluenose II Sailing Ship Drying Herbs With Mary 🎦 DIY Pellet Stove Installation |
| July 16, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Container Gardening Benefits Build Your Own Cabinets 🎦 House Too Hot? Non-AC Solution Painting Cabinets Video 🎦 Tips for Better Brick Veneer 🎦 Sawing Your Own Micro Lumber 🎦 |
| July 2, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Old Chisel Razor-Sharp Revival 🎦 Fabric Structures Q&A Wheelchair Ramp Essentials 🎦 Gnat Control Advice for Small Entrepreneurs Guard Your Patience |
| June 25, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Interior Wood Finishing Video 🎦 My Big Tire Mistake Infloor Heating Design Tips Seeing is Believing: Infrared Cameras Build Some Kids a Swingset 53 Minute MIG Welding Video Webinar 🎦 |
| June 18, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| How to Love Spade Bits 🎦 Gizmo for Better Tarping Chisels, Planes & Saws 🎦 Tips for Better Paving Bricks Shingling From the Top Down 🎦 Cordless Amish Carpenters 🎦 |
| June 4, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Father’s Day – 20% Off All How-To Courses Antique, Distressed Wood Finish 🎦 Sanding Wood the Right Way 🎦 Barndomiums 101 Tankless Water Heater Facts 🎦 One Pretty Deck Detail 🎦 |
| April 30, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Mastering Dowel Joints 🎦 Great Latex Paint 🎦 Brushed vs Brushless Power Tools Simpler Timber Framing 🎦 Oxygen-Treated Household Water 🎦 Making Liveable Attic Spaces |
| April 23, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Staining Interior Wood Video Lesson 🎦 Polishing Brass With Lacquer Coatings Bedrock Deck Foundations 🎦 Small, Real-World Metal Repair Deck Fasteners You Should Know About 🎦 Beautiful Brick 🎦 |
| April 16, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Much Better Deck Building Applying Water Based Urethane 🎦 Amazing Circular Saw Blade 🎦 Frame & Panel Cabinet Construction 🎦 Better Than R20 Insulation Middle of Nowhere Adventure |
| April 9, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| How to Use a Woodworking Jointer 🎦 Water Jet Cutting of Metal Parts 🎦 Basement Ceiling Soundproofing 🎦 Stop Bugs From Biting You Lots of Water From a Weak Well Traditional Door Hinge Installation 🎦 |
| April 2, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Understanding Random Orbit Sanders 🎦 How to Avoid Warped Woodworking Projects Casting Concrete Parts 🎦 Is Vermiculite Insulation Safe? Preventing Basement Summertime Mustiness 🎦 Weird Air Nailer Safety Alert Video 🎦 |
| March 26, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| HomePower ONE Solar Generator Video Tour 🎦 Sanding Cabinet Face Frames Properly 🎦 Building a DIY Steel Staircase 🎦 Sizing a Generator for a Water Well 🎦 How to Edge-Glue Solid Wood Panels 🎦 Super-Strong Concrete Crack Fix 🎦 |
| February 26, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Low-Maintenance Seasonal Home Features 🎦 Concrete Countertop Basics Choose and Install Windows Well 🎦 Radiator Reflectors Save on Heat 🎦 Laser Engraving Wood Projects Why Engineered Lumber is Great |
| February 12, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| My Favourite Instant Glue 🎦 Make Your Own Wooden Building Wedges 🎦 Pickup Truck Bed Extension – 10 year Test 🎦 Simple Wood Flooring Revival 🎦 Adjusting a MIG Welding 🎦 Fake Wood Supreme 🎦 |
| January 29, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Better Winter Ice Traction 🎦 Consider an Emergency Solar Generator Postpone the Nursing Home Connecting a Home Generator to Your House Retrofitting Infloor Heating Big MIG Welding Q&As 🎦 |
| January 8, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Watch a MIG Welding Video Tutorial 🎦 Making Vintage Corsets?! Yes, See For Yourself 🎦 Building Layout Know-How 🎦 Retaining Walls That Really Last Basement Heating the Right Way 🎦 Need Relief from Environmental Guilt? |
| January 1, 2022 – View Entire Newsletter (or select an article below) |
| Choosing a Chopsaw Better Dryer Vents Drying Wood for Furniture Projects Terrific Replacement Toilets Improving Your Indoor Air Quality Virtues of Small Town Life |