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The Totally Tools Issue


THE FAMILY #1 in DIY Home Improvement

Build a cabinet
to organize a
Tool We Love: shop full of tools
Cordless
recip saws

Teach your
BISCUIT JOINER
new tricks!
“Call me
Mr. Jiggle Saw”
and other tales
of tool passion Tool We Love:
Super-light
circular saws

Get
knives
SHAVING
SHARP!
Secret
weapons
the pros
10 things to of
love about Lorem roi
TRACK SAWS ipsumip
Tool We Love:
Compact
sectetuer
Mechanics lithium
drills
dolor sit amet
pick their con sectetuer
favorite ametro
auto tools

November 2010
familyhandyman.com A READER’S DIGEST PUBLICATION
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©Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2010

Made by the Garcias


Designed by IKEA ®

There’s little in this world the Garcias deem more important than good friends and excellent food.
Their new kitchen is perfect for them with built-to-last cabinets, deep drawers that organize their
party supplies and lots of counter space for prep work and just hanging out. Next up…a house
full of happy people to complete the dream. Create your dream at IKEA-USA.com/kitchen

AKURUM kitchen with ÄDEL/RUBRIK doors and drawer fronts $5989 as shown Last year’s price $6529 as shown Medium brown stained
and clear lacquered solid birch/birch veneer ÄDEL doors/drawer fronts. Stainless steel foil ⇒nish RUBRIK drawer fronts. Requires assembly and
installation. *The total price includes cabinets, fronts, interior shelving, drawer and door dampers, hinges, toekicks, legs, visible moldings and
panels. Countertops, sinks, faucets, handles and knobs, appliances and lighting are sold separately. See IKEA store or IKEA-USA.com for limited
warranty details. Valid in US stores. See IKEA store for country of origin information and 10'×10' kitchen layout details.

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LITY - L IMITE
UA D

YQ

W
AR
EVERYDA

RANTY
YEAR

AKURUM/ÄDEL kitchen
Starting at

$
1749
last year’s price $1999
*

Based on 10'×10' kitchen.

The Life Improvement Store™

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LOOK WHO’S BEEN REMODELING AGAIN.


THE FIRST-EVER SIERRA DENALI HD.

We didn’t simply engineer the most powerful Sierra HD ever. We engineered the first Denali HD ever. It offers plenty of
capability, with up to 2,908 lbs of payload* and up to 17,200 lbs of fifth-wheel trailering.** And it comes with the chrome
grille and uplevel interior you expect in a Denali. The new Sierra Denali HD from GMC. WE ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE.

GMC.COM /SIERRA
With available Duramax Diesel engine on 2WD 2500 Denali HD. *Maximum payload capacity includes weight of driver, passengers, optional equipment and cargo. **Maximum trailer ratings are
calculated assuming a properly equipped base vehicle, plus driver. See dealer for details. ©2010 General Motors. All rights reserved. Denali® Duramax® GMC ® Sierra® WE ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE®

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THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2010
VOLUME 60, NO. 10, 513th EDITION

Features
27 Secret weapons of the pros
Field-tested favorites from guys
who use tools all day, every day.

34 Sharpen tools
Simple tips from a master
who’s sharpened more than
a million blades.

46 Grab-and-go tool cabinet


An easy-access home for power
tools, accessories and more.
46
The Pro Section
60 Pro tools
A wet saw for big tile,
a dual-duty utility knife and
drop cloths that stay put.

62 Track saw passion


Why one skeptic fell madly
in love with rail-riding
circular saws.

8
27 34
Departments
Cover Photo TOM FENENGA

8 The Stuff We Love 52 Question & Comment 94 Brag Board NEW


!
Put your hands together Fixes for low water pressure, A closet reimagined
for Mr. Jiggle Saw and the rest stinky dishwashers and more. and a safe, stylish railing.
of these great tools.
66 Car & Garage 98 Reader Projects Contest
16 Handy Hints® Pro gearheads and the ratchets Our readers share their guy
Smoother varnishing, and a and wrenches they love. hangouts—but absolutely
surprising windshield cleaner. no girls allowed!
76 Home Care
20 Tools & Skills Install a kid-proof handrail; 102 Wordless Workshop™
Think you know biscuit adjust your oven temperature. Smart window screen storage.
joinery? Not so fast.
86 Shop Rat 104 Great Goofs®
TOOL The rat’s three friends, tool Tailgate fallout, and the tale
ISSUE junkies all, share their faves. of the $200.89 lightbulb.

november 2010 familyhandyman.com

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:;(5+:<7;6(
30-,;04,6-;<5,<7:
When you reach into your toolbox, you want a tool you can rely on. That tool
is Kobalt – the tool you can count on project after project. In fact, Kobalt hand
and mechanic’s tools are backed by a lifetime hassle-free guarantee. So stop
by your nearest Lowe’s to test drive one today, or visit Lowes.com/Kobalt.

Available only at

© 2010 by Lowe’s. All rights reserved. Lowe’s, the gable design,


Kobalt, and the K design are registered trademarks of LF, LLC.

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THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE


#1 in DIY Home Improvement since 1951
Editor in Chief

TABLE OF
Ken Collier
Senior Editors Travis Larson, Gary Wentz
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Senior Copy Editor

CONTENTS
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Art Directors Vern Johnson, Becky Pfluger,
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UP TO $1,500 TAX CREDIT


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The eco-friendly York Affinity Series Furnaces and Heat Pumps.

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editors@thefamilyhandyman.com
THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE

THE STUFF
WE LOVE
Tools & Gear, DIY and Beyond

Everyday tools we love


Tool improvements are busting out all over—better motors, better
batteries, better design. It could be just the right time to upgrade your
fleet of DIY tools. The prices range widely. Go cheap if you’re a part-
time handyman, or invest more if you use your tools every day. Here
are a few new tools and one old classic that we love to death.

Go-anywhere
recip saws
These things used to be a joke. After just a few
minutes of running time, the batteries would
leave you high and dry and take forever to
recharge. Not anymore. Quick-charge lithium-
ion batteries coupled with motor technology
make these things real players. A recip saw is
one of those tools that really benefit from
being cordless. Generally they’re only used for
“short-burst” work. You hog through a few
things and move on. Why hassle with extension
cords? Get one of these and your plug-in model
will be largely retired. Expect to pay $100 to
$370. But if you go with a high-buck unit, it’s a
better deal to buy one as part of a combo kit.

Mini drivers
Compact cordless drill/drivers may
look like toys, but they’re not. Once you get
your hands on one, it’s guaranteed—your big,
old screw gun will be relegated to part-time
work. This will be your go-to driver. Most are
powered by 7- to 12-volt lithium-ion batteries, are
extremely small and, even more important, are
extremely powerful. Plus, they fit in your apron! How cool
is that?
Choose an impact-style driver that accepts hex-head drills
and screw drives if you drive a lot of screws.
Prices are all over the map, starting at $60
TOOL and running all the way up past $200.
ISSUE
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CENTERED
PIVOT

Mighty
mini
sidewinder
saws
Tool manufacturers are
making full-size, 7-1/4-in. circular saws much lighter
than they used to be. If you want to go even lighter
than that, check out one of the 5- to 6-1/2-in.-blade
circular saws available from many companies. They’re
lightweight, but powerful enough to straight-cut 2-by
material nearly as well as their big cousins (get a 6-in.
model if you want to cut 45-degree bevels, though).
Many have blades positioned on the left side of the
motor. That makes your cutting lines easier to see. And
OFFSET
since the saw tilts the opposite direction, it can make PIVOT
bevel cuts that may be hard or impossible with a regu-
lar saw. You can spend anywhere from $125 to $280.

Man-size lineman’s pliers


Some tools are special. Like the lineman’s pliers I inherited from my grandpa, who was a
railroad electrician. But times change, and those old pliers are no match for the new
One serious tape Channellock 9-1/2-in. high-leverage lineman’s pliers (model 369). The key to their increased
Stanley has always set the gold standard for tape power is long handles and a pivot that’s directly behind the cutters. I could easily cut a 20d nail
measures. You won’t find many carpenters without with them, and I’m no Arnold Schwarzenegger (and probably neither is he anymore!). Cutting
one of its tapes in the pouch. Stanley’s latest effort, through fish tape and any wire you’ll encounter outside a nuke plant should be no problem.
the FatMax Xtreme, has two standout features. First, American made. Channellock quality. Under 20 bucks. Hard to beat, huh? Buy them at
it projects out an astonishing 13 ft. before collapsing. amazon.com and most hardware stores.
Second, it has little wings on the sides of the hook to Ken Collier
make horizontal measurements easier. They’ll grab
hold of vertical corners of studs, plywood,
drywall or anything else with a sharp
corner—no more frus-tration of having
the hook slip off just before you get that Get hooked up
number you need. Twenty to 25 These hooks clamp onto the undersides of rafters and
bucks. stanleytools.com joists. The more weight, the better they grip, up to
200 lbs. worth of whatever it is you want to hang.
Order a set of eight Lumb-R-Grip storage hooks
from duluthtrading.com (No. 69065;
$16.50). Any questions?
Art Direction VERN JOHNSON • Photography TOM FENENGA

If I had a
hammer...
Well, I do. In fact, I have many. But
my favorite is the old classic Estwing E3
20-oz. smooth-face ripping hammer.
It’s the perfect combo hammer for
framing or trim. Exquisite balance,
and unchanged for decades for good
reason. It’s hard to improve on
perfection. Expect to pay $20 to $30.
Travis Larson
TOOL
ISSUE
familyhandyman.com november 2010

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Falling prices Get hooked up


for fall protection Is it possible to improve on the
Not long ago, you had to spend at least bungee cord? In a word, yes.
$250 for a personal fall arrest system This oh-so-useful item gets
(aka “roof harness”). But prices are even better when it’s “The
falling like unharnessed roofers—we Perfect Bungee” and it’s
recently noticed complete kits selling made out of polyurethane
for about $110. That includes a instead of rubber or latex.
harness, a rope, a shock-absorbing According to the
lanyard and two types of anchors manufacturer, these
(screw-down and wrap-around). bungee cords will last
Kits that don’t include all this stuff forever without cracking,
cost even less. But c’mon, your life breaking, scuffing or
is worth an extra 20 bucks. Most becoming brittle. (They’re guaranteed for life!)
home centers don’t carry fall- They’ll withstand salt water, oil, ozone and tons
protection gear, so check out of chemicals you shouldn’t be using (but
amazon.com or search online probably do). And they’ll stretch to twice their
for “fall protection” to find a original size and spring right back again.
huge selection. Available in light- to heavy-duty styles and lots
of different colors, they cost $4 to $5 at
amazon.com. They’re also available at major
sports retailers and hardware stores.
Elisa Bernick

Grandpa’s bevel gauge


My grandfather used this bevel gauge until he finally hung up
his tool belt and passed it on to me. It’s one of those specialty
tools I don’t grab for often, but when I need it, it’s invaluable.
The blade pivots on the handle and rotates a full 360 degrees
and can be locked in at any angle. It’s the perfect tool for
replicating cuts while replacing rafters or checking the angles of
walls or stairs when installing trim. Once I lock the gauge with the
thumbscrew, I can transfer the angle to new
lumber or place it against the fence of my
miter saw to accurately set the saw angle.
When I’m finished, I just fold the blade back into the
handle and tuck it away in my tool belt.
You can buy bevel gauges at hardware stores and home centers,
but you might want to keep your eye open for an old, used one for cheap—
it’s a tool that’s tough to wear out.
David Radtke

The carbide-tip scraper


If you’re stuck scraping paint, don’t make it worse by
using a cheap scraper. Spend at least $10 to get one
that sports a carbide-tip scraping edge. The blade will
stay sharper much longer than regular steel, making
scraping paint a bit less painful. Buy one anywhere
TOOL paint supplies are sold.
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*Standard on Cummins-powered vehicles. Cummins is a registered trademark of Cummins, Inc.


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They call me
Mr. Jiggle Saw
For me, the holy trinity of
power tools consists of a
circular saw, a screw gun
and a jiggle saw (known to most
people as a “reciprocating saw”).
Nearly every carpentry job needs
all three, especially if demo work
is part of the equation. In the past
30 years, I’ve had a half-dozen jiggle
saws: a DeWalt stolen, a Bosch lost (open
tailgate on the freeway), a Craftsman that
wore out, a Panasonic that burned out and a
couple of others lost along the way. But I
wouldn’t be without one, and you shouldn’t be
either. Right now, I have a cordless, 28-volt
Milwaukee and a corded Porter-Cable for
those power-hogging jobs. If you’re just
going to do light work, these new
lithium-ion rechargeable units are the
way to go. Craftsman, Ryobi, DeWalt,
Porter-Cable and just about every
other power tool company now
makes cordless versions. I focused
my laser-sharp, 50-something brain
on remembering what I’ve done
with mine the past couple of years,
and here’s what I came up with:
■ Cut tree roots in postholes
■ Pruned trees
■ Cut out doorjambs
■ Tore out floor
stringers in a
fiberglass boat
■ Surgically cut
drywall openings
■ Finished circular saw cuts on 6x6s
■ Sawed bolts, angle iron, etc.—any job that called for a
hacksaw
■ Finished notch cuts on stair stringers
Clog buster
■ Cut the tongue off a trailer
Long hair clogging up your
■ Hacked out copper and steel pipe
shower drains? Here’s a cheap,
fast, chemical-free unclogger.
Here’s my best advice. Don’t waste your money on cheap
It’s called “Zip-It” and it’s an
blades; get bimetal ones. They’ll cut through nearly
amazing plastic strip that you
anything and still hold their edge. I usually use only three
simply stick down your clogged
blade styles. The blade I use most is an 8-in. coarse-
drain and pull back up. It brings
tooth one because it flexes for flush cuts and it’ll punch
up a scary amount of hair and
right through doorjambs to cut through insulation, shims
“gunk.” Kind of like fishing, but
and nails. For hacking off bolts and other metal, I use a
you’re guaranteed a catch every
short hacksaw blade (I never use a regular hacksaw) and
time! We love this thing!
last, I always have pruning blades on hand for trimming
The Zip-It is available at
trees and bushes. Once you get hooked, you can let your
Walgreens, Ace, Lowe’s and
handsaws collect dust and rust.
Wal-Mart. To see videos of it
Travis Larson
busting through clogs, go to
zipitclean.com.
TOOL
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Feeling lonely? Need friends? Own a big,


expensive tool and they will come!
I love my scaffolding, as does every shirttail relative and mere acquaintance I have.
I bought it for my construction business, and the whole enchilada includes 2-, 4-, 5-
and several 6-ft. sections, complete with wheels and a half-dozen aluminum planks.
The problem is, everyone knows I have it, and they also know I have a truck for
delivery and, of course, for pick-up when they’re finished. The best
part, though, is that with my scaffolding, my skill set and my
extensive tool collection, I get to help them set trusses, shingle
steep-pitch, sky-high roofs, install windows and do all kinds of
other fun stuff. What a deal!
If you have a huge job to do that requires scaffolding for several
weeks, do the math—it might make sense to buy your own. You can
buy an 11-ft. tower with planks, wheels and safety rails for less than
$600 at scaffoldmart.com.
You don’t even have to buy new. Go directly to craigslist.com and
you’ll probably find some used sections, wheels, whatever, for really
cheap. Round up some fellow DIYers to go in on the package with
you. Split three ways, you’ve got a great deal. Just make sure you go
in with partners who own trucks! Travis Larson

TOOL
ISSUE
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from our readers


THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE handyhints@thefamilyhandyman.com

HANDY
Smoother
HINTS
®

varnishing
I’ve been building and refinish-
ing furniture for a long time, and
here’s a tip I use to get a super-
smooth finish. Open the can of
varnish and put it in a few inch-
es of warm water. Let it sit for
about 10 minutes, giving it a stir
every few minutes. Stir it again
right before you apply it. It will
flow more easily, penetrate more
WARM
WATER thoroughly and set up better.
This also works for tung and
other penetrating oils.
Anne Tennis

Get $100 for your Handy Hint!


See p. 6 for details.

Paintbrush holster
When you’re up on a ladder
painting, it’s hard to find a place
WET/DRY
to stick your paintbrush where it won’t SHOP VACUUM
make a mess or end up on the floor. I use a
plastic cup or container (like a specialty cof-
fee container) and a binder clip to make a
brush holster. This keeps the brush close at
hand yet out of the way and out of the soup!

Editor ELISA BERNICK • Art Direction BECKY PFLUGER • Photography TOM FENENGA
YUCK!
Dave Switzer

Shop vacuum
drain cleaner
I tried everything to clear out a clogged shower
drain. Drain cleaner was useless, and I was wor-
ried about scratching the tub with a snake. My
son-in-law came up with the perfect solution.
He stuck the hose of his wet/dry shop vacuum
down the drain and the clog was history in no
time. If the hose fits loosely in the drain, you
can seal around it with a rag.
TOOL
Marjorie Corner and Garrett Jacoby
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Floor tiles for drawer liners


Using shelf liner to line drawers or shelves is
expensive and a hassle. It’s easier and cheaper to
use self-stick vinyl tiles. Cut the tiles to fit with a util-
ity knife, then peel off the backing and stick them in
place. I’ve had tiles lining my kitchen drawers for 10
years, and they’re still going strong.
Cecelia Blanski

Simple
SELF-STICK paint tray
VINYL TILE
cleanup
Here’s the lazy way to clean a
paint tray. Finish painting and let
the wet paint tray dry overnight. The next day, start in
one corner of the tray and just peel the dried paint out
in a single sheet. This works best in a new plastic paint
tray and when there’s a reasonable layer of paint left in
the tray. Saves water (and elbow grease!).
Bob Balderson

Windshield wipe
I do a lot of country driving, and I always end up
with a bunch of dead bugs stuck to my wind-
shield. Using the windshield wipers just creates a
smeary mess. You know what works great? Diaper
wipes! Wiping the windshield with a thick diaper
wipe or two cuts right through the bugs and leaves
my windshield smooth and clean.
Becky Delano

Easy-squeeze oil
Pouring oil into a car, lawn mower or
motorcycle can get messy.
Here’s a simple and tidy
way to do it without
PULL-UP
using a funnel. Just STOPPER
reuse a pull-up stop-
per from a plastic Digital camera DIY tool
water bottle. They When you’re working on a repair with
come in a variety of complex parts or complicated electrical or
sizes, and it’s easy to plumbing connections, take a digital
find one that fits photo of the original wiring before you
most oil containers. start the repair. Not only will this help you
George Pacific Jr. put it back together again
correctly, but you can take
the photo to the store and
get exactly the right parts.
TOOL Jeff Schlueter
ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

18

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THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE by Jeff Gorton


editors@thefamilyhandyman.com

TOOLS
&SKILLS

Art Direction MARCIA ROEPKE • Photography TOM FENENGA

Build cabinets with biscuit joints


The trick to successful biscuit joinery is technique. Instead of referencing the this method is that you don’t have to
cutting the slots in exactly the right slot from the fence, we’ll show you readjust the fence for every cut. In this
spot so that the parts will line up cor- how to reference the slots from the base story we’ll show you how to use the
rectly when they’re joined. Biscuit join- of the tool. This method has a few bench reference method to join cabinet
ers have an adjustable fence that can be advantages. It’s simpler to make an parts. We’ll show you how to join
used to align the slot, accurate slot because the tool is stead- cabinet panels, face frames and ½-in.
but in this article we’ll ied against the workbench rather than drawer material. You can use the same
TOOL show you a different the tool’s fence. Another advantage of technique for any biscuit joint.
ISSUE
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Join plywood with the


bench reference method
Photos 1 – 5 show the steps for joining 3/4-in. plywood with-
out using the fence. On most biscuit joiners, the slot will be
BISCUIT
LOCATION pretty close to centered when you use this method. But even
if the slot is a little off-center, it’ll still work fine as long as
you orient the biscuit joiner and pencil marks as we show in
the photos. Here are a few tips to ensure perfect joints:
■ Work on a flat surface. The top of a table saw or a solid-
core door is a good choice.
■ Clean sawdust off your work surface before each setup.
■ Hold the base of the bis-
cuit joiner and the work- familyhandyman.com
1 MARK FOR THE BISCUITS Visit our Web site for more infor-
Align the two parts to be joined end to end. Then number the parts piece tight to the work sur- mation on using a biscuit joiner.
and draw pencil lines where you want biscuits. In our example, the face as you cut the slots. Search for “biscuit joiner.”
lines will be inside the cabinet.

RIGHT ANGLE
SUPPORT

2 REST THE BASE OF THE JOINER ON THE BENCH 3 HOLD THE PANEL UP WITH A RIGHT ANGLE SUPPORT
To cut accurate slots, rest the biscuit joiner on the workbench The support keeps the panel steady and at an exact right angle.
instead of the fence. It’s more stable and doesn’t require any Then use the same method of resting the base of the biscuit joiner
setup. on the benchtop to cut the slots.

FLUX BRUSH

4 GLUE AND BISCUITS MAKE STRONG JOINTS 5 THE PANELS WILL FIT TOGETHER PERFECTLY
Brush glue into each slot. Then slide biscuits into the slots. Brush The base of the biscuit joiner and the panels were
glue into the slots on the second panel before you joint the two. against the bench top when the slots were cut, so
the joints will line up perfectly. TOOL
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FULL UPRIGHT Cutting slots


POSITION
without the
ADJUSTABLE
fence
FENCE All biscuit joiners feature a
fence that can be adjusted
up or down and pivoted at
varying degrees for cutting
slots in beveled edges.
Some woodworkers prefer
not to use the fence when
cutting slots. Instead, they
use various spacers and jigs
to cut accurate, consistent
slots every time with far less
hassle. For most of the tips
we show, the adjustable fence
is simply locked in the upright
position.
BASE

Support narrow face frame parts


against a block
It’s tricky to cut slots in the ends of narrow parts using the
MARKING
biscuit joiner fence. The small surface area makes it hard to CENTER OF TEMPLATE
BISCUIT SLOT
hold the biscuit joiner stable. But it’s easy to cut accurate
slots in narrow parts using the bench reference method. The
photos here show how. We also show how to cut the biscuit
slots off-center so the biscuit will protrude on one side only.
This is handy if you want to join narrow parts and the bis-
cuits are too large.

1 USE A TEMPLATE TO ALIGN THE SLOT


Cut a biscuit slot in a scrap of wood and mark the center and the
size of the slot, in this case No. 0. Now use the template to posi-
tion the biscuit mark. We offset this slot to the top where the pro-
truding biscuit can be cut off and the slot won’t show.

FACE
FACE FRAME
FRAME

PLYWOOD
CLAMPING AID

2 SCREW PLYWOOD TO THE BENCH AS A CLAMPING AID 3 CUT THE SIDE SLOT
Line up the end of the part with the end of the Align the center marks and cut the biscuit slots. The clamping
clamping board and clamp the two together. The block makes a solid surface to push against.
TOOL wide end makes a stable surface to press the bis-
cuit joiner against.
ISSUE
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PROTRUDING
BISCUIT

4 ASSEMBLE THE FACE FRAME


Spread glue in the slots and insert the
biscuits. Align the parts and clamp them.
When the glue dries, cut off the protrud-
ing biscuits.

Biscuits in thin material


You can use the same bench refer-
ence method to cut slots in material
thinner than ¾ in. by placing spacers
underneath. Subtract the thickness of
the material from ¾ in. The differ-
ence is the spacer thickness. We
show cutting slots in ½-in. plywood
drawer parts. Without the spacer, the
slots would be too close to the edge.
But with the spacer, the slots are
nearly centered. Photos 1 – 4 show how.

1 LABEL THE PARTS AND MARK


THE BISCUIT LOCATIONS
Avoid confusion by carefully labeling
all the parts. Then mark
where you want
the biscuits. TOOL
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1/4" SPACER

2 DON’T ADJUST THE FENCE—USE SPACERS


Instead of adjusting the fence to cut slots in thinner material, add a spacer underneath.
You’ll get great results as long as you use the same spacer when you cut the slots in
the adjoining panel (see Photo 3 below).

1/4" SPACER

3 PLACE THE SPACER UNDER THE END OF THE PANEL


Make sure the spacer doesn’t protrude past the face of the panel. Then rest the base of
the biscuit joiner on the workbench when you cut the slots.

4 THE OUTSIDES WILL BE PERFECTLY ALIGNED


TOOL Since both parts were held up the same amount by the spacer, the
parts will line up exactly when you assemble them with biscuits.
ISSUE
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T H E T O TA L LY T O O L S I S S U E
We talked to pros, from

secret
landscapers to electricians,
to see what tools they use to
make their jobs easier, faster
or just more enjoyable. Here
are a few of their favorites.

Super-simple
sharpener
Like most woodworkers,
weapons
Dave Munkittrick relies on

of the
Pros
sharp chisels and planes for
his livelihood. He has a large
collection of sharpening tools,
but his favorite sharpening
device is the WorkSharp sys-
tem shown here, which sharp-
ens chisels and plane blades
quickly with no mess. The by Jeff Gorton
editors@thefamilyhandyman.com
best part is that you don’t
need any practice to get a
razor-sharp edge.
The WS 2000 shown costs
$100 at home centers and
online.

“I used to put off


sharpening because
it was such a hassle.
With this machine,
sharpening is a quick
task, not a project.”

Art Direction MARCIA ROEPKE • Photography TOM FENENGA

M EET A PRO
Dave Munkittrick,
Woodworker
Dave gave up his career
as a commercial pilot to
become a woodworker.
He’s been building cabinets TOOL
and furniture for 20 years. ISSUE
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Costas’s
mini cutter
Costas has a ton of cool
specialty tools for appli-
ance repairs, but his
Dremel tool is the one that
often gets him out of
binds. Costas fits his
Dremel with an abrasive
cutoff wheel to remove the
heads from stuck sheet
metal screws, cut through
rusted-on laundry
hoses and
remove
corroded
appliance
parts.
Jeff’s boot saver
Jeff is hard on boots. Unfortunately, the dirt, gravel,
stones and pavers chew up the toe box before the rest of
the boot wears out. But he found a solution. He coats the
toes of his boots with Boot Guard, and it really works.
With a $12 investment, you can save your favorite $100 M EET A PRO
work boots from premature death. Look for Boot Guard Jeff Timm,
at a shoe store or order online at kgsbootguard.com. Landscaper
When Jeff isn’t installing
“This little stone and brick
tool has landscaping, he’s
gotten me doing home projects
like building a two-story
out of some dream garage.
bad jams.”

M EET A PRO
Costas Stavrou,
Appliance Repair
Time-saving triangle
When Jeff installs paver patios and driveways, he focuses on top-quality workman-
Costas worked in his dad’s
ship in the most efficient way possible. This giant triangle is perfect because it
appliance shop in Cyprus
allows him to quickly and accurately chalk square layout lines. He could do the
before starting his appli-
same thing using the 3-4-5 triangle method, but this is faster. Just align the chalk
ance repair business in the
United line with the edge of the triangle and snap the line. The triangle folds to take up
States. He’s less room in the truck.
TOOL been at it for The Asquare folding triangle is available online for about $60. Search for “asquare
ISSUE 28 years. folding triangle.” One source is contractortools.com.

november 2010 familyhandyman.com

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MY GOAL IS TO

BREATHE BETTER

EVERY DAY.

ONCE-DAILY SPIRIVA helps people SPIRIVA® is not for everyone. SPIRIVA® HandiHaler® is
a prescription medicine used once every day (a maintenance
with COPD breathe better. medicine) to control symptoms of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) by relaxing your airways and
If you have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary keeping them open. COPD includes chronic bronchitis,
disease), which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema emphysema, or both. SPIRIVA HandiHaler is not a rescue
or both, rescue inhalers alone may not be enough. medicine and should not be used for treating sudden
You and your doctor could talk about adding once- breathing problems. Do not swallow SPIRIVA capsules.
daily SPIRIVA. Taken every day, SPIRIVA can help The contents of the capsule should only be inhaled by
you breathe better. mouth using the HandiHaler device. Stop taking SPIRIVA
and get medical help right away if your breathing suddenly
Ask your doctor about SPIRIVA, because it: worsens, your throat, lips, or tongue swells, you get hives,
you have vision changes or eye pain, or you have difficulty
V Is the only once-daily, inhaled maintenance passing urine or painful urination.
prescription treatment for both forms of COPD
Tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, problems passing
V Significantly improves lung function by urine or an enlarged prostate, as these may worsen with
keeping airways open SPIRIVA. Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems
V Helps you breathe better for a full 24 hours or are allergic to milk proteins. Ask your doctor if you
are not sure. Also discuss with your doctor all the
V Is not a steroid medicines you take, including eye drops. The most
common side effect with SPIRIVA is dry mouth. Others
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of include constipation and trouble passing urine. For a
prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch complete list of reported side effects, ask your doctor
or call 1-800-FDA-1088. or pharmacist.

THERE MAY BE MORE YOU CAN DO TO HELP MANAGE YOUR COPD.


Talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes and SPIRIVA.
Also call 1.877.SPIRIVA (774.7482) or visit SPIRIVA.COM
Please see Important Patient Information on reverse. SV73162 SPC00126
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IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION What should I avoid while using SPIRIVA HandiHaler?
SPIRIVA® (speh REE vah) HandiHaler ® Do not let the powder from the SPIRIVA capsule get into your eyes. Your vision may get blurry and
the pupil in your eye may get larger (dilate). If this happens, call your doctor.
(tiotropium bromide inhalation powder)
What are the possible side effects of SPIRIVA HandiHaler?
SPIRIVA HandiHaler can cause serious side effects. If you get any of the following
side effects, stop taking SPIRIVA HandiHaler and get medical help right away.
• Allergic reaction. Symptoms may include: itching, rash, swelling of the lips,
tongue, or throat (trouble swallowing).
Do NOT swallow After putting the SPIRIVA capsule into the • Sudden narrowing and blockage of the airways into the lungs
SPIRIVA capsules. HandiHaler device, breathe in your (bronchospasm). Your breathing suddenly gets worse.
medicine through your mouth. • New or worsened increased pressure in the eyes (acute narrow-angle
glaucoma). Symptoms of acute narrow-angle glaucoma may include: eye pain, blurred
Important Information: Do not swallow SPIRIVA capsules. SPIRIVA vision, seeing halos (visual halos) or colored images along with red eyes.
• New or worsened urinary retention. Symptoms of blockage in your bladder and/or
capsules should only be used with the HandiHaler device. SPIRIVA enlarged prostate may include: difficulty passing urine, painful urination.
HandiHaler should only be inhaled by mouth (oral inhalation). Other common side effects with SPIRIVA HandiHaler include:
Read the information that comes with your SPIRIVA HandiHaler before you start using it and each • upper respiratory tract infection
time you refill your prescription. There may be new information. This leaflet does not take the place • dry mouth
of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or your treatment. • sinus infection
• sore throat
What is SPIRIVA HandiHaler? • non-specific chest pain
SPIRIVA HandiHaler is a prescription medicine that you use one time every day (a maintenance • urinary tract infection
medicine) to control symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). SPIRIVA • indigestion
HandiHaler helps make your lungs work better for 24 hours. SPIRIVA HandiHaler relaxes your air- • runny nose
ways and helps keep them open. You may start to feel like it is easier to breathe on the first day, but • constipation
it may take longer for you to feel the full effects of the medicine. SPIRIVA HandiHaler works best and • increased heart rate
may help make it easier to breathe when you use it every day. • blurred vision
SPIRIVA HandiHaler also reduces the likelihood of flare-ups and worsening of COPD symptoms These are not all the possible side effects with SPIRIVA HandiHaler. Tell your doctor if you have any
(COPD exacerbations). A COPD exacerbation is defined as an increase or new onset of more than side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
one COPD symptom such as cough, mucus, shortness of breath, and wheezing that requires med- Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
icine beyond your rescue medicine. 1-800-FDA-1088.
SPIRIVA HandiHaler is not a rescue medicine and should not be used for treating sudden breath-
ing problems. Your doctor may give you other medicine to use for sudden breathing problems.
How do I store SPIRIVA HandiHaler?
SPIRIVA HandiHaler has not been studied in children. • Do not store SPIRIVA capsules in the HandiHaler device.
• Store SPIRIVA capsules in the sealed blister package at room temperature between
Who should not take SPIRIVA HandiHaler? 68oF-77oF (20oC-25oC).
Do not use SPIRIVA HandiHaler if you: • Keep SPIRIVA capsules away from heat and cold (do not freeze).
• are allergic to tiotropium. See the end of this leaflet for a complete list of ingredients. • Store SPIRIVA capsules in a dry place. Throw away any unused SPIRIVA capsules that have
• have had an allergic reaction to ipratropium (Atrovent®). been open to air.
Allergic reactions may include itching, rash, or swelling of the lips, tongue or throat (trouble swallowing). Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about storing your SPIRIVA capsules.
Keep SPIRIVA HandiHaler, SPIRIVA capsules, and all medicines out of the reach of
What should I tell my doctor before using SPIRIVA HandiHaler? children.
Before taking SPIRIVA HandiHaler, tell your doctor about all your medical
conditions, including if you: General information about SPIRIVA HandiHaler
• have kidney problems. Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in Patient Information
• have glaucoma. SPIRIVA HandiHaler may make your glaucoma worse. leaflets. Do not use SPIRIVA HandiHaler for a purpose for which it has not been prescribed. Do not
• have an enlarged prostate, problems passing urine, or a blockage in your bladder. SPIRIVA give SPIRIVA HandiHaler to other people even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It
HandiHaler may make these problems worse. may harm them.
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if SPIRIVA HandiHaler could harm For more information about SPIRIVA HandiHaler, talk with your doctor. You can ask your doctor or
your unborn baby. pharmacist for information about SPIRIVA HandiHaler that is written for health professionals.
• are breast-feeding or plan to breast feed. It is not known if SPIRIVA HandiHaler passes into For more information about SPIRIVA HandiHaler, you may call Boehringer Ingelheim
breast milk. You and your doctor will decide if SPIRIVA HandiHaler is right for you while you Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-800-542-6257 or (TTY) 1-800-459-9906.
breast-feed.
• have a severe allergy to milk proteins. Ask your doctor if you are not sure. What are the ingredients in SPIRIVA HandiHaler?
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non- Active ingredient: tiotropium
prescription medicines and eye drops, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some of your other medicines Inactive ingredient: lactose monohydrate
or supplements may affect the way SPIRIVA HandiHaler works. SPIRIVA HandiHaler is an anticholinergic
medicine. You should not take other anticholinergic medicines while using SPIRIVA HandiHaler, including What is COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)?
ipratropium. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure if one of your medicines is an COPD is a serious lung disease that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. Most COPD
anticholinergic. is caused by smoking. When you have COPD, your airways become narrow. So, air moves out of
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines with you to show your doctor and phar- your lungs more slowly. This makes it hard to breathe.
macist when you get a new medicine.
Distributed by:
How should I take SPIRIVA HandiHaler? Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Use SPIRIVA HandiHaler exactly as prescribed. Use SPIRIVA HandiHaler one time every day. Ridgefield, CT 06877 USA
• Read the “Patient’s Instructions for Use” that comes with your prescription before you use Marketed by:
SPIRIVA HandiHaler. Talk with your doctor if you do not understand the instructions. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Ridgefield, CT 06877 USA
• Do not swallow SPIRIVA capsules.
• Only use SPIRIVA capsules with the HandiHaler device. and
• Do not use the HandiHaler device to take any other medicine. Pfizer Inc
New York, NY 10017 USA
• SPIRIVA HandiHaler comes as a powder in a SPIRIVA capsule that fits the HandiHaler device.
Each SPIRIVA capsule, containing only a small amount of SPIRIVA powder, is one full dose of Licensed from:
Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH
medicine.
SPIRIVA® and HandiHaler® are registered trademarks and are used under license from Boehringer
• Separate one blister from the blister card. Then take out one of the SPIRIVA capsules from the Ingelheim International GmbH.
blister package right before you use it.
©Copyright 2009 Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH
• After the capsule is pierced, take a complete dose of SPIRIVA HandiHaler by breathing in the
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
powder by mouth two times, using the HandiHaler device (take 2 inhalations from one SPIRIVA
SPIRIVA® is covered by U.S. Patent Nos. RE38,912, RE39,820, 5,478,578, 6,777,423, 6,908,928,
capsule). See the “Patient’s Instructions for Use” that comes with your prescription.
7,070,800, and 7,309,707 with other patents pending. The HandiHaler® device is covered by U.S.
• Throw away any SPIRIVA capsule that is not used right away after it is taken out of the blister Design Patent No. D355,029 with other patents pending.
package. Do not leave the SPIRIVA capsules open to air; they may not work as well. Rev: December 2009
• If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not use SPIRIVA HandiHaler more IT1600WL1609 10004551/07 65626-08
than one time every 24 hours.
• If you use more than your prescribed dose of SPIRIVA HandiHaler, call your doctor or a poison
SPC00058 SV71939
control center.

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Do-everything
electrical tester
Al Hildenbrand has several
favorite tools, but the one
dearest to his heart and the
workhorse of his stable is the
Greenlee GT-95 electrical
tester. It’s durable and easy to
use. The feature that sold Al
was the ability to test for a hot
wire without the need for a
known ground. You simply
M EET A PRO hold the tester in your hand
Al Hildenbrand, and touch one probe to the
Master Electrician wire you want to test. Push
the test button to see if the
Al is an electrical engineer
who, after a brief stint wire is hot. The GT-95 also
behind the desk, decided features a GFCI tester, a non-
he’d rather be wiring than contact voltage tester and a continuity tester in addition to a digital and LED display
computing. So he became for reading voltage.
a master electrician and The GT-95 costs about $80 online, but it’s the only tester you’re likely to need.
has been wiring ever since. And it’ll last a lifetime.

“Tack rags are good, No-scratch duster


but you need to Bill vacuums everything before he
vacuum to get a paints it. He thinks the brushes that
come with shop vacuums are too
really smooth finish.”
stiff, though. “They can scratch the
surface and don’t pick up fine
dust.” That’s why he replaced the
dusting brush on his shop vacuum
with a horsehair brush, which he
got for $8 at a vacuum cleaner
shop. Take your hose and wand
along with you to find a brush that
fits. No vacuum cleaner shop near
you? Search online for “horsehair
vac-uum cleaner brush.”

Bill’s secret
to super-smooth
finishes
Bill has two favorite tools for help-
ing him achieve a flawless finish.
One is this handy cone-
filter stand Bill picked up at a paint
M EET A PRO store many years ago. The other is
Bill Nunn, Painter mesh socks, available at paint
Bill owns a painting stores and home centers, to strain
company that specializes latex paint before using it.
in top-quality, hand-paint- Buy a strainer stand like this for
ed finishes. He’s been $10.50 at mcfeelys.com. Enter
painting for more than 35
“PST-0639” in the search box. TOOL
years. ISSUE
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M EET A PRO Connect a drill and garden hose to the cylinder.


Terry Boylan, Then thread on a length of pipe and screw the
Plumber boring bit to the end. Water lubricates the bit
as it bores through the ground.
Before retiring to build,
tinker and help us out as a
Field Editor, Terry worked
as a master plumber for
more than 25 years. HEAVY-DUTY
1/2" DRILL

3/4" GALVANIZED PIPE BORIT


BORING
BIT
CYLINDER “The Borit tool saved
me and my customers
Terry’s magic dirt drill the expense and mess
If you’ve ever had to run a wire or pipe under a sidewalk
of trenching through
or driveway, you know there aren’t many easy options.
But Terry discovered this unique tool that solves the gardens and busting
problem. You can buy the tool online ($200 to $265) and up driveways.”
see a video of the Borit in action at borit.com.

Kirk’s helping hand M EET A PRO


When you use a router table or shaper to produce a decorative edge, it’s critical to Kirk Erickson,
simultaneously press the board down and into the fence while you’re pushing it for- Woodworker
ward. Kirk discovered that Board Buddies are perfect for this task. The rollers are Kirk caught the carpentry
shaped to push in and down, and are available in three versions: clockwise, counter- bug as a remodeler and
clockwise and freewheeling. If you want to provide anti-kickback safety as well, now applies his skills to
choose a one-way roller. furniture making and the-
atrical set building. He has
If you can’t find Board Buddies at a local woodworking store, look for
a woodworking shop where
them online. One source is rockler.com. A set of two costs about $57; the
TOOL he builds furniture and
optional aluminum mounting track is $25.
ISSUE cabinetry.

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Les’s quick cutter


Plumbers spend a lot of time cutting cop-
per pipe, so it’s not surprising that one of
Les’s favorite tools is a tubing cutter, but not
just any tubing cutter. The one Les likes
doesn’t require any adjusting—you just slip
it over the copper tube and spin it to cut.
You can buy the Kopex tubing
cutter shown here for $20 at
M EET A PRO toolsdirect.com. Enter “ASP 7028”
Les Zell, in the search box. You’ll find sim-
Master Plumber ilar tubing cutters at some home
Les has been a master centers and hardware stores. “I’ve tried other
plumber for 25 years and Keep in mind that you’ll have tubing cutters, but
runs his own plumbing to buy a separate cutter for
business. His passion is they just don’t last.”
each size tubing.
solar heating.

Dean’s do-everything tool


This hooked knife is intended for linoleum and vinyl
flooring work, but Dean likes it for a host of other
tasks. He uses the sharp point to lift misplaced or
ill-fitting tiles, and to score backer board. He
also uses the knife to clean thin-set from
between tiles before grouting, but for this he
prefers one that’s used and dull. And at $5 a
pop for these handy knives, you really can’t
go wrong keeping a few in your toolbox.

“I picked up the use of a


lino knife from working
alongside a seasoned
jack-of-all-trades
flooring installer.”

Cut holes in hard stuff


Diamond hole saws are no secret to tile setters. But what’s
surprising is that you can buy one at home centers for as lit-
M EET A PRO
Dean Sorem,
tle as $20. Diamond grits embedded in the perimeter of the
Tile Setter
hole saw cut through tough materials like stone and porce-
Dean graduated with a geolo-
lain tile, making short work of what used to be a difficult
gy major, became a remodel-
task. The 1/4-in. hole saw is really handy if you need to
ing contractor, and discovered
drill mounting holes in tile for grab bars or other fixtures. he liked tile setting.
The bit we purchased included a guide and a bottom seal He’s been
that allows you to contain a pool of water around the bit to setting tile for TOOL
keep it cool and eliminate dust. 28 years.
ISSUE
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TOOL
ISSUE
november 2010
familyhandyman.com
& keep
Get

’em sharp
knıves
THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE

Sharp!
Art Direction BECKY PFLUGER • Photography TOM FENENGA unless otherwise noted • Consultant JOE GAMACHE, EVERSHARP KNIVES
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J
by Travis Larson
editors@thefamilyhandyman.com

oe Gamache, our expert But Joe has a quick, drop-dead-


cutler, says there are hun- simple approach that he’s been teach-
dreds of devices, tech- ing to amateurs for years. You’ll only
niques and theories about knife sharp- need a couple of inexpensive sharpen-
ening. Some sharpening methods are ing tools and a bit of practice. Master it
arcane; some ridiculously complicat- and you’ll be amazed at how well your
ed. Still others are only for those knives perform and how much more
obsessed with incredibly sharp edges, fun food prep, carving, slicing and
and require investing a boatload of peeling can be. Or at least how much
money in gadgets. less painful.
MEET A PRO
Joe Gamache,
The must-have tools Honcho of Honing
Joe suggests either of two choices for a to use. But the stick sharpener will Joe has sharpened well
sharpener: a V-sharpener or, if you’re a probably last your entire life. And over 1 million knives in the
more serious cutler, a stick sharpener. with that style you’ll look pretty past 20 years. And believe
it or not, he’s only needed
Each has two sharpening surfaces, one impressive when your guests watch
16 stitches. That’s less
for roughing out an edge and the other you sharpen your knife before carving
than a stitch a year! He’ll
for the final edge. Both styles are easy up the roast. show you how to safely
achieve sharp edges with-

A sharpener out any trips to the ER.

A stick sharpener comes with FINE


CERAMIC
a pair of fine ceramic sticks and STICKS

a carbide notch for roughing. To


use it, simply hold the knife edge
down while you drag it across and
down the stick surfaces. Shown is
FINE
Smith’s 3-in-1 Sharpener ($20), COARSE
CERAMIC
CARBIDE
V-NOTCH
one of Joe’s favorites. V-NOTCH

or COARSE
CARBIDE
V-NOTCH

A V-sharpener has two pairs of cut-


ting edges in a V-configuration. One
side is made from carbide for rough-
ing out an edge and the other has
ceramic material for fine-tuning the
edge. The “V” grinds both sides of
“To get and keep your knives sharp
the knife at once. This Wusthof two-
stage sharpener costs $20. and true, you’ll absolutely need two
tools: a sharpener and a steel.”

A steel
A steel is the shorthand term for a steel sharp edge. Don’t waste your money
rod used to straighten knife edges. getting a diamond-coated sur-
Any decent knife set includes one, but face. You don’t need it.
few people know exactly what it does,
much less how to properly use it.
If you don’t have a steel, go buy one
All the sharpening tools you’ll need are
for about $20. Joe will show available anywhere knives are sold. Go online
you how to use it to and search for specific products or generic
maintain a
STEEL tool names. Or just visit Joe’s store at ever- TOOL
sharpknives.com.
ISSUE
familyhandyman.com november 2010

35

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3 steps to
sharp
Go for good enough—
not perfection!
Super-sharp edges are great—at first.
Then the razor edge quickly dulls.
That’s because an edge that sharp is
necessarily very thin, and it bends and
dulls easily because there’s not
enough metal to support it. A knife
that’ll easily
slice through “Don’t strive
food is sharp for razor-sharp
enough. The
edges —‘sharp-
tomato test (p.
41) will tell enough’ edges 1 ROUGH OUT THE EDGE
you when a stay sharp Draw the knife through the coarse notch with light pressure until you feel it glide
smoothly without any catches. Those indicate nicks or very dull spots. Heavy pressure
knife is ready longer.” doesn’t help; it’ll just remove more material and wear away the knife.
for food prep.
After sharpening and before any food
prep, wipe off the blade with a cloth to
remove any metal filings.

When to take
your knives to a pro
If you follow Joe’s instructions and
still can’t get a good edge, chances are
your knives have been abused to the
point that they need a pro’s touch to
restore the edge. You can do it your-
self, but it takes expensive electric
tools or a lot of tricky manual grinding
on a stone. But for well under $10 per LIGHT
PRESSURE
knife, a sharpening shop can bring
your edges to better-than-new condi-
tion. Then you’ll be able to keep them
that way using Joe’s techniques. 2 CHECK WITH THE THUMBNAIL TEST (BE CAREFUL!)
Set the blade lightly on your nail and drag it toward the end. If it skates over your nail, it’s
Search online for “knife sharpening” not ready for the next step yet. Repeat passes and test until the knife “sticks” to your nail.
followed by
your city and “If you cook five
you’ll surely meals a week,
find a local
take your knives
s h a r p e n e r.
And don’t to a pro for a
give up on tune-up once or
high-quality twice a year.”
knives that
have a chip or notch in the blade. A
pro can grind out any imperfections
and reshape the edge. Yes, you’ll have 3 HONE
THE EDGE
a slightly narrower blade, but you Make a few light
won’t even notice. passes through
the fine ceramic
TOOL “V” and your
Continued on p. 41 knife is ready for
ISSUE kitchen work.
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

36

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PATIENT INFORMATION

ULORIC® (U -'lor-ik)
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Read the Patient Information that comes with ULORIC before WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF ULORIC?
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WHAT IS ULORIC?


ULORIC is a prescription medicine called a xanthine oxidase
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It is not known if ULORIC is safe and effective in children under Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that
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®, Imuran®)
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAFE AND


WHAT SHOULD I TELL MY HEALTHCARE PROVIDER EFFECTIVE USE OF ULORIC.
BEFORE TAKING ULORIC?
𰀭𰁅𰁄𰁉𰁃𰁉𰁎𰁅𰁓𰀀𰁁𰁒𰁅𰀀𰁓𰁏𰁍𰁅𰁔𰁉𰁍𰁅𰁓𰀀𰁐𰁒𰁅𰁓𰁃𰁒𰁉𰁂𰁅𰁄𰀀𰁆𰁏𰁒𰀀𰁐𰁕𰁒𰁐𰁏𰁓𰁅𰁓𰀀𰁏𰁔𰁈𰁅𰁒𰀀𰁔𰁈𰁁𰁎𰀀
Before taking ULORIC tell your healthcare provider about all of 𰁔𰁈𰁏𰁓𰁅𰀀𰁌𰁉𰁓𰁔𰁅𰁄𰀀𰁉𰁎𰀀𰁁𰀀𰁐𰁁𰁔𰁉𰁅𰁎𰁔𰀀𰁉𰁎𰁆𰁏𰁒𰁍𰁁𰁔𰁉𰁏𰁎𰀀𰁌𰁅𰁁𰁭𰁅𰁔𰀎𰀀𰀤𰁏𰀀𰁎𰁏𰁔𰀀𰁕𰁓𰁅𰀀𰀵𰀬𰀯𰀲𰀩𰀣𰀀
your medical conditions, including if you: for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give
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𰁳𰀀𰀀𰁁𰁒𰁅𰀀𰁐𰁒𰁅𰁇𰁎𰁁𰁎𰁔𰀀𰁏𰁒𰀀𰁐𰁌𰁁𰁎𰀀𰁔𰁏𰀀𰁂𰁅𰁃𰁏𰁍𰁅𰀀𰁐𰁒𰁅𰁇𰁎𰁁𰁎𰁔𰀎𰀀𰀩𰁔𰀀𰁉𰁓𰀀𰁎𰁏𰁔𰀀𰁋𰁎𰁏𰁗𰁎𰀀𰁉𰁆𰀀 information about ULORIC. If you would like more information
ULORIC will harm your unborn baby. Talk with your healthcare about ULORIC talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your
provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about
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passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider information go to www.uloric.com, or call 1-877-825-3327.
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Use a steel— 1 STEEL AT A 22-DEGREE ANGLE


often! Start by holding the knife at 90 degrees to the
steel. Cut that in half and you’ll be at 45
degrees. Cut it in half again and you’ll be
Steeling restores the edge very close to 22 degrees, a good angle
Chefs and meat cutters frequently pause and for steeling. Don’t fret about hav-
“steel” their cutting edges. Steeling doesn’t ing the exact angle; this system
will get you close enough.
sharpen an edge; it straightens it. That’s nec-
essary because the thin edge actually bends or 90°
warps while you’re cutting. If you could see 45°
the edge under a microscope, it would look
wavy, and it would feel dull while cutting. 22°

Steeling the knife straightens out all those


waves to restore a straight, even cutting edge.
So when your knife begins to seem dull, don’t
sharpen it—steel it first. Every time you grab
a knife for the first
time to begin cutting, “The steel
steel it before you
even get started. But
keeps a knife
it’s important to do it sharp.”
right or you’ll just
make the edge worse. And don’t act like one
of the Iron Chefs on TV and do it all up in the
air—you’ll eventually wind up in the ER. Rest
the end of the steel on a cutting board and do
your steeling the safer and more accurate way.
It’s very important that you steel at an angle
between 20 and 30 degrees. Photo 1 shows you
how to figure that out.
If your knife isn’t restored by steeling, you
may need to hit the fine ceramic stone a few
times. You should rarely need the coarse
notch after your knife is properly sharpened.
That is, unless you’ve wrecked the edge by
cutting on a too-hard surface or trying to hog
your way through a bone. If that’s the case,
you’ll have to hit the coarse and then the fine.
2 DRAG IT DOWN AS YOU PULL 3 SWITCH SIDES ON EACH PASS
The tomato “Tomato skins Start near the handle and drag the Then repeat the process on the other
test edge downward as you pull it toward
you. Use the entire length of the steel.
side of the steel. Repeat five or so
times and you’re ready for cutting.
If you can slice are the perfect
through a tomato way to test for
skin without having sharpness.”
to saw your way
through or poke a starter hole with the knife
tip, you have a sharp edge that’s ready for
food prep.

“This is what your knife edge looks like “After steeling, the
after a dinner’s worth of cutting—all edge is straight and TOOL
bent and wavy.” ready for cutting again.”
ISSUE
familyhandyman.com november 2010

41

worldmags
worldmags

Field Editors Our Field Editors use (and abuse)


knives for everything, everywhere.
talk knives! Here are a few of their comments:

I love my Tormek T-7


water-cooled sharpen-
ing system ($600 at
tormek.com). It’s very
easy to get an extreme-
ly sharp edge on knives,
and especially wood-
working tools.
Andrew Pitonyak
I still have fond memories of
[Editor’s note: We
my Boy Scout knife. My dad
received four endorse-
and I used it to carve Pinewood
ments of this sharpen-
Derby cars. We won two gold and
er, but $600? Yikes!]
one silver medal in our three-year
racing career.
Steve Schilling

familyhandyman.com Being a former Marine, I think the best


Visit our Web site for more on and most reliable knife is the Ka-Bar knife
sharpening. Search for: “how to (kabar.com). I bought one at the local
sharpen garden tools,” “how to
army surplus store. Make sure it isn’t a
sharpen tools,” “how to use an
angle grinder” and “how to use replica and you’ll have a tough knife that
a wood chisel.” works for everything.
Dave Youngblood

I know exactly where


For the ultimate Swiss Army knife, check out the my beloved Schrade
Swiss Army Giant ($1,000 at swissknifeshop.com). pocket knife has been
It has all 87 implements! I can’t imagine trying to for the past 20 years,
hold it while using any of them, however. even though I haven’t
David Hawkins seen it once in that
time. The kitchen pipes
were freezing at a cus-
tomer’s house. Because
the pipes were impossi-
ble to get at from the
inside, I opened up the
wall, did some foam
insulating, and then
replaced the sheathing,
siding and trim. I also
WENGER

touched up all the


paint. Guess what got
left inside the wall?
Steve Vaalor

TOOL
ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

42

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Window & Door. It cures flexible and creates a durable, airtight, water-resistant bond.
And since we don’t want to bow any frames, its formula is low pressure. Just like the kind
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You’ll just have to visit our website to see for yourself.

See us in Great Falls at dowgreatstuff.com/GreatFalls


®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow.
Consult the label and Material Safety Data Sheet carefully before use.

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Cutting-edge tips from Joe

GETTY / PHOTODISC
Cutting boards:
Drag the tip of your knife across your cutting board.
If the surface doesn’t scratch, it’s too hard and it’ll
dull your knife in no time. Some plastics and certain-
ly glass and laminate surfaces won’t pass the test,
even if they’re called “cutting boards” on the label.

Acidic foods:
Rinse knives after cutting acidic foods like citrus fruits or
pickled goods. Acid promotes corrosion right at the cutting
edge, even with stainless steel. Dry them right afterward.
Cleaning:
Don’t ever throw
knives in a dish-
washer. Wooden
handles will get
ruined, and even
stainless steel
blades will cor-
rode and get dull.
Instead, wash your
knives by hand and
dry them off right away.

Protect the edges:


Don’t just toss unprotected knives
into a drawer. Either use a knife block or
stow them away with blade protectors.
Simple cardboard sheaths held together
with duct tape will do the job.

Avoid bones:
They’ll dull even a high-quality knife.

Electric sharpeners:
Don’t ever use a cheap electric knife
sharpener, especially the ones found on
electric can openers. They’ll do more
harm than good. If you love gadgets,
spend at least $125 for a decent electric
sharpener. (You’ll still have to steel your
knives, by the way.)

Other knives:
“I sharpen all knives the same way—
hunting knives, fillet knives, what-
ever. Keep a mini sharpener
in your tackle box
and use the same
techniques.”

Check out Joe’s store at


eversharpknives.com for
information on mail-order
sharpening, tools and
TOOL more. These guys really
ISSUE know their stuff!

november 2010 familyhandyman.com

44

worldmags
worldmags

PREVENT FREEZER BURN keeps food

up
to
fresh
5x longer

INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW FOODSAVER® GAMESAVER® VACUUM SEALING SYSTEM


Prevent freezer burn and keep your game fresh up to 5x construction with integrated handle, large rubberized
longer! The FoodSaver® GameSaver® Vacuum Sealing System buttons, and includes a bonus 15' 12v power cord for easy
takes air out and keeps it out, ensuring your game is use in the field, allowing you to preserve your game right
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and reserves the right to change or discontinue this promotion at any time without notice. Free shipping offer is limited to Standard Shipping and applies to delivery within the continental 48 U.S. States only. Free shipping
does not apply to shipments sent to APO/FPO addresses or P.O. Box addresses. Applicable sales taxes apply. ©2010 Sunbeam Products, Inc. doing business as Jarden Consumer Solutions. All rights reserved.
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THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE

Grab&Go
tool storage

Art Direction BECKY PFLUGER • Photography TOM FENENGA • Technical Art FRANK ROHRBACH III

TOOL
ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

46

worldmags
worldmags

by David Radtke
editors@thefamilyhandyman.com

Do you spend too much


time looking for tools
on shelves scattered around your
garage? If so, this grab-and-go tool cab-
inet is the answer. You corral all your
power tools and accessories in one
place and roll them around your garage
or shop. The pullout table is great for
doing quick repairs, prepping tools and
sorting parts. The drawers are remov-
able totes that you can carry to your
work area.
You’ll also like how easy it is to
build. All the parts are glued and
screwed together with simple butt
joints and overlays. Just build the top
section of tool bins first, then build the
lower shelving unit to slide under.

Time, money & materials


You can easily build the cabinet in one
weekend and then apply the finish and 10" SPACER
install the hardware the next. Figure on
spending about $375 for the entire proj-
ect including hardware and finish. We BIN SIDE
(A)
chose 3/4-in. birch plywood for the
main structure and 1/2-in. plywood for
the backs and drawer sides. You’ll also
5-1/2" SPACER
need hardwood for the drawer fronts
SELF-DRILLING
and the edges of the pullout work sur- SCREWS
face. You can dress up the look with
simple moldings to cover the exposed
plywood faces.

Build the upper bins first 1 BUILD THE BINS


Cut the plywood parts according to the Position the shelves with spacers and tack them in place with a brad nailer. Then add
Cutting List on p. 48. Assemble each of screws for strength.
the three bins as shown in Photo 1. To
make assembly faster, we used self-
drilling screws, which means you
MEET A PRO
David Radtke
won’t need a pilot hole or a counter-
sink. However, drill a shallow starter David is a custom cabinet-
hole with a 3/32-in. bit to keep the tip maker, home design consult-
ant, freelance editor and
of the screw from wandering off the
home restoration specialist
mark as you start to drive the screw.
in Minneapolis. He enjoys
When you join the three bins (Photo
archery, bowmaking,
2), you’ll need a work surface that’s
woodturning and cycling—
absolutely flat; an old flush panel door whenever he’s not standing
on sawhorses works perfectly for this. behind a table saw or sitting
Finish the bin unit by gluing and nail- in front of the drawing board. TOOL
ing the top into place (Photo 3). ISSUE
familyhandyman.com november 2010

47

worldmags
worldmags

Figure A Tool cabinet


D
Overall dimensions:
60-1/2" tall x 61-1/4" wide x 17" deep
C

A C
A

B A
E

K L B A

K
S
L
G
N V
U
T
M
W

R
G
F

5-1/2"
F
H
Bin side J

detail G

Q
21"

A
Q
7"
P

15-3/8"

Materials List Cutting List


ITEM QTY. KEY QTY. SIZE & DESCRIPTION
3/4" hardwood plywood 4 A 6 3/4" x 15-3/8" x 21" bin sides N 3 3/4" x 6-5/8" x 19-1/4" hardwood
1/2" hardwood plywood 2 B 6 3/4" x 15-3/8" x 18" bin shelves drawer face
1/4" x 3/4" screen molding 40' C 3 3/4" x 5" x 18" upper bin shelves P 2 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 15-3/4" plywood
side base supports
1/4" x 1-1/2" lattice 20' D 1 3/4" x 7" x 60-3/4" top
Q* 2 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 51-3/16" plywood
3/4" x 1-1/2" (hardwood table edging) 5' E* 1 1/2" x 21" x 58-1/4" upper
front and back base supports
1x8 hardwood (drawer facing) 5' assembly back
R 2 3/4" x 15-7/8" x 55-7/8" plywood
1x4 hardwood (table front) 5' F 2 3/4" x 15-3/8" x 32" lower unit
finished sides
sides
14" ball-bearing drawer slides 2 S* 1 3/4" x 14-5/8" x 54-3/8" plywood
G* 3 3/4" x 15-3/8" x 56-7/8" lower
3" swivel casters 4 pullout table
unit shelves
5" drawer pulls 3 T* 1 3/4" x 3-1/4" x 58-1/4" hardwood
H 1 3/4" x 15-3/8" x 14-13/16" lower
8"-wide drawer pulls 2 table face
unit vertical partition
Wood glue 1 pint U* 2 3/4" x 1-1/2" x 15-3/8" hardwood
J* 1 1/2" x 32" x 58-1/4" lower unit
table side edging
No. 8 x 1-1/4" screws 1 box back
V* 1 3/4" x 1-1/2" x 54-3/8" hardwood
No. 8 x 1-1/2" screws 1 box K 6 1/2" x 15-3/8" x 5-1/4" drawer
table back edging
5/16" x 1-1/2" lag screws 16 sides
W 2 3/4" x 2" x 15-3/8" plywood
1-1/4" 18-gauge nails 1 box L* 6 3/4" x 17" x 5-1/4" drawer fronts
spacers
and backs
7/8" pneumatic staples 1 box
M* 3 1/4" x 15-3/8" x 17-7/8" plywood
drawer bottoms * Measure and cut to fit
TOOL
ISSUE
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■ Build a big workbench that fits in a small
space. Search for “folding workbench.”
■ Search for “knockdown workbench” to
find four easy-to-store designs.
■ Need more outlets in your shop? Search
for “surface wiring” to see how to do it
without tearing into walls.
■ Pack more storage into a crowded work-
shop. Search for “small-shop storage.”

Making the drawers fit


Measure the openings in the bottom
of the bins and then downsize the
drawer about 1/8 in. in total height
and width. Since the drawers don’t
have slides, this will give you just the
SOLID-CORE
RIGHT-ANGLE DOOR AS right clearance. Take into account the
CLAMP JIG WORK SURFACE
thickness of the plywood drawer bot-
tom. Sometimes “1/4-in. plywood” is
2 JOIN THE BINS actually 3/16 in. thick.
Line them up on a flat surface, then glue and clamp them together. A homemade
squaring jig holds the bins square until the back is on. Build the lower
shelving section
Measure the width of the top assem-
bly and then cut the parts for the
lower shelving unit so it’ll be exactly
the same width. “Three-quarter-inch”
plywood isn’t exactly 3/4 in. thick;
it’s actually 23/32 in. That’s why it’s
critical to measure. Use the Cutting
List as a guide, but measure carefully
to be sure.
Screw the sides to the shelves using
Figure A as your guide. Install the lower
partition (H) halfway between the bot-
tom and middle shelf. Cut the 1/2-in.
plywood back and check the assem-
bly for square, then glue and nail it to
the back of the sides and shelf.
To reinforce the bottom shelf, rip
3-1/2-in. strips of 3/4-in. plywood
3 ADD THE BACK AND TOP
First, glue and nail on the back. Then sand the front edges of the bins so they’re flush.
(parts P and Q) and glue and nail
Finally, glue and nail on the top. them to the bottom of the assembly.
Screw the casters to the strips.
1-1/4" HOLE

Combine the
two sections
Mount the drawer slide that will sup-
port the pullout table (Photo 5). Then
lay the upper unit onto its back and
glue and screw the outer sides (R) to
the bin sides (A). You may need to

4 BUILD THE DRAWERS


Tack them together with nails and glue,
then add screws. A squaring jig makes
TOOL DRAWER SIDE
DRAWER FRONT
(L) square assembly easy. Drill holes through
ISSUE (K) the back of each drawer to act as a handle.

november 2010 familyhandyman.com

50

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shim underneath to bring the sides


perfectly flush.
Next, slide the lower unit into the
upper until it contacts the spacers
(W). Align the faces of the lower
assembly with the outer sides (R) and
drive the screws from the inside.
You’ll need nine screws per side.
At this stage, the project has SIDE
(R)
acquired considerable heft, so get
someone to help you tip it upright. SLIDE

Nail on the edging


Now you can cut and glue the edge
banding to the exposed plywood
edges. We used screen molding for
the 3/4-in. faces and 1/4-in.-thick lat- SPACER
(W)
tice for the double-thick faces. You
may need to rip the lattice to fit. Keep 5 MOUNT THE SLIDES FOR THE PULLOUT TABLE
in mind that you don’t want the trim Glue and nail spacers to sides, then add the slides. This is a lot easier to do before you
to hang over and obstruct the drawer attach the sides to the bins.
openings, so be sure to flush the edg-
SPACER (W)
ing with the plywood.

Finishing touches
With the unit nearly finished, you can
now make the pullout table. Carefully
measure the distance between the
side spacers. Subtract 1 in. from this
measurement (1/2-in. clearance for
each drawer slide) and build the table
to this precise width. Now you can
cut and screw the drawer faces to the
front of the
tip drawers.
sure you have
Be

To make sure your


drawers don’t get 1/4-in. clear-
trapped inside their ance between
openings before you the bottom of
install the fronts,
press a strip of mask- the drawer faces
6 COMBINE THE UPPER AND LOWER UNITS
ing tape onto the and the pullout Slide the lower unit into the upper unit until it makes contact with the spacers. Screw the
inside front of the table. Align the lower unit to the sides.
drawer and let it
hang past the edges of the
drawer. You can pull outer drawer
on the tape if you faces so they’re
accidentally close
the drawer. even with the
table front.
For a fast, easy finish, use a wipe-
on polyurethane or Watco oil. Use a
brush to get into tight areas and then
a lint-free rag to wipe the finish. Let
dry and give it a second coat.

7 COVER EXPOSED PLYWOOD EDGES


If the trim is a bit too wide, you can shave
it slightly with your table saw. Glue and nail TOOL
the edging into place.
ISSUE
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51

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by Rick Muscoplat
THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE QandC@thefamilyhandyman.com

QUESTION
QUESTION
& COMMENT Low water
pressure
I have an older home with galvanized
1"
SUPPLY plumbing and poor water pressure.
PIPE
The plumber says my pipes are plugged up
with corrosion and mineral deposits and
recommends replacing them to the tune
of $10,000! Can I do this myself?

3/4" He’s probably right—over time, galva-


WATER
MAIN nized pipes get clogged with rust and
mineral deposits. The elbows and hori-
zontal pipes in the basement or lowest
level are usually the culprits. But
replacing all the plumbing is really a
big job. You could save thousands and
1" BALL VALVE
make the project more “bite size” by
trying an incremental approach. That
means starting with replacing an old
water meter, and then moving on to the
next likely suspects.

Art Direction BECKY PFLUGER • Photography TOM FENENGA unless otherwise noted • Technical Art FRANK ROHRBACH III
Step 1:
Replace the main valves,
water meter and pipe
Start by opening the outdoor hose bib
closest to the water meter. If you have
low flow there, look at the water meter.
1" METER
If the meter fittings are smaller than the
pipes going into and out of it, the meter
itself is reducing flow. Contact your
water utility to see if it offers a 1-in.
METER meter. If so, have the utility shut off the
WASHERS
water so you can install larger shutoff
valves and the new meter (you may
have to pay a fee to have it shut off).
HOUSE-SIDE Next, replace the first 15 ft. of old gal-
VALVE
vanized pipe coming out of the meter
with 1-in. copper or PEX.
Many times, the
UPSIZE THE VALVES AND FIRST 15 FT. OF PIPE
Install two full-port 1-in. ball valves (with drains) on increased volume from
each side of the new meter. Replace the first 15 ft. of the larger pipes is
pipe leading from the meter with 1-in. pipe. enough to compensate
for restriction in pipes
farther down the run.
You can double the water
flow through the meter by
upsizing it to a 1-in. model.
TOOL
1/2"
ISSUE 1"

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Step 2: Step 3: VERTICAL


RUN TO FIRST
Replace all the fixture valves Replace all the AND SECOND
FLOORS
If the water pressure is still too low, start horizontal pipes
replacing the old stop valves to the sinks and If the water flow is still wimpy, you
toilets. The stop valves and galvanized elbows have a big decision to make—replace
build up crud just like the rest of the pipes in all the horizontal sections yourself or
the house. Turn off the main water valve and call a plumber. This is actually not a
unscrew the stop valve. Dig out any buildup huge project if your pipes are in a base-
you see inside the galvanized fitting. Then ment with an open or a suspended
install the new stop valve. Attach one end of a ceiling; you can probably handle it
new flexible supply tube to the valve and route yourself. Replace them with PEX or
the other end into a bucket. Then open the copper, your choice. But before you ELBOW

valve and flush out any loose crud left from the cut the old pipes, heed this warn-
cleaning procedure. When the water runs ing. Never remove the 90-degree
clear, turn it off and attach the supply tube to elbows or tees attached to the bot-
the faucet or toilet. Repeat the procedure at tom of the vertical pipes. The
each fixture that has low pressure. threaded portion of a pipe is
SUPPLY
always the thinnest and breaks
OLD-STYLE
TUBE easily when it’s old and rusty. If
STOP VALVE you break the threads on the verti- CRUD
cal pipe while you’re trying to BUILDUP

remove the elbow, you’ll be in real


trouble. So keep those fittings intact
with the vertical pipes and remove
only the hori-
NIPPLE
zontal sections.
The threaded portion
BALL
Even then, the of the pipe is the
VALVE threaded area weakest. This nipple
on the horizontal broke as soon as
we twisted it.
GET BETTER FLOW pipes may collapse and
BREAK
WITH NEW STOP VALVES crack as soon you crank
Unscrew the old stop valves and on them. Buy a “nipple extrac-
replace them with ball valves. Replace
the supply tubes at the same time. tion” tool, or know where
you can get one in a hurry if
you run into that problem.

Step 4:
Replace the vertical pipes
If you’ve changed out all the horizontal pipes
LEAVE
and still have low pressure, you’ll have to bite VERTICAL
PIPE ALONE
the bullet and run new vertical lines. This is
the toughest part because you’ll often have to
cut access holes in your upper room walls and PEX
CONNECTOR
floors for fishing the new water lines. Forget
NEW 3/4"
about removing the old pipes—just abandon GALVANIZED
NIPPLE
them in the walls and run new lines with PEX.
Pros prefer PEX because it’s easier to fish and
can bend around corners. That’s especially
important where vertical water lines turn to
run horizontally along floor joists. DIELECTRIC
Drill new oversize holes (to accommodate UNION

PEX expansion and contraction) and bundle


the hot and cold PEX lines together with tape AVOID TROUBLE BY REUSING THE OLD ELBOWS AND TEE
so you can make a single pull. Leave the old 90-degree elbows and tees in place and remove the old
horizontal pipes to each one. Clean out as much rust and corrosion as you
TOOL Separate them at the top and can. Then install new galvanized nipples and dielectric unions before you
make your crimp connections. convert to copper or PEX.
ISSUE
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QUESTION If you can live with a lower ceiling height, you can save a
Reader has a sinking ceiling lot of time by installing a new ceiling below the old one.
Add the 1-by furring strips (on 16-in. centers) shown in
My ceiling is sagging.
Figure A. Use 1x3s rather than 1x2s because it makes the
What causes this and
drywall easier to hang. (But if your ceiling sags more than
how do I fix it?
3/4 in., use 2x2s.) Screw the 1x3s to the truss framing with
I’m guessing that the 2-1/2-in. drywall screws spaced every 2 ft. Next, install and
“pillowing” drywall tape and finish new 5/8-in. drywall. If you have ceiling fix-
shown in your photo tures, you’ll have to extend all the boxes so they’re flush
is on the top floor with the new ceiling.
and attached to the
roof trusses. If so,
I bet the installers used 1/2-in. drywall instead of 5/8-in.
Figure A ATTIC

Half-inch drywall can sag if it’s hung under roof trusses that Easy ceiling fix PILLOWED
DRYWALL
INSULATION

are spaced every 24 in. It isn’t strong enough to handle the


span, and the weight of the attic insulation just makes the TRUSS
2-1/2"
24" DRYWALL
sagging worse. SCREWS
1x3
You only have two choices: Rip it out and replace it with STRIPS

5/8-in. drywall or add spacers and new 5/8-in. drywall


below it. Ripping out the old stuff is the most professional
OLD
approach, but it’s a nightmare job. You have to pry out the DRYWALL
1-5/8" DRYWALL
ceiling drywall along the edges and pluck out all the old dry- SCREWS
NEW 5/8"
wall screws. As if that weren’t enough fun, the DRYWALL
TOOL attic insulation may collapse into the room.
ISSUE
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QUESTION
Mysterious stains appear on clothes
after washing
I get these
grease-like marks
on my clothes when
they come out of
the washer. But the SOAP AND
marks wash out FABRIC
SOFTENER
the next time I do BUILDUP
laundry. What are
they and how do
I stop them?

Since the stains wash out, it’s a sure bet they’re


caused by detergent and fabric softener that have
congealed on the underside of the agitator or along After you’ve cleaned the agitator, reinstall it
the top edge of the washer basket. and fill the tub with hot water. Next, dump in 8
To eliminate the problem, first clean any crud oz. of washing machine cleaner (Washer Magic
from the gap along the top of the washer basket. is one brand; $11 from amazon.com or appli-
Then remove the agitator and clean the gunk off ance parts stores) and run it for a full cycle
the underside. Since the agitator removal proce- without any clothes. That should
dure varies by manufacturer, go to appliance- eliminate the problem. If not,
guru.com and search for your make and model. repeat the procedure. TOOL
ISSUE
familyhandyman.com november 2010

57

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worldmags

LOOKS CLEAN ON THE


OUTSIDE—BUT IS IT?

QUESTION
Stinky dishwasher
The smell in my dishwasher is so bad
that it just about knocks me over when
I open the door. I’ve tried running bleach
in it, but the smell returns about a week
later. What can I do to get rid of the
smell?

First, stop using bleach. It’s very cor-


rosive to metal parts and doesn’t solve
the root problem. The smell comes
from bacteria that feed on trapped
food and grease in the strainer screen
We found this cool
at the bottom of the machine, in the science experiment
jets in the sprayer arms and along the growing in our “clean”
bottom edge of the door. dishwasher.
Start by cleaning and rinsing out
the screen at the bottom of the tub. Next, clean out any
food lodged in the ports of the sprayer arm (top photo).
Then clean off the bottom edge of the door and the metal
lip area that sits below the door (bottom photo). You’ll be
surprised at how much crud is there.
Once you’ve cleaned those areas, throw in a bottle of
dishwasher cleaner and disinfectant (Dishwasher
Magic; $5 from amazon.com) and run a full cycle with
no dishes or dishwashing detergent. Keep those critical
areas clean in the future and your stinking problem
won’t come back.

FOOD
FOOD BUILDUP
BUILDUP

CLEAN OUT FOOD BUILDUP


Tip the door down all the way and spray the bottom edge and lip
TOOL area with cleaner/degreaser spray. Let it soak for a while, then
ISSUE scrub it clean. Repeat anytime you see buildup.

november 2010 familyhandyman.com

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worldmags
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The Pro Section

Pro
Tools
&Gear

3M
by Travis Larson
editors@thefamilyhandyman.com

1 knife, 2 blades
Roofers, do you constantly
switch between straight Grippy drop cloth
blades for felt and hook When it comes to floor protection, you have to
blades for shingles? Try the pick your poison: Canvas drop cloths don’t
10-501 Bostitch Twin Blade HOOK slide around when you’re working, but they’ll
BLADE
Knife ($10), which carries leak if you have a big spill and they’re bulky.

Art Direction MARCIA ROEPKE • Photography TOM FENENGA


both types on board. You Plastic cloths are leakproof, but they’re slip-
just push forward the button pery to work on and won’t stay put.
for the blade you want. It Not anymore. Try the new 3M Hand-Masker
also stows nine spare blades Floor Gripper Anti-Slip Runners for hallways,
and has a quick blade- stairs and along walls you’re rehabbing.
STRAIGHT
change system that actually BLADE They’re leakproof and specially treated to grip
works. All that, and the rub- any floor surface. Fairly durable, but cheap
ber-coated handle is easy to enough to toss when they start to wear out.
grip when you’re plowing Choose from many widths, and lengths up to
through rock-hard shingles 50 ft. Prices range from $16 to $65. Find the
on frigid days. Available at runners at home centers and hardware stores
Lowe’s and online. nationwide. Or search online for “3M Floor
BOSTITCH.COM Gripper.”

Big saws for big tile


Ridgid throws two new pro-grade tile saws into the fray with
the R4010 ($700) and “The Beast” ($900). Both saws feature
bevel-cutting capability, an easy transport stand, water man-
agement systems and a motor with brake. They cut huge tiles,
up to 34 in. wide and 24 in. diagonally. Chunks and slurry are
filtered from the water to protect the pump and provide
clean recycled water to the blade.
The Beast features a variable-speed motor so you can
“THE BEAST”
dial in the optimal blade speed for the material you’re
cutting, maximum cut capacity and unlimited bevel
angle adjustment. Check out the saws at Home Depot (not
carried at all stores but can be ordered from any) or go to
ridgid.com to see a video and find out more.
RIDGID

TOOL RIDGID.COM

ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

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The Pro Section

10 things to love about


Track
Saws And why you’ll own one—
sooner or later
When I first laid eyes on a track saw, I thought, “I have a table saw.
I have a straightedge to guide my circular saw. Why would
I spend $500 (or more) on one of these contraptions?”
I was sure it was another tool gimmick for suckers.
Then I talked to track saw owners, from cabinet-
makers and flooring installers to trim
carpenters and remodelers. Every
single one of them told me that
buying a track saw was a
smart move. Now I own
one too. Here’s why:

by Gary Wentz
editors@thefamilyhandyman.com

PLUNGE
1. It’s not just DEPTH
GAUGE
a circular saw
with a fancy
straightedge TRACK
DEPTH
STOP
ADJUSTMENT
A track saw is similar
Art Direction VERN JOHNSON • Photography TOM FENENGA

BEVEL
to your framing saw LOCK
—the way a Porsche
is similar to a dump BEVEL
GAUGE
truck. It’s engineered
to be smooth and pre- RIVING KNIFE

cise rather than YOU PUSH, PRECISION ACCURATE ADJUSTMENTS


rugged, and you’ll THE BLADE PLUNGES GUIDANCE SYSTEM All three models feature easy-to-
feel the difference the Unlike your circular saw, this has Unlike a straightedge, the rail read scales, solid depth stops, and
no clumsy blade guard to fight. won’t let the saw veer off course. front and rear bevel locks. Forget
first time you pull On the DeWalt and Festool, a riv- Adjustment knobs fine-tune the the ballpark settings on your circu-
the trigger. ing knife follows the blade, reduc- fit between the saw’s shoe and lar saw; with a track saw, what
ing kickback and blade-pinching. the track, so there’s zero slop. you set is what you get.
TOOL
ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

62
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Bellawood® has an 8 layer


finish that is 3 times the
industry standard for wear
and is backed by a 50 year
warranty.

Beauty and Quality


Bellawood® is the premier brand
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on the market today. Whether
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each Bellawood® floor is
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When you choose Bellawood®
Prefinished Hardwood Floors,
you’ll save the time, dust and
odor associated with sanding and
finishing hardwood floors after
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You just install and enjoy.

Warranty
Our solid, traditional hardwood
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and a 50-year warranty.

“I liked the quality of


Bellawood so much,
I installed it in my
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- Bob Villa
FAMHDMN11.10

Bellawood American Cherry is available at Lumber Liquidators

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The main players


There are three big
names in the track saw
market. You’ll find the
saws sold separately or
DeWalt DWS520
as kits, with one track or
two, with or without
accessories. That can
make price comparisons
tricky, but expect to
spend about $500 for a
Festool TS 55 saw and a rail long
enough for 4-ft. cuts. The PLASTIC
EDGE
blades are oddball sizes:
6-1/2 in. for DeWalt and
Makita, 6-1/4 in. for
Festool. So pick up an 4. Instant,
extra blade or two ($50 exact setup
Makita SP6000 to $80 each—ouch!).
Just align the track
Festool also makes a
with your marks
track saw with an 8-1/4-
in. blade (TS 75; $650
and you’re ready to
for the saw only). cut. The plastic edge
shows you precisely
where the blade will cut.
No test cuts, no double-
checking, no guesswork.
STICKY
STRIP Again and again, track saw
owners told me, “I’ve never
screwed up a cut with this saw.”

5. Nice for tight spaces


A track saw can make big cuts in a small space. If you had to,
you could slice up a full sheet of plywood in an 8 x 10-ft.
room. Unlike with a table saw, there’s no need for infeed
or outfeed space. A track saw is also a
space saver in your
truck or van.
Get your own
track saw,
2. Look Ma, no clamps! Mom!
Those sticky rubber strips on the track bottom don’t slip; 6. Painless
no need to waste time clamping down the track in most portability
situations—even when you’re trimming doors. Cutting
A track saw does most
clampless is scary at first, but you’ll learn to trust the
of what a table saw does,
sticky strips. For those rare times when you need them,
but moving between job
get clamps that lock into the track (about $40 a pair).
sites is a lot easier. Safer,
too: Carrying a track saw,
3. Dust collection that really works you’re less likely to bang up
The shroud on a track saw doesn’t just enclose the blade; it door casings or wreck your
also creates an effective dust trap. Add a vacuum hose and back. Plus, you can call
you can do things you wouldn’t dream of with any other saw. Mom while you load
Like cut MDF inside Mrs. McFussy’s house. up your truck.
TOOL
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november 2010 familyhandyman.com

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cuts
8. Clean, smooth -of-the-line cabin
et saw. Whether
the

t cu ts wi th tra ck saws and a top ts we re just as


I made tes w cu
MDF, the track sa
wood, plywood or saw to the
material was solid t for tea r-o ut, I added a circular
le sa w cu ts. To tes alm ost per-
smooth as the tab g
the best, producin
t me lam ine . Th e track saws did ce . The tab le saw
contest and cu top of the waste
pie
wi th on ly a few tiny chips on the t wh at you’d expect.
fect cuts, did jus
e. The circular saw
the face-down sid
left tiny chips on

TRACK SAW

7. Long miters, no limits


TABLE SAW
With a miter saw, a table saw or even
a panel saw, the length and angle of
the cut are limited. Not so with a
CIRCULAR SAW
track saw. You’ll get an accurate
miter no matter how long or how
steep the angle. But there is one
downside. Unlike those other saws, a
track saw doesn’t have a built-in
Is your table saw obsolete?
Nope. If you get a track saw, your table saw may get some long vacations, but it
miter gauge, so setting up miter cuts
won’t go into retirement. Cutting small parts with a track saw is clumsy, and cut-
can be slow. If you do lots of long
ting much deeper than 2 in. is impossible with most models. And when it comes
miters, you might want to spend $50 to identical repeat cuts—ripping wide boards into cabinet stock, for example—a
to $100 on a miter gauge that locks track saw is a slow, sorry substitute for a table saw.
onto the track.

CONNECTOR

10. Connect the tracks,


cut for miles
The ends of the tracks are dead
square, so you can lock them togeth-
9. Single-stage plywood cutting er for super-straight, super-long cuts.
To avoid wrestling heavy sheets across a table saw, many of us perform (I heard from a gym-floor installer
a two-act play: We rough-cut with a circular saw, then make finish cuts who lays up to 100 ft. of track for a
on a table saw. With a track saw, you can skip the second act. The first single cut!) The connectors cost
cuts will be your final cuts—every bit as straight, smooth and accurate as about $17 each. One connector is
you’ll get on a table saw. good, but two is better. Most rails fall
into one of two general categories:
familyhandyman.com long enough for a 4-ft. cut (about
$100) or long enough for an
• Turn your table saw into a precision crosscutting machine. Search for “table saw sled.”
• Make long, straight cuts with a circular saw. Search for “long cuts.” 8-ft. cut (about $200).
TOOL
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familyhandyman.com november 2010

65
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by Rick Muscoplat
THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE editors@thefamilyhandyman.com

CAR &

Art Direction VERN JOHNSON • Photography TOM FENENGA


GARAGE
Mechanics’ top tools
Doing your own car repairs saves a boatload of money
and gives you bragging rights on Monday morning.
(Yeah, I replaced my crankshaft over the weekend—so
what?) But let’s be honest here—you’re really in it for
the tools, right?
That’s what I thought, so I asked three shop owners,
our auto mechanic field editors and my gearhead
friends to tell you about their favorite tools. As you
might expect, some are pricey. But they’re simply the
best tools around. Want one? Start reminding the
family right now how much money you’ll “save”!

David’s
portable power
David Marofsky and his auto salvage
yard crew spend most of their time
out in the yard yanking major com-
ponents out of junk vehicles. So it’s
no surprise that his tool of choice is a
portable 1/2-in.-drive
impact wrench. What does
surprise me is that all the
professional mechanics
featured in this story rou-
tinely use battery-powered
impact wrenches—and not
just when they’re outside. Blast off any nut or bolt with
a heavy-duty, battery-powered
In fact, David owns several
impact wrench like this 1/2-in.-
of these workhorses and drive Snap-on wrench.
always keeps one near the
hoist. He also owns a few Snap-on 3/8-in.-drive impact wrenches
for working under the hood (No. CT4450A; $422 with one
14.4-volt battery, case and charger).
I never thought I’d see the day when battery power replaced
compressed air. But David raves about the bolt-busting power (a
whopping 620 ft. lb. of breakaway torque) of the CT6850. He
MEET A PRO
even uses it on large 32-mm axle shaft nuts. “It hasn’t let me down David Marofsky
yet,” he says. If you’re ready for power on the go and in the shop, David has owned Marco
check out a battery-powered impact wrench. Auto Parts, an auto sal-
Snap-on impact wrench, No. CT6850; $555 with two
TOOL vage yard, for 10 years.
batteries, charger and case from buy1.snapon.com
ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

66

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MEET A PRO
MEET A PRO Paul Selbitschka
Kurt Spohn
Paul owns a Precision Tune
Kurt owns Action Auto Auto Care shop that spe-
Repair in Minneapolis. cializes in auto diagnostics.

Kurt’s Paul’s
bolt blaster bolt spinner
Kurt Spohn shares my Zap out nuts Paul Selbitschka spends quite a
Bend the
love of tools, so it’s no and bolts with bit of time under the hood doing
handle of a
surprise that he picked a heavy-duty tune-ups and computer diagnostics. Mac Spinflex
3/8-in.-drive air
the same 3/8-in. drive Since I already had nominations for power ratchet so
ratchet from
Snap-on air ratchet I tools, I asked him for his favorite hand tool. it’s at a right
Snap-on.
He didn’t hesitate for a second. He simply angle to the
own. Spending over
head. Then
$400 on an air ratchet may seem exces- loves his flex-head ratchet. The ultra-thin spin the
sive, but not if you’ve tried this baby. It puts head lets Paul squeeze into tight spaces, ratchet por-
out 65 ft. lb. of nut-busting torque. That and the flex feature allows him to pivot the tion to zip
means you can slip a socket onto a bolt head handle to get maximum leverage for loosen- nuts and
bolts out.
and just press the trigger. The FAR7200 will ing fasteners and spark plugs. The large
break it loose and spin it out in seconds. plastic handle lets him put more muscle into
But be careful when reinstalling nuts and the “break.” The ratchet really goes to town
bolts. Make sure the threads are fully engaged once the bolt is loose. Paul just twirls the
before you hit the trigger. Because if they’re not, handle 360 degrees and spins the nuts and
this ratchet is powerful enough to ram a cross- bolts out in seconds. It’s a cool tool—one
threaded bolt all the way home. that belongs in every DIYer’s toolbox, gear-
Snap-on air ratchet, head or not.
No. FAR7200; $412 from Mac Spinflex ratchet, No. XRS11FPA;
TOOL
buy1.snapon.com $144 from mactools.com
ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

68

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“We used to cut everything


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Rick’s super-sensitive ears Track down annoying hard-to-find


noises with a wireless stethoscope.
Every day, customers ask mechanics to Clamp the microphones near the
find and fix strange vehicle noises. Lazy suspects and go for a drive. Then
mechanics just guess at the cause and note which transmitter is capturing
the offending sound.
replace parts until the noise goes away
(on your dime, of course). But profession-
al mechanics use a stethoscope. So I eral vicinity of the noise. Then take the
wasn’t surprised that several field editors vehicle for a spin. Listen to each micro-
picked the automotive stethoscope as phone until you hear the noise. That’s
their favorite tool. It’s an invaluable tool. your villain.
But it does have one drawback—it can’t If you’ve got an annoying vehicle noise
help you find a noise that occurs only but aren’t up for buying one of these kits,
when you’re driving. So some mechanics find a shop that owns one.
(like me) are jumping on the wireless Steelman No. STE97202 Wireless Chassis
bandwagon. To find the source of Ear Kit; $200 from tooldiscounter.com
clunks, thumps and whirs, I
use a wireless stethoscope.
This kit comes with four
transmitters and micro-
phone clamps, a receiver,
headphones and hook-
and-loop straps. Just
clamp the microphones to
the most likely sus-
pects in the gen-

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november 2010 familyhandyman.com

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Sixty-three miles of commuting daily.

©2010 Exxon Mobil Corporation. Mobil, Mobil 1 and the 1 icon are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one
of its subsidiaries. NASCAR ® is a registered trademark of The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.

STEP UP TO MOBIL 1 and put some NASCAR in your car. You commute hundreds of miles a week,
in all kinds of weather and often in stop-and-go traffic. It’s not a NASCAR race, but you still drive your
engine hard. That’s why you need Mobil 1 technology. From the road to the racetrack, it’s proven to
withstand some of the most extreme conditions. In fact, over half of all NASCAR teams choose Mobil 1
technology. So step up to the one. Mobil 1. Learn more at mobil1.com.

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Vacuum pump, bleeder, pressure-testing kit


A hand-operated vacuum pump is simply a “must-have” tool. And
this Mity Vac kit is well built, reasonably priced and comes with all
VACUUM the attachments you’ll ever need.
GAUGE
Use the vacuum pump to test your vacuum-controlled sen-
sors and motors. Or find a leaking vacuum line by plugging each
one and applying vacuum. If it holds, it’s good. You can also use
the gauge to find a vacuum leak. Just spray carb cleaner
around the possible leak sites. The gauge will
FLUID
RESERVOIR flutter if you spray a leaking area.
Want to bleed your brakes yourself?
Just attach the fluid transfer bottle and
vinyl tubing to the pump. Next, use the
refill adapters to keep the master cylin-
der filled while you suck brake fluid
out of the bleeder screws. Keep
pumping until you see fresh
fluid. You can also use the
ADAPTERS pump to flush power-steer-
ing fluids.
Mity Vac, No. MV8500;
$54 from mechanic-
HAND stoolsupply.com
PUMP

Battery carrier
Old car batteries weigh a
ton, and they’re always
wedged in tight. The days of
wrestling one out with your
nice clean hands are over.
Just open the jaws of this
battery carrier, slap it over
the battery, and lift up and
out. Now you can carry the
battery at your side and
away from your clothes.
Then use it to load in a new
battery.. Your work’s done—
and your shirt lives to see
another day.
Kastar B600, $19;
amazon.com

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Light up
the hood
Light up the entire
engine compart-
ment with this clip-
on light. The Under-
hood Lite fits car
and truck hoods
from 4 ft. to 6 ft. 6 in.
wide. Spring-loaded
J-hooks snap it onto
the hood of your
vehicle. The hooks
are foam-covered,
so you can scratch
the scratch worries.
Central Tools No.
13003; $130 from
amazon.com

Hang ’em high


Air tools don’t come with hooks, and they don’t
nest well in drawers. So plunk down 23 bucks on
this locking air tool holder and your life will be com-
plete. Having second thoughts about that neighbor
you entrust with your house key when you’re away?
Throw your bolt cutters in your suitcase and snap a
padlock on the rack. There, it’s done.
Lisle locking air tool holder, No. 49960;
$23 from amazon.com
TOOL
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Screw pitch
gauge
You’ve lost a bolt and now
you’re rummaging through
your old bolt collection and
trying every one that looks
like a contender. It turns in a
few threads and then
stops. Darn, you’re trying
to ram an “English” bolt
into a metric
hole. Stop
wasting time
and buy an
inexpensive
screw pitch
gauge. The gauge
reads both metric and
English thread sizes. Every shop owns
one and you should too. Just find the
“leaf” that mates to the threads on the
nut or bolt and read the screw “pitch”
(for metric fasteners) or the teeth per
inch (TPI) for English fasteners. Record
the number and run to the hardware
store, or use the measurement to match
up an old bolt from your collection.
Hanson pitch gauge, No. 12017;
$7 from toolsource.com

Finger ratchet
for tight places
Carmakers love to install relays and con-
trol boxes in deep, dark places under
your dash, and there’s no way to get big
tools in there to loosen the hex-head
screws. That’s where this 1/4-in.-
drive SK Hand Tools
(1-1/2-in. diameter)
finger ratchet
comes in
handy. If you
can get your
hand in place,
you can get the
fastener out. The
fine-tooth ratchet mecha-
nism lets you rotate back-
ward to get another “bite,”
without turning the screw
back in. You won’t use this
tool often, but when you
need to, it pays for itself.
SK Hand Tools 1/4-in.-drive
ratchet, No. 49270; $20 from
toolfetch.com

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THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE by Jeff Gorton


editors@thefamilyhandyman.com

HOME
CARE &
REPAIR RETURN

Art Direction MARCIA ROEPKE • Photography TOM FENENGA


ROUTED
EDGE

Solution
for a loose
handrail
Whether you need to add a new
handrail or firm up a wobbly one,
here’s a new handrail hanging method
that’s easy and super strong. The trick
is to mount the handrail to a board first
and then screw the board to the wall.
This eliminates the hassle of trying to 1 ATTACH THE RETURNS WITH SCREWS
line up the brackets with the studs, and Position the handrail on the board so the space above the rail and below the brackets is
allows you to securely attach the end about the same, spacing the rail evenly from both ends. Drill pilot and countersink holes
and screw through the board into the returns with 2-in. screws.
returns with screws running through
the back side of the board. This method 2 SCREW THE
is much easier since most of the work is BOARD TO THE
STUDS
done on your workbench. And it also Position a strip
hides any damage from a poorly hung of masking tape
existing rail. parallel to the stairs
with the top edge
Start by measuring the distance from located so that the
the nosing at the top landing to the nos- top of the rail will be
ing on the bottom tread. Add 12 in. to 34 to 36 in. above
the stair nosings.
this measurement to find the length of STUD Locate the studs
LOCATION
the board you’ll need. We used a 1x6 and mark them on
and shaped the edge with a router and the tape. Support
the handrail board
cove bit. Cut the handrail 6 in. longer on a pair of nails.
than your measurement with 45-degree Drive a pair of 3-in.
NOSING
miters on each end. Screw the handrail screws into every
other stud.
brackets to the handrail (but not the
board yet), spacing them about 4 ft.
apart and about 1 ft. from each end. 3 SCREW THE
Support the handrail on the board and BRACKETS TO
measure from the tip of the miter to the THE BOARD
board to find the length of the returns. Complete the job
by straightening
Cut the returns. Then glue and nail the brackets and
them to the ends on the handrail. Photos screwing them to
1 – 3 show how to complete the job. We the board. Use the
screws provided
used finish screws to attach the board with the handrail
to the wall because the heads are small- brackets.
er and easier to hide.

TOOL TEMPORARY
SUPPORT
ISSUE
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Stuck laundry hoses?


Rusted-on laundry hoses are nearly impossible to unscrew. If you need to
remove or replace your laundry hose and just can’t get it loose, here’s the solu-
tion. Carefully cut through the hose end. Try to avoid cutting too deep, but
don’t worry if you nick the threads on the valve. The threads don’t seal the con-
nection. That’s taken care of by the rubber washer. You can use a hacksaw to
make the cuts, but a Dremel tool with an abrasive cutoff wheel works even bet-
ter (Photo 1). Cut the hose end in two places, then try to unscrew the fitting with
water pump pliers or a pipe wrench. If it’s still stuck, break it off with the pli-
ers (Photo 2).

HOSE END

CUTTING WHEEL

1 SLICE A CORRODED HOSE END WITH A DREMEL


Cut through the hose end a little at a time until the slice extends through the metal.
Don’t forget your safety glasses. Make two slices on opposite sides of the hose end.

2 PRY IT OFF
If you still can’t
unscrew it, pry it
loose with water
pump pliers. After
you’ve removed the
hose, clean off any
remaining rust and
corrosion from the
valve threads with a
wire brush.

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Adjust your
oven temperature setting
If the temperature in your oven
doesn’t match your temperature set-
ting, or if your new oven just doesn’t
cook like your old one, you can recali-
brate the temperature setting. The
instructions for adjusting the tempera-
ture are in your instruction manual. If
you don’t have a manual, ask the man-
ufacturer to send you one or go online
and search for a downloadable ver-
sion. Enter your oven’s model number
along with the words “instruction
manual” in the search box and you’re
sure to find what you need.
You’ll need a good-quality oven
thermometer to see if your oven is
heating accurately. The OXO brand thermometer shown here costs about $15,
but others will work too. Check local retailers (kitchen and department stores
tend to carry good ones) or buy one online. Place the thermometer on the cen-
ter shelf and wait for the oven to maintain a constant temperature. Then use
the procedure outlined in your manual to match the temperature setting to the
thermometer reading.

TEMPERATURE
CHANGE

ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE SETTING


On this GE oven, you press the “bake” and “broil” buttons simultane-
ously, and then press “bake” to enter the temperature-adjusting
mode. Then you keep pressing the “+” or “- ” button to coordinate
the thermostat with the actual oven temperature.
TOOL
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1 ACCESS THE CONTROLS


Unplug the washer. Then remove the
screws that hold the control panel in place
and tip the top of the panel forward.

SCREW

CONTROL
PANEL
TIMER

TIMER
SCREW

NUT DRIVER
INDICATOR

SPRING

KNOB

RETAINING
CLIP
CAP

2 REMOVE THE TIMER


Use a nut driver to remove the screws that hold the
timer to the front panel. Pull the timer back and out.

Washer stuck
on one cycle?
If your washing machine is stuck on
one cycle and doesn’t advance, the
timer is broken. Replacing a timer is
simple, but it’s not cheap. A new one
will run about $120. Still, that’s less
than a new washer.
Photos 1 and 2 show how to remove the
old timer. To start, unplug the machine
and remove the control knob. On this
Maytag washer, you pry off the plastic
disc in the center of the knob to reveal
PLUG
a clip that holds the knob. Arrange the
parts in order as you take them off so
TIMER
reassembly will be easier. Photo 3 shows
how to install the new timer. Contact
the manufacturer of your washer or the
local appliance repair parts store to
find a new timer.

3 PLUG IN A NEW TIMER


TOOL Press in on the plastic retainer clips on each side of the plug and pull the plug from the timer.
Push the plug into the new timer and put everything back together in the reverse order.
ISSUE
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6HHFRXSRQEHORZ

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With the overwhelming popularity of our original Bench Cookie™ Work Grippers, we have received a
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Clogged sprinklers
If you have a lot of iron or other minerals in your water, then you know the
problem. Iron builds up on the working parts and in the holes of sprinklers.
Impact sprinklers like the one here can quit working altogether. A simple soak-
ing in a rust-removing solution followed by a spritz of silicone lubricant will
rejuvenate your sprinkler. We used CLR Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover
(about $8 for 28 oz.), but other rust-removing solutions will also work. Soak
the sprinkler for about 30 minutes (Photo 1). Then remove the sprinkler and
clean off any remaining mineral or rust buildup with a brass-bristle brush.

CORRODED
SPRINKLER

CLR
SOLUTION

1 SOAK YOUR SPRINKLER IN RUST REMOVER


Fill a freezer bag half full of CLR or a similar rust remover and drop your sprinkler into
the bag. Swish it around occasionally to distribute the solution. Remove the sprinkler
after 30 minutes and rinse it in clear water.

2 SPRAY IT WITH SILICONE


TOOL Spray silicone on the cleaned-up sprinkler to lubricate the parts and
to prevent iron and mineral buildup.
ISSUE
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Shutoff valve leaking?


Don’t panic. Here’s a simple fix that
works more than half the time and
doesn’t cost a dime to try. Many shut-
off valves have a packing nut or
packing material that surrounds the
valve stem. The packing can shrink
or get worn over time, causing water
to leak out around the valve stem.
This usually happens after someone
has closed and opened the valve for a
repair or for some other reason. The
good news is that in most cases sim-
ply tightening the packing nut will
fix the problem. Go easy, though. If
you tighten it too much, the valve
won’t turn. Quarter-turn shutoff
valves don’t have a packing nut. If
this type leaks around the stem,
you’ll have to replace it.

PACKING
VALVE NUT VALVE
STEM BODY

TIGHTEN THE PACKING NUT


TO STOP THE LEAK
Place one wrench on the valve body and
a second wrench on the packing nut.
Then turn the packing nut clockwise to
tighten while holding
the valve in place with
the second wrench. TOOL
ISSUE
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ADVERTISEMENT

Amish mantle and miracle invention


help home heat bills hit rock bottom
Miracle heaters being given away free with orders for real Amish fireplace mantles to announce the invention
that helps slash heat bills, but Amish craftsmen under strain of early Christmas rush force household limit of 2
Save money: only uses about 9¢ electric an hour; so turn down your thermostat and never be cold again
By MARK WOODS
Universal Media Syndicate
(UMS) Everyone hates
high heat bills. But we’re
all sick and tired of simply
turning down the thermo-
stat and then being cold.
Well now, the popular
HEAT SURGE® miracle
heaters are actually being
given away free to the gen-
eral public for the next
7 days starting at precisely
8:00 a.m. today.
The only thing readers
have to do is call the Nation-
al Distribution Hotline
before the 7-day deadline
with their order for the
handmade Amish Fireplace
Mantle. Everyone who does
is instantly being awarded
the miracle heater absolute-
ly free.
This is all happening
to announce the HEAT
SURGE Roll-n-Glow® Fire-
place which actually rolls N GENUINE AMISH MANTLES MADE IN THE HEARTLAND OF OHIO: Everyone wants to save
money on heat bills this winter, so entire Amish communities are working from the crack of dawn to
from room-to-room so you build these real wood fireplace mantles to last forever. The Light Honey Oak mantle is a real steal at
can turn down your thermo- just two hundred ninety-eight dollars because all those who beat the order deadline by calling the
stat and take the heat with National Hotline at 1-866-815-7110 to order the fireplace mantles are actually getting the hi-tech
you anywhere. That way, imported Fireless Flame HEAT SURGE miracle heaters for free.
everyone who gets them because it has no real fire. you a beautifully redecorat- tles like this in the nation-
first can immediately start So what’s the catch? Well, ed room while they quick- al chain stores. That makes
saving on their heat bills. soft spoken Amish crafts- ly heat from wall to wall. the Light Honey Oak man-
Just in time for winter men who take their time It’s the best way to dress tle a real steal for just two
weather, portable Amish hand building the mantles up every room, stay really hundred ninety-eight dol-
encased fireplaces are being have a process that forces a warm and slash your heat lars since the entire cost of
delivered directly to the strict household limit of 2 to bills all at the same time,” the miracle heater is free.
doors of all those who beat keep up with orders. says Josette Holland, Home This free giveaway is the
the deadline. “We can barely keep up Makeover Expert. best way to slash heating
These remarkable fire- ever since we started giv- And here’s the best part. bills and stay warm this
places with patent pend- ing heaters away free. With Readers who beat the 7-day fall and winter. The HEAT
ing technology are being winter just around the cor- order deadline are get- SURGE Roll-n-Glow Fire-
called a miracle because ner, everyone’s trying to get ting their imported hi-tech place gives you zone heat-
they have a stunning fire- them. Amish craftsmen are miracle heaters free when ing and all the beauty and
less f lame that gives you working their fingers to the encased in the Amish built warmth of a built-in fire-
the peaceful f licker of a bone to be sure everyone real wood fireplace man- place but rolls from room-
real fire but without any gets their delivery in time tles. The mantles are being to-room so it can also save
flames, fumes, smells, ashes for Christmas,” confirms handmade right here in Ohio you a ton of money on heat-
or mess. Everyone is getting Frederick Miller, National in the heartland of Amish ing bills.
them because they require Shipping Director. country where they are Even people in California
no chimney and no vent. You “These portable Roll-n- beautifully hand-rubbed, and Florida are flocking to
just plug them in. Glow Fireplaces are the lat- stained and varnished. get them so they may never
The Fireless Flame® looks est home decorating sen- You just can’t find cus- have to turn on their furnace
so real it amazes everybody sation. They actually give tom made Amish man- all winter. And since it uses
worldmags
worldmags
ADVERTISEMENT
®

How It Works: The HEAT


SURGE miracle heater is a
®

How to get 2 free heaters


work of engineering genius The National Toll Free Hotlines are now open. All those who beat the 7-day order
from the China coast so ad- deadline to cover the cost of the Amish made Fireplace Mantle and shipping get
vanced, you simply plug it into the HEAT SURGE miracle heater free.
any standard outlet. It uses only A strict limit of 2 per household has been imposed. Since some home woodwork-
about 9¢ of electric an hour ers want to build their own mantle piece, they are letting people get the import-
on the standard setting. Yet, ed miracle heater alone for just $249. Or,
it produces up to an amazing with orders for the Amish made mantle
4,606 BTU’s on the high set- you get the miracle heater free.
ting. So watch out, a powerful
on board hi-tech heat turbine Use the map below to locate the weather
silently forces hot air out into zone you live in and call the Hotline num-
the room from the vent so you ber for your zone.
feel the bone soothing heat in-
stantly. It even has certifica-
tion of Underwriters Laborato-
ries coveted UL listing. It also
comes with a limited full year Frigid Zone: 1
replacement or money back
warranty less shipping plus a
30-Day Satisfaction Guaran- Cold Zone: 2 NON THEIR WAY: Early Christmas orders
tee. OH and FL resident trans- have turned country roads into pipelines
actions require the remittance Frost Zone: 3
to the big city delivery system. Everybody
of applicable sales tax. Sorry wants a fireplace that comes fully assem-
no shipments to MA and CA bled with a handmade Amish mantle in
residents. Claim Code: FP12423 Light Honey Oak or Manor Cherry finish
and gets delivered by truck right to your
door. All you do is plug it in.
LISTED: E322174
EVERYONE LIVING IN THE EVERYONE LIVING IN THE EVERYONE LIVING IN THE
Hot air only
comes out Frigid Zone: 1 Cold Zone: 2 Frost Zone: 3
of the START CALLING AT START CALLING AT START CALLING AT
top vent
8:00 A.M. TODAY 8:30 A.M. TODAY 9:00 A.M. TODAY
1-866-815-7110 1-866-815-7112 1-866-815-7113
The hi-ttec
ch sile
ent hea
at
turrbin
ne ta
akes in
n co
old airr FOR HEAT SURGE, LLC. 8000 FREEDOM AVE. N CANTON, OH 44720 ©2010 HEAT SURGE, LLC P5369A OF12350R-1

only about 9 cents of electric stores in order to let read- can save even more mon- call. Then we can have a
an hour on the standard set- ers have two per house- ey on your monthly heating delivery truck out to your
ting, the potential savings hold just as long as they call bills. door right away with your
are absolutely incredible. before the deadline,” con- “Everyone’s calling to get beautiful Heat Surge Roll-
“We are making sure no firms Miller. one but those who are get- n-Glow Fireplace,” Miller
one gets left out, but you It’s a really smart deci- ting their Christmas shop- said.
better hurry because entire sion to get two right now ping done early are sur- “You’ll instantly feel bone
com munities of A m ish because for only the next prising the whole family by soothing heat in any room.
craftsmen are straining to 7 days you get both mira- getting two. So when lines You will never have to be
keep up with demands. For cle heaters free. That’s like are busy keep trying or log cold again,” he said. N
now, we are staying out of putting five hundred bucks onto amishfireplaces.com. On the worldwide web:
the large national retail right in your pocket and you We promise to get to every www.amishfireplaces.com
Rolls anywhere to throw an instant heat wave with no chimney, no vents, no wood and no smoke

N EASILY ROLLS ANYWHERE: N SAVES ON BILLS: Every- N SAFE FLAME: The Fireless Flame N FREE: Get this $249 miracle heater
This is the portable Roll-n- one can get low bills and stay looks so real it fools everyone but free. It is being given away free to all
Glow® Fireplace that easi- warm and cozy. The Roll-n- there is no real fire. That makes the who beat the 7-day order deadline
ly rolls from bedroom to liv- Glow Fireplace saves a ton flame window safe to the touch for your choice of the Light Honey
ing room to keep you warm. of money and makes your under the watchful eye of a parent. Oak or Manor Cherry finish Amish
No vents, no chimney and no front room look like a million It’s where the kids will play and the Mantles. The free heater comes
tools. Just plug it in. bucks. cat and dog will sleep. already encased.
worldmags
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THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE by Travis Larson


shoprat@thefamilyhandyman.com

SHOP

Art Direction MARCIA ROEPKE Photography TOM FENENGA


RAT
Favorite tools
of veteran
woodworkers
An offcut’s throw from our shop is the
office and shop of American Woodworker
magazine. I know the editors there, and
believe me, they’ve been around the
woodworking block a time or two.
Recently, I asked the guys to tell me
about their favorite tools. Here’s what
they had to say.

A 4-1/2-in. grinder
for fine woodworking
My first woodworking projects as a kid
involved a lot of carving and chopping
with axes, spoke shaves and big chis-
els. I eventually learned the finer side
of precision furniture building, but for
the sheer pleasure of working wood,
nothing compares to sculpting and
shaping wood by eye and feel.
I discovered early on that a 4-1/2-in.
disc grinder is perfect for shaping gently
curved projects. Equipped with a 24- to
36-grit sanding disc, the grinder is
aggressive enough for most of my proj-
ects. You can get a grinder for about $40,
but spend more if you plan to use it a
Randy recently purchased Milwaukee’s new
lot. It’ll last longer and be more comfort-
able to handle. I do final sculpting with
MEET A PRO 6130-33 4-1/2-in. disc grinder for $60.
Its compact size and light weight
100- to 120-grit, which also leaves a sur-
Randy Johnson make it easy to maneuver.
face smooth enough to finish-sand with Randy owned a cabinet/
a random orbital sander. This Windsor furniture shop for 20 years
before trading his Unisaw
chair seat took about an hour to carve
for a computer, eventually
with the grinder. becoming the chief editor
Randy Johnson of American Woodworker.
His other passions are
Continued on p. 90
sailing and making goat
cheese with his kids.
TOOL
ISSUE
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Morton System Saver II Pellets and DIY products. www.Rockler.com protection against water damage,
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worldmags

HONING GUIDE

Keep chisels sharp for $12


When I started out in woodworking 30
years ago, sharpening chisels and plane MEET A PRO
irons used to take forever. I had trouble Tim Johnson
holding the tool at a consistent angle as Tim has spent 25 years
I moved it back and forth on the stone. restoring antique furni-
Sharp edges eluded me until an old salt ture and building custom
turned me on to a $12 honing guide. pieces. Harvest tables
are a specialty—he’s built
Once the tool is locked in the guide,
more than 50 of them.
you just move it forward and back on Tim cofounded the 4th
the stone until the edge is razor sharp. Street Guild, a coopera-
You can get honing guides at any wood- tive woodworking shop.
This little gem firmly holds chisels up to 1-1/2 in. wide
working store or online. The No. and plane irons up to 2-3/4 in. wide. The guide is
60N01.05 shown is $11 at leevalley.com. adjustable, so you can choose virtually any bevel
Tim Johnson angle, and it’s precise enough to set micro bevels.
FOR INSIDE
DIMENSIONS
Caliper for the
common man
Slide calipers are typically FOR
graduated in decimals. OUTSIDE
DIMENSIONS
That’s perfect for engineer-
ing, but my old-school brain
is wired for fractions, so con-
verting measurements is always a
struggle. That’s why I’ve latched on
to a fractional caliper, which reads in
fractions instead of decimals.
The dial is clearly marked in
1/64-in. increments, and finer meas-
urements are possible as well. One
complete revolution equals 1 in.
(Digital fractional calipers are also
FRACTIONAL
CALIPER available.) A thumbscrew operates the
mechanism. Separate jaws allow you
to measure both inside and outside
dimensions. A plunge bar extends
from the bottom to measure depths.
By the way, this caliper reads in deci-
mals, too, for measuring such things
as paper-thin shims and fine veneers.
I bought this Oshlun 6-in. caliper
(No. 36575) for $44 from Rockler DEPTH
TONGUE
Woodworking (rockler.com).
Tim Johnson

A slide caliper is Tim’s favorite tool for accurately


TOOL measuring board thicknesses, inside widths of miters
and depths of stopped holes.
ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

90

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I love premier
hand planes
When a top-quality
bench plane is in my
hands and I hear the BENCH
PLANE
shavings shearing
away, then feel the ultra-
smooth surface left behind, I’m
in shop heaven. I’m connected
with the wood in a way no
power tool could ever deliver.
Of course, I didn’t figure out
how to use a plane overnight. It
took a long time to learn how to
tune the tool, sharpen its blade
and push it the right way. Using MEET A PRO
a plane requires skill earned the Tom Caspar
hard way, but that’s also part of
Tom started making furni-
its appeal. When I pick it up, I ture right out of college in
feel like a pro baseball player a friend’s farm outbuilding,
going up to bat. The crowd is with no electricity. His first
cheering, the bases are loaded love is hand tools. He has
a side gig, The Unplugged
and I’m swinging for the upper
Workshop, instructing
bleachers. wannabe hand-tool users.
Tom Caspar
My favorite bench plane is my No. 4-1/2 smooth plane from
lie-nielsen.com. At $325, it’s near the top of the food chain.
Statement of ownership,
management, and circulation
Statement required by the Act of August 12, 1970, Section
3685, Title 39, United States Code, showing the ownership,
management and circulation of THE FAMILY HANDYMAN
(USPS 515-930) published monthly (except bimonthly in
December/January and July/August) 10 times a year, at 2915
Commers Drive, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55121, as filed on
Sept. 30, 2010. Annual subscription price: $24.
The names and addresses of the publisher, editor and manag-
ing editor are: Publisher, Lora Gier, 750 Third Ave., New
York, NY 10017; Editor, Ken Collier, 2915 Commers Drive,
Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55121; Managing Editor, Travis
Larson; 2915 Commers Drive, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55121.
The owner is Home Services, Inc., Reader’s Digest Road,
Pleasantville, NY 10570.
Known bond holder: RD Publications Inc., Reader’s Digest
Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570.
The Family Handyman
Issue date for circulation data: October 2010
Average number of copies of each issue during preceding 12
months, and of the single issue published nearest to filing date,
respectively, are as follows:
Average Single Issue
Total number of copies printed (net press run)
1,289,658 1,280,470
Mail subscriptions
1,053,641 1,057,726
Paid distribution—sales through dealers and carriers, street
vendors and counter sales
62,394 58,057
Total paid distribution
1,116,235 1,115,783
Free or nominal-rate distribution
59,937 44,598
Total distribution
1,176,172 1,160,381
Copies not distributed
113,486 120,089
Total
1,289,658 1,280,470
Percent paid and/or requested circulation
95% 96%
I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and
complete.
Jim Woods, VP Planning, Consumer Marketing

92 November 2010
worldmags
worldmags
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worldmags
worldmags

THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE

BRAG You can pay someone to build just about anything. But you can’t buy the
satisfaction that comes from doing it yourself—the moment when you
stand back and say to yourself, “I built that.” That moment is also a good

BOARD time to snap a few photos—and then send them to us.

READER PHOTOS
Closet
conversion
When it comes to neatness,
kids need all the encourage-
ment they can get. To make
cleaning up easier for her
son, Brittany Heagy created a
convenient space for storage
bins—and a lot more: a win-
dow seat, bookshelf, wain-
scoting and a reading light.
To see how she did it, visit
Brittany’s blog: prettyhandy-
girl.com.

Editor GARY WENTZ • Art Direction BECKY PFLUGER

Show off your project


Send us your project photos and
we’ll send you a check for $100
if we use them in the magazine.
E-mail digital photos to editors
@thefamilyhandyman.com.
Please put “Brag Board” in the
subject line.

TOOL “I figured that it couldn’t take more than two days to renovate a
ISSUE 2 x 6-ft. closet. It took me three full days—and nights.” Brittany Heagy
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

94

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Safe, stylish railing


Glass panel railing looks great, but Sean O’Connor
chose it for practical reasons. Glass can block the
wind while preserving the view. It’s low mainte-
nance, and best of all, kids can’t climb it or get stuck
in it. Installation turned out to
be a plus, too. Drilling 72
anchor holes into the concrete
was no picnic, but the alu-
minum rails and glass panels
went together quickly. The
system Sean used cost less
than $60 per lin. ft. For details
on the system, search online
for “Sapa rail systems.”

READER PHOTOS
“With our high terrace, we
needed something kid-proof —
not a climbing magnet.”
Sean O’Connor

TOOL
ISSUE
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

96

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worldmags

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WIN
THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE

READER
PROJECTS $500!
CONTEST

OTOS
The guy hangout

READER PH
Have you created a guys’ gathering place? Whether
it’s a game room, a home theater, your workshop or
none of the above, we want to see your photos. If
we choose your project as the contest winner,
we’ll send you $500. To enter, go to thefamily-
handyman.com/myproject.

Dan’s man room


Dan Laffin must be a smooth negotiator. When he
and his wife, Nicolle, bought their home, Dan got
Nicolle to grant him “complete autonomy” over
the garage. And here’s what complete autonomy
looks like: a full bar that Dan built himself, com-
plete with cold Miller on tap. The “man room”
also has a dartboard, wall-to-wall carpet and a
big screen for watching football.

“A big bar costs a small


fortune. So I built one for
about $800. Worth every
penny.”
Dan Laffin

READER PHOTO
Mark’s doghouse
For Mark Hulbert, getting sent to the doghouse is a
good thing. Concealed in the attic of his garage, the
“doghouse” is more than 600 sq. ft. of guy space Editor GARY WENTZ • Art Direction MARY SCHWENDER

equipped with all kinds of toys: a pool table, a poker


machine, even a professional-grade karaoke system.
A gas fireplace with a blower keeps it toasty even on
the coldest winter days.

“It’s a great place to watch the


game or shoot pool. The only
problem is that my teenagers
are taking it over.”
Mark Hulbert

TOOL No purchase necessary to enter or win. Purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Contest is open to legal residents age 18 or older of the U.S. and its territories and
possessions. Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Feb. 20, 2011. To enter and for official rules, visit familyhandyman.com/readerprojects. We reserve the right to use any entry
ISSUE in the magazine and pay you $100 for the photo. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Contest sponsored by The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., publisher of The Family Handyman.

november 2010 familyhandyman.com

98

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worldmags THE FAMILY HANDYMAN NOVEMBER 2010 99


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100 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN


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by Roy Doty
THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE wordless@thefamilyhandyman.com

WORDLESS
WORKSHOP Safe screen storage
TM

Our thanks go to Jeb Albro, Geneva, NY, for this idea.


TOOL Get $100 for your Wordless Workshop idea!
ISSUE See Contributor Guidelines on p. 6.
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

102

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from our readers


THE TOTALLY TOOLS ISSUE greatgoofs@thefamilyhandyman.com

GREAT
GOOFS
®

Sad to say, a tool giveaway


Last winter, my wife wanted to borrow couldn’t peel back the tonneau cover to out, the tailgate fell open and my tools
my pickup to make the three-hour get at the tools. So I left my tools in the slid out the back. My wife didn’t even
drive to her mother’s house. She loves truck and sent my wife on her way. notice. But somewhere along the 150
the four-wheel drive on snowy roads. I Once she was on the road, the sun miles between my house and my moth-
told her I wanted to take my power came out and nudged the temperature er-in-law’s, there’s part of a drywall lift,
tools and drywall lift out of the truck above freezing. It turns out I had a screw gun, a reciprocating saw and a
bed first. But I couldn’t get the frozen released the latch, but it hadn’t few other hand tools.
tailgate open, which also meant I relatched. So when everything thawed Brad Nejedly

No way out
I was relocating the shower in a bathroom that was
built over a crawl space. To gain access, I cut a hole
in the subfloor and slithered down between the joists
with all my materials and tools. The floor would be

Editor ELISA BERNICK • Art Direction MARY SCHWENDER • Illustrations STEVE BJÖRKMAN
an easy patch since I was retiling anyway. After I
spent a few hours down there soldering copper pipes
and gluing ABS drain lines, the new plumbing setup
was perfect. Then it dawned on me that my beautiful
new plumbing job blocked my way out through the
opening. Unless I took the whole thing apart, I was
trapped! I didn’t have the heart to rip it all out, so I
used my cell phone to call my son. I cooled my heels
down there for an hour until he showed up and cut
another hole in the floor to let me out.
Jim Bianchini

The $200.89 lightbulb


One night, our old hanging porch light since the bulb was new, he was con- ing. Fuming, he crawled up into the
went dark, so my husband ran to the vinced the problem was with the attic to see if a mouse had chewed
hardware store for a replacement bulb 60-year-old light fixture. The following through the wiring. While he was up
and came home with a nice $12 amber week he installed a new $185 fixture, there, I screwed in an 89¢ lightbulb we
bulb guaranteed to last for years. He screwed in the $12 lightbulb, flipped had lying around. Voilà! The new $12
screwed it in, flipped the switch...noth- the switch...nothing. Then he ran to the lightbulb was the problem all along.
ing. I suggested he try another bulb, but store for a new ($3) switch...still noth- Gailynne M. Ferguson

TOOL
I S S U E Got your own do-it-yourself mistake? Get $100 for your Great Goof! See Contributor Guidelines on p. 6.
november 2010 familyhandyman.com

104

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©Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2010 UA


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YQ

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AKURUM/ÄDEL kitchen
Starting at

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little dishwasher. Dream your very own kitchen at IKEA-USA.com/kitchen

AKURUM kitchen with ÄDEL doors and drawer fronts $5989 as shown Last year’s
price $6529 as shown Medium brown stained and clear lacquered solid birch/birch veneer ÄDEL
doors/drawer fronts. Requires assembly and installation. *The total price includes cabinets,
fronts, interior shelving, drawer and door dampers, hinges, toekicks, legs, visible moldings
and panels. Countertops, sinks, faucets, handles and knobs, appliances and lighting are sold
separately. See IKEA store or IKEA-USA.com for limited warranty details. Valid in US stores.
See IKEA store for country of origin information and 10'×10' kitchen layout details.

The Life Improvement Store™

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