Charles and Hudson

Tackle Small Jobs with Single Use Gorilla Glue

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:04:37 -0800

Gorilla Glue can be used for all types of household repairs and they've just introduced a new single use tube that holds 3 grams which is perfect for small jobs and is easy to store in a drawer.

"Our customers have long asked for a product in a size that would fix their project when they needed it, and would fit easily in a glove compartment, purse or tackle box. We are pleased to now provide that to them with this ultimate small project and repair solution," said Pete Ragland, president of the Gorilla Glue Company. "Whether creating something new or fixing something broken, we now offer an original Gorilla Glue product for any type of user."

Gorilla Glue is known for its outstanding bonding power and ability to stick to almost any surface including wood, metal, stone, foam, glass, and more. Once fully cured, it is 100 percent waterproof and completely non-toxic making it ideal for indoor and outdoor use. Further, Gorilla Glue polyurethane won't break down with exposure to moisture and is unaffected by extreme heat or cold.

The original Gorilla Glue formula is available in 2 oz., 4 oz., 8 oz., 16 oz., and 36 oz. sizes, as well as Dries White, 2X Faster and precision pen formulas. Gorilla Glue Single Use is available nationwide anywhere Gorilla Glue products are currently sold.

Building a Hospital Helipad

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:33:00 -0800

Helipads are firmly entrenched in the luxury sector as we are in awe when we see them on yachts, top of hotels and even in home's, but more often helipads are used to transport patients and organs quickly from hospital to hospital.

Kirberg Company sent over these photos of a roof they just finished for a helipad project for the University of Kansas Hospital. This helipad addition is above the sixth floor of their building. The helipad addition will provide a clearly marked, hard surface for hospital helicopters to land on, making it easier to get patients into the emergency room. Kirberg constructed the roof under the helipad, using Carlisle Fleece Back EPDM, installed with Fast 100 Adhesive.

The University of Kansas Hospital, located at 3901 Rainbow Blvd in Kansas City, Kansas, is the area's only nationally verified Level 1 Trauma Center and Burn Center. The hospital already had two helipads, prior to their latest project. A third helipad was required to handle a higher weight capacity, up to 30,000 lbs, allowing for military helicopters and even the President of the United States.

The roof area is 10,200 square feet, and it took Kirberg approximately two weeks to complete the roofing portion, two weeks ahead of schedule.

For more information about Kirberg Company

Dyson Dual Purpose Heater and Fan the Hot+Cool Review

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 09:28:25 -0800

Dyson has taken utilitarian appliances such as the vacuum and hand dryer and elevated them with high design and high performance. They outdid themselves with the fan and introduced air-multiplier technology that they've now combined with a heater which makes their new Hot+Cool device a year-round must-have item.

We live in the very mild climate of Southern California and we don't have air-conditioning and only a basic floor heater. In the summer it can get hot and the winters do get chilly so to keep our temperature consistent we swap in fans and heaters with the season.

We've been using the Hot+Cool for a couple days now and it makes perfect sense for us to keep it in our son's nursery. His door is shut at night so he needs an auto temperature heater to maintain a warm temperature and we keep the Dyson away from small hands but when it's down we know he can't hurt his fingers on any moving parts.

Our favorite features include the 80 degree oscillating, auto-temperature hold, silent use and the ability to use the same device as a fan. Not to mention the amazing slim profile and sharp looking design that we expect from Dyson.

The remote is also a huge plus and when not in use it stays secure on the top of the fan with an internal magnet so their is less of a chance you lose it.

If you're seeking an all-in-one device that looks great in any room and performs as well as any heater or fan then check out the Hot+Cool from Dyson.

New Drywall and Ductwork Blades for Your SAWZALL

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:33:54 -0800

Milwaukee Tool just introduced two new job specific blades for the SAWZALL. The Ductwork SAWZALL blade and the Drywall SAWZALL blade. Each blade has been designed and tested to to eliminate specific user frustrations when working with those types of materials and applications.

The Drywall Access SAWZALL blade has been engineered to specifically address the frustrations encountered when doing plumbing and electrical service work behind installed drywall. "When plumbers try to access a leak or Electricians are looking for a faulty wire, there is a substantial possibility that they will puncture an existing pipe or wire when using the standard blade lengths available today," says Dan Wolfgram, Sr. Product Manager for Milwaukee Tool. "The new Drywall Access blade is only 2-1/2" long, optimized to cleanly cut through up to 5/8" drywall but avoid this type of damage." In addition, the new blade's unique multi-directional tooth design allows the user to cut in all directions, for maximum finesse in small diameter cutting.

The Ductwork SAWZALL blade has been engineered to specifically address the unique frustrations encountered when installing ductwork take-offs, where the main duct line branches off into subsidiary lines. This application is commonly done with a hammer and screw driver to make an access point, and a variety of directional hand snips to complete various cuts. The new Ductwork SAWZALL blade completely eliminates the need to carry all of these tools, lightening up your tool belt and greatly speeding up the installation process. Engineered with a Pierce Point tip, the Ductwork Blade plunges into sheet metal with ease and the tapered profile design allows the blade to make both radius and square cuts, accommodating any type of take-off installation.

How to Be On Top Chef

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:32:28 -0800

I've been a fan of Top Chef on Bravo since the beginning and season 10 in Seattle is no different. I'm pulling for Sheldon Simeon of Maui who is the top chef at our favorite island restaurant, Star Noodle (a must visit if you are near Lahaina).

A couple years ago Top Chef filmed an episode at Sandy Valley Ranch and we had an opportunity to participate in the episode by eating and hopefully enjoying the food. Unfortunately this wasn't the greatest performance by the chefs who were given the challenge of cooking over an open fire in 100 degree weather. You'd think baked beans, steaks and other cowboy type foods, but most went with fish and salads which didn't fare to well.

Top Chef has a formal application and interview process for aspiring chefs to complete but their production team has full control over where they shoot each episode and unless you are a celebrity chef
Laura did a great recap of the episode and our first-hand experience on Top Chef which I've shared below.

I hope y'all were able to tune into Top Chef last night to see their Western Adventure go down in all it's glory at our very own Sandy Valley Ranch. I think it was quite a successful episode (certainly it was memorable) and we all had a great time being a part of it.

For those of you who missed it, here are a few stills from the show. I guess Matthew isn't the only kid in the family who can call himself a T.V. star now.

I've been biting my cheek trying not to spill the proverbial beans about the episode before it aired in fear of being hanged. A tough task for a chatty gal like myself. So, with huge relief, and a clear conscious, I can finally reveal a few behind-the-scenes tidbits of our experience with Top Chef.

The Production Team - is amazing! My mom and I were completely impressed with their professionalism, clear direction, relentless energy and overall awesomeness. Literally a hundred people comprised of producers, assistants, assistants of assistants, grips, craft services, stylists and photographers descended upon the Ranch the day before the challenge to make our rustic location camera-ready. It seemed as though there were busy little elves everywhere. They came, they conquered and they left the place in the same condition as they found it.

The Rooster - We were requested to cage and relocate a rooster from the ranch property to the campsite so the cameras could get that iconic shot of the chefs being awakened by the sound of crowing. We did as we were asked but somehow, once the production team got to the location, the rooster got out of the cage. Now, I wasn't around to see it first hand but onlookers were eager to recount the happenings. As with most cowboy stories, the tale gets taller with every telling, so here are the facts, as straight as I can tell them. The rooster "escapes". A frantic chase went down. People are flailing about trying to outsmart the bird. A brilliant human throws a blanket onto the rooster. A struggle ensues, feathers go flying, and the rooster kicks the bucket. Though no one is admitting to the murder, my sleuthing narrows the culprit down to one of two people. An experienced ranch-hand who relocated the bird originally and cares for all our animals on the property, and a production guy from Los Angeles. Only the rooster will know the real truth, but I did make everyone promise that rooster wouldn't be served the next day.

The Chefs - The way they were protected from the madness of preparation and encouraged to stay on task, you never would have known they were even on property. I did walk into a round-table meeting they were having at the ranch house, but they were herded in and out with no time for dilly-dallying. I never spoke to a single chef until the moment they passed me their, now infamous, plate of sandy ceviche. I'm happy to report that the contestants do all their own cooking without the help of any prep chefs or food stylists. The competition is real, fair and completely as we see on T.V.

The "Cowboy" Guests - When Tom recapped the challenge at the judges table in the last scene, he made the diners out to be Tim Love's invited friends. Ashley was quoted as saying the "The ranchers are a motley crew. They've probably been cowboys their entire lives. And, they've been growing their beards since they were 14″. The truth? Besides a few of our staff who are the real deal, the guests were all our friends. None of them have ever been ranchers and most of them have only been horseback riding at our ranch with the supervision of our genuine cowboys. They hail from New York, D.C., Las Vegas and Los Angeles. By trade they are artists, designers, attorneys, lobbyists and pilots. I have to admit that I was sort of worried that they couldn't pull off the part of "cowboy" but I'm relieved that they were able to so easily trick the contestants - no "movie magic" needed.

Craft Services - If the craft service chefs had competed in the challenge instead of the Top Chefs, it would have been a delicious competition. These people really know how to prepare a diverse spread that's hearty and ranch appropriate.

Heat - The chefs don't exaggerate. It was literally 112 freakin' degrees the day of the challenge. The traditional metal chuck-wagon plates provided by the show were burning our hands and melting the food. No one could get enough shade or water to be even a little bit comfortable. Everyone was dripping sweat and trying to put on a pretty face.

Wind - The night before the challenge, while the contestants were camping in their cute little teepees, a violent wind storm hit. I was inside our house playing pool, totally protected from the weather, and I kept expecting for the chefs to bang down the door looking for relief from the elements. They didn't, and I was impressed. Truly, no one would have wanted to camp in that storm. Much less fancy-pants City chefs.

Tom - is super hot - literally and figuratively. I've always known he's a good looking man but in person he's beautiful, in a manly way of course. Perfectly styled, perfectly friendly and perfectly gracious. Most impressive was when he refused an umbrella for shade and swatted make-up away every time they tried to powder his sweaty brow.

Padma - Was sweet. She had her make-up team at her beck and call, probably out of the very real fear that her face might actually melt off. I've been around T.V. shows before but rarely have I seen make-up caked on like that. Better safe than sorry I suppose, and she does come across as picture perfect on T.V.

Gail - I'm pretty sure she was courteous enough to say "hello" when we were introduced but I can't say for sure. I have no idea what her stylists was thinking by putting her in wedges in the sandy desert. I guess she needs more height when standing next to Padma? Anyway, she negotiated the terrain without incident and all was well.

Tim Love - Such a gentleman. He's welcome at the ranch any time.

Silly Stuff - Robin recommended that I blend my iced tea with lemonade, creating an Arnold Palmer. Refreshing. Someone asked Tom if Ashley was a guy or a girl. Ron's mojito really wasn't that bad. One, or maybe both, of the Voltaggio brothers was moody and very off-putting. I didn't know that the cup in the middle of Mattin's plate was a margarita and I dipped the disgusting ceviche in it.

Bob Vila Blogstar

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:49:45 -0800

I've arrived! That's me on the homepage of BobVila.com! I'm honored to be selected as a Bob Vila Blogstar this year. They published a nice piece about me and my workshop as well as profiling Charles & Hudson and Built by Kids.

Thanks Bob!!!

Step Up to a STIHL BR200 Backpack Blower

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:57:57 -0800

If you're still clearing leaves this winter and your rake and puny blower aren't cutting it, then maybe it's time to upgrade to a backpack blower made specifically for homeowners.

The BR 200 from STIHL is their first 'home-user' backpack blower and it delivers power and performance equivalent to their top of the range handheld models. It is lightweight, compact and perfect for sweeping grass trimmings and leaves around your home.

Why a Backpack Blower?
We tested the BGA 85 hand-held electric blower which was awesome but if you've got a larger yard and more clippings it could get tiresome to hold that blower.

Carrying the engine unit 'backpack style' makes this type of blower really pleasant to use. As with any good quality backpack it must be ergonomically designed and have a well-padded carrying frame.

Backpack-mounted engines can be larger than on handheld machines, and thus drive higher air speed and air volume. That means they will blow away more material, quickly and efficiently.

Backpack blowers are really easy to use right from the off. Start-up is simple: pump the fuel primer and flick on the choke, then pull-start the cord and the engine fires up. After that, there is no fiddling between warm and cold starts. In use, the long flexible blower tube incorporates a comfortable 'trigger' handle with throttle control, allowing accurate direction of the powerful air blast.

Check out this blower and others at your local STIHL dealer.

Santa Arrives at The Home Depot with Kidde Smoke Alarms

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 10:21:57 -0800

Santa knows all about fire safety so we weren't surprised when he teamed up with The Home Depot and Kidde to donate smoke alarms to local fire departments across the country.

We arrived for the Kid's Workshop that Home Depot does each Saturday morning and the kids were busy building picture frames and then painting and decorating them. There was a buzz in the air as they saw the tree, the chair and they knew that Santa would be arriving soon.

Santa didn't disappoint as he was escorted to the front of Home Depot by the Inglewood Fire Department. Everyone lined up and had a chance to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas as well as show him what they had just made.

Thanks to the folks at Home Depot including Jimmy the manager, Kidde and the Inglewood Fire Department for making this a day to remember for the kids in attendance as well as all of the families who will be safer this year thanks to the donated smoke alarms.

Kidde has 10 year smoke alarms that never need a battery change. In 10 years the smoke alarm will tell you it's time to be replaced.

The Home Depot partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote Fire Safety Awareness Month. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used. The Home Depot believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot's policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

LA Auto Show Kicks Into High Gear

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:56:29 -0800

I missed the LA Auto Show but not this year. I attended the media only events yesterday and got a first look at the cars and trucks before the public which was nice as there was no bustling crowds or people to get in the way of photos.

Every major auto maker is at the show and most of the models shown were 2013 with a few 2014 and concept vehicles thrown in. Some companies brought special after-market vehicles that had been modified by Mopar or tuned by race teams.

Porsche had a beautiful showroom all to themselves and unveiled their new sport couple the Cayman.

Ford displayed a modified Raptor

Of course I loved the custom trucks and the 10th Anniversary Jeep Rubicon was awesome!

They weren't all big gas guzzlers but plenty of hybrids and electric cars were in display and you can see them on our Facebook page.

This hanging art installation at the Lincoln booth got my attention and many others so I took a quick video.

Did you have any favorite cars or trucks you wish you could have seen at the show?

Hang Christmas Lights Safely With This DeWALT Fiberglass Stepladder

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:28:37 -0800

We're hanging Christmas lights this weekend and wish we could upgrade to this new fiberglass stepladder from DeWALT. It features a 25% great step surface and each step has a slip-resistant surface. Our aluminum ladder can be treacherous to use and it also doesn't have tool slots or magnets on the top to keep all of our hardware in place.

Spending a little money for a good ladder is a great investment and this stepladder from DeWALT will give you one less thing to worry about this Christmas season.

Shopping for Side-by-Side Utility Vehicles

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:12:41 -0800

I always like to stop into the Bass Pro Shop when I'm in Las Vegas. It's a huge outdoor adventure store that not only supports fishing and hunting but also every other outdoor sport you can think of. They have a ton of watercraft as well as ATV's, UTV's and side-by-sides.

When I was up in Warroad, MN a few weeks ago visiting Marvin Windows, Mr Marvin himself told me that Artic Cat and Polaris were not far away and that business for them has been booming, even through this economic downturn. I've always loved go-karts and ATV's and the new high-performance side-by-sides look like so much fun, it's no wonder people can't get enough of them. Prices can range from $5,000 to upwards of $20,000 with all the bells and whistles and there are definitely plenty of high-tech customizations and add-ons available.

Bass Pro Shop mostly stocked Arctic Cats and they had a full-range of utility vehicles that were meant for hauling and better used around the farm or ranch as well as high-performance utv's that are also known as side-by-sides (due to the seating arrangement). Think of a go-kart on steroids or a compacted dune buggy.

Polaris, Kawasaki, Can-Am, Yamaha and John Deere all offer a full-line of side-by-sides that can seat from 2 to 4 people. The popularity of side-by-sides has absolutely exploded although the use of standard ATV's is still popular they both have applications where one is better served than the other.

ATV's are more nimble and can navigate smaller trails. They are also outright faster and quicker and can do almost as much on a much smaller budget than an side-by-side.

The side-by-side UTV's have been growing in popularity as they are more comfortable to some and the driving style is just like driving a car. They provide a greater sense of security with the full roll cage and the hauling capabilities are almost as much as a small truck. It's also a lot more fun to race around with your buddies sitting right next to you and we would love to take a few of these camping someday.

Have you been shopping for side-by-sides recently? What are you finding and do you have any favorites this year?

My son is already dreaming of the day when he can take one of these for a spin, just like dad.

Be a Hero, Save a Hero with a Kidde Smoke Alarm

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:54:16 -0800

The holidays are a great time to keep home safety top of mind. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), between 2005 and 2009, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 240 home fires that began with Christmas trees.

To help families protect themselves from the dangers of holiday home fires, The Home Depot is partnering with Kidde - the world's largest manufacturer of fire safety products - and the NFPA to donate 2,500 Kidde battery-operated smoke alarms powered by 10-year Lithium Ion batteries to a local fire department on Saturday, December 1.

The local donation is part of a nationwide giveaway of $1 million worth of smoke alarms, or 50,000 units, and the "Be a Hero, Save a Hero" initiative taking place at Home Depot stores across the country that same day.

Local fire department officials will be on-hand to accept the donation at your local Home Depot store from 10-12 p.m. on December 1. Event activities include:

+ Donation ceremony for 2,500 smoke alarms to a local fire department at 11 a.m.
+ Smoke alarm maintenance tips and fire escape plans from The Home Depot and Kidde experts
+ Kids workshop at 10 a.m.
+ Opportunity for children to write thank you letters for their local firefighters
+ Kidde will share information on their Be a Hero, Save a Hero campaign

Make sure you call to confirm the event will be held at your local Home Depot. We'll be attending this event at the Home Depot in Inglewood this weekend and hope you do to.

Become a Top Chef with the Superbread Fusionwood Knife

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:14:51 -0800

We do our fair share of cooking and we truly value the experience of using a high quality knife. Using a good knife just makes your life better, right?

Enter the Superbread Fusionwood knife from New West Knives out of Jackson, WY.

New West KnifeWorks was founded by Corey Milligan originally to design, develop, and produce knives for fine art and craft shows. From its inception, the goal has been not only to produce the finest quality knives in the world, but also to design these tools to be works of art that inspire excellence in food preparation and beautify the kitchen.

We've spent a couple weeks with the Superbread and must say we are impressed. We've got a block of Cutco's finest and rounded out with a few Henckels and Schmidt Bros knives but our Superbread quickly became our go-to-knife for most situations.

What you first see is the beauty of the knife and handle. The blade has what I call "rocker" which any surfer or snowboarder will understand but I'm sure there is a more technical term for this. The unique 'wave' serration keeps a sharp edge and has the unique capacity to be honed and fully sharpened using a diamond or ceramic steel. Kullens or dimple grinds on the side of the blade allow the Super Bread Knife to pass through food cleanly and helps prevent food from sticking to it. We cut right through some fresh baked pumpkin bread and later some rib eye with no problem.

The handle is made of layers of dyed veneer hardwood and fused with engineer grade resin. You won't find a sharper looking handle on any knife, anywhere.

Even though it's called a super bread it slices through anything with ease, especially soft food. We can't wait to carve up our turkey this year!

This is an artisan knife made in the USA and for more information on the Superbread visit NewWestKnifeWorks.com.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 11:47:01 -0800

Happy Thanksgiving

Get Level with your iPad or iPhone

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:27:51 -0800

Do-It-Yourself apps are nothing new but Stanley just announced it's redesigned level app which is now available on the iPad and iPhone 5. This app is free and available in cherry wood or FatMax yellow.

We think this app would be really handy for easy jobs like hanging pictures, mounting shelves and many other household chores where rummaging for a level in your toolbox is not as convenient as firing it up on your iPad.

It harnesses the technology of an accelerometer and a digital gyroscope located in select iPhone and iPad models, to generate an understanding of where the device is in space. After an initial calibration, the bubble will read an angle up to 90 degrees and will indicate 0 degrees when you are level, with crisp, easy to read numbers.

The Stanley® Level App is available for free at the Apple App Store and is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.