The Collegiate Handyman

Bucket Boss Brand Mug Boss

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:16:00 +0000

This last Christmas I bought a few gifts for my DIY-type friends. Well, I sort of lost track of what I was getting for whom, and I ended up with an extra Bucket Boss Brand Mug Boss. This is essentially a miniature version of their popular Bucket Boss storage solution, except this goes on a coffee mug instead of a 5-gallon bucket.

Bucket Boss Brand Mug Boss

I gotta say, this is a pretty clever gift idea. Best of all, it was just about $5. I think it would make a great stocking stuffer, or a good gift for any time of the year, for that matter.

Gifts for the DIY-er Who Has it All

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:01:00 +0000

Giving thoughtful, and more importantly, useful gifts can be hard. Heck, I started writing this post because I was straining my brain trying to think up some gift ideas for someone. I'm sure you've had this problem too. Well, I'm here to help. If you're looking for a great gift for a DIY-type person, one of the items below may be just what you need.

The running theme here is that these items should appeal to most every DIY person. I've picked some of my favorite, most useful tools that I either have, or would like to have. Also, they aren't very expensive! Note, I'm providing Amazon.com links because I'm borrowing their product pictures.

Milwaukee Fastback Utility Knife. $10-15

Probably most-every DIYer has a utility knife, but this one has a few added features, such as a gut hook, wire stripper, and easy one-handed opening, that many other knives don't have. I also like the look of the ergonomic handle.

ITP A3 (3-Mode) LED Keychain Flashlight. ~$20

I've had this flashlight for about a month and a half now; it's amazing! I'm very impressed with how much light can be produced from a single AAA battery. Also, it's tiny. The overall size is about as big as a AA battery, but maybe 3/4" longer. It easily fits on my key ring without it getting in my way. Go ahead, call me nerdy for having a keychain flashlight, but I've realized about 75% of the time I need a flashlight, I don't have one handy. Well, now I do. One of these days I'll put up a review on the blog.

Klein 10-in-1 Screwdriver. $10-15

I've written about this screwdriver before, and yet, here it is again. Why? Well, it's a great screwdriver! I've had mine now for over seven years. It's one of those tools that I always know where it is when I need it. I go for it every time I need to drive a screw.

Swiss+Tech Utili-Key. ~$10

HERE is another item I give a lot of praise on the blog. I don't like carrying a pocket knife (in fact, I can't at my day job), so this is the next best thing. I have no doubts about it deserving a precious spot on my keychain, which I like to keep as light as possible (no pun intended).

Smith's Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener

Knife sharpeners can be really expensive, but that doesn't mean they have to be. This one isn't very fancy, and it doesn't look like much, but it does a fine job of sharpening. I used this on my kitchen knives and it worked great. I imagine this could be a good gift for a hunter, too.

General Gift Ideas

Drill accessory kits can be a good gift. I suggest trying to find what the recipient doesn't already have, such as various types drill or driver bits (e.x. spade bits, hole saw, auger, step, etc.).
Tool storage isn't very exciting, but it can be well-received. Look for things like tool boxes with added features, such as small pieces storage.
Be careful when considering power tools. Personally, I always put a lot of thought and research into the power tools I buy, as they can be a big investment. A power tool give can backfire if it isn't what he or she needs, has been dreaming about, or has incompatible batteries.

Well hopefully this gave you a few good gift ideas. If you would like to share yours, or have any questions, feel free to post a comment and I'll be sure to respond.

Review: Swiss Tech Micro 6 in 1

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:53:00 +0000

I'm a pants pocket minimalist. I don't like carrying around anything other than my wallet, cellphone, and keys; however, I also like tools (obviously), so the idea of carrying around pocketable multi-tools is appealing, specifically ones that can fit nicely on a key chain without adding much bulk. It can be handy to always have a knife or screwdriver, for example, on me when I need it.

For the last few years, my only key chain tool has been the Swiss Tech utili-key. HERE is my old review from 2008. I absolutely love the utili-key. It took me a while to start frequently using it, meaning, I would forget it was there in my pocket. Of course, in a way, that's what I was hoping for. Now I find myself using it a few times a week.

As for the Micro 6 in 1, I got this tool as a belated birthday present a few months ago. Does it live up to the high bar of the utili-key? Well, the short answer is that I'm still not sure.


Swiss Tech Miccro 6 in 1, along with their utili-key.

As you can see, the Micro 6 in 1 doesn't take up a whole lot of space on my key chain; however, it does add a bit of weight and it's about as thick as four keys. I like how the pliers lock onto the key chain when the tool is closed. Occasionally, the handles (screwdrivers) will sort of partially open on their own. This can be annoying, but it doesn't happen frequently enough for me to worry about.

Swiss Tech Micro 6 in 1 opened.

Here it is opened. The six uses are screwdrivers (Phillips and slothead), a wire cutter, 1/8" rule markings on the sides, pliers, and... uh... I can't seem to find the 6th use. Maybe someone can tell me what it is in the comments (OK, I could just go look it up, but if I can't see it when I'm holding it in my hands, it must not be that useful).

All of the uses seem to work adequately. Keep in mind the retail price on this is under $10, so I don't have huge expectations. For this things I've used it on, it's fine. Sure, there are other tools that have these features and work better, but not many have this good of a balance between small size and usefulness.

I've only had this in my pocket for a few months now. I haven't used it all that much, but I plan on giving it more time to prove its place on my keyring.

Update: In the last few days, the arms have really seemed to loosen up. In fact, it's fallen off my key chain a few times now. For the time being, at least, I'm going to keep it on the bench until I figure out what to do with it.

Macro Pictures of Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:58:00 +0000

I finally got a tripod for the DSLR today. Now I can use my macro lenses! Well, they're technically just filters; I'm cheap. Anyway, I took a few test shots I thought I'd share here.

Click for larger views.

Brand unknown pliers I found at a garage sale. They are in need of some rehab.

Eklind SAE hex keys. Kind of dusty.

These macro filters are going to be a lot of fun now that I have a tripod. Prior to this, they were pretty much unusable, as any camera shake would cause blur. More to come in the future. Also, I hope to rehab those pliers sometime, with some nice before and after pictures, of course.

Milwaukee M12 Tool Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:53:00 +0000

I think I'm going to be a big fan of Milwaukee's M12 line of tools. A few weeks ago, I bought the 3/8 inch drill on a pretty good sale (it came free with the electrical fork meter for $99). I love that drill. It doesn't have the power of my 18 volt drill (obvsiously, 12 < 18), but it can easily handle 90% of my drilling needs.

Since I bought the drill, I've been looking for a good deal on the impact driver. Yesterday, I noticed some of Milwaukee's M12 line of power tools had a bit of a price drop, including that driver. I almost pulled the trigger, then I noticed an even better deal!

I did some checking, and here are some pretty good deals I've found. I don't know how new these deals are, but they aren't bad. If you're in the market for M12 tools, take a look here at Home Depot, as well as places like Amazon, Buy.com, and Google's shopping search tool. Note, these seem to be sale prices, but they aren't advertised as sales with Home Depot. Compare them to the "tool only" versions and you'll see how good of a deal they are.


M12 hammer drill, impact driver, and free multi-tool!

First, the kit I just bought. This comes with the 3/8" hammer drill, impact driver, and a free multi-tool, all for $199. I haven't gotten a good chance to try everything out, but I'm trying my best to think up some projects I can use these on this weekend. This is a great deal for $199. It comes with two Red lithium batteries, which are the newer model that promises even better performance. Here is the LINK. Oh, and make sure you are getting the one with the free multi-tool!
Update: As of October 23rd, it looks like the deal is no longer available online. It may still be available in stores, however.

Next up, we have the impact driver by itself, HERE for $99. Again, make sure you're getting the right one. This one is the full kit with two batteries, charger, and a case. They are also selling the "tool only" version, with you guessed it, just the tool, for the same price!

Similar to the deal above, HERE is the Hackzall kit for $99. Again, this is the kit with case, batteries, charger, etc. This is the same price as the tool only version, so be careful (I'm not writing much about this because I'm trying to resist buying one!)

Drill Accessory Case Comparison 2 - Three From Milwaukee and a Skil

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:55:00 +0000

A few years back I did a COMPARISON of a few drill bit / insert bit cases I own. For girlfriend-scrutiny purposes, I like to keep the actual number of cases I own a mystery; however, I can say that it's more than five and less than 15. Anyway, I have a few more to compare today.

Last time, I inevitably came to the conclusion that you can't judge contents by their case, and vice versa. Also, we can't judge case contents by their brand. Unfortunately, everything is hit or miss. A brand might hit the nail on the head, so to speak, with one case, and completely miss the boat with another.

This time, I'm going to review three cases by Milwaukee, and one by Skil. Don't worry, there is enough variety to keep this comparison interesting, despite only two brands between four cases. Also, I'm going to avoid mentioning the quality of the contents. Well, I'll do the best I can.

First up, I have a case of spade drill bits from Milwaukee.
Milwaukee 4220175 8 pc Flat Boring Bit Set

Pros:
The case is solid. Bits fit firmly, but easily snap into place. There is enough room for even large fingers to remove the bits. Rubber on the outside is slightly gimmicky, but it does help keep the case from sliding around when placed on smooth/wet/slanted surfaces.
Cons:
When closed, the two halves of the case can shift around with a bit of pressure, but this isn't a big issue by any means.
Verdict:
This is a near-perfect case. Hmm, maybe I should have ended with this one...

Next I have a pretty standard Milwaukee drill bit set.
Milwaukee 48-89-2800 14pc Thunderbolt Black Oxide Drill Bit Set

Pros:
Again, Milwaukee does a great job here with a drill bit case. Bits securely slide into place and can be removed without too much effort. The case doesn't feel cheap, and the sliding lock has a picture of a drill bit on it so you can tell at a glance what the contents are (this is actually helpful for me and my 5-15 cases). The two holders for these bits can even rotate up for easier access.
Cons:
Again, nothing major to complain about. The one thing worth mentioning is that this case holds 14 bits, and only 14 bits. It would have been nice if the case was either slightly larger, or had another smaller bit holder for more bits.
Verdict:
Overall, this is a great case, but I feel Milwaukee is missing out on an opportunity to add more storage for savvy users. I've noticed most of their cases are somewhat modular. They aren't all interchangeable, but I wish Milwaukee would sell individual bit holders to help users make custom cases.

The third case from Milwaukee is a set of insert bits.
Milwaukee 48-32-4401 29-piece Shockwave Impact Driver Bit Set

Pros:
On the right side of the case, the bits fit snugly, yet are easily removable/replaceable (see a pattern here?). The case closes firmly, and it features rubber pads on the outside as well as a general picture of the contents on the locking slider.
Cons:
Unfortunately, the left side of the case features a poorly executed storage compartment. First of all, there are three vertical sections with no dividers. That means all of your bits, screws, parking meter change, whatever, will be sliding around. Even worse, the leftmost section gets almost completely blocked by the hinged door! I love the idea, but it just doesn't work.
Verdict:
This case makes very poor use of internal space. The right side seems to have wasted room between the bits, and the storage compartment is a joke. I like what they were going for, but frankly, I wouldn't buy this one again (ok, maybe I would because mine came bundled with that 14-piece drill bit set for a good price).

Lastly, I have a Skil case containing almost every bit imaginable.
Sorry, but I couldn't find a link at this time.

Pros:
This tri-fold design is the first I've ever seen for a case, and it works pretty well. Overall, it's no thicker than the last Milwaukee set, but it has 50% more space (by my unscientific estimate). It feels fairly sturdy. Drill bit sizes are printed next to their storage locations.
Cons:
I love the innovative design, but many of the bits are difficult to remove/replace. This case may have a great variety of drill/insert bits, but actually using them can be a pain. Also, the hinge on the back is huge! I'm sure this is due to the tri-fold design, but it does make the case wider than most when closed.
Verdict:
This one is a toss up. I like the overall design but the bit holders could be a lot better. If you're not as picky as I am about these things, then this is a great product.

Conclusion:
Milwaukee is generally regarded as a professional, high-quality brand, and it shows with two of their three cases here, but the last one is big letdown. Meanwhile, Skil, which in my experience is often overlooked or at least not well known for drill accessories, has a really innovative case design.

My "Newest" Drill

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:01:00 +0000

I found one of my very first tools the other day. It's a drill from my childhood. At first glance, it may not look like much, but it does have some nice features in common with even the best modern drills:

- Keyless chuck.
- All-metal gears.
- Long lasting battery (needs to recharge only once per day!)
- Variable speed.
- Best of all, no plastic pieces!

Sadly, the chuck is a little worse for wear, but I think I could get it working again.

I actually used to have another drill like this, although that one was about twice the size. It worked pretty well for certain applications. Sometimes I enjoy using self-powered hand tools when I get a chance. There's something relaxing about it. Well, for a few minutes anyway.

Home Depot Special Buy of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:34:00 +0000

Home Depot recently started doing a "special buy of the day" program. It looks like it's similar to all those other deal of the day type sites.

Today, they have a toilet on sale. Now I'm not very current on my toiled prices, but it looks like this could be a good deal. Personally, I'll be waiting for tool deals.

Here is the link to the Special Buy of the Day.

Has anyone seen any good tool deals on here, or any other DotD-type sites?

Update:
A couple weeks back they had a deal on a Milwaukee M12 XC (that's eXtended Capactiy) battery. This has twice the juice as the normal batteries. I picked one up for about $40, while the usual going rate is $70 or so. My guess is they were trying to unload their stock of these, as it looks like they've replaced them with the newer "Red" lithium type.

I didn't like that I couldn't just go to the store and pick it up, as is the case with some online purchases. It's frustrating to have two Home Depot stores within 15 miles of me and having to wait a good week and a half for it to arrive in the mail. Complaints aside, I feel like I got a good deal.

Below is a running list of notable items. Many of the items thus far haven't been very appealing to me, such as outdoor furniture, plumbing fixtures, and tile, but it looks like there were some pretty good deals.

Notable items:
Milwaukee M12 XC battery - $40
Ridgid 12v Jobmax (refurbished) - $50 (if I recall correctly)

Google SketchUp for Project Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:28:00 +0000

This is nothing new, but I've recently been using Google SketchUp for making project plans. SketchUp is a pretty easy to use 3D modeling program. It works on both Macs and PCs, and best of all, there is a free version.

Here is a work-in-progress version of the platform bed I recently made. I used SketchUp to plan out the materials for the frame. As you can see, I started working on the headboard but didn't get very far. The program is fantastic for laying out materials. With my design in hand, I knew exactly how many 2x4s and 2x10s I needed to pickup.

I'm currently working on a design for a rolling tool cabinet. I'll be posting that on here when I progress a little further.

Unclog a Slow or Stuck Sink Drain

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:55:00 +0000

The P-trap. It's not so scary, is it?

So you have a clogged sink. What are your options? Well, you could call plumber, but they can be expensive. You could call your landlord, but what if they are slow to respond or you own your home? Another option is to pull up your sleeves and do it yourself. Sure, the job can be gross, but it's a very simple task and relatively difficult to break something in the process.

Most slow drains are, in my experience, caused by a gradual buildup of debris. Fortunately, sinks and drains are designed to be relatively easy to clean, when needed. Every sink should have what is called a P-trap somewhere near the drain connection to the sink. P-traps prevent things from going down the drain that shouldn't. If you ever lose a ring or other jewelry in the sink, don't worry, just check the P-trap. They are also a handy access point for unclogging drains.

P-trap and wonky connector.

The first step to unclogging the drain is to remove the P-trap. You'll need a large wrench or pliers to unscrew the connectors. It's a good idea to clear out a space under the sink for you to work, and also have a container on hand to catch any water stuck in the P-trap. Obviously, don't pour this water back down the sink until you are finished.

In my case, I had this wonky* flexible plastic connector going from the sink to the P-trap (*not a technical term). I decided to just leave it on and remove the whole thing in one piece. I figured the clog could be in the flexible connector. Your sink setup is probably different, but I'm sure you can figure it out.

Once the P-trap is removed, the gross part begins. As I mentioned, the most likely culprit is a hairball. I had about a one-foot section of wire lying around, so I decided to fashion it into a hook to snag the hairball. It worked well because the wire is flexible, but still rigid enough to hold its shape. A wire clothes hanger would probably work well too.

I used some old wiring for a hairball hook.

Once you fish the hairball, avoid the urge to wildly fling it around the room. It's going to be gross, so be prepared. Have a trashcan nearby to get rid of it quickly. Gloves are also a good idea. If you're not like me, and a sludgy hairball doesn't gross you out, you'll have no problems.

When reattaching everything, take care not to crossthread the connections. Make it tight, but not too tight. Plastic connectors run the risk of breaking if tightened too much. Also, don't tweak any of the pipes. Have a firm grip on them when using the wrench or pliers.

After you're finished, run the water for a while to admire your work (and secretly check for drips if you're trying to impress anyone).

Broken Hammer Repair

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:39:00 +0000

I've had this old hammer sitting in storage for a while now. The problem, as you can see, is that it's slightly broken. Well, seriously broken. Fortunately, it's not very difficult to get it back into working order. Here's how I did it:

Most hammers, like this one, are based on a very old and simple design. Basically, the hammer head fits over the top of the handle and a couple wedges are pounded into the wood. This compresses the wood against the inside of the head, thus holding it firmly in place.

Unfortunately, my hammer handle broke inside of the head. This made the head wobbily and likely to fly off at the worst possible time.

You have two options to fix this sort of problem. You can either buy a new handle, or if you're lucky like I was, you can reuse the same handle. My first step was to cut the handle as close to the head as possible. Next, you'll need to hollow the wood out of the head. I ended up using another hammer and an old flathead screwdriver to chisel the wood. If your only hammer is broken, I guess you're out of luck...

If you can't reuse the handle, you'll have to buy a new one. In that case, you can skip this next step. Now if you are reusing the handle, you'll need to reshape the top of it so it can fit snugly inside the head.

I used an actual chisel to shave the top of the handle into a rectangular shape that would fit inside the head. This step will take some patience, but go slowly and keep checking the fit to make sure you aren't taking off too much wood. A nice tight fit is best.

Once the top of the handle is the right shape, use a hammer to pound the wedges back in. I made the wedges go with the grain, but I think the correct way is probably against the grain. In other words, make the wedges cut across the direction of the grain.

Make sure everything is secure, and you're all set.

X-Box 360 AV Cable Repair

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:55:00 +0000

So my roommate and I enjoy playing xbox together with two xboxes and two TVs side by side. We ran into a little problem with our setup today. In our living room, we usually have my HD TV setup, and when we play xbox, my roommate brings in his old analog TV in from his bedroom. Since he keeps his xbox in the living room, this means he ends up plugging in and out his AV cables quite a few times a week.

Well, today he plugged his AV cables into his TV, but the video wouldn't appear. Eventually, we narrowed the problem down to a bad connection on the cable. The inner tip of the yellow video cable was barely connected. Sure enough, after some playing around with it, it just fell right off.

Something is fishy about these cables. I know it's hard to see in the picture, but can you make out that little piece of metal on the left side of the broken tip? Well, that's the only actual piece of metal in the tip. I expected the whole thing to be metal, but that's not the case. That white area seems to be some kind of plastic. In other words, these cables are cheap pieces of junk.

Anyway, here's the fix. Since my roommate has a low-def TV, he doesn't need the three other connections on the AV cable. Those are only used for high-def TVs. The cable might have been under warranty still, but we wanted to play right now, not in 6-8 weeks.

All I did was cut off one of the extra connectors, cut off the bad connector, and splice it back together. It was a pretty easy process. Just strip back the insulation and twist together the outer cable. There will be some inner cable within more insulation. Just cut that back and twist it together too. A little electrical cable will give it some support.

Here it is finished. It's not pretty, but it worked fine.

Nooooooo

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:03:00 +0000

It's the end of an era. Norm Abram's wikipedia page reports that The New Yankee Workshop will not return for another season. Sad news indeed.

I'm going to hold out on hope that the fine journalists at wikipedia got this one wrong. They did say that Wood Magazine reported it, but they didn't provide a direct source (imagine that). I wasn't able to find any sources either.

If it is true, at least there are still hundreds of old episodes available.

Thankfully, Norm will still be around for This Old House.

Here is Norm on Youtube.

Entertainment Center Modification

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:01:00 +0000

Does this entertainment center look familiar? This general design has been very popular in recent years, however, with the increasing popularity of flatpanel LCD and plasma TVs, this design is becoming obsolete.

LCDs just don't fit well in these old entertainment centers. LCDs are rectangular due to their widescreen nature, and these enclosures are, for the most part, square. Plus, things are becoming increasingly streamlined. A bulky entertainment center like this is just out of place.

So what can you do with something like this? Well, you could try to sell it, but these are all over Craigslist lately. I couldn't get rid of mine for even just $20, and it was in pretty good condition. After I gave up on trying to sell it, I decided to turn it into a project...

As you can see, this entertainment center has a bottom area with adjustable shelves (glass doors are not shown in this picture), a center area for the TV, narrow shelves just to the right of the TV area, and one last shelf above the TV area (shelf not shown).

In modifying the design, the real challenge became how to rearrange it so that the particle board would not be showing. The problem is that it's not solid wood. It's particle board covered in a thin wood veneer. This really limited my options since just about any cutting would leave an exposed edge. I didn't want to mess with buying edgebanding and attempting to match the stain.

To make a somewhat long story short, I ended up basically dropping the top down to just above the bottom shelf area. All I really had to do was partially disassemble it, turn it on its side to make a cut, and then cut the side trim to the appropriate length. I connected the top to the rest of it with some dowels so that there are no exposed fasteners.

I'm really happy with the end-product. It has a much cleaner look and it's a lot easier to move (it was previously really heavy). The shelves make a great bookcase and there is still plenty of room to store all of the TV-related electronics. Now, I just need a LCD to sit on top of it...

Table Refinishing Project - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:56:00 +0000

Oops, it's been a while since my last posts. You see, I graduated a few months ago so I was no longer truly a "Collegiate Handyman." Well, I've returned as a student in graduate school. So I guess I might as well keep the blog going, right? Anyway, here is part 2 of the table refinishing.

As you can see here, I dismantled the table to make sanding easier. Doing so definitely sped up the process. I also discovered that the table is composed of a combination of plywood, a cheaper wood base, and oak veneer. That being said, the quality is still much better than any cheap veneer furniture made in China these days.

I picked up some wood putty to patch a few holes. Once it's dry and sanded, it's hard to tell where the holes were. It's important to get decent putty or it might not look right when stained. Alternatively, you could make your own putty by mixing fine sawdust with wood glue.I decided to go with a Bombay mahogany stain, mostly due to the fact that I already had a can of it. I did apply a coat of prestain for good measure, however, it may not be necessary since prestain is most commonly used for softwoods (oak is a hardwood).

The image above is after a single coat of stain. It will probably take 2-3 coats to get the deep, rich color that I'm looking for. It's important to hit the surface with a light steel wool sanding between coats to soften any grain that may have been raised during staining.

I'll continue this process with all of the pieces. It's fairly time-consuming, but the end result will be worth it.

Table Renishing Project - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:43:00 +0000

It's funny how you never seem to realize just how much junk you have until you try to pack up and move. Like many people, I have that problem. However, my problems go a step further. I can't seem to throw away some things.

When one of my former roommates decided she didn't want this table, I jumped at the chance to add it to my ever-growing to-do list of projects. This table is well-built and solid, but it has many surface defects. It's the perfect candidate for resurfacing. Maybe I'm a pack rat, but then again, maybe I have an eye for seeing hidden potential. Although I will admit, I often bite off more than I can chew with projects.

Here I am nearly two months after moving and I'm just starting this project. It's a good thing that this one shouldn't be too labor intensive. What I plan on doing is essentially just sanding off the existing finish, doing some small patch work with wood putty, and then applying a new finish (I'm thinking a nice, dark Bombay mahogany).

Let me tell you a little more about the table itself. Like I said, it does have a lot of surface defects. That can be expected since it's 67 years old! Yeah, check out this picture of the drawer bottom. It says, "PROPERTY AIR FORCE, UNITED STATES ARMY, (serial number), LYCO. FURN. IND., WILLIAMSPORT, PA, 1942. I immediately had pictures of dollar signs in my eyes as I wondered if it had any value as an antique. In this case, I doubt it. However, if you ever go about refinishing an old piece of furnature, you should probably get an idea of its history before you start.

After day one of the project, I had already gotten a nice start on sanding. It will take a while, but I'm sure I'll eventually uncover some great looking wood. This picture doesn't do it justice, but sanding away years of use can really make a world of difference. I can hardly wait until I'm ready to stain. I think it will really look good.

I expect to make a few more posts on this project, so check back in and see how it's going from time to time.

Measuring Square Comparison

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:27:00 +0000

A measuring square is an essential tool for framers, but also quite useful for handymen. It is essentially a triangular piece of flat metal (or plastic) with a base on either side of one edge. Originally, one of its main uses was for assisting with laying out rafters, specifically, cut angles. Nowadays, it probably doesn't see too much use for that purpose, but it is still helpful when cutting angles. However, the uses don't stop there.

I primarily use my speed square for checking that corners are square, and as a cutting guide. It is definitely worth it to have one for those tasks. It can save a huge amount of time and needless frustration.

These are my two measuring squares. The one on the left is made by Swanson (the original Speed Square inventor) and the one next to it is a generic version. They both cost roughly the same amount of money - about $8-10. But there is quite a difference in quality and usefulness between the "original" and the "copycat."

First, the quality. They are both one piece of solid aluminum, but the Swanson is much beefier. The generic one is some sort of aluminum alloy. It doesn't feel like a strong metal. It kind of reminds me of cheap pewter jewelry. If I wanted to, I'm sure I could practically fold it in half. However, the Swanson feels much more solid. I can't help but notice the metal stamp of "SWANSON TOOL CO. INC. FRANKFORT, IL. 1987"

Now for the features. Well, they are nearly identical. I'm guessing the copyright ran out at some point and everyone jumped all over it. I mean, it's just a blatant copy, however, the Swanson does have some features which the generic does not. Take a look at the picture of the Swanson one above. See that diamond cutout near the top? That's to guide a pencil as you take the base edge and run it along a piece of wood. The cutout is at 3 1/2 inches, which is the actual width of a 2x4. This is useful for resawing a 2x6 or 2x8 into a 2x4, or for cutting out plywood to thicken a 2x4.

Those little nubbins on the cutout of the inner triangle are also pencil guides. They are useful for marking out widths from 1 to 2 1/4 inches in 1/4" intervals.

As a cutting guide, the Swanson really shines. In fact, this is what led me to buy the Swanson (the store that I was at when I needed one didn't have the Swanson). The generic version is about half as thick as the Swanson. This not only makes the Swanson more durable, but a much better circular saw guide. Circular saw baseplates are rounded up at the edges and don't usually have sharp edges. With the generic square, I've had my saw's edge ride up on top of the square as I'm trying to use it as a guide. This not only gives a poor cut, defeating the purpose of the guide, but it's dangerous! If it rides up too far you could be out a square, a blade, and even fingers. The Swanson's added thickness keeps the saw where it should be, beside the guide.

All things considered, I would definitely stick to the original and stand by the Swanson. Other generic versions may fare better than this one did, but at least you know what you're getting with the original.

Foggy Headlights? Restore Them!

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Have your car's headlights dimmed over the years? Is it harder and harder to see at night? New bulbs don't help? Your problem may be foggy headlight covers. Over time, moisture between the cover and the bulb can cause the plastic headlight covers to turn opaque and let less light pass through. Of course, this can cause problems when driving at night.

What's the solution? Well, you could shovel out potentially hundreds of dollars for new covers, or you could restore the ones you have now for just one easy payment of less than $20!

No, I'm not Billy Mayes and this isn't an infomercial, but I did try a product intended to "restore" headlight covers. My girlfriend's car had the problem described above, and new covers were quoted at a ridiculous amount. Driving at night, especially outside of the city, was strenuous to say the least. The headlights were pretty dim.

Anyway, her dad, I think it was, got her this restoration stuff. It's basically a few pieces of increasingly finer sandpaper and some polishing solution. I was a little doubtful that it would work. Heck, it looked like I might as well take my power sander to the covers if this stuff was supposed to do the trick. But hey, it was either try this or she would have to find another solution, so we gave it a try.

Here we are starting with a rough grit sandpaper. The instructions say to keep it wet and give it a good 5 min per grit, and there are four grits! I wasn't too stoked about waxing on, waxing off for 20 min per headlight. But we stuck with it and went through the motions. I gave this product the benefit of the doubt and tried to follow the instructions and best as I could (stand).

Fifteen minutes later and still at it. The only thing that kept me going at this point is that it actually was starting to look more clear. I pressed on...

Hey, that really does look better! Here I am applying the polishing solution. Call me crazy, but I think this just might work...

Check out the before and after pictures. I'd sure say that worked. The headlight visibility at night definitely improved. This sure beat the heck out of buying new covers. The restoration kit was under $20 and I'm sure you can find them at auto parts stores. If you have foggy headlight covers, you might consider giving this a shot.

Welcome Back / How to Use a Stud Finder

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Well I'm back. I apologize for the hiatus, but I've been on a blogging break. I had a nice winter vacation and now school is starting up again. Hopefully I'll soon be back in the swing of things and get some regular posts on here again.

I've built up a decent amount of ideas. Here are some posts to come:
- Cleaning the 'fogging' from your car's old headlights.
- More WD-40 tests.
- Cleaning my keyboard (I haven't done it once in a good five years).
- X-mas gift update.
- Roof snow removal.

Also, I'm going to start adding videos to my blog. I've figured out how to do it, but I'm afraid you'll have to put up with the poor video quality. I'll be taking the videos on my digital camera. It gets decent image quality, but low frame rates so quick motion will appear jumpy.

About a month ago I finally acquired a stud finder. Trust me, this is an essential handyman tool. Sure, you can find studs the old-fashioned way by knocking or tapping on a wall and trying to feel and hear the difference between a stud and empty space, but I've learned that roommates and neighbors (if you live in an apartment) find that method particularly annoying.

This stud finder was just $5 at the local home improvement store. It's about as cheap as they come (heck, the two-pack of 9-volt batteries were almost as expensive as it), but it gets the job done. As far as features go, this is plenty.

The tool has a series of lights that flash and blink as you approach the stud. When the top green light illuminates, you know that you've found the center of it. Check out the video; it works.

So do you have any more blog / video ideas for the new year?

Drill Accessory Case Comparison - Stanley, Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Other

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:59:00 +0000

Drill bit accessories are essential to anyone who owns a drill. They commonly include all sorts of drill bits, screw bits, and nut drivers. It's very convenient to grab your drill, an accessory case or two, and get started on a project. I personally own a few such accessory cases, and I'm going to compare them. However, it isn't my goal to focus on the contents, instead I'm going to focus on something almost equally important, the case itself.

These accessory kits make great holiday gifts for your handyman / handywoman, but it's important to consider the cases in addition to the contents. For more gift ideas, check HERE and HERE.

I've found that there is a wide range of quality in the cases, and it doesn't always correlate with price or brand. Let's start with this no-name brand of drill bits. This came as a "free bonus" with a sawblade wall clock. It was on a good sale and I needed the clock, so why not? It's always good to have an extra set of drill bits, even if they are only good for spacers.

Pros:
The quality of the case shell is decent for the most part. The latch looks cheap, but seems to function decently enough. Well, that's about it for the pros...

Cons:
The hinge is made of flexible plastic and looks like it could wear out. The biggest problem is how the bits are held in and how closely they're spaced. Basically, they are way too close together to grab and they are held in waaay too tight. You would need to be a bodybuilder with baby carrot fingers to get these out. I think it would be easy to bend the smaller ones, or even snap them off completely, when removing or replacing them.

Verdict:
This case is basically useless. As soon as I need them, I'm going to take all the bits out and toss the case.

Here's an interesting one. Dewalt is know for high-quality tools, but they are a bit pricey. Sure, you get what you pay for, but there shouldn't be that many problems with it, right?

Pros:
The case shell is very durable and the latch works great. I'm not sure if they meant for it, but most of the cases I've seen seem to be somewhat modular. If you had a few similar Dewalt cases, you could probably interchange some of the components. See the bit holders in the picture above? Those can be removed and switched around. It's possible to make a custom case based upon your specific needs. That's a very smart move on their part. The individual pieces are easily removed, but...

Cons:
The pieces are very difficult to get back into their holders! It's possible that it needs to be "broken in" with use, but it seems like they could have had a much better system.

Verdict:
It's a annoying to mess with trying to get the pieces back in after you use them, but overall, it's a good case.

I love this Milwaukee set. It's in about the mid level price range, but I'm very happy with it. It wasn't until I got this set that I really started noticing the cases as well as the contents.

Pros:
The shell is very sturdy. It has rubber along the edges, possibly for added protection, but it doesn't really seem necessary. The latch is a little loose, but works fine. The thing I like best is that it's extremely easy to remove and replace the bits. It's a very simple concept, but not every manufacturer understands it. Perhaps the case is a little big for its contents, but it makes it really easy to quickly grab what you need, use it, and put it back where it belongs.

Cons:
I can find no problems with this case besides the gimmicky rubber armor and slightly loose latch. It's pretty bread and butter. It would be nice to have some innovative features.

Verdict:
A great case. This should be the baseline for all drill accessory cases.

Stanley has been in the homeowner market for many years. A lot of other companies, like Dewalt, have branded themselves as tools for professionals. I have mixed feelings about Stanley. On one hand, they are working to catch up to the "professional" companies, but on the other hand, they still make things like this...

Pros:
There are some great features in this case, but they aren't executed that well. On the left side, those two rows of bits flip up for easy removal, but it feels cheap. On the right side, those three rows of small bits are removable, which is a very nice feature. But again, it feels cheap.

Cons:
The shell is horrible. It's a hard plastic outer shell with a flimsy plastic interior. Imagine it like a box of chocolates. You know the cheap plastic mold that the chocolates fit in? That's what like the inside of this case is like. The plastic practically crinkles when you touch it. The latch works, but it will quickly wear out. The individual modules are barely held into their spaces. I'm afraid to get this case near an open flame for fear of it disintegrating.

Verdict:
This is a horrible case, but the contents are great! I know I said I wouldn't judge on contents, but we've seen that good contents don't necessarily mean a good case (cough, Dewalt, cough), and this goes to show that a crappy case doesn't necessarily mean bad contents. If they took the flip-up idea and the removable row of bits, and put those in a better case, they would really have something.

Conclusion:
Don't take it for granted that expensive or name-brand kits will have good cases. Many times, cases are just as important as their contents. If you're looking at two products with similar contents, consider the cases. Three of my four cases have almost all the same contents, but I know which one I'm going to grab 90% of the time because of the ease of use.

Review: Swiss Tech Utili-key (Utilikey)

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:15:00 +0000

The Swiss Tech Utili-key is one useful tool. Or should I say, six useful tools. Here is their official website with more information.

Anyway, if you're looking for a good stocking stuffer for the holidays, I would definitely recommend the Utilikey. I received one last X-Mas and it's been on my key ring ever since. I'm not the kind of guy that carries around a pocket knife with him, so the knife feature comes in handy from time to time. It's actually pretty sharp and not awkward to use.

Here is the Utilikey pictured next to a typical car key. As you can see, it's about the same size. I like to keep my keyring pretty light and this definitely doesn't clutter it up. It really does just feel like another normal key.

Here it is partially opened. I'm surprised at how well it's made. You can't tell from the picture, but it actually locks itself into place when it's either fully opened or closed. There is no chance that it will open in your pocket and fall off (or stab you in the leg).

It's about 5" long fully opened. It is about the size of a ballpoint pen.

As you can see, it has about a two inch knife (semi-serrated), a bottle opener, both a phillips and a slothead screwdriver, and apparently, a micro eyeglasses screwdriver. I've gotten the most use out of the knife and the bottle opener, but the screwdrivers did come in handy a few times.

If I didn't already have one of these, it would definitely be on my wish list.

The Utilikey runs about $10-15 and I think it's a great gift. Keys are something people almost always have with them. It's easy to lose track of a multi-tool or pocket knife.

I have but one gripe about it. To use the bottle opener, it has to be fully opened. This results in you putting a lot of leverage on a skinny little piece of metal with one very sharp end. I've had a few close calls with it slipping off the bottle while trying to pop the cap off. It gets especially tricky after opening a few bottles in relative quick succession, if you know what I mean. Besides that minor issue, I have no problems with it at all.

In addition to its usefulness, it's just plain cool, isn't it?

Can WD-40 Fix / Clean It?

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:08:00 +0000

I'm going to start a new, ongoing, set of posts about one of the handyman's best friends - WD-40.

Did you know WD-40 has its own fan club? Did you know that there are over 2000 uses for WD-40?

A wise man once said, "if it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40." Truly words of wisdom. I'm going to start looking for places to use WD-40 around the house to see just how many uses I can find for it.

Use #1 - Cleaning sticky glue from carpet.
We had a major spider problem when I moved into this house, so I bought some sticky spider traps. They work great. They are about the size of a postcard and have very sticky glue on one side. You just lay them down and wait for the spiders to get stuck on them.

One day I tried cutting one of the traps into strips to tape together to make one long trap. I stuck it across the bottom of my door so that the spiders would have to hit it when they snuck under the door. Well, of course I ended up stepping on it later that day. I got it stuck to my carpet, and the sticky residue is still there months later.

Here's the before image. It lost a lot of its stickiness as it got dirty, but it definitely is not coming off that carpet easily. Armed with an old toothbrush and a can of WD-40, I attacked the spot.

After letting it soak in for a few moments and giving it a little elbow grease with the toothbrush, the stain is mostly gone! Looks like WD-40 did the trick.

Effectiveness: 10/10. This couldn't have been easier or more effective.

LED Flashlight Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:36:00 +0000

A good flashlight is essential to any handyman. It is one tool that isn't used all the time, but when you need it, you really need it. I've accumulated five flashlights over the years. Four of the five are the LED type. LEDs are 'light-emitting diodes.' They are great for two reasons. First, the 'bulbs' practically last forever. Chances are, your LEDs will never need replacing. Secondly, they use much less battery power compared to conventional flashlights, so they last a lot longer.

Here are my five flashlights. From left to right, they are:
Streamlight 7 LED. 4 AA batteries.
Rayz 30 LED. 3 D batteries.
Rayz 1 non-LED. 2 AA batteries.
Rayz 9 LED. 3 AAA batteries.
Rayz 1 LED. 1 watch battery.

To compare these flashlights, I set my camera up on a tripod in my basement. With the room lights out, I used each flashlight as the sole light source for each of the following pictures. The camera exposure was the same each time, and no flash was used. The pictures speak for themselves.

Streamlight 7 LED. 4 AA batteries. $20 a few years ago - This is my oldest flashlight, and one of the best. I've crawled around many pitch black ceiling spaces as a cable tech with this flashlight and it's never failed me. Well worth the investment.

Rayz 30 LED. 3 D batteries. On sale for $10 along with the next - This gives the Streamlight a run for its money, but then again, compare the sizes. This is a big flashlight. It's like the Mag Lights that security guards and cops beat people with. Except this one is light weight and made of aluminum. Probably not very good for beating up crooks with. Honestly, I expected better.

Rayz 1 non-LED. 2 AA batteries. $10 and came with the previous - Quite a big difference compared to the other LED flashlights. It's nice that the beam is focused, but there sure isn't much light ouput.

Rayz 9 LED. 3 AAA batteries. On sale for $6 along with the next - This is a solid flashlight. It's small, but puts out a lot of light. It came packaged with the keychain flashlight below for only $6 on sale! I bought one and tried it out at home not expecting too much. I was so impressed that I went back the next day and got another one for my car.

Rayz 1 LED. 1 watch battery. On sale for $6 with the previous - As you can see (or rather, can't see), this keychain flashlight is best used as a keychain flashlight.

I'd say that the Streamlight barely edges out the big 30 LED and the smaller 9 LED Rayz flashlights. Not quite as good of a deal, but it's held up over the years.

At any rate, LED flashlights are now very common. If you have one of those old cheap plastic flashlights lying around, you know, the kind where you can actually see it get dimmer as you use it, I'd suggest that you invest in a new LED type. The next time the power goes out or you need to look for something in a dark place, you'll appreciate a good flashlight.

Happy Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:33:00 +0000

Remember, it's us or them.

Oh yeah, that turkey fryer you have, that's a bad idea. Don't burn your house down.

How-to: Replacing a Clothes Washer

noreply@blogger.com (Blogger) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:40:00 +0000

A washer and dryer. These are two essential items for any college house. I mean, how are you otherwise going to wash your clothes? Take them to a laundromat? Hah, I don't think so. You'll wind up going quadruple-duty on that Star Wars shirt you got when you were 12, skimping out on an undershirt with dress shirts (who are you, Magnum PI?), and worst of all, eventually stealing your roommates socks. After all, they are always the first to run out. Let's not even start on underwear.

Up until yesterday, we had a washer that only kind of worked. It washed everything just fine, except it didn't move itself through the different cycles. So basically, you had to manually change the setting from wash, to rinse, to spin, etc, every 10 min or so. That sure was a pain.

So we got the washer and dryer from our old house and hauled it over (the new people that moved in were going to buy it but didn't pay up, so we repoed it). Here is how to go about replacing a washer:

First of all, unplug / disconnect everything. It's usually just a power cord (do that first), a hot and cold water connection, and a drain tube. You'll probably spill some water, but don't worry about it.

Next, muscle that sucker out of there. This will probably be the hardest part. Washers are a lot heavier than dryers. It's definitely a two person job. We had to haul it down some steps too. It would be awesome to have a hand truck for this part.

Notice the drain pipe on the bottom-left. That usually just pulls right out of another pipe in the wall with no problem.

Whao! What is that nastiness on the bottom of the wall?

Looks like we could have some water damage. Let's take a closer look...

Do I even want to take a closer look?

Yep, water damage. I would say that this picture actually does do it justice. That's just nasty. See that pipe right in the center with the "residue" on it? That's the drain for the two toilets in the house. I'll leave it at that.

But seriously, it's not *that* gross. The toilet drain wasn't leaking. All that mess is from a leaking water pipe. That will be another blog sometime, but for now, I'm going to hide all of this with the replacement washer. If I can move it...

New and old washers side by side. Not shown: my hernia.

Ironically, the new washer is the exact same model as the old one. Two of my three roommates probably won't even realize I replaced it and will figure it magically replaced itself.

All that's left to do now is reconnect everything. Make sure you get the hot and cold connections right. It's probably a good idea to try to get it somewhat level, too If it's really out of whack, it could get damaged by spinning off center. Now, after all this work, will you get the old one out of there?