Han THE FAMILY | PAR NMC) LuisIntroducing Rust-Oleum NeverWet. A superhydrophobic, multi-surface, —~ sisreurier Z liquid repelling treatment created with breakthrough technology. Try iton _NeverWet wood, metal, plastic, concrete, vinyl siding and more. Just spray it on... ==" and it's NeverWet, only from Rust-Oleum. RustOleum.comvNeverWet (ZA Bia RUSTOLEUM @ — NeverWetTable of CONTENTS familyhandyman.com FEATURES 418 Space-saver workstation Abig work surface that stores in a small space Pus shelves and drawers for tol storage! 32 Garage lighting ‘Add as much lightas you want— the easy way. While you're att, instal extra outlets, too, 42 Compact tool cabinet Asimple, sturdy cabinet that triples your wall space for hanging up tools 47 Simple bin towers Plastic bins declutter your garage—and here's the perfect project to store those bins. 52 Throw & go bins Kids won’t put away their toys? Here's the no-excuses solution. (Creat for adults, too!) DEPARTMENTS 6 Stuff We Love 64 Top Ten Tips 80 Car + Garage ‘Adeck remodel in a can, Moving furniture isa big job— Cool tools for your garage shop, hhard-wearing work boots and here are 10 techniques to do it including an electric impact big, beefy mechanic's tools. without wrecking a thing! wrench and a stethoscope. 415 Handy Hints® id Editor Tips 84 Wordless Workshop™ Yard tool holders, comfortable Better ways to fix wobbly outlets, ‘Why hand-cary your yard tools bucket handles, and a cut crown molding and protect ‘when you can Build this smart way to start seeds. surfaces when you use a sav ‘wheelbarrow tool rack? 58 Home Care + Repair 72 Pro Tips 96 Great Goofs” Flush a water heater, clean your Let our expert show you how ‘The washing machine rodeo, coven door glass, soundproof a to install your own seam-free bad vibes from the fridge room and Seal a garage door gap. laminate countertops. and the paint can’s revenge. familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 1Table of CONTENTS PTE LEeE Te femilyhandyman.com Check out the BI MACs (ewe = [ols familyhandyman.com > What’s new on the Web Motorcycle What is Install luxury safety radon? vinyl flooringthe Aly PURGES Tips of the Month Re CCS ee ed Power tools have really evolved since we began our construction careers over 30 years ago. Cordless tools are better than ever with powerful and long-lasting lithium-ion batterie. oct erg eS limitation. What follows are tee power tools that we have as part of our tool arsenal 1d believe may interest you whether you are a serious DIVER or pro. (ne of our favorite tools for cutting, shaping and sanding just about anything isthe RIDGID JobMax 3-Amp Multi Tool. The Starter Kitincludes a segment bade, wood/metal cutting blade, sanding pad, 5 pieces of sandpaper and universal mult-tool adaptor—all in a neat contractor bag. The corded base is compatible with all JobMax attachment heads: Right Angle Drill/Driver, Right Angle Impact Driver, Auto Hammer, Jig Saw, Reciprocating Se emt tt rete and detach the right head for the right application Ifyou work with wood, a table saw is a must. Ripping plywood, siding, interior and exterior trim, fencing or decking with a circular saw can be dangerous and render less-than professional results. & table saw makes cross cutting a breeze. RIDGID’s 10” Portable Table Saw will do all ofthis and more. The best partis that it is completely portable. No more back-breaking lugging around a cumbersome piece af equipment. The table saw securely attaches to the included “utility vehicle* cart, which makes for easy portability See ee en et ic ree Erne ee ene ‘and—two of our favorite features—an oversized on/off switch and a large bevel scale for eee AT) Whether you install crown molding, a chair ail, baseboard or other trim for a living or as ‘a weekend warrior, a finish nailer can make the job a breeze and yield professional results RIDGID's 18-volt Lithium-on Angled Finish Nailer lets you do all ofthe above without having to lug around a compressor and hose. I's powerful enough to drive up to 2% finish De ee ome em getting into tough areas easier and the ‘contact fire’ or ‘sequential fie’ modes offer selection cen ee cu ea adjustment and jam release are both great tool-free eee eu na a pad, and 2-position belt hook. The nailer works with PIG sus ees ea ke ean ek) unc) Be eee ‘Ask the Carey Brothers a home improvement or remodeling question on their live radio broadcast every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Call toll-free at 1-800-737-2474 to ask your question. Visit their website at OnTheHouse.com for recaps ofthe show & other helpful inf. eee ee ae S 6 © ‘woo Haridyman ‘lin IY Home aym since 1951 ‘rot Laron Gary Went ‘mp nt pert ‘int Gregan be Dyan Meta Ave 4 SEPTEMeER 2013oS ALL TOGETHER IN THE NEW CHAMBERLAIN GARAGE POWER STATION. Ivan air hose, power cord, and light source—all in one. And because your Chamberlain Garage Power Station is up there out of the we can fill, drill, work or get ready to play with everything always within r * ae eae CHAMBERLAIN.STUFF we love editors@thefamilyhandyman.com, DECK REMODEL IN A CAN | had a great experience last weekend restoring the cedar bridge nour hasta garden. | took it from faded and cracked back to beautiful in one day, using Rust-Oleum’s new Deck & Concrete Restore ($30 a gallon at Home Depot). You apply this resurtacer witha special roller sleeve, and it feels tke you'e rolling on liquid rubber. Because t's so thick (about the consistency of sour cream), it doesn't go ‘ar—it took an entire gallon to double-coat my 8-tt bridge. But the results an attractive, slip-resistant coating that ‘should last for years. Restore Is formulated for decks and concrete, but only for {oot traffic and only for rougher broom-finished surfaces. If your deck needs a face-lift, consider this product. It costs about a buck per square foot, making ita whole lot cheaper land easier than installing new decking, A word to the wise! Applying itis messy, and you have to work fast ifthe ‘weather is warm. 'd suggest picking an overcast day for the job. ts available in 50 colors, and the pigment is added land mixed at the store. (Have the staff mixit before and atter the pigment is added.) Find a retaller and watch the video at rustoleumrestore.com, Travis Larson, Senior Editor 4www-kubota.com wetDIY WORK WEAR t Not your father’s silicone 1 a Hard-wearing work boots See safety toes) from online retailers, Bass Pro Shops and other sporting end painting project on a weekday, con- goods shops. They've got a silly name, but they're fine boots. sider sealing the gaps and cracks with In the forecast because the caulk is also 100 percent waterproof in 30 minutes. DAP 3.0 canbe applied in temps as low as 20 degrees F, and the kitchen- and-bath version contains an antimicro- bial that resists mold for up to 10 years, So if you don't want to start your week- NO-FILE CHAIN SAW SHARPENING While cutting down a few big poplars a few weeks ago, | must have kissed the ground with the chain. The tips of the teeth were completely rounded off. After fling for a few minutes, | realized itwas going to take a very long time to grind my way back to razor sharpness, Then | remembered my new Dremel chain saw sharpening kit. It took only minutes to restore the entire chain to that wonderful state where huge chips are ‘lying out the chute. You just chuck the proper diame- ‘er prinding stones from the kit into your Dremel, visu- ally match up the angle marks on the metal bar with ‘the angle of the teeth and you're ready to go. The kit comes with an angle gauge and stones to fit the most common tooth sizes, I's avallable for about $15 at Home Depot, Lowe's and online ‘Travis Larson, Senior EditorSTS BIG, BEEFY, BUY-ONCE rl rr mre ere ccKnc CCC 8 MECHANIC'S TOOLS AER, 228 sbensinoen rtenan- dy pert en mang : Sea sockets and wrenches as well. After giving them a try, |can tell you that ooo oo. ‘ees Tics ‘these are no ordinary tools. Le eT TLL BEAR’ {AS soon as you pick up a ratchet, youl notice that's heaver andhasa beter hance that fs better n your palm. The ne tooth S-desree ratchet has recessed quick-release and Teversing mechanism so the atchet head ftir ihter spots The sockets and wrenches are deep laser- ciched before they chromed Instead of surface etched afterward, ke mest 1un-of- the: tools So these makings Wl be readable forever Plus, the ratchet, "wrenches and sockets al have at slp features so you"get what you eb DeWitt offers thee socket/ wrench set coniguations. ‘This 204-plece socket/mrench set etal for $209, The 156- piece set sls for $199, and the Te-pece sets 3149, Deiat mechani’ tots have alitetime waronty But rom theteel of them doubt yout ever needa replacement Find them at Sea's lick Muscopla, Coneribting Eetor adhesive for years because it bonds to Just about anything. But ithas its draw- backs. The stains on my hands stay with me for weeks, And the way polvure- thane foams upas it cures, it leaves me with mounds of hard- Odd-job glue /7a Polyurethane glue has been my odd-job y \\ \ ened oth to scrape away ater. oF S01 gave Eimer'srew PreBond ’ Advanced glue a try. It formed 2 } strong bonds on wood, past ONE SIZE j metal and glass. No foamy J FITS ALL mess—just the usual ‘squeeze-out, which wiped away easily ‘While wet, It washed off my hands with soap and water. Dried glue peeled off my skin easily just like ordinary wood give. think "ve found a new odd-job give. lve never met anyone who complained about having too many wood clamps. lown E ‘more than a dozen, but for ary particular ob only a few are the right size. use pipe clamps for larger projects, but they're a pain to store and always leave behind oll or rust stains. {truly do love Stanley's new "2" x 4" Clamps.” They can span whatever length 2x4 I decide to attach them to, and when '’m done clamping, pull them of the boards, and they take up hardly any space on my pegboard. ve even flipped them around and used them asa spreader. | foresee my pipe clamps getting even rustier. Pick pa pai for $20 at your local hardware store or home center. ‘Mark Peterson, Contributing Editoraia WINNER! |) SIMPSON HOUSING SERVICES ‘Minneapolis, Minnesota ‘SIMPSON HOUSING SERVICES provides safe ‘accommodations to people in need every night of the year. The organization's worn, outdated kitchen is used daily to prepare warm dinners for homeless individuals The shelter stands by its mission to house, support and ‘advocate for people experiencing homelessness. Thanks to their volunteers and your votes, they were chosen from hundreds of community organizations to receive a $25,000 kitchen makeover from The Family Handyman Rescue Remodel Contest, sponsored by IKEA, featuring smart and innovative ideas to make their lives litle bit ‘easier so they can better serve the community. For a behind-the-scenes look at this year’s kitchen makeover visit RescueRemodel.com ADVERTISEMENT EASIER. SPONSORED BY The Life Improvement Store” Discover your dream kitchen at IKEA-USA.com/kitchenBecause we know your dream kitchen,started as just a dream. Pri RU OR CURT U SE Se can a) UR Na LS Le LL) ee aR Oana Un ec Ues : i Co Seer eee a Uber a etn Ree ocPRO stuff we love SY MARK PETERSEN SHINGLE REPAIRS MADE EASIER Replacing damaged shingles is tough on super-hot days—the shingles are soft and tear apart. I's not much easier on cold days—frozen shingles breakin two if you pry them up too far. But the “Goldllocks, Lightweight, feature-packed worm-drive saw earned carpentry froma southern framer who insisted that the Skil Model 77 worm drive was the only saw worth having on the job site. Andit's true that once you get used to the power and balance of this saw, you may never want to go back toa sidewinder. But the original Model 77 was a heavy beast, so When | gota litte older, | splurged on the new Mag 77, which is several pounds lighter. nd I didn't think Skit could improve on that saw. But Ski's new Mag77Itis even better. ‘The Mag77itis a few pounds lighter than even the Mag saw, and here are just a few of ts sreat new features. The eight extra degrees of bevel adjust ment-53 degrees vs. 45— come in handy once in awhile, The saw now has onboard blade wrench storage and a cool new flip-out hook for hanging the saw ona joist or other framing member. The redesigned grooved magnesium foot seems ‘more rigid than the one on my Mag77. If you're shopping fora worm-drive saw, | rec~ ommend the Mag77t. Jeff Gortor Associate Editor approach; waiting for the temperature to be just, right, isn’t always an option, ‘The Roof Snake by PacToo! International makes shingle repairs easier. Just pry up alittle bit on the surrounding shingles to remove the nails that hold down the damaged one. Pull out the old oneand slide a new shingle into place. Flip the tool around and insert a roofing nail into the nail slot. Slip the tool under the overlapping shingle, and (here's the Ingenious part) hit the tool with your hammer to get the nail started. Then pull the slot free and pound the nail in with the flat part. Because you don't have to pound directiy on the nal, the shingles don't need to be pried up so far, making damage less likely. Pick pa Roof Snake for $30 online, a A handier regulator for your compressor Have you ever used a finish gun on a project that included both thick hardwood and thinner, softer woods? It's nearlyimpossi- ble to set the regulator on your compressor so the nalls sink Into the hardwood without blasting through the soft stuff. ‘And changing the pressure everytime you encounter ‘different kind of wood s a huge waste of time. Install a regulator at the end of your air hose, and eliminate those trips back land forth to the compressor. The At-Hand inline Air Regulator can adjust oper- ating pressure from 40 to 140 pstand has. slim pro- file,so you'll hardly know Its there. Buy one at ‘amazon.com for $35, 12 SEPTEVEEH BERS fefnitynanaymen.com \Nh Mey SECRET WEAPON. oi Fi re NN ny) relied tp oor Cee Re. INSTITUTEHandy HINTS handyhints@thefamilyhandyman.com FISH FOR LEAVES IN YOUR POND Ifyou have trees growing over your pond, falling leaves and seed pods will make a mess of your crystal clear water Just usea fish landing net to catch that debris (leave your kol where they are!). The water drains fight through the loosely woven netting, ‘and the leaves are ready to dump. Ray Serverian Easy-on-the-hands bucket handles IIhad some old buckets with broken plastic handles. Whenever Icarried heavy bucket loads, the wire cut into ry hands. So I retrofitted the buckets with new handles made from an old garden hose. cut short lengths of hose, slit each one with a utility knife and slid them over the handles. If you can remove one side of the wire handle, you can Just slide the hose grip BEY onwinoursitingit Sb Thehandtes work great and keep those buck- ets working hard ddacob Kendrick High-wi trailer painted the top of my trailers loading ramp white s0 could see better. it makes a huge aifference when 'm backing Up, especially on rainy days. At right, my back-up lights reflect offthe white paint, and the taller much more easily Cody McGee familyhendyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 15)Get more Handy Hints on theTFH iPad edition. It's available at the ‘App Store. SUMP PUMP GARDEN WATERING | was tired of my sump pump pumping all ofits water into our yard and leaving, Ita swampy mess. So decided to put the water to good use. |dry-fitted some PVC pipe to where the sump exits the house and rana length of tubing out to ‘ur flower bed. Now when the pump comes on, the water is directed 10 where it will do some good! ‘Chad Rood Editor's Nate: Be sure ta disconnect the setup in the fall to prevent the de- charge line from freezing in the winter. Hive around a lot of cottonwood trees, and getting the “tu leach year isn’t a chore !look forward to. Removing it with either a shop vacuum ara power washer Is slow-going and hard work. Here's a faster, easier way: Use aint roller Just do.a few swipes across the screen surface and the fuzz comes right off. It works on spider webs and other debris, too, To clean high screens without Using a ladder, duct-tape the lint roller to pole. Works great! 46 SEPTEMBER 2013 temilyhandyman.com MINI GREENHOUSES We like to grow plants from seed, and we've found a great use for the clear plastic containers from tomatoes and other produce. We make them into mini greenhouses. They have holes for alr and drainage, so all |we need to do's add soll and plant our seeds. When the seedlings grow tall, we leave the lid open until it's time to transplant them into the ‘garden. We reuse the containers year after year, ‘Ann Flanery YARD TOOL HOLDERS Tomake it easier to carry yard tools tke rakes and shovels around my property | ‘off my window screens ‘made tool holders from PVC pipe for my tractor cart. glued on end caps and attached the holders to the cart with U-brackets. also dilled a hole ineach end cap so J water can drain out. Gary Brigman David Lindemana ‘The 1930s brought unprecedented inno- vation in machine-age technology and materials. Industrial designers from the auto industry translated the principals of aerodynamics and streamlining into everyday objects like radios and toasters. It was also a decade when an unequaled variety of watch cases and movements came into being, In liew of hands to tell time, one such complication, called a jumping mechanism, utilized numerals on a disc viewed through a window. With its striking resemblance to the dashboard gauges and radio dials of the decade, the jump hour watch was indeed “in tune” with the times! The Stauer 1930s Dashtronic deftly blends the modern functionality of a 21-jewel automatic movement and 3-ATM water resistance with the distinctive, retro look of a jumping display (not an actual Time travel at the speed of a 1935 Speedster? True to Machine Art esthetics, the sleek brushed stainless steel case is clear om the back, allowing a peek at the inner workings jumping complication). The stainless steel 1 1/2" case is complemented with a black alligator-embossed leather band. The band is 9 1/2" long and will fit a 7-8 1/2" diameter wrist Thy the Stauer 1930 Dashtronic Watch for 30 days and if you are not receiving compliments, please return the watch for a full refund of the purchase price. If you have an appreciation for classic design with precision accuracy, the 1930s Dashtronic Watch is built for you. This watch is a limited edition, so please act quickly, Our last two limited edition watches are totally sold out! Not Available in Stores Stauer 1930s Dashtronic Watch $99 +S&H or Call now to take adeantage of ths limited offer 1-800-859-1602 Promotional Code DRW917-03 Please mention this code when you cll Depe: DRWI7-03 Burl Minnesos $5337 Stauere Cs 14101 Southroes Drive W, ating ofAA big work surface when you need it— compact storage when you don’t jap v Au } This rolling workstation is designed to set up quickly and pack up small to get out of the way. Just load your stuff into the drawers or onto the shelves, fold in the wings and drop the top, and you're ready to roll it up against the wall. And when it comes ‘time to work again, it's just as quick to roll it out and setit up. 48 SEPTEMBER 2073 familyhandyman.com SPACE-SAVER WORKSTATION by Jeff Gorton editors@ thefamilyhandyman.com Most of us don’t have space to keep @ large worktable set up in the middle of the garage or hobby room. But this clev- erly designed cabinet solves that prob- lem, Smooth-rolling locking casters allow you to roll the cabinet out when you heed it, And it only takes seconds to flip up the top and swing out the support ‘wings to double the work surface We built this project from shop-grade plywood purchased at a home center. At $40 a sheet, it wasn't the least expensive choice, but we liked the smooth surface and almost void-free veneer core. We ordered 3-in. polyurethane-wheeled casters from Amazon, and we used full~ extension ball-bearing slides for the drawers, You'll find a full Materials List on p. 28. Construction-wise, this is closer to a cabinet than to a workbench, and it requires accurate cuts for the best results. You could use a circular saw with straightedge guide to make the cuts, but a table saw is a better choice. If you! don't already have one, now is a good time to make a crosscutting sled for your table saw. It’s the perfect tool to cut the wide strips of plywood to length. You'll find instructions for building a crosscut- ting sled at familyhandyman.com, Follow Figure D and the Materials List on p. 28 to cut out the parts, Since 3/4-in, plywood is usually a little undersize, and your plywood may not be the same thick- ness as the plywood we used, we've indi- cated on the Cutting List which dimensions will need to be adjusted for plywood thickness See the workstation in action—and more building tips— on our iPad edition. It’s available at the App Store. Bass Poe) Pea Ly etDRILL SHELF-SUPPORT HOLES Drill holes in the cabinet sides and divider for shelf pins. It's easier to do before the cabinet is assembled. ASSEMBLE THE CABINET Glue and nail the cabinet parts together: With brad nails holding the parts in place, driling pilot holes and driving screws are a lot easier ATTACH THE CASTERS ‘The casters need super-strong ‘connections to the cabinet. Fasten the inside edge of the caster plate with two carriage bolts. At the ‘outside edge, drive bio lag screws Shrough the Bottom and into the ccabinat sides. 20 SEPTEMBER 20713 MOUNT THE WING WITH A PIANO HINGE ‘Align the wing with the cabinet side, ‘making sure the top is 1/4 in. below the cabinet top. A center punch Creates divats at the center of each sere hole and makes postoning all those screws a lot easier, fo) cost: $300 TIME: One weekend ‘SKILL LEVEL: Intermediat TOOLS: Standard hand tools, saw, drill, self-centering hole punch. A table saw, ‘miter saw and brad nail gun will give you better results and speed up the. Build the cabinet box It's easier to drill the shelf pin holes in the sides and divider before you assemble the cabinet box. In Photo 1 we show using a Kreg Shelf Pin Jig ($30 to $34 at some home centers or online) to drill the shelf-pin holes, but you can use a scrap of pegboard for a jig or simply mark and drill the holes. Since there is no caster in the center to support the weight, it's important to glue and screw all the parts. The combination of the screws and the strong 3/4-in. plywood back creates a box-beam effect for a rigid box. It's easier to tack the parts together first with a nail gun and 1-1/2-in. brads (Photo 2). Then drill pilot holes and drive the 1-1/2-in. screws. We like GRK or Spax brand screws with a torx-drive head. They reduce spliting and are easy to drive in. ‘When the cabinet box is done, attach the two front casters (Photo 3). To avoid split- ting the plywood, move the casters back about 1/2 in. from the front. Use 1/4 x 1-in, lag screws on the outside edges and 1/4 x ‘in. carriage bolts through the cabinet bottom on the inside edges. Drill 5/32-in, pilot holes for the lag screws and 1/4-in holes for the carriage bolts. Insert the car- riage bolts from inside the cabinet and tap the head to seat them in the plywood before tightening the nuts Assemble and mount the wings Follow Figure A to assemble the wings. Glue and nail all the parts. The wings are 1/4 in. shorter than the cabinet box so they can ‘swing open without hitting the hinges. Nail a /4-in.-thick plastic furniture glide to the top side of each wing, opposite the hinge side. The plastic glides make up for the 1/4- in, height difference and slide easily across the flipped-up top, Mount the casters to the wing bottoms with 1/4 x 1-in. lag screws. Hold them back from the front edge about 1/2 in, Photo 4 shows how to mount the wings with piano hhinges. Lining up and driving all those little screws is much easier if you make starterIT TAKES A CLASSIC TO RESTORE ONE. SLIM STRAIGHT WORK PANT SLIM FIT, STRAIGHT LEG DURABLE POLY-COTTON FABRIC EASY CARE STAIN RELEASE BUILT 10 WORK AZCZZCES SY SHOP DICKIES.COM OR. VISIT YOUR LOCAL RETAILERFigure A Workstation Overall Dimensions: Folded down: 30” tall x 63" wide x 22-1/2" deep Folded up: 30° tall x 63" wide x 43-1/2" deep No.r3ie ror wear ro.DeD ooWn Scnew oN 22 SEPTEMBER 2015 familyhandyman.comFairbanks Bingham» Dothan Florence + Huntsville Montgomery Mountain Home « Terarkana Salford» Sera Vit « Yura ‘Auburn + Bakersfield « Chico Modesto» Reding Santa Mara « Vitorvile ‘Craig Grand Junction Hote + Montrose ‘Orlando ‘Columbus + Duluth acon » Newman «Rome Idaho Fs « win Falls Cry Lake» Highland LaSalle» Springeld« Sterling Urbana’ Bloomington «Fort Wayne Franklin « North Vernon Siem Verailes Cedar Falls « Marstaltown Rerside cy «pak cty Sine Satie 3 Miers paatey oe advertisement ‘leandrla + Dukth Sechoud Meridian © Sumeve Cape Girardeau «Farmington Kerkvil = Lees Summit Moberly» Spingfes ‘St Joseph « Washington Bilings Kalispell ‘Alance « McCook Claremont Dery Albany » Binghamton Buffalo » Horne » Lowe ‘Oneonta Plattsburgh» Verona calling Dahevile« Mebane « Mt Ary Shelby «Weldon Bottne «Canton + Chiticothe Columbus « Geneva » ima Nansfilé « Middeport ‘warren Duncan « Okahoma city Owasso Uncoln Cy» Portand Beaver» Hazleton Lancaster West Reading Nyt Bech » Rock Hil Sparta ge ‘and learn dozens of delicious new recipes ‘and coo! tips! Abilene « xan « Denton {afkin San Angso» Tyler ‘Wiehe Fall» Waco Richeld « Sandy Fishersvile [Aberdeen « Kennewick Yim Beckley « Ranson Beloit « Green Bay « Jefferson LaCrosse « Middleton Pattevile + Rhinelander ‘Sturgeon Bay» Waukesha Cheyenne Gite Mhyskians Mona —SCPhomeholes with either a self-centering punch or ‘a self-centering drill bit. Line up the hinge ‘and anchor both ends with a screw. Then make the starter holes and drive in the remaining screws, Build the drawers Ball-bearing slides like the ones we're using require a close tolerance to operate smoothly. The drawer must be between 1 in, and 1-1/16 in. smaller than the space between the cabinet side and the divider. Photo 5 shows an accurate method to mea: sure for the front and back parts of the Grawer that compensates for the thickness of the plywood you're using, Subtract exactly 1-1/16 in, from this measurement and cut the drawer fronts and backs to this length. Nail and glue the sides to the front and back. Then measure for the bottom and cut it to the correct length. Finish the drawer boxes by nailing on the bottom (Photo 6). The full-extension slides we're using have two parts. One part mounts to the drawer (Photo 7). The other part mounts to the cabinet (Photo 8). There is a release catch on the slides that allows you to sepa: rate the parts. Draw a line parallel to the top edge and 2-3/8 in, down on each side of both draw- ers, Align the center of the slide mounting holes with this line and screw them on (Photo 7). On the cabinet, draw horizontal lines 3 in. down from the top. Genter the slides on these lines when you mount them (Photo 8). To install the drawers, line up the slide parts and push the drawers in. Finish the drawers by installing the fronts, Measure the distance between the cabinet side and the divider and subtract 1/4 in. to determine the length of the drawer fronts. Cut the fronts to this length. Photo 8 shows how to line up the fronts perfectly before attaching them with 1-1/4 in, screws (Photo 10). Assemble and mount the top ‘The top consists of two equal-size pieces of plywood joined by piano hinges and edged with 1-1/2-in, plywood strips. Phate 14 shows how to attach the piano hinges. The gaps between hinges allow the plastic fur niture glides on the top of the wings to pass unobstructed. After you connect the top with hinges, fip it over onto the cabi- net. Measure to align the top so that i aver- hhangs 3/4 in, on the sides and front. Then 24 sePreMBER 2013 MEASURE FOR THE DRAWER Hold twvo scraps of the plywood against the cabinet side to represent the thickness of the drawer sides. Measure the exact distance to the center divider. Subtract exactly 1-116 in. from this measurement to determine the lengths of the fronts and backs of the drawers. Guue and nail the drawer sides to DRAWER BOX. the frant and back. Then square the drawer and glue and nail the bottom to the sides, front and back iL "7 MOUNT THE DRAWER SLIDES 3 MOUNT THE DRAWER Draw a line on the drawer side ta indicate the center of the slide. Take the slide apart and screw the drawer part of the slide to the drawer side, making sure to align the screws with the centeriine, SLIDES IN THE CABINET Draw a centerline for the cabinet part of the drawer slides. Hold the slide 3/4 in. back fram the cabinet front. Line up the holes in the slides with the centerline and screw the slides to the cabinet sides.Too Hot? Too Cool? Ce ad Erica Introducing DualTemp™ The revolutionary temperature balancing layer with ActiveAir™ technology. First we individualized your comfort with the SLEEP NUMBER® bed and DualAlir™ technology. Now we're personalizing your temperature with the SLEEP NUMBER® DualTemp™ layer—an extraordinary temperature balancing layer that canbe added to any mattress. It features ActiveAir™ technology that heats or cools each side and allows you to select your ideal temperature at the simple touch of a button. So you can both have your sleep experience exactly the way you like. Discover the DualTemp" layer. It’s a new degree of sleep. sleep hme number. Comfort. Individualized? Visit sleepnumber.com to find a store near you or call 1-800-831-1211 (ext 77166)POSITION THE DRAWER FRONTS From inside the drawer box, drive four screws until the tips protrude slighty. Then position the drawer front and tap it against the screws with a soft mallet. The screws will bite into the drawer front and hold itin place, wy Ce a drive 1-1/4-in. screws up through the cabinet ‘top to secure the top. Finish the top by gluing and nailing on the plywood edging (Phote 42). ‘With the cabinet built and top mounted, there's just one final detail to take care of. To prevent the wings from moving around when ‘the top is folded up, mount stop blocks and ‘wing latches to the underside of the flip-up side of the top (Phate 13), Build the latches by gluing and nailing strips of plywood, leaving a 3/16-in, space between them. Trim a slight bevel on the wing side of each latch to allow itto slide by without catching, Figure B shows details. Finish the project by filling any voids in the plywood with wood filler and sanding all the plywood edges. Then apply your choice of paint, stain or a clear finish. AO S2EW ON THE DRAWER FRONTS ATHINGE THE TOPS Finish driving the screws through the drawer box Lay the two halves tightly tagether on a flat surface ‘and into the drawer front, with the bestiooking sides facing down, Cut ane 2. pieno hinge in half and the other ane to 22 in. long. Install the piano hinges and then mount the top on the cabinet. 42 RM THE Tor 1. MOUNT THE Wins STOPS AND LATCHES Glue and nail on the end trim. Cut the 45-degree Glue and nail the stop blocks against the top trim. bevels that allow the top to fold dawn without binding Then mount the sliding wing latches. Tagether these parts Then mark and cut the front and back trim and nail it on, Jock the wings in place when the tabletop is up. 2G SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandyman.comKkKKKK FIVE STAR Premium Denim vy ek ae Ae Raa aa ates a NOTHING BEATS ea tT OTHER JEANS “| Maclus46 ea Rab aes taal teFigure B Latch and wing details Fad MY VERSION OF JEFF'S WORKSTATION I've done a lot of writing for the magazine in my shop, using my table ‘saw as adesk. I's a bad height, there's a lot of sawdust—and twice ‘my laptop has been swept overboard by the fence onto the concrete floor. And one of those falls destroyed the hard drive. Ineeded a better solution. ‘When I saw Jeff's plan, knew it was just the ticket. Plus, it could serve double duty as a nice, low assembly table. |jazzed it up abit with aye car ‘oak trim, door and drawer fronts, anda plastic laminate top. | use one Of the little wing pockets for storing my laptop and keep a monitorin the cabinet, away from all the dust. All my office supplies goin the ‘drawers. ove it! I's a fun project and a real problem-solver for me, Travis Larson, Senior Editor sue caP 12° PAN Hane Figure C Drawer slide placement Cutting List cae" plywood) key ory. size 6 pescatprion PD ere 15.700 129.94 (ses end dhider) 15:7 x 60 lebinet top eri beto 254 560 eaint back 187/81 20-728 (hokesl® 15.778 x 28-18" (wing es) 1974" 24-1 rg opera) 2.34" 15.76 (ving tame) aye 21 161-12 tone) 1-4/2" 21" ie tr; bevel one eed) y CENTERLINE 1-4/2" 64° ron and back iy cut ng 0 Fl 44 14 rer box ses) 4 27 (erat x rots aback eat length to 14" 29" dranae atorct ngth of aawen pene 5-12" x29" dre ots ut lent fe "CENTERLINE 3/4°1 2 (ving sas) ‘34°42 11/16 teh ont ad bak Fuust ‘4/446 eth es) vs fue for yoo hikes. a c o E c 6 H J x L u N ? a 5 4 #6 jure D Plywood cutting diagrams Materials List " TEM ary. ” i] yi 4x84 plyood 3 ‘Suelex 02608 3" Date Lock Casar 4 sj 2451 piano noes 5 14 uetenion drawer sides 2 pair 2 4 4 sien lag eure 4 ie x carp bots {nrg ate 1.08 sores 60 a < eae 3 fh 1-2 bred nails: ib. a 4 Macarena ‘ aie me es 3 mae ; a 2B SEPTEMBER 2019 tamilyhandyman.comADVERTISEMENT Digest Diet just 2 days a week to & FIGHT DIABETES! MELT STUBBORN FAT in one-third the time with the all-new meal plan from Reader’s Digest. @ Drop Extra D Pounds a y o Manage Blood Sugar Shrink Your Waistline BEAS Whether you’re . prediabetic, at-risk, gs, or living with type 2, y find out why dieting just two days a week canwork BETTER thana full-time diet. r vith the editors of Reader’ Digest aTfree Cis ~ tssue!l Je ANS Per as Lae _ See for yourself why ‘America LOVES Birds & Blooms magazine...EXCLUSIVELY AT FamilyHandyman.com/FreeNewsletter home improvement newsletters delivered straight to your inbox! the editors of America’s #1 DIY home improvement magazine, The Family Handyman! Then you'll start enjoying... > FREE step-by-step plans with photos > New hints shared by fellow DiYers > Money-saving fix-it and repair tips > Clever ideas for your yard > And so much more!LET THERE Miore outlets, too! = «= et wiring the CEEPlan the system “The ist step isto craw up a simple ketch and gure cuthow many outetsand ightsyouplan toad Keep inmind tht theresa imo how many lights youcan acto ona creut. The manu rurtbe of faturesis doterrinedby the capacity of tha cou, assuring thereis nothing else onthe cc that ‘would be turned ont tha sare time, The maxim vwattage of electrical load that ean be tuned on con- tinuously for hvee or more tious 1440 watts ona ‘Sampcieuitand1920 watts ona20-emp cicut (which includes a 20 percent reduction for safety). Ware COST: Varies. About $100 and up depending on the number of light fixtures. TIME: One weekend ‘SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate to advanced ‘TOOLS: Standard hand tools, a noncontact voltage tester, a wire stripper and a drill. = & It’s easy with e PVC conduit ieee tee eee eer eet Ztcand aking wire through all But runing wir rough PVC ee eet ee ete eer eer See IAthome centers youl finda valet of PC Atngs that et youtum eee er ene eet oe theart of bending conduitas there woul be with etl Ara unite Facil ete plano avec oy eae ea Seater are eee eect tee eas Rnd ani aks Yur winger urna boat yo Ea Sree eee rere ceed MAKE SURE THE POWER IS OFF Hold a noncontact voltage tester near each wire to make sure the ower is off before you do any work on the wiring, x4" 00x MEASURE FOR CONDUIT ‘Screw a box extender to the existing electrical box. Then hold the next box in position and measure bebveen them. Subtract 1/2 in. for the male adapters to datermine the langth of conduit needed familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 33.cae COND GLUE ADAPTERS TO THE CONDUIT (Cut the conduit and remove any burrs from the inside of the cut end. Swab PVC. ‘cement around the inside of the adapter Press the adapter onto the pipe, twist & about a quarter turn and hold for a few ‘seconds until the glue sets, When your planis complete, make alist of the materials you'll need. On p. 40 we've included alist of the parts we used for this, ‘project. Use this as a guide for making your ‘own ist. f youneeda single-gang to.4-in, ‘square steel box extender lke the one we sed (Photo 2), youmay have to special- order itorpick it up at an electrical supplier. ‘Also, match the wire gauge to your circuit. Buy Vé-gauge wire if your cicuitis protected bya 1S-amp circutt breaker and 12-gauge wire {fits protected by a 20-amp circult breaker. Working with PVC ‘There are several surface wiring methods, including metal conduit, but we chose PVC ‘conduit because it's inexpensive and easy ‘to work with. You can buy compatible PVC electrical boxes, but at most home centers the selection s limited, so we chose to use ‘metal boxes instead. Combining metal ‘boxes and PVC condult is fine, but unlike an all-metal system, PVC requires you torun a ‘separate ground wire and bond it toeach ‘metal box or light fixture with either a screw ora special grounding clip. ‘There area few different techniques for ‘measuring PVC. You can measure between ‘boxes and subtract forthe fittings (Photo 2). Or you can install a bend or fitting on. ‘one end and mark the other end for cutting, (Photos 6 and 12). Then it’s simple to cut the pipe. We bought a PVC Conduit Cutter (814 at home centers or harcware stores), ‘but you can also use any fine-tooth saw or even a miter saw. After you cut the conduit, ream the inside of the cut edge witha knife cr piers handle to remove any plastic burrs, Join the conduit to fittings with special PVC cement made for electrical PVC con- ult (Photo 3). Use PVC male adapters and 34 SEPTEMBER 2019 MOUNT THE NEXT BOX Extend the piece of conduit between the two boxes. Hold it level and mark ‘wo holes in the back of the second box, Remove the box and install drywall anchors s0 you can mount the box to the wall ae svar Snap, DrYwatt SECURE THE CONDUIT WITH A STRAP Position the anchor and drive a screw through it. If you don't hit a stud, move the strap aside and add a screwin drywall anchor as shown here. Then screw the strap to the anchor. MARK THE VERTICAL CONDUIT [Connect @ SO-degree bend to the ‘conduit. Hold it against the ceiling and mark the top edge of the electrical box ‘on the conduit. Subtract 1/4 in. and cut the conduit metal locknuts to connect the PVC condult ‘to metal boxes (Photo 7). ‘You can heat and bend PVC pipe, but we don't show how here. Instead we used ‘90-degree bend fittings to tum corners. You ‘can also buy offsets that position the PVC ‘lush to the wall surface, but these aren't necessary f you use the type of straps we ‘show in Photo 5. ‘Straps for1/2-In. PVC must be within 36 in. of electrical boxes and spaced a maximum of 36 in. between straps. There areat least two ‘types of straps. We like the “snap-strap" ‘shown in Photo 5. Drive a screw through the hole tohold the strap. ifyoudon'thita stud ‘or something else solid, back out the screw, move the strap aside and drive in adrywall anchor (Photo 5) to secure the strap, LOCK CONDUIT TO BOXES (Once boxes are screwed in place, the conduit wil stay put, so its tempting to skip or forget the locknuts. Don't Every male fitting needs @ nut. Add outlets and a fight over your workbencl Fist tu of the cuit breaker tothe ute. Usea votiage tester to make sure the power Is off. Then carefully remove the outlet—in curcaseitsa GFCloutlet and asa fnal precaution testall the wiesin the box with Snoncontact voltage detector (Phat 1). tfyou'e planning to hang a plugin cele Ingen tke ours over your worcoench rst find the center of your workbench Then measure the fiture you plan touse to Getermine how tar apart the hanging chains are. Plan toposition the celing outlet Girecty above where the power cordleaves the ligt fixture. Then position the outlet and switchon the wall rectly under the alg box location,ew re 1) 1, /A\) S Age 3 WITHOUT TEARING THE OLD ONES DOWN. = 4 Some of the ugliest walls imaginable can be given a new lease on life \ KC MM ) with a little prep and a fresh coat of KILZ® primer. By blocking stains and PREMIUM woman unwanted colors, KILZ primer lays the foundation for a successful room transformation. It's like a fresh start for your walls. me EAB Find your priming solution at solutions. kitz.com or scan herePUSH WIRES INTO THE CONDUIT Hang the wire spools on a steel pipe or dowel so they can spin freely. Bend the ands of the wires aver so they don't catch an edges inside fittings, and then push them through the condutt. PTC Ml Cety Run the conduit: ‘Togetstarted, screw a metal box extender to the outlet box. We used a single-gang to 4-in, ‘square box extender. Youll run condult from here to the next box. Hold the next outlet box In position and measure between the boxes. Subtract 1/2in, to get the length of PVC con- duit needed (Photo 2).Cut the condult and alue male adapters to each end (Photo 3). Remove the round knockouts from the metal boxes by bending them outalittle, and then grabbing and twisting them with plier, Remember to remove the smaller knockouts, ‘ot the large ones. Phota 4 showshow to ‘mark for fastening the box. Drive screws at the marks to see if ou hit solid wood If not, remove the screws and instal drywall anchors. Connect the two boxes with the PVC conduit and screw the locknuts onto the ‘male adapters in each box. Then screw the ‘second box to the wall. Finally add the required clamps (Photo 8). youwant to.add more outlet boxes, just repeat this process. 36 SEPTEMBER 20713 eno Pent Ca EY Set te eens Sead Cet! Cee Peer) Es eithera grounding ee eng) enero Photo 6 shows how todetermine the length of the section of vertical PVC con- {ult running to the celling- mounted box. After marking the conduit, cutit, glue on the male adapter, and connect itto the box. Use a level to plumb this section of conduit and secure it to the wall with straps. Finally, ‘add the last section of conduit on the cell- ing and anchor the ceiling box to framing or ‘with drywall anchors (Phete 7). Run wire and make the connections Allof our conduit runs were falily short, and ‘we used solid copper rather than stranded ‘wee, so we were able to simply push the ‘we through the conduit (Phota 8). If you have longer runs, you may have to first push an electrical fish tape through the conduit, ‘and secure the wires to itso you can pull ‘them through, Fora wiring scenario like we show here, youll need separate hot (black), neutral ATTACH THE OUTLETS: TO THE RAISED COVER Break off the ears and cut off the screw hole to prepare the outlets for mounting, Attach them to the raised cover with the included device screws. (white) and ground (green) wires. Leave about a foot of extra wire at each box. After you've run the wires to each box, you can start making the connections. ‘We're providing ground:-tauit protection to the outlets and light fixture by connecting ‘them to the “load side of the GFCI recep- taclein the frst box. Double-check to make ‘sure the power is stil off. Figures A, B and © ‘on p. 40 show the wiring dlagrams to add ‘outlets anda switched outlet for a hanging light. For more information on making safe ‘wiring connections, go to familyhandyman, ‘com and enter "safe wiring” in the search box. It's important to make sure all the boxes are grounded. Do this by connecting the new (green) ground wire to the existing ‘ground wire at the first box (see "Ground Metal Boxes and Fixtures,” above left) ‘Then connect the new ground wire toevery ‘metal box with a grounding screw. Photo 8 shows how to mount the outlets and ‘switches to the raised cover using the included device screws. Attach the raised ‘covers to the metal boxes with the included machine screws and you're ready to turn on the power and test your work, Use a plug-in GFCIoutlet tester at each outlet to make ‘sure your connections are correct. For more information on using electrical testers, go +o familyhandyman.com and search for “electrical testers: CAUTION! Ifyou have aluminum wiring, don't work ‘ont yourself. The connections require special techniques. Calin licensed electrician who is certified to work with It. For more information, go to cpsc.gov and search for “aluminum wiring”7S y \ ' Whatcomes | | in on time and | | under budget? | A car insurance quote from GEICO. Don't you wish your renovation was like that? See how quick it is to save money.5-YEAR WARRANTY. ee Innovating. Developing. Launching ser Nn ee ar ern CO aC at Poneto ees YEAR WARRANTY canner US CU RR cd) EVeaA Tet CONNECT IN-LINE FIXTURES Hang the second fixture with the conduit already attached. There's no easy way to insert straight runs of it between ficures that are already fastened to the ceiling AN ACCESS HOLE | 4 ‘with a hole in the middle to get the snips started. Our fixtur had a knockout that we removed. Otherwise, use a small hole saw to dolla starting hole. Sip out to the circle and fallow it with the snips. >) — re Jj\< Ss GROUND THE LIGHT FIXTURE eee -access Mare eve, ce ia ante 1D CONNECT PARALLEL 41 FIXTURES Add a ground screw to the light Connect. a S0-degree bend ta a length fixture and loop the ground wire around ‘of conduit, Install @ SO-dagree bend on it. Tighten the screw, the second fixture, Hold the conduit, with the attached bend in position Mark the conduit and cut f to length. bafoa af c INSTALL THE COVER Finish the lighting installation by snapping the cover under the tabs. Then add the fluorescent lamps. Our A QUSONNECT THE FocURE 4] WIRES ‘Strip the ends of the new wires and connect them ta the wires in the fiaure. Connect all neutral white fixtures also included a prismatic lens wires together. Connect the colored that we snapped on to complete the fixture wire to the black wires. project. 38 EMBER 2013 tamilyhandyman.comAdd fluorescent lights Start by making sure thecrrultbreaker forte esting light stoned off. Then remove the light store and check the Wes inthe box witha noncontact vl age tester. ithe eleteal boxisinthe tight location you can start by adding a fluorescent fhaure over the box Phote 10 showshow toprepare the fiture. The clameterof the ole you cut canbe smaller than the electrical box. but shouldbe arge enough toreach through toaccess the wires inthe box iter youtut the hole smooth the edges witha eto remove sharp edges and burs if your prefered location for theists isnot ined up withthe cling box. then start by adding a box extender tothe esting celingtight box howe 2).Then extend conduit othe fst fixture Youcan install cetngfntres by screwing trem directly tothe wood framing above orhanging ther rom togale bots. To use tole bots, transfer measurements from the mounting holes inthe ight fiture tothe celing ancl cil Varin hoesin the crywal. Then install togele bolts onthe fixture and simoly push ther into the holes as you hold the foture next to the cetng (Photo 1) Measure, Use a laser or snap. chalking (use erasable chal) tocenterarow of fituresand keep them stright. Phote 11 showshow toconnect i= tures end to end (We already ciled holes inthe cling for the toggle bots, but they dot show nthe photo) Photo 1a shows howto connect iworows of fitures using 90-degree bend fitings Afterall the fixtures are mounted and connected with PVC conduit push wires through the conduit as shown n Phot 8 Photos 13 and 14 show how toconect the pound wie and maka thoconoe: tions tothe fntures. irish up by replacing the covers (Phe 18) nstaling the fluorescent tubes, and snapping onthe ences your fotuesinclide them. Tum onthe power, fipthe switch and enioy your bright it sarage Get more tips for electrical wiring, onthe TFH iPad edition. I's available at the App Store. 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Ene code F103 at checkout \orectve 30% OFF + FREE SHIPPING wow.ranhandler.com OFFER EXPIRES 100172013, Gute Installs Easily Each 5-foot section comes with 3 brackets & Cree eae eens Dean’ Pn aed ‘messy, leaking gutters history, Cero Ue Cems ered Money-back satisfaction guaranteed for Mies acy STRONG * STICKY * WATERPROOF st Duck® brand duct tape to deliver the qualityFigure A Existing box wiring Figure B Outlet and switch wiring ‘GROUND WIRES Yo cetne ¢ 6, ust wor Neutra b> IN a ino i “mes ° ° Figure C Ceiling outlet wiring Figure D Light fixture wiring ‘GROUND WIRE TO NEXT LIGHT {xSTIVG GROUND vRE vernon wait ourter ATERIALS YOU MAY NEED Box extender (Raco187or similar) ml Green ground screws rin, square x11/2-in-deep White THHNTé-gauget ‘metal boxes Black THHN 14-sauge* Win, square raised covers Green THHNTé-gauget m10-ft. lengths of1/2-n, 3114-20 x3-in. two-piece togsle PVC conduit bolts 1 Container of PVC electrical 1 Screw-in drywall anchors conduit give mis-ampreceptacles 1/2-in, PVC mate adapters m1S.amp single-pote switch Vn. electrical connectorlockruts Light titures m90-desreePVCbendwithhub am Bulbsortuses 1/24in. PVC couplings Wire connectors Wm Straps for 1/2-In. PVC * Use 12-gauge wire for20-amp circuits. 40 SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandymen.comREAL CEDAR STRUCTURES TURN THE OUTDOORS INTO THE GREAT OUTDOORS For outdoor structures like decks, gazebos and pergolas, there's just ro substitute for real western red cedar, naturally beautiful, light and e: ties that give it a natural duré eal building material for out k with, and has jongevity that What's more, Real Cedar is the ultimate green pro ie and renewable, produces little in gree! most benign environmental impact ofall building materials. for such an affordable product. Turn the outdoors into something great with naturally beautiful, long-lasting, Real Cedar For more information contact: REALCEDAR www.wrcla.org 1866 778 9096COMPACT TOOL pete LS rae a . A a Cea tee aa Oe uC tard or two about tools and how to store them. | recently visited his work- ACU Cou U Cru ee ka COCR eon ee a com as easy access, and an empty peg always lets him know that a tool has we" Pee ea eed = Ree ee on ee tee eect rd Getmore the best of both worlds. His design provides almost 48 sq.ft. of pegboard while Sad Pee Ca een ee een ence aes Fanon eae rome Ne eed iad ee ee Roi erethe base frame Cut your 1x4 frame boards to size. I used a higher-grade pine. It was worth the extra $40 to be able to work with straight, knot-free wood. Sand all the boards with 100-grit sandpaper before assembling the frames. I glued the joints and nailed them with 1-1/2-in. brads, just to hold them together. When the base was fully assembled, I came back and drove in two 2-in, trim head screws. If you don't have a brad nailer, no problem; the screws are plenty strong on their own. Attach the pegboard : to the base frame - : T'wanted solid material along all the sey i: edges, which meant I couldn’t just mea yS a: 2 sure 47-3/4 in, from the end of the sheet > an BRR) ane accome the holes wouldn't be exposed. Not all sheets of pegboard are the same size, and sometimes the holes aren't perfectly centered on the sheet. 1 squared up the frame and held iin place FASTEN PEGBOARD TO THE BASE FRAME Attach temporary braces to hold the base frame perfectly square. Ley a 4 x 44t. sheet of pegboard aver the frame. The oversize sheet lets you position the holes so they wont: be along the outer edge of the with a couple of temporary cross braces Cabinet. Note: If you don’t have @ router to trim off the excess pegboard and brads. I laid a half sheet of pegboard (ee Photo 2), position the pegboard, mark itwith a pencil and cut to Gn top of the frame so all the rows of del holes were inset at least 1/4 in, before fastening it down, Fasten the sheet with ‘Lin. brads every 8 in. or so (Photo 1), and use glue on all the unfinished sides of the pegboard, ‘Once the pegboard is secure, trim off the excess material with a router equipped with a flush-trim bit (Pheto 2) If you don’t own a flush-trim bit, this is an excellent opportunity to spend $20 on a tool you'll definitely use again ‘Trimming down pegboard creates clouds of very fine dust, which seers to get into everything, I cut my first edge and then got smart and moved the whole opera tion outdoors. Don't even think about doing this without wearing a dust mask. If you don't have a router to trim off the excess, just mark the outline of the base frame onto the half sheet of pegboard and trim it with a saw. Build the doors Use the same process to build the door frames and install the pegboard as you did on the base. Again, pay special atten tion to the spacing of the holes before you attach the pegboard and rout it flush. ‘The only difference this time is that the first layer of pegboard should be facing down, TRIM THE PEGBOARD FLUSH Install a flush-trim bit in your router and trim off the overhanging pegboard. Routing pegboard whips up a dust storm, so wear a mask / familyhendyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 43,COMPLETE THE DOORS 'A.3/4-in, spacer between the two layers of pegboard creates space for the ADD FILLER STRIPS Installing filer strips on the back of the base will allaw the doors to open a 44 SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandyman.com Once the first layer of pegboard is in place, rip down 3/4-in. strips of wood to act as a spacer between the first and the second layers (Photo 3). This will allow clearance for the peg hardware on both sides of the door, Align the spacers the same way you did with the frame, so the ‘end grain cannot be seen from the sides. ‘Tack them in place with 1-1/2-in, brads. ‘Tack on the outer layer of pegboard or dry-erase board (white/gloss hardboard panel board) with 1-in, brads, and then drive in 2-in. trim head screws about every 8 in, or so. Pegboard and other hardboard materials tend to pucker ‘when you screw into them, so predrill the holes with a small countersink drill bit Don’t attach the screen mold on the ‘outside of the doors until the doors are hung onto the base. Finish the back side of the base ‘There needs to be space for the peg hard- ware on the back of the base, so install 3/4-in. strips of pine on the back two sides of the base. Fasten them with glue and 1-1/2-in, brads. Next, install a full pine 1x4 on the top and bottom of the back side of the base. These are the boards you'll screw through when you hang the cabinet on the wall. Glue and tack these boards into place, and then drive 2-in. trim head screws through the boards into the base frame. Use another 3/4.in. strip of pine to brace up the center of the pegboard, Install this center brace between the holes. Secure it with glue and a few 1-in. brads from the front side of the base. This will prevent the 4 x 4-ft. sheet of pegboard from getting too floppy. ‘The doors will be thicker than the base once you add the screen molding. This means they'll make contact with the walls before they fully open. If you add filler strips of pegboard on the back side of the pine boards you just installed, the doors will open farther, and you'll get another cool-looking dark strip resem- bling a walnut inlay (Photo 4). Even with the filler strips, the cabinet doors will make contact with the wall about 4 in. before they fully open. If you realy, really want the doors to open all the way, you can add another 1/4 in. of filler to the back, But if you hang tools on the front of the cabinet or on the walls on either side, it shouldn't matter at allFigure A Pegboard cabinet DT Scene tty Cy ene ay ry pry cee co ens ire Materials List mem ary, 138 pe 7 41818 peatowd — 2 48°18 whtelaes haréoara peel tears 1 area x8 sere mols a Wiod ae, iano inges magnet caches, 2 ti sores, 1-172" 18gage brads, 1° 18-pange bac, 1 of iene Overall " ae eietcn 47.874" tall x 8-4/2" deep Cutting List eee ee Figure B esen_7 eee Cutting diagram \base/door sides? ees 4 Bar 22/8 xa pe (Gao topo exacee) Ho 4 s'xa7 aa x34 pie (Gao side space 148% a8" 1 14" pegboard (base poghoar: tm ater sitting ta free Kaa 241 14" peghoed® (Gor peghoards) trim star stating ta fre LB 147161 1 peabaord filer strstr base ies M2 aaerasawe ue Peaboerd filer sip fo base tap and bottom N 2A of soxeen mal ct to ft "Or white los hardboard pane v4" PEGBOARD familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 45)INSTALL THE DOORS Clamp the daors ta the cabinet and install the piano hinges. A self-centering screw hole punch helps yau center the scraws in the hinge hales. Attach the doors ‘The cabinet is a little shorter than the hinges; use a hacksaw to trim them down, Install the hinges to the base first. Fold it over the front edge of the base at a ‘90-degree angle and install the screws. 460 SEPTEMBER 2013. Clamp the doors into place before you screw the other half of the hinge. used a self-centering screw hole punch to make sure the screws were perfectly aligned (Photo 5). The punch costs less than $10 at home centers. Make sure the doors stay shut by installing a magnet catch on the top and bottom, If the gap between the doors isn't per fectly even, adjust the screen mold on the front of the doors as you install them until itis. Fasten the screen mold with ‘Lin, brads. Finish it up After filing the holes with putty, I cov ered the wood with clear polyurethane. It kept the wood color light and really dark ened up the edges of the pegboard. Don't use an aggressively sticky tape when you tape off the hardboard/dry-erase board or you may pull the finish right off them. Screw the cabinet to the wall with screws that penetrate the studs at least 1-1/4 in, and try to hit atleast three studs on the top and three on the bottom, You can install handles on the bottom if you like ‘Now that you're done, it’s time to shop for the hardware you'll need to hang all your tools, Here's a suggestion for you: ‘Avoid 1/8-in. hooks. They fit inthe 1/4-in holes but tend to pull out when you remove a tool eri et err) Serr tit oer Stondare Gur 41) Pre-Pitch™ Astin gas rm decd teint he sy ay as purring einer 0 ‘op orn wall howe cts, 2) Handi-Kirb 3) Quick Pitche Low Profile curb ) Univ 4) Pro-Pitch™ 2) Handi-Kir re stringer on Preece eee ears sareMARK’S = storage—and more spaceIkeep a lot of stuff in plastic storage bins. | had sev- eral stacks of them throughout my garage, and it ‘seemed that every time | needed something, it was always in the bin at the bottom. So I decided to build myself a bin storage system to give me easy access toall my bins. ‘These bin towers are simple to build, don't require expensive tools, and actually add wall space without losing a lot of floor space. | designed the towers to fit 16- to 18-gallon bins with a lid size of about 18 x 24 In. | had so much extra space when | was done that I had to go buy a few more tools! Cut up the plywood Trused “BC sanded pine plywood for this project. The holes and blemishes on the “S" side are filled and make fora good paint- ing surface Its not furniture grade, but its priced right and works well for garage projects like this one. Rip all the sheets down to 23-3/4 in, If you don’t own a table saw, use a straight edge and make your cuts with a circular saw (for more info, search “cut straight” at familyhandyman.com). ‘Once all the sheets have been ripped down, cut the tops, bot: toms and shelves to 18-in, lengths. If you're using a circular saw, save time by clamping two 8-t strips together, and cut two ata time. Some home centers will make your cuts for you, so if you don’t have a ton of confidence in your cutting sill, ask the staffif they can help, Paint the parts before assembly Finishing the cut components before you assemble them will save you a bunch of time, butbefore you start slathering on the paint, figure out which edges need to be painted—the back tcdges ofthe sides don't, and only the font edges ofthe shelves do, Configure all the parts so the best edge faces out I marked an “X" with pencil on all the edges that needed paint. Some of the edges will have voids in the wood that will need to be filled (Photo) T applied a product called MH Ready patch ($6 per quart at home centers). It’s easy to work with and dries fast, but it’s not stainable, so you may want to find a more traditional wood filer if you plan to stain your project. Make a couple of passes with 100-git sandpaper before you paint, {cov ered the wood with a paint/primer in one (Photo 2). If you choose a traditional wood primer, have the store tint it close to the final color Get more tips. forbuilding Assemble the towers these towers ued an 1-gauge ra mailer with 1-/24n onthe TFH rads to quickly attach the shelves (othe Ieawailableat Sides, three brads on each side. If you don’t the AppStore, have a brad nailer, that's OK; you can 48 sePremeeR 207 FILL PLYWOOD voIDS Figure out which edge will be exposed on each part, and fill any voids in the plywood. When the filer dries, sand the ledge with 1O0-grit sandpaper. FINISH BEFORE YOU ASSEMBLE ‘Save yourself a ton of time by painting or staining the individual components of this project before you assemble them.Figure A Bin tower Overall dimensions: 19-1/2" wide x 8 5/8" tall x 24" deep Em (or three towers) oer Era) rer Penner aten Cee ce ere) Materials List (for three towers) rem 4°38 1.9/4 BC sanded plyaaos 418 14" uray pyoad 4345 U0" anderlaent syvoad ‘2.08 pressuresrested board 1 1B-gage brats 1412 18-page| 2 tnm pad screws (an of tos lero patting compound Gaon of panpsirer 2 1 4 Cutting List (for three towers) KEY GTY. SIZE & DESCRIPTION ‘A623: 195" x24" sanded pine yeas (ies) 318 1e'x29a4"« 94" sande pe pcos eheves) 318-081 98" 14" snc pnp ack! D3 Sixx 12.20" pressure rested lumbar Cro beam 29) 6 B19 9 20-76 posse esas ber (sce atm str Figure B Cutting diagrams for 3/4" plywood femilyhandymen.com GEPTEMEER 2013 48Vas lg? J A we cy = oN a Qstoot, THEN screw ‘Tack the shelves into position with a brad nailer. Then strengthen each connection with 2in, trim head screws. A plywood spacer lets you position parts perfectly without measuring, USE THE BACK AS A SQUARE Use the factary-cut edges of the plywoad back to square: Up your project. Start.on the top or bottom, and then work Yur way up the ade. Check for square befere fishing tof leinforce i all with screws, BO SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandyman.com assemble everything with screws only. I cut a piece of plywood 18-5/16 in. wide to align the shelves (Phote 3). The spacer board ‘may scuff up the paint a litde bit, but you can touch it up when, you paint over your fastener holes after everything is all put, together. Arrange the sides so the good surface faces out. The ‘good surface on the bottom four shelves should face up, and the top two should face down. That way, you'll see the nicer finish from almost any angle. ‘After everything is nailed together, come back and install ‘two 2-in, trim head screws into each shelf (use three if you're not using brads). Wood glue won’t hold well because of the painted sides, so I was a bit concerned about the strength of the tower. To ease my mind, I built a small mock-up of one shelf using the same fastening pattern. I was able to jump up and down on it with no failture—and I'm not alittle guy. Install the bottom strips Plywood will eventually rot i it’s sitting directly on a concrete {Moor To avoid this, lipped 5/8-in. strips from a 1x2 pressure. treated board and installed them on the bottom (Phote 4). Four square blocks would also keep the plywood of the foo, but 1 Wanted to avoid any space where screws, washers or any other little objects could get lost| inst the strips about 3/8 in. and mailed them on with 1-1/2-n brads, Fasten the back Use the 1/4-in, plywood to square up the unit (Photo 4). Fasten the two factory-cut edges of the plywood to the back first using 1Lin, brads. Nail the short side, and then the long side, aligning the edges as you go, Don't install a whole bunch of brads until, you know everything is square. Flip the piece over and check for square using a framing square or by measuring from inside corner to inside corner on a couple of different openings—if the measurements are the same, you should be good to go. Finish fastening the back with brads spaced every 8 in. or so, then reinforce it with one 2-in, trim head screw in the center of ‘each shelf and five screws on each side. Screw it to the wall In many garages, the concrete floor slopes toward the over- head door. That means you'll probably have to shim the bottom to get the bin tower to sit straight and tight up against the wall ’m a big fan of composite shims: they don’t compress as much ‘as wood, they break off cleanly, and they won't ever rot. Set the first tower against the wall and shim the front until it sits tight against the wall, Use a level to check for plumb while you shim the low side. Insert at least four shims on the side and three on the front. Go back and snug up the front shims, Once the tower is plumb, screw it to the wall studs with 2-in, screws. Make sure each tower is fastened to at least one stud. Since tipping is a concern, install a few screws near the top; you'll only need screws down low if you need to draw the tower tight to the wall ‘Mark all the shims, and pull them out one at a time. Cut them down to size and replace them. Iran a small bead of clear silicone around the bottom of mine to hold the shims in place. Ifthe towers ever get moved, the silicone will be easy to scrape off the floor. Finally, go get all sorts of caddies, hooks and hang- cers, and start organizing,3 ver 20 years of racing experience has allowed us to create the ultimate performance work gloves, Mechanix Wear gloves. are designed to protect your hands and allow you to work faster, safer and cleaner@—al while siving you more power and contro. They're perfect for every home, garage, workshop or jobsite 4s and they'll help you get the job done right, every time, Mechanix Gloves. The Too! That its Like a Glove® US: 800222426 Canada 8772785288 ERD mechanix-comBed Lae Ly on the move Poteet seni’ Pt eee eRe TEy eee Cent Ce eas Seas Se none ood but handle all kinds of mis- Core oS ee Pe Sey Perce eee ce Larter Oe eu Core Macey RUC Cry Cre CE uy OO cat oo) Cee re ee UC era RSS Ed Seco) pee cud rs by Mark Petersen editors@thefamilyhandyman.com CeoCut the parts Cut the sides, top and bottom from 3/4-in. plywood using a table sawr or cular saw. I used "BC" plywood, which is good enough for paint, but you may want to buy birch veneer plywood if you plan to use stain ‘This project requires a full sheet of ply wood plus a 2 x 4-ft. section. Many home centers carry 4x 4-ft, and some even stock 2 x 4ft, s0 you don't have to buy two full sheets. However, they charge a premium for smaller sheets, and you won't save more than a few bucks. I bought two full sheets and used the left- ~ cover on other projects. The same goes for 41 HEY OUT TH SiDE Prories over on other poets. Te se goes ‘ter measuring and marking the location of the bin fronts, use a square the 1/4-in. plywood—you only need a 4 x to mark the recessed portion ofthe front. 44ft sheet, buta 4x 8 a better value 7 The fronts of the bins get the most abuse, s0 I built them from a solid 1x6 pine board, Solid wood holds up better than a plywood edge. You can rip down the two center boards when you're cut- ting up the other parts, but hold off on cutting them to length until the top and bottom boards are in place. That way you can cut them exactly to size Mark the side profile ‘This part of the process seems a little tricky, but it's really quite simple if you follow these directions, Hook a tape mea- sure on the bottom front of one of the side boards. Measure up and mark the edge of the board at: 0, 4 in., 15-1/2 in., 19-1/2 in,, 31 in. and 35 in, Now go back CONNECT THE DOTS and measure over 4 in, at the following Use a straightedge to connect the dots. You only need to lay out one side jocations: the bottom, 15-1/2 in., 31 in, board. Onee it’s cut, that board will act as a pattern for the rest. eet sent the indented portion of the side. Start at the end of the board, and con- rect the dots (Phete 2). 1s just that easy. Cut and sand the sides Clamp two side boards down to your work surface. Arrange them so the best sides of the plywood vill be on the outside of the bins. Use a cir cular saw to make most of each cut (Sometimes it's nec- essary to hold the blade guard up when you start a cut at an On guripad angle) Finish the Ggttona video CUT TWO AT A TIME cuts with a jigsaw shows youhow Clamp two sides down and cut them both at the same time. That way, if (Photo 3). A handsaw tomark out the you make any small cutting errors, the pair of sides will stil match up. Make will work fine if you side panels. It's Most of the cut with a circular saw, and then finish it off with a jigsaw Gon'town ajigsaw. availableat the ‘App Store.reo Side layout Bin overview oa sey" Overall dimensions: 16-1/8" wide x 48° tall x 48° long Cutting diagram for 3/4" plywood VEE ti Materials List Pepa le de ii PWV: \ rem ony. ae 20x Octane shoal 2 } 18pm i 8 FAOUI weromen pind 1 : ee : 12 Nee ‘ an pee a. Cutting List key ar. 6ize ¢ DescIpTion A817 4e121 2-50 ended pies te Fa 01 ee tse a6 oc cet ce 1 ig et 1 ces ; Di tan VT RA\Y 06 tne cet i ‘ pes UT Ta NAN eo Piiwon o 80 sated a pete | HAL 8 roe ane net row 540 SEPTEMBER 2015 familyhandyman.comMillions Demand America’s Shouldn’t You? Silver Dollar. Secure Your New 2013 Silver Eagles Now! Millions of people collect the American Eagle Silver Dolla. Infact it’s been the country’s ‘most popular Silver Dolla for over two decades. Try as they might, that makes ita very hard “secret” to keep quiet. And right nov, many of those same people are lining Lup to secure the new 2013 US. 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Don't miss out on this limited release Gall immediately to secure these American Eagle Silver Dollars ahead ofthe crowd. 2013 American Eagle Silver Dollar BU Your cost 1-4 Coins $2695 each + s/h 5-9.Coins = $26.75 each + sk 10-19 Coins - $26.50 each + s/h 20-40 Goins - $26.25 each + fh Offer Limited to 40 per Household For fastest service, cll toll-free 24 hours a day 1-800-935-7267 [PRE id New York Mint* ates ee eeu read aay sje change without atic Pas performace not ei oft performance: NOTE-New rk Min pated of wore gone coin and ‘Sec sandra and ot ited wih he Und Sat gnermen Fac an gues ded acu a ape 20180203 NewYork MitSand the edges with 80-grit sandpaper while the sides are still clamped together (Photo 4). Use one of the two cut side boards to mark one of the other uncut side boards, and repeat the process. If you've already chosen a color for your project, now would be a good time to sand and finish all the parts. That way, you'll only have to touch up the fastener holes after assembly. Some of the ply- wood edges may have voids, which can be filled with wood putty or patching compound, Assemble the bins Lay out two of the sides back to back with the good side of the plywood facing down. Using a straightedge, mark lines between the notches to serve as a refer- ence line for the bottoms of the bins. ‘The bottom of the whole unit will serve as the bottom of the lowest bins, so fasten the bottom on the second lowest bin first, Align the board above the refer- ence line. | fastened the bottoms and the fronts with three 1-1/2-in, brads. Once it was all [put together, I came back and reinforced SAND TWO AT A TIME ‘Smooth out the cuts before you unclamp the sides. Make sure to keep each pair together when you assemble the bins. it all with two 2-in. trim head screws in ‘each side of every board. Once the bottoms are in place, come back and install the 1x6 fronts (Photo 5). ‘Align them flush with the outside edge of the plywood. You'll notice a small gap between the bin bottom and the front. This makes assembly easier, especially if your side cuts weren't perfect. It won't be noticeable when it's up against the wall. Once the first bank of bins is done, assemble the second one. Finish it up Tasten the top and bottom flush with the outside edges of the bins. Again, 1 drove Be ete kL | TRIMS, MOWS, AND ‘TRIM within whiskers of walls and fences! Keeping your propery looking pristine has never been ease, 'MOW with Sx the power ofhandheld timers CUT BRUSH, burdock, cattails, even woody stalks up to 3/8° thick with DR® DuraBlades! EW! DR® DuraBlades™ ‘Optional metal/composite Wf ‘blades cut the tough stuff nylon cords can't touch! _& & ‘OR OWNERS! § ‘Fomtich mad. 3 M soma" 5 i Call for a FREE DVD and | me 800-529-0112 DRtrimmer.com = 7 aS Ta BY Rab) A Landscape Eyesores with a DR° STUMP GRINDEI . lawn areas. | ; ~- . fields and meadows. . new trails. . mowing hazards. i ‘The DR® STUMP GRINDER uses cafbide-pped cutting teeth that take over 360 bites” per second, Duberiing stumps into a ple of ‘woodchips. uichly and easy, you ‘can ging ary siz tre stump below ‘round level. Gone forever Call for a FREE DVD. mt 800-529-011 2 {i J" DRstumpgrinder.comASSEMBLE THE BINS ‘Build the bin sections before you install the top and bottom. if you have @ brad nailer, make assembly easier by tacking all the parts together before you drive in the screws. three brads into each side board and came back and secured them with a couple of trim head screws Use the 1/4-in. plywood back to square up the project. Start with the two factory-cut sides of the plywood, and start fastening it to either the top or bottom, making sure it's perfectly flush with the edge. Then fasten one side, working away from the previously fastened top or bottom, straightening and nailing as you go. I installed one screw through the back into each bin bottom for a little extra support. Before you finish the other two sides, set up the project and check that things are square. Measure between the two banks of bins, MU ees A and cut your center Our'Pad Roards 9 that size. elton includes a ft, flne quick in them in with mini projects brads and secure forstoring them with a screw. sports gear. ‘The center boards can It'savallable at be located anywhere the App Store. you want depending ‘on the type of items you're going to store. If your project is going to be sitting on the concrete, you may want to install a couple of strips of treated lumber on the bottom. Rip 5/8-in. strips of treated lumber and tack them onto the perime- ter of the bottom, You can screw the project to the wall if you know your kids will be using it as a ladder, but it’s pretty stable as it is, All that’s left is to go tell the family that there are no more excuses for throwing stuff on the floor. familyhandymen.com SEPTEMBER 2013 57 VW.ROCKAUTO.COM —=ROCKAUTO.ComM=>= YU lee TD CA aeV i el A tight) ROCKAUTO, C (EST. 1999)HOME CARE + repair editors@thefamilyhandyman.com, Have you flushed your water heater lately? This boring but important chore should be done at least once a year to remove sediment that accu- mulates on the bottom of the tank, ‘That's especially true if you live in a hard-water area. The task is easy to blow off because it's out of sight— but skipping it is costing you a lot. Sediment buildup reduces the heat- ing efficiency of your water heater. All about sediment (One sign of excessive sediment buildup is a popping or rumbling sound coming from your water heater. That's the sound of steam bubbles percolating up through the muck. On a gas water heater, the sedi- ‘ment creates hot spots that can damage the tank and cause premature failure. On an electric water heater, sediment buildup can cause the lower heating element to fail. So flushing offers a payback in lower energy bills and extended heater life. However, if you've never flushed your water heater, or haven’t done it in years, you could be in for a nasty surprise. As soon as you open the drain valve, the sediment will likely clog it and prevent you from closing the valve all the way after it's drained. Then you'll have sedi- ment buildup and a leaking water heater ‘We'll show you the best way to drain the sediment out of even the most neglected heater and save a $200 service call. You'll need about §40 in plumbing parts from a 6S SEPTEMEER 2018 home center, a garden hose, a wet vacuum, pliers and a pipe wrench, Buy the parts Not only will an old drain clog up, but you won't be able to suck debris through its small opening. The key isto build @ new drain valve with a 3/4-n,fall-port brass ball valve with threaded ends (612), a 3-in. x 3/4-in. galvanized nipple ($1.50), and a 3/4-in. MIP x GH. garden hose adapter (one choice is the BrassCraft/ Plumbshop No. HU22-12-12TP; $8). ‘Then build a shop vacuum adapter. If your shop vacuum has a 2-1/2-in. hose, buy a converter to reduce it to 1-1/4-in.BUILD A SHOP VACUUM ADAPTER Gue a 1-1/24n, PVC x 3/44n. FIP adapter (AJ onto a female PVC trap ‘adapter (B), This allows you to attach your vacuum to 3/4/in. pipe (see below). The barbed fitting (C} connects to tubing (Photo 4). ac APPLY SUCTION Remove the temperature pressure release valve and screw in the vacuum adapter. Attach the shop vacuum hose and fire up the vacuum. (the Shop Vac No. 9068500, $8, is one option). Then assemble a vacuum hose- to-plumbing adapter (Phote 1) with a 1-1/4-in, x 1-1/2-in, female PVC trap adapter, a 3/4-in. MIP x 1/2-in. barb fit- ting, a second 3/4-in, x 3-in. nipple and a 24-in. piece of 1/2-in. LD. vinyl tubing (about $10 for these parts). Start the draining process Shut off the ges or electricity to the ‘water heater and open a hot water faucet and let it run fll blast for about 10 min Utes to reduce the water temperature in the tank, Then shut off the cold water valve atthe top of the tank and attach a garden hose to the existing drain valve and route it to a floor drain, (Use @ Kitchen colander to catch the sediment 0 it doesn't clog the flor drain) Then open a hot water faucet on an upper floor and the water heater drain valve. Let the tank drain unl sediment clogs ‘SWAP VALVES Unscrew the old drain valve and install the fullport: valve (closed position). ‘Attach one end of the garden hose to, the valve and run the other end into @ colander and on ta the floor drain, the valve and reduces the flow. Then close the upstairs hot water faucet and ‘water heater drain valve, Next, remove the clogged drain valve and swap in the new full-port valve. But first, remove the blow-off tube and the temperature pressure release (TPR) valve and apply suction to the tank so you won't get soaked when you yank the old drain valve (Photo 2). Then swap the valves (Photo 3). Remove the vacuum hose from the TPR port and finish drain- ing the tank. Most of the sediment will flush out ‘through the full-port valve. To remove ‘SUCK OUT THE SEDIMENT Remove the full-port valve and suck aut the remaining sediment with your shop vacuum adapter and vinyl tubing, the rest, open the cold water valve at the top of the tank in short bursts to blast, it toward the drain. 1f you still can’t get the last bit out, try vacu- uming it (Photo 4). ee When you're done, dition, learn how to prepare close the ball valve Sow enor and leave it in place. Yacuum for But remove the lever water. It's handle to prevent available at accidental opening, the App Store. Then reinstall the ‘TPR valve and blow-off tube. Refill the water heater and turn on the gas or electricity, and you'll be back in hot water without all the noise. yuck! This is what the sediment looks lke, familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 5S.CLEAN OVEN DOOR GLASS It’s a mystery how baking slop gets deposited between oven door glass panels. But it's clear ‘that you can’t remove it without disassembling the door. The job's not that hard and takes less than an hour. Remove the oven door (consult the manual for how to unlock the hinges and lift the door off) Then remove the exterior trim panel (Photo 1) and the glass hhold-downs (Photo 2). Lift out the glass and handle it carefully (it's expensive and breaks easily!) Clean off the crud with a nylon scrub pad, hot water and degreaser, Rinse and dry, then clean with glass cleaner. Wear gloves to prevent fingerprints as you place the glass back onto the ‘oven door. Be sure the glass sits inside the locating tabs before you reassemble the hold-downs, ‘Then install the hold-down chan- nels and screws and the trim panel. Put the door on the oven, Inour June "3 issue, p. 73, one of ‘our Top Ten Tips forcleaninga bathroom was to use Acid Magic to clean rust stains. In the tip, we mistakenly said to “add three parts water to one part Acid Magic." As every beginning cher istry student knows, you should never add water to acid, The sen- ‘tence should read, “Add one part ‘Acid Magic to three parts water” REMOVE THE PANEL Remove the screws that secure the front panel to the oven door frame. Note their location and store them in a cup. Then carefully liftoff the panel and set it aside, REMOVE THE GLASS Remove the screws from the glass hold-downs and sot them aside. Note the location of the retaining tabs above and below the glass. Then liftoff the glass and clean it, REFORM Repair stripped REFORM electrical box threads THREADS—OR If you have an older home with metal electrical boxes, you're ets TAP NEW ONES ; panies Twist the tepping bound tv encountera stripped hole sooner or later. Don't think pees youcan get away with ramming a crywall screw into the ee eer to reform them. If they/re stripped beyond repair, push the tool in farther and twist to tap the cut and tap the next largest size, stripped hole. That doesn't meet code, and i'l loosen up over time. Ifyou have a tap-and-ole set, use a No. 6-32 tap and try toreform the existing threads. f that works, you're good to go. !fnot, consider buying an electrcian's tapping tool (one choice Is the Klein Tools No. 625-24 Triple-Tap Tool, $15 at home cen- ters). The shaft has tapping threads for the three most common thread sizes you'lfindin electrical boxes. Turn off the power and insert the tapping tool as shown. GO SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandyman.comSeal a garage door gap, Part 2 In our Nov. "12 issue, we showed you how to add a rubber sealing track. | nerANeR along the entire bottom of your garage door, Several readers wrote to | ne us asking how to deal with gaps caused by an uneven bottom door panel ora sunken concrete “The easiest, but east elegant, method is to install several pieces of bottom seal retainer and rubber gasket inthe gap areas. Just measure the thickness of your bottom panel and buy sections of seal retainer and gasket from a garage parts supplier (garagedoorpartsusa.com is esser One online source) Mount the retainer to the bottom panel wherever theres a gep (a shown) Finish the ob by sealing the top edge ofthe retainer with caulk and then paint o match the door This fx works on wood and metal doors If you havea wood door and want a cleaner lok, remove the exist ingbttom sal and seibelcut he botom panel to match the contour MUSTALL BOTTOM RETAINER TO SEAL GAPS ofthe concrete loot. Sal the feshiycut wood with wood sealer Then ples ao retainer ond gasket. ort the, remount the bottom seal. For more information on scribing, go to rubber gasket touches the concrete floor. Then ae ere ea eee eee fet oa eee screw the retainer in plece. | cousmc | town Saeco ) estes /AGHESIVE \ me, ADD ANEW ‘SOUNDPROOF WALL Fill the stud cavities with fiberglass insulation and drywall one side. Attach “whisper clips” in a / r staggered fashion to the ther side and clip on the ADD SOUNDPROOFING headrails. Attach 5/Bin. TO AN EXISTING WALL ‘drywall to the rails, leaving a | Cat holes at the top of each stud cavity 1.741, gap along the top ‘and blow cellulose insulation into the Fill and bottom, Fill the gaps cavities. Cut new 5/B4n. drywall so it's 4/4 in. short of the floor and ceiling Then attach the new drywall sheets using special acoustical dampening adhesive and drywall screws. Caulk the gaps with acoustical caulk. | | SOUNDPROOF A ROOM ‘So you've installed a cool home theater and now everyonein the hhouse is complaining that they can't sleep because the sound Invades thelr bedroom, Iit'sa choice between getting rid of the home theater, turing t down to inaudible levels or installing ‘soundproofing, we know what your next project will be. We talked to the pros at Trademark Soundproofing (tmsoundproofing.com) with acoustical caulk. For extra soundproofing, add a second layer af drywall follawing the methad shown at left {and got the skinny on how to do the job the right way. Here are their tips for the two most common residential scenarios: where you already have a wall in place, and where you plan to add a new soundproof wall. For more information and to buy dampening adhesive and acoustical caulk, visit tmsoundproofing.com, familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2012 64Pri (ed ky Quality Tools at Ridiculously Low Prices aa a How does Harbor Freight Tools sell high ‘uality tools at such ridiculously low prices? We buy direct trom the factories who also Nationwide and use this 20% Off Coupon ‘on one of our 7,000 products*, plus lek up $5.09 a Free 1"x25 Ft. Tape Me: value, We stock Shop Equipms Tools, Tarps, Compressors, Air & Power 16 OZ. HAMMERS | WITH FIBERGLASS HANDLE | PITTSBURGH | WW RIP; | ua & % METAL NE EG. mcs ‘CENTRALPNEUMATIC! woes: HEAVY DUTY ‘ore ee Acuna Ps PRESSURE. WASHER Lorn, aso72x 80" ‘G17 ANGLE GRINDER) MOVER'S pS” drillmaster = BLANKET. = sos Lora. ey ca. st.0) q : apiece Mf] |: $ MEDIUM FOUR DRAWERS wooo use (| i X4ARGE! $139 694 W = ' 9" x 6 FT. 2 PIECE STEEL! 15" x 13" ALL PURPOSE: = LOADING RAMPS) ee SHOP TOWELS) Moul$Master | 3 PACK OF 50} 2 a a . . + “ganas a oT 0, try | oon iit | ILTI-TASK ‘LADI Lor wo 7648 es, 4 "0 FT. ELECTRIC DRAIN CLEANER LaMirada,CA Crest Hill, IL Madison Heights, MI. St. Louis, MO Vista, CA” Crystal Lake, iL Southaven, MS Richmond, VATop Ten TIPS editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Whether you're Carry tall rearranging furniture items high in your living room and low or relocating toa new home across town, moving furni- ture is a big job. We'll show you some simple techniques for moving heavy, awkward items with- out wrecking your back, your house or the furniture Atall dresser fling cabinet or shelving unit is awkward to handle. Make It two-person Job. Tip the item backward at an angle and have one person carry the top while the other carries the bottom, This centers the weight and keeps the item from swinging. ut of control. Transporting the iter up or down stairs is easier too, since the carrying angle wil roughly match the slope of the stars, 64. SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandyman.com2 “Hook” chairs around corners A large easy chair can be the opposite of ‘easy to move. Follow the example of pro movers and "hook" large chairs around corners. Turn the chair onits side so it looks like an L" and moveit back-frst through the doorway. Then curt it (hook it) around the door frame and slip it through, Use a ramp and a rope Construct a simple ramp from pieces of lumber or scaffolding planks to help maneuver big stuff up and down stairs land into your pickup. If you're moving “Uhad tomovea heavy, bulky TV down the stairs | by myself before the floor ‘guys came to strip the floors. cobbled together four10-ft. 2x6 boards to make aramp. | wiggled heavy tems by yourself, consider securing the itern with rope tied to some sort of immovable anchor, which will allow you to lower or raise a heavy Item and avoid a runaway disaster. the TV onto some carpet scraps (carpet ‘side down) at the top of the stairs. then gota climbing rope and looped it around the TV, looped the other end around my truck axle outside and lowered the TV ‘down the stairs that way until reached the bottom. Beautifull” Brian Gray, Field Editor Stand couches on end Ifyou ever have to maneuver, couch down a hallway and ‘through a door, you may find italmost impossible to carry ithorizontally and make the ‘tum Into the room. Before you center the hallway, place the ‘couch onits end and slide it to the doorway. You'll almost always be able to hook it (using Tip 2) through the door. If 's a bit taller than the door opening, start the top away from the door and gain ‘several inches of clearance, Pick up some “hump straps” Moving and lifting straps (aka “hump straps” take the weight off your back by relying on teverage and large muscle groups. They also leave your hands free ‘tomaneuver awkward Items. However, they can be tricky to use on stairs because the weight shifts completely to the downhil Look for lifting straps that can be adjusted for differ- cent-Length objects as wel as for dfferent-size movers. The Forearm Forkilft lifting straps shown above are {great for moving on flat surfaces. The TeamStrap Shoulder Dolly (at left) gives you better control on stairs. These and others hump straps are available for $15 to $40 at home centers and online retalers. familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 6BDon’t carry or drag—slide Youcan buy furniture sides in many shapes and sizes at home centars and online. I's also easy to make your own sliders from plastic container covers, Frisbees, bedspreads, moving blankets, owes and carpet remnants, Use hard plastic sliders for carpeting, and soft, padded sliders for hard flooring. SEPTEMBER 2073 familyhandyman.com Protect furniture with blankets and plastic Moving blankets are invaluable for protecting the items you're moving 2s well as your house. Sure, renting them s cheap, but you can buy several for ust a few dollars more at home centers ‘or uhauLcom and always have them on hand. (You'll use them for all kinds of other things too.) To prevent damaging the finish and fragile edges of dressers, tables and other furniture, wrap the tems completely with moving blankets and secure the blan- ket with stretch film. & 20-in,x1500-ft, oll of stretch film costs ‘about $20 at home centers and moving outtitters. Make a =a mattress ‘ sling S ‘Trying to wrestle a heavy, floppy mattress anywhere is tough. Many mattresses have handles, but they're not intended for car- rying. They're actually made to help you position the mattress, ‘so they're not very strong, Here's an easier way to cary a mattress: Make a simple rope sling that will glve you and your helper alot more control ‘Thread the rope through the mattress handles and attach your grips as shown. Flip the mattress over so the sling is on the bottom and you're on your way. Slip a Sin, piece of ‘vin. PVC pipe over the rope ends and then loop and tie each end to create @ comfortable sling grip.Cut and fold a box spring Is your box spring too big to fit inyour stairway or arounda tight corner? You could buy a “split” box spring designed specifically for this (and pay several hundred bucks) or cut your existing box spring and foldit soit fits. Sound extreme? There's actually simple, ingenious way to cut and fold your box spring with- out wrecking it. ut the frame see s Remove the fabric < n covering the most tevious meres pare of this whole process Is Nk af Fomaving the staples} and : place the box spring face down. Pull back the mattress cover along each side and out through the frame just to the left or right of the middle crosspiece [don't cut through the crosspiece itself). Do this fon both sides and in the center. Fold it "You can now fold the box spring like a book as shown and move it. Secure it with a strap ta prevent it from springing open. ut ic back together Bee re sans he Corser crosspiece cis and Sqr the tee of te Cer Sine to remforee thar, Then trap te fabs averng ple 1 Plan where it lands Iyou're moving toa new house, decide beforehand which furniture will go where Before you move, sketch a floor plan with the correct measurements of each room, ‘measure your furniture and create your layout. Then, as you move things in, you (or ‘your helpers, if you're not there) can place ‘your furniture in the correct spot and nat have to touch it again. To make it easy on the movers, tape a copy of the plan to the wall of each room so people can tell at a ‘alance where things go. familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 67FIELD EDITOR tips editors@thefamilynandyman.com Featured Field Editor Jeff Patterson Wexford, PA Why are you a DlYer? I became a Diver to save money by doing home imoroverients myself. ut the reward ofa finished projectis what keeps me going Current projects \had torip out the old 1950s kitchen and install anew one by mye Al the plas- terwas replaced with drywall the hard- wood floors were refinished, and this ‘was my frst glass tle backsplash How did you get started in DIY? learned a lot by working on our rental houses. Installing kitchen cabinets, tiling showers, refinishing hardwood—the list goes on. It's so neat to take ahome that's an eyesore and turnit into.aclean, safe and stylish place for someone to livein, Advice for fellow DiYers Get utility line insurance. It's super affordable and saved us thousands of dollars when our gas and sewer lines broke at the same time in the middle of winter. Proudest achievement? Creating my tutorial-based Web site, HomeRepairTutor.com. | created it for people who have kids and can only do home improvements on weekends. When someone tells me that my advice helped them with a home repair project, rm very proud. “Anyone who buys a home automatically becomes a WHAT IS A FIELD EDITOR? Millions of DIVers make up The Family Handyman community. A few thousand of them are particularly active DIYers who freely share thelr experiences with us—they are our Field Editors, Fleld Editors contrib ute tips, share their wisdom (and goofs!), answer questions, test products and help us create content for The Family Handyman. You'll see thelradvice and anecdotes on these ‘two pages and sprinkled throughout the rest of the magazine. if you have DIY experiences to share, whether you're an expert or a beginner, you too could become a Field Editor. Send us an e-mail at Iwant2beaFieldEditor@family- handyman.com. We'd love to get to know you! ‘The staff of The Family Handyman| ail =a Nh AN) 8) AV WE RAISED THE BAR, THEN CHROMED IT. US ease ses VMeiSe VL cree Mel me Cee Nel Vee MON STO) V0] oe] SethCLEVER CROWN MOLDING CUTTING GUIDES Installing crown molding? Here's an easy way to lock it into position on your miter saw using self-stick vinyl bumpers ($3 at home centers). Position the ‘molding and stick bumpers to each side of the table and you're ready to go! ‘The bumpers will last all weekend with amazing sticking power. When the project is finished, pull off the bumpers and the saw is ready for your next, handyman task. Rick Grisham Dallas, TX Soft shoe for recip saws To reduce vibration and protect surfaces while using a reciprocating saw. | take 2 plece of 3/4-in. foam pipe insulation and cut to about 4 in. open the spl side and slide the insulation over the blade to cover the saw shoe. The split wil naturally squeeze the shoe, holding it in place. The insulation eliminates scratches and marks on finished surfaces, & e at Keriela Keuma Sonte Marie, CA Kaniela, a pro plumber, is ‘excited that the economy appears to be turning around. He's picking up larger remodeling and renova- tion jobs that home- ‘owners couldn't affordjusta few years ago. 7O SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandyman.com Better fix for wobbly outlets In the March "13 Issue (p. 75), you suggest using a colled wire shim to fixa wobbly outlet. | was recently hired to fix more than two dozen wobbly outlets, and | found a much easier solution: Use outlet spacers, Buchanan Caterpillar Spacers and Ideal Industries Device Spacers are two choices. You can find them at hone centers and hardware stores for about $7 fora pack of 25 strips. ‘The plastic strips fold accordion-style 's0 you can use ane or several, as neces- sary. And they snap over the screws, so you don't have to remove the screws. One strip of spacers can fix one to four outlets, depending on how much shim- ming is needed. Jim isa licensed contractor and handy- man. He enjoys the creative problem- solving required for each job. After he completes project, he especially e loves hearing the cus- tomer say, “Great job— a ‘we should have called sim Anderson Timonium, MD= COMI Fy Ey 2a wu uf eae Ty LTE Ome PVM YP Ve eee tt] fod) eS IhPRO tips editors@thefamilynandyman.com Build a senartitce § ; ; laminate countertop Y= ae EXPERT \ Jameyisa oe cal ee ea) rei Ce years agoina cabinet shop eee Pe eee) Sead eee nes eee] businesses. 7@ SEPTEMeER 2018 Laminate is a budget-friendly alter- native to granite, quartz and other solid-surface countertops. And build- ing custom countertops in place is a great way to deal with unique shapes and sizes. There are hundreds of colors to choose from, and you can order 5 x 12-ft. sheets of laminate at most home centers. With a sheet that size, you can avoid cutting difficult miters, and usually eliminate long, crumb-catching seams. If you've never tackled custom countertops, don’t be intimidated— Jet our expert walk you through the process. You'll need a couple of spe- cialty tools, including a compound router with an offset base, a lami- nate slitter and a laminate file, but the several hundred dollars you'll save by installing your countertops yourself will be more than enough to pay for these tools, And just think of the bragging rights!* Nopurchaseor survey completion necessary to win Open to U.S resdents age 8 and ove. Sweepstakes ends on 2/3V1. old where prohibited. For entry detalis and offi rls, vst wwe, ShoowerhouseconvvlesFigure A Anatomy of a countertop aust Cut a dado in the backsplash Before you assemble the underlayment, plow a ‘14 PARTICLEBOARD — ‘Vé-in.-deep, 1/4-in-wide ami dado into the backsplash (Figure 8). The laminate slipsinto the groove to give you a little wiggle room when you stall it Jamey cuts his dado by ‘making afew passes on his table saw. Assemble the underlayment in place Iyou're working with factory-buit cabinets, you'll have ‘oinstall “alse strips" made of 3/4-in. particleboard on top of the cabinets (Figure A) tomake room for the top ‘drawers to clear the front edge of the countertop. Install a ‘board instead of a rase strip where the underlayment corner seam willbe, Cut the underlayment so it sticks out ‘in. past the finished end of the cabinet (or make't flush Ifthe cabinet abuts an appliance). Stagger the top, back- ‘splash and nosepiece seams at least 1/2 In. Jamey fas~ tens itall together with 1/4-in. crown staples that are 1-1 In.long and spaced about Sin. apart—nogluerequred. = ~ stance SAND THE SEAMS There can bea small gap between the underlayment boards, but the seam has tobe absolutely flat. ‘Mark the seam with a pencit,then sand with 50-arit paper until the lines disappear. ‘OsciLLATING Cut the sink hole Cutthehote for the sinkafter the underlayment s installed but before you install the laminate. Most sinks requite a 21-Véin. x 32¢/4-In.hole, but make sure you have your sink on hand so youll know what siz hole to cut. Cut the back side ofthe hole with an oscillating tool and then cut the sides and front with a jigsaw 74 SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandyman.comUse a “slitter” for narrow strips A laminate sliter ($140 at ontine retall- 5) Is almost a must for cutting thin laminate strips. thas an adjustable ‘Buide, so you can cut strips ranging in ‘width from V/2 in. up to 4-1/4 in. Cut any narrow strips first, before rough-cutting the large countertop pieces. All the pieces will be cut a bit long and tmmed down after they're installed. Make sure youhave enough of the sheet left over to ‘cut the large L-shaped section, Cut the top with a circular saw Cut the main top piece of the laminate with a circular saw. Use a board to create ‘space so the saw blade doesn't grind Into the floor. Avoid scratches by sticking {a few strips of masking tape to the Underside of your saw base, The front side of the laminate will hang over the ‘edge and be trimmed off, so your cuts don't need to be perfect. WeLLuseD Ano BRUSH uPeoce Fhe / a = % BS GLUE THE END CAPS FIRST Cut the end cap so the bottom portion and the very top are close enough to be cleaned upwitha file. The rest will be trimmed with a router, Cut the end cap to size with snips, then paint a thin layer of glue on both surfaces. Let the glue dry just untilit'sno longer ‘wet tothe touch, then carefull ine up the top and ends and tip the piece into place. Embed the end cap by lightly tapping the whole surface with a smooth, burr-free hammer, and then it's ready for the router. familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 75THIS 15 A MILLION MILES WORTH OF DISPOSABLE PAPER AIR FILTERS. THIS 1S A MILLION MILES: WORTH OF K&N WASHABLE COTTON AIR FILTERS th OR aL ag EA SP eric econ Pa aa FIND YOURS TODAY: TEA Sees Yr | 51 Scribe and cut the top cap Before you get your frst whiff of glue, make sure every plece fits. ‘The top ofthe backsplash will need tobe scribed and trimmed down, Jamey uses a small silver marker to scribe the top, land then carefully cuts it with tn snips. To avoid ‘racking the laminate, don't cut more than ‘Vain. ata time. Clean up the edge with a belt sander. Install the front edge Install te front edge flush withthe bottom of the underlayment, and-set witha hammer. Ten trim off the excess with your router. & compact router with an offset base's a must-have when you're bullaing countertops in pace. You can pick one up online for about $175. 76 SEPTEMBER 2019 tamilynandyman.comRouting tip When you timthe main countertop and the top of the backsplash, the guide cof your router bit wll be running along finished lam- inate, sokeep the router ‘moving. you stop for any length of ime, the Bit wil ring into the surface of the laminate. Jamey rubs a litle petroleumjely along the edge where the bit ides toprevent marring Apply the adhesive with a scrap Cleanall surfaces with compressed alr before gluing up the top surface. Jamey covers the perimeter with a brush and then grabsa scrap plece of laminate to spread.on the rest. Apply the glue on the Underlayment the same way. It gets messy trying to glue the backsplash after the top isinstalled, so cover the back- splash with glue at the same time. And this stuff isa potent chemical, so always Use an organic vapor respirator, open a ‘window and turn on the exhaust fan. PsN Ne] PX Nae pei Tcd Use spacers Ta to install ie the top res Laminate adhesive is ery es sometimes reterredto as eer ire “contact cement" because itsets as soon asthe two coated surfaces come into contact. That's not neces- sarlya good thing when yout trying to maneuver large. floppy sheet nto Aen place. Cut strips of leftover laminate and use them as Pee} spacers. Because the adhesive wort stick to the strips, youllbeableto slide the sheet around Start puling out the spac- ersonce the top sheet is in poston. Make sure the DRYLOK spacers are clean so they BRINGS LIVING TO don't leave debris behind. Eras ania il Re a a Den ee cece DR es aces eC mec ee ee eee na ot familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 77Trim down the : < backsplash with snips eMGGTH fF MITH A BARC [router won'tbe able to each the inside comer of the backsplash, so use tin snips to trim it down Instead of using a roller to smooth out the surface, Jamey prefers a board before you install it (make small cuts). That way wrapped in a towel. fa piece of debris does get in between the two surfaces, {you Won't have as much material to remove with the soft rubber on a roller can indent around the lump and actually crack the your fle, Press the section on witha board the laminate that surrounds it Start on the back side and work your way out to the same way you did the top. The top cap plece is set. edges. Into place with a hammer. 7@ SEPTEMBER 2018. familyhandyman.com eet Pe, Leaves Nothing in its Path Except the Competition. Put an end to fall cleanup hassle! Itaches eesiyoyour Vor enables eating 100M outside ip es function raider ala cote & ted ast es 8 frowseg eee, SAR Pina cones, pine nee. grass ehpoings. Shrecing action reduces debi, for 2thick saplings —with up to20 under trees, HP of V-Twin power! ‘more vacusing and less unloading es ea eae raped, ey see you manageallblade,cltch, Brush Mowors also frame, ge hoses, tard she ndenginefunctons rom available! aaa Wau sehind your towing vehicle! ~ eine opto. La cas bro rect a v= Call for a FREE DVD and Catalog! mt 800-529-0112 {23° fet 800-529-0112 ‘) DRfieldbrush.com |= DRleatvac.comTrim out the sink hole Use your router to trim the hole for the sink. Just poke through the material with a spinning bit and work your way to the edge. Right before you fish the cut, sup- pport the scrap material so It doesn't fall down and tear out the last little section, File downward ‘Once all the pleces aren place, eal the edges, including the bottom. You can buy a file especially designed for plastic laminate for lass than $20 ‘online. Always fle in a downward direction, never back and forth. Clean off excess glue with lacquer thinner or whatever solvent your adhesive manu- acturer recommends, familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 78) SAFETY NEVER FELT SO GOOD: TASES ‘Step Walk-In Tub will offer independence to those seeking a safe and easy way to bathe right in the convenience and comfort of your own home. Constructed and built right here in America for safety and durability from the ground up. Plus with more standard features than anyother ub + The industry's leading low step-in + Built in 17-inch high sea for stability +Ind + Ozone Sanitizer + No-Strength Locking handle + Gentle Jet™ System, 16 ar streams and 10 water jets + Lifetime warranty on the tub and door seal A Safe Step Walk-In Tub also offers life changing therapeutic relief from all kinds of aches and pains. Featuring carefully engineered dual hytiro massage and air bubble jets—both strategically placed to target sore muscles and Joints in your legs and back. ‘These tubs are designed to easily fit our existing tub space without a full remodel Installation is included in the package and our installers are insured and 1¢ Heater certified in walk-in tub instalation all ‘work is 100% ‘guaranteed. “sans se ean at Offering the highest ‘Sameer be quality and service lls Fandon ‘hile maintaining a low affordable price, there just isn’t a better walk-in tub on the market So take your first step towards feeling ‘great and stay in the home you love. For your FREE information kit and DVD ‘and our Senior Discounts, call now toll-free 1-800-378-3473 www SafeStepTub.com $750 OFF when you mention this ad {orate te ly Call Toll-Free 1-800-378-3473 Ssarews TEP Watkin tus CG. | wwwSafeStepTub.com —jCAR + garage eT ieaee editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Cool tools for your shop When it comes to buying automo- tive tools and shop equipment, there are two kinds of guys: those who buy only the bare minimum, and guys like me, who buy every tool in the catalog. | know I need profes- sional help. But before the men in the white coats arrive, I'd like to make the case for why you need these tools in your shop. No single one costs more than $160. Buy them according to your needs and budget and you'll wind up with your very own “super-shop.” Get more tool tips onthe TFHiPad edition. I's available at the App Store. Zip through metal with an electric cutoff tool ‘Sometimes’ ust not worth the time and effort to save a rusted fastener or clamp, When Itun into those situations, | break out my cutoff tool, slice through the rusted part and install new parts. You can buy an air-powered cutoff tool at any home center for about $30, but it consumes. lot of air (10 cfm). Ifyou don't have a huge two-stage compressor, an electric version may be a better option (one exam- ples the Chicago Electric No. 68523, which is $35 at harborfreight.com). Cutoff tools aren't just for cutting rusted parts. ‘They're great for cutting angle, shelf brackets and threaded rod. BO SEPTEMBER 2013 tamilyhandymerA retractable fluorescent floodlight Lighting up a jam-packed engine compariment that has deep, hidden ‘an be areal challenge. | usually use two lights: one to tre area and a smaller one to ftin the tight places. Incandescent trouble lights pose a safety hazard when used around ‘gasoline, andI've lost count of haw many times ve been burned by hot reflector. So I've tried several alternatives. The long-tube fluo- rescents and LED “stick’ lights don't cut it. They're either too dim or ‘cast too narrow of a beam pattern. -watt fluorescent floodlight (Bayco No. SL 100 long, ot short ‘toolalscounter.com). The floodlight’s twin 13 watt incandescent in output, soit really lights up the Youll stil needa A DRIP PAN SAVES TIME ar repairs a messy busine and if you don't use a drip pan or a large plece of cardboard, you'll wind up with an olly mess (on your garage floc. if you're the kind of cheapskate who ‘saves appliance boxes just f this purpose, more power to you. But the rest of you can ‘easily afford to buy areal drip, pan witha lipall around the ‘eige ($10). When you're done, Just pour the oil into your rec cling bottle and put the pan back under your car to catch any remaining drips. Parts washers aren't just for pro shops Tate reassembling dirty, $y bolts cross-thread e: ick welt ts no fun to work on dity stuf and you can't see what's really going on undern ‘That's why got a parts washer. This (the Torin T10035) was only $50 at a home center. Add a parts washing brush and? gallons of con and you'll get out ofthe store for less than $6! ‘add water and you're ready to clean all those gre parts and bolts. And don't forget to dunk your toolsin the them a quick wipe todry them off before you put them back in your toolbox. cleaner too. Just aFast tire changes with an electric impact wrench Inless time than it takes your air compressor to pump up to full pressure, you could remove the lug nuts from ‘two wheels using an electric impact wrench. Sure, the ‘electric modets don't pack the same torque as an alr- powered wrench, but you don't need that much torque just to remove lug nuts. If all you're doing is tire rota~ tion and an occasional heavy-duty repair, an electric impact wrench is just the ticket (one choices the DeWalt No. DW292 1/2-in. 345-ft.-Ib. electric impact $160 at homedepot.com). Just make sure you se a hand-held torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts. Save your back CUCM Cm ia) a rolling seat ree ere) See store tools and parts under it. And Se ees ce Ly Cee a eee ee ed Ce eae) tool site. The model shown here (the See eee Reet eters eee eur pneumatic lift anda contoured seat (for you Ferrari owners) could set you pees GET A BEEFY BENCH VISE ‘A wimpy $30 vise may satisty your wallet, but you'll regret buying one the first time youhave to crank the bolts off a really bg part. So skip the cheap- ies and invest ina heavy-duty vise want a vise with at least 5-1 appipe clamping area, dual and a large anvil area | found this Masterforce model at a home for $100. But you can find great deals, ‘on good used vises on Craigslist or at neighborhood garage sales.o TechFloor’ The Easy to Install Floor Tile Rr) Bei Mt eI Ie eee dati ets etna ry CE Date) We Mees Draco) European Customers WeatherTechEurope.com => TechFloor.com 800-441-6287 Proudly Designed, Engineered and Manufactured in the USADiagnose AO) stethoscope Got a knocking, ticking or Pe Coad ee eed from? Pinpoint the prob- enact Peete ea eae) eee tects peer’ Ukely suspects and the culprit will stand out lke eee, Se eats pes 84 SEPTEMBER 2013 familyhandymen.com Keep your tools within reach with a rolling cart Inthe old days you laid your tools out on a fender pad, Try that on a late-model vehicle with a stoped fender and youll find your tools ‘on the floor. So buy a rolling cart (U.S. General No. 60390: $45 at harbortreight.com) and keep all your tools right at your fingertips. Professional Looks Brick Laying Guides* LAY A BEAUTIFUL BRICK PATIO IN MINUTES Guides align your bricks perfectly q Holes allow for complete drainage Blocks out weed growth Choose from several designs Plastic guides are approx. 17°x17" *We do not sell bricks. Plastic Brick Edging with Solar Lights CREATE ELEGANT EDGING IN A SNAP Save time with simple snap-together installation No digging, no heavy bricks, no pain! Create straight or curved designs {Also available in just edging without solar lightsMUST-HAVE SOCKET Save your knuckles with air power ACCESSORIES {an electrlc impact wrench isa heckuva lot better than a hand wrench, But seriously, nothing beats raw air power and ar tools when you want to make wick work of st about any auto or smallengine repak. cover alr tools in an upcoming issue. But fist you need a real al compressor ke the ane shown, not some caconatorelectrc inpactneneh plekupan pact. Witney $99 2-gallon unit designed torun a nall gun. And don't get suckered rca unlocaloitandanveclinpecromecionears, i Rorsepower ratings; they don't mean anything. Instead, ook fora com Chromo eechate le the cree chonmare Orcecnnn fessor with at least a 15- o-20-gallon tank and a minimum output of Scfm RaRieene son manee res a 90 psi, That power just about any airtool you want, except a sand blaster For that, you need a east 10 cfm. and rich uncle Most cars, trucks, and lawn and garden implements use metric hex and star fasteners. So why walt until you're knee-deep in a repair before you discover that youneed. special socket? Buya set of each style now. And if you familyhandyman.com SEPTEMBER 2013 BB. WORLD’S tte | SPLITTER! Bd ity Just load a DRe RAPID-FEED™ CHIPPER, step back, and watch it E |HANDSTON chip branches up melas /s 1 to 5%" thick! . Srenmeee having to forced the, Sait ‘with powerful engines up to 18 HP. 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See Pere rt DIY Tip Help keep burglars away from With upgrades like ADT Puls, as well as fre and carbon monoxide protection, you can get greater peace of mind that your garage, home and valuables are safe, whether you are home or away, If you want to find out if you qualify for a new ADT-monitored system, or to schedule a consultation with a Protect Your Home security advisor, you may do so by calling 1-866-946-6122. Protect 1-866-946-6122 peace | Your Call to talk toa security professional Home vw ProtectYourHome.com/HandyMan Mer strict aor or pn os rm ya wh een rice ep ct po ‘Oat raret enh eft hie rene on cle ete ten rarer hs eon cmc eet Nerve Sate Seven Fieve ate sens ost ch Sean esa erases MT Re oe cyte nea a peg nae aye oe ‘Sagres peour oper gas in! Panaracer Sever aoe {Spent ty bran say day Sed Ean wc a yO tot aad Dean oy Stn pra Fenn Oh ois ae Contec ‘hacer emt A) NOGA a tS AE OTS co Ce aS LO) 71, CoB ec, NS WT A De BES ROTA LOO ‘Endnote ae WSS uo aa eS A er a Mong COE eas oy wT 2, NS feaze es osuouto isi WS Oy uD WT dy es Cpe ui ON Dr Ws Manis Oe seb, Cy Ces AO oO ‘recta hen noe Coc ne IR MSH, CSO SMUT ST TI NGS! UTouHCSN SE FSD WA SESINSUMTEMEDNS ON Uae ten val rr 38 yy ah St aap ODN De cy De-ErUnoY-0013Great GOOFS greatacofs@thefamilyhandyman.com / WASHING \Y MACHINE RODEO 2 My wife and tbought our frst high-efficiency > washer and dyer set. Thelnstructons sad 0 {| 7 cart evel the washer, ront to back ltt to tight, and dlagonaly After alt an hour of adjust Ingit to perection, weran It tough acyele. The thing bucked ke an angry bronco! had ng my body on top oft and yel for my wife to shut tot é I rechecked the level and five minutes later, satis- fied, we tied it again Same result took another rodeoride Two more ries withthe sare resuts and was about to Wk the thing | caledabuddywnoalsohadanhemt- ff ciency machine, He said his moved a title but did't ump around like described. He eo then asked iid removed the shipping bots. Once Id that. it washed ikea dream, Eric Meier Check out our iPad edition for even more Great Goofs. It’s available at the App Store. Not-so-good vibrations Many years ago, we moved into ‘ournew house and bought all new appliances. About a year ‘went by and Ikept noticing a strange vibration coming from the fridge. | mentionedit tomy ‘father (who has always been "Mr. Flt” to me), and he came over and checked every inch of ‘that fridge. He unplugged it, ‘moved it and even emptied It But that darn vibration ‘wouldn't stop. My dad finally ‘gave up, socalled a repair ser- vice. The repairman wasn't ‘there more than Haste makes... a big mess \.} My father-in-law, JC., was great hurry as usval, he started drilling the ~ holes for the latch without first emp- tying the cabinet. That's when he heard hissing sound coming from Inside the cabinet. He opened the door and was immediately sprayed with black paint from the paint canhe'd minute when punctured. Not onty hereachedup didthepainthithim, eee andgrabbedthe walls, and the washer that was sitting i anddryer Lucilewas Larry on top of the decoh ‘not pleased. Darnell fridge. Brugger g Got your own do-it-yourself mistake? See p. 2 for details.Mec rt a to Pane EG