Tips & Techniques

Keep handrail joints aligned by using brads clipped above the rail bolt to prevent twisting.

The first thing to fail on every power tool I've ever owned is the tapered-rubber strain relief that feeds the power cord into the tool. The large flexible tail breaks…

A previous correspondent to the Tips & Techniques column described a cart that he'd created for moving toilets around during renovations. That rig (see Toilet transportation) consisted of a plywood…

When applying aerosol-foam sealants, I often need to insulate a gap that is too narrow for the plastic tube that comes with the foam. The drawing shows how I modify the…

On those occasions when I have to replace an electrical cord on a power tool, I have found that I can use an extension cord instead. I purchase one of…

A lot of light fixtures have aluminum lamp sockets, and the bases of the bulbs are also aluminum. After several surprisingly difficult callbacks to replace burned-out bulbs that were frozen in…

I used to work the graveyard shift at a company that made store fixtures. One night, at about 3 a.m., I had to lay out a sign for a restaurant.…

The tip Supporting a sink cutoutshows a method for lifting sink cutouts with a hammer. As a remodeler for the past 15 years, I've done my share of countertops and sink…

I've had people give me some pretty strange looks when I carry my drywall-taping machine onto a job site. But the machine's looks are deceiving. As shown in the drawing,…

As trim carpenters, we often run into problems when windows or doors are not hung plumb or parallel to adjacent millwork. Take the situation shown in the drawing, for example.…