Tips & Techniques

Learn how to create inexpensive Fein Multimaster replacement blades from affordable Japanese saws.

Not long ago, I accidentally hit several of my favorite tools with a quick blast from a can of spray paint, giving them a black-speckled look. The cap was anchored…

As a renovation contractor, I work mostly in old homes that require straightening (where possible). To find out how much a floor sagged from one corner to the other, I…

Because fiber cement is heavy and dense, it is difficult for one person to hold it to a line, match up to an end, and start the first fastener. My…

I use a time-saving tool to spread water-based finishes quickly over the hardwood floors that I install. It is simply a 3/4-in.-thick hardwood strip covered by a length of 1-in.-thick…

Like many other contractors, I love my 8-in. Makita tablesaw. I’ve had it for more than 20 years. But one aspect of this saw has always been frustrating to me:…

Production-minded installers using pneumatic tools aren’t always cautious about where they drive the nails or staples that fasten cedar shingles to a wall. I was asked to strip and reshingle…

Use this creative custom solution to create a rounded 45° corner.

Here’s a simple drying rack for hanging freshly painted balusters. It is made with a couple of sawhorses and 8-ft. 2x2s. I cut a dovetailed slot in the 2x2s, drive…

I bought two rubber corks at the hardware store and turned the cardboard tube that holds my stringline into a storage pod. No more searching for the level when I…