Reader Tips - Page 91 of 214

Fixing Oversize Holes Around Electrical Boxes
Whenever we hang drywall, a few boxes are always misrouted slightly, leaving a ragged hole that the outlet or switch plate can’t cover (drawing 1). We’ve solved this problem, and…
Customizing caulk colors
Here’s a tip for matching caulking color to plastic laminates or other counter surfaces. While caulk is becoming available in more colors, they aren’t always the colors that I need.…
Big-Magnet Uses
One day after painting the front of a house for eight hours, I looked at my painfully cramped hand and started thinking about alternative ways to hold a paint can.…
Tinted Joint Compound Simplifies Drywall Touch-Ups
After sanding or sponging off a drywall-compound job, I shine a 500w halogen lamp at an acute angle to highlight any remaining defects. Then I touch up the spots with…
Winterizing a sprinkler’s backflow assembly
For years, I more or less carefully took apart my lawn sprinkler’s backflow device every winter (usually during the first blizzard) and wrapped the entire bulky assembly in insulating wrap.…
Replacing fence posts
Last winter, one section of our fence started leaning so badly that it had to be propped up with 2x4s on both sides. Come spring, when the ground finally thawed,…
Protecting a Hardwood Floor
Prevent scuff marks on hardwood floors with this crafty trick using foam pipe insulation.
A Folding Miter-Saw Stand
I came up with an idea that allowed me to recycle something old to solve a problem that I had with something new. As shown in the drawing, I modified…
Clearing a clogged shower drain
This morning, I noticed that the water was backing up a bit in our shower, and I knew that once again, the time had come to extract the hairball from…
A Better Way to Collect Dust
I have a standard dust collector (Grizzly G1029) with two bags, one on top and one on the bottom. Every time I went to empty the bags, I found myself…

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Reader Tips - Page 91 of 214

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Reader Tips - Page 91 of 214

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