Family Handyman September 2014

editers@thefamilyhandyman.com GOT STUMPS? I had 20 of them to deal with after thinning out my woods. I’d ground down stumps before with those big yellow rental units and dreaded doing it again. That machine was difficult to maneuver and had more levers and switches than a locomotive. Then my son sent me a YouTube video on the Toro STX-26 Stump Grinder. It’s a relative of Toro’s Dingo, which is a tracked bulldozer-like machine that accepts various attachments on the front such as loaders and posthole augers. But the STX-26 (26 is the horsepower) is purely a stump grinder, and it’s brilliant. Like the Dingo, it moves forward and backward and turns with a simple joystick. It also has a joystick lever that controls the brutally effective 19-in. cutting blade with…

FROM OUR READERS handyhints@thefamilyhandyman.com BATTERY I.D. I got extra batteries for my cordless tools, but I could never remember which battery was newly charged and which was run down. Now I can easily tell them apart because I painted a number on each battery with my kid’s white nail polish. It dries fast and is—you got it—“tough as nails.” Tom Baker Gift wrap rack I wrap lots of gifts, but I don’t like the clutter of all those rolls of gift wrap in the closet. I decided to make a rack to organize them. I glued a bunch of 30-in.-long pieces of 3-in. PVC waste pipe with allpurpose PVC glue. The rack is perfect for storing all the rolls and ribbons. I leave it set up on a table in…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com When I switched my business to an electronic filing system, I ended up with several empty file cabinets, which I lugged out to my garage. The old cabinets were a handy way to organize garage stuff, but the drawers were a little flimsy for heavy loads. So I built a heavy-duty storage system modeled after my old filing cabinets. One unit requires about $100 worth of wood. The fasteners, paint and poly will cost $60, but that $60 will also finish four to six more units. I decided to build a bunch of them and add shelves and a continuous top. The first one (my prototype) took me one full day to build and a couple hours to paint and finish, but I built the other five in just…

DIY isn’t just about building and fixing things. It’s also about inventory management: maintaining a supply of the stuff you need and knowing where to find it. This simple bin system is the perfect project to get you organized. It’s modeled on the systems used in cabinet shops, plumbers’ vans and mechanics’ garages. editors@thefamilyhandyman.com French cleats make it neat This simple hanging system—made from a 1x4 cut at a 45-degree bevel—lets you grab a bin and take it to the job, or rearrange bins instantly as your needs change. The materials cost for the bins shown here is $30 to $55, depending on the type of plywood you choose. A store-bought light-duty system would cost just a few bucks more, but these homemade bins offer two big advantages: They’re far…

WHAT IT TAKES TIME: One day COST: $85 SKILL LEVEL: Beginner TOOLS: Circular saw, drill, No. 6 countersink bit editors@thefamilyhandyman.com If this workbench looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen one a lot like it in your father’s or grandfather’s shop. Variations of this design have been around for decades, and for good reason: The bench is strong, practical and super easy to build. You can run to the lumberyard in the morning, grab a few boards, and by noon you’ll have a perfectly functional workbench. The workbench isn’t fancy—it’s built from standard construction lumber. But you can easily customize it with drawers or other features now or later. To see some of the improvements you can make, go to familyhandyman.com and search for “workbench upgrade.” If you can cut…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com I’ve lived in my house for 33 years, 31 of those mostly mouse-free. But two years ago, I had a serious infestation. They were everywhere! I got busy doing a whole lot of research and then I got to work. I trapped 54 mice in one month, and I’ve seen very few since. I concluded early on that the good, old-fashioned spring trap was the best choice for me. However, my trapping method might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It can be downright grizzly and entails some dirty work from time to time. If trapping isn’t for you, learn about alternatives by searching online for “humane rodent control.” Buy and set lots of traps Anywhere you see mouse droppings is a primo place to set traps. And the…