Family Handyman June 2014

BYE-BYE GASOLINE! The Cub Cadet RZT-S “Zero” riding mower isn’t named for just the zero turn feature—that is, its extremely tight turning radius. The term cleverly alludes to zero gasoline hassles, zero drive belts, zero oil and filter changes, and most important for suburbanites, zero noise. That’s because the mower is 100 percent powered by an electric motor and four 48-volt batteries. If you have up to a 1/2 acre of lawn and really like to mow at six in the morning, the Zero is the mower to get. Cub claims that it’s about as loud as a clothes washer. Before you get all lathered up, though, know that the Zero is going to set you back $4,000. Lots of money, but here’s the whole maintenance schedule: Sharpen the blades…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Painting looks so simple that it’s hard to imagine anything going wrong. But in reality, it’s probably one of the most troublesome of all DIY projects. Everything from the weather to what mood you were in when you chose the paint color can affect the outcome. Consider the bewildering assortment of modern paint products alone, and it’s no wonder that painting is so challenging. To help you avoid mistakes on your next paint job, we put together this list gathered from painting experts, The Family Handyman editors and our Field Editors. You may have already learned the hard way to avoid some of these mistakes, but we hope you’ll pick up a new tip or two to help you prevent problems on your next painting project. 1. Trying to…

A good hammer is like a best friend. Always by your side, always true, always dependable. If you’ve been trying to get by with a cheap hammer or Grandpa’s old war club to sink and pull nails or beat framing into alignment, you owe yourself a trip to the home center or hardware store. You’ll never believe how much difference a quality hammer can make. We’re covering general-purpose hammers in this article. Not big, long hammers for framing carpenters, or little precision hammers for woodworkers. Not brick hammers or sledgehammers. Just regular, all-purpose hammers that will serve most DIYers (and many carpenters) for 99 percent of their work. For a simple tool that pounds in nails, hammers have a surprising variety of features. That explains the wide array of hammer…

Paneled doors are the ultimate painter’s challenge. A large area broken up by shaped surfaces is just plain tough to cover before the paint becomes sticky and unworkable. And since doors are a prominent feature, ugly mistakes like brush marks or drips are noticeable. Even though I had painted dozens of them over the years, I still felt a twinge of anxiety whenever I saw “paint door” on my to-do list. So I set out to find easier ways to get better results. I tried different tools, used different paints and watched professional painters. Here’s what I learned. Before you start The actual work involved in painting a door typically amounts to three to five hours, depending on the condition of the door and how fussy you are. But add…

TEST, TEST, TEST! If there’s one surefire way to improve your wood finishing, it’s to test your stain and finish. It’s not unreasonable to spend more time on the testing than on the actual finishing. Here are some pointers: ■ Sand the test pieces exactly the way you sanded your project. Wood absorbs stain differently depending on the degree of sanding. ■ Be sure to apply a clear topcoat, too. The stain color is likely to deepen or shift slightly with a clear finish over it. ■ Try multiple coats of stain. Often that’ll give a richer, though darker, color. ■ Don’t be afraid to mix colors, but it’s best to stick to one manufacturer. ■ For stained wood, be sure to test end grain too. It’s also a good…

If you live next to railroad tracks or near an airport or have a neighbor who restores cannons for a hobby, you know all about irritating noises. But sometimes it’s not the obnoxiously loud noises outside that drive us insane, but those persistent little sounds in our own home. The good news is that most home noises are easy to eliminate without spending hours on repairs or a ton of money. We’re sure there are at least a few tips in this story to quiet your house and ease your mind. And as for your neighbor with the cannons, maybe you should get him interested in your stamp collection. CLINK, CLINK, CLINK OF THE CEILING FAN CHAIN Even if a ceiling fan is perfectly balanced, the breeze from the fan…