Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2015 i Family Handyman

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Every toolmaker makes a version of the 10-in. sliding miter saw. What makes Craftsman’s saw unique is its ingenious offset rail system. The sliding bars on most sliding miter saws take up a lot of room—in your shop and in your pickup. This saw takes up no more room than a conventional miter saw but has all the advantages of a slider. I used it to trim out an entire room, and it performed just as well as the $500 slider I have at home. The detents are firm, the levers and locks are convenient and intuitive, and the pivoting action is smooth as butter. Because it’s compact and lightweight, it doesn’t have the solid feel and heft of a $500 saw, but at $230, it’s less than half…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com “The beauty of a super-simple project? You actually wind up building it!” Our house is done growing—no more additions, remodeling projects or storage sheds for this old girl. So when we need more storage space, we have to find it within the existing structure. I started snooping around and came up with five simple storage projects that can be carved out of—well—almost nothing. And every single one is inexpensive and buildable in an afternoon. It’s what I call “bonus storage space.” “We were out of garage floor space— so I tried looking up.” DOUBLE-DECKER GARAGE SHELF Floor space in most garages is hard to come by—so the best place to find storage space is overhead. This project has a 16-in. top shelf for big items, a 5-in. lower shelf…

At the end of a plumbing project, most people turn on the water supply, take a quick look at their work and consider the job done. That’s not good enough. You will detect major leaks that way, but you won’t notice slow, small leaks. And those tiny leaks are the most serious. They can go on for months and do significant damage before anyone notices. So here are some tips to help you get them before they can get you. The tissue test Don’t search for leaks by just looking at or touching pipes. Instead, wipe each connection with a dry tissue. Any moisture on the tissue will be easy to see. If you want to be super certain you don’t have any leaks, spread newspaper under the plumbing and…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com When a dryer motor goes bad, the loud grinding, rumbling from the worn-out bearings makes it seem like the dryer’s going to blow up any second. It won’t, but fairly soon after the noise starts it will stop dead in its tracks when the bearings seize. If you think the repair cost compares favorably with the cost of a new dryer, you might be right to hire a pro. But if you have basic mechanical skills and aren’t afraid to dig in, buck up and deal with it yourself. You can replace a dryer motor in a morning and be back in business cheap. You can buy a genuine factory motor for about $150 or an aftermarket motor for as little as $60 (depending on the make and model).…

FROM OUR READERS greatgoofs@thefamilyhandyman.com INDOOR WATERFALL My wife and I decided to refinish our aging kitchen cabinets instead of getting new ones. We masked off the counters and the walls and spanned the double sink with a piece of plywood so we’d have a place to kneel while working on the upper cabinets. I put on my hearing protection and dust mask and started sanding. After several minutes I felt a tug on my shirt. I looked down and saw my wife motioning for me to stop. I set the sander on the counter, and as the dust cleared, I could see water everywhere on the floor! My knee had bumped the sink faucet, turning it on, and the water was running onto the plywood, down to the floor and…

DIY WORK WEAR My new work jacket I wear my work jackets until they’re absolutely falling apart (about four years) because the more worn they get, the better they feel. I always look for a canvas shell, a fleece or quilted lining, and big pockets. I like a medium-weight jacket best so it will be comfortable in cool weather but can be worn with layers for way-cold weather. My wife just got me a replacement for my birthday, and it’s my favorite to date. It’s the Duluth Trading Co. Flannel-Lined Action Jacket, No. 32526. It’s made from the ultra-durable “Fire Hose” fabric and has all the other stuff I like too: attached hood (no zippers or snaps), under arms and shoulders designed for nonbinding movement, and best of all, the…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com As your parents or loved ones age, their homes may not age so well along with them. Older homes in particular can be challenging to navigate once decreased vision, mobility, strength and other effects of aging start to take a toll. Some home modifications, especially those designed to accommodate wheelchairs, can be expensive and complex. But many others are easy for most DIYers. Here are some simple ways to help keep parents and other loved ones living longer and more comfortably in their own homes. For more on preventing falls, see “Top Ten Tips,” p. 76. MEET THE EXPERT Louis Tenenbaum is a carpenter and former contractor. He is the founder of the Aging in Place Institute and one of the nation’s leading speakers and consultants on aging in…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Put on your thinking cap and take this month’s quiz to see just how smart you are when it comes to DIY. Here’s how it works: There are easy, intermediate and really tough questions all mixed together. There may be more than one correct answer! Find the answers and get your DIY rating on p. 56. Good luck! 1. When you’re getting bids for a new asphalt driveway, only consider the bids that include: A. An asphalt surface that’s 2 to 3 in. thick. B. A compacted clay base that’s at least 4 in. thick. C. Use of a 1- to 3-ton roller for compaction. D. A final “topping” of a high-quality seal coat. 2. A saw “kerf” is: A. The set (or angle) of the teeth on the…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com If you’ve done some basic wrenching like replacing starter motors, alternators or even mufflers, you’re completely capable of doing your own brake job. We’ll show you how to do the front brakes on a late-model vehicle and get you up to speed on the newest techniques. The job takes about four hours and will save you about $350 in shop labor. Rear disc brakes are far more complex, so that’s a job you should leave to the pros. (To learn how to tell whether your front or rear brakes need replacing, go to familyhandyman.com and search for “how to check your brakes.”) A car that’s used mostly for city driving will need new front brakes and rotors about every 40,000 miles. But cars that are driven mostly on highways…

FROM OUR READERS handyhints@thefamilyhandyman.com ELEVATED DOG DISH I read in an article not long ago that some larger dogs have difficulty eating from dishes that are on the floor. To give my dog a break, I cut a plastic pail in half and then glued her dish to the bottom of it with adhesive caulk. She seems even more enthusiastic about eating than ever. Randy Roush STAIR GAUGE SUBSTITUTE Awhile back, I had to cut a stair skirt to trim the outer edge of my deck stairs, but I didn’t have the stair gauge buttons that I usually attach to my framing square to set the repeated angles. The binder clips from my briefcase did the job nicely! Rick Wilson Pet collar cord hanger A few weeks ago while I…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com ‘UN-SOLDER’ CONNECTIONS— BUT ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE TO The best way to disconnect a soldered pipe is to cut it. But sometimes you can’t—either because you can’t get a cutting tool into the space or because cutting would leave the pipe too short to make a new connection. The solution is to heat the joint and pull off the fitting as the solder melts. Have a wet rag handy and immediately wipe away the molten solder before it hardens. (Wear gloves to prevent burning your fingers!) Sometimes a quick wipe will leave the pipe ready for a new fitting. More likely, you’ll have to scour off some excess solder with sandpaper or emery cloth before you can slip on a new fitting. CHOOSE CAULK, NOT PUTTY Despite the name,…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Sometimes the best-laid plumbing plans go awry. Your project can come to a screeching halt when a vital piece breaks off, gets stuck or is too rotten to work with. Then what? Sure, cursing makes you feel better, but you need a real solution. We tapped our plumbing guru, Les Zell, to show us cool tools and tips to get you out of your next plumbing jam. MEET THE PRO Les Zell has been a plumber for almost 30 years and an invaluable resource to The Family Handyman for the past decade. He’s the owner/operator of Zell Plumbing & Heating. SUPER-FAST WATER HEATER CONNECTION Most folks “can’t live” without hot water, and when a water heater conks out, getting the new one installed is a high priority. There’s no…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Falls are the No. 1 cause of injuries at home, and they can happen to anyone at any age. They’re the most common cause of visits to the emergency room for young children, the leading cause of nonfatal injuries in people ages 25 to 54, and the most common cause of injury in adults age 65 and older. We used statistics to compile this top ten list to help protect you and your loved ones from falls, emergency room visits and even lawsuits. For more tips on preventing falls, see “A Better Place to Age,” p. 34. 1 Keep emergency lights handy Uneven or unfamiliar footing is a prime cause of falls in the dark, and during an emergency even familiar surfaces can become treacherous. Keep a flashlight with…