Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 - January 2017 i Family Handyman

feedback@familyhandyman.com Tool chests— not just for mechanics Mondo tool chests like the ones you see at professional mechanics’ shops used to cost thousands of dollars. Way too much for the average shop rat. But prices on professionalgrade tool chests have dropped into the $1,000 range over the past few years, putting them within reach of most serious DIYers. I recently picked up a Kobalt stainless steel tool chest ($500) and a matching tool cabinet ($680). The units are 41 in. wide and built with double wall construction. All 20 drawers have full-extension ball-bearing slides, each rated for a hefty 99 lbs., which is plenty strong for my needs. This setup isn’t just for mechanics either: The deeper drawers are perfect for locking up drills, nail guns and routers. And the…

feedback@familyhandyman.com NO NEED TO SHOP! ’Tis the season for woodworkers. While others are slogging through crowded malls and spending hundreds on manufactured gifts, you can slip away to your shop and create handmade heirlooms. And if you have an ample pile of scrapwood, you won’t have to spend a dime! Here are some projects you can complete in a few hours. Tool Tote It’s not just for tools: A portable organizer can be used for gardening gear, craft materials or cleaning supplies. To build it, you can use our dimensions or customize it to suit the person on your gift list. We cut our slats and partitions from 2x4 scraps with a table saw. Then we glued the partitions in place before adding the slats. n Drill the 3/8-in. storage…

feedback@familyhandyman.com Popcorn ceilings were all the rage back in the ’60s and ’70s. Applying the texture to drywall and plaster ceilings was a quick and easy way to hide imperfections and didn’t require any painting afterward. But the rough texture catches lots of dust and cobwebs, and it can be a real pain to match if you have cracks or holes in need of patching. Removing popcorn texture from a ceiling is a messy chore but worth the effort if the substrate underneath is in good shape. Here are some tips to take some of the pain out of scraping the popcorn texture off your ceiling. Do a scrape test Before you go to all the trouble of prepping the room, try scraping a small area. Try it dry first,…

feedback@familyhandyman.com If you’re like most other car owners, you just start your car every morning until the day you turn the key and find out your battery has died. But you shouldn’t be shocked when it drops dead out of the clear blue. All car batteries wear out eventually, and about half of them die without any advance warning. So how do you know when to replace a battery? Test now to avoid surprises later Our battery expert, Dale Gospodarek, says there’s an easy way to avoid the surprise of a dead battery. He recommends getting a battery checkup at every oil change to monitor its health. That way you’ll know when it would be wise to replace it. Combine that with regular battery maintenance and you’ll never get stranded.…

FROM OUR READERS submissions@familyhandyman.com Recycle water If you have a dehumidifier, you have a free supply of water that’s perfect for houseplants. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air and create “condensate” that’s free from chemicals and minerals found in tap water. Just don’t drink it—it could contain microbes and trace amounts of metals that are harmful to humans. J.A. Kemble Ornament ho-ho-holder I found a nifty way to store my Christmas ornaments using clear plastic tubs (with lids), some wooden dowels, and rubber leg tips that I got from the home center. I drilled two holes in each end of the tubs, inserted the dowels through them, and then capped the dowels with the rubber tips to keep the dowels in place. I store things like Christmas tree skirts in…

feedback@familyhandyman.com 3 REASONS TO LOVE EURO HINGES Euro hinges—also called “cup hinges” or “concealed hinges”—look complicated. But they’re actually much easier to install than traditional hinges. EASY TO INSTALL Traditional hinges are fussy to install. And if you get it wrong, you’re stuck. With Euro hinges, you just bore one large hole and drive some screws. Get that hole in the right spot and the rest is goof-proof. EASY TO ADJUST With traditional hinges, you can spend hours getting the fit right: planing or sanding the door, shimming or moving hinges… With Euro hinges, you can move a door in and out, up and down, or side to side just by turning screws. INSTANT ON AND OFF With traditional hinges, you have to remove screws or hinge pins to remove…

feedback@familyhandyman.com I used to think hot glue guns were just for school projects and holiday decorations. But then I discovered just how useful hot glue can be in the workshop, and now my gun is one of my favorite tools. Here are some of my favorite hot glue tips. They’re mostly for woodworking since that’s my passion. But with a little creativity, you’ll find uses for a hot glue gun no matter what your hobby. MEET THE EXPERT Travis Larson, our senior editor, has been a builder, remodeler and woodworker for more than 30 years. 1. Fasten a temporary fence When you’re woodworking, you often need a temporary fence or stop on a table saw or router table or other power tools. Clamps aren’t always an option because they can…

feedback@familyhandyman.com You can buy floating shelves in stores or online for $20 to $80 each. But before you do that, consider building your own. For about the same cost, you can get the exact size, thickness and look you want. You can even finish them to match your trim or furniture. And your homemade shelves will be sturdier than most storebought shelves—ours can support about 50 lbs. each. Plus, you’ll earn serious bragging rights when you’re done. Money, time and tools A pair of shelves cost us about $150 to build. We were able to make two shelves from a single 4 x 8-ft. sheet of 1/2-in.-thick red oak plywood ($40). It can be tough to find locally, so call around before you shop, or choose different plywood. Our shelves…

feedback@familyhandyman.com \Millions of homes have “popcorn” texture applied to ceilings. And while it does a pretty decent job of masking small imperfections in old plaster and drywall, this texture is a little out of fashion and notorious for trapping dust and cobwebs. It’s also tough to make a good-looking repair with it. There’s good news, however: You’ve got some options for dealing with an old popcorn ceiling. 1. Cover it with drywall It’s not an easy project, but there are some good reasons to consider installing drywall directly over your popcorn ceiling (and some good reasons not to). Pros: No texture to scrape off. Scraping, even wet-scraping, is hard, messy work. And if the popcorn texture is painted, it’ll be even harder to scrape off. Lower asbestos risk. Popcorn texture…

feedback@familyhandyman.com Whether you’re installing ceramic tile, laminate planks or carpet, self-leveling underlayment is a great choice for floors that are rough, uneven or out of level. And it’s the absolute best choice for tile installations over an in-floor heating system. Self-leveling underlayment is easy to work with and doesn’t require a lot of fancy tools or years of training. However, there is a fair amount of prep work that needs to be done—and done right, because once the pouring starts, you’ll need to work fast. We’ll show you the step-by-step process to achieve a perfectly flat and level underlayment that’s smooth as glass. MEET THE EXPERT Josh Risberg, our lead carpenter, is a certified tile installer. He also has 10 years under his tool belt as a lead carpenter for…