When it comes to home improvement, you need information you can trust. Inside each issue of The Family Handyman, you’ll find see-and-solve expert repair techniques, a variety of projects for every room and step-by-step, do-it-yourself photos.
My seventh-grade shop teacher opened the door to DIY in my mind. That year I attempted to make two things I just couldn’t get any other way: The first was a life-size model of Voltron’s sword; the second was an electric guitar. Mr. Westland gave me all the wood and moral support I needed without judgment. One turned out magnificently—handcarved out of solid wood, painted with lacquer and embellished with chrome. The other was a guitar. Well, it was in the shape of a guitar; let’s just leave it at that. But the spark in me was lit. At 16 I had the opportunity to refurbish a strange-looking electric bass. I was told it was worthless; they just wanted it playable again. So, not knowing what I didn’t know, I…
facebook.com/thefamilyhandyman pinterest.com/family_handyman youtube.com/thefamilyhandyman instagram.com/familyhandyman tiktok.com/@familyhandyman TREADER PROJECT: QUICK & EASY PADDLEBOARD STAND I needed a stand for my two paddleboards because they were getting stained and scuffed lying in the grass. I decided to build one myself with materials I found in my garage. Now when we’re at the cabin, I set up the stand in the yard by the beach. At the end of each day I set the paddleboards on the stand for the night. To build one, you’ll need two swim noodles. Larger noodles work well because they have a larger diameter hole that fits nicely over a broom handle. You’ll also need a snow shovel, a broom handle and a 3-ft. 2x4 (treated) for the base. For tools, round up a drill, a large bit the…
A few years ago, my shop partner picked up a Ridgid Oscillating Edge Belt/Spindle Sander, and it quickly became one of my workshop favorites because of its versatility. Having one compact tool that can do edge work in addition to spindle sanding is fantastic. The tilting table—with detents at 0, 15, 22.5, 30 and 45 degrees—really makes it a slam dunk. You can quickly change the setup between edge and spindle work without any tools. With the sander hooked up to a shop vacuum, the dust collection is pretty good. The edge sander takes 4 x 24-in. sanding belts, and the unit takes five sanding drum diameters, ranging from 1/2 in. to 2 in. All accessories are stored right on the machine. The Ridgid EB4424 is about $280 online and…
If you have a future Major League Baseball star in your family, build this bat-and-ball holder to keep their equipment organized. You’ll need 3-in. PVC and a cap to fit the end, as well as a pair of shelf brackets. A piece of scrap plywood works well for the shelf. In the PVC, cut a 1-1/8-in. notch to fit the bat handles and a 1-1/2-in. notch to make the baseballs easy to grab. Then assemble the shelf and mount everything to your garage wall. RANDY A. MICHEL REUSE YOUR PAINT THINNER Whenever I clean oil-based finishes from my paintbrushes, I always recycle the paint thinner. I clean the brushes and then let the solids settle to the bottom of the container. You can slowly pour the clear thinner back into…
Generators are becoming must-have tools for homeowners, whether for emergency backup or portable electricity. While shopping, you’ll see a growing category of power packs that are versatile, affordable and easy to use. But they’re not all the same, and finding the right one will require you to answer a few questions. What can they do? Where will you use one? What will you plug in? How much should you spend? We looked at a few options and tested one on a job site to help you choose the right generator for your needs. GENERATOR OR POWER STATION? They all get called “generators,” but that’s not accurate. A generator uses a gas or diesel engine to make electricity. And noise. More power means more noise—that’s fine on a work site but…
When we built our Getaway vacation home for the September 2021 issue, we used a roll-up garage door in lieu of a sliding door to the deck. But we didn’t want a traditional overhead opener track in our kitchen and living space, so we used a jackshaft opener (also called wall-mount or side-mount) that sits discreetly to the side of the door. Now, almost everyone on staff wants a similar opener at home. And why not? Our garage door on the loading dock at the workshop has one. But is a jackshaft opener right for your garage? Surprisingly small and quiet, a jackshaft opener connects directly to the torsion bar above a garage door. No long chain or belt is needed, eliminating much of the noise you get with an…
