Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2023 i Family Handyman

The Cobra Tools Pistol-Grip Power Drum Auger is a 25-ft. steel cable drum auger that clears sink, shower and tub drains up to 3 in. in diameter. It features an easy-to-use quick lever cable lock and a pistol grip for comfortable operation. The tool can be operated by hand or attached to a drill. The sharp-pointed 1/4-in.-diameter high-carbon steel cable provides adequate leverage for most household clogs. I had a slow shower drain, and my mom had a floor drain clog. In both cases I attached my cordless drill to the drum auger and plunged the rotary tip of the cable into the pipe. I pushed it by hand until I felt resistance from the clog. Keeping downward pressure on the pistol grip, I slowly engaged the cable’s tip with…

If you’re looking for an alternative to the mostly plastic crates and metal kennels available at pet stores, check out this dog crate I designed using red oak lumber and copper pipe. I dyed the frame black with India ink and added a slick sliding door. My dog, Charlie, jumped right in and has been calling (barking) it home since the day it was done. WHAT IT TAKES TIME 2 days COST $500 SKILL LEVEL Beginner/Intermediate TOOLS Circular saw or miter saw, drill/driver, drill press, 18-gauge nailer, clamps, basic carpentry tools 1 DETERMINE THE SIZE To size the dog crate, measure the length and the height of your dog, and as a rule of thumb, add 4 in. to each dimension. I will place a bed in the bottom of…

Even the best invisible fence for dogs isn’t as good as a real fence, according to dog trainer Ali Smith, founder of Rebarkable, but sometimes you don’t have a choice. Some communities don’t allow physical fences, some terrain isn’t suitable and some properties are too large. Besides that, invisible fences can be convenient (for you, not necessarily for your dog). Here’s a look at the options. TRADITIONAL BURIED-WIRE INVISIBLE FENCE This comes as a kit with thin 20-gauge boundary wire that you bury a few inches deep, a transmitter that broadcasts a signal through the wire, and a collar with a receiver that administers a warning to the dog as it approaches the boundary. ■ Installation calls for digging a shallow trench to bury the wire, locating the transmitter in…

Save yourself the plumbing service call and unclog your drain yourself. We’ll show you how to unclog a kitchen sink using a plunger and a drain snake. START WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS When you shop for a plunger, keep in mind that those with larger rubber bells deliver more thrust, but most sizes will work for kitchen drains. Be sure the plunger has a stout handle so you can apply plenty of force as you learn how to unclog a sink. A drain snake (sometimes called a hand auger) is a long, serpentine tool that snakes into the drain and penetrates and pulls out the clog. Drain snakes vary greatly in price, depending on their size, length and turning mechanism. For all-around use, the best drain snake is a 3⁄8-in.…

MOLES 1, HOMEOWNER 0 Each year the moles arrive and wreck my perfect lawn with their earthwormmining tunnels. I’ve tried all sorts of traps and solutions over the years, and one year I decided to try a different approach. I stamped down the mole trails and waited with a pitchfork. As soon as I saw a little quiver in the trampled trail, I knew a mole was moving and I attacked, plunging the sharp tines into the soil over and over to spear the varmint. I figured I must have speared the critter, but who knows? The next morning I noticed something odd about my lawn irrigation system. The ground was rising, bulging and occasionally sending up an errant spray of water where no sprinkler head was located. Upon closer…

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When it comes to technology, I’m what’s referred to as a late adopter. Call me crazy, but I think that flipping a light switch with my finger is super convenient, compared with opening an app on my phone to turn a light on or off. But last Christmas, I made one inroad into smart technology that I‘m happy about. For years, after putting holiday lights on the front of our house, I’d go outside to plug and unplug them as necessary. Eventually, I switched to an old-school analog timer. After that quit working, I decided to try this Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug (about $30 at home centers and online). Yes, it’s operated via an app on my phone, but for this application, it was a super easy one-time programming.…

SHARE YOUR HANDY HINTS WITH US submissions@familyhandyman.com STRAIGHTEN A CROOKED BOARD If you run the crooked edge of a board against the table saw fence, you’ll still have a crooked board. Or worse, the board will bind between the fence and the blade and cause a kickback. Here’s a low-tech way to straighten the edge of any board. Just fasten the crooked-edge board to a straight strip of plywood, letting it overhang the edge. Hold it in place with a toggle clamp toward each end of the board, then run the straight edge of the plywood along the fence to give the board a perfectly straight edge. JAY CORK VENT A FUNNEL If you’ve ever tried to pour used motor oil from your drain pan into a recycling jug, you know it’s…

WHAT IT TAKES TIME 2 days COST $200+ SKILL LEVEL Intermediate TOOLS Circular saw, drill bits (various sizes), drill or impact driver, hammer, hot melt glue gun, jigsaw (optional), level, miter saw or miter box and handsaw, scissors, Speed square, tape measure, utility knife and an extra set of paws. Last spring we took in an abandoned kitten. Our old cat was game, and even gave a little nuzzle, but the dogs were apoplectic. We needed a cat tree, pronto. (The dogs and cats have since become friends.) Cat trees and towers allow cats to survey their domain from above, plotting their next move far from the chaos below. The standard fare from the pet store worked for a while, but my cat-lady dream of building a sprawling habitat of…

PRESSURE-WASHING SURFACES Once you discover that a pressure washer can serve a valuable role in home maintenance, you’ll want to use it all the time. But don’t get carried away! Here’s a guide to surfaces that can—and shouldn’t be—pressure-washed. DO’S There’s nothing quite like pressure-washing a grimy surface and uncovering the beauty beneath. Here are suitable surfaces to pressure-wash: BRICKWORK. Brick paths, driveways, patios and steps tend to grow mold, algae and moss over time, so it’s important to keep them clean. The recommended psi range for brick is 1,250 to 1,500. A 25-degree nozzle works well for this job. If you are cleaning a path, be sure to park the pressure washer near the high spot so you’re dragging the hose behind you, rather than constantly kicking it out…

My rickety old stepladder finally gave up the ghost, and I decided to replace it with this Gorilla Ladders 14-Ft. Reach Aluminum Multi-Position ladder ($170). I had used this type of ladder on occasion and admired the versatility, but I found the larger versions to be heavy and a pain to move. But this smaller version covers all my bases. Fully extended, it’s just under 11 ft. In its A-frame format, I can choose from three heights, with a maximum of about 5½ ft. It will also work in a right triangle position, so you can set it up close to a wall. Changing between the positions is a snap. The large knobs are easy to grip, and they lock in place securely, giving the ladder a very sturdy feel.…