Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 - January 2016 i Family Handyman

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com PRO TOOLS + GEAR Be the envy of the job site Time to ditch that beat-up old coffee thermos and ramp it up a bit with the new COFFEEBOXX singlecup brew system. This job-site coffeemaker works with any K-Cup packs. It has a 3-ft. retractable cord and a huge 2.5-liter removable water tank. The drip tray detaches for taller mugs, and there’s a separate hot water line for making tea or instant soup. Above all, the COFFEEBOXX is rugged; it won’t break if you drop it…off a cliff. It could even be used as a step stool in a pinch, unless you weigh more than 1,500 lbs.! And how many coffeemakers are equipped with stainless steel tiedowns? (I bet your thermos doesn’t have tie-downs.) The Oxx COFFEEBOXX is available…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Put on your thinking cap and take this monthÕs quiz to see just how smart you are when it comes to DIY. HereÕs how it works: ■ There are easy, intermediate and really tough questions all mixed together. ■ There may be more than one correct answer! ■ The answers begin on p. 70. Get your DIY rating on p. 71. Good luck! 1. What is the main advantage of working with MDF (medium-density fiberboard) over plywood? A. It’s lighter. B. It’s more water resistant. C. It cuts with less dust. D. It looks better painted. 2. Why does a plumbing drain system require venting? A. It allows water to drain without gurgling. B. It prevents water from being sucked out of the traps. C. It discharges sewer gas.…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Interior trim Interior trim can add definition and refinement to a room, and wood remains a good choice for material. To get a pleasing result with wood, you need to carefully select the individual pieces of lumber at the store, paying attention to grain and color. Today, synthetic trims can sometimes be a better option. Here are a few tips to help you no matter which material you choose. COMBINE SMALLER MOLDING TO CREATE LARGE PROFILES You can save yourself money and hassles by buying separate pieces of trim and assembling them yourself rather than buying elaborate premilled moldings. Cutting, coping and fitting wide trim is tricky. If you mess up, you’ll be wasting trim that can cost several dollars per foot. If possible, try to replicate the profile…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Despite the obvious drawbacks—it’s messy, sticky and impossible to remove once it cures—there’s nothing better than expanding foam for plugging and sealing cracks, gaps and holes of every size and shape. Which is why it’s the perfect choice for sealing energy-wasting air leaks. But that’s not the only job it’s good for. In this article, we’ll show you the best ways to use foam on your energy-saving projects, tips for getting the most out of a can, and some other ingenious uses for this versatile product. Stop drafts—and mice! Plugging holes on the exterior of your house with foam is a great way to stop air infiltration, but it may not keep out pests. Mice can and will chew right through regular expanding foam, but there are formulas that…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com In some ways, setting mosaic tile is just like setting any other tile. But because the individual tiles are small (usually 2 in. or less), mounted on sheets and often made of glass, mosaic tiles present some unique challenges. So we asked Dean Sorem, our go-to tile expert, to show us his best tips for cutting and setting mosaic tiles. MEET THE EXPERT Dean Sorem installed his first tile in 1979 and has been a professional tile setter for 30 years. He’s done everything from single-tile repairs to an 8,000-sq.-ft. floor, and he currently runs Sorem Tile & Stone in Hudson, WI. He is also an avid DIYer at home. FLATTEN WAVY WALLS Dean says that one of the most important tips for any tile-setting job, including mosaics, is…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Even the most experienced carpenters and woodworkers occasionally break into a sweat when it comes time to glue up a project, especially one that takes lots of clamps after the glue is applied. You only get one shot at it, so there’s little room for mistakes. Before your next glue-up, read our top 10 tips for gluing wood and save all that sweating for the gym. DO A DRY RUN To head off any glue-up catastrophes, be sure to dry-fit and clamp together all the parts and pieces of your project before you apply glue. Do this no matter what type of glue you choose. 1 Plain old wood glue is best Dozens of glues claim to work well on wood and a variety of other materials. But regular…

handyhints@thefamilyhandyman.com CAULK CLAMP I forgot to take clamps to a recent project and found that my caulk gun made a good substitute. I placed a positioning block on one end to even out the pressure and then squeezed the parts together. Ended up working great! Mark Poindexter Get a $100 gift card for your Handy Hint! See p. 4. Ready-to-go hangers If I hang clothes up immediately from the dryer, they stay fairly wrinkle-free. To keep hangers handy, I installed a towel bar right above the dryer under the cabinets. When the clothes are dry, I just grab a hanger and hang them right away instead of stuffing them into a laundry basket. Bob Johnson CLASSIC HINT Electrical circuit ID Doing electrical work at home got a lot safer when…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com We’ve been there. You’re driving a screw and it breaks, or you strip the head, or you’re trying to get the dumb thing started and it pops off the driver bit and tumbles to the floor. Ugh! We feel your pain. Driving screws can be a real exercise in frustration, but it needn’t be. Here are 25 tips to help make your next fastening chore a little less screwy. 1 Reach for the stars Phillips-head screws appear to be going the way of the dodo and are quickly being replaced by star-drive screws (aka “Torx”). And it’s a change for the better! The multilobed heads on star-drive screws offer much better gripping power and are less likely to strip out. Expect to spend a few cents more per box,…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com Chances are you bought a four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicle to avoid getting stuck in snow and ice, mud and sand. But do all the drivers in your family really know when and how to engage the 4WD? Or which gearing (4HI or 4LO) is best for which driving conditions? We’ll walk you through the basics of using 4WD for city and highway driving. We won’t cover offroading, however, since that’s a story in itself. And, because most late-model vehicles are also equipped with traction/stability control, we’ll explain how you can get better results by turning it off when you’re stuck. Not sure which system you have? Four-wheel-drive systems are offered in many configurations such as part time, full time, manual shift, on-thefly shifting, and fully automatic (see “4WD vs. AWD:…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com TIP FROM A FELLOW PRO Tangle-free extension cords If you’re in the habit of wrapping a cord around your hand and elbow, knock it off! That method permanently twists the cord and makes for a tightly wound pile of spaghetti that’s guaranteed to get tangled. Here’s a way to make cords last and avoid tangles: 1. Wind the cord in big loops and plug the ends together. 2. Pull one of the outside loops away from the rest. 3. Wind the separated loop around the rest a couple of times. 4. Stick the end of the separated loop through the top opening and give it a tug. Matt Burnside PROJECT I’M PROUD OF Eyebrow entry There were a lot of interesting architectural details on this house, but the entry…

editors@thefamilyhandyman.com CAULK LEAKY WINDOWS Removable caulk is a great solution for leaky, energy-wasting windows. It looks a whole lot better than covering windows with plastic film, and you can easily pull it off when springtime rolls around. If you don’t find it at a local home center, just search online for “removable caulk” (about $6 per tube). Don’t use any caulk on bedroom or other windows that may have to be opened quickly to escape a fire. Remove painting mistakes If you slop some paint on varnished wood, don’t worry. Home centers carry liquid paint remover products for just that situation. Let the paint dry and mask off the paint you don’t want to remove. Gently scrape off as much paint as you can with a putty knife. Then squirt…