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How to Make a Drain-Pipe Plans Holder for Your Truck
How do you keep construction documents from getting buried under piles of tools and materials in your truck? Chuck Miller shows a couple of super-easy ways to fit a simple storage space for plans into any pickup.
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Build This Simple Router Jig and Mill Your Own Molding On-Site
4 commentsDon't bother bringing your router table to the job-site. All you need is this home-made jig and a couple of clamps to mill perfect molding on the fly.
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How to Stop The Ladder on Your Truck From Whistling
4 commentsDoes your extension ladder howl when you're driving down the road? Our latest 'Truck Tips' video has a quick fix for that. Plus, see an easy way to load ladders without breaking your back.
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A Sliding Dump Bed Makes Unloading Gravel Fast and Easy
5 commentsPut away your shovel and save your back. Make your truck do all the work, with this simple homemade bed liner.
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How to Drill Level Holes In a Fence Post: Drill-Bit Plumb Bob
6 commentsLearn an ingenious trick for leveling your drill bit when boring horizontally through a thick piece of wood.
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How to Safely Store Bits in Your Router Case
6 commentsGet your router bits to stay put and stay sharp.
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How To Drill Pilot Holes Without a Bit
2 commentsSometimes the right tool for the job isn't a tool at all. In this tip, watch Chuck Miller make a pilot hole by working backwards.
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Keep a Paintbrush From Drying Out Between Coats
16 commentsWashing a brush after every coat of paint can be a real drag. Follow this tip and your bristles will stay straight, and the brush should stay wet for days.
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Folding Trick Makes Sandpaper Last Longer
1 commentLearn an old carpenter's trick for getting a sheet of sandpaper to last. All it takes is two folds and a quick slice with a knife.
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Make a Kinked Tape Measure Last Longer
2 commentsSee how a quick snip out of a cracked measuring tape stops the split from spreading.
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Nifty Drywall Patch
7 commentsThis video combines two tips into one - first, a quick way to make an access hole in drywall, and then an ingenious way to close it back up.
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Snake Wires With a Tape Measure
5 commentsSnake wires with a tape measure When upgrading the electrical outlets in my kitchen I needed to pull a wire from the bottom of the wall into the attic. As shown in the drawing (location), I used an...
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Save Spray Foam
8 commentsDon't throw away half-full cans of spay foam. Save them for later use with this tip.
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Make a Tool-Actuated Vacuum
10 commentsGet suction on demand with this easy and inexpensive retrofit.
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Secure Old Plaster in a Pinch
16 commentsDon't let sagging plaster get you down. If you're in a pinch, you can secure it with an item from your plumber's tool kit
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Snake wire through old walls
11 commentsDon’t let narrow wall cavities filled with plaster prevent you from running new wires
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Easy Pick Up Trick for Spilt Screws
6 commentsDon’t cry over spilt screws. Save time and your fingertips with this clever pick-up trick
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Save Your Old Paint
2 commentsSave valuable leftover paint without the danger that it will gluck up your walls
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Asphalt-Shingle Cutting Guide
2 commentsHere is a little jig I made for cutting asphalt shingles for cut roof valleys
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Garage Progress
We're making good progress on the garage shop at the project house. Drywall is hung, carriage doors are installed and the new front facade has been painted. read more
Are you a Tipster?
We're on the hunt for great reader tips to demonstrate online and include in the magazine.
If you have a tip that you would like to share, visit our new Readers Quick Tips blog to post text, photos, and links to videos. Or, send us an email at: quicktips@taunton.com
About this Blog
Have your ever been frustrated building something and mumbled to yourself, "There's got to be a better way."
Well, thanks to the contributions of our great Tipsters, and the talent of Fine Homebuilding Special Issues editor, Chuck Miller, help has arrived.
Each week, Chuck demonstrates a tip sent in by readers like you or something he learned on a jobsite.
So enjoy, and don't forget to come back each week for a new tip.
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