All How-To Topics
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How To Make a Reciprocating-Saw Blade Guide Block
This simple tip will help you cut studs more-accurately when making new rough openings in existing walls.
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How to Avoid Complicated Fractions When Measuring a Workpiece
7 commentsIf you need to divide a piece of wood by some inconvenient fractional number like 11/64, you could do some complicated math in your head, but there's a better way.
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How To Drill a Long Thin Hole for Running Small Wires
2 commentsDon't buy an expensive bit that you'll only use once. Make this custom drill bit for running wire for doorbells, thermostats, or other low-voltage equipment.
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How To Stop Paint From Bleeding Under Masking Tape
6 commentsIf you need to keep a straight, clean line between a painted surface and a varnished surface, you could try free-handing it the way the great painters do, or you could put down some masking tape and...
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Make Your Blowtorch Safe
4 commentsPropane torches have tippy bases on one end and flames coming out the other. You could keep a fire extinguisher handy, but there's a better way.
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Prevent Pneumatic-Nailer Blowouts When Installing Trim
3 commentsIf you're hanging moldings and the nails keep blowing out the side of your trim stock, you could just swear a lot and keep your putty handy, but there's a better way.
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How to Stop Sawdust from Binding Up a Holesaw
6 commentsChuck Miller shares a tip on how to evacuate sawdust from a holesaw without pulling the saw in and out of the cut.
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How To Cut Tenons for Deck Rails with a Tablesaw
2 commentsA round tenon is a solid way to secure a baluster to a deck railing. Chuck Miller shows how to make a simple jig to cut your own in this episode of "There's a Better Way."
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Get a Sharp Edge on Knives, Chisels, and Planes with a Homemade Strop
2 commentsKeep this simple tool in your nail pouch and you'll never have an excuse for working with a dull blade again.
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Make A Custom Holesaw To Remove Stripped Screws
5 commentsTired of scrapping good wood when a stripped screw won't budge? Chuck Miller shares a tip for using, of all things, an old golf club to painlessly pull stubborn screws.
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Plane Doors More Easily With a Shopmade Jig
Scott Gibson shares a tip to keep doors and other big workpieces secure and level.
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Keep Your Truck Tailgate Clear With a Simple Gravel Shield
2 commentsDon't let the back of your pickup get jammed up with soil or stone dust. Chuck Miller shares a tip for making a movable cover to keep your tailgate free of debris.
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How To Hang Drain Lines so They Stay Straight and Secure
3 commentsPlumber Bruce Norman shares his secret to keeping PVC waste pipes right where he wants them.
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Scrap Your Nail Set and Make Your Hammer Work Harder
13 commentsFine Homebuilding reader April Uno shares a new way to countersink nails with a single custom-made tool.
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Roll Compound on Your Drywall Seams for Faster Easier Taping
10 commentsAdd a little water, grab a paint roller, and speed up this tedious job.
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A Money-Saving Tip for Protecting Your Truck Bed
2 commentsLearn about a simple way to keep your truck bed clean without buying an expensive tarp.
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Use a Scrap of Electrical Cable to Make a Flexible Flashlight Stand
1 commentRomex isn't just for electricity anymore! Make your own handy light snake with a few wraps of this easily-formable wire.
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Build This Sliding Truck-Bed Drawer, and Get Easy Access to All Your Tools
4 commentsA few 2x4s, 2 sheets of plywood, and some small casters are all you need to maximize the usable space in your pickup bed.
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How To Clean a Small Paint Roller Without Clogging Your Sink
3 commentsAn improvised spinner and a bucket of water work wonders when cleaning these handy little rollers.
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How To Form Small Concrete Projects The Easy Way
5 commentsYou may be surprised at the tool Chuck Miller uses to make sure his concrete pour goes as smoothly as possible.
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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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