Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Skill”
Wall plugs need brick, block or concrete to hold well. Plaster just will not do, because it has minimal holding power. It’s usually way too soft you see. Sure, if the wall is plastered with hard cement render and thin skimming coats, you might get away with some light to medium loads, but generally the plastic plug needs to be pushed into the wall itself so it’s entire length is into a brick, a block or concrete etc. Why? Because the way a wall plug works and holds in place …
Introducing the Splitting Maul and the Log Splitter These two new tools came into the ‘armoury’ this week and not before time because I always end up with 2 or 3 big logs that laugh at my normal axe (as it bounces off). But now I have two sure fire ways of splitting those difficult to break logs. Logs become difficult to split usually because there was a large branch joining the main trunk, which makes the grain real gnarly. No1: The Splitting Maul OK, tool No.1: the splitting maul. Now I’ve been hanging my …
Using the ever so simple centre punch… If you’ve tried drilling holes in metal before you’ll remember the drill bit ‘walking’ all over the metals surface instead of starting the hole exactly where you wanted it. This is because metal is hard (I know this is free advice but Duh! Of course metal is hard, when are you going to tell me something I don’t know?) OK, so you know that metal’s hard, but did you know that if you make the tiniest of dimples in the metals surface, the …
Not everyone is cut out to be a good craftsman. They simply don’t have the patience, even if they do have the skill. Not that this stops plenty of average ones making a good living regardless. But true craftsmanship takes time to do well. It takes time to keep going back again and again, checking and re-checking the fit before being satisfied it’s as good as it can be. I actually think it’s this patience that separates the simply average from the good. This willingness and patience to keep going …
Using Old Carpet Offcuts to make Worktop Protectors Whether you call it a worktop, countertop or a benchtop, if you’re going to be working over one with tools, you’re going to need to protect it from dents and scratches. Just putting a tool like a claw hammer down gently can damage a high gloss surface and in a brand new install believe me the tiniest of flaws will be a big deal. One way to avoid damaging a worktop is to use offcuts of old carpet laid pile side down …
Two for the price of one today… Just been outside to put the winter tyres on the mother-in-laws car this morning (oh the joy of working on a brand new car! No big hammers needed lol!) and I thought here’s a couple of things I do that might be useful to you…. Put your wheel nuts in a container (and not on the floor) Wheel nuts pick up all sorts of grit and muck (especially if they are lubricated) and could give you a false reading on your torque wrench …
I needed to set up a long string line today (8m or about 26′) to screw a timber base plate to a wavy concrete wall in foul weather and I couldn’t really see if the line was clear or not. Bearing in mind that a line has to be two things to be helpful: Very tight and clear of obstruction. If you have those two things, then a string line is the simplest, most useful tool on the job to get stuff dead straight. Trouble was I just couldn’t see if …
