Making Repetitive Cuts On A Miter Saw

By Robert Robillard

Miter Saw Tip There are many instances where you may need to cut several pieces of wood the exact same size. Deck balusters and rafters immediately come to mind. The best way for making repetitive cuts on a miter saw is to use a “stop block.” Below I am using a simple block of wood…

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Driving While Distracted

By Robert Robillard

Distracted Driving The buzz on the news is whether the FEDs pass a law against cellphone and texting use while driving. As a father and police officer I think it’s a great idea the evidence is proof enough.  As a person who uses the time while driving to make calls, I find it annoying. What…

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Lawn Sprinkler Timer

By Robert Robillard

Wasteful Watering Click on photo to see lawn sprinkler “washing” a parked vehicle above, and below to see sprinkler watering lawn during a rain storm. Yesterday while driving past a local Inn, I couldn’t help but stop and take in the WASTEFUL watering of the lawn on a rainy day when 2″ of rain was…

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How To Remove A Spinning Screw

By Robert Robillard

How To Remove A Stripped Screw Ever run into a spinning or stripped screw?  It’s frustrating to say the least.  There are a few methods to deal with this.  The article below will focus on how to remove a spinning screw. Spinning Freely How about a screw where the head or part of the shaft…

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Marking Wood

By Robert Robillard

Marking Trim – Carpenter’s Tip Marking Wood – using a pencil or a utility knife Pencil Marks: The age old argument between carpenters on marking wood: The Pencil vs. The Utility Knife.  Which one do you use? A simple pencil mark can be confusing. Sometimes the line is slightly curved. Where do you cut?  Finish…

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Job Site Cart

By Robert Robillard

Work Smarter NOT Harder Use a Job Site Cart I’ve found myself working alot lately on projects located in multiple floor buildings.  Access is definitely an issue and consideration when estimating the job site  “tool set up,” stocking with materials and “clean up” time.  Part of my plan is to use a job site cart.…

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Job Site Vise

By Robert Robillard

Securing Materials, Two Quick Job Site Vises Here is an inexpensive, versatile job site vise or bench vise for securing workpieces on the job site for operations like cutting a mortise, planing or fussing with finish work. Wedge Jig: To build this useful job-site vise, simply screw a rectangular scrap of wood to your bench…

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How to Loosen Stubborn Nuts And Bolts

By Robert Robillard

Loosen Rusty Bolts Ever go crazy trying to get a rusted nut or bolt loose? I have. A simple tip for dealing with how to loosen stubborn nuts and bolts that have rusted solid bolts is to employ heat, penetrating oil and tapping with a hammer. These tips will un-stick most nuts and bolts in…

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