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DIY

DIY handyman – what you need to do to take care of the odd jobs around your home

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Usually we would prefer to have a professional take care of most of the home improvement projects that we want to be done in our homes. That’s when we want the work to be of the best quality that is possible, which is most, if not all the time. There are some tasks however that might seem too simple and too small for us to hire another person to do it and there are also times when we would want to do things on our own.

There are some jobs for example that would have to be dome immediately, because waiting for a repairman to do it would mean the loss of money and resource, or it could be that not repairing it right away could mean more trouble. Let’s say there is a leaking pipe in your house. Not repairing that would mean allowing some water damage to happen. If you have to wait for a plumber to come over, then too much water could be wasted already.

That’s why it pays off to know how to do certain tasks and we are not going into the realm of being a handyman for the sake of being a real man, which for some is a pretty big deal already. So if you would like to start doing home improvement projects on your own, here are some of the stuff that you are going to need:

Tools- You need to have a basic set of tools before you can start repairing anything or making anything in your place. You can’t do those without tools. If you don’t have a set in your house then you can start with a set of the most basic one. You should get a hammer, a saw, pliers, screwdrivers and a measuring tape. There are so many more, but you can begin with those.

Skills- If you have the tools then you need the skill to use those as well. You shouldn’t be an expert, but some familiarity would be required, if you want to be successful with whatever home project that you want to accomplish.

Planning- With the right tools and the right skills, all you need now is the ability to plan all of the tasks that you need to do. Just look around at your place and look for the tasks that have to be done. Once you have identified that you can start working on it right away.

August 23, 2012 · Tagged with

Arts and Craft

Your first crafting job – How to make a breadbox

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Congratulations for finally deciding on building your very own crafting project.  You would be starting to explore a wonderful of handicraft and this is just the start. Your choice of starting with making a breadbox is an excellent one. These boxes are relatively small and easy to construct as compared with other projects. It would also not require a great amount of woodworking skills or experience.

A breadbox is more than just a storage space for baked products. It is also useful for preventing these products from going stale too soon and for reducing the amount of clutter that you might have in the kitchen.

  1. You will need 2 pieces of wood that are 12 inch x 15 inch x1/4 inch, 2 pieces of wood that are 12 inch x 9 inch x1/4 inch and some wood glue, 2 pieces of wood that are 12 inch x 18inch x1inch 2 pieces, 2 hinges, knob and some screws.
  2. Lay one of the 12 inch x 15 inch pieces of wood in front of you. Put some wood glue on the side of the piece and be careful not to be too messy.
  3. Now place that are 12 inch x 9 inch pieces of wood to the side of the piece where you have applied the glue to form a U shape that is nine inches high.
  4. Put some glue on the U-shaped piece, at its bottom. Place the 18 inch piece of wood on the table and take the U shaped one that you have then press it down on the piece that is on the table. Now take the other 18 inch piece, apply some glue to it and then press it down on the other side.
  5. Allow the glue to dry for a couple of house.
  6. Once the glue has dried, then you can start applying the hinges to the piece and then attaching the last piece of wood that you have to it.
  7. You can then attach the knob and other decorative pieces that you would like to place on it. There are some ready breadbox pieces that you can get which can save you time.
  8. Now your box is ready to use.

Maple would look really good for this kind of project. Now you have to remember that once mould gets to wood, it would be very difficult to get rid of them. It is therefore important that you do not allow bread to grow mouldy inside the box.

August 9, 2012 · Tagged with