Handyman tip for Do it yourselfers

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Tile Nip Ceramic tile jobs are in the realm of the adventurous home mechanic and small simple jobs require few special tools. Beside the basics a snap cutter and a pair of nippers will go a long way. The snap cutter is used to score the surface and then break the tile along the score line. The nippers are used for narrow or small irregular cuts. The tile can still be scored but then is nibbled away with the nippers. Curved cuts are possible with nippers but might take a couple tries. One more tool, a rubbing stone is used to smooth out a slightly rough-cut edge.

- Stephen Corwin

Quick Compass There are lots of ways to draw a circle and most of them involve a tool of some sort, usually a compass. There is the string and pencil method and the old "find something round the right size method". Next time you find yourself in need of a small diameter circle try this. Lay your hand out palm up. Hold something sharp (nail, screw) between the first and second finger with the pint down, next lay a pencil on top of index finger and hold it down with the thumb. Hold the point where you want the center of the circle and rotate the your hand while holding the pencil to the material. Try it, it's easier to do then explain.

- Stephen Corwin The Situation At Hand When doing any home repair project decisions must be made in regard to what is best for the situation at hand. Should things always be square, level and plumb? The truth is most things household aren't exact even when new and older homes are often more out of whack. When working with existing materials and surfaces the best approach is usually what looks best. A door cut off level when the floor slopes looks funny. Go with the floor and keep an even gap between the door and the floor. When things are out of square you can chase it around but it wont go away so learn to live it by working it into the project where it will have the least consequence.

- Stephen Corwin Brush Storage Paintbrushes are among the most misused tools. A good properly cared for brush should last a homeowner years. A poorly cared for brush will last one job and regardless of its price it was money wasted. Cleaning a brush thoroughly is not difficult but it takes a little time and effort. Start by dissolving the paint left in the brush. If it is latex paint clean up with water, if oil based paint use mineral spirits. Work the solvent thoroughly through the bristles all the way up to the heel and rinse well. Now spin or shake out the remaining solvent and put the brush back in its wrapper. If the wrapper is long gone wrap the brush in newspaper making sure to keep the bristles straight.

Electrical Tips Wiring is not out of the realm of homeowners as long as they have a good understanding of house wiring. There are a few mistakes that beginners make that can cause problems but usually just make things harder. When bringing a cable into a box the cable sheathing should be cut off so that it extends into the box just past the connector. Extra sheathing takes up space in the box and makes folding wires in difficult. When stripping insulation off a wire expose only enough wire to wrap around the screw and be sure the screw tightens down on the wire and not the insulation. Be consistent. Always bring the feed cable in the box through the same knock out that way later on there will be no guessing about what's hot and what's not.

- Stephen Corwin

Door Lingo Doors come in standard sizes but like many things the lingo may seem cryptic to the uninitiated. When referring to the size of a door the width is given first and the height second. Typically feet and inches are used as opposed to inches alone. If you needed a 32" door it would be specified as a 2'8". Height is pretty standard these days at 6' 8", so the door would be 2" 8" x 6' 8". It would be common to see this stated as a 2868 door. To keep things even simpler the 6' 8" is often left off as most doors are this height and it is assumed unless otherwise specified.

- Stephen Corwin Cased or Un? In the old days a carpenter built a doorjamb, installed the jamb, hung the door, cased the door, drilled for and installed the latch set, a lot of work. Today most doors are pre-hung and most of the work is done by the time the door gets to the job. Installing a pre-hung door is not too tough and can be handled by a homeowner with moderate skills. One decision to make with a pre-hung door is cased or uncased. The casing (trim) is already attached to a cased door while uncased means no trim. When things are plumb and square a cased door goes in easy, when things are a little out of kilter the uncased might be the best choice. Just one more thing to think about.

- Stephen Corwin

Oops! Pounding (driving) nails is an acquired skill and getting the nail in place with out leaving hammer marks of course is part of the skill part. When framing there is no consequence if you miss the nail but if it is finish work hammer marks are unacceptable. If you are still working on your skill level or are working in tough location use a nailing shield. Get the nail started then slide a notched cedar shim around the nail and finish the job. If you miss the shim gets the dent instead.

- Stephen Corwin All Over the House: Tupperware You don't have to work in the kitchen to find a use for Tupperware. The folks at Tupperware are known for their storage solutions. Well, you need to store stuff at your work area -- in the garage, around and in your work bench, at the work site, in the attic, the basement, the truck you use for trips to the hardware store, you name it!

If you're working on a home repair project, Tupperware containers are great for storing the screws, bolts, nails, drill bits, and so forth that you'll need -- they'll be in a handy place without danger of loss until you need 'em. And if you'll be removing screws, picture hangers, or other small parts that you'll re-use, Tupperware also provides a storage solution. Whether your project is in the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, the dining room -- you get the idea.

And right now is a great time to buy Tupperware: For a limited time, if you buy $50 in Tupperware products, you can pick among a number of Tupperware sets to receive for free!

Click here to check out the bargains at Tupperware. click.emazing.com/ads/tup.../home.html

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2002


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