Oaken Gearbox

Although conventional wisdom (or at least a window salesman) would say that replacing will always save you money, that isn't necessarily true, and depends on a lot of factors, including the condition of your windows,  the cost and type of fuel available in your area,  and not least your climate. Read on for the actual results I've gotten from both new windows and rebuilt origin My suburban Minneapolis story and a half, like many thousands of others that popped up during the post WWII baby boom was built with the traditional double-hung, single pane windows and removable wood-framed screens and storms, each one custom fit and labeled in neat black sharpie for its parent window, NE Bedroom, for example, or Kitchen Sink. Although it is well documented that low-e glass, double pane windows allow less heat to escape your home and don't require the screens and storms to be swapped every spring and fall, that doesn't necessarily mean they are the best energy invest...

I grew up building fences. Pounding steel posts into the ground and stringing wire fencing was one of the better jobs on the farm. This fall I decided to fence in my small city lot, but my wife wanted something a little nicer than barbwire. I flat out refused a white picket, so we compromised on a scallop top picket board fence. I opted to use 4x4 green-treated posts, five quarter decking boards ripped in half to 3" wide for stringers, and 1x4's for the pickets. Some online research and conversations with friends indicated that recommended post spacing was 4 to 8 feet. I opted for 8 ft spacing, which seems sufficient for my 4 foot high fence. Tools Needed Gas-Powered Auger Manual Post hole diggers Spud Bar Circular saw Drill Router (optional) Level Step 1: Design your fence Decide: How far to space your posts How wide to make your pickets and how far to space them Where your gates will go, so you can set hinge posts Step 2: Plan your fence Thi...

Nothing beats the smell of a freshly cut 2x4. Seriously, it's the one of the best smells on earth, and when you catch a whiff of that smell and hear the high pitched whine of an electric saw on a sunny Saturday afternoon it means times are good. Two-by-fours are generally used for construction, but they are good for a whole lot more than just building houses. You may have to spend a few minutes sorting through the bin at your local big box hardware store for good, straight boards without a lot of knots, but its time well spent. Two-by-fours are cheap, sturdy, and easy to work with. You may not end up with an heirloom quality piece that will be passed on for generations, but for less than $20 in materials and a long weekend you can construct some basic furniture that far surpasses what's available at Ikea or Target. Take this small kitchen table I built to go next to our gas range for example. Materials 2 2x4's 1 3/4" x 5" board 1 16 x 36" pine ...

I really don't like going to Ikea; I like buying furniture from Ikea even less. The craftsman in me detests the functional but charmless lack of detail work, like box or dovetail joints, that really make a simple piece of furniture stand out. The hipster in me hates thinking, "Hey, I have that bookshelf." every time I visit a friend's apartment. But most of all, the cheapskate in me can't live with the fact that I could have made a better piece for half the cost. Below is my alternative to flimsy Ikea shelves. Total cost: $20 Time to complete: A Saturday afternoon Materials: 4 2x4's 6 boards for shelves. I used the 9 1/2" x 24" ones from Ikea (but the joke's on me, because they've already started sagging) Edge-joining two boards for each shelf as described in a previous post would be a better, if more time-consuming solution. A box of screws Wood Glue (I use Titebond) Stain, paint, varnish, etc. Tools: Tablesaw Drill...