WHAT DAD WANTS FOR FATHERS DAY

Every Dad needs tools. You may think that he has enough, but I assure you he doesn’t. What’s in your Dads tool box? Here are some suggestions for the basic tool box.

Every Dad needs a cordless drill! These are about the handiest thing ever. You can find them for pretty cheep; however you get what you pay for. The less expensive models usually don’t have as much torque (turning power) for one thing. This means it won’t have enough power to do most jobs. The other problem with cheap drills is that the chargers don’t shut off when the charging is done. If you set it to charge and forget about it over night the batteries might be ruined. I have 2 different types of cordless drills, and I like them both a lot. The first is an older Ridged model. It’s got all the power you’ll ever need, but it’s big and heavy. The other is a Makita 10volt micro. Really I bought it for my wife. (It’s not pink, so I can use it) It doesn’t have the power to put in 4” screws, but it is small and light, and it fits just about anywhere you need to get.

A good measuring tape, you need one for just about every project. I prefer the Sanely FatMax series; they are wider than most other brands, so the extend farther without “breaking” making measuring longer distances without help easier. The FatMax also seem to hold up better than most other tapes.

A good set of screw drivers, wrenches, and sockets are mandatory. If you want anything fixed, you better make sure that he has them. I don’t have a brand to recommend for these. The affordable ones break easily and the good ones are way too expensive. Decide this purchase based on how much they will get used.

The list of tools is endless; tools needed to work on cars are different from tools needed for wood working, or home repair. Find out what kinds of things your Dad is into and buy him tools for Fathers day.

Of course you can’t forget the hammer; this is the failsafe way to fix anything. If you can’t get it to work, smack it a few times. If it still doesn’t work --- it’s broken. :o)

NOW SIMPLE QUESTIONS ARE FREE on HONEYDOHOWTO.com !



Questions like, Do I need gravel under my shed? or How do I figure out how much concrete do I need? Maybe, How many 2x4's do I need to build bedrooms in my basement? These types of questions I can answer for nothing.



The types of question that I will be charging for are a bit more complicated. IE. How do I add on to my deck? My answer will depend on how much help you are looking for. I can give you general tips on how to do it, or step by step directions. I am always just an email away from getting you on track with your project.



I know that there are allot of you out there that have plans for what to do with your house or yard. Projects can seem so overwhelming, trust me I know. Its taking that first step of actually starting that's the hardest.



Remember, if it was that easy you would hire the neighbor kids to do it :)

The proper drill bit for the job.
There are many types of drill bits, it can be confusing as to which one is the right bit for the job. Today I want to show you the different types of bits, and there uses.
First, know there is a bit made for whatever you need to put a hole in.
The most common drill bit is the standard metal cutting bit. These bits are very versatile. They work well in just about every material such as metal, plastics, and wood, up to about ¾” in diameter.
There are other types of bits that are made for drilling through metal. Step drills are one of my favorite. They can be used to drill many different diameter holes. The one draw back is they will only drill through material up to about ¼”. There are also hole-saws made for metal, they are expensive comparatively, but they work well for holes smaller than 3” in diameter and less than 1/16” thick.
Drilling through wood you have more options. Typically you will be drilling larger diameter holes in wood than in metal. Paddle bits are fast and readily available. They work well for holes 1 ½” diameter x 1 ½” deep and smaller. Auger bits will do the same diameter as paddle bits but drill much deeper, so drilling through thicker materials is much easer. If however you need holes larger than 1 ½”, hole-saws are the best way to go. These like the rest have there limitations. I personally would not try a hole-saw larger than 3”. For holes larger than 3” you are better off using a jig saw.
Plastics fall between metal and wood, if the bit will drill metal or wood it will drill plastic.
Thanks for reading, and remember, You can do it, and I can help.

Dress up your kitchen for CHEAP!

Installing new cabinet pulls is one of the best and easiest ways to dress up your kitchen or bathroom. Pulls also keep your cabinets cleaner and looking newer, becuase you don't touch the door with grimy fingers. Often you can find pulls priced less that $1 ea (look for multi packs), of course you can spend much more than that too.

Once you have chosen your pulls, installation is pretty easy. First you need to decide on the placement of the pulls. Typically the pulls should be placed on the corner of doors closest to your waist on the unhinged side. On drawers, the pulls should be centered in the top third of the drawer face. Laying out each hole individually takes a long time, and it is also really easy to make a mistake on the measurements. As little as a sixteenth of an inch off in placement will be a glaring, permanate mistake when all your pulls don't line up. There are a few ways to ensure that you pulls are placed perfectly, for small jobs (less than 15 pulls)you can make a paper template, for large jobs, i prefer to make a jig.

Making a paper template saves time (because you only lay the holes out once.) If you choose this option, use a crisp peice of paper and align the top and one side of the paper with the top and one side of the cabinet door or drawer front. Draw an X on the paper where you want the screws to be, then poke a hole through the X with a pencil. Place the template on the door or drawer face, using the paper edges as your guide. You can to tape the template on, or simply hold it in place long enough to mark the surface through the holes in the paper. I recommend that you mark ALL of your pull locations BEFORE you drill. That way you can step back and make sure you have the placement correct BEFORE you make a permanate change to your cabinets. When you are satisfied with the locations you have marked for your pulls, drill the holes and screw on your new cabinet pulls. Use a drill bit slightly larger than the screws (but no more than 1/16 of an inch larger.) **NOTE** Always drill from the outside of the cabinet, this will keep the wood from splitting on the visible side. Make it fun and be happy.

If you are installing a large number of pulls, building a jig will make you project go even faster than paper templates. Contact me at www.honeydohowto.com for instructions to build a jig for your project.

The problem with your lawn may be your mower

What causes those white tips on your blades of grass? Or the grass to laydown insted of staying upright when you mow? This is a sure sign that your lawnmower blade needs to be sharpened and balanced. This is a simple problem to remedy.
You must remove the blade from the mower to sharpen and balance it. To remove the blade, and save your back, place the lawn mower on an elevated surface, such as a pair of saw horses. Place the mower so that you have access to the blade. To remove the locking nut, you need to find a way to hold the blade while you turn the nut. DO NOT HOLD IT WITH YOUR HANDS (EVEN WEARING GLOVES), THIS MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY... remember its harder to mow when your missing a hand. You may, however, use a large screw driver or a pry bar braced against the under side of the mower. NOTE: some models will have reverse threads, meaning that you need to turn the nut clockwise to loosen instead of counterclockwise. (that's right instead of left for all you digital clock owners.) You can tell by looking at the threads on the shaft. If the threads lean down and to the left then turn the nut counterclockwise. Down and to the right, turn clockwise. Or, not recomended, you can simply crank on it untill it strips or breakes, then you know you should have gone the other way.
Once you have the blade off, it's time to sharpen. You may choose to use a file or a grinder, perhaps even a stationary sanding machine. Try to match the angel that is already established on the blade. Be careful with the sharpened edge, taking care not to cut yourself, cutting is bad.
Now that the blade is sharp, you need to get it balanced. If you don't balance the blade it may damage your mower by causeing the shaft to vibrate. Check the balacnce by threading the crook of a clothes hanger (plastic hangers work well) through the hole for the shaft in the center of the blade. Holding the hanger upsidedown, eyeball the suspended blade. (you can compare the straight edge of the blade with a straight horizontal edge in the distance) If the blade is unbalanced it will not hang level. Remove the blade form your home-made hanger scale, and file or grind a little at a time off of the heavy side. Re check for balacne often until it sits level.
Now put the blade back on the mower. Make sure the locking nut is good and tight so the blade wont come off while you are cutting the lawn. That's it, your done, now go mow the lawn you slacker!