Alright today on Repairs101 I’ve got a bunch of random handyman hacks for you on a variety of subjects.
This episode of Repairs101 is sponsored by Princess Auto.
Random
You can check all the lights on your car by checking your reflection in a window. It’s especially easy to do at night.
Now if you don’t drain and disassemble your chainsaw every time you put it away: it’s best to store them so that they’re on their sides with the gas and oil caps facing up. That way you won’t be surprised by any leaky gaskets.
In 1981 I bought this handmade Japanese classical guitar and I instantly became interested in Japanese carpentry. Soon after that I bought this pull saw. As it turns out you have much greater control over a saw if you pull it rather than push it.
A hacksaw blade can be turned around to accomplish this. Or you can just simply give it a try by turning the entire saw around.
Always write the date and milage on your oil filters using a paint pen or a Sharpie. Like you see me doing here.
Handyman
Legendary Canadian Outdoorsman Red Green calls it the Handyman’s Secret Weapon. I’ve heard it called Duct Tape, Duck Tape, Chicken Tape and Hundred Mile an Hour Tape. But if you’re a serious handyman you’ll want to use Gorilla Tape. Hashtag mic-drop.
If you’re doing some interior painting and you want to work efficiently without wasting any paint remember the mantra ROLL – CUT – ROLL . First roll on a base coat and get everywhere you can with the roller. Next cut the corners, the doors and window frames. Finally roll a second coat to finish up.
Store your zap straps neatly in an old Seven Eleven Big Gulp Sport Cup.
If you have a roll cab tool cabinet you should never open more than one drawer at a time because it could tip over on you. Furthermore when moving your roll cabinet – PUSH it! In fact you should avoid pulling it at all costs as it could run over your foot or even fall on you.
All you need is some stainless steel baling wire and a source of bamboo or similar sticks and you can whip together a gate or a section of fence in no time.
Hacks
This pup tent paint booth is perfect for a dust free windless environment to spray paint even fairly large items. You can see here there’s velcro tabs to hold the door flap closed properly when you’re finished.
Worldwide every day more than twenty-five thousand workers report eye injuries sustained on the job. As many as one third of those people will seek emergency medical treatment.
Now here’s a must have for your jobsite. I made this rolling table saw bench out of a bunch of cheap wooden storage shelves, a couple of plank scraps and some hardware.
If you’ve got a shaky old washer like this one that tends to wander across the room… You can secure it by tagging its feet to the platform or to the floor with a piece of nylon webbing band.
These garage lights from Princess Auto screw into ordinary light sockets. But for the power of a sixty watt incandescent bulb you get the brightness of the sun. It’s truly a game-changer.
When you park your car be sure to remove the passenger side drive axle to prevent vehicle theft overnight. As you can see my neighbor did here.
