Good Morning! This is going to be an abbreviated newsletter because I'm nutso busy. Yesterday, I worked the scenic train finishing up my training as a conductor and got to do something very, very cool, but with huge responsibility. We did a push back. The rail line is like a road, but in your car, Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Can asphalt drive be covered with crushed rock Make sure there are 4-6 inches of angular stone A thin layer of stone will eventually expose asphalt The new stone will not interlock with the asphalt Karen Cesar, who lives in sunny and warm Tuscon, AZ, is getting ready to tackle a paving Read More »
Simple Common Roof Rafters Quick Column Summary: How do you create a roof rafter You need 4 simple tools and geometry How to determine your roof slope DEAR TIM: I'm now retired and starting to attack a huge list of projects. One of them is building a simple shed and I have no clue how Read More »
I had to go with my daughter on Friday to buy two fitness bicycles - one for her and one for me. Then I had to go work on the train. I ran out of time to get you the Weekend Warrior Tip on Friday. Yesterday, I was up at 4:15 a.m. and out the Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Rotten egg smell in plumbing Is it in all the faucets Is it the municipal water supply An anonymous person named Free who lives in Lancaster, CA moved into a new mobile home park. He or she's got a problem with water odor: "My toilet smells like rotten eggs. The shower water Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Brick steps falling apart Can bricks be reused Why all brick are not the same Reuse the brick with special mortar Raimond Cheung was working on his brick steps at his house in Rego Park, NY and got stumped. Here's his question: "My old brick step is falling apart. I took a few Read More »
Glue Rocks Together - Use Magic Epoxy Below Quick Column Summary: Stacked rock sculpture What is the bonding material Use a rock/masonry epoxy Maurizio Magnani was perplexed after visiting a public park in Duarte, CA. Here's what he wrote to me: "I would like to build a river rocks assembly I saw at a nearby Read More »
This coming Saturday (June 21, 2014) those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will enjoy the most amount of sunlight in a 24-hour period while our under-equator allies struggle through the most amount of darkness in the same 24 hours. It's time for the solstice. For me, it's a sad day because the sun starts Read More »
Quick Column Summary: Need to fix a planter Can it be ground down and leveled Easier to start over Link to video series Barbara Mandese, who lives not to awful far from the San Andreas fault in Monterey, CA, reached out for a life preserver after throwing out her back mixing concrete. Read what her Read More »
This video provides a side-by-side test of two Briggs & Stratton engines. Wait till you hear the new one! The newer engine has the Quiet Power Technology that produces 65% less noise and less vibration. The two engines tested were close in size. The newer engine was quieter then the old one. That's a fact!
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