March 23, 2011 AsktheBuilder Tips And Newsletter

Whats in This Newletter?

Latest News
Testing Irwin Tools
AsktheBuilder On Facebook
Custom Wood-Stain Colors
Step-by-Step Photo Guides
Latest Columns & Videos

Remember, Do it Right, Not Over!

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Latest News

It feels like a Tuesday to me because Monday felt like a Sunday. Why? I was traveling back from an IRWIN Tools Editors Conference all day Monday. There aren't many flight choices from Tri-Cities airport in Tennessee so I was traveling much of the day. I ended the day doing doughnuts on icy I-93 in a heavy snowstorm. Good thing everyone was 1/4-mile behind me so we wouldn't play bumper cars.

It was a busy weekend that centered around the Bristol Motor Speedway. I'd never been to a NASCAR race and from what I've now discovered, going to Thunder Valley to this Cathedral of Speed is one great place to experience a race. The noise was deafening. I've been told a ticket to BMS is one of the most sought-after tickets in NASCAR.

By Monday, my brain was mush. I was tired from the action-packed weekend. I had to endure a grueling 3-hour layover in Detroit with two other editors that were headed back to New Hampshire with me. The last flight home was in a Delta Sardine Tube. Fred Purifoy II was our flight attendant and he totally scammed me in a good way.

His fantastic wit and sense of humor totally caught me off guard as we were pushing back from the gate. With pencil in hand and writing on a piece of official paper that looked like a checklist, he quietly and seriously asked the aisle passengers if they would prefer lobster or steak. Not paying attention to what he was doing, I did a double take when he addressed me. It was the last thing I expected him to ask me. Keep up that humor Fred, we need MORE flight attendants like you!

Testing IRWIN Tools

Irwin Tools logo On Saturday, part of the conference was a hands-on demonstration of some of the IRWIN tools. I really enjoy these events where you get to test the tools in real life.

One of the things I played with was the cobalt uni-bit. This is a must-have drill bit if you find yourself needing to drill perfect holes in thin metal. The advantage of the uni-bit is that this one simple bit, shaped like an ice-cream cone, allows you to drill the pilot hole and the exact-sized hole without ever changing the bit! This bit has been around for a while, but not many know about it.

http://go.askthebuilder.com/IrwinUnibit

That's an affiliate link. If you decide to buy that bit, I get a very small commission from Amazon.

They also demonstrated a carbide circular saw blade that could cut through nail after nail after nail without hardly dulling at all. They did a side-by-side comparison with a competitor's blade and it couldn't cut as many nails and practically burned up the saw it got so dull.

http://go.askthebuilder.com/IrwinSawBlade

That's another affiliate link. If you decide to buy that blade, I get a very small commission from Amazon.

I'll be producing some videos in April of many of the tools I saw and used. I really believe you'll like the videos and the tools!

AsktheBuilder on Facebook

Have you become a fan of my AsktheBuilder Facebook page yet? It's so simple. All you have to do is click the Like button once there.

http://www.facebook.com/AsktheBuilder

Here's what you missed this past week by not being a fan. Remember, you get alerts on your Facebook page when something's going on at my fan page.

I helped Kimberley make the right choice about vinyl siding on her new home.

Betsy got some advice from me on how to fix a tile counter top issue.

I tried to help Izak with his water-heater pilot light that keeps going out.

Many people guessed correctly what the thing was in the photo I uploaded. We play that game each week.

You should seriously consider joining us for all the updates and fun at my fan page.

Custom Wood-Stain Colors

Marie from Oak Harbor, WA emailed me asking:

"Can two different paint stains be mixed together to make desired stain? I am trying to match a cabinet door to remodel my unfinished doors. I have watched your wood conditioner video. I took the cabinet to a paint store. He can't seem to match the color of the door."

Marie, you bet you can mix two colors together. What's more, if you still don't get it right, it's possible to add pigments or colors to the urethane or varnish that you use over the wood.

I had to do that once where the wood trim in the house we were working on had a slight reddish-brown color. We got really close, but the new trim needed just a touch of red. I added some red pigment to the urethane and nailed the color perfectly. We then put on two clear coats over the wood and you'd never know that our trim wasn't installed 90 years ago. Good luck on your project!

Step-by-Step Photo Guides

Last week, you told me what step-by-step color photo guides you need with respect to plumbing. Now I'm opening it up to all topics.

What do you struggle with? If you could wave a magic wand and there in front of you were step-by-step photos of a small project, what would it be? You can enter what you want in the survey below.

This survey is now closed. While on this subject, would you help me by taking a quick three-question survey about how you might view and use one of my eGuides? Please go here for the survey: Tablet Use

Today and tomorrow, I'm creating three of these color photo guides. These are pretty specific, but they will help some. One is showing you how to cut a precise hole in a kitchen island cabinet for an electrical box. You can't afford to make a mistake and ruin the cabinet. The other two will show how to attach the decorative panels on integrated refrigerators and freezers.