Tools in Autos

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Build a real workbench from two sheets of plywood

A 67-inch bench with a shelf, a clamping overhang and no wobble, cut from two 4x8 sheets in a single Saturday.

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Start with a cutting board, not a bookshelf

Hard maple, six strips, one bottle of Titebond III, and the mistake that doesn't show up until you oil it.

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What should I wear to this?

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GuideGearDean Shaw22 Sept 20266 min

The Pocket Knife You'll Still Be Carrying In Ten Years

Steel gets all the attention. Weight, pocket manners and whether you can take it apart are what decide if a knife survives a decade.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

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Woodworking6 min read

Bringing a rusty Stanley No. 4 back to work

A car boot plane, a sheet of 80 grit and an evening at the bench will out-cut most of what's sold new in the shops.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The mower that won't start, and the order to check it

Nine times in ten it's the fuel, not the engine. A working order for diagnosis, and the point where you stop and buy a new machine.

GuideGearDean Shaw22 Sept 20266 min

The truck kit that handles almost every roadside problem

Four failures cause most breakdowns. Build for those, spend where it matters, and leave the rest on the shelf.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

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GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Turning a storage garage into a working shop

Light, power, wall space and one bench you can always get to. The order you do it in decides whether anything ever gets finished.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Build the workbench first, and buy only four tools

Skip the floating shelves. Your first project should be a flat surface at the right height, and it takes four tools to build it.

GuideGearDean Shaw17 Sept 20262 min

Where "buy cheap, buy twice" is true — and where it's nonsense

Some tools genuinely justify the money. Plenty don't, and the difference is usually how often you use it.

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Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Measure and Mark So the Cut Is Right the First Time

Most bad cuts aren't saw problems. They're marking problems, and every one of them is fixable in about ten seconds.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Build a sawbench first, then build everything else on it

Two boards, a box of screws, and four tools you'll keep for thirty years. The best first project isn't a birdhouse — it's the thing you'll work on.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Everything I Do Differently After the Shop Hurt Me

Nobody gets hurt on the hard job. You get hurt on the easy cut, at the end of the day, on the tool you've used ten thousand times.

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Raise a burr, and the rest of sharpening follows

One skill, one piece of feedback, and about fifteen minutes to learn it. After that your chisels, kitchen knives and axe all get easier.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

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GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Build a garage workshop you'll use on a Tuesday night

Most home shops fail for one reason: starting takes too long. Fix that first, and the tools take care of themselves.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

Woodworking6 min

Build a tool tote first, and buy these five tools

Country Bro7 min

Set up the block so your worst swing hits wood, not your shin

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Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar3 Oct 20267 min

Sweating a Copper Joint Is Mostly About Getting the Water Out

The torch is the easy part. A dry pipe and clean metal decide whether the joint holds, and most first-timers skip both.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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Self-Employed Women6 min read

Your home is your office now, so own a real drill

Every jammed disposal and sagging shelf costs a home business a morning. A dozen basic tools, and what each one actually does, fix most of it.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

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