Maintenance in Home & Garage

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How to stop a dripping tap in fifteen minutes

Water off, handle off, washer out, washer in. The job is small. The mistakes are the expensive part.

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.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideAutosDean Shaw22 Sept 20266 min

What it really takes to get a car past 250,000 miles

Most cars die of neglected fluids and small leaks, not worn-out engines. The schedule that prevents it's shorter than you think.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

Skills6 min read

The six multimeter checks that solve most problems

A multimeter does forty things. You'll use six of them, and they cover almost every dead battery, dead outlet and dead appliance you'll meet.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

How to wire a plug properly, and when to leave it alone

Brown right, blue left, earth on top, and a fuse that matches the appliance. The rest is knowing which jobs aren't yours.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Jumping a dead mower without frying the battery

A flat mower battery is a twenty-minute fix if you do it in the right order, and an expensive one if you don't.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Unblock the drain yourself before you pay somebody

Most household blockages are within two feet of the plughole and clear in under an hour with a plunger, a bucket and a bit of patience.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Sharpen a knife properly with what's already in your house

No fancy stones, no gadget clamps. A marker pen, something flat, and twenty minutes gets you a knife that slices paper.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

The wiring jobs worth doing yourself and the ones that aren't

Swapping a switch, a receptacle or a light fixture is within reach for most people. Knowing which jobs to hand off is the part that keeps you safe.

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideSkillsDean Shaw22 Sept 20266 min

Changing a tire in the dark and the rain

The wheel is the easy part. Where you stop, where your family stands and how you light the job are what actually keep you safe.

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

PartnerDude.com

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

How to jump-start a car without wrecking the electronics

The order of the clamps matters, the ground point matters, and three minutes of patience saves a control module.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

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