Tools in The Self-Employed Man

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Why Fences Lean, and How to Set Posts That Don't

A fence never fails at the pickets. It fails in the first eight inches of dirt below grade, and that part is decided on day one.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Changing your own oil without making a mess of it

The order to do it in, the two mistakes that dump five quarts on your driveway, and the parts nobody tells you to buy.

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What should I wear to this?

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

How to hang a door so it closes with one push

Most doors that stick were hung to a crooked frame. Set the hinge side plumb first and everything downstream gets easier.

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

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Skills6 min read

Unblock a drain without pouring a single chemical down it

The order matters more than the tools. Find out where the blockage actually is, then clear it with a plunger, a trap and a bit of patience.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The running toilet is a fifteen-minute fix, not a plumber call

Two parts cause almost every running toilet. You can tell which one in thirty seconds, and both cost under twenty dollars to replace.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

How to fix a dripping tap without calling a plumber

Nine times out of ten it's a worn washer or a spent cartridge, and the whole job runs on one adjustable spanner, a cloth and forty minutes.

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The firewood you split in April burns two winters later

Wood dries through the split faces and the ends, hardly at all through the bark. Everything else follows from that.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The six multimeter checks worth learning

A fully charged car battery reads 12.6 volts. Knowing what to do when it reads 12.4 is where the tool earns its keep.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

Bleeding a radiator properly, and what the cold spot means

Twenty minutes, a key that costs a couple of pounds, and an old towel. Plus how to tell trapped air from sludge before you waste a Saturday.

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Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Reading a tape measure without counting the lines twice

The marks, the wobbly hook, the trick for sixteenths, and the four mistakes that turn a good measurement into a bad cut.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

How to jump a dead mower and stop it dying again

Turn the key and listen before you touch a cable. The sound tells you whether this is a battery problem or a twenty-dollar problem.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Hang Something Heavy So It Never Comes Off The Wall

Studs, toggles, French cleats and the one test that tells you whether your wall can take the load at all.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Patching Drywall So the Repair Disappears

Three thin coats, a knife wider than you think you need, and the step almost everyone skips before they paint.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

How to stop a leaking tap in fifteen minutes

Most drips are a worn washer or a cracked cartridge, and both are a screwdriver job. The trick is knowing which one you have before you start.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

Skills6 min

Split it in spring or you'll burn wet wood in December

Skills6 min

How to jump a dead riding mower without frying the wiring

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Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20265 min

Read a tape measure right the first time

The marks, the sliding hook, the diamond at 19.2 and the one habit that stops you cutting a shelf a sixteenth short.

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

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Skills5 min read

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.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

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