Tools in The Self-Employed Man

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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.

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawNov 8, 20266 min

Buy the brad nailer first. The framing gun can wait.

A nail gun saves hours on the right job and wrecks the wrong one. Here's how to tell which is which, what to pay, and when to rent.

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideGadgetsDean ShawNov 8, 20265 min

Buy the drill battery for the job you do on a Saturday

12 volts or 18? Big amp-hours or small? Match the pack to your actual weekends and you'll spend less and carry less.

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

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Woodworking5 min read

Four chisels and a handle that fits your hand

Skip the twelve-piece roll. Four bevel-edge chisels and a handle you can hold at nine at night will do almost everything a home shop asks.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideScience & SpaceDean ShawNov 8, 20266 min

What a Chainsaw Chain Is Really Doing, and What Dulls It

Wood is softer than you'd think on steel. Dirt is the real enemy, and the sawdust tells you whether your chain is sharp.

GuideGearWes DunbarNov 7, 20265 min

Your work belt doesn't sag because it's cheap. It sags because it's loaded wrong.

Before you spend a dime on a new tool belt, find out what's actually dragging your pants down. Then buy the belt that fixes it.

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GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarNov 7, 20265 min

Make your own mallet, and keep steel off your chisels

A hardwood mallet takes one afternoon and a board you can buy for the price of a pizza. It's also the best first lesson in joinery you'll get.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawNov 7, 20266 min

Most stripped screws are the wrong driver, not bad luck

A #2 Phillips in a Pozidriv screw will chew it up. Here's which tip goes where, what a decent set costs, and which cheap sets are worth it.

GuideHobbiesDean ShawNov 7, 20265 min

The Best Tools at an Estate Sale Cost Almost Nothing

A rusty hand plane, forty dollars of supplies and one Saturday morning. Here's how to turn a dead man's garage into your best hobby.

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

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GuideScience & SpaceDean ShawNov 7, 20265 min

A magnet never wears out. It just gets scrambled

Holding weight doesn't drain a magnet. Heat, knocks and bad company do, and sometimes you can get the strength back.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarNov 6, 20266 min

Your window's stuck. Find out why before you reach for a hammer

Paint, swollen wood, dirty tracks or dead hardware: four causes, one right order, and about thirty dollars in tools.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarNov 6, 20265 min

Strop often, stone rarely, and know which one you need

A strop keeps a good edge alive for weeks. It can't rescue a dull one. Learn the difference before you ruin a chisel's bevel.

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawNov 6, 20265 min

Four pliers do the work. The rest are drawer clutter.

Most of what's in your junk drawer was bought for one job and never touched again. Here are the four that earn their space, and what to pay.

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

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StoryOld SchoolNina CastellanNov 6, 20265 min

The nail by the door and other rules from Grandpa's shop

Painted outlines, a sweep before supper and one firm rule about lending. What a one-car garage taught me about order, safety and other people's property.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Hobbies6 min

A Cutting Board Is the Right First Woodworking Project

Country Bro5 min

The auger does the digging. Your job isn't to fight it.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideCivicsMarcus ValeNov 6, 20266 min

Voters can recall a governor in 19 states, not a senator

Recall is a power you hold at the state and local level only. Here's who it reaches, what it takes, and when it's the wrong tool.

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

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Gear5 min read

Buy the chain saw for the biggest tree you'll actually cut

Most people overbuy for the one big storm or underbuy for the whole property. Here's how to match the saw to the work, and when the cheap one is fine.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

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