Tools in The Self-Employed Man

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Hang a Heavy Thing on a Wall So It Stays There

Weigh it, find out what the wall actually is, pick the right fastener, and drill in the right order. The mirror doesn't have to come down at 2am.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

How to jump-start a car without wrecking either battery

The order of the clamps matters, the last one doesn't go where you think, and a jump start doesn't actually charge anything.

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Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

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.

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Skills6 min read

Hang something heavy so it stays on the wall for good

Weigh it, find the stud, pick the right anchor, and drill once. The whole job in the order it's actually done.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

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

Read a Tape Measure Without Counting the Little Lines

The fractions, the sliding hook, the red numbers, and the one mistake that ruins more cuts than bad math.

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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.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Patching Drywall So Nobody Can Tell Where the Hole Was

The patch is the easy part. What gives amateurs away is the feathering, the primer and the light coming down the wall.

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.

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What should I wear to this?

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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.

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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

What was your first ever job?

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar1 Sept 20262 min

Changing a wheel at the roadside, in the right order

The order matters more than the strength. Get it wrong and the car comes off the jack.

BRO TakeBe a ManMarcus Vale23 Sept 20265 min

Apologize for what you did, never for what you are

Men have picked up a reflex of shrinking on request. Real apology is a tool worth keeping. The hedging is dead weight, and it costs you more than you think.

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GuideBRO for HerNina Castellan23 Sept 20266 min

What a syringe, a laser and a peel each actually do

Three tools for three different problems, plus the questions that separate a good injector from an expensive one.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Home6 min

The Asbestos You Can Live With and the Kind That Stops Work

Woodworking6 min

The first ten minutes after something hits your eye

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Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideCountry BroCal Brennan23 Sept 20266 min

The lift that wrecks your back is the last one of the day

Eighty-pound bags, feed sacks and awkward loads will find the weak link eventually. Fix your technique, then buy the machine that does it for you.

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Gadgets6 min read

Gadgets Worth Owning That Nobody Writes About

The stud finder that actually finds studs, the battery tester that ends the drawer of maybes, and seven more tools that never make the roundups.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

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