Tools in The Self-Employed Man

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The Lift That Wrecks You Won't Be the Heavy One

Feed sacks, gates and the last load of the day do more damage than anything truly heavy. What to change in the barn and on the site.

GuideTools & OrganizingDean Shaw23 Sept 20265 min

Shed Kit or Build From Scratch, and What Each Costs

The foundation isn't in the box, the door is always too small, and one of these two routes will cost you a month of Saturdays.

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Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Your fingers go white in the cold and that's the tool talking

Vibration white finger creeps up on weekend builders too, and by the time you notice it, most of the damage is already permanent.

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

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BRO for Her5 min read

The starter toolkit and five repairs you can finish this weekend

A running toilet costs a few dollars in parts and twenty minutes of your Saturday. Buy these tools once and stop paying somebody to do it.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideTools & OrganizingNina Castellan23 Sept 20266 min

The Home Tool Kit Every Woman Should Own and Where to Keep It

Twelve tools, about $350, and a hall closet shelf beats a garage full of stuff you'll never carry upstairs.

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

When Something Hits Your Eye in the Shop, Do This First

Flushing, shielding, and knowing which injuries can wait until Monday and which ones can't wait an hour.

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

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GuideBRO for HerNina Castellan23 Sept 20266 min

What it actually takes to get into the trades

Apprenticeship instead of debt, the tools you buy first, and the parts of the job nobody warns you about before week one.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideTools & OrganizingDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Build a Real Sauna in a Shed or Basement Corner

A 5x7 hot room, what the wall assembly has to be, which heater to buy, and the hidden cost that wrecks most shed conversions.

GuideWoodworkingDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Build a cedar sauna bench and a backrest worth leaning on

Every fastener goes underneath, every edge gets rounded over, and nothing gets a finish. The rest is just careful ripping.

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

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GuideBRO SeniorsMarcus Vale23 Sept 20266 min

How to hand down tools, land and heirlooms without a fight

The estate fight almost never starts over money. It starts over a hand plane worth sixty dollars and a promise nobody wrote down.

Ivermectin.com — Tracked USPS delivery, no clinic visit

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GuideTools & OrganizingDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Five Weekend Projects That Add Real Value to Your Home

Water first, front door second, attic third. What each one costs, what to rent, and the project you should not start on a Saturday.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideWoodworkingDean Shaw23 Sept 20265 min

Cheap tools that work and cheap tools that'll waste your wood

A $60 circular saw with a good blade cuts cleaner than a $200 one running the junk it shipped with. Where to save, where to spend, and what to buy first.

GuideFoodWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

Dice an onion right and the rest of the board gets easy

Three cuts, two hands, one sharp knife. Get the onion right and carrots, garlic and chicken all stop being a fight.

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

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GuideTools & OrganizingDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

Firepit Saturday, Bench Sunday, Outdoor Kitchen Next Month

Three backyard builds in the order that actually makes sense, with real materials lists, honest costs, and the clearance numbers people skip.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Woodworking6 min

Five tools, five projects, and the order to do them in

Gear6 min

Size the generator for the fridge, not the whole house

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Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideTools & OrganizingDean Shaw23 Sept 20267 min

How to Lay Out a Real Shop in a One-Car Garage

Twelve by twenty-two feet is enough room to build furniture, if you chalk the floor before you buy a single tool.</title> <dek>Twelve by twenty-two feet is enough to build furniture in, if you chalk the floor before you buy a single tool.