Tools in The Self-Employed Man

Only Tools: the latest headlines first, then BRO’s own Tools stories and video. All of Self-Employed Men →

Lay Vinyl Plank In A Weekend Without Buckling It By July

Four hundred square feet, a hook blade, and a quarter inch of gap all the way around. The prep on Friday night is what makes Sunday work.

GuideTools & OrganizingDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

The 20 Tools Every Homeowner Needs and What to Pay for Each

Spend where your hands go every time, save where they don't, and rent the rest. Real brands, real price ranges, and the four you shouldn't buy at all.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Buy the right table saw and stop being scared of it

The blade isn't what gets most people. Kickback is. Pick the saw that fits your shop, set it up right, and work the machine with confidence.

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

PartnerDude.com

Home6 min read

Mow High, Water Deep, Skip the Chemical Program

The cheapest weed control you own is your mower deck height, and most lawns are cut two inches too short.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideTools & OrganizingDean Shaw23 Sept 20266 min

How to Pick a Cordless Tool Platform You Won't Regret

You're not buying a drill. You're buying a battery mount you'll live with for a decade, so pick it on purpose and buy in cheap.

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Stick, MIG or TIG, and Which One to Learn First

Three processes, one garage, and a straight answer about which arc belongs in your hands the first weekend.

Ivermectin.com — Tracked USPS delivery, no clinic visit

PartnerIvermectin.com

GuidePreparednessWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Rice, Beans and a Mylar Bag That Actually Seals

Two weeks of food first, then the buckets. What really keeps thirty years, what quietly goes rancid, and the five-dollar tool that seals it.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Five Bushcraft Tools You Actually Need First

Skip the gear rabbit hole. A $20 knife, a folding saw and eight hours of practice will get you further than a truckload of kit.

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Build a picnic table with your kids in one weekend

Five boards for the top, four bolts per leg, and a job list a seven-year-old can actually do without you hovering.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

Ask it

GuideHomeWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Stop the Squeaky Floor and the Door That Won't Shut

Most squeaks are one loose nail and most sticky doors are one loose hinge. Both are an afternoon's work, and both tell you something if they aren't.

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

PartnerCoconut.com

GuideYoung MenSam Ortiz23 Sept 20266 min

Sign the lease, stock the freezer, own a wrench

The four things that decide whether your first year on your own goes smoothly, and the exact clauses, groceries and tools that make it work.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Cutting, drilling and filing steel without wrecking the bit

Steel punishes the habits wood forgives. Slow down, clamp harder, add oil, and a $25 file will do work you'll be proud of.

GuideHomeWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

A Green Lawn Without the Four-Step Program

Most of what a bagged lawn program sells you is a fix for damage your mower did. Raise the deck, water less often, and keep the money.

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

PartnerCancerDefying.com

Guide100 ThingsSam Ortiz23 Sept 20266 min

100 Things Every Young Man Should Own by Thirty

A 16-ounce hammer, a suit that fits in the shoulders, a will, and 97 other things worth having before the decade turns over.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

Woodworking6 min

Router basics that keep your edges clean and your dados tight

Home6 min

The Weekend Vinyl Plank Floor That Still Looks Right in Year Five

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

Guide100 ThingsDean Shaw23 Sept 20267 min

100 Things Every Driver Should Know and Keep in the Truck

Your spare is probably flat. Work down this list once and you'll never be the guy standing on the shoulder waiting three hours for a wrecker.

PartnerCancerDefying.com

Woodworking6 min read

Your first bowl on a lathe and what goes wrong

Pick the right chunk of wood, mount it so it stays put, and cut in the one direction that doesn't tear the grain.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

Older articles