Tools in Trades & Careers

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Bringing a rusty Stanley No. 4 back to work

A car boot plane, a sheet of 80 grit and an evening at the bench will out-cut most of what's sold new in the shops.

GuideFoodDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

The knife, the pan and the board you actually need

Most kitchen gear is dead weight. Three tools, chosen properly and looked after, will cook nearly everything you'll ever cook at home.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideCan You Fix ItDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Fix a Dryer That Runs But Never Gets Hot

Three parts cause almost every no-heat dryer, and one of them costs twelve bucks. Diagnose in the right order and you'll be dry by dinner.

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

PartnerGermProof.com

Woodworking6 min read

The mower that won't start, and the order to check it

Nine times in ten it's the fuel, not the engine. A working order for diagnosis, and the point where you stop and buy a new machine.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideFitnessCal BrennanSep 22, 20265 min

The recovery tool nobody can sell you

If your lifting has stalled and you're sleeping six hours, the problem isn't your program.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

A Dead Outlet, Diagnosed in the Right Order

Before you buy a receptacle or call anybody, work the circuit from the cheapest cause to the most expensive. Most dead outlets die from three things.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Turning a storage garage into a working shop

Light, power, wall space and one bench you can always get to. The order you do it in decides whether anything ever gets finished.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

GuideGearDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

Buy-it-for-life should mean repairable, not expensive

A four-question test for whether a thing will actually last, plus the categories where the cheap one is the correct answer.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

A Dripping Faucet Tells You Which Part Failed

Where the water shows up decides whether you need a 50-cent washer, a $6 seat kit or a $28 cartridge. Diagnose before you buy anything.

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Build the workbench first, and buy only four tools

Skip the floating shelves. Your first project should be a flat surface at the right height, and it takes four tools to build it.

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

PartnerDude.com

GuideGearWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

Build Your Toolkit One Job at a Time

Skip the 200-piece set. Buy the tool the job demands, learn what it does, and end up with a box that's all useful.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Patching Drywall Without Making It Worse

Nail pops, doorknob holes and the four-foot disaster behind the couch, fixed in the order a working guy actually does them.

GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

Measure and Mark So the Cut Is Right the First Time

Most bad cuts aren't saw problems. They're marking problems, and every one of them is fixable in about ten seconds.

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

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideGearWes DunbarSep 22, 20265 min

Buy the cheap pry bar. Never buy the cheap ladder.

A working rule for which tools you can buy off the bottom shelf, and which ones cost far more than the money you saved.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

Home6 min

How to hang heavy things so they never come down

Food6 min

Sharpening a kitchen knife without wrecking it

Ask BRO

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

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GuideGearDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

The Pocket Knife You'll Still Be Carrying In Ten Years

Steel gets all the attention. Weight, pocket manners and whether you can take it apart are what decide if a knife survives a decade.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

Home6 min read

The paint job that still looks right in three years

Most rooms don't fail because of the paint. They fail at the caulk line, the patch you didn't prime, and the coat you called good enough.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

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