Tools in Trades & Careers

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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.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 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.

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Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 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.

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

PartnerGermProof.com

Skills6 min read

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.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 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.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 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.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 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.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideCommunitySam OrtizNov 4, 20265 min

Start the tool library or the garden before you form a committee

You don't need a grant, a board, or permission from city hall to be a better neighbor. You need ten households, a garage, and a notebook.

GuideScience & SpaceDean ShawNov 2, 20265 min

Steel wants to turn back into rock, and every fix is a delay

Rust isn't a defect in steel. It's steel going home. Here's the chemistry, and why zinc, chromium and a rag with oil each buy you time.

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

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GuideGadgetsDean ShawOct 25, 20266 min

No app turns your phone into a thermal camera

The free "thermal" apps are color filters. Here's what actually finds the drafts and bare spots in your walls, from a $0 tool up to a real imager.

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

PartnerDude.com

StoryOutdoorsDean ShawOct 12, 20266 min

Nobody has improved on the hatchet, and plenty have tried

It's a wedge on a stick, and it's been doing the same job at campsites and woodpiles for generations. Here's how to buy one that outlives you.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

StoryPreparednessWes DunbarOct 11, 20266 min

Nobody has improved the hand-crank can opener

It has two moving parts, needs no power, and still beats every gadget that tried to replace it. Here's how to buy one that lasts.

GuideGadgetsDean ShawOct 25, 20265 min

That garage power strip isn't protecting anything

A power strip and a surge protector look alike and do different jobs. In the garage, the right answer is often neither.

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

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseDean ShawOct 11, 20266 min

Your survival kit doesn't fit on a wrist

Bracelet kits, credit-card tools and hollow-handle knives sell the feeling of being prepared. Here's what to skip and what to carry instead.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Preparedness5 min

Four hours, forty-eight hours, forty degrees

Can You Fix It6 min

Nobody has improved on the plunger, and plenty have tried

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Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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StoryWoodworkingWes DunbarOct 10, 20266 min

Nobody has improved on the combination square

A steel rule, a sliding head and a locking nut. It's been doing the same jobs for over a century, and the fancy replacements keep losing to it.

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

PartnerNames.com

Tools & Organizing6 min read

The tape measure has earned its spot on the wall

The hook on the end is loose on purpose, the blade is curved for a reason, and nobody has beaten the design in about a century and a half.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

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