Tools in Trades & Careers

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Router basics that keep your edges clean and your dados tight

Feed direction, depth per pass, and the reason your 3/4-inch bit won't cut a groove that fits 3/4-inch plywood.

Guide100 ThingsSam OrtizSep 23, 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.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideHow ToDean ShawSep 23, 20267 min

How to Change a Car Battery Without Frying Your Electronics

Negative comes off first, goes on last. That one rule prevents most of what goes wrong, and the rest of the job takes twenty minutes.

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

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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

How many days a week are you actually training?

Guide100 ThingsDean ShawSep 23, 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.

GuideHealthCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

Anxiety Tools That Work and the Point Where You Call a Doctor

Slow your exhale, audit your caffeine, stop avoiding the thing. And know the honest line between a hard month and something that needs treatment.

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

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GuideWoodworkingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Pocket screws, mortise and tenon, dovetails, in that order

Three joints cover nearly everything you'll build. Pick the wrong one and the table racks by Thanksgiving.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Straightening a Leaning Fence Post Without Tearing Out the Fence

Most leaning posts don't need replacing. Find out which kind you have with a screwdriver, then fix it in an afternoon for under fifty bucks.

GuideBoys & GirlsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

First Tools for Kids Start With a 10-Ounce Hammer

Buy the real hammer, not the plastic one, then give your kid a job that actually needed doing. Here's what fits small hands and what goes wrong.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

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GuideCarsDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Pull Your Own Check Engine Code in Ten Minutes

A twenty-dollar scanner and a parking space is all it takes to find out whether that light means a loose gas cap or a tow truck.

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

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

What to check when the hot water quits

Start at the breaker or the pilot light, not at the parts counter — a step-by-step diagnosis for gas and electric tanks, and the point where you stop.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideSchool & LearningAde FisherSep 23, 20265 min

Learning a Language at Any Age Without Quitting by March

The hour count is bigger than the apps admit and smaller than you fear. Here's the schedule, the four-tool kit, and the week it falls apart.

GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Gardening After Sixty Without Wrecking Your Back

Build the bed at the right height, buy one kneeler that won't fold, and stop hauling water. The rest is just showing up.

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GuideCan You Fix ItDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Fix a Flat and Dial In the Brakes on Every Bike in the Garage

Four bikes, one Saturday morning, about sixty dollars of tools. Diagnose the flat before you patch it, and never skip the brake check.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

Movies & TV5 min

Vet a Movie in Eight Minutes Before Family Night

Garden & Yard6 min

Garden Tools Worth Buying Once and the Ones That Aren't

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Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Unclog a Drain With a Plunger, a Snake and Ten Minutes

Skip the caustic bottle. Diagnose the clog first, then work through the stopper, the plunger and the trap in that order.

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

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Cars6 min read

Change Your Own Brake Pads Before Lunch on Saturday

Front pads on a normal car take about ninety minutes, two jack stands and one tool most guys don't own yet. What goes wrong, and how to avoid it.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

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