DIY Projects

How many times have you had to miss part of your favorite show to let your dog outside?  This problem can be easily fixed by installing a doggie door.

It is an intermediate do-it-yourself project, and it will give your dog freedom and unlimited access to the outside.

Pet doors come in many sizes, so it is important to measure the largest pet that will use the door. Measure your dog from the top part of its shoulders to the lowest part on the chest and add 2 inches. Also make sure that it is at least 2 inches wider than your dog.

 **Make sure your dog is full grown and allow for any weight gain.**

Tape a template to the door, outlining the doggie door, making sure it fits where you want it and there are no problems.

Use a 1/2-inch drill bit and work 4 holes into each corner of the drawn outline. Once this is done, change the drill bit to a 3/8-inch piece and drill the holes for the outer surround.

Make sure that the larger holes in the corners stay inside the outline.

Using the jigsaw, insert the blade into 1 of the 4 1/2-inch holes and begin cutting along the outline. Once finished, the inner section can be removed

Insert the flap-less outer surround into the hole from the exterior side of the door. This should lie flush and can be modified using the small break off levels on the inner part of the surround. Use the pliers to break of these levels until the entire outer surround sits perfectly against the door.

Screw the outer surround into place using the 3/8-inch holes as a guide.

Caulk the inside edges of the outer surround to make it air tight once the flap is fitted.

The flap can now be screwed into place on the interior side of the door on the section provided. Be careful not to over-tighten as this can cause splits in plastic models.

The pet door is ready to use. Encourage pets to use the pet door by coaxing them with gentle nudges and an occasional treat!

It was suggested to us to hold the flap up for a while so your dog can get used to going through the opening first. Put a treat on one side and when the dog goes through to get it show them that there is another one on the other side. Do this several times and they quickly learn to go through the door.

Have dull scissors? Not to worry, sharpening them with a Rotary Tool is a simple and easy way to sharpen them.

• Separate the scissor blades by unscrewing the screw found in the middle of the scissors.
• Place one of the blades in a bench vise with the sharp edge facing outward. Make sure you pay close attention to the shape of the blade. One side of the blade should be angled downward resulting in the sharp edge, while the other side will not be. Position the scissors so that the angled side faces upward.
• Insert the bit into the rotary tool and turn it on. (Use an aluminum oxide grinding stone # 932)
• Hold the Rotary Tool at a 10 degree angle and grind.
• Continue grinding along the length of he scissor blade at this angle until the entire edge is sharp.
• Remove the blade from the vise and insert the other blade. Sharpen the second blade just like the first.
• Reattach the blades by inserting the screw and tightening it up.

Make sure to always wear safety glasses.

Lawn mower maintenance is a very important ingredient to the welfare of your lawn. Making sure that the blade on your mower is sharp ensures that the blade actually cuts the grass instead of ripping and pulling the grass. Your grass will be much greener and healthier.

Remove the lawn mower blade using an adjustable wrench to remove the bolt from the center of the blade.

Pull the blade off and clamp it in a bench vise.

Check the blade edges for small nicks and remove them using a flat medium file.

Follow the original bevel of the blade and move the file toward the cutting edge with smooth, even strokes. If you are comfortable using a bench grinder or an angle grinder this is also an acceptable way to sharpen the blade. Just make sure that you do not force the blade into the grinder, this will heat the blade and cause the metal of the blade to lose its hardness.

Make sure that you make the same number of strokes on each edge. If you take more metal off of one side than the other, the blade will be out of balance. This will make the lawn mower vibrate, causing serious damage to the engine.

Make sure the blade is balanced by placing the blade on a dowel or the end of a screwdriver. If one side points up, sharpen the other side until the blade lies flat.

Depending on how much you use your jigsaw; there is a certain amount of maintenance that should be done, twice a year. Inspecting the brushes, disassembling the housing to clean out the saw dust, and checking and relubricating the gears are the major tasks.

After every use, you should unplug the saw, clean the saw dust from its vents, and wipe off any grease or oil from the cord.

Doing these few items, makes your tools last a lot longer, thereby allowing you to use your hard earned money on other things.

A few years ago we got a new puppy, and she was used to drinking from the water bottles that they hang on their crates in the pet store. She did not know how to drink from a bowl and seemed very stressed at the idea of getting near one.

This wasn’t much of a problem when we were at home since I attached one to her crate and she was as happy as can be.

The problem came later, when we decided to take her on our motor home. The crate we have on it is a soft sided crate and we could not hang a water bottle from it.

I got creative and made her a stand for the bottle, that would work on the motor home and we have now added one upstairs in our home.

It’s really very simple. I used oak planks to make the base and the sides. I left the top open for the water bottle to slide down into and then I used my plunge router to make a slot for the water spout and finished it with some urethane to make it water resistant. Now we are all happy.

                                                               When deciding on a sander keep in mind what kind of projects you will be using it for.  A belt sander has a continuous belt of sandpaper wrapped around two rollers. The belt spins rapidly around the rollers, enabling the tool to remove a large amount of wood — quickly.

Belt sanders are best suited for heavy-duty jobs at the beginning of the sanding process, like smoothing out decks, porches or floors. Choose a sander with at least a 21” belt and a width that you feel comfortable with. The wider the belt, the heavier the sander.

My father is a big DIY person. He’s very handy with the hammer and can fix just about anything. His passion however is building furniture. This is why, just last week, he showed us his newest power tool purchase. He bought himself a reciprocating saw.

He said he saw it in on one of those DIY shows and just had to have one. True to form, he started using that saw the next day. He said that it handled like a dream and cut through wood like butter. The grip is very ergonomic so he doesn’t put so much stress on his hands. It’s certainly worth the price because the quality and workmanship is simply excellent.

The key to accomplishing your backyard carpentry projects is using the right kinds of tools. Belt sanders are handy companions when it comes to smoothing out all those rough surfaces on any type of wood. Go for electric powered sanders that are very effective with finishing touches. These types of power tools are so easy to use.

With manual sanders, you use your bare hands to power it and all the surfaces cannot be evenly smoothened out. The change of manual pressure as you sand a wood surface will affect the wood’s symmetry. With a power sander, you can choose the right type of roughness your need for specific finishing jobs.

Belt sanders are devices that have a continuous belt of sandpaper wrapped around two rollers. The belt spins rapidly around the rollers, enabling the tool to remove large amounts of material — usually wood — quickly.

Belt sanders are best suited for heavy-duty jobs at the beginning of the sanding process, like smoothing out decks, porches or floors. For finer sanding jobs, you should switch to a random orbital sander or a finish sander.

Most belt sanders aimed at consumers are designed as handheld tools. These share a few common elements, including front and rear handles, a dust-collection unit, a motor and a sanding belt, although design specifications vary widely by manufacturer. As you may be handling these for long periods of time, try several models to see which feels best in your grasp.

Some models feature adjustable motor speeds for smaller sanding jobs and detail work; motor power, rated in amperage, also varies. Belts come in a variety of sizes. The most common belt sizes include 3 inches by 18 inches, 3 inches by 21 inches and 4 inches by 24 inches, all of which are sufficient for most at-home jobs. Some handheld belt sanders can be turned over and used upside down as a bench sander, greatly increasing their versatility

Router bits spin so fast that they demand your constant attention. Accidents can happen suddenly. Here are a few of the most important safety rules for using Routers and Router Tables:

• Always unplug the router when changing the bit.

• Push the bit into the collet. Then lift it to expose about one-quarter of the shank before tightening the collet nut. This will keep the bit from coming loose in the collet. At least two-thirds of the bit’s shank should be engaged in the router collet.

• Cover the bit with a guard whenever possible.

• Wear safety glasses and hearing protection.

• Use featherboards and push sticks to keep your fingers away from the bit.

• Move workpieces from right to left against the fence.

• Move workpieces counterclockwise around a piloted bit.

• Never position the fence so the workpiece is pushed between it and the bit.