If you think about it, we buy and use tools toget things done. Every tool in your tool chest represents acapability. Some make holes; others make things shorter. The toolswe own define of what we can get done.

One capability that was missing from my tool chest is theability to make plunge cuts in just about any material. That's whata multi-tool is for. It was time get one. Enter the Bosch Multi-Maxmulti-tool.

Why a multi-tool?

Multi-tools offer a unique cut that no other power tools arecapable of

One of my biggest problems when I was gettingstarted with woodworking was how to transport sheets from thelumberyard to my shop. My family sedan was not up to the task. Ihad to borrow a truck every time I made a run for stock. That gotold very fast. After doing some research I decided to buy a

Driving

Trailer driving, especially reversing, can be a bit challengingat first. You'll get the hang of it eventually. Short trailers likea 8x4 don't require much adjustment to your driving habits whenmoving forward. You only have to r

Recently I painted over the wood paneling in thedownstairs apartment of my new house. Sadly, no prospective tenantscared for "Brady Bunch chic" in my ad on Craigslist. I couldn'tafford to rip it out and start over with drywall, so I had tofigure out how to paint it.

While wall prep is always the most important part of a paintjob, that's doubly true for wood paneling. That's because thesurface has not only been treated with some kind of varnish or oilto seal the wood, but it probably hasn't been washed down sincewhenever it was or

I needed a few extension hose for my aircompressor to finish a built-in on the far end of my house.Choosing a hose that works well is not a trivial matter. Here is aguide for how to choose the best air hose for your application.

What matters

There are three main issues to consider when shopping for ahose:

• Length: The obvious one on the list;the hose needs to be as long as you need it to be.
• Sizing: The inner diame

When I first installed my compressed air systemin my shop I installed budget air couplers. I regretted itimmediately. A couple of the female fittings leaked air. Worst ofall, some released the hose when I tugged on the tool end a bit tovigorously. That got annoying very fast. I needed new couplers.Enter the Legacy Color Connex line of air couplers. Performancemixed with a bit of showmanship was just the thing my shopneeded.

Legacy Color Connex Coupler

I purchased the Legacy couplers for two reasons: they areattractiv

My house has popcorn ceilings all throughout.This look must have been very appealing to someone living in the60ies, but it's not the look I want. I decided to do the work andupgrade to a modern flat ceiling.

After taking down the popcorn my task was to apply a skim coatacross the entire ceiling. Let's take a look at what'sinvolved.

What is a skim coat

A skim coat is a very thin layer of drywall joint compound thatcovers an entire ceiling or wall. It is smooth and hides allimperfections in the dry

The attic access in my home does not come with abuilt in attic ladder. It's located in a closet. Every time need towork in the attic, I have to empty the closet to protect itscontent from the lose insulation the attic, and carry a step ladderinto the room. Climbing into the attic is a bit of an athleticundertaking. Enough is enough. It's time to install an atticladder. Let's take a look at what it takes to get this done.

Proper sizing

Two measurements are important when installing an attic ladder.The ladder's width an

I use a hearing protection in my shop every day.The pressure of the ear muffs on my ears feels so natural to me nowthat I feel naked without them when I am in the shop. When the timecame to replace my current pair of ear muffs, it occurred to methat I don't actually know if my ears muffs offer enoughprotection. I decided to do some research. What is the best hearingprotection for woodworkers available today?

Why wear protection?

Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a preventable hearingdisorder. As the name su

I recently decided to replace a couple ofclosets in my house with new, built-in units. The existing closetswere not very usable. Each had only one rod, a sagging shelf, andno drawer space whatsoever. The new units will ultimately have 2-3xthe storage space of the old closets, look much better, and makethe users very happy.

Little did I know when I started the project that designing agood closet is hard. A lot of considerations go into the design ofa usable closet. Let's examine what it takes to design a trulygreat closet.

Composite roof shingles are the most commonroofing material in the United States. They are economical, easy toinstall, and easy to repair. During the life of your roof you willmost likely have to replace one or two damaged shingles. Especiallycloser to the end of their life shingles are prone to tearing. Whata lot of people don't know is how easy it is to replace individualshingles. Instead of spending time and money on hiring a roofer,you can do the work yourself. Let's take a look at what'sinvolved.

Getting the materials