A treasure trove of historic hand tools

Normally, I'm not the "read a waiting room magazine" type, but the other day I picked up an issue of Maine Ahead, which I'd never heard of. Having written a bit about and researched green building, trends and technology, the cover story on the attainability of sustainability was just too interesting to ignore.

I never got to that cover story. As I flipped through the pages, I came across a photo that stopped me, and made me want to devour this article on the Davistown Museum. Thanks to the museum, historic tools don't die. They find a home in a cozy, out-of-the-way Maine town called Liberty.

For H.G. "Skip" Brack, the museum is a labor of love. In addition to building, collecting and curating the vast array of tools in the "An Archaeology of Tools" exhibit, he owns Liberty Tool Company, which is - naturally - the museum's sponsor. That he also happens to be an expert on historic tools is apparent in the wealth of informative publications and essays he's written. You can read essays on the website, and publications can be purchased online or at the museum.

The museum's mission is "the recovery, identification, evaluation, and display of the hand tools of the maritime culture of coastal New England from the first European visitors in the 16th century to the fluorescence of the Industrial Revolution." The collection also includes Native American artifacts, "accidental durable remnants of ancient peoples," old paintings and artwork by some well-known Maine artists like Albrecht Durer and Milton Avery.

At some point, I plan to make the two-plus-hour pilgrimage to the museum, but for now I'll have to be content to live vicariously through the museum's site. I strongly encourage you to do the same.

Three out of four ain't bad

A while back, I wrote about my four must-have power tools. Santa Claus must have been reading because he came through on three of the four this year.

OK, so it was actually my parents (my dad) and in-laws who came through. And so what if I specifically asked for a circular saw and a Dremel? The cordless drill was a surprise, though. A pleasant one at that.

My dad must have been psychic when he picked the compact 12-volt Ryobi off the shelf. See, between the time I answered "A Dremel" to my mom's annual what-do-you-want-for-Christmas question, the battery on my 18-volt Craftsman all but went kaput. Lately, I've been able to get about 10 minutes out of it (including non-drilling time) before running out of juice. I've had it for 10-plus years, so I have no complaints. Well, one complaint: the exorbitant cost of a replacement battery. The Ryobi comes with TWO batteries, so I'm hoping to get 20 years out of it. Incidentally, it's the only one of my new "friends" I've had occasion to use - so far.

I can't wait to use the Ryobi circular saw and the Dremel, and I'm very happy to have them in my tool arsenal. To be honest, though, now that I have the Dremel, I'm a little intimidated by it. So many attachments, so many possibilities. I'll have to play around with it on some scrap lumber (of which I have LOADS) a bit before I use it. As for the palm sander (the fourth item on my list), I can easily make due with my Corner Cat for a while longer.

How did Santa do on your wish list?

Little things can mean a lot

I try to be the most consistent handyman I can be. I also try to be the most consistent blogger I can be. In both, I often try to take on more than I can realistically handle, which leads to mixed results at best.

On the handyman front, those larger projects have been my downfall. So I'm going back to basics and focusing on the small things. Yes, major projects have major impacts, but often, the smaller things can have an equal - or greater - impact.

My new philosophy - which I've been able to stick with for THREE consecutive weekends - is to finish one project each weekend. To date, I've re-fixed the power-flush toilet (which we've decided to pull the plug on, but I'll save that for another day), patched the plethora of nail and screw holes that dot our walls and bolt three bookcases (which were made obsolete by our built-ins) to various wall. All small things that make a small impact.

The project I'm most proud of, however, is re-purposing one of those bookcases into a closet of sorts for my daughter's bedroom. If you've never tried to alter a manufactured bookcase, then you'd probably assume it's easy. While it wasn't a terribly major undertaking, it was a lot more involved than I envisioned.

I am not a furniture maker, nor do I have any knowledge of how furniture is made, so the first thing I had to do was remove the trim from the face of the bookcase to see what I was up against. Starting at the top, from the inside of the shelving unit I tapped the trim until there was a space wide enough to insert a long flat-head screwdriver (a pry bar would have been helpful). Once the trim was off, I saw that the shelves were not only nailed into the frame from the outside, but they were also set in notches in the frame. So much for just pounding away until the shelves either broke or came loose.

Using a nail set, I sunk those outer nails through the frame and into the edges of the shelves. I then removed the staples from the two thin pieces of plywood(?) that make up the back of each shelf and took them off, opening the back of the top two shelves. I then used my hammer to remove the top of the frame. Believe me, this was a great way to work out my frustration with the Patriots, who were in the process of getting shellacked by the Browns.

Once I'd removed the top, I could push the sides of the frame far enough apart to lift out the shelves and reassemble the frame using finish nails. The plywood backing didn't survive removal very well, so the upper half of the unit has no back (which is fine, since we'd painted the interior of the shelves the same gray as our walls). The bare wood of the notches where the two shelves had sat will need to be painted, but for now, I'm ok with them being bare. The various nail holes also need to be filled, but as with the paint, I'm ok with that.

I learned my biggest lesson from re-setting the trim (using the old nails that were still in place). I don't own a rubber mallet, and being the expert hammer-wielder I am, I hit it too hard dinged the trim pretty good in one place. Oh well. That's what wood putty was invented for, right? Luckily, that was the first nail, so for the remainder, I placed a block of 2x4 between the trim and my hammer.

Once I had the unit reassembled, hanging the closet rod was a piece of cake. Ditto for bolting the unit to the wall. Thanks to having a 2-year-old, that's something I could almost do with my eyes closed.

Even before the clothes were hung and toys placed on the bottom shelves, I was damn proud of my work. So was Mrs. Handyman, which made me happy. But the happiest moment was my daughter's reaction upon seeing her new "closet" for the first time: "Oh, that's wonderful."

Because I enjoy it, any opportunity to flex my handyman muscles is a reward in itself. But reactions like that make my work that much more special.

(A note about the photo. At right, you can see one of the salvaged school doors I installed on industrial sliders to use as bedroom doors. Right next to the bookcase is the owl my wife and I made out of paper glued to a canvas for our daughter's first Christmas in 2008. It serves double duty by covering the thermostat.)

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If you're planning to do something similar, here are some tips based on my experience.

1. Depending on the size of the bookcase, number of shelves to be removed and your level of experience, plan on this taking about an hour.
2. As with any project, figure out what tools and hardware (nails, screws, etc.) you'll need and have them on hand before starting. Once you start, you don't want to be scrambling around (or running to the hardware store). Remember, it's better to have too much than not enough

Tools you'll need:

• Nail set
• Hammer
• Finish nails
• Rubber mallet (or scrap of 2x4)
• Pry bar (or long flat-head screwdriver)
• Adjustable closet rod
• Screwdriver (for installing closet rod)
• Level (for installing closet rod)
• Screwdriver (or power screwdriver/drill with screwdriver bit)
• Wood screws
• Toggle bolts and/or mounting brackets (In case you can't bolt the unit to a stud)

Disposal dilemma part 3: the conclusion

In the last episode, we left off at the point when I picked up my new KitchenAid disposal. If you need to catch up, read part 1 and part 2.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I couldn't wait to get the old disposal out and the new disposal in. I'd pored over the instructions the night before and gathered the necessary tools so I'd be ready to go when Mrs. Handyman and our daughter left for mommy & me dance class and to meet up with a friend.

First up: getting that useless InSinkErator out. While the instructions that came with the new disposal were helpful, this video from This Old House made my life much, MUCH easier. (It didn't hurt - nor do I believe it was a coincidence - that they were replacing an InSinkErator with a KitchenAid.)

Removal was pretty straightforward, with one exception. Why is it that one stubborn bolt always seems to derail a project? And why is it that I always fight with it for too long before coming up with a perfect solution? In this case, it was one of the bolts (located in the rear, naturally) that connects the disposal's drainpipe (the black pipe on the far left in the above photo) to the main drainpipe (white pipe above). The solution: get out a hacksaw and cut through the plastic pipe. I could have saved myself at least 15-20 minutes of fighting while crammed into the small space under the sink.

Another thing worth noting is that when I removed the metal access door at the bottom of the InSinkErator to disconnect the electrical wires, I found that compartment almost completely full of water. It's a miracle that thing never shorted out - or worse.

The installation wasn't quite as easy as installing a switchplate, but it was pretty easy. Once all the pieces and bolts were in place, lo and behold, it actually worked. And it's much more pleasing to see "KitchenAid" stamped on the sink drain than it was looking at "InSinkErator."

Here are the lessons I learned, which are helpful for much more than installing or replacing a disposal:

• When something goes on the fritz, deal with it immediately. Don't wait for bad things to happen (see "electrical compartment filled with water" above).
• By "deal with it," I don't mean rig a temporary solution. I mean fix it properly. If you do have to find a temporary solution (i.e. bucket), don't let it become your permanent fix.
• Read the directions, if only to determine which tools you'll need. It's no fun to stop mid-project to hunt for a bigger wrench. Or have to run to the hardware store for supplies you don't have on hand. Luckily, I didn't have to do that - this time.
• Search online for a video that shows the process. Words are good, but pictures (especially moving pictures) are better. Much better. This Old House and eHow are excellent resources.
• When you hit a snag (such as an impossibly stuck bolt), step back for a minute or two and look for another solution besides what the instructions or video say to do.
• When working in tight, cramped spaces, get out of that space at regular intervals. Otherwise, you're going to pay for it the next morning.
• Last but certainly not least: If you own an InSinkErator, check it regularly for leaks. You've been warned.

Most of what you need is included with the disposal. Here's a handy list of the necessary tools you'll want to gather before diving in. You may not need all of them, but it's good to have them on hand just in case. Keep in mind that these are the tools for replacing a disposal. If you're installing one from scratch, you're on your own.

• Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers (preferably with short handles)
• Adjustable wrench
• Ratchet and sockets
• Pipe wrench or large vise grips
• Plumber's putty
• Wire nuts (2)
• Hacksaw (optional)

Taming a wild belt sander (video)

Wow, I've been gone a long time. Now that my professional commitments have settled out, I'm back in full force (at least for now).

For my first post-hiatus post, I thought I'd share with you this video, which came to my inbox yesterday courtesy of the Handyman Club of America. I've just been filing their newsletters (and a lot of other things) for future reference, but when I saw the subject line (Video: If a Keystone Cop Touched a Belt Sander), I couldn't resist.

Sadistically set to the "William Tell Overture," the video carries the disclaimer "Warning: violence! Pain!" for good reason. There's no blood, but a LOT of potential for lasting damage - both to the floor and to the guy using the sander.

After you watch for yourself, you'll see why I don't feel bad for the guy (nor do I feel bad about not feeling bad). He asked for everything he got. Enjoy.

Must-have tools

While doing research for work, I came across this list of seven tools every homeowner should own. (the headline says eight, but you'll notice the numbers skip from six to eight). Want to have little fun? Before you check it out, come up with your own list of eight and see how it compares. Then see how many of them you actually have in your home.

It's a pretty good - if basic - list (What? No power tools?). But it's perfect for someone who's just a dabbler in home improvement. With a few more tools in your arsenal, you'll be ready for those annoying fix-ups that you'll inevitably encounter.

For the record, I'm only missing one. Care to guess what that is?

Quick and easy (yeah, right)

The faucet is in. According to everything I read, swapping out a faucet is one of the easiest DIY projects you can take on. I'm sure that's true ... if you read the instructions and make sure you have everything you need.

First snag: I didn't have a basin wrench. "Who needs one of those?" I asked myself. Me, apparently. There were these little nuts (see left) up behind the basin (what else) that connected the old faucet to the sink. So it was off to Home Depot at 9 last night. Got home at 10 and removed those nuts with no problem.

That's when I realized that when you replace a single-control faucet with a dual-control one, you need hoses to connect the faucet controls to the water supply. Home Depot was closed by then, so secured the faucet in place, then gave up and went to bed.

Off to the Depot again this morning, returning triumphantly with flexible water supply hoses and plumbing joint compound. I attached one end of the hose to the bottom of the faucet. That's when I hit snag #2: They were too short. By about six inches.

Back to HD(trip #3 if you're counting). I returned the 12-inch hoses, picked up some 20-inchers and headed home. Ten minutes later, we had running water. Success!

Lessons learned:
1. Read the directions (see below - notice the handy drawings of both a basin wrench and flexibe water supply line)
2. Make sure you have the right tools and supplies - BEFORE removing the old faucet.
3. Measure, measure, measure
4. Expect at least one flesh wound. Or battle scar, if you prefer. (See below. I have a matching one on my right hand)

5. Save the Guinness until AFTER you're done.

In the beginning ...

Before I get started, here's a little about me: With a BA in journalism and an MA in English, I am by trade a desk jockey. But from a young age, I've always been a little bit handy, mostly by osmosis. Like most baby boomers, my dad is a tinkerer - the kind of guy who can fix (or at least gerry-rig) anything. Between my younger brother and me, he chose me to be his "apprentice." Not coincidentally, he's often said he's impressed by my ability to anticipate a solution and be ready with a suggestion - or at least the right tool. I've really learned a lot about home improvement, car maintenance and basic DIY skills - more than I could possibly have learned from any class.

After getting married, my wife and I rented for five-plus years, during which time I didn't get much occasion (beyond the odd picture-hanging) to flex my DIY muscles. Luckily, they didn't atrophy because in February 2005, I started needing them again - in a big way.

Home ownership itself often requires that one develop a working knowledge of carpentry, electrical work and more. However, we bought an open-concept loft in an old shoe factory with visions of making it "our own." Among the many projects I've completed (some with help, others by winging it) are: tiling our backsplash, ripping out and replacing the cheap rubber baseboard throughout and building walls. Along the way, my tool stash has grown, although I still find that I'm improvising a lot (i.e. using the wrong kind of saw for what I'm doing), but all in all, it's been a great learning experience.

Like most people, the one thing I wish I had more of is time. Five years later, I still have a lengthy project list, and between working from home (and, up until Valentine's Day, working weekends as well) and taking care of our almost two-year-old daughter (did I mention I'm also a stay-at-home dad?), the list continues to grow with few projects getting finished.

Now that my weekends are free, I'm hoping to start ticking off those projects and truly putting our stamp on this place. I'll be documenting my progress, as well as posting interesting articles, blogs, etc. about DIY and home improvement.

Wish me luck!