Swiss Chard Update 2

It was 4 out of 6 actually and they made it to spring. It might have helped that spring came really early this year. They didn't get as much sun as I thought they would in front of the sliding glass door downstairs which is why I only got two cuttings from them all winter. Also, on closer inspection the stems got very weak so once the leaves got large the stems would collapse under the weight. I guess they need some air movement or to get bumped now and again to make the stems grow more sturdy. I took the second cutting and am now putting them outside to acclimate them before I plant them in the ground. The picture shows what they looked like just before the cutting.

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Fixing Weber-type Charcoal Grill Legs

Do you have a charcoal grill? After awhile if you have moved it around do the legs come out? I have two of these grills and they both have this problem. But then again I did get both of them out of the trash! I suppose they were in the trash in the first place because their owner was tired of dealing with the legs coming out. The problem is that the legs are typically just crimped as you see below instead of firmly attached. Well, we are going to fix this! First, what you will need is a drill, a small-ish drill bit, and either 3 screws long enough to go all the way through the leg with nuts to go with them, or 6 rivets and a rivet gun. The drill bit naturally will be sized to fit the size of the screws or rivets. I like rivets because with screws there is a chance the nuts will come loose and then you are going to have wobbly legs again. Rivets are a permanent fix. So now that you have everything you need, drill a hole through the leg where it attaches to the grill. Make sure ...

Shovel Handle Repair

Don't you hate when this happens? There you are digging in the garden and try to pry out a sapling stump and SNAP! If you can part with an old friend it is time to go buy a new shovel. If not (can you tell how much I have worn down the tip on this shovel?) it is time to replace the handle. Step one: Remove the Handle Notice where the rivet is installed through the handle. Find the pre-formed end. Look at the other side. If it has been flattened much bigger than the hole through the shovel you will need to cut it off. A Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel is the way to go. Don't forget the safety glasses. Now take a punch and hammer and knock the rivet through the shovel shaft. Now you can knock the piece of the broken handle out of the shovel shaft. Step two: Fit and Drill the Hole in the New Handle But where to get your new handle? I just read an article that mentioned the House Handle Company (http://househandle.com/index.ht...

Doing a Jig

One of my hobbies is beekeeping . Unfortunately it is quite expensive to buy all the wooden-ware needed. As a result I decided to make my own hive bodies. But the problem is pushing a 2 x 10 of any length through the table saw and keeping a straight edge is challenging. I was talking with a workmate who recommended making a jig and using my circular saw. So this is what I came up with: The base is a piece of 1/2 inch plywood about 12" x 12". There are 2 1 x scraps of wood on the sides sized to the 1 x 10 that hold it when the saw is pushed through. The top is another piece of plywood that is screwed down. Now I use the edge of this to piece of plywood as the guide for the circular saw. So I force the 1 x 10 as far back into the jig as possible and it is the right size for the long ends of the hive bodies. Once I cut a few pieces off it is much easier to push it through the table saw for the small sides. I could always make another jig for the small sides if I wanted...

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