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Transformers are receptacle hogs. They clog up power bars and often take up two spaces. So someone really smart came up with this beguiling little unit with outlets that rotate 360 degrees so you can put four transformers to work at once without a bar fight. Not bad looking either, and way tidier than a gawky power bar with its stiff unwieldy cord. By the way, it's also a heavy-duty surge protector. $16.95 Where to buy: Lee Valley Tools.
From Hardlines, the rockin' Canadian company that follows trends in the home improvement industry ---
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — It turns out that people aren’t just turning to DIY projects to save money — they actually like doing home improvement projects.
Lowe’s Cos. conducted a consumer survey recently of more than 500 U.S. homeowners, who revealed projects they’re planning over the next 12 months and what motivated the process. Of those people planning a DIY project, 35 percent say they will do it themselves to save money. But in a very close second, 32 percent cited “pleasure” as the reason they do it themselves.
“Purchasing a home is one of the largest single investments a person will make during his or her lifetime. In good times and bad, homeowners remain committed to preserving their investment by maintaining and improving their homes,” says Larry Stone, Lowe’s president and COO. “While time constraints encouraged many people to say ‘do it for me’ in recent years, perhaps the silver lining of the current economy is that homeowners can save while they rediscover the fun of doing projects themselves.”
Tonight at 6:00 pm Eastern I'm going to be typing as fast as I can to answer questions posted at Avonlea Kindreds by fans of Road to Avonlea and Anne of Green Gables. Join us if you have an hour and ask me anything, I mean anything.
I finally finished my desk.
I cajoled the chair mat and mousepad into matching the carpet (using my iron-on technique, covered a few weeks ago). The floor of the house slopes so much I had to prop up the south legs to make the desk surface horizontal. You'd slope too if you were 150 years old.
P.S. I got my FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council, meaning the bamboo was harvested sustainably) bamboo from a great local supplier, SilkRoad Toronto.
The tenon at the top of each bamboo leg fits into a mortise (hole) on the underside of the desk. Rudimentary but enduring. Like leg hair. Wonder how I made the desk's legs? It was easy on my lathe (video)
I'm finally finishing the bamboo desk I started last year. I just love the finish I found at Lee Valley Tools - Shellawax Liquid - it's made by an Australian company and it creates a tough semi-gloss finish in one coat. That's beyond awesome. And it smells good too, kind of like men's aftershave mixed with pipe tobacco and good port.
Shellawax is actually meant to be used as a polish for woodturning projects on a lathe, but I've been so happy with the finish it's given me on my turned projects that I decided to try it on a (huge) flat surface. I'm working in small 6-inch squares to apply the finish, then hitting the area with the heat gun to simulate the heat caused by friction on a lathe. Then a quick rub with a cotton rag to even out the warm finish, which is dry-to-the-touch pretty much instantly after heating. Shellawax is non-toxic after curing, and low-odor during application (even my chemical-sensitive husband wasn't bothered by it). After three weeks of curing the Shellawax finish is alcohol and water-resistant - good news for us spillers.
A good excuse to hang out in the workshop thinking up new stuff to build.
...and who can live without a wearable sleeping bag?
PRO: Limits potential intimacy with unattractive tent mates.
CON: Limits potential intimacy with attractive tent mates.
CON: Difficult to get dressed inside your sleeping bag without loss of dignity.
PRO: Attractive loungewear for sitting around the campfire at night.
CON: Difficult to put shoes on to visit potty in middle of the night.
PRO: Fun to tighten down hood so only mouth and nose show, then go for a Zombie Walk at 3:00a.m. and freak out other campers.
We're All In This Together
Based on four years of interviews with Steve Smith, Mag's unconventional biography reveals the personal stories, sorrows and joys that continue to inspire the man behind the Red Green legacy.
How Hard Can It Be?
Mag's quirky and entertaining book of home improvement projects for beginners.
