Handbook

2011

DIY

DIY

Handy hints

Getting down and dirty

Compiling our annual DIY handbook has become more a labour of love than a chore, exposing us to all manner of good ideas and practical solutions to everyday DIY challenges. Interacting with our readers across a variety of channels including e-mail correspondence, audience surveys, face-to-face conversations, social media exchanges and visits to trade shows weve met a bunch of amazing people who are quite happy to share their hard-earned DIY experience, and occasionally their secrets. This years compelling line-up addresses a variety of common domestic problems from sticking doors to leaking taps, from sagging gates to dodgy showers and offers sensible solutions. We also

DIY Handbook 2011

showcase an assortment of non-threatening projects (remember, its all relative), tackle two slightly off-beat Saturday builds (have you ever dreamed of making your own T-shirt cannon?) and unpack a gloriously eclectic mix of hints from our readers all delivered in language that encourages rather than frightens. So whats with down and dirty? Hey, were speaking from personal experience here. Whereas we dont actually recommend bruises, expletives, mislaid tools and the like, we have to say that anyone who emerges from a DIY job without so much as a pinched nger or grubby face is either pathologically focused or hasnt really put his heart into it.

The Editors

Some of our projects, hints, problems and xes are extracted from the following Popular Mechanics titles, published by Hearst Books (a division of Sterling Publishing Inc): When Duct Tape Just Isnt Enough, How to Carve a Turkey, When Changing a Light Bulb Just Isnt Enough. Available from selected book retailers or via Kalahari.com

CONTENTS
HANDY HINTS PROBLEMS AND FIXES Run of booklet 3, 8, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 4 7 9 10 14 24 25 26 27 29 PM SATURDAY: Hammock of the futurist
Cover pictures: iStockphoto/Dmitriy Shironosov (main); iStockphoto/Vecdog (icons).

PROJECT: Do-over caulking PROJECT: Build a rotating compost bin PM SATURDAY: T-shirt cannon PROJECT: Replace your countertop PROJECT: Turn a dresser into a bathroom vanity PROJECT: Replace a cracked ceramic tile PROJECT: Destroy your old hard drive PROJECT: Reattach a loose deck plank PROJECT: Sharpen a knife

THE ONE THAT DIDNT GET AWAY On a y-shing trip, in a stage of excitement, I pulled too hard and broke my rod between the eyes of the last segment. With no resin or tools available, I took a pipe-cleaner and wrapped it tightly around the break. Fortunately, I had some superglue to use as a resin for strength, and exposed it to light as well. Within a matter of minutes I was able to pull out a big one. The rod has been used in three more sessions and I dont see the need to replace it in the near future. MARCO VAN ZYL NORTHERN CAPE NOW YOURE SMOKIN Heres a tip born of my experience with smoking sh over many years: use chainsaw chips or sawdust from the black wattle invasive alien tree. It produces a much sweeter smoke than oak, assists in the eradication of unwanted aliens and gets something good back from an Aussie. TREVOR BLAMIRE PORT ELIZABETH GET STUCK INTO STITCHING To repair a tear in a garment or piece of material, rst use a paper glue stick to apply a generous layer of glue over the area. Cover it with single-ply tissue paper. Now align the damaged area, applying more glue as required. Allow to dry. This stiffens up the whole area when dry. Whether you darn it by hand or zig-zag on your machine, this method helps to stop the material from gathering. When the repaired item is washed, the glue

DIY Handy hints

NO STAIN, NO GAIN For a number of years, I have been using leftover wine and port rather than branded products to stain new woodwork projects. I collect the dregs from bottles of red wine and port and test it on various types of wood to see which gives the required colour, after which I seal or varnish the wood in the normal way. My home-made stain is much cheaper than the commercial variety and produces some interesting outcomes. GORDON SMITH RONDEBOSCH melts and the tissue disintegrates. MIKE MEYRICK VIA E-MAIL CUTTING-EDGE PROTECTION Even when not in use, a sharp saw blade can inict a nasty cut. Protect yourself (and, for that matter, the blade edge) by using a length of garden hose or, better still, a piece of thin plastic electrical conduit. Simply slit it down one side and slip it over the blade. ALAN WOOD TABLE VIEW DEATH BY DESSERT Ants can overrun kitchens, pantries and pet food areas. They also nest in alarm sensors, causing false alarms. In other words, they are a damn nuisance. However, I have found an eco-friendly way of getting rid of them: place a used 2-litre ice cream container, quarter-lled with water, in an ant-infested area. The ants are attracted to the ice cream scent that has been embedded in the plastic, and drown in the water. SIMON SHIFFMAN VREDEHOEK I BEG TO DIFFER Contrary to popular legend, a liberal dose of salt is not the best way to treat a red wine spill on your carpet. In fact, salt may actually change the colours of the bres. Instead, use paper towels to blot the spilled wine, then treat the spot with carpet cleaner. TONY BARNARD TAMBOERS KLOOF

Icons (top left): iStockphoto/MightyIsland

PROBLEMS AND FIXES FIX A LEAKY TAP

A tap dripping once per second does more than shred REM sleep: it wastes up to around 11 000 litres of water per year. You can reduce your indoor water usage by up to 75 litres a day simply by xing leaks. While most can be repaired by replacing a washer, a cartridge tap is slightly more complex so bring along the old cartridge when buying a new one.

1: Regardless of the tap, begin the repair by turning off the shut-off valve on the supply line to the sink. This is usually located near or under the sink. 2: Next, close the sink drain to avoid losing small parts; then disassemble the tap. Take note of the order of parts to aid in reassembly (your cellphone has a camera; heres a good opportunity for you to use it). To ensure an exact match, take the removed components to the hardware store or home centre. When repairing a pair of compression taps, repair one at a time to avoid mixing the parts and causing the tap handles to open and shut in the wrong direction (counterclockwise and clockwise are correct!). 3: Clean mineral-encrusted parts (that will not be replaced with new parts) with warm vinegar before reinstalling them. If friction makes the O-rings tough to install, use a drop or two of dishwashing liquid to lubricate them. 4: Hot water wears out washers more quickly than cold water, so the washer on the hot tap usually wears out before the washer on the cold tap. Protect the washer with heatproof plumbers grease. TOOLS AND MATERIALS
Plumbers wrench 1 cup vinegar Rag Dishwashing liquid Heatproof plumbers grease Drain plug

DIY Hammock of the futurist

Geodesic-dome visionary Buckminster Fuller built easily erected, adaptable structures using tension belts and compressed rods. He called the idea tensegrity. Buckys ideas underpin this DIY hammock stand.

1. FIND PARTS Hit the hardware store to nd: three 25 mm-diameter, 3 m galvanised steel pipes with threaded ends; six threaded 25 mm pipe caps; six 9 mm-diameter, 10 cm eyebolts, with 4 cm eyes, nuts and lock washers; nine ratcheting tie-down straps at least 3,6 m in length; three 45 cm ground stakes. You can hang up to three hammocks.

2. PREPARE PIPES Drill a 25 mm hole in the centre of each pipe cap. Insert the eyebolt and fasten it securely with a lock washer and nuts. Screw pipe caps on to both ends of the three pipes.

4. MOUNT MORE STRAPS Adjust three additional ratcheting tie-down straps to 3,6 m in length. Attach a strap to each remaining unstrapped pipe end to make the top triangle. Operate each top strap ratchet a few clicks at a time to shorten the straps. As you tighten, the structure will lift from the ground, seemingly erecting itself its almost magical. Stop ratcheting when the top triangle is equilateral at 2,4 m per side. Take the three remaining straps and adjust each to about 2 m. Connect each strap end from the upper eyebolt to the lower eyebolt most directly beneath it. Operate the ratchet a few clicks at a time to tighten the straps and stabilise the structure. Dont overdo it; a bit of play is ne.

PM Saturday

3. ATTACH BOTTOM STRAPS Arrange pipes on the ground in a weave pattern as shown in the top view. The pipes must overlap in exactly this way. Adjust three tie-down straps to 2,4 m. Attach each strap to the low point on the three pipe ends, forming an equilateral triangle along the ground.
TOP VIEW

5. STAKE, NAP The tensegrity hammock stand is freestanding, but it can tip over. Add stability and safety by staking each bottom eyebolt to the ground. Hang a hammock from any of the two top eyebolts. Use ratchets rated to handle more than the nappers combined weight. Climb in, take a snooze, and dream of perfectly inert static equilibrium or even geodesic domes.

PROTECTIVE COATING Gutters need regular maintenance to keep them looking good as well as ensuring they do their primary job channelling rain to the downpipe. If your gutters are the metal type, theres the added danger of corrosion. My tip meets both goals protection and aesthetics and even has the potential to save you cash. I should mention that this tip is really aimed at DIYers who have woodwork that needs regular varnishing. Heres what to do: pour all your leftover varnish, from various containers, into one tin. Apply it to the interior (upper) surface of the gutters even if they are rusty, with aking chips. Varnish the lot, chips and all. When

DIY Handy hints

the varnish dries, it forms an extrahard coating in your gutters and lasts for years, saving you the cost of replacement. STAN CINMAN KENGRAY LEVEL BEST To level your fridge or freezer, pour a little water on top, in the middle. Adjust the feet at the bottom to the opposite side to where the water is running. Big deal, you say: whats a little out-of-balance between friends? Heres what: this little exercise will also extend the life of the appliances motor and compressor. KOBUS OOSTHUIZEN DERBY

NO BUGS, TO BOOT Its likely that many PM readers own Wellington boots, and equally probable that they store these boots in their garages or tool sheds, where they tend to attract all manner of creepy things in search of a home. My solution: put aside two plastic bread bags (of the kind used for sliced loaves) and slip them over the tops of the boots. ROBERT COWLEY BELLVILLE ALL STUCK UP Ever tried cutting very sticky doublesided tape with a pair of scissors, only to end up with a ball of chewing gum? My advice simply apply a little saliva to the scissors with your nger, and the scissors will do their job without a hitch. (Warning: dont lick the scissors; you may cut your tongue.) CLEM STEYN PRETORIA

LIGHT MY FIRE If you enjoy braais, this ones for you. Place a few pumice stones in a glass jar and cover with parafn. Leave for at least a day, then remove a couple of stones from the jar and use them as relighters. Afterwards, allow the pumice stones to cool, then place them in the jar and top up the parafn. Your relighters are ready for the next braai. PETER KUYPERS BLAIRGOWRIE

PROJECT DO-OVER CAULKING

2 Stained and cracked caulk can be very unsightly. Fortunately, its very easy and inexpensive to remove and re-caulk. Not only will your bathroom look better, but youll remove mould build-up and keep the water where it should be in the bathtub. 1: Soften the caulk by applying caulk remover. 2: Slice through the softened caulk using a utility knife with a fresh blade. If youre lucky, most of it will fall free. On the other hand, if there are several layers or if the caulk is too thick, you may need to pull the material from the joint with a pair of needle-nose pliers. 3: Rake remaining chunks of caulk from the joint using the hook end of a painters ve-in-one tool. 4: Now, clean the surface and remove mildew. Use a non-ammoniated bath cleaner to remove soap scum. If you do decide to use bleach, do not use an ammoniated cleaner prior to applying because, when mixed together, they give off poisonous fumes. 5: Kill any mildew on surfaces using a solution of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water (or 1/3 cup bleach to 4 litres of water). Use a paintbrush or foam brush to apply the solution and to work it into the gap left by the removed caulk. Scrub the area with a brush or plastic pad, rinse, then dry the surfaces with a cleaning rag. 6: Finally, apply a bead of tub-and-tile caulk that contains a fungicide.

6 TOOLS AND MATERIALS

Caulk remover Utility knife Needle-nose pliers Vinegar (preferable) or bleach Non-ammonia bath cleaner Paintbrush or foam brush Bristle brush or plastic pad Rag Caulk

STAYING IN TOUCH I live in a large house and care for my mother, whos 83 and in frail health. We dont always hear her call when she needs help, so I came up with a great solution the (portable) pushbutton from a wireless doorbell. Costing about R120, and available from your local hardware store, its a cheap but effective way to stay in contact. I place the battery-operated receiver close by, be it in my garage or out in the garden. The same solution will work for people who are bedridden as a result of illness or injury. CHRIS VAN VUUREN PORT ELIZABETH

DIY Handy hints

TAKE NOTE Many DIY projects require us to make a note of measurements, and if youre anything like me, these will end up being written on pieces of paper, timber off-cuts or assorted cardboard boxes. It all gets a bit confusing, and you risk a minor disaster should the measurements be mislaid. Heres my solution: keep a small roll of masking tape handy, write the measurements on it, then tear off that strip of tape and stick it on the relevant workpiece. Problem solved. JOHANN OLWAGEN VIA E-MAIL RUST BEGONE Have you ever had a problem with rust in your cast iron potjie? Are you tired of washing off the sticky oil (or

similar rust preventer) before you can start cooking? Heres my solution: after you have washed and dried the pot, pour in a cup or two of rice the amount depends on its size. The rice absorbs any moisture, leaving the inside of your pot dry and rust-free. Happy cooking, guys! ANDR MOUTON VIA E-MAIL WELL, BLOW ME DOWN If you havent used your caravan or trailer for a long time in my case, it

PROBLEMS AND FIXES

A LITTLE OFF THE TOP

Trimming grass too short lops off much of the energyproducing top growth, resulting in weak, sickly lawn that will require more of your time, water and maintenance. Frequently mowing to the correct height will also produce tiny grass clippings that may be left on the lawn to decompose and return nutrients back to the soil. Adjust the height of the mowers deck to the top or second-highest position. Time your mowing so that you remove about one-third of the grass blades every time you mow. In the early spring, this may mean mowing every four or ve days. In the summer, once a week should do it. In late summer, you may not need to mow at all if the grass goes dormant and stops growing.

TOOL-POST TIP Anyone who uses a lathe will know that the accurate placement of tools in the tool post can require many attempts using cut-offs and metal scraps to shim the tool up to a proper height. Theres a better way: for about R20, you can buy a feeler gauge and use its blades to achieve a high degree of height accuracy with minimal fuss. I chose a feeler gauge with long blades so that the rest of the gauge can be folded out of the way. RAFI LEIGH JOHANNESBURG

was two years you may nd that the plug has corroded to the point where it no longer works. To x it, soak the plug in malt vinegar (I used a small plastic bag) for a few minutes, then blow-dry with a hairdryer. TOBY ZIETSMAN BLOEMFONTEIN

PROJECT BUILD A ROTATING COMPOST BIN

About 25 per cent of the food we purchase gets thrown out every year. When these organic materials decompose in anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions in our landlls, they produce methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Help divert organic materials from the landll and make your own compost at the same time by building a rotation bin. The rotation bin will not only speed the composting process, but it will keep it rodent-free. Once assembled, ll it two-thirds full with scraps, moisten with water, and rotate every few days. 1: Mark an opening on the side of a food-grade barrel using masking tape. Bore a 7- or 8 mm-diameter hole at each of its corners and use a jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade to cut out the shape of the door. Clean up the edges of the door and barrel with a le. 2: Attach the door to the barrel. Use screws or bolts to fasten metal hinges or make a ap hinge from scraps of bicycle inner tube. Screw a couple of small blocks inside the barrel to keep the door from falling in, and another on the outside to act as a latch. 3: Make two X-shaped stands using scrap wooden planks. Fasten the Xs together with bolts, screws or nails that are bent over where they exit. Connect the two X-shaped stands with a horizontal plank, and add diagonal braces to keep them steady. 4: Attach a wooden turning lever to the end of the barrel using large sheet metal screws or bolts. Rub wax or a piece of candle on the components of the wooden stand that make contact with the barrel to lubricate them. Food-grade barrel Masking tape Jigsaw with metal cutting blade File Several small blocks Two scrap planks Bolts, nails, screws Hinges or old bicycle inner tube Diagonal braces Large sheet metal screws Bar of soap (for lubricating) TOOLS AND MATERIALS

KEEP IT COOL THIS SUMMER

Mica has all the Elements you need in terms of fans for this season! Visit your nearest Mica and ask about our exclusive range of Elements fans we have pedestals, standard and a High Velocity 3-in-1 fan that can be mounted on the wall, stand on the floor or used as a pedestal! Get blown away with Mica this season!

IF THE KEY FITS... If you are anything like me, you will have assembled many items of at-pack furniture over the years and cant nd the accompanying Allen key when you need to tighten a joint or make adjustments. The solution is simple: once youve assembled the item, attach the Allen key to the back or underside, using duct tape. That way, youll always

DIY T-shirt cannon

Blast ballistic souvenirs to your adoring audience using PVC pipes and pressurised air.
By WILLIAM GURSTELLE

TOGGLE SWITCH BARREL

PRESSURISED TANK

SOLENOID VALVE

TANK VALVE

1 STOCK UP Nothing adds value to an item like ring it from a cannon. To make sports fans scramble for a T-shirt (or galvanise guests at your next braai), use the items from the materials list above to build an air tank, barrel and trigger.

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PM Saturday

#
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2

MATERIALS LIST
90 cm length of 5 cm-diameter PVC pipe 40 cm length of 7,5 cm-diameter PVC pipe 7,5 cm threaded-to-smooth PVC coupling 7,5 cm threaded end cap 7,5 cm-to-5 cm PVC reducer tting 5 cm-to-2,5 cm PVC reducer bushing 5 cm-to-2,5 cm PVC reducer tting 2,5 cm-diameter iron pipe close nipples 2,5 cm smooth-to-NPT PVC adapter ttings 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 2,5 cm-diameter 24-volt sprinkler solenoid valve Momentary pushbutton switch On/off toggle switch 9-volt batteries and harnesses Electronic project box Pipe-thread sealant 6 mm NPT tank valve Mtley Cre T-shirt (or whatever)

2 ASSEMBLE PIPE Solvent-weld the pipe and pipe ttings together to make the barrel and air-tank assemblies, using purple PVC primer and cement to make the connections. The idea is to reduce the 7,5 cm (air tank) and 5 cm (barrel) pipes to t the 2,5 cm solenoid valve openings. Use iron pipe nipples to connect the solenoid valve to the PVC ttings on the air tank and barrel. Apply pipe-thread sealant to prevent leaks.

4 AIM AND FIRE Tightly roll a T-shirt, slip it into the muzzle and push it to the bottom of the barrel with a broomstick. Put on safety glasses. Connect to the air tank and pressurise to 2,7 bar. Set the toggle switch to on. Aim and re. Reload, rell and repeat. Warnings: PVC weakens in cold weather. Dont over-pressurise the tank. Dont re at a target less than 10 m away. This is an unconventional use for PVC and water sprinkler equipment so proceed at your own risk.

3 COMPLETE CONNECTIONS Drill a 6 mm hole centred on the at part of the 7,5 cm end cap. Tap the hole. Insert the tank valve and screw the cap to the pipe. Use a compressor or foot pump to ll the tank to 2,7 bar. Check pressure and test for leaks with a tyre gauge. Build a circuit to control the launch by connecting three 9-volt batteries in series with a toggle switch, a push-button trigger and the solenoid.

?
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DIY Handy hints

know where it is, and the air wont turn blue! DAVID COOPER KIMBERLEY DEFYING LITTLE FINGERS I recently needed to child-proof our home in the expectation of our grandchildrens visit. Rather than t unsightly rubber loops to door handles or damage our cupboards with ugly latches, I opted for industrial-strength Velcro pads available from good hardware stores. Our cupboards now defy little ngers but can be opened by an adults rm pull. TONY KINNER ILLOVO

DOING THE TWIST On inspecting the plug on my wifes hairdryer, I noticed the wires were badly (and dangerously) twisted. To solve this problem, I located a small cable tie and pulled it tight around the insulation on the cord gripper of the plug (see before and after pictures). I did this almost a year ago, and the problem has not recurred. E P ERASMUS WELLINGTON NO CREATIVE MAYHEM My wife, who is more artistic than I am, decided one day to stencil the bathroom and kitchen walls in a variety of colours and patterns, which would have necessitated covering the oor with a whole bunch of small paint pots. My solution was to t an

PROBLEMS AND FIXES

SHARPEN THE BLADES

You use less water, fertiliser and fuel if you keep your mowers blades sharpened. Dull blades also rip the grass rather than cutting it, and leave behind jagged ends that quickly turn brown. Sharpen your blades every spring, and they should cut cleanly throughout the summer. If you have a petrol mower, before you start, make sure it has an empty or nearly empty fuel tank and make sure the fuel cap is rmly tightened. 1 1: Disconnect the spark plug on petrol mowers or make sure electric mowers are unplugged, then tip the mower on its side. Use a spanner and remove the blade. 2: Wearing work gloves, use a mill le to smooth out damage and sharpen the edge. Maintain the bevel at 40 to 45 degrees. 3: Test the blade for balance by placing it on a cone-shaped blade spacer, or drive a nail into your workbench and hang the blade from the hole in its centre. On the balancer or the nail, the blade should hang evenly. If it tips to one side, remove metal from the opposite side. 4: Replace the blade, refuel or plug in the mower and test on a rm, level surface to check for vibration before cutting grass.

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8-division mufn tin with paper liners, pour a small quantity of paint into each cavity and voila! TA ONEIL PINETOWN

PROBLEMS AND FIXES PAINTING TIPS

Invest in canvas Canvas drop cloths are durable, and rip- and puncture-resistant. They lie at as you walk across them, presenting less of a tripping hazard; seldom, if ever, must you tape canvas to the oor. Canvas also absorbs paint drops, unlike plastic drop cloths, which become slippery when spattered with wet paint. Youre much less likely to pick up paint on your shoe soles from canvas. Canvas drop cloths can be easily folded around corners and doorways something thats virtually impossible to do with plastic sheeting. Plus, canvas can be re-used countless times, which makes using them eco-friendly when compared with discarding metres of plastic drop cloths after just one use. Roll with a pole When painting rooms, forget the ladder and get a telescopic extension pole for your paint roller. They come in various sizes, but one that extends from about 45 to 90 cm offers plenty of reach for painting rooms with ceilings that are 2,7 m or lower. There are also extra-long extension poles available for painting cathedral ceilings and loft spaces. Look for an extension pole with a soft, non-slip rubber grip and a rigid metal core. And be sure the threaded end of the pole is metal, too. Allplastic handles are too exible, making them hard to control, and the plastic gets fatigued over time and can snap under pressure. Also check to be sure the telescoping shaft locks securely in position and doesnt collapse when forced. Record the colour Keep track of the brand name and colour of the paint used so you can buy more when its time to touch up or re-paint a room. Instead of attempting to record this information in a notebook, write the vital information (brand name, paint colour, paint number) on a piece of masking tape and stick it to the back of a light-switch plate before replacing it on the wall. Itll stay there until its time to re-paint.

BEND IT, SHAPE IT Plasticine (the non-toxic modelling clay) can be used for a variety of things in a workshop. Here are some of my favourites: use it to make a small pool when drilling materials that require a lubricant; mould replacement parts; mould silicone stoppers and washers such as the ones under your toilet seat; ll pinholes in a plaster-of-Paris mould. SEAN ADAMS LAKESIDE

SLIPPERY SLOPE If your ladder is prone to sliding along the oor, try putting socks over the feet to increase the friction and reduce the chance of a fall. Be sure to test this before you climb too high! JOHANN OLWAGEN VIA E-MAIL TACKLE THAT OIL SPILL Whether youre cooking in the kitchen or servicing your car in the garage, you occasionally have a mishap and spill oil on the oor, creating a potential hazard. Dealing with this is childs play: simply pour maize meal over the spill and scoop it up after it has absorbed all the slippery stuff. It works just as well when you need to mop up spilled oil from the stove top. LJ VAN ROOYEN WIERDA PARK SOUTH

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a bit fragile, but if you work carefully, its not a problem. MIKE PIENAAR EAST LONDON

DIY Handy hints

SHINY SIDE UP Do not underestimate the usefulness of aluminium foil. A friend recently used a few rolls of foil to make his own light tubes to bring natural light to his workshop. The results were amazing, and all it took was a can of spray glue and a Saturday afternoon. I had similarly good results a few months ago when I helped my son make a solar cooker; the foil is

KEEP IT CLEAN Heres how to keep your gas braai clean and free of greasy build-up. Place a double layer of aluminium foil under the gas burners and pour in a layer of cat litter. When youve nished your braai, you need only dispose of the cat litter that has caught the fat. RICHARD MONAGHAN PLETT

STICKY DRAWERS? If the wooden drawers in your cupboards are sticky and do not close or open easily, I have the solution: spray furniture polish on the runners. This creates a smooth, virtually frictionless surface for the drawer to travel on. WAYNE HARDMAN DURBAN THICK AS A PLANK If your garage is just deep enough for your car and you keep bumping into the end wall, try this: place a heavy plank across the oor, then ease your car

PROJECT REPLACE YOUR COUNTERTOP

If your kitchen needs a facelift but your budget cant handle a major renovation, a new counter top may be a practical answer. Replacing an old, worn work surface can go a long way toward giving your kitchen a new lease on life. Heres a breakdown of your alternatives.

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1: Re-laminate your countertop. Just like a fresh coat of paint, a new layer of plastic laminate is a fast, low-budget way to quickly update and add value to your home. You can only re-laminate a countertop with a at backsplash or no backsplash, as bending laminate around small-radius corners can be done only at the factory. 2: Tile it. Ceramic tiles offer a richness of texture that no other countertop surface can match in addition to being inexpensive, readily available and easy to install. While its more time-consuming than other countertop installations, you can cover just about any surface with tile. Keep the grout clean by applying grout sealer according to the manufacturers instructions. 3: Install a post-formed countertop. Durable, stain-resistant and inexpensive, these are now available with left- or right-mitred ends and with sink openings partially cut. Youll also nd matching endcaps, splice hardware and built-up kits for counters where dishwashers are installed. If the additional expense is not an issue, consider ordering custom-cut lengths from a home centre. 4: Install a solid-surface countertop. Differing from laminate or tile countertops where cutting produces a raw, exposed edge of plywood or particleboard, a solid-surface countertop is solid all the way through. It is the most expensive option available, especially if you choose a high-quality surface like granite or quartz, and you wont be able to install it yourself. Cutting, routing and joining solid-surface materials is somewhat hazardous and best left to a professional.

BEER CAN HORROR If the ring-pull tab on your can of beer breaks off just before the start of a big rugby match, dont go to pieces. Because the hole in the cans top is scored, you can open it by placing the tip of a teaspoon against the hole and pressing down hard. LUKE STEMMET DURBAN inside until the front tyres touch the plank. Voila! no more scuffed bumpers. MICHELLE ROBERTS CLAREMONT LOST AND FOUND Spray products such as Q20 generally come with handy plastic tubes for targeted delivery. However, these small tubes are easily lost. My solution remove the copper strands from a length of plastic-covered electric wire and use the tube to create a exible point of delivery. If necessary, you can glue it to the spray can nozzle. PIETER GROBLER KRUGERSDORP

PROTECTING ROVERS SUPPER Are you having problems with ants getting into your dogs food bowl? Heres the solution: just spray a ring of Q20 around it to create a barrier that no ant can pass. MARTIN WEBER HLUHLUWE STICKY STUFF If you need to apply glue in a restricted space, or are working on small and delicate projects (for example, assembling model cars or planes), you may nd that the tip of the glue tube is too thick to be practical. I might just have the solution: t the needle from a hypodermic syringe to the tip of the tube, sealing the joint with a dab of silicone, and youll be able to

PROBLEMS AND FIXES SQUARE IT AWAY

Youve got the house and the white picket fence, but a drooping gate is ruining the dream

QUICK FIX

Wear and tear plus the elements combine to make picket-fence gates droop, but handymen have long used an easy x straight from geometry class. Install an eye screw in the frame of the gate, about where it connects to the upper hinge. Attach a strong cable to the eye screw using a clip (available from most home centres) and fasten another cable to the corner diagonally opposite that is, the bottom outside, as shown in the illustration. Now join the two cables with a turnbuckle, tightening until the gate is back in square.

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DIY Handy hints

apply the right amount of adhesive exactly where you want it. HERMANUS SPOELSTRA PRETORIA ACE IN THE HOLE If you over-drill a hole, especially in old and powdery brickwork, you may nd that the screws either dont grip or grip unevenly. Rather than buy a proprietary chemical anchor (which tends to be expensive, and isnt readily available in volumes suitable for domestic use), I squish some Pratley putty into the hole. Next, I insert the jacketed screw, 70 per cent screwed into its jacket. I set the screw angle, allow it to set, than screw it in all the way. Its important

that you dont ll the gaps completely with putty, or there will be no space left for the expanding jacket to move. This solution allows you to hang heavy items on powdery walls. MATTHEW FRIEDLAND CRAIGHALL PARK A QUESTION OF AESTHETICS Sometimes, when repairing or restoring old and antique furniture, joining pieces of timber with screws may not be the best option because the screw holes are enlarged, and a larger screw may not be aesthetically desirable. An alternative solution is to glue the parts together, then drill a 5-6 mm hole through the parts joined, squeeze in some wood glue, and hammer in a normal golf tee (of the long, natural timber type). Allow to dry, cut off the

top of the golf tee with a wood chisel or Stanley knife, and sand lightly until smooth. Youll be left with a perfect timber joint in a natural timber colour. DICK VAN STRAATEN SUNNINGHILL CATCH THEM IN THE ACT After a very near miss on Hospital Bend (Cape Town) when a car cut in front of me before braking hard, I wondered how, if there had been an accident, I would have been able to prove who was at fault. The answer: simply attach a cellphone to the rearview mirror (I use Prestik) and set it to record video when you set off. Its good for 1,5 hours of video on my phone, and the peace of mind is very reassuring. BOB SEDDON PLUMSTEAD

PROBLEMS AND FIXES

RUNG OUT
One of your dining room chairs is complaining and splaying every time someone sits down on it and a lawsuit could be only a matter of time. QUICK FIX Over time and prolonged use, chair rungs can work themselves loose. The simplest way to remedy the situation is to inject white woodworkers glue around the rung and clamp the legs until the joint dries. Chances are you dont have woodworking clamps lying around, but dont let that stop you. Strap a belt around the legs, compressing them together by notching the belt as tightly as possible. Once the glue dries, chisel any excess glue that has bled out, and the chair will be stable once again.

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UNLOCK THE VALUE OF GRAPHITE Locks need to be regularly lubricated, but oil makes the mechanisms sticky and gathers dust, eventually jamming the whole thing. Graphite powder is a much better lubricant, but is expensive and difcult to get into the key slot. A much cheaper and easier solution is to use the replaceable lead from a mechanical propelling pencil. Slide it into the key slot and insert the key, crushing the graphite and delivering lubricating graphite right where its needed (at the pins). The softer or darker the lead, the higher the graphite content and the better its lubricating properties (so HB is better than 2H, and 2B is better than HB). MICHAEL QUAYLE PIETERMARITZBURG

PROBLEMS AND FIXES ITS THE PITS

Babys drumming has left a nice collection of craters on the surface of your pine kitchen table.

QUICK FIX

Small dents are a cinch to remove. Prick the surface of the dents several times with a ne-point needle, then cover with a moistened cloth. Set your iron on low heat and iron the cloth until it begins to steam. The moisture will inltrate the wood and swell the wood bres, lling out the dents. The steam will raise the grain, so youll need to lightly sand the treated area after raising the dents. A word of caution: dont use this technique on a veneer; it will separate and peel up when you steam the underlying adhesive.

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DIY Handy hints

GET A GRIP Ever since Lance Armstrongs LiveStrong campaign, people have been using these rubber wrist bands as promotional items. What you may not realise is that they provide a useful gripping surface: I stretched one over my motorcycles slippery oil lter (it unscrewed easily) and gave another to my wife for use on the lids of those hard-to-open mayonnaise jars. TOMMIE VIA E-MAIL

GIVE EGGS A BREAK I own a small pick-up truck that I use for dumping rubble and garden waste, but its no good for transporting stuff in shopping bags, which tend to slide around when I brake or turn a corner. After breaking some eggs, I hit upon the idea of using shackles and snap-on hooks to hold the packages in place. They cost about R10 each and are available from your local hardware store. DEAN RABULALL CHATSWORTH

PROBLEMS AND FIXES CHAIN REACTION

Youve just stepped into the shower when some family member ushes the toilet in the second bathroom and makes you a victim of shower shock. QUICK FIX In a busy household, its inevitable that someone is going to use the toilet when someone else is using the shower. The problem is that a ushing toilet draws cold water away from the shower, making for a quick (and occasionally painful) temperature change. The solution is to slow the rate of the toilet ush so that the effect is minimised. Find the water valve to the toilet tank and close it until its about a quarter- to one-half turn from completely shut off. It will take longer for the tank to ll, but if this makes the difference between second-degree burns and a mild temperature uctuation, does it really matter?

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FINAL CUT When you need to remove a picture or tting attached to the wall with heavy duty double-sided tape, dont risk damage to the picture (or wall) by attempting to slice through the tape with a knife. Instead, use a length of ne wire or nylon shing line with a sawing motion, starting at one corner and working your way around. HANNES WAGENER BRYNSTON HEY MAN, BE COOL We recently renovated our house and ripped out the ceiling over the living area, exposing the rafters and corrugated iron roof, and installed a large room in the attic. Naturally, we were concerned that the summer sun would turn our house into an oven. The solution: a domestic version of

the whirlybird-type industrial venting system, which uses a turbine that rotates in the slightest breeze, plus an evaporative cooler for extra-hot days. Check it out before you invest in conventional (and expensive) air conditioning. MARK LLOYD DURBANVILLE STAY LOOSE If youre like me, you probably overll your ice trays and then battle to extricate them from the bottom of the freezer compartment, where they have stuck fast. My suggestion: place a sheet of wax paper under each ice tray. Another tip: use boiled water to make crystal-clear cubes. S CHAMBERS TOKAI

LIFES TOO SHORT Using a brush to paint long wooden items such as dowels or thin poles can take hours. Rather don a pair of cheap rubber or plastic gloves, dip a piece of woolly cloth in the paint, and run the long items through the cloth in your lightly clenched hand. WILLEM DUURSEMA PRETORIA SUCKER! From time to time, youll nd your automatic pool cleaner taking a nap when it should be cleaning your pool. A blockage in the throat rubber is usually the cause, and xing this entails switching off the pump or unplugging it from the weir (this is to prevent the pipe from sucking in air while youre inspecting the

PROBLEMS AND FIXES

LOCKED OUT
Youve nally set aside an afternoon to clear out that storage shed that hasnt seen the light of day in a year. But now you discover that the padlock is rusted shut. QUICK FIX First, try to loosen the mechanism with penetrating lubricant. If that doesnt work, attach a can to the hasp on the garage, gate or other structure (see illustration), ll it with parafn and immerse the lock for 24 hours.

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DIY Handy hints

pool cleaner). Try this instead: pull the pool cleaner to the surface and unplug the pipe, still holding it under the water. Next, press it against the pool wall, where it will attach itself like a leech. It stays latched while the weir valve opens to compensate for the sudden blockage. You may now remove the cleaner, clear the blockage and reconnect the pipe without having to open the covers, switch off the pump or remove the pipe from its natural habitat. DRIES CORNELIUS CENTURION

WHEN THE BELLS TOLL Cats may not be intellectual giants, but theyre certainly cunning. We were distressed when our favourite feline began catching small birds and depositing the remains on the kitchen oor (did he really think we would be impressed?). We tied a small bell to his collar to give the birds fair warning, and that worked for a while, but it soon became clear that the cat had learned to move silently even with the bell. Weve now attached a second bell to his collar, and that seems to be working (that is, the bells dont tinkle in sync!). We can live with the reproving looks from our pet. JA BROWN LAKESIDE

PROBLEMS AND FIXES WEAK FLAME

Your saut is a mess because the pan is heating unevenly over the stoves gas burner.

QUICK FIX

Although they dont necessarily show it, gas burners inevitably become clogged with food particles and other kitchen grime, and the burner may provide a weaker ame on one side. If food is cooking unevenly in the pan, use a toothpick to poke all the burner-head holes clean, then turn the burner on a high ame for a few minutes to ensure that all residue is burned off.

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NUKED BLOOMS, OKAY? My daughter recently produced an attractive display of dried owers for a school project after a long and somewhat tedious process. Her rst effort required her to press them between sheets of newspaper, resulting in a two-dimensional display, after which she tried drying them in bunches hung from a rafter in the garage. It was only later that we found out about a more modern method using a microwave oven. All you need do is nuke the owers for 2-4 minutes, depending on the type and number of blooms, and off you go! MONICA LE ROUX DURBAN

PROBLEMS AND FIXES ROUGH RIDE

A sliding glass door that doesnt stay in its track is more than a minor annoyance; its a safety hazard. The metal guides that contain most sliding doors can get bent out of shape by daily wear and tear. Badly bent or attened guides will allow the door to slide out of the track, so badly damaged tracks need to be re-formed into their original shape.

QUICK FIX

First, check to see if the door has adjustable rollers. If so, you can improve the doors action with minimal fuss. If not, read on. Use a scrap piece of wood that is just thick enough to t into the slot of the tracks. Secure it in place and use a mallet to pound the track guides back into their correct position.

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DIY Handy hints

PAINT TINTING
Colour is simple at Mica! Come into any one of our stores, choose the colour of your choice and we can mix it for you! Try Micas exclusive range of paints, Colour Co we bring you pure, fresh colour that you can afford.

BARGAIN HUNT Yard and boot sales can be a nightmare if you dont plan them properly. Here are a few essential tips: 1. To save haggling time, put a price sticker on every item and dont price your unwanted goods out of the market. If you ask for more than 30 per cent of the retail value, youre probably wasting your time, and will probably end up having to pack it all away again. 2. Be prepared to start half an hour before the advertised time. Yard sales always attract early birds in search of a bargain. 3. If youre selling electrical appliances, have an extension lead on standby (connected to a power supply, naturally!). If prospective buyers can see the appliance working, they are far more likely to part with their cash. 4. Carry a cash oat; you wont have a chance to rush off to the corner shop for change. MANDY SWART VIA E-MAIL

PROBLEMS AND FIXES DODGY DOOR

The bedroom door sticks every time its opened or closed, but the idea of repeatedly hanging and planning or sanding what you think are the trouble spots seems like more work than its worth. QUICK FIX Tape carbon paper or any other type of blued paper along the edge that is sticking. Open and close the door, and the blueing will mark the problem areas, allowing you to sand or plane at exactly the right spots that are causing the door to stick. This works on the side, top or bottom.

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A STICKY END If you run out of insect spray and you really need to zap a ying or crawling bug, try a quick squirt of hairspray (you know, that stuff you use to keep your Sixties coiffure in place). The sticky stuff will generally immobilise the insect, allowing you to, um, dispose of it humanely. AR WATTS VIA E-MAIL IT NEVER RAINS... If the hot water cylinder springs a leak and discharges its entire contents on to your ceiling, immediately punch or drill (using a hand drill) several drainage holes before the weight of the water causes the ceiling to collapse. You can catch the water in buckets on the oor, replacing them as they ll

RIGHT ON THE NAIL I dont know a lot of women who will hold a nail while their male partner wields the hammer (the reverse is also true, naturally). However, if you must have help when you tackle this simple job, heres how to go about it: cut a piece of stiff paper about 15 mm wide and 50 mm long, and push the nail through one end. You then hold the paper by the other end and start hammering. Voila! No need for the rst aid kit. DARRYL DE NECKER VIA E-MAIL

PROBLEMS AND FIXES

DISASTER PREVENTION
Useful though it is, that cordless drill could turn into a bad trip if youre working on a complicated renovation project and it gets underfoot.

QUICK FIX

Make a handy holster for the drill by cutting off the bottom of a 1-litre plastic soda bottle and making two vertical cuts about 3 cm from the cut. Invert the bottle, thread your belt through the cut slots, and you have a hip-mounted holster custom-made for your cordless drill.

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PROJECT TURN A DRESSER INTO A BATHROOM VANITY

DIY Handy hints

up. If you move quickly, you can minimise the damage. N MURRAY PORT ELIZABETH

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GENTLE REMINDER Its happened to all of us: we lend something to somebody, then completely forget who borrowed it. My technique for retrieving long-lost items is simple and effective, and all it requires is a telephone answering service. If you call my number while Im out or unavailable, youll generally get a message on the lines of: Thanks for phoning. Please leave a message after the beep, and by the way, if youve got my Bill Bryson book/water pump pliers/ Pink Floyd DVD/jumper leads, please let me know I really need them back. Sooner or later, the person to whom you lent the item will call while youre out, and respond to the message. It may take some time, but in my experience, its always worked. JULIAN MAYER CAPE TOWN

Recycle an old, worn-out dresser rather than sending it to the landll and add instant value to your home without spending a lot on a bathroom remodel. You can take this project to the next level by replacing the top of the dresser with a marble or stone countertop purchased from a salvage company. 1: Remove and dismantle the top two drawers, then re-glue just the drawer faces back in place. Keep the bottom two drawers functional to allow access to the plumbing. Apply water-resistant nish to the entire cabinet. 2: Measure your current basin and cut a hole on top of the dresser to t. 3: Turn off the water mains and disconnect the plumbing from the sink. 4: Remove the old cabinet, then t your new basin cabinet against the wall. Drop the basin into the new cabinet. 5: Apply caulk around the basin where it meets the dresser top and (if needed) around the tap deck. Reconnect the plumbing and turn on the water supply.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

Screwdriver Power drill Circular saw Glue Nontoxic water-resistant nish Caulk Pencil Wrench Measuring tape Utility knife

PROJECT REPLACE A CRACKED CERAMIC TILE

If youre a little clumsy with your favourite cast iron pan, youll nd out just how fragile ceramic oor tiles really are. Fortunately, replacing a tile even in the middle of a oor is a fairly easy task. First, remove the damaged tile. Home repair expert Danny Lipford suggests using a masonry bit to drill a number of holes in the centre of the tile (1) so that you can begin to chip out the damaged tile (2). Use a brick chisel and hammer to chip it out, and remember to wear safety glasses. Those little ceramic slivers can be nasty. As you remove the tile, use an adhesive remover to rid the suboor of any adhesive. Use a putty knife to remove the adhesive and tile so that the surface is nice and smooth for the new tile, says Lipford, adding: Just be careful when removing the grout around the edges so that you dont damage the surrounding tiles. After youve removed the old tile, adhesive and grout, youre ready to set in the new tile. If you saved a tile from when the oor was initially laid, good for you. If not, match the new tile as closely as possible to the original. Says Lipford: Use a thin-set adhesive applied evenly with a notched trowel to avoid hollow spots underneath the tile (3). The next day, grout around the tile with a grout that matches the rest of the oor (4). Pay particular attention to how the other grout was applied, whether it was laid ush with the surface of the tile, or rubbed down to a little concave around the tile. There again, match the grout colour as closely as possible.

TIP

Even if youre working from the original bag of grout, it may not match perfectly. Thats why Lipford suggests one last step: Go ahead and put that grout down, and let it dry for a few weeks. If youre not happy with how it blends in, use a grout stain on the whole oor to create a consistent look. Grout stain is inexpensive and easy to apply, and its amazing how it blends everything in.

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for a day or two before completely removing the bag. MERCIA VAN NIEKERK VIA E-MAIL

DIY Handy hints

WET, WET, WET If youre going away on holiday for a couple of weeks and cant nd a friendly neighbour to water your plants, try this: pour a generous amount of water into the pot, then cover it (pot and plant) with a transparent plastic bag, sealing it at the top. When you get back, remove the seal and allow the plant to acclimatise

CALLING FOR BACKUP It can be a nightmare when your cellphone is lost or stolen, but losing all your contact numbers may be even more traumatic. (Yes, I know you can back up your data on your computer, but how many of us actually get around to downloading the supplied software and doing it?) Heres a quick and easy

way to save that critical information and it works for any handset. First, buy a SIM card (theyre available for next to nothing from your local supermarket; youll need to do the RICA thing). Next, back up your numbers to the phone memory, swop your SIM card with the temporary one, download the numbers to the card, then swop again. Keep the backup card in a safe place until its needed. MARIO DIPPENAAR NEWCASTLE

PROJECT

DESTROY YOUR OLD HARD DRIVE

Getting rid of your computer? If your idea of wiping the hard disc clean is formatting the disc, you may be leaving sensitive data to chance. Art Costigan, CISSP (Certied Information Systems Professional), is a security analyst with Global Network Security Consultants who holds little regard for simple formatting. He explains: Formatting just kind of rearranges stuff on the hard drive. Anyone who knows anything about hard drives can un-format the drive and restore it to original condition. Someone really skilled... can restore the original information from a drive thats been formatted and overwritten half a dozen times. Thats why Costigan recommends either an electromagnetic cleansing or using a commercial disc-cleaning program. The electromagnetic option usually entails using the services of a company that specialises in EMF destruction. He elaborates: We call it certied destruction, and it works much the same way as having a company shred your papers. You get a certicate guaranteeing that all the information has been destroyed. Its a costly process, but its guaranteed to destroy your data. The real do-it-yourself disc-destroying method involves one of the many disc-cleaning software packages available to consumers. Says Costigan: I like to use one called Evidence Eliminator (visit www.evidence-eliminator. com). You can set it to overwrite the area every time you delete a le from your hard drive. But there are many good programs out there. Personally, Id stay away from free programs you might nd on the Internet.

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DISPENSE OIL WITH PRECISION Its hard to nd an oil can that delivers on the rst stroke of the lever, that doesnt over-dispense, and doesnt leak around the ller. Cheap Far East imports are the worst offenders. A well-known maker of skin creams packages one of its products (total effects day moisturiser) in a precision pump container that can be utilised for dispensing oil or other uids or gels, as long as they are compatible with plastic, in easily-controlled volumes, exactly where you want it to go. I use mine for cutting-uid, when threading or turning small items. Once the skin moisturising contents have been used up by your partner, of course! separate the reservoir

from the pump component and clean out the remnants of the cream with a tissue. A little parafn or meths helps, but avoid paint thinners or other solvents that might attack the plastic. Extend the nozzle with a metal or plastic tube (4,5 mm diameter is a nice tight t) of the required length. Fill up the reservoir with a suitable volume of oil and reassemble. Between uses, the pump stays primed for instant dispensing. JOHN FREAN JOHANNESBURG IMAGE-ENHANCED CONTACTS If youre an early riser like me, and end up tinkering around the home all weekend, its important to know

when your local hardware/vet is open. I use my phone to take a photo of the relevant stores operating hours board, and save it as the photo for that contact. This has saved me hours of wasted driving time. JAYSON DUNNE NORTHCLIFF DIY GUTTERS I would like to pass on an idea I applied to our mountain holiday hut, where we are 100 per cent dependent on rain water, and to an extension of our property in Gauteng. Instead of using a normal gutter, I opted for a 110 mm drain pipe with a slit cut out lengthwise, the width of the slit being equivalent to the roof thickness

PROJECT REATTACH A LOOSE DECK PLANK

A loose deck plank is a stubbed toe waiting to happen. Thats why an important part of deck maintenance is re-securing loose planks. In most cases, the plank just needs to be reattached because the fastener a screw or nail has worked loose within its hole. In some cases, however, the problem is a warped or splitting board, which calls for a replacement. In either case, start by removing the old fasteners. Pry out nails or reverse out screws. Often, the screws will be stripped, in which case you should use pliers to remove them. Replace the fasteners with long, coarse-threaded screws installed through the existing holes. If you decide that the entire plank needs to be replaced, stain or nish the wood to match, then drill the holes before screwing it into place.

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DIY Handy hints

(in my case IBR sheeting). Use a saw or angle grinder to cut the slit, then slip the tube over the edge of the roof, fastening it in place with binding wire every metre or so. If you are feeling lazy, you can use cable ties. For downpipes, bends and joints, use regular plumbing ttings. Oh, and be sure to use UV stabilised PVC pipes. CLEM ECCLES PRETORIA ON REFLECTION... Every DIY person should keep a mirror in their toolbox its indispensable for connecting cables to the back of hi- equipment, and working inside kitchen cupboards or under a dashboard. However, glass mirrors tend to break and are often the wrong size. Try this: buy a plastic mirror (Midas sells a replacement car mirror kit for about R30), cut it to size if necessary and use duct tape to attach it to the end of a dowel. GEOFF LINE VIA E-MAIL

A STRETCH OF IMAGINATION Are your new shoes too small? Dont panic my two tips will stretch them enough to make them wearable. First up is the freezer method: you pour water into large plastic food bags until they ll the entire shoe cavity, then place the shoes in the freezer. As the water freezes, it expands and stretches the shoes. Alternatively, wet the shoes with normal rubbing alcohol (not water, which will damage the leather) and put them on immediately. The alcohol dries quickly and the shoes stretch to t your foot. DANIE TALJAARD DURBANVILLE

MAKE A MOBILE TOOL CABINET Most of us DIY types encounter a garage storage problem at some time or another. The solution is to acquire two secondhand steel cabinets of the kind normally used in an ofce for stationery (the fact that theyre lockable provides extra peace of mind).

Place the cabinets back-to-back on an angle-iron base tted with strong castors. Fit the inside of one cabinet with pegboard for power tools, and equip the second cupboard with racks. Adding handles to the sides will allow you to move your combo tool cabinet around the garage with ease. ANDRE DE WIT PRETORIA MEMORY AID Heres a good way of remembering, and permanently recording, the correct locations of cables, plugs, etc when moving around your TV or sound system. Before disassembling the equipment, use a digital camera to take photographs of the various plugs and other ttings in their original positions, then consult the image when youre ready to put it all back together. SELWYN SCHWENK BENONI

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Mica has a wide range of power tools for you to choose from! From tools suitable for small DIY projects to heavy duty industrial tools in top quality brands, we have the power to give YOU the power. Visit your nearest Mica store for expert advice and great service! Take back the power in all your DIY projects.

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NONE SO BLIND Instead of spending a bomb on hiring people to clean my Venetian blinds, I do it myself, and need no more than 10 minutes per blind. First step is to unhook them from their mountings (this is fairly easy), after which you need to hang them over a garden wall, with the slats in the closed position. Next, spray the blind with a garden hose to remove loose dust, then use a soft brush and dishwashing liquid to wash away the dirt ideally, making downward strokes. Finally rinse well

with the hose and hang the blind over the washing line until its dry. RK DE WITT VIA E-MAIL CLAMP WITH EASE Any handyman worth his salt has at least a couple of G clamps in the garage or workshop; they are the equivalent of a third hand. Here Im referring to the metal clamps, typically made from cast iron or pressed steel. Unfortunately, on many of these, the moving face is a dished washer. The problem with this

is that if you clamp soft material, you will damage the surface of the work piece, so you end up putting pieces of scrap material between the work piece and the two clamping faces, which can be awkward. My solution: le or grind the xed clamp face at and square to the axis of the clamp frame, then braze or weld a at metal disc to the dished washer. It was well worth the time and effort required to modify the half a dozen G clamps. PETER WEBER CENTURION

PROJECT SHARPEN A KNIFE

A knife may be the most elemental of all human tools but its useful only if its sharp. Hone it the way your grandfather did, with a steady hand and a combination stone (available from your local hardware store) with a coarse side and a ne side. The trick is the hold the blade at the correct angle. According to expert sharpener Bob Montagno, most European knives have a 22- to 25-degree blade. Thats about the angle of a book of matches, he says. Japanese knives and llet knives are 12 to 15 degrees. First, lubricate the coarse side of the stone with mineral oil or water; then push the blade across in a sweeping motion, as if youre cutting a thin slice off the stone. Flip the knife and work the other side until a slight burr forms along the edge, Montagno says. Switch to the ne side of the stone, lift the blade to a slightly higher angle, and hone off the burr to create a razor-sharp micro bevel.

TIP

Stroking each side of the bevelled edge at the honed angle on a steel (the rodlike tool in carving sets) straightens microscopic distortions.

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DIY

Handy hints