tools
Fix
Temporarily Magnetise Your Screwdriver For Fumble-Free Repairs
7:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | When you’re tinkering, especially on a project with tiny screws, it can be intensely frustrating to have a screw disappear into the carpet or inside your project. Temporarily magnetise your screwdriver with this simple trick. More »
Fix
Make A Lost Screw Finder From A Blank Media Spindle
3:30AM Sarah Rae Trover | Even folks with steady of hands can lose an important screw while assembling a project. To find your missing pieces, the DIY mavens at Make share how to turn a CD spindle into a vacuum attachment to round up lost parts. More »
Fix
Mod Your Lantern-Style Flashlights To Use A Rechargeable Battery
3:30AM Sarah Rae Trover | Big, bulky lantern-style flashlights are super easy to find when the power goes out, but the batteries they require can be draining on the wallet. This small modification lets it work with a rechargeable battery to ease the cost. More »
Fix
How To Prevent Split Boards
9:00AM Sarah Rae Trover | A split board can ruin a woodworking project if you’re down to your last piece. Stave off splits and weekend project frustrations with this super simple and quick trick. More »
Organise
Magnetic Knife Strip Keeps Drillbits Handy And Organised
9:00AM sarahrae | Organising your home garage or workshop isn’t always as efficient or affordable as it appears to be. Try repurposing a magnetic knife strip to keep small bits in line. More »
Fix
Paper Fix Binds Your Papers Without Staples
5:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Not a fan of paper clips? Wish your stapler had an infinite supply of staples? The Paper Fix is a stapler-substitute that binds paper together using just the paper itself. More »
Fix
Pick The Right Screws And Nails For The Job At Hand
5:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | If you’re a contractor, the charts and usage tips here will be old hat to you. For the rest of us, this chart helps make knowing which nail or screw to use less of a hit-or-miss prospect. More »
Fix
Learn About Different Screw Types
8:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | There is an entire world beyond slotted and Phillips head screws. Learn your screw types and a whole lot more about the history of screws. For each screw drive type, from ancient Slot through to space-age Lox we present a quick view of the screw head, the drive name, a picture of the appropriate drive bit, followed by an explanation of the type. Also presented are the advantages and disadvantages of each drive type. Never find yourself peeling back the warranty sticker on an electronic device again and exclaiming “What the hell is that!” when confronted with an exotic screw type. When a Phillips is not a Phillips [via Make] More »
Fix
8:57AM Angus Kidman | If you’ve ever purchased any furniture from Ikea (or similar mass-market retailers), you’ll be familiar with the trials and tribulations of the S-shaped Allen keys (known by our US brethren as hex keys) supplied with many items to screw them together. Nate at Ikea Hacker came up with a way to simplify the process of using one to assemble or disassemble an item: cut one end off with a pair of bolt cutters, and then you can fit the remaining piece into an electric drill, giving you a powered Allen key that’ll greatly speed up the task. Of course, you can already do this with a commercial L-shaped Allen key, but why pass up a freebie? [Ikea Hacker]
More »
Rev up your Allen key
8:57AM Angus Kidman | If you’ve ever purchased any furniture from Ikea (or similar mass-market retailers), you’ll be familiar with the trials and tribulations of the S-shaped Allen keys (known by our US brethren as hex keys) supplied with many items to screw them together. Nate at Ikea Hacker came up with a way to simplify the process of using one to assemble or disassemble an item: cut one end off with a pair of bolt cutters, and then you can fit the remaining piece into an electric drill, giving you a powered Allen key that’ll greatly speed up the task. Of course, you can already do this with a commercial L-shaped Allen key, but why pass up a freebie? [Ikea Hacker]
More » 
