Photo: Apartment Therapy

Here is an interesting do it yourself storage and shelf system that was posted over at Apartment Therapy.

We all need more shelves and storage room. This pipe and plank system would work as well for garage or basement shelves as it does in Elizabeth and Mikes living room.

No more excuses, get up an build you own shelves. This is a great idea for adding shelves in any room of your house.

“Here’s a perfect project to kick off Home Hacks month: Elizabeth and Mike wanted a giant shelving unit for their new rental, which is only 700 square feet, but has gloriously high beamed ceilings. Inspired by Morgan’s shelves, and with the help of a skilled friend, they found a creative (and landlord-friendly!) solution.”

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Storage Shelf System (bottom shelf board left off for clarity)

The example in the photo is eight feet long and eight feet tall. The shelves are twelve inches deep. Sometimes it’s nice to have shallow shelving. If you make them too deep it is hard to find small items on them.

This shelf system consists of 1″ x 4″ pine shelf frame and legs. No need to waste money on heavy framing lumber. For the shelves you can use almost anything. 1/4″ lauan or plywood is heavy enough to support many things, because the shelves are not that deep and they have cross pieces every two feet. You may have or be able to find scraps of ply wood to use and make them even cheaper. I suggest using screw to assemble the shelf system, and make sure to securely screw the shelf to the wall at the top so it can not tip over.

Shelf Plan Detail (Lower Shelf board Removed)

You can easily adapt the shelf storage plan to suit your needs. Make the shelf shorter, place two in an L shape to make a corner. Adjust the spacing between the shelves depending upon what you are trying to organize.

Have fun, and get that messy garage or basement cleaned up and organized!

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1 Clean The Shower Naked

Why: Because its easier! Take a sponge, a plastic pitcher and some Comet in there with you. Scrub away and rinse everything down while the shower is running. The humidity from the shower helps soften the soap scum, and you don’t have to lean over the edge of the tub or worry about getting your clothes wet.

2 Make Your Razor Blades Last Longer

How: Keep your razor in a cup of mineral oil. Some say it prevents rust, others say it help lubricate them. I say it may be both, but I do know it works great.

3 Make Your Own Cheap Multipurpose Cleaner

How: Ammonia and water, vary the proportions as needed. But try about a 1/4 cup of ammonia in a quart of water for tough cleaning jobs. Nothing remove cooking grease around the stove like this will. It makes a great glass cleaner too, you could add some denatured alcohol to reduce streaks, but it’s not necessary. Use it for bath fixtures, counter tops anything that dirty, you will be amazed and just a little bit richer.

4 Out Running a Crocodile or Alligator

What To Do:Run in a zig-zag pattern, and not just in one straight direction. When making left or right turns, the crocodile or alligator has to come to a crawl to move in that direction because of its short legs.

5 Remove a Band Aid Without Tears

How: Pull quick? No way your little one will be screaming in pain! Cover it with baby oil or Petroleum jelly for awhile. The adhesive will soften any you can be a hero.

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Here is a list of one beer projects, most can even be performed one handed so you don’t even need to set your beer down! I will leave it up to you how many you want to do in one afternoon.

1. Tighten loose door knob screws, adding removable lock-tite to the threads will prevent them from becoming loose again.
2. Lube door hinges with Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant to prolong hinge life
3. Fix loose cabinet door hinge screws by removing the screw, and inserting a piece of a wooden tooth pick and reinstalling the screw
4. Change your furnace filter, write the next scheduled change date on the filter frame with a marker. No! You will not remember, just do what I tell you and stop arguing with me. Four beers makes you a little belligerent I guess, do I have to cut you off already?
5. Change your smoke alarm batteries. You did not just do it! That was about 3 years ago when you bought them, ya now it’s coming back to you isn’t it?
6. Change the toilet paper roll next time it’s empty. She has been after you to get that done for years now. So you should just do it and cross it off her list for ever.

Add your tasks to the list in the comments section below. More tasks equals more beer!

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I will keep updating this post as the results come in.

Tweet us your reply or leave a comment here.

#diyskills everyone needs to know how to do?

• Justin of J.Pierce Carpentry says “How to adjust a sticking door“

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A poorly functioning table saw fence can make even the best saw worthless.  A few nights in the shop, a little bit of steel and a twelve pack should be all the supplies you need to complete your new homemade table saw fence.

The fence in the photo is homemade. Nice looking isn’t it.

Delta BC50 Left Handed Biesemeyer Commercial Table Saw Fence System

Vega PRO 50 Table Saw Fence System: 42-Inch Fence Bar, 50-Inch to Right

Shop Fox G9220 The Classic Fence w/ 7' Rails & Legs

Keep us updated on your progress as you build yours and show us your homemade table saw fence when you finish it.

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1. Displaying trees in water in a traditional reservoir type stand is the most effective way of maintaining their freshness and minimizing needle loss problems.
2. Make a fresh cut to remove about a 1/2-inch thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.
3. Once home, place the tree in water as soon as possible. Most species can go 6 to 8 hours after cutting the trunk and still take up water. Don’t bruise the cut surface or get it dirty.
4. If needed, trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location. Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full of water.
5. To display the trees indoors, use a stand with an adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Devices are available that help maintain a constant water level in the stand.
6. Use a stand that fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.
7. Keep displayed trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.
8. The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake.
9. Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. With many stands, there can still be water in the stand even though the base of the tree is no longer submerged in water.
10. Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water uptake.
11. Use of lights that produce low heat, such as miniature lights, will reduce drying of the tree.
12. Always inspect light sets prior to placing them on the tree. If worn, replace with a new set.
13. Do not overload electrical circuits.
14. Always turn off the tree lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.
15. Monitor the tree for freshness. After Christmas or if the tree is dry, remove it from the house.
16. Go to www.realchristmastrees.org and type in your ZIP code to find a recycling program near you.
17. Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.

Prepared by Dr. Gary Chastagner and Dr. Eric Hinesley
Edited by the Scientific Research Committee of the National Christmas Tree Association

I know you have heard about adding 7-up, aspirin, bleach, fertilizer and who knows what else to the water.

Do not add any of these, just plain fresh warm water. Studies have shown that none of these additives help and some may even be harmful.

I grew up on a Christmas Tree Farm and have heard many people swear these things helped, but the real reason their trees lasted so well is the bought quality trees that were harvested and handled properly.

Happy Holidays from ArmchairDIY and enjoy that fresh pine scent in your home.

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Sears Parts Direct has parts for all major brands, including GE, Whirlpool, Briggs & Stratton, Husqvarna, Maytag, Craftsman, Kenmore, Bosch, Sony, Panasonic, Singer, ProForm and many more. I have even found parts for a very old Sears Drill Press I own. They have an easy to use website and a very broad range of parts. With exploded diagrams to help you find the right parts. ArmchairDIY is happy to be able to help you  Save 10% on your purchase at Sears PartsDirect.com . Just follow the link from here to save money. Enter your model number or part number and your on your way to getting your repair parts.

Tool Parts Direct also offers Replacement Tool Parts I have ordered air compressor parts and drill switches from Tool Parts Direct and I have been very happy with the service they have given me. They currently have 609,390 power tool parts online along with over 17,165 free tool schematics. They carry AccuSet, Apach, Biesemeyer, Black and Decker, Bosch, Stanley-Bostitch, Delta, DeVilbiss Air Power, DeWALT, Duo-Fast, Emglo, Flex, Grip-Rite, Hitachi, Ingersoll Rand, Makita, Max, Metabo, Milwaukee, Panasonic, Paslode, Porter Cable, Quik Drive, Ramset, Ridgid, Rol-Air, Ryobi, Senco, Skil, SpotNails, and the list is continually growing. They may also be able to find parts that they do not stock.

RepairClinic For appliance parts visit www.RepairClinic.com I have not purchased from them yet, but I have heard positive feedback about the company. The website has an impressive amount of helpful information as well as a very large selection of parts for Admiral Airtemp Amana Amana Commercial Microwave Aprilaire Arctic Air Arietta Asko Autoflow Bemis Bosch Broan Caloric Climatrol Crosley Dacor Dynasty Electrolux Emerson Estate E-Wave Fedders Frigidaire Gaggenau Garland GE General Gibson Glenwood Goldstar Haier Hampton Bay Hardwick Hitachi Holmes Hotpoint Insinkerator JC Penney Jenn Air Kelvinator Kenmore KitchenAid LG Litton Lobb Magic Chef Maytag Modern Maid Montgomery Wards Norge Nutone Panasonic Quasar RCA Roper Samsung Samsung (from Maytag) Sanyo Scotsman Sharp Sinkmaster Skuttle Speed Queen Sub Zero Sunray Tappan Thermador Toshiba U-Line Universal Waste King Westinghouse Whirlaway Whirlpool White-Westinghouse Wolf .
You can see they have a huge selection.

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No chemicals does not mean grabbing the plunger, that may work. But if your reading this I’m betting it didn’t.

Why not use drain cleaners instead?

Because:

• This is much cheaper
• Manually cleaning the drain is safer
• Physically removing the clog is very effective
• This is the perfect green alternative to harsh chemical drain cleaners

A cheap, easy, safe and green way to fix a clogged or slow drain. Tell me who does not like that?  Thanks to Katmckee over at Instructables for this great tutorial on drain cleaning.

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