Unique Custom Stool by April Wilkerson – Now Available

WooHoo! The time has come for me to release a very exciting project I’ve been working on for the past couple of months. As my contribution to a recent group project for Lincoln Electric, I designed and fabricated a Grenade Stool from 11 gauge carbon steel that came out looking incredible. The design is super sturdy and damn near bomb proof (lol….see what I did there? lol). I showcased it for the first time at FabTech 2017 and the reception was so great I decided to offer them as a purchase item to the public. They’re available in either wood or metal at your choice of an 18″ or 22″ tall version. Both are CNC cut for a very precise fit and can be found at grenadestool.com to learn more and to enter the giveaway for your chance to win your very own Grenade Stool free of charge. : )

As you can see these pieces of furniture resemble an old WW2 “Pineapple” hand grenade. With different sizes and materials available you can decide which of the options works best for you. If you think building one of these sounds like a lot of fun, I’m right there with you. Consequently I’m offering a “kit” option so you can join in some of the building fun. I think the tall and short kits make for a really fun family project. The kit version comes with access to an assembly video showing you the basics of how I assemble them.

These work perfectly as a cool end table to compliment nearly any space. However, if the need arises, the smaller version can quickly double as a sitting stool around the kitchen island, family table, or in the shop while you handle the spanners on whatever you may be working on.

Ultimately I think this is a really versatile piece of furniture that has a ton of character and is a guaranteed conversation starter. If you or someone you know may be interested in an incredibly unique piece of furniture I’ve created a very smooth website to streamline the check-out process. Head over to grenadestool.com to learn a bit more about the available options.

Thank you so much for stopping by to learn about this exciting project. I really appreciate your support and will see you on whatever it is I build next.

Cheers – April

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RIDGID Oscillating Multi Tool Review

The thing that separates this oscillating tool from the other options in the market is the versatility. With one corded motor “base” you can effectively operate 7 different attachments depending on the needs of the job. Simply as an oscillating tool, it works pretty dang well but I’ll get in to that in a second. Let’s have a look at the versatility first –

That’s right, seven different head attachments; none of which require a tool in order to swap out. According to the RIGID Professionals website, the different attachment options are: The multi tool oscillating head which came on this unit, a rotary drywall cutter, a right angle drill head, a right angle 1/4″ impact driver rated at 650 in-lbs, a jig saw, a reciprocating saw, and finally a 3/8″ ratchet head rated at 250 in-lbs.

Again, all of these attachments can be outfitted to the same base without the need of any tools to make the switch. There are two small spring loaded keepers that snap the different heads into position. Depress the keepers, remove the accessory head, fit the new head in place, listen for the snap of the keepers engaging the accessory head and your off to the races. 

As I mentioned, this tool came to me with the oscillating head already installed. I put it to work almost as soon as I got and it performed exactly as it should. Right out of the box I used the oscillating tool (also known as the “multi-tool”) to delicately remove a backsplash and some tile from my guest bathroom. As you would expect, it was buttery smooth and knocked the job out pretty quick; most importantly, little to no collateral damage. 

RIGID is evidentially aiming to simplify matters by keeping unnecessary tools out of the equation. Just as there aren’t any tools required for changing the tool head, the same goes for changing out the head accessories between sanding pads, cutting tools, and so on. I think they’ve done a helluva good job here. Just pull out the sneaky black release lever, rotate it over center, swap the tool accessory, return the lever back over center, stow the lever in the original nest and you’re ready to rock….10 seconds tops. Compare that to my Dremel multi-tool which requires keeping up with a 4mm allen wrench, turn out the center bolt to change accessories, lose the bolt, find the bolt, install the accessory, install the bolt, realize the washer is missing…….you get the point. Suffice to say “tool-less” is the way to go in the “tool” industry. Keep it simple.

It features a variable speed trigger that makes the tool feel very accurate. If you don’t need a ka-gillion RPM (actual measurement) to slice through your material, you can just feather your way through with a light squeeze of the throttle. However, if the job calls for some real grunt, this unit is capable of delivering all 4 amps worth of current capacity to the motor in order to muscle through the crud as you see fit. (Actual frequency of oscillation = 2,000 cycles per minute max)

The built in light works pretty well but there is room for improvement in the control scheme. It’s a soft white light that points right at the workpiece as soon as you depress the button. My only complaint here is that the light is only on if the trigger is depressed far enough for the motor to come on. I recently reviewed a set of DeWalt drills and their lighting scheme is one to follow in my opinion; slightly depress the button, light comes on (motor does not), light remains on for 20 seconds once button is released. The way RIGID has this unit configured, the light and motor are activated/deactivated at the same time which is less than ideal in my opinion.

The motor is directional….no big deal right? Wrong. I underestimated the use of the direction switch when using the multi-tool. Once I realized the influence it had on the vibratory nature of the cutting head, I would change the direction to ensure the tool went away from my finished trim work instead of toward it when the tool would accidentally “bite” into the material. Obviously, the direction switch makes a lot of sense for the alternate tool heads but I initially undervalued its use with the multi tool.

The Home Depot is offering this tool for 80 American dollars. If you were to purchase all of the accessory heads I mentioned above at the same time you purchased the power tool, your out the door cost would be somewhere around 300 bucks. The cost of the accessory heads ranges from $30 on the low end to $50 on the high end and can effectively replace the need for a whole host of other large tools. 

This tool screams versatility. One powered base with 7 peripheral attachments. I would love to offer some detailed insight on just how well all the other attachments do their job but I have yet to get my hands on them. Considering the nature and quality of the RIGID tools I’ve owned and used in the past, I think its safe to say the tools will meet the requirements and then some. In my experience, RIGID does not produce junk. However, if you’re hard on tools and no stranger to the return desk when they break, RIGID has you covered. Through their LIFETIME service agreement, you can easily replace your damaged goods by returning them to the Home Depot. The only catch is that you must register your tool with the original purchase receipt within 90 days of purchase and, the warranty is not transferrable.

And that’s all folks. I really appreciate you stopping by to learn more about this unit from RIGID. This review was written in support of The Home Depot ProSpective campaign…They supply the tool and I supply an opinion. If you are interested in purchasing one of these units, consider using this link or one from above. These are affiliate links and provide a small kick-back to the website which helps to keep the wheel turning. Regardless, I genuinely appreciate your support.

Thanks for stopping by. Take care – April

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Tip for Leveling Wood Patio Furniture - Home Improvement – Today's Homeowner

Here's a tip to address two common problems with wood patio furniture: the tendency to rot from sitting on wet concrete, and to wobble from sitting on an uneven slab.

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Ridgid 5-Outlet Power Hub - Home Improvement – Today's Homeowner

Unlike typical power strips, this 5-outlet indoor/outdoor power hub from Ridgid is designed to accommodate large plugs, so none of the receptacles will be blocked. It is available at The Home Depot.

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An Inexpensive Lifetime Warranty Socket Set From Husky – Check It Out.

In all seriousness, it blows my mind how much of a socket set you can buy for just over a hundred bucks. This is a 105 piece socket set from Husky. I’ve been turning wrenches since I was a young child so it’s pretty easy for me to point out what works as what doesn’t. This kit certainly works as it should and is an ideal set for the DIY’er and average wrench turners.

These tools are black anodized; not be confused with black oxide found in typical impact socket sets. But realistically, you and I both know that if the situation calls for it, some of your sockets will certainly find themselves on the business end of a cordless impact driver : ) for most light jobs, an impact driver is not going to destroy or damage your non-impact rated sockets. Once you start getting into larger bolt sizes and more demanding torque loads – buy yourself an impact socket set. If that’s not your focus, then this set is money well spent.

The black finish is pretty clean looking. Aside from the looks, the black finish makes for a perfect contrasting color for the laser etched size on each socket. The smallest socket is a 5mm and the size is clearly legible at arms length. If you’ve turned wrenches for any amount of time you already know how valuable it is to simply glance at the tool and be certain it’s the right size. The old days of lightly engraving the numbers followed by squinting and slowly rotating the socket to learn the size are thankfully behind us.

Husky designed the sockets and end wrenches in this set with 12 contact points which focus the contact pressures on the flats rather then the corners of a conventional hex head bolt. This is fairly new technology that seems to have caught pretty good traction. Husky claims these work wonderfully on rounded bolt heads since they do not rely on a good hex head corner geometry. It’s funny though because while I’ve been using this set preparing for a write up, I have not run across any rounded bolts to really vet the technology…lucky me?

The 12 point geometry works with more than just hex heads. Surprisingly, these will also grab on to external torx heads also. This set would have really come in handy a while back when I was working on a German car that was littered with “E-torx” throughout the entire engine bay.

Have you ever been in a tight spot with your ratchet and just barely run out of handle room before the next pawl engages in the ratchet head?…we all have, and typically there are a couple of bad words in there at the same time. Well husky heard your frustration and offers these ratchet heads with a 100 tooth ratcheting gear. The quick math shows us that’s only 3.6 degrees between pawl engagements which really lowers the amount of room needed to operate your ratchet.

All of the sockets have a knurled surface toward the base of the socket. Husky knows you’re going to be in position where you need to turn the socket with your fingers…. there is no getting away from it. With that, they offer a fairly deep knurling that feels super aggressive when you’re trying to turn the sockets with your finger tips. They’re very grippy.

Also along the lines of finger turning, each socket has a tapered shoulder at the base of the socket to reduce the outside diameter just a bit. This improves the mechanical advantage you have when using your fingers to turn the socket….that is to say, the hand is stronger as you get closer to a closed grip position and the smaller diameter helps out in that area.

My favorite tool in this kit has to be the 3/8” palm ratchet. It’s one cool tool : ) I have a really older model palm ratchet that will damn near cut your hand open if you put too much torque into it because the handle design is garbage. The one that comes in this kit is nice and smooth to the touch and feels super comfortable in the hand. The sneaky squarely cool points come from the gimbal arrangement of the turning grip. It is pinned on 2 different axes. Since it pivots on 2 different axes, it feels buttery smooth as you use it and it follows the natural motion of your hand; a lot like the way a U-Joint feels without any noticeable binding.

For just over $100 I really don’t think you can go wrong with this socket set. There may be differences that are noticeable to some between this unit and a comparable kit from snap-on in terms of longevity, but I think that the vast majority of consumers would be plenty satisfied with the capabilities of this kit. A comparable kit from Snap-On would likely be north of $600-$700 or so.

However, say you break any one tool in the entire kit, just bring it in for a free replacement. Husky is now offering a lifetime warranty on hand tools – no questions asked. You don’t even have to be the original purchaser or even possess the original receipt. Again, it’s just over one hundred dollars and is well worth the money in my opinion.

I appreciate you stopping by to learn more about this socket set from Husky. If you are interested in getting your hands on one of these kit, consider using this link or one from above. These are affiliate links and provide a small kick back to the website which help to keep it alive and kicking. Either way, I really appreciate your support.

Thanks and take care – April

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Hints for Holiday Preparation - Home Improvement – Today's Homeowner

In preparation for the holiday season, the Today's Homeowner crew help sisters Missy and Chick get their home and outdoor space ready for entertaining.

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Savvy Storage Solutions for Older Home - Home Improvement – Today's Homeowner

We create a pair of custom closets and vanity counter for Zach and Kelsey Gross, without sacrificing the details and character of their historic home.

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Giveaway! – Fuji Spray Mini-Mite 3 HVLP

Enter the raffle below for your chance to win a Fuji Mini-Mite 3 HVLP finishing sprayer! The raffle will run from December 17th to December 30th. The winner will be announced on the 30th on my Instagram feed as well as through the personal email of the winner. Enter now and good luck!

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Living Area Gets a Molding Makeover - Home Improvement – Today's Homeowner

We makeover the living and dining rooms of Chris and Lauren Pippin's house by adding new moldings, creating a wood accent wall, and disguising old painted paneling.

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The Makita Cordless Angle Grinder – Big Power – No cord!

If you are in the market for a cordless grinder then this may very well be the ticket for you. This is the new Brushless Angle Grinder Kit from Makita. It uses two 18 volt batteries in series for a combined potential of 36 volts and is an absolute power house.

Here’s what comes in the box. For a little less than 400 bucks you get the 7” grinder, two 18v 5Ah batteries, a dual battery charger, one 7” cut off wheel, one 7” grinding wheel, two different size guards, a threaded handle, and of course the large carrying case. In my opinion, its quite a lot of gear for the money.

After unboxing this beast I got it set up for some cutting on a job I had coming up. My unit was delivered without any sort of wheel attached so the very first thing I did was install the cutting guard and the cut-off wheel. The installation of both of those items is made very easy with the supplied spanner wrench and the over-center clamp that holds the guard in place.

The batteries showed up on a full tank of gas as Indicated by Makita’s push button “fuel gauge” on each of the 18 volt batteries.

The charger can charge one or two batteries at the same time and it also features one USB outlet for charging your smaller mobile devices.The USB outlet has a cool little rubber hood to keep debris out of it when it’s not used. Pretty handy. : )

Once it was all charged and set up, I put this monster to work. Right outta the gate it is easy to see this grinder is no joke. It’s on the heavy side in my opinion weighing in around 13 lbs. but is well worth not having to drag around an extension cord. There is a trigger safety lock that gets moved out of the way before you can depress the “go” button which is certainly handy on a tool that can ruin your tool box if the trigger accidentally gets pressed : )

The chicken coop I recently finished made for an excellent first time trial of this grinder. The final details of the coop call for screening the entire thing in wire mesh material and adding a wire predator apron to keep the chickens in and critters out.  Basically, I would unroll the mesh material to length, then use the cut off wheel to blast through the mesh (AKA “harware cloth”). As you might expect, this grinder chewed through the material without grunting whatsoever. The 7” cutting wheel simply cruised right through the material and maintained it’s speed the entire time.

Aside from the screen, I also found this grinder handy at cutting off excess screw material on the back side of some paneling. I ran out of short screws and switched to some 2 inch-ers while wrapping up the details of the chicken coop. Rather than leave little spikes for the chickens to get hung up on, I deployed this grinder to flush cut the screws to the material. Worked like a champ.

The blade guard is adjustable. This worked perfectly for me since I was sometimes using it left handed and sometimes using it right handed. Like with most grinders, the threaded handle can thread into either side of the grinder depending on your needs.

Here are a couple of technical bits worth sharing: The grinder has an internal brake that immediately engages once the trigger is released. If you’ve used a grinder, you already know how cool of a feature this is. A grinder without a brake will continue to spin and spin until frictional forces of the motor and turning assembly eventually slow it down. This can present a hazard since it is very easy to set the tool down wile focusing on other things and not keeping in mind that a nasty little cutting or grinder wheel is still spooling down from 8,000 RPM. This machine only requires about 2.5 seconds to go from full blast to nothin’.

When the trigger is squeezed, there’s much more going on than just a simple on/of condition of the motor. Makita has introduced a type of closed loop feed back system in the power output of the batteries. Put simply, the grinder will adapt to the load conditions you place on it by modulating the power output so that the speed of the grinding wheel stays as constant as possible. This type of technology ensures that battery usage is as efficient as possible and the machine behaves predictably as you drive the cutting/grinding wheel into your workpiece.

So what does it have working against it? Not much really but if I have to put a finger on it I’d say the weight and the fact that it will not stand upright on its own are really the only marks. I suppose there is not much that can be done about the weight if going cordless is the main goal though. The batteries alone have a combined weight of just over 3 lbs. However! If you have a short job and weight is on your mind, feel free to throw in two of the 2.0Ah batteries for an overall weight savings of about 2 lbs. The cage that surrounds the batteries is angled. Seems to me, It would have been an easy choice to square the cage up so that the device could stand upright on a work bench. This would make for an easy grab between tasks. Again, these are very minor criticisms but may hold some value to some of you out there.

All and all I think Makita did a great job on this cordless angle grinder. It’s highly adaptable to a variety of work and easily deployable for those situations where a power outlet is not available. This grinder would go well for a variety of folks in my opinion; property owners, contractors, technicians, auto mechanics, or just a general DIY’er who enjoys going cordless.

That’s all I have for you on this one folks! Thanks for stopping in to learn more. This review is sponsored by The Home Depot Prospective Campaign. If you’re interested in getting your hands on one of these grinders, consider using this link or one from above. Sales through these affiliate links provide a small kick back to me which helps this website continue on. Either way, I appreciate you stopping by to learn a bit more.

Take care and have a great day – April

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How to Build a Bathroom Vanity

I’ve been wanting to build a new bathroom vanity since I moved into the house. This week I finally took the time to model one on the computer and start making it happen. The build was moving along perfectly until it came time for the moulding on the drawer fronts and I realized I do not own the router bit needed to create the profile I’m interested in! No worries; I got the bit on order and amazon promises to have it to me tomorrow : ) Check out the build video down below if you haven’t already and be sure to stay tuned in for part two where I remove the old one and install this complete Oak unit. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Things I used in this build:

Track Saw
ISOTunes Bluetooth Hearing Protection
Dado Stack
Brass Gauge Blocks
Orange Push Pad
Titebond Wood Glue
Glue Brush
Right Angle Clamping Jig

Blue Clamps
Drill
Palm Belt Sander
Dust Right
Small Port Hose Kit
Crosscut Sled
Router
Bottom Trim Router Bit

Top Trim Router Bit
Superjaws
Shop Stool
Contour Sanding Pads
Miter Saw
Bandy Clamps
Circular Saw

The links above are affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I will get a small commission from the sale of the products.  In a small way it helps to keep this website alive and kicking and I appreciate your support in this way.

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Giveaway! – ISOtunes Pro Noise Isolating Headphones

Enter the raffle below for your chance to win a set of ISOtunes Pro Bluetooth Headphones! The raffle will run from December 6th to December 11th. The winner will be announced on the 11th on my Instagram feed as well as through the personal email of the winner. Enter now and good luck!

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December Lawn & Garden To-Do List - Home Improvement – Today's Homeowner

Gardeners begin to find some rest in December, and if you're like me, the fireplace beckons more loudly than the yard. Nonetheless, on those sunny days it's good to get outdoors and to take care of a few gardening chores. Read on to find out more.

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December Home Maintenance To-Do List - Home Improvement – Today's Homeowner

Read our December home maintenance to-do list for tips on how to maintain your home, including buttoning up your house for winter and getting ready for the holidays.

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DIY Holiday House Candle Holder

Christmas songs are playing, lights are shining, cozy sweaters and hot chocolate by the fire. Yup! December is finally here and I’m in full holiday mode!

This year, I’ve been having a lot of fun decorating with my family.  From putting up the Christmas tree to creating little crafts that add a personal touch—it’s definitely fun watching my daughter’s face light up with all the holiday excitement.

Today I’m teaming up with 19 other fellow Canadian bloggers to showcase some awesome Christmas craft projects that you can do this holiday season.  Be sure to check out the rest the project links at the bottom of this post.

When creating a holiday atmosphere, candles are always a must. I love the dose of warmth it provides during this cold season. My project stems from an old Christmas favourite. I wanted to recreate a simplified version of a Christmas village home by adding a Scandinavian twist. It’s chic, super easy to make, budget-friendly and it can be customized to match any holiday decor.

Here’s how you can create your own!

Assembling a house silhouette is fairly easy.  It requires a few cuts and some glue but for those who would rather skip this part, I found an even easier route—buy pre-made ones!  I found these wood houses in a variety of sizes from the Dollar Store.

Since these little houses are wood, you can transform them anyway you like.

My Christmas decor is fairly neutral so I went with a stain for the interior and a white coat of paint for the exterior.

You are going to need to drill a hole, which will hold the candlestick. I used a 1″ hole saw and centred the hole to resemble a chimney.

Next I took scrap pieces of 3/4″ copper pipe in different heights to use as the base for the candlesticks. To secure the candlestick to the copper, I just screwed the candle into the pipe. By doing this you will be shredding a thin layer of the candle wax, which will make a snug fit into the pipe.

Last but not least, take your copper candlesticks and anchor them into the hole you just drilled. They do stay put, but for added security, you can add a little hot glue to the bottom of the copper pipe.

It’s that simple!

For more Christmas craft inspiration, be sure to check out these fun projects from my talented Canadian blogger friends!

From left to right, top to bottom:

AKA Design | Vinyet Etc. | The DIY Mommy | A Pretty Life

Sustain My Craft Habit | A Pretty Fix | Making it in the Mountains | The Learner Observer

BrooklynBerryDesigns | Country Parent | Craftberry Bush | Amidst the Chaos

northstory | Life is a Party | Pink Little Notebook | hodge:podge

This Mamas Dance | Rambling Renovators | Suburble | PMQ for two (not shown)

 

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Renovation Ideas for Rentals - Home Improvement – Today's Homeowner

The Today's Homeowner team helps Danny's middle daughter, Melanie, and her two roommates, Kate and Laurel, make some improvements to their rental house.

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Carving a Wooden Spoon With Friends

There is something about carving that really is relaxing and therapeutic to me. The shape that lies within is only realized through many-uh small strokes with traditional carving tools. This was all foreign territory to me until my friend Anne of “Anne of All Trades” recently paid a visit to my home in Texas. She really opened my mind up more on the wonderful art of carving. We had such a wonderful visit and I’m happy to share part of the experience with you guys in the video below. She has some incredible content that showcases her creativity and preservation of traditional methods of woodworking, blacksmithing, and organic farming. If you’re not already familiar with her material, check her out here – she’s a real gem. : )

Things I Used In This Build:

Bent Gouge

SuperJaws

 

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