RichC | April 27, 2008
I’ve been focused on multiple home repair and improvement projects this spring and am always looking for a quick way to make a repair and keep the mess to a minimum. I generally use the “empty box” under the repair technique when cutting or drilling drywall, but Dean Johnson from PBS’s Hometime suggested a sheet […]
RichC | January 5, 2008
A friend of mine asked me for some help in repairing a piece of furniture with a couple of damaged fasteners (Phillips headed wood screws). In talking with him about using a ‘screw/bolt extractor,’ or ‘cutting’ a new slot in the screws (above), I realized this might not be something everyone knows about? Hmm … […]
RichC | November 11, 2006
I picked up a home improvement tip from “This Old House” that might come in handy for those needing to get a wire into a room without damaging plaster or wallboard — using “Bad Larry” as Alan the electrician and Host Kevin O’Connor call it. “Bad Larry” is a flexible drill bit, a screw tipped […]
RichC | September 16, 2006
Laptop computers came up in conversation today as my kids and I were sitting at the kitchen table. My daughter commented that her professor was joking about using technology in one of her classes and pulled out a 1990’s laptop that had some size to it. They started laughing since it was ‘large’ relative to […]
RichC | February 4, 2006
PBS’s Motorweek celebrated 25 years of reporting on the auto world this past weekend and after taking a look back, also looked ahead to what is in our automotive future. Since I’ve been tinkering with video and encoding this weekend, I’ll include the tail end clip that mentions of diesel making a comeback and visions […]
RichC | August 16, 2005
In keeping with ‘desultory‘ in my blog, I ran across some useful advice from a specialty produce distributor in regard to storing and ripening fruit. Karen Caplan of Frieda’s Inc. suggests that you rinse peaches, nectarines and plums and place in a shallow wire basket for ventilation after purchasing, rather than putting them in the […]