INGENUITY AT WORK

When you think about a thermometer, you probably picture a device with some kind of probe that is placed into the object being measured. Whether it is a thermometer that you place under your tongue to take your own temperature, or a food thermometer that you push into a piece of meat to make sure it is done, probe-style thermometers have long Read more

If you work in a professional trade such as carpentry, plumbing, inspection, or any of a long list of other fields, you should consider adding a laser distance measuring device to your toolbox. These handy little units can save you a ton of time over pulling out an old tape measure, and they are incredibly accurate. Getting a measurement across a room is as simple as just pushing a button, and you won't even need another person to hold the end of the tape. If you don't yet own a laser measurer, put this item near the top of your shopping list. Continue reading → Read more

Many workplaces and homes have gas powered appliances, yet never think anything of potential gas leaks once it's been installed. Unfortunately gas leaks happen fairly often, sometimes leading to detrimental accidents. If you use gas in your home or at work, you must know how to recognize gas leak symptoms and have the proper tool to check gas lines on Read more

Used properly, a laser thermometer can pinpoint where inadequate insulation and/or air leaks are making your summer air-conditioning bills and winter heating bills higher than they could be. Identifying these energy-porous points- a process called an energy audit- is only the first step. Someone still has to plug any major leaks around windows and doors with weatherstripping and/or add insulation wherever the audit indicates. If you're handy, you can do those jobs yourself. If you're not, you can hire a contractor. Continue reading → Read more

Have you ever painted exterior siding or interior drywall, then watch the paint peel and flake afterward? Or installed flooring materials, only to see your handiwork buckle and heave? Or built something in your shop and have the wood warp or split later on? The failures they represent all share the same underlying cause: moisture content in the materials being worked on. Professional woodworkers and building contractors know how to avoid this problem, and DIY'ers should take note. Before any carpentry, painting, drywall, concrete, or other construction or finishing project, first test the materials with a moisture meter. Some amount of water is ever present in wood and most other materials used in construction - even when those materials seem adequately dry upon close inspection. A moisture meter is a valuable tool that every woodworker and DIY homeowner needs to have. Most are easy-to-use and the cost is based on an instruments features and degree of accuracy. Continue reading → Read more

I have a classic, old sailboat built in 1939 and maintaining it is a constant effort. The boat has an old engine built before the time of electronic ignitions and it must be adjusted regularly. There is an access hole in the center of the cockpit where you must bend down to reach the part of the engine with these components. One day, while cruising in the southeastern US we awoke to begin the day's journey and the engine would not start. We opened the cover to the engine access hole and pulled open the ignition to work on it as this was generally the problem. While leaning into the hole I dropped one of the attachment screws and it fell about 2 feet down into the dark bilge of this old boat. Without that screw we were going nowhere. Continue reading → Read more