If You Actually Want Your New Year's Resolutions to Stick — Do This, Not That

There is lots of scientific research on why setting goals on January 1 never really works out, and why, by March or April, we've all backslid into our old habits. Often, it's because goals aren't specific enough, or we haven't found the best way to track the work we've done. Or, perhaps we don't actually believe we can achieve that new version of ourselves for the long term.   … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4531-if-you-actually-want-your-new-year-s-resolutions-to-stick-do-this-not-that

This is The Only Cheap "Champagne" You Should Be Drinking This New Year's Eve

If you, like me, were born between 1975 and 1990, your first exposure to the idea that "champagne" has technical regulations and restrictions likely came from Rob Lowe's odious Benjamin character in the original Wayne's World. ("Actually, all champagne is French. It's named after the region.") And you, like me, probably play into/totally own his snooty accusation that Americans don't recognize the convention, and call all their sparkling whites "champagne," and don't care. Because only a true b-hole shames somebody while handing them a drink.    … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4726-this-is-the-only-cheap-champagne-you-should-be-drinking-this-new-year-s-eve

Woody Guthrie Really Knew How To Do New Year's Resolutions

More than seventy years ago, folk singer and activist Woody Guthrie opened up his notebook to write down a set of "New Years Rulin's" his own self...complete with illustrations.    … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/2823-woody-guthrie-really-knew-how-to-do-new-year-s-resolutions

WEN 61720 3/4-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer Review

Nail guns exist in a very crowded market and there’s pretty much a nail gun to suit every single scenario. At the end of the day though, most hobbyists and home-improvement enthusiasts will want to choose just one nail gun and that means they’re going to want something that easy to operate and that is versatile.

Is the WEN 61720 3/4-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer the nail gun that you’re looking for? It’s certainly a very affordable option, very light and convenient and not too hard on the eyes. We spent some time testing the product for the review and here’s what we found…

Product Description: Super Light and Breezy

One of the most important things when looking for a nail gun is the lightness and the ergonomic. Many applications will involve using these tools for long periods, whether you’re looking at roofing or you’re building your own furniture. That means you need something that you can use for long stretches without getting exhausted.

The good news is that the WEN 61720 3/4-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer is a small, light and colourful device that you’ll be happy to use for extended periods. The color is a nice bright blue and yellow which we enjoy but it’s actually surprisingly powerful accounting for its small size.

This is pneumatic tool, which means you’re going to need an air compressor to run it. The good news is that these can be found very cheaply these days and you can get some very small ones too. Air compressors last a long time and will be useful for a range of applications, so it’s a worthy addition to your tool set.

This is still entry level though and won’t be incredibly powerful. Still though, the WEN 61720 3/4-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer should be suitable for fireing 18-gauge brads.

It also has a good capacity with a 100-brad capacity. In our tests it performed very well with only the occasional jam. The good news is that a quick-release magazine provides you with easy access to the head, which means you can unjam your jams. You also get a depth adjustment feature, soft nose (to avoid damaging the material you’re nailing) and a carry case.

Pros and Cons: Amazing for the Price

This is an entry level nail gun, make no mistake. It’s not going to be up to the most demanding tasks and if you’re a professional, then you might want something more powerful to ensure that there is no job too big to handle.

But we’ve still a lot of positive to say about this nail gun and in particular, we’re really impressed with just how powerful it is considering the price. The WEN 61720 3/4-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer is remarkably cheap. It’s still very well made though, surprisingly powerful and with all the features you could need. The quick release magazine is a particularly well-thought-out addition and wins this model some more brownie points.

Finally, the design is the other pro. It’s so light, so easy to use and so ergonomic that you can happily spend all day nailing down the backs of wardrobes without getting wrist strain.

As mentioned, one con is that you may experience the occasional jam, but this is pretty par for the course with a small, entry level nail gun. The other con is that you’ll need an air compressor. This is normal but it does add to the price if you don’t have one already.

The other downside of course is that this is limited in terms of its maximum power. That means you’re going to struggle nailing into some materials and you may want to upgrade in future. But for hobbyists and a little home improvement, it should be up to most jobs. And more to the point, at this price it hardly matters!

Conclusion: More Than Meets the Eye

To look at, this is a rather unassuming nail gun that is somewhat plastic – although it looks nice with it. And that is what you’re getting too – there are no advanced features here and it certainly isn’t the most powerful in the world.

But in terms of entry level nail guns, this is one of the best. The only caveat is that air compressor – you may want to consider a battery operated tool if you want to save the additional expense or avoid having to carry an extra gizmo.

Source: http://www.toolerant.com/wen-61720-34-inch-to-2-inch-18-gauge-brad-nailer-review/

source https://toolerantcom.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/wen-61720-3-4-inch-to-2-inch-18-gauge-brad-nailer-review/

Fact: Old Newspaper is the Greatest Gift Wrap of All Time

I think I was eight. Maybe seven. It was my birthday, and a family friend who'd taken a mentor role with me stopped by to give me a small gift. I don't remember what was in inside, but I can so perfectly and vividly recall that it was wrapped in the full, CMYK color of Sunday comics section, and it blew my freaking mind.   

… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4725-fact-old-newspaper-is-the-greatest-gift-wrap-of-all-time

Holiday Guide: 7 Last Minute Things to Do Before Hibernation

Freaking out because you haven't finished everything you need to do on your list? No worries! We have some last minute tips for you.… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/gabriel/posts/2817-holiday-guide-7-last-minute-things-to-do-before-hibernation

How to: Make Nutella Hot Chocolate

It's not that hot chocolate is hard to make...especially if you go for the little packets of powder. But there's definitely something seriously straightforward about making a fresh cup with only two high-quality ingredients that makes it much more likely to enjoy a cup every night between now and the new year.   … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/2820-how-to-make-nutella-hot-chocolate

7 Actually Listenable Versions of Truly Terrible Christmas Songs

Okay... Christmas music. It has the simultaneous ability to both 1) make you feel all present and warm inside and 2) repel you as far away from any valuing of tradition and seasonal good will as possible. The good songs are good because they're classics, or because some clever band you'd already like in non-December contexts decided to take their turn at a holiday record.

But the bad songs are bad in so. many. ways. At one extreme, they're aggressive mall music that only ever appealed the most simplest of you-can-buy-happiness consumerists. At the other, they're treacly, brusk and brash melodies whose only chance of working at all is being sung by large groups of squirmy children, and you've contributed DNA to at least one of them.

But, just for the fun of it, let's see if we reclaim some of those unbearable, seasonal drudges. Are there tolerable, even enjoyable, recordings of even the most noxious of holiday tunes? Challenge accepted.  

… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4724-7-actually-listenable-versions-of-truly-terrible-christmas-songs

DIY Gift Idea: How to Make a Travel Cocktail Kit

When you're on the road, the trail, or up in the air, it's not always easy to procure a high-quality cocktail. At least not without paying the room service kid $17 plus tip for some watered-down mess. 

It is, however, fairly easy to locate, or pack, some reasonably drinkable spirits and a glass. And once you have that, you can make simply make yourself a proper drink with this DIY travel, carry-on friendly cocktail kit.   

… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4723-diy-gift-idea-how-to-make-a-travel-cocktail-kit

How to: Make DIY Instagram Coasters with Your Own Photos

This holiday season, I wanted to give my friends and family a customized gift with some personality. So, using nothing but our own photos and a few crafty tools, I came up with this coaster project which is super fun, super inexpensive, plenty easy, and you can dial it in perfectly for each person on your list - just raid their Instagram or social media accounts!

Let's get to it!… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/gabriel/posts/2814-how-to-make-diy-instagram-coasters-with-your-own-photos

14 Legitimately Good Stocking Stuffers for Men Who Like to Make Things

At this point in the season, the big gifts have already been decided. And if you're on your game, they're boxed, wrapped, and under the tree. But this week is all about the little bits: the practical things, the accessories, and the stocking stuffers. If you or someone on your list is a maker, DIYer, woodworker, tinkerer, or just a general creative type who likes to build and fix things, here's our list of quality stocking stuffers that are just as good as whatever's in that huge box with the bow on it.     … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4522-14-legitimately-good-stocking-stuffers-for-men-who-like-to-make-things

7 Things I'm Totally Obsessed with This Month (December 2017 Edition)

A very special holiday edition of the thoughts, artwork, news stories, tools, food, conversations, and whatever else I just can't get out of my head this month.        … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4722-7-things-i-m-totally-obsessed-with-this-month-december-2017-edition

DIY Gift Idea: Make Your Own Wood-Infused Booze

 

As far as holiday gifts go, it's hard to beat something to sip. And while it's the thought that counts, you can do a little better than swinging by the grocery store and grabbing a bottle of wine. 

This project takes only a bit more work than simply buying something from the liquor store, but boosts all kinds of flavor benefits and handmade points.

Make some in bulk for everyone you know, and your holiday shopping is done.    … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4721-diy-gift-idea-make-your-own-wood-infused-booze

Okay, Let's Settle This: What's the Greatest Christmas Movie of All Time?

Many are schmaltzy, a few actually festive, and plenty completely unwatchable, but like it or not, the annual viewing of many a holiday film classic just comes along with the season. And if someone in your house is going to watch one anyway, you might as well make it something worth revisiting year after year.    … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4719-okay-let-s-settle-this-what-s-the-greatest-christmas-movie-of-all-time

How to Cut a Perfect Circle with a Jigsaw

A quality jigsaw is one of my favorite tools, and a seriously good DIY best buy. Armed with the right blade, you can cut all sorts of materials into nearly any two-dimensional shape you please. And most-importantly, do it safely. 

But it's flexibility as a creative tool is also its liability. Like a pencil, it can go in any direction, but in the hands of a human being, those directions will never be without the marks of our innate imperfection. Straight lines can be accomplished with a fence, but a perfect circle. You can't draw one by hand, so don't expect yourself to be able to jigsaw one either. 

At least, not without a little help.    … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4718-how-to-cut-a-perfect-circle-with-a-jigsaw

How to: The Simple, Easy Trick to Instantly Improve Your Hot Toddy

I have gone on record, in this publication and elsewhere, about why the hot toddy is the perfect cocktail to be sipping in December. It's warm. It's spiced. And at least according to folk wisdom, it's good for your health, and can help to heal a nasty wintertime sore throat. But, to be honest, until last Tuesday evening, I didn't actually like a hot toddy. 

They were fine, but not delicious, and not really an improvement over a simple glass of neat whiskey. (You could make a hot toddy with rum, brandy, or tequila, but why would you?)  

Hot toddys (toddies?) always disappointed: never quite hot enough to truly enjoy, and somewhat ... harsh. There was something I never liked about adding acidic lemon juice to a healthy glug of bourbon, then heating the whole thing up. It seemed to bring out all the rough, grain-y flavors, and hide the tastier warm and spicy barrel-aged notes that make whiskey, well, whiskey.  … Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4517-how-to-the-simple-easy-trick-to-instantly-improve-your-hot-toddy

Hey, ManMade Readers: Can You Please Help Me Pick a New Remote Control?

Hi, all. Chris here. I spent a bunch of time trying to research something last night, and I'm still not sure I'm any more informed than I was before I started. So, I thought I might solicit the very smart and helpful ManMade audience, and let the experts weigh in.

My household needs a new remote control. We've been using the stock one that came with our receiver, plus all the individual remotes for our streaming devices. Currently, it requires at least two of them to select a source, start a show or movie, and ride the volume. The main remote, which used to work with most features, has been slowly dying, and now it can't even select a source or change the volume. I tried opening it up and cleaning the contacts, but it didn't really make a difference. So, new remote time. 

… Continue reading on ManMadeDIY.com

source http://www.manmadediy.com/users/chris/posts/4717-hey-manmade-readers-can-you-please-help-me-pick-a-new-remote-control

Black & Decker BDCCS20B: A cordless circular saw worth the money?

Black and Decker tools have come a long way in the last 20 years or so, and are no longer regarded as strictly “homeowner only” tools but are instead finding themselves used more and more prominently in workshops and on job sites in the professional realm.

The Black & Decker BDCCS20B cordless circular saw is a prime example of a more professional version of the Black and Decker tool line up, the kind of tool that carpenters, woodworkers, and other experts can turn to in a pinch but certainly the kind of tool that DIYers, weekend warriors, and woodworking enthusiasts can rely on whenever they tackle a new project.

Certainly not the very best cordless circular saw available, but perhaps the very best cordless circular saw at this price point, the Black & Decker BDCCS20B is definitely well worth looking at least a little bit further into.

Check out this quick review for more inside information about this circular saw!

Initial Impressions

The first thing that you’ll notice about this Black and Decker tool is that it is a lot heavier and a lot more “premium” feeling the and most every other Black and Decker tool out there in the last 15 years or so.

That’s because the engineers at Black and Decker have definitely started to introduce better and better construction materials, smarter design, and more reliable components into their premium level tools, and the Black & Decker BDCCS20B circular saw is a perfect example of this new forward thinking approach.

Not the heaviest cordless circular saw out there by any stretch of the imagination, this unit is still pretty lightweight, still easy to control, and will not fatigued you quite as much as some of the other more hefty and premium options available on the market.

You shouldn’t have to worry about cruising right through most construction materials (though anything larger than a 2×6 might heat the unit up a little bit), but all in all this is a tremendously impressive unit that won’t let you down – as long as you respect and understand its shortcomings and don’t push the limits of this unit outside of its comfort zone.

Standout Features

The introduction of a 20 V lithium-ion power plant makes this Black and Decker cordless circular saw a bit of a heavy duty unit, though it still isn’t quite as powerful as corded options are (but what cordless tool ever is?).

The lithium-ion battery is going to recharge really, really quickly (we are talking about going from dead to a full charge in about two hours or so), though the you should only really be able to expect between four and five hours of consistent use out of a full battery.

This is quite a bit short of what the professional cordless circular saw options out there bring to the table (with most promising at least eight hours of run time on a single charge), but for hobbyists and enthusiasts this is plenty of juice to get most weekend projects done.

The included multipurpose circular saw blade that this unit comes with is plenty enough to choose through construction materials but also accurate and find enough to help you cut through finish materials, though it isn’t going to produce quite as clean or as consistent a cut as some of the higher quality (and admittedly more expensive) finish blade options out there.

This is a rip saw through and through, but there’s not any shame in that. If you need something that you can kind of beat without feeling bad about putting it through its paces, this is the cordless circular saw you’re going to want to reach for – especially at this price point!

Pros

• Tremendously lightweight, the Black & Decker BDCCS20B isn’t going to fatigued you very much when you are using it for extended amounts of time. The ergonomics with this circular saw are also pretty impressive, giving you complete control for precision cuts.
• You really cannot beat the price point of this particular cordless circular saw from Black and Decker. Comparable units are easily going to cost two, three, and even four times as much as this circular saw. It offers plenty of “bang for your buck”.
• The lithium-ion battery power plant system gives you extra juice for heavy duty cuts but also guarantees a relatively long run time between chargings. You’ll have to invest in a secondary battery for sure, but that’s a no-brainer with any cordless tool.

Cons

• At the end of the day, the Black & Decker BDCCS20B just isn’t going to be able to go toe to toe with some of the more powerful and higher-quality cordless circular saws from companies like DeWalt and Makita. It just doesn’t have that level of quality or those kind of precision components, but it also doesn’t have a considerably higher price tag to make those things possible.
• There is always a risk of this relatively lightweight cordless circular saw binding in the middle of heavier construction materials, so that’s something that you’re going to need to be aware of right off the bat. As mentioned above, definitely don’t try to push this circular saw out of its comfort zones. You’ll almost always regret it with a safety issue.

Who’s going to be able to get the most out of this tool?

Homeowners, weekend warriors, and DIY enthusiasts will be able to make the very most out of this budget focused cordless circular saw. Professionals will definitely want to spend a little bit more to get a higher-quality unit, but this circular saw can still be used for light work without having to blow up your budget.

Final Verdict

Inexpensive, relatively compact, and plenty capable, there are a lot of things to really appreciate about the Black & Decker BDCCS20B cordless circular saw. You’ll want to purchase a second battery (at least one extra), the rapid charging module, and some higher-quality circular saw blades to get the most out of this unit, but it’s a pretty accomplished tool designed for homeowners and amateurs.

Source: http://www.toolerant.com/black-decker-bdccs20b-a-cordless-circular-saw-worth-the-money/

source https://toolerantcom.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/black-decker-bdccs20b-a-cordless-circular-saw-worth-the-money/