In addition, be sure to check out our older posts about building.
These new hex head allen wrench bits are miles ahead of the old L shaped wrenches.
They slide right into any impact driver with a 1/4 inch quick connect or the same size hand driver.
A nice bonus is these are magnetic to help you hold whatever bolt or screw you’re working with.
As long-time readers are aware, Mark’s a big believer in building your way out of repetitive or unpleasant homesteading tasks. So I get to enjoy his amazing caterpillar tunnels, porch-top planter boxes, anti-chipmunk strawberry beds, anti-bird raspberry area, and deer-proof garden fence.
Now, after a year of making me talk in front of a camera then plunking Mark down in front of editing software, you can enjoy a deep dive into each of those projects. For another day or two, you can even nab your copy at 50% off!
This is our second video course and I hope it comes across as tighter, more informative, and more entertaining than the first one. (It certainly felt that way to me, but maybe I’m just getting over my annoyance at seeing myself in moving pictures.)
As a bonus, Udemy courses come with a lifetime subscription to updates. For example, folks in our Soil-First Gardening Course paid up front for an hour-long course just like this one, then got a bonus half hour of cover-crop information a few months later totally free even though the course increased in price by $10 at the same time.
Which is a long way of saying — I hope you’ll grab a copy now while DIY Gardening Projects is brand new and the cheapest it will ever be! if you really want to make our day, please consider leaving a review after you watch. Reviews not only help strangers decide to take a chance on our courses, they also give us ideas of what to add and how to do better next time.
Happy learning!
I chose 2×3 over 2×4 boards in an effort to make our caterpillar tunnels lighter.
We now know this makes them a little too heavy and prone to decay faster than expected.
I was able to fix the problem with some brackets but needed a whole new design.
The new version takes advantage of the light and strong steel rails used to support ceiling tiles in big buildings.
I also decided that a smaller structure is easier to move and less prone to damage.
Stay tuned for a more detailed post on the smaller and better caterpillar tunnel after we’ve finished driving it around the block a few times this year.
Anna and I assembled a Craftsman steel dump cart while visiting my Mom recently.
The book says it takes 45 minutes to put together but we needed nearly 2 hours.
It’s a solid cart that can handle 750 pounds. Lowes sells it for 350 but Menards has a Yardworks version that is a little over 200.
Some of the problems with restoring a wheelbarrow is the damage around bolt holes which prevents the round headed bolts from biting in so you can tighten them.
An exterior screw with a washer isn’t exactly flat but it seemed better than a traditional nut and fastened in nicely with the wood of the handles.
Zip ties helped me hold it all together without needing a second hand while I tightened everything down.
We used some green plastic mesh to add some walls to our woodshed structure.
The Tenax brand of garden fence material has been the mesh I prefer because it’s cheap and easy.
Next step is to get some firewood cut up and stacked for the upcoming Winter.
What are these extremely small white particles appearing out of nowhere?
It took me almost a year to figure out some ants were making a home in a section of our styrofoam.
We don’t like toxic chemicals so I just removed the offending styrofoam and will have to replace it with some of the itchy stuff.
We had part of a clear roofing panel that got recycled into a small porch covering last week.
I almost missed the fact that only one side has UV protection.
This explains why some clear panel installations start cracking after only 4 years.
I’ve been putting off a toilet replacement because the part where you lower the toilet onto a wax seal is just above my skill level.
The new style universal gasket is made of rubber and fits most size variations. If when you lower the toilet it does not fit on center you can try it again without destroying the gasket seal.