Family Handyman July/August 2021

Remember those chalky-tart-sweet lollipop candies? Kinda UFO shaped, in pastels, on a hollow plastic stick? Lollies—I loved the name, the taste and the sugar. I overindulged on them for one week every summer—the week in July my parents rented a cabin at the Crow’s Nest resort on Long Lake in northern Wisconsin. The main lodge served up Lollies, a nickel apiece. My dad booked the same cabin every year. I swatted mosquitoes on the same knotty-pine bedroom wall. Ate fresh-caught walleye at the same Formica-topped table. Played foosball with the same friends in the lodge, jukebox blaring. And I experienced my first kiss at 13—a singular moment—and I’m not saying any more ‘bout that. Loads of Lollies. Millions of mosquitoes. Sand sticking to my sunscreen. And that one moment. The memories are…

THE ART OF THE PROCESS At Family Handyman, we’re used to keeping a tight focus on the how-to steps that lead you to a finished product. In each article, we print a half dozen or more how-to photos accompanied by step-by-step instructions. It’s a formula to show the best way to build something. However, this does not leave room for art, for experimentation, for the passion of the craft. Here are a few photos of the creative, often gritty, side of DIY. Visual artist (and staff photographer) Tom Fenenga captures the deeper side of how-to in early images from our Getaway project, which will be featured in our September issue. See more of Tom’s work at familyhandyman.com/thegetaway. 87% SO? DID YOU? Last spring, 87% of you said you would “start a new project because…

Air to Spare My bicycle pump has been gathering dust since I got this Makita cordless inflator. I can throw one of my tool system batteries in it and take it to almost any deflated situation. I just dial in the right psi limit on the inflator and let it do all the pumping. The inflator tips store onboard, so you have to try hard to lose them. It makes quick work of filling small-volume items like bicycle tires and basketballs. It’s not so speedy with car tires and air mattresses, but it can get the job done. Most major tool manufacturers offer inflators now. I have the Makita DMP180ZX, which costs $100 as a bare tool; you’ll pay about the same for a DeWalt. The Ryobi version costs $30 and…

Dishwasher double duty It can take forever to wash greasy dust off switch plates, light fixture covers, stovetop drip pans and other household items. Why not just wash them in the dishwasher? This works great with plastic, aluminum and steel, especially for items like grilles with gaps and detailing. Put them on the top rack and send them through a normal cycle. Don’t do this with items that are enameled, painted, plated or made of brass or wood. JEFF ROBINSON Quick-draw measuring tape The clip on my measuring tape used to fray the pockets of my jeans. To prevent more damage, I unscrewed the clip and screwed a pot magnet in its place. I hook the clip onto my pocket. Now it’s easy to grab the tape and put it back when I’m done. BOB…

Cleaning isn’t my favorite activity, so I stepped into the future and got a Roborock S5 Max vacuum cleaner. One year later, “Robo” and I have a strong relationship and here’s why. SETUP/PROGRAMMING: Most robot vacs use a charging dock they can access easily when it’s time to recharge. I found an inconspicuous spot my Robo could reach anytime. Downloading the phone app and connecting to Wi-Fi was straightforward; I just had to be sure to connect with 2.4 GHz signal, not the regular 5 GHz system. You can also connect to the vac through Alexa or Google Home. I was impressed with the app’s capability. I mapped all the rooms in my house to include no-go and no-mop zones, and I customized Robo’s vacuum and mop settings for certain areas. Robo sends…

Butcher block countertops are tough as nails and the perfect choice for a garage workbench. But that doesn’t mean they have to be ordinary. I made this design by routing out a hexagon pattern, laying LED strips in between and covering them with epoxy. Flipping that light switch at the end of the day signals that it’s time to put away the tools, sip—and relax. 1 START THE HEXAGON TILES To cut the 15 hexagon tiles, you’ll need a jig. I started with a 2-ft. x 2-ft. melamine sled. I set my table saw fence to 12 in. and made a partial cut into the sled. I attached a fence at a 120-degree angle with a few screws then fastened a pair of toggle clamps to the fence. Then, I cut 8-¼-in.-wide…