DIY Life

I'm not from Bremerton, Washington, nor do I know anyone who is, but I'll be darned if their city website doesn't have one of the best, most in-depth rain barrel tutorials I've ever seen. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, a rain barrel is simply a barrel (or any large container) that's been set-up for the sole purpose of collecting and redistributing rain water. Typically rain barrels are attached to one of your gutter's down spouts, which essentially widens the water collection area to the size of your roof. A properly installed rain barrel can collect up to 55 gallons of run-off with just a few inches of precipitation (or less), which you can then use to water your lawn and/or garden.

Rain barrels are easy to make, inexpensive, good for the environment, and can save you quite a bit of money on your water bill during the Summer months, so why aren't you using one? What's that you say? You don't even know where to begin when it comes to making a rain barrel?! Well, you're in luck, my friend, because that's exactly what we're going to cover in this article.

Materials

1. 55 gallon barrel
2. Louvered screen or atrium grate
3. 3/4" brass faucet
4. 3/4" hose adapter
5. Teflon tape or all-purpose caulk
6. Two runs of garden hose
   

Tools

1. Drill
2. 6" hole saw bit
3. 29/32 drill bit
4. 3/4 pipe tap

Time
Minus cleaning time, about an hour.

Every summer, I look forward to cooking outdoors. Lots of people have propane grills, which make outdoor cooking fast and convenient, but I use a small charcoal model similar to a Weber Kettle Grill. I don't think I'd move up to a propane grill, partly because the food cooked on it can have a "gassy" off-flavor (also possible with charcoal, if you use too much starter). On the other hand, I'd love to have a backyard large enough for a barbeque pit, like the one I remember my late grandparents having.

The Arizona BBQ Association has assembled a page of links that will show you how to build your own backyard smokers and grills. The projects are of two basic types: those based on masonry and those based on metal barrels, which usually require welding. The BBQ Lodge pit project is probably the simplest, but still, the designer had to cut some concrete blocks to shape.

None of these is exactly an "easy" project, but if you get started now, you'll have something to show off on Labor Day Weekend... and some really great meals for the rest of the season!

Its summer and kids get bored. They want new things to play with and new things to do. Hey! How about playing in the sand. If you live in a landlocked state as I do, sand may be hard to find. So, why not make a sandbox?

Little woolgatherings has an awesome photo tutorial on how to make a sandbox in two hours or less. That means that in two hours your kids will have a new place to play and can quit saying "I'm bored!" for maybe two hours after that.

This look amazingly easy and fast especially if you are the DIY construction type. All you need are a few boards, tarps and sand. Check it out and make your kids an awesome new sandbox to keep them busy for a few extra hours this summer.

The Toro company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have announced the recall of Toro Power Sweep Electric Blowers. The impeller, the spinny thing that makes the blower work, can break shooting tiny pieces of plastic to fly out.

These pieces of flying plastic present a projectile hazard to the user. Toro has received several reports of minor injury due to the broken impeller.

This recall only effects one model of blower so far, model number 51586 with serial numbers that range between 000055100 and 220255609. These blowers were manufactured between 200 and 2002. These blowers were sold at several stores including The Home Depot, Lowes, Target and K-Mart stores from January 2000 through late December 2002 for about $32. Please see the press release for full information and pictures of the recalled product.

Toro will replace your blower for free if you have one of the recalled blowers. Contact the company at, (888) 279-3191 between 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, or on the web.

While this recall is voluntary its better to be safe than sorry here. It may take a little time on your part to get this matter resolved but look at the bright side. You will get a shiny new leaf blower for the second time!

The Estes-Cox Corp and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have announced a recall of model airplanes due to an explosion hazard.

These planes are launched by hand and can explode upon launch causing an additional injury hazard to the operator. There have been several reports of injuries due to these planes exploding.

The recall effects the Model 4116 Sky Rangers Park Flyer radio control airplanes sold in hobby stores from September 2005 to December 2006.

Please see the press release for pictures of the effected airplanes. If you have one of the planes contact Estes-Cox at (800) 576-5811 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. MT Monday through Thursday or Estes Rockets website for information on how to get your airplane replaced.

These airplanes are something that may have been given to children so please, if you are a model airplane family make sure and check to see if you have this particular one. As every DIY'er knows safety is always the first concern especially when it comes to kids.

I've been fascinated with weather for as long as I can remember. Growing up in tornado alley, I've been around my fair share of amateur weather forecasters. It seems every time you turn around someone (myself included) is talking about low pressure systems, storm fronts, or wall clouds. As a kid, I remember learning about barometers and how pressure affected the weather, but I never got a chance to build one, or even use one for that matter (I went to a really small school).

Thanks to the leaps and bounds in modern technology, you can now build your own barometer with little more than an empty can of refried beans, a chopstick, and a balloon, which, surprisingly, is exactly what you'll find in my trash ... every single day of the week. I eat a lot of beans. If you have kids, this is a great project to help them learn a little about science, and have fun with a balloon. What more could you ask for?!

Depending on where you live, you just might face a moth infestation in the spring and summer. They hide everywhere and opening your door can let them into your house to flutter around lights and get those nasty red spots on everything.

How do you get rid of them? I guess you could turn off all your inside lights, open your door and place a bright light outside. That might not be the best idea though. You can also chase them around with a vacuum cleaner hose in hopes of catching them out of thin air. (Yes, I have done that and yes, I looked like a dork.)

Take heart, there is a better way using things that even the most ill-equipped kitchen should have. The best part is that you don't have to do anything once you set it up.

My childhood was quite an unusual and interesting one (read: fun). Some might even say amazing. I spent much of it learning unconventional things from a true-to-life DIY'er, my dad. He has challenges like anyone else, but despite the looming roadblocks, he always finds creative and innovative ways around problems, to this day. If you're wondering, yes that is me in the photo, at around age ten I think.

One memory in particular that stands out in my mind was the time when we moved into a split-level home in a decent neighborhood amidst the temperamental spring-time weather. Oddly enough, the previous owner of our home had never taken care of the backyard very well, which contained an ornate Japanese-style garden complete with a large 12 foot square (approx.) pagoda we called "the shed."

Next to the shed was a rock about three feet in diameter if I remember right, which we affectionately dubbed "the meteorite." Even stranger, was an irregularly shaped concrete Japanese fish pond with severely chipped paint set down into the yard about two feet deep or so, right next to "the meteorite." Beyond the pond, there was yard of overgrown grass all the way to the other side of the yard, which featured a dying pear tree and grape vines that actually had seeded grapes in summertime.

The problem with this ill-kept former Japanese shrine of a backyard was that my father (being the handy DIY'er that he is) wanted a garage to further his evil plot of DIY world domination or something, as any self-respecting DIY'er in America would. The shed, the meteorite, and the pond were all squarely in the way of building a garage at the end of our driveway on the right side of the house.

It's been a wet, hot Summer over much of the world, which means the mosquitoes are going to be plentiful, hungry, and ticked off. (Little known fact: all mosquitoes are angry. Always.) So what can we do to protect ourselves from being attacked by swarms of bitter bugs? The easiest thing to do, of course, is stay inside; well-sealed windows and doors do a terrific job keeping out unwanted, blood-sucking guests. However, if you absolutely MUST go outside, you'll need to be prepared with some sort of bug repellent.

When faced with the proposition of being blitzed by a battalion of biting bugs, most people make a beeline to their local store to pick up some OFF Spray, or similar DEET-laden repellent. Store-bought bug sprays are fine, but some people have serious skin reactions to DEET, which if sprayed directly onto plastic can cause it to bubble and warp. Would you want to put that on your skin? If you're like me, and you enjoy rolling your own bug-off juice, here's an effective recipe that I find keeps the mosquitoes away just as well as the name brand stuff.

We all want beautifully landscaped yards, but have you checked the prices at your local nursery lately? Why line the pockets of another when you can save money by rooting your own plant cuttings, resulting in a spectacular garden for very little money.

If your yard is like mine, you have a few old and wild shrubs and bushes that need to be cut back, but also some bare spots just crying out for some greenery and blossoms.

Logic would have it that you can solve both of your problems if you knew how to use your cuttings to get new plants.

Generally, you can cut a healthy section off of a plant, dip it into a rooting stimulant and use a sterile rooting medium to propagate your new plants.

What, you say? If all that was as Greek to you as it was to me, you'll find The Savvy Gardener's article as helpful as I did. Not only are specifics discussed in easy-to-understand language, but there is a helpful chart that tells you the best techniques for the type of plant you wish to root.

Do you have any rooting tips that have worked in your garden? Do tell.

One of my very favorite things to do is the planting and transplanting of trees. I am personally responsible for establishing the happy and healthy lives of hundreds of trees encompassing species from Aspen to Walnut.

The single most important consideration after successfully planting a tree is an adequate supply of water to assist the tree in becoming established in its new site. It can be difficult to deliver a sufficient amount of water to young trees in an effective fashion, especially if you have planted or transplanted more than a couple of them.

What tends to happen is the water is delivered as one complete dose at the base of the tree and often times two thirds of that water just runs off and is of no real benefit to the tree. Even if you make a water basin at the base of the tree, when you fill that basin the water tends to seep sideways quicker than soaking down into the root zone.