Tag: workshop

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Cottage Life

3 workshop uses for a cutting board

By MaraZe/Shutterstock

There are good reasons plastic cutting boards are the preferred choice for commercial food preparation. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is extremely durable, impervious to liquids, and has a forgiving surface that is kind to knives. These same qualities make HDPE a useful raw material for workshop projects. Cutting boards are readily available at thrift shops and dollar stores—but you’re more likely to find the thicker, better quality ones at a thrift store. The dollar-store ones are thinner and more brittle.

There are a bunch of uses for this material, and it can be easily worked with standard tools:

1. Cut pieces of HDPE to match the footprint of picnic-table or Muskoka-chair legs and attach the plastic feet with screws. These high-density pads protect the ends of the legs from moisture and make it easier to drag the tables and chairs around.

2. HDPE makes excellent bumpers. Folding swim ladder digging into your dock? Attach an HDPE pad to the problem area to stop abrasion.

3. HDPE is also great for repairs in wet areas. I recently removed a broken gauge from the dashboard of my boat. An HDPE patch, secured with stainless steel screws, made a neat, weatherproof, and near-indestructible fix.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2022 issue of Cottage Life.

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Cottage Life

Workshop expert-approved gifts for cottage DIYers

Courtesy Metabo, DeWalt, 3M

Our editorial team independently selects these products. If you choose to buy any, we may earn a commission that helps fund our content. Learn more.

We asked the Cottage Life workshop experts: what goodies are on your holiday wish list this year?

*As seen in the Winter 2022 issue of Cottage Life.

Courtesy Bosch

Oscillating multi-tool

Able to cut wood, metal, and drywall in tight spots with weird angles, oscillating multi-tools are handier than a pocket in a Kenora dinner jacket.—David Zimmer

Buy from Rona
$244

Courtesy 3M

Bluetooth-enabled earmuffs

I want 3M’s Bluetooth-enabled earmuffs, with 24dB noise reduction rating and high-fidelity speakers. Sanding is boring, but with these, I could listen to podcasts or a playlist.—Fiona McGlynn

Buy from Amazon
$69.99

Courtesy Metabo

Cordless Framing Nailer

Cordless nail guns are a major upgrade from their pneumatic predecessors—no more fighting with a compressor or an air hose! The Metabo HPT cordless framing nailer is a good all-around pick, but many tool brands offer cordless options.—F.M.

Buy from Rona
$399

Courtesy DeWalt

20V Max adhesive gun

I hate caulking—I can never get the smooth bead I hope for with a hand-cranked gun. A cordless caulking gun, like DeWalt’s 20V Max adhesive gun, could improve my results and make me happy.—Wayne Lennox

Buy from Amazon
$369.35

Courtesy MetMo

MetMo Grip

MetMo Grip is a British-made adjustable wrench that copies an innovative design not manufactured since 1930. Stainless steel, mesmerizing mechanism, super cool.—Steve Maxwell

Buy from Amazon
$84.89
$46.90

Courtesy Mark’s

Bifocal safety glasses

Instead of switching constantly between safety and reading glasses, bifocal safety glasses with an integral magnifying lower lens are a game-changer! The flow is back in my woodworking now.—Sean Ledoux

Buy from Mark’s
$17.99

Courtesy Lee Valley

Crook knife

A traditional tool in many cultures, crook knives are great for hollowing concave shapes, sculpting organic forms, and texturing surfaces in wood. I have a pine stump that I’m carving into an address marker; I want to try a crook knife instead of spoon gouges.—S.L.

Buy from Lee Valley
$36.70

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Cottage Life

Let’s talk livewells: what should you do with them?

Photo by crbellette/Shutterstock.com

Many aluminum fishing boats have livewells (for holding live bait or caught fish) that get water from the lake via pumps and hoses and through-hull fittings. It’s important to inspect this rigging because through-hull fittings exit the boat beneath the water line; a hose failure or a cracked pump housing will pour water straight into the bilge for that sinking feeling.

If your boat is getting long in the tooth, you should strongly consider replacing these hoses.

What should I do if I don’t use my livewell?

Another option, for cottagers who don’t use their livewells, is to detach the connections entirely. An easy fix, one that doesn’t involve epoxy or aluminum welding, is to remove the old hose from the through-hull connection, which will reveal a barbed plastic fitting inside the boat. Slip a short length of new hose over the barbed fitting, and secure it with two stainless steel hose clamps. Then seal off the other end with a plastic plumbing plug and two more clamps.

If you have two same-sized through-hull fittings, connect them with one piece of hose, double clamped at each end. Water will flow in and out of the hose, but not into your boat. Bonus: these fixes are easily reversible if you sell the boat or decide you need functioning livewells again.

This article was originally published in the May 2022 issue of  Cottage Life magazine.

Check out how it feels to go fishing at dawn. 

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Cottage Life

Dremel rotary tool review: add this to your cottage arsenal

Photo by Amazon

Our editorial team independently selects these products. If you choose to buy any, we may earn a commission that helps fund our content. Learn more.

Rotary tools, known generically by the brand name Dremel, are common in the craft world, but they are a great addition to your cottage tool box. When tackling a project that requires the finesse of small hand tools but the oomph of a power tool, a rotary tool is the perfect fit. Here are a few jobs that will be a breeze with one:

 1. Refinish a peeling railing instead of replacing it. Regular sanders can deal with large, flat areas but are a pain in tight spots. Fit a rotary tool with an abrasive disc or bit to make detail sanding less painful. 

 2. Replacing a broken tile? Try spinning a carbide bit to make quick work of removing hard-to-reach grout.

 3. Snapped the head off a screw? Use a small cut-off wheel to grind a slot in the remaining shaft and remove the screw with a flathead screwdriver.

An entry level Dremel tool will run about $50, and the price goes up for additional features such as variable speed or more power for heavier work. There are also cordless models available for increased convenience and mobility. If you’re only going to use your tool occasionally, there are a ton of inexpensive, lesser-known brands, just make sure the one that you choose has a universal chuck that will accept bits from different manufacturers. That way, you can pick up new attachments from a variety of sources.

a dremel rotary tool on a yellow background Photo by Amazon
tools

Dremel 7760-N/10 Lite Cordless Multi-Purpose Rotary Tool Kit

Buy from Home Hardware
$59.99

Buy from Amazon
$50.80