A completely revised, redesigned and updated edition of the number one guide to home wiring and lighting, now in handy paperback format. Contains comprehensive and up-to-date information on the new electrical regulations. Whether you're changing a fuse, inserting a light fitting or rewiring an entire room, Collins Wiring and Lighting contains all the information you need to complete the job simply and safely. Now in paperback, this new edition includes information on all the new products, techniques and electrical regulations, allowing you to make home improvements cheaply and easily. With over 250 colour illustrations and photographs and clear, step-by-step instructions, this book will help you turn your good intentions into a job well done! contents include: emergency repairs uses and plugs complete wiring light fittings and fixtures identifying faults and maintenance safety tips tools for the job

A tool to empower and educate a new generation of inventors, creators, designers, and fabricators! This comprehensive resource is an accessible, beginner-friendly guide for anyone interested in understanding CNC (Computer Numerical Control) woodworking and the future of these technologies. From the fundamentals of CNC to its machinery, software, tools, and materials, Beginner's Guide to CNC Woodworking will teach you everything you need to know in a way that's clear, approachable, and easy to comprehend. Also included are two step-by-step projects for a CNC chair and a 3D flip machining spoon using Autodesk 360 that will allow you to practice various techniques in digital wood joinery and 3D CNC machining. With clear instructions, diagrams, illustrations, software screenshots, and high-quality photography provided throughout, you'll be inspired and equipped with a strong foundation of knowledge to continue along the path of this innovative method of woodworking. After growing up on a farm and developing a passion for woodworking and engineering, author Steven Thompson is now an instructor at San Francisco State University and teaches machine operation classes at Autodesk's Pier 9 Workshop.

The definitive work on the use of the small (three and a half inch) lathe which has been the primer for every amateur, student and apprentice engineer, modelmaking hobbyist, small garage proprietor and light engineering operator since its original publication in 1948. The author has succeeded in giving a complete course of instruction, embracing almost every process that can be accomplished own the small lathe including information on tools, accessories and costs. The amateur's problems are tackled in a refreshingly practical manner, showing how the model engineer or small industrial user can perform a variety of operations normally requiring a whole workshop full of machinery. Photographs and drawings provide step-by-step instructions on a wide range of topics which will interest all engineers - from apprentices to retired hobbyists.

One of the most useful functions of a modern lathe is its ability to cut any form of external or internal thread of any thread form, pitch or diameter within the overall capacity of the machine. Detailed information of a practical nature is, however, not easy to find - a situation that this book does much to rectify. The author was a very experienced engineer with the capability of converting factual analyses into easily understood forms. His own expertise and the standards to which he worked are evident in his writing, and in addition he is also quite at home with both imperial and metric measures having considerable experience in the conversions required when working in partially metricated areas. This book is not only an invaluable treatise on lathe screwcutting but is also a useful demonstration of working in both imperial and metric standards.

Designed to make complicated woodworking techniques easier, faster, and safer, this collection is filled with 25 projects selected from the pages of "Woodworker's Journal," and includes tips to help woodworkers make the most of both their machinery and their time. Focusing on techniques applicable for table saws and routers, this book is filled with innovative projects, each including detailed plans, full-color photography, and the expert instruction needed to build with confidence. Projects include precision cross-cut jig for the table saw, circle cutting jig for the router, and adjustable box joint jig for the table saw, among others. In this essential reference guide are helpful shop tips and other practical woodworking information.

Germany has long been thought of as the Mecca of wood-carving. The wood-carving tradition goes back hundreds of years, and the carving schools continue to produce wonderful craftspeople. For those who can't make the trip to Germany, Georg Keilhofer is the next best thing. Trained in German carving techniques, he shares them with students in his studio, and now in this new book. Here are the basic skills of relief carving. Step-by-step he takes the reader through tool selection, under-standing wood, and carving techniques are presented in a clear and concise way. The result is a project of which the carver will be proud.

A concise guide to managing your digital life. Today, we collect and store an ever-increasing volume of digital personal information on convenient portable devices and create substantial amounts of personal textual and visual digital information on their personal computers. We have become accustomed to using a variety of tools that involve interactive social activities. Because of social media, there is a large amount of user-generated content related to all aspects of our lives and there is no way for creators to save it all and invaluable content ranging from personal notes to photos to medical information may be lost. Because we may lose so much information, it is helpful to find out as much as we can about how we can manage our personal digital information. This book is a primer to preventing that loss. Here is an introduction to Personal Information Management (PIM) intended for a lay audience. The basic premise is that everyone needs to manage their digital information. This book introduces readers to the kinds of tools people most commonly use today. It will also consider the pros and cons of each of these tools. This book cover he concepts associated with preserving and managing personal digital information. Visual and textual examples illustrate how to use best practices to ensure the longevity of information, while considering current solutions to the problems associated with personal information loss. The book is a detailed guide to the steps involved in managing information and images of all kinds: Receiving Generating Keeping Using Organizing Re-finding Sharing. Most of us don't know how to prevent information loss; this book introduces tools that will ensure the longevity of our digital lives.

There are other manuals on how to build cabins, but W. Ben Hunt's is the only one that shows you how to build and furnish an authentic pioneer cabin the easy way, natural, using only hand tools and the woods around you. Our ancestors used logs and hand tools to build durable, dry, windproof, and protective dwellings; and they fashioned chairs, beds, and tables out of half logs, twigs branches, and bushes. In this day of power saws, lumberyards, and high prices, it's good to know that you can build in the same way.

Todays leading interior designers are absolutely enamored with concrete. Innovators and artisans are enthusiastically exploring the ever-expanding uses for concrete as an artistic medium, and the potential seems endless. New permanent colors for concrete are infinite and the textures limited only by the imagination. Concrete can imitate any surface, from expensive marble and granite to slick glass or worn and faded terracotta and brick.\nThis book takes you on a visual tour of amazing concrete applications indoors, from floors and countertops, to fireplace surrounds. It highlights groundbreaking artistry in concrete that is opening the doors for craftsmen, and even do-it-yourselfers, to create murals on floors, walls, and ceilings.\nA companion volume explores decorative applications for the homes exterior.

A comprehensive hands-on guide for builders - both self-builders and professionals - and an essential handbook for designers that includes many construction details. Straw bale buildings are warm in winter and cool in summer. The natural materials used create beautiful healthy homes that also have a low environmental impact. For self-builders, working with straw is affordable and enjoyable. In professional construction, a positive relationship between quality, price and long-term savings can easily be achieved. Straw bale is also especially suited to community-based projects as it generates curiosity and often needs groups of enthusiastic volunteers. This complete guide gives detailed descriptions about how straw bales react to different applications and enables anyone to design and build these natural homes in different climates. Included are: * Step-by-step instructions for many processes * Tips, tricks, advice and warnings * Over 600 photos, drawings and diagrams * Materials, tools and building techniques * Solutions to common problems * Plans for a practice straw bale building Since every build is unique (availability of materials, skills, budget, climate etc.), many different and varied building techniques are explained. Self-builders will learn a vast array of skills and the confidence to build on their own, while professionals will be enabled to successfully incorporate bale building into their portfolios.

Go green with this rollicking guide to eco-friendly cleaning alternatives that will help you save your health, your money, and your planet.How many times have you said you're killing yourself trying to keep your house clean? You might have been joking, but you're closer to the truth than you think if you're using expensive commercial cleansers. Karen Logan, an environmentalist with years of experience developing and selling her own line of eco-friendly cleaning products, reveals the secret of using simple, ordinary ingredients--like baking soda, vinegar, soap, lemon juice, and salt--to make safe, inexpensive cleaners. For instance, did you know: -Olive oil is not only good as a salad dressing, but also as a furniture polish. -Plain club soda works great as a window cleaner. -You can make your copper-bottomed pots sparkle with just lemon juice and salt. -Ordinary liquid soap and water will clean up those ants marching through your kitchen.

These handmade birdhouses and feeders, bee hotels, and butterfly and ladybird homes will bring welcome visitors to your garden. Handmade Houses and Feeders for Birds, Bees, and Butterflies features 35 beautiful havens to build to attract more wildlife into your garden. Each house is beautifully designed, with colourful details, but is also perfectly adapted for its intended inhabitants. There are birdhouses you can hang up or place on stands, and a bee house you can 'plant' in your flowerbed. There are also feeders for birds, and homes for butterflies and ladybirds. With her trademark attention to detail, Michele McKee-Orsini has designed a gorgeous collection of miniature palaces for the wildlife that we should all be encouraging into our gardens. Michele takes you through the basic woodworking and decorating skills you will need, and the step-by-step project instructions, clear artwork, and stunning photography will all inspire you to build your own havens for our flying friends.

Each title in this new do-it-yourself series presents over 20 projects to complete with clear, step-by-step color photographs throughout. Each book includes an easily-accessible materials list for each project as well as all necessary stencils, patterns and templates. Whether you decide to decorate an entire house or garden, or simply want to make a thoughtful hand-made gift, the In A Weekend Series has all the ideas you need.Look inside for a host of creative ideas for making planters and window boxes from scratch, as well as transforming and reviving articles from around the home.

Make, mend, and customise your own wardrobe with this highly photographic beginner's guide to machine sewing. A sewing book for beginners that's actually helpful. It's love at first stitch! This highly photographic, easy-to-use guide to machine sewing features more than 200 step-by-step techniques to help you master every stitch in the book! Inside the pages of this sewing reference book, you will find: - More than 200 sewing techniques, all clearly and closely photographed and explained in sharp detail - Discover how to read a pattern, use a sewing machine, and sew basic stitches, seams, and hems - Explore how to put your new-found skills to use to create, personalise, up-cycle, and re-purpose your clothes and soft furnishings. - Photographs and explanations of essential sewing equipment and materials - for both hand and machine sewing - A guide to sewing jargon and terminology that describes when, where, and how to use each tool and technique - Techniques to create something new or to customise things you already have Whether you're a seasoned sewer or just starting to learn how to sew, a fashion design student or sewing for yourself at home, Sew Step by Step will guide you through every hand stitch, machine stitch, and sewing technique you will ever need. With fully updated text and a refreshed design, this is an essential sewing handbook that you will want to keep next to your sewing machine to come back to time and time again. Close-up photographs accompanied by crystal clear instructions take you through everything from cutting out patterns to inserting collars, sleeves and pockets into garments. Explore how to put those skills to use to make, mend and customise your clothes and home furnishings. You will also learn how to find a suitable fabric for every project with an easy-to-use guide to different materials. It also makes a wonderful gift for beginner sewers and expert stitchers alike.

A USA TODAY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR ( ) "Little and Often is a beautiful memoir of grief, love, the shattered bond between a father and son, and the resurrection of a broken heart. Trent Preszler tells his story with the same level of art and craftsmanship that he brings to his boat making, and he reminds us of creativity's power to transform and heal our lives. This is a powerful and deeply moving book. I won't soon forget it." -Elizabeth Gilbert Trent Preszler thought he was living the life he always wanted, with a job at a winery and a seaside Long Island home, when he was called back to the life he left behind. After years of estrangement, his cancer-stricken father had invited him to South Dakota for Thanksgiving. It would be the last time he saw his father alive. Preszler's only inheritance was a beat-up wooden toolbox that had belonged to his father, who was a cattle rancher, rodeo champion, and Vietnam War Bronze Star Medal recipient. This family heirloom befuddled Preszler. He did not work with his hands-but maybe that was the point. In his grief, he wondered if there was still a way to understand his father, and with that came an epiphany: he would make something with his inheritance. Having no experience or training in woodcraft, driven only by blind will, he decided to build a wooden canoe, and he would aim to paddle it on the first anniversary of his father's death. While Preszler taught himself how to use his father's tools, he confronted unexpected revelations about his father's secret history and his own struggle for self-respect. The grueling challenges of boatbuilding tested his limits, but the canoe became his sole consolation. Gradually, Preszler learned what working with his hands offered: a different per spective on life, and the means to change it. Little and Often is an unflinching account of bereavement and a stirring reflection on the complexities of inheritance. Between his past and his present, and between America's heartland and its coasts, Preszler shows how one can achieve reconciliation through the healing power of creativity. "Insightful, lyrical...Little and Often proves to be a rich tale of self-discovery and reconciliation. Resonating with Robert Pirsig's classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, it is a profound father-and-son odyssey that discovers the importance of the beauty of imperfection and small triumphs that make extraordinary happen." -USA Today ( )

Making, maintaining and mending our own homes is part of what makes us human. It is a skill that was alive and well until just two or three generations ago. Harrison Gardner is a man on a mission to help us rediscover the lost art of building our own while leaving a more harmonious mark on the environment. Build Your Own explores the principles of construction and outlines a multitude of practices and methods that enable you to build a home with the materials available to you. Practical techniques, such as plastering, moving earth, basic demolition, installing insulation, building internal walls and attaching cladding, are demystified and made easy. Whether you plan to build your own structure, are curious about the idea or are dealing with construction workers, Build Your Own is an essential tool that shows that anyone can learn to build - and perhaps everyone should. 'A revolutionary book ... within it is the knowledge to empower you to shape and craft your own living space.' Manchan Magan

A guide to turning pens and pencils, a popular aspect of woodturning. Through step-by-step text and clear photography, the authors describe the history, techniques and projects, plus various ways of approaching the task, allowing the reader to select the best procedure for the equipment available and to work according to their desired scale of production. The projects were selected to show a wide variety of techniques used in making various types of writing instrument, including: a twist pen; a click pencil; a European style pen; an Americana twist pen; a tapered rollerball; and variations on basic pens.