Illustrated with full-color photographs accompanying easy-to-follow instructions, this unique collection utilizes the best that the online community has to offer, a mammoth database churning out ideas to make life better, easier, and, in this case, greener. Here are fun, useful projects designed to get you thinking creatively about going green. Let the Instructables team illustrate just how simple it can be to make your own backyard chicken coop or turn a wine barrel into a rainwater collector. Here, you will learn to: Clip a chicken's wings Power your lawn mower with solar power Create a chicken tractor for the city Water your garden with solar power Build a thermoelectric lamp Create an algae bioreactor from water bottles And much more! Get started today-making your life greener. Get off the grid!

". . . readers will count on Popular Mechanics' advice." --Booklist (starred review) For any home repair, big or small, homeowners can turn to this practical and portable reference. Got a squeaky floor or a rattling door? Is your grout a color you don't recognize anymore? From quick fixes like linking broken chains and patching drywall to more involved projects like replacing a fuel line and bleeding your brakes, Popular Mechanics How to Fix Anything is the handy and reliable go-to guide for the most common household problems offering a primer on plumbing, unexpected hacks like using a golf tee to fill a stripped screw hole, instructions for tuning up the garage door, and so much more. Throughout the book Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics' senior home editor, answers questions about the trickiest fix-its, including how to deal with a recurring ceiling cracks or get rid of that stench from the kitchen sink.. And because it's organized room by room, from basement to bathroom to bedroom, it's simple to find the solution you need--so you won't have to hire someone else to do the job.

Woodcarving remains one of the most popular crafts in the U.S. and continues to grow in popularity. While there are many books on how to carve wood, including Taunton's popular How to Carve Wood (1985), this book provides inspiration for carvers through original patterns. Any carver knows that once the technique is mastered, the greatest challenge is finding clear, well-illustrated designs to carve. This book solves that problem by offering a wide variety of carefully detailed drawings of designs especially suited to carving.

Trained in European carving and drawing techniques, artist/author Lora Irish presents an extensive library of ornamental designs with a traditional look. Included here are classic ornamental motifs from 18th century and other period furniture as well as original designs by the author. The motifs include line designs, triangular designs, square and rectangular designs, circular and oval designs, S- and C-curve designs, mirror-image designs, and free-form designs.

The book can be used in number of ways: The drawings can be adapted to the carver's preference or used directly as patterns, easily enlarged by photocopying and transferred directly to the wood to be carved. The patterns can also be used in other woodcrafts including woodburning and woodpainting.

Everything you need to use your handplanes! No woodworking tool is more satisfying, quick and precise to use than a handplane. Planes can process timber in its rough state, bring boards up to a glimmering smoothness, cut rabbets, dados, grooves and other joints, and trim wood with a precision that has yet to be matched by power tools. Yet many woodworkers--both beginners and professionals--are intimidated by handplanes. This book is here to set the record straight. Handplane Essentials contains everything you need to choose the right plane for your project (and for your budget), sharpen it and use it successfully. Compiled from more than 15 years of the author's writings on the subject of handplanes in magazines, trade journals and blogs, this book is an indispensable guide for woodworkers. This revised edition includes 14 new articles as well as new and updated tool reviews.

This book is a guided tour of woodworkers' workshops where artists, craftsmen, students and enthusiasts imagine, design, fix, build and transform themselves and their materials. It provides an inspiring look at the many faces of wood craft from making furniture to building boats. A workshop is more than a space that contains tools so that we can work. The very existence of a shop is a reflection of the creative impulse to turn something that exists in the mind into a tangible reality. What someone makes in a shop and why influences how the shop is configured, what tools it holds, where it is. The maker, the process, the ultimate product, and the space are intimately connected. This book explores those connections by using the space - the shop - as the point in which these inter-related themes intersect.

'A book full of interior inspiration, fabulous hints and tips, and bucket-loads of personality, just like the authors! The perfect gift for the interiors lover in your life.' Siobhan Murphy, BBC Interior Design Masters Finalist From the Instagram team that brought you the Story Of My Home hashtag competition comes the ultimate guide to home interiors. The Art Of Home will show you how to make the most of your space, whether you live in a rented flat or own a detached house. It's illustrated with photos of some of the most incredible, fun and vibrant spaces you will ever lay eyes on. With a chapter dedicated to every room (and the front door, of course), you'll find tips to help you get creative with your space, solve common problems, manage renovations and make your home look uniquely fabulous. You'll find plenty to inspire you, no matter your style, and there are clever ideas to suit all budgets and help everyone turn their home into a place they never want to leave. The Art of Home is written by interiors experts and founders of the Story Of My Home hashtag competition, Joanne Hardcastle - @hardcastletowers, Jack D March - @jackdmarch, Marie-Claire Jackson - @thegingerhareofyorkshire and Wendy Simpson - @the_yorkshire_homestead. In addition to sharing their favourite photos from the SOMH community, they also give you a sneak peek inside their own homes, to get you thinking about ideas for your own space.

This lively introduction to Japanese joinery not only delves lovingly into the unique history and development of Japanese carpentry, but also reveals many secrets of Japanese joinery. Presenting 48 joints, selected from among the several hundred known and used today, this visually exciting book will please anyone who has ever been moved by the sheer beauty of wood.
With the clear isometric projections complementing the 64 pages of stunning photographs, even the weekend carpenter can duplicate these bequests from the traditional Japanese carpenter, which can be applied to projects as large as the buildings for which most of them were originally devised or to projects as small as a sewing box.

Following in the footsteps of the successful Beginner's Guide series, The Beginner's Guide to Upholstery takes readers gently by the hand and shows them the simple techniques they need to bring their love of fabric to upholstered items for the home. This is not a dry, highly technical professional upholstery manual, but a bright and accessible book that presents 10 simple projects using modern methods that are quick and easy to achieve. Readers are taken step-by-step through the process of how to upholster desirable pieces of furniture - using items found at antique markets, street sales and thrift stores that are designed-up and given a modern twist. Readers will learn about fabric choice and other materials, discover essential upholstery techniques and then embark on the projects. which include a simple stool, a vintage sewing box, a blanket box or ottoman, a fluted headboard, a Danish dining chair, a bedroom/nursing chair, a patchwork armchair and a mid-century design two-seater sofa, all guided by the author's expert instruction.

Decorate Your Tree with Heirloom Ornaments Tom Zieg's scroll saw patterns have become well-known for their beauty and ease of use. In this brand new collection of over 200 new designs, Tom focuses on ornaments for the family tree. Beautiful-yet, inexpensive to make-you will delight in this collection of new projects to try on your scroll saw/ Religious, novelty and traditional fretwork designs are all included. As an added bonus, many of these designs can be made from non-wood material such as Plexi-glass, copper, and paper.

Further full colour design ideas to appeal to homeowners, interior designers, DIY enthusiasts and self-builders who are eager to use the Not So Big House House concepts to build or remodel a home which avoids wasted space and material and which works for them. Sarah Susanka's first book The Not So Big House created a movement which has redefined the way we think about the space we live in, It spoke to millions of disenchanted homeowners who wanted to downsize their dream home ideas without diminishing the dream or the style. The secret lies in a better use of space: let your activities and lifestyle define your rooms.

A well-designed, well-built workshop can do more for your woodworking than a new tool. A good shop is a place where you want to be - a safe, well-lit space where work flows efficiently from machine to bench to finishing area. This book offer ideas and solutions on everything from designing your floor plan for workflow to the nitty-gritty of picking the right tools. - Locating and organising your workshop - Floor plans - Essential tools - - Good choices for heating and lighting - Dust control and collection - - Workshop safety - Benches, vices, aprons and pegboards - * First title in Taunton's new full colour series: THE NEW BEST OF FINE WOODWORKING, based on articles from the world's leading woodworking magazine.

Expand your skills through understanding of the router, which is one of the most versatile tools you can own. "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Routers" offers more than 800 photos and drawings which show you how to use and care for your router and how to get the most from it. In addition to mastering the use of your router, you'll also learn about router tables and how to make one that works perfectly in your shop. Lonnie Bird is a professional woodworker with a dozen books to his credit.

Often the most viable aspect of woodworking, finishing done right can make a mediocre job look very good. In 43 articles, experts address five broad topics: finishing techniques. how to use major categories of finishes, special finishes, new finishing materials, and solving finishing problems.

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.

Wooden puzzles are fun to solve, but with this guide to the almost perfectly square sticks, rings, disks, and other shapes that they require, they are even more fun to make. Twelve puzzles of four different, basic types are described in this guide, along with the tools and techniques needed to make them. There is also expert advice on the woods, glues, and finishes that will give the best results. These puzzles are beautiful and intriguing objects in their own right, and they offer woodworkers a delightful means of sharpening their skills and entertaining their friends.

This title demystifies building kitchen cabinets for the dedicated do-it-yourselfer. It includes multimedia approach that offers a thorough and complete instruction. It covers everything from planning to installation. In this multi-media (book and DVD) guide, a professional cabinetmaker, bestselling author and popular woodworking teacher demystifies building kitchen cabinets. Cabinets come in many styles and finishes, but the one thing they have in common is how much they can influence the overall appearance of a kitchen. A run of new cabinets can completely transform a space and add significantly to the value of a home. It's no wonder they can cost so much. But now they don't have to. "Kitchen Cabinets Made Simple" demystifies kitchen cabinet construction and makes it possible for the dedicated do-it-yourselfer to build new cabinets for a fraction of the cost of buying them. This multi-media approach completely instructs woodworkers throughout the process of building sturdy face-frame cabinets with frame-and-panel doors. It's all in here, from drawing out a plan and constructing the cabinet boxes to finishing and installation.

What do you do when you need furniture for a specific space or purpose in your home and nothing you find fits the bill? Build your own!

This book is comprised of 20 furniture projects based on the popular I Can Do That method presented in Popular Woodworking's ICDT video series hosted by Chad Stanton. These projects look good, are well made, yet at the same time achievable for even a beginner with an inexpensive (but decent) set of tools. You'll find clear instructions with complete step-by-step photos, illustrations and cutting lists to help you every step of the way.

The bestselling alternative energy reference book in North America--now in an updated edition

Want to take advantage of solar power in your home? Whether you're looking to save on your energy costs by adding a few solar components or you want to build a solar-powered house from the ground up, "Solar Power For Dummies, 2nd Edition" takes the mystery out of this energy source and shows you how to put it to work for you

This new edition gives you hands-on tips and techniques for making your home more energy-efficient though solar power--and helping the planet at the same time. Plus, you'll get all the latest information on changes to federal, state, and local regulations, laws, and tax incentives that seek to make solar-power adoption more feasible.Expanded coverage of the technology that underpins full-scale solar-power systems for the homeNew small- and mid-sized solar products, projects, and applicationsRik DeGunther is a design engineer who started his own energy consulting firm

Featuring ten of the easiest and cheapest DIY solar projects, "Solar Power For Dummies, 2nd Edition" is the fun and easy way to meet your energy needs with this clean power source

The complete, step-by-step, full-colour how-to book of designing, forming, mixing, pouring and finishing concrete countertops by the undisputed master of the technique. Fu-Tung Cheng is a California architect and designer who has reinvented the kitchen/bathroom countertop using the medium of concrete. Countertops made of custom-formed, coloured, and finished concrete can look like marble, glass, granite, gold, or sculpture - the look is limited only by the imagination. Concrete Countertops covers every angle of designing, forming, mixing, pouring, colouring, trowelling, in-laying (e.g., brass rods to serve as a drainboard), and finishing decorative concrete countertops, all written by the man who basically invented the form. Unique: this is the only book of its kind on a very hot trend in kitchen and bathroom design. Complete and authoritative: author is a well-connected, internationally renowned expert who essentially invented the medium.

The follow-up book to "Workbenches: From Design & Theory to Construction & Use"

Complete plans, expert instruction and rationale for building nine workbench formsInstruction on improving existing workbenches for better workholding and an improved woodworking shop.

"The Workbench Design Book" not only shows how to design a workbench it also discusses and presents nine specific designs plus critiques of 10 additional workbenches, with suggestions for making any bench work most effectively for the kind of work the user does. The 9 workbench plans have a range suitable for all workshop needs, from handwork to power tools. A discussion of workbench design rules teach what's effective and why in a multitude of workshop situations. Additional workholding options from shop-made jigs and commercial bench dogs to vise hardware are also provided."

High quality purpose-made joinery skills employs many traditional craft principles and skills and this title aims to reflect this in its coverage of modern materials and techniques. It details windows, doors, frames, wall panelling, counters, fitments, seating and stairs. Considerable demand countinues for "purpose-made" joinery in order to satisfy individual tastes or design needs in new building work as well as for building restoration and refurbishment. Each chapter concludes with several joinery projects designed to be used as workshop exercises and to link theory to workshop practice.

The debate over the merits of power tools vs. hand tools has raged for years, but the bottom line is that you need both to be a successful woodworker. Machinery provides efficiency for labor-intensive tasks such as sawing and planing, whereas hand tools are used to create fine details that machines can't duplicate. Power tools don't replace hand tools, they complement them. In Woodworking with Power Tools, expert craftsmen and craftswomen explain how they choose, maintain, and use every kind of power tool, from tablesaws to plunge routers, bandsaws to bench planers. There's advice on tool maintenance, techniques for getting the most from your tools, and projects made using power tools. With clear photographs drawings, and step-by-step instructions, Woodworking with Power Tools will be an essential resource for anyone who works wood. You'll learn how to: tune up your tablesaw choose bandsaw blades for resawing get started with your plunge router install dust collection in a small shop cut easy angled tenons get better cuts with your planer build a perfect picture frame, an elegant bookcase, and a pedestal dining table

North American animals will come to life with the exciting scrolling patterns found in this book. The book provides 61 precisely drawn patterns for bears, wolves, eagles and more. Also included are helpful instructions on choosing blades and wood, making inside and outside cuts, safety precautions, and tips and techniques for altering projects. Patterns include: Wolf, Eagle, Owl, Moose, Duck, Bear, Cougar, Pheasant, Antelope, Ram, Buffalo and Coyote.