Getting logs

By Dorothy Ainsworth Website Exclusive • March, 2004 Online Exclusive April 2003 Attention: Would-be loggers. There have been changes in policy at the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. I have just found...

Build an attached solar greenhouse

By David Lee Issue #125 • September/October, 2010 We planned it to be permanent, well built, and able to withstand the extremes of temperature, humidity, and weather a greenhouse must tolerate inside and out for many...

Build a wood crib with free materials

By Mark R. Roach Issue #156 • November/December, 2015 Trying to stack wood so it stays up without falling can be a challenge. Just when you think you've got it licked, down it comes (or months...

The Mini-Skyline — A homemade yarder to bring firewood up a draw

By James F. Deaton Website Exclusive • January, 2006 The need to get firewood from a draw below my house to my woodshed started me on what became a fun project. After felling 4- to 8-inch...

Here’s how to make a musical bamboo flute

By Robert E. Kramer Issue #42 • November/December, 1996 Materials 1 propane or butane torch or campfire to heat up metal rod. 1 steel rod at least 1/2" diameter 1 oven mitt or heavy cloth 1...

PVC pipe in the home, garden, farm, and workshop

By Charles Sanders Issue #94 • July/August, 2005 Perhaps one of the most important innovations in modern plumbing has been the development of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), and related plastic pipe. These materials...

Build a graceful footbridge

By Harrison Stone Issue #77 • September/October, 2002 Tap your heels together three times and repeat after me, "There is no place like home—There is no place like home—There is no place like home, especially when...

Stairs — The next level

By Skip Thomsen Website Exclusive • August, 2004 Any good carpenter can build a staircase. What we're talking about here is taking that staircase to the next level: beyond just a means to get from one...

Install rafters alone the easy way

By Robert L. Williams Issue #35 • September/October, 1995 Anyone who has ever worked on roof framing knows that nailing up rafters is a two-man job at the very best. At worst, the task requires the...

Build Your Own Car Wash

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #133 • January/February, 2012 Completed car wash in operation If someone told me a year ago that I would have a commercial car wash behind my garage, I would have laughed....

Herb Boxes from Fence Boards

By Maggie Larsen Issue #86 • March/April, 2004 During a binge of spring cleaning, I ventured outside and began to renovate the exterior of my home, a 47-foot trailer in a mobile home park. While waiting...

Determined woman builds distinctive vertical log studio

By Dorothy Ainsworth Issue #27 • May/June, 1994 When I graduated from high school in 1960, my father wrote in my autograph book, "When you get married and have twins, don't come to me for safety...

Small engine maintenance for women

By Michelle Richards Issue #24 • November/December, 1993 How many small engines do you have on your homestead? I counted mine the other day and came up with eight. These engines help me live a simple...

Build your own portable forge

By Corcceigh Green Issue #51 • May/June, 1998 Looking for a handy summer project while building skills, supplies, and knowledge to put away for a rainy future? Here's one to consider: try making your own forge....

Simplify life in your backwoods home by using these easy mountain methods

By Rev. J.D. Hooker Issue #54 • November/December, 1998 Backwoods folk, or in my case, mountain folk, are typically very resourceful, utilizing whatever is on hand to make their lives easier and more pleasant. And hill-women...

Installing a steel roof

By Norman Bennett Issue #126 • November/December, 2010 One of the reasons steel roofs have become so popular is the simplicity and economy with which they can be placed over an old shingle roof. Still, despite...