Tools & Workshop – First House Fixes

Shop Vac Upgrades: Better Filters, a Longer Hose and a Dust Bucket

Posted on September 10, 2026In Tools & Workshop

A $40 dust separator lid on a bucket changed how I use our shop vac. Plus the filter and hose upgrades that made drywall dust manageable.

Posted on June 18, 2026In Tools & Workshop

A roofing nailer from Gary, a compressor from Dad and a few things I bought. The tool list for reroofing a one-car garage, and what I'd skip.

Posted on June 2, 2026In Tools & Workshop

A pocket-hole jig and a fiberglass stepladder earned their keep. A phone thermal camera went back to the store. Here's how each one did.

Posted on April 11, 2026In Tools & Workshop

Sharpening the mower blade, cleaning EGO batteries, checking cords and putting the snowblower away properly. My April list for the garage.

Posted on March 3, 2026In Tools & Workshop

Seven feet to the joists, one outlet and the sump pit nearby. How I set up a small basement workshop corner for winter projects for about $260.

Posted on February 25, 2026In Tools & Workshop

Electronic stud finders get confused by old plaster. What worked for mounting a TV and shelves on our 1952 walls, and what didn't.

Posted on December 21, 2025In Tools & Workshop

Batteries hate a 15-degree garage. Where I keep them now, what stays out there all winter and why glue-ups moved into the basement.

Posted on November 23, 2025In Tools & Workshop

A 2019 single-stage snowblower for $375 instead of $749 new. The checks I did in a stranger's garage and the one part I forgot to look at.

Posted on September 4, 2025In Tools & Workshop

Is the basement wall wet or just cold? Is the window trim soft? A cheap pin meter answered questions I'd been guessing at for a whole year.

Posted on August 13, 2025In Tools & Workshop

An 8-foot workbench for $186, built on a Saturday with pocket screws and a borrowed miter saw. Plus the height mistake I fixed on Sunday.