Good morning from the Shores of the Great Lake Erie. I'm Ninepatch, aka Beth in Berea, OH, and it's cold, grey and soggy around here. If anyone has picnic plans I imagine they'll be celebrating Labor Day in their garage or basement. As for me, I've got a birthday gift for my sister-in-law to finish before I settle down to some quilting. Warm and dry, my idea of a good time.
Welcome to the Saturday Morning Home Repair Blog. We're a community of do-it-yourself folks who get together each Saturday morning for some friendly chat about, what else, home repairs and DIY projects of any size. Some of us are seasoned professionals, some are rookies, and most of us are in between. Please feel free to ask any questions or jump in with your own advice.
Do you remember those wonderful, older gents you used to be able to find at Home Depot or Lowes? The ones who had a lifetime of experience and were willing to help out with any questions you had? They were always happy to point you in the right direction and even give you a heads up about any pitfalls or tricky parts that you might encounter. They never tried to sell you anything you didn't need, and were happy to explain the difference between a wood screw and a dry wall screw.
Well, I'm sort of one of those folks in a fabric store. I'm the one you can see in front of a wall of 100 different types of sewing machine needles who actually knows what each one is for and how to use it. Around this time of the year I often get a Mom come up to me and ask for advice about a basic sewing kit to send off with their college bound kids. That's what got me to thinking about today's topic. What should go into a bsic tool kit for beginners, whether they are college bound or moving into their first apartment? Here's my list. Please jump in with your ideas.
1 Claw hammer - medium weight to start off with
1 Pair of pliers - regular, rubber coated handles,
1 Needle nose pliers - rubber coated handles
1 Flat head screw driver - medium length
1 Phillips head screw driver - medium
1 Heavy duty flat head screw driver - long
1 Pair of vice grips - adjustable, medium sized
1 Level - small is OK to start
1 Roll of duct tape
1 Package of regular epoxy
1 Small bottle wood glue
1 Small can of 3-in-1 oil or WD40
1 Retractable tape measure - wooden carpenter's ruler is OK, too
1 Extendable magnetic pointer
1 Flashlight - small is fine but it should have a good beam
1 Circuit tester
1 Stud finder
1 Package of multi-sized dry-wall anchors
1 Package of multi-sized washers
1 Package of shims
2 Picture hanging kits
A collection of various sized nails and screws (with and without bolts)
A collection of various sized rubber bands
A ball of twine
A pack of various grit sand paper
A small tool box is great if you can afford it,but a heavy duty plastic box with a lid that closes will do just fine.
So, what are your gotta haves to make sure your beginner gets started off on the right foot?
Peace.