Custom wood putty is something I reference in a lot of my articles, so many times in fact, that it makes more sense to just get it down in a blog post and just link to it rather than explain it each time. (Work smarter not harder, as they say.)

Another time this situation happened was with the 3-4-5 rule. I wrote an entire article on that one.

I admit I did not invent this particular carpentry trick. I learned it from a journeyman back when I was still an apprentice. When they passed out long-term work assignments, I scored a finish carpenter job while most of my buddies got sent out busting forms in the South Florida heat.

The concept is both simple and economical. When indulging in a woodworking project, simply save some of your sawdust; the finer, the better.

Now you can mix it into some regular white Elmers glue. Get it to putty texture and apply it to nail holes, imperfect joints, etc. The glue will dry clear and all you’ll see is the original wood. Perfect!

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I usually write about home improvement, but at times I get off on a tangent. Which happened this week. Growing up in Panama, I ate empanadas all the time. That is some good eating.

Now I live in South Texas, or is it Mexico? It’s hard to tell, with all the “guest workers” roaming around. Anyway, it’s a good thing I speak Spanish. I wish I could say that Obama is going to do something about the border but he probably won’t do any better than President Bush in that regard.

But I digress. The point is that when I get a hankering for empanadas, the only ones I can buy are the Mexican variety, which are stuffed with fruits. So I make my own from my Panamanian-style empanada recipe.

They’re not hard to make at all. The only thing I change from the original is that I make my own crust using a whole wheat pie crust recipe that I invented. I just like whole wheat as opposed to wimpy overprocessed wheat products.

Speaking of  food, I recently recieved two batches of frozen meat, both buffalo and deer. Delicious. Honestly, I tried the vegetarian thing years ago and it didn’t work for me. I know it’s the way for some people, and more power to you if you fall in that camp.

Not to say that I don’t enjoy vegetables as well. I’ve got my vegetable garden all set up and I’m just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit so I can plant.

OK, back to the work. Ready for more free home improvement articles?

I’m a big fan of laminate flooring, no bones about it. It’s inexpensive, easy to work with, and is available imitating almost any natural wood species you could imagine.

I wrote an article on installing laminate back in July, 2007, shortly after being promoted to feature writer for the home renovation/repair topic at Suite101.com. I’ve got 177 articles posted there now, and from day 1, that article has been number one. Awesome.

That one article is currently garnering 444 page views per day, so yeah, I’d say there’s a whole lot of DIY going on. I followed up with an article on how to maintain these floors, but it doesn’t even come close. I can only speculate on what that’s saying.

This material does have it’s limitations, though. For example, since it’s a floating floor system, you can’t do anything to anchor it down. One reader asked me if she should lay the floor in her kitchen and then install the cabinets over them or the other way around.

I recommend the cabinets first and running the floor up to them. That way, the weight won’t impede floating, she’ll save on material, and future remodelling will be easier.

Last week, another reader clued me in on how he had solved the problem of installing bi-fold doors over laminate. First, use a trackless door (eliminates securing the track, which would impede floating.

Next, he figured out how to install the pivot bracket. Brilliant! Read how he did it.

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I don’t have a staircase in my home, but I’ve learned a thing or two about fixing them. That’s becoming more important all the time since, as a carpenter and remodeler, I’m seeing more of them.

The housing crunch hasn’t really hit my part of the country. I’m just south of Houston and right next door to nasa. When you combine “energy capital” with “government funded space program“, you get a stable economy.

Yes, they’re still building them, and the trend is two stories and smaller lot sizes. The result means more staircase repair work in the future.

The majority of the work I’m seeing is quieting creaky stairs and replacing balusters. Some of the ones the building contractors are installing are pretty wimpy and don’t give homeowners that warm fuzzy feeling. Dealing with client safety is critical.

Speaking of clients, I’m due to go give an estimate on installing some attic radient barrier foil. Talk later.

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I once saw an interesting statistic about how much water a leaking faucet wastes over the course of a year. I don’t remember what it was exactly, but it was a lot.

That being said, I’ve been in this house for about 12 years so I’ve done my bit of plumbing. The interesting thing about plumbing fixtures is that they’re not that standardized. In concept, yes; with respect to compatibility, not so much.

Take kitchen faucets, for example. Besides there being so many brand names, the thing you have to know when you need to repair a faucet is that it can be a mishmash of replace cartridges, washers, O-rings, and diaphragms.

I recently replaced my kitchen faucet. I went to Home Depot with the intent to track down the right cartridge by the right manufacturer. They didn’t have one in stock so I just bought a whole new unit. About thirty bucks and thirty minutes labor and I was back in business, washing dishes.

Same thing with the shower cold/hot water mixer. The manufacturer was long out of business so the first time it had problems I changed out the O-rings. The next time I just replaced the whole unit.

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Kreg K4 Pocket Hole System

Kreg’s latest pocket hole jig is designed to bring woodworking to the masses. Not only does it make new DIY projects easier to assemble, the drill guide spacer block makes it a snap to repair furniture, like that rickety chair you’ve been meaning to do something about.

At Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, you can pick up the new Kreg K4 pocket hole system discounted about $40 less than the previous K3 model. That’s a deal, Lucille.

Set-up is easy with this tool since the measurements are embossed on the sturdy nylon body.

Pocket hole joinery has the advantage of swift assembly without glue or clamps. For extra strength, you can still use traditional techniques like dovetail joints.

The Kreg system comes with everything you need to get started except for a drill to drive the screws. The included 6” Square Driver Bit ensures that you won’t have the stripping problem associated with Phillips head screws.

If you’re new to woodworking, there’s no reason to be intimidated. Kreg has included a DVD that goes through set-up, basic joints, and a number of tutorials. As the guy on the screen mentions, you can go to their web site to download more project plans.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the wood shop. I’m finally going to tackle that chair my wife has been complaining about…

Fly Fishing vests and home security devices, what do these two things have in common? What comes to my mind first is “preparation”. Sounds simplistic, doesn’t it?

I’m eagerly awaiting the delivery of my new fly vest. I ordered it from Cabelas last week. It’s a Columbia Cool Creek Mesh Vest. The mesh part is important in the hot South Texas summertime. So, I’ll be prepared. I’m tired of stuffing things in my pockets.

What about home security devices? Home break-ins are always an issue. And, from some of the reports I’ve been reading lately, it’s only going to get worse now that we’re is such an economic slump. There’s always a few bottom-feeders who would rather take other people’s stuff.

It might not be so bad if the court system lived in the real world, but I don’t guess that’s going to happen. Where’s Judge Roy Bean when you need him?

So, enter sound-attenuation monitors, surveillance cameras, and motion sensors. The modern ones are truly state of the art.

New home owners, beware of this scam - in many areas, recent home-closing records are public. Many burglar alarm companies harvest this data and will call you and ask, “Do you have an alarm yet?” Then they will attempt to sell you one.

All well and good, except that crooks have access to those records as well, and follow that same routine to find easy marks.

Bottom line? Always say, “Yes, I’ve got an alarm and two very large dogs.”

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Well, OK, that was a few days ago. But I’m still glad it’s here. A lot of crazy things have happened in the last year and it only looks like it will get crazier.

Let’s see, we’ve currently got the Israelis whupping up on Hamas. That’s a crazy situation. Sad, but crazy. I’m all for peace, but if someone kept lobbing rockets at my house, I’d eventually say, “ENOUGH!”

Not long ago, OJ Simpson was sentenced for armed robbery and kidnapping. He say’s with a weepy voice, “I never wanted to hurt anyone. (sniff, sniff)” Wonder what planet he’s been living on? Oh now I remember, it’s that planet where gloves don’t fit…

Next up, we’ll have Obama’s signing in to the Presidential office. That’s going to be an interesting administration. Eventually he’s going to have to really formulate plans rather than just talk generalities. I am surprised that he’s letting Hillary into the inner circle. Not because of her; but because now he’s going to have to keep kicking Bill off his trouser cuffs. The man from Hope doesn’t have it in his nature not to be in control.

But I digress; I’ve been writing about different topics lately knowing that most folks won’t be selling their homes and moving, but rather doing some home repair when they get that tax rebate or the next stimulus package package.

I think the smart money will go to taking energy conservation measures, and in many cases, it’s a case of taking a few smaller steps to lower utility bills rather than one big one.

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