How to Cut Wood at an Angle With a Hand Saw or Mitre Saw

© Eugene Brennan

3 Ways to Cut Timber

Making accurate square (90-degree) and mitred (angled) cuts in timber is an essential skill when making joints in furniture and to a lesser degree in building construction. Even if you don’t attempt any serious DIY, the need sometimes arises to cut a length of timber reasonably accurately. For instance, architrave may need to be cut around a window or doorway, skirtboards (baseboards) at the base of a wall have to be renewed, or a board from the cladding on your home or shed gets damaged and must be replaced. This article shows you three methods to cut timber.

1. Mark and cut by eye without a guide. This is not terribly accurate, but it’s ok if measurements and squareness aren’t critical.
2. Use a mitre box. This guides the saw and gives better results. However, you can only make 45- and 90-degree cuts.
3. Use a mitre saw. This is the most accurate method of cutting lengths of timber at any angle. Mitre saws are also called “chop saws”.

Note: ‘Mitre’ is spelled ‘miter’ in American English.

Method 1: Mark and Cut By Eye Without a Guide

The most basic method of cutting timber is to simply mark it and cut by eye. For basic work where accuracy isn’t important, this is quite adequate. However, unless you have a good eye and have become skilled from years of practice, the results are variable, and beginners will end up with crooked cuts on the end of timber.

Step 1. First Mark the Dimensions on the Timber

Use a sharpened pencil to produce a thin marking line on the wood. Hold the tape close to one of the edges and mark the required dimension.

Note: If you buy lumber from a store, the end will likely be a 90-degree cut, but check it beforehand with your carpenters square. If it isn’t, initially follow steps 2 to 4 of the marking out and cutting instructions below to remove a small section at the end of the timber (keep about 1/2 inch in from the edge). Once this is done, you can continue to measure, mark and cut the required length.

First check the end of the timber is square
© Eugene Brennan

Mark the required measurement on the timber with a short pencil tick
© Eugene Brennan

Step 2. Use a Carpenter's Square to Mark Top Side

A carpenter's square allows you to make a right-angled mark across the timber. You can also use an engineer's square or a triangle (set square in UK English). Hold the “stock” or handle of the square tightly against the wood while marking. Ideally, you should position the tip of the pencil on the mark you made initially when measuring, and slide the square so that it butts against the tip, then mark along the square.

Use a square to produce a right angled pencil line guide
© Eugene Brennan

Step 3. Mark the Two Vertical Sides

Continue to mark the front and rear vertical sides of the timber.

Mark a guide line on both the vertical sides
© Eugene Brennan

Step 4. Hold the Wood Securely and Cut With a Hand Saw

If you have a vice, use this to hold the wood securely while sawing, alternatively use your knee and a stool, low table, Black and Decker Workmate or whatever.

Use the pencil lines on the vertical surfaces of the timber as guides while sawing and try to keep the saw blade straight.

Hold the timber securely in a vice
© Eugene Brennan

You can also use your knee to hold it
© Eugene Brennan

Keep your thumb out of the way in case the saw slips!
© Eugene Brennan

Quick release clamps are useful for holding timber
© Eugene Brennan

Method 2: Using a Mitre Box

This gives improved accuracy when cutting. A mitre box has slots in its vertical sides which act as guides and prevent the blade of a saw from sloping from the vertical. Metal, wood and plastic versions are available. Some need to be held in a vise while others have a “hook” or raised edge on the underside which can be butted up against the edge of a bench.

A mitre box enables you to make 90-degree cuts in timber and usually 45-degree cuts also.

Note: When cutting timber, cut on the waste side of the line rather than the centre line.

Various types of mitre boxes
© Eugene Brennan

This mitre box has a “lip” or hook on the underside which allows it to be pushed tightly against the edge of a bench.
© Eugene Brennan

Using a Tenon Saw

A tenon saw is shorter than a “normal” hand saw and is less cumbersome to cut with. It also has smaller teeth (the pitch is greater), which reduces the tendency of the blade to tear or chip the ends of wood fibers whilst cutting. Thirdly the rigid spine of the saw stops the blade from curving and warping too much while cutting. All this helps to give better results, which is important if you are making furniture or other stuff where accuracy and finish are important.

Kerf of a Saw

When cutting, position the blade and teeth of the saw so that you cut on the waste side of the pencil line rather than cutting along the centre of the line. The kerf or width of the saw cut can produce “gaps” if you are cutting joints or doing other fine work. The slight error in length due to the kerf of the saw when cutting on the centre of the pencil line, can accumulate and cause a greater error (e.g. if several pieces are cut to size and placed side by side).

Kerf of a saw. The diverging teeth cut a slot in timber, wider than the thickness of the blade, so the blade doesn’t bind.

Ludraman, public domain image via Wiktionary

The slots in metal mitre boxes don’t wear away as quick from contact with the teeth of a saw.
© Eugene Brennan

A mitre box and tenon saw produced these results
© Eugene Brennan

Making and Using a Marking Knife

A pencil is fine for rough work, however, a marking knife never gets blunt and produces a fine line, allowing you to produce more accurate results when cutting joints. You can make one by cutting a 45-degree angle on an old dinner knife with an angle grinder and then sharpening it. You could use a Stanley knife, however, the advantage of a long-bladed, flexible knife is that it can reach into tight spaces. (This knife also comes in handy for spreading silicone sealant and putty!)

A sharpened dinner knife used for marking timber
© Eugene Brennan

Using a marking knife to mark a section of timber
© Eugene Brennan

Recommended Books

Good Wood Joints by Albert Jackson and David Day, published by Collins is an excellent reference source, with clear, step-by-step, colourful illustrations showing how to cut all the most common wood joints and those used less often. It also has a thorough index of thumbnails photos, detailing which joint should be used for any particular application. A chapter in the book is dedicated to the type of hand and power tools required for cutting joints. If you live in the UK or Ireland, you can buy the book on the Amazon UK website.

Photo taken by Eugene Brennan

How to Cut Angles on the Ends of Timber

You can only cut the ends of timber square (i.e. at 90 degrees) or 45 degrees using a mitre box. If you need to cut a different angle, the simplest solution is to use a protractor or a digital angle finder like this one from Amazon. These are useful for measuring an angle between two sides of timber or other material or marking an angle before cutting. An angle finder can also be used as a bevel gauge for transferring angles e.g. when marking the ends of rafters before cutting. The rules are graduated in inches and centimetres and angles can be measured to 0.1 degrees.

Use an angle finder in the same way as a square, described above, for marking the lines of a cut. So mark the top with the angle finder, draw lines down both sides using a square, then join the ends of the dropped lines on the underside.

The quickest and most accurate way however to cut angles is to use a mitre saw as we’ll discover next.

An angle finder can be used to measure cut timber, and also as a bevel gauge to transfer angles when it’s necessary to cut more pieces.
© Eugene Brennan

Method 3: Using a Mitre Saw

A mitre or chop saw is a power saw designed to produce rapid and accurate 90-degree and angled (mitreed) cuts. It’s a virtually essential tool when framing, i.e. building stud walls. A basic saw will cut timber up to 4 x 2 in size, but a sliding mitre saw has a cutting head which slides on a rail, allowing timber up to 9 x 3 to be cut without requiring a huge diameter disk.

Blades are available for mitre saws with a varying number of teeth. Coarse-toothed blades cut rapidly through timber and are ideal for structural work. Blades with lots of fine teeth are slower at cutting but give cleaner results with less splintering, important when cutting architrave, shelving, baseboard (skirting).

It’s usually possible to calibrate a saw by way of adjusting grub screws to ensure that the saw actually does give a square cut. You can check your cuts with a carpenter’s square to see if the saw is cutting accurately and make adjustments as necessary.

The kerf, which you’ll remember is the width of the saw cut, is normally wider, typically 2 or 3 mm (1/8″) for a mitre saw blade than it is for a hand saw. So it’s more important to cut on the waste side of your pencil line to avoid inaccuracy.

WARNING

Like any power tool, a mitre saw can be dangerous. Follow these tips to reduce the risk of injury while using a mitre saw.

• Make sure the guard on the saw is operating correctly and covers the blade when the cutting head of the saw is returned to its rest position
• Hold timber securely against the back fence of the saw while cutting, and ensure that long lengths of timber are adequately supported so that they don’t overbalance the saw or rise up and hit the blade. Usually, clamps are provided on the saw for holding timber in place while cutting
• Don’t work with power tools if you are tired. Poor concentration can cause accidents
• Don’t use a blade with blunt teeth or teeth which have lost their tungsten carbide tips. A blunt blade can snag in timber causing an accident. It also gives a ragged, splintered cut on the edges of timber. Either sharpen or replace the blade.
• Don’t work in wet conditions
• Keep your hand clear of the blade while cutting. You might lose fingers!
• Always wear safety glasses in case you hit knots or nails/screws in waste timber. If you are doing lots of cutting, wear earmuffs or plugs and a dust mask
  

Steps to Cutting With a Mitre Saw

1. With power off, set up the saw on a bench, dedicated saw stand or the ground.
2. Release lock screws that hold the slide rails, adjustable table and the cutting head.
3. Support long lengths of timber on a roller stand, bench, step ladder, blocks etc to keep them at the same height as the mitre saw table.
4. Measure timber and place a short pencil mark on the edge.
5. Turn the saw table to the desired cut angle. The angle indicated on the mitre scale is from a reference line passing through the plane of the cutting blade, so 0º gives a square or 90º cut on the end of timber.
6. Position the length of timber on the table so that it butts up against the fence.
7. Lower the blade without squeezing the trigger switch and adjust the timber so that the blade coincides with the pencil mark.
8. Tighten clamps onto the timber.
9. Power on your saw and squeeze the trigger. Allow the blade to reach full speed and lower the blade onto the timber. Don’t force the blade into the wood, you’ll know by the sound of the motor whether it’s struggling to cut. If you have a sliding mitre saw, cut down fully into the front of the timber, then push the blade back towards the back of the fence, again cutting at the rate the saw can handle.

Tip:

For more accurate results, cut with the left edge of a tooth just to the right of the pencil mark. Since the kerf of a blade is a couple of mm wide, this ensures that the length of the cut section will be more accurate. If you cut on the centre line, your timber will be slightly shorter than measured.

Calibrating a Mitre Saw

For general construction work, it’s usually not an issue, however if you need to make lots of accurate square or angled cuts when making furniture, shelves etc, it’s a good idea to calibrate a saw first so that the scales indicate angles correctly. It may be possible to adjust the pointer on the mitre scale by loosening a screw and turning the pointer. A limit screw is often included on the cutting head which can be adjusted so that the head can be positioned quickly to give square bevelled cuts.

Adjustment procedure

For mitre cuts, adjust the table to 0º. Cut a section of timber and check the cut end with a carpenter’s square. If the result is off, adjust the table and cut again. Keep adjusting the table until you’re satisfied with the results. Adjust the pointer if this is possible so it points to 0º.

Repeat the procedure for bevelled cuts (cuts with the blade at a variable angle to the plane of the saw table) with the scale set to 0º. The bevel scale is usually at the back of the saw where the cutting head pivots about the sliding rails. There may be a limit screw to set the end of travel of the cutting head, so once you’re happy that the saw is cutting at 90º, turn this screw so that it’s tight against the head. If the scale pointer can be moved, turn this also so that it indicates 0º.

A mitre saw can make 90 degree square, and angled (mitred) cuts in timber.
© Eugene Brennan

This scale indicates the mitre angle. 0 degrees is for cutting right angles. The table can be turned to make cuts up to 45 degrees.
© Eugene Brennan

Fine pitch blades are available which give a cleaner cut when cutting e.g. baseboard (skirting) and architrave. A coarse tooth blade is adequate for cutting structural timber.
© Eugene Brennan

Blunt Tools are Dangerous!

The teeth on a mitre say blade should always be kept sharp or the blade replaced to avoid a serious accident if the blade catches in timber instead of cutting it.

Cutting with a mitre saw. The guard retracts when cutting and should return when you raise the cutting head.
© Eugene Brennan

Mmmmmmm Square!

A mitre saw gives an accurate cut if it’s setup properly.

© Eugene Brennan

A mitre saw is virtually essential for rapidly producing accurate square cuts when framing (building timber frame walls.)
© Eugene Brennan

I used a mitre saw to cut all this timber to size.
© Eugene Brennan

Tips for Cutting Wood Using Hand Saws and Power Saws

• Keep your hand saws clean. Remove any rust with wire wool or sandpaper. Lubricate with light oil, Vaseline petroleum jelly or a candle.
• Keep pencils sharp so that they produce a fine marking line and timber can be cut more accurately.
• Timber, especially softwood, swells somewhat in damp humid weather conditions, for example if it’s indoors in an unheated garage or warehouse. This can result in gaps in floorboards or paneling as it shrinks on drying. If possible allow timber to dry indoors for a few days before using.

Did You Find This Article Useful?

Was the info in this article useful and instructive? How can I improve it? Would you like to ask me any questions?

Please provide some feedback below. Thanks!

References

Jackson, A., & Day, D. (1993). Collins Complete Diy Manual. HarperCollins.

Jackson, A., & Day, D. (2001). Good Wood Joints. Cincinnati, OH: North Light Books.

Disclaimer

Power and hand tools can be dangerous. Read and understand all manuals before use and take reasonable precautions including wearing personal protection equipment (PPE) to prevent against injury.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

© 2014 Eugene Brennan

Old Comments From Readers on HubPages 

(You can post a comment further down) 

robert l reed sr on June 26, 2020:

how do you cut a 2 by 4 or 2by 6 at a 30 degree cut to be straight on the ground or saw buck or picnic table? what type square do I need or what type toll . I am building both

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on June 26, 2020:

Hi Robert,

You can use a protractor which you can buy in a school supplies shop to mark the angle. Alternatively you can use an electronic angle finder as described in the article. Mark the widest section of the timber top and bottom (4″ or 6″ surface). Then draw right angles down the 2″ side and cut by hand. The problem with a mitre saw is that it may limit mitre (angled) cuts to a minimum of45 degrees. If you want to cut at 30 degrees to a long side, the best thing would be to clamp a piece of timber onto the 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 at a 30 degree angle to act as a guide and use a circular saw to make the cuts. Make sure you support the timber adequately while cutting. If the 30 degree angle is with respect to a line drawn at right angles to the long side of a timber, then you can just set the mitre saw to 30 degrees and cut.

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Frank on June 24, 2020:

Zero info on the vital part about cutting the angle by hand

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Leigh on September 14, 2016:

TERRIFIC DETAIL FOR A NOVICE!

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Razlan Awal from Malaysia on January 20, 2015:

Yes, this article is useful and instructive, with lots of photos to guide us through. A well-deserved HOTD award and a good start to your 2015. Well done. Maybe I should copy your template 🙂

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 20, 2015:

Thank you Razlan! It’s probably the way to go now. Google seems to like articles with lots of photos and some of my hubs which have a high image count, and not so much text weren’t affected by the Panda update.

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Diane Ziomek from Alberta, Canada on January 19, 2015:

This is an excellent tutorial, as I am starting to do more of my own building. I have done some basic loom frames, but would like to make them prettier. I am also planning on building some animal housing this summer, so this is good to have for a reference. Thank you!

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 20, 2015:

Thanks Diane! If you decide to use metal cladding for the roof of the animal housing, thin angle grinding disks are more effective for cutting this type of material than standard types.

Diane Ziomek from Alberta, Canada on January 20, 2015:

Thank you. That is a good thing to know. I am going to have to go shopping for more tools soon. 🙂

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Liz Elias from Oakley, CA on January 19, 2015:

Congratulations on HOTD! Well done, with excellent photos!

My husband and I have done a lot of this sort of work around our home, as well as formerly running a small handyman remodel/repair service. In years before I met him, he was a general contractor. We have a shop full of all these tools and more.

So many people are clueless about handling tools and cutting; not knowing to allow for the saw kerf, which in fine finish work, can make a huge difference. It is somewhat less critical in rough framing, but nevertheless, it is good to have good habits even there. It drives is NUTS these days to see guys using chain saws for framing!

My own miter saw (chop saw), is the type with the blade that lowers down and cuts straight through, not a sliding type. It is stored in the locked-down position.

Voted up, interesting and useful.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Thanks for the vote of approval!

Mitre saws do may life easier, especially for framing and for cutting roof timbers. Their cousin, the metal cutoff saw, is great if box, angle or flat lengths of steel need to be cut.

The saw in the photo is a 10 inch model, however I have added removable hardwood spacers so that I can use it with 8 inch blades.

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Patsy Bell Hobson from zone 6a, Southeast Missouri, USA on January 19, 2015:

Wow, this is a great hub. And may I say, it makes working with power tools less intimidating to folks unfamiliar with shop tools. Voted up IU, tweet, pin.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Great, thanks for that! Power tools aren’t dangerous once you remember where you’ve put your hands and feet, and keep your head out of the way!

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Elsie Hagley from New Zealand on January 19, 2015:

Congratulations for HOTD, you deserve it, explained so well.

But I still think I will leave it to the experts as I have a problem with my shoulder and somehow I can’t hold on to any moving item, never mind old body young heart.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Thanks Elsie. Glad you liked it!

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DreamerMeg from Northern Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Mitre saws are only useful when no one else borrows them and loses pieces! As you can tell, I did have one and I will get another when I have time to try out a new hobby again. Useful hub, thanks.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Yes, those dreaded borrowers, they won’t buy their own tools and lose bits from yours! I know the feeling – Thanks for the comments!

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RoadMonkey on January 19, 2015:

I got myself a mitre saw a few years ago, so I could make my own picture frames. They are very useful.

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Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on January 19, 2015:

Congrats on your HOTD. This will be useful come summer when we go to the cottage and start having projects.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Thanks aesta1 , good luck with the projects in your cottage!

Sorry about the quality of the video, I need to make a new one with my smartphone when I get a chance.

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RTalloni on January 19, 2015:

Congrats on your Hub of the Day award for this tutorial with useful information on saws and other tools. This is a very useful post for people interested in learning to cut wood correctly. Your old square is neat to see.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Thank you RTalloni! , much obliged for the comments!

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Emily Tack from USA on January 19, 2015:

Great article, and wish I had written it first! Kidding…

A few years ago, I decided to make my own bed. I really should have taken photos along the way, of my project, but I was determined to get it finished as fast as I could.

It only took me about 3 days, working on it in the evenings, after I got home from our store. I measured the two mattresses I intended to use, and left myself some leeway, for bedding. On a mission, I made a double-decker, full-size bed, constructed out of 4×4’s and 2×4’s; complete with a ladder to the second deck. I thought it would be great, when the grandchildren stayed over – it was, too!

After my creative frenzy was finished, and my lovely bed was ready to sleep in, it “dawned on me” that I could have been finished with my project in a fraction of the time it took, if I had used an electric miter saw. I had made it with my square, my wooden miter box, my old hand-held power saw, and my ancient hand saw, and my power drill. What was I thinking?

The finished product was delightful, and I really enjoyed sleeping in it; convinced it was the most comfortable bed in which I had ever slept.

Then, I remarried, after being a widow for over 10 years, and moved into my husband’s home. One of my grown children and their family moved into my room, at my old house, and had beds of their own. My beloved bed had to go. It was so large, that they could not get it out of my old bedroom, so they dismantled it. I felt bereft of an old friend; it was a great bed!

Shortly after I built the bed, I bought myself an electric miter saw. What a joy it was to use! I should have done that before I started on the bed. The next time I take on a big project, it will most definitely come into play.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Thanks for the comments Emily , and the anecdote!……

Many years ago, I made a bench for my desktop computer which was destined for an attic room. I had stupidly guesstimated the width of the doorway instead of measuring it, and yes you guessed it, the finished bench was too wide to fit through the door! I was practicing making mortice and tenon joints and of course these were glued together. Luckily I discovered my error in time before the glue dried and was able to do some disassembling, and reassembling inside the attic. If I ever remove it, its going to have to be cut up!

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Dennis L. Page from New York/Pennsylvania border on January 19, 2015:

When I began woodworking several decades ago, it was by trial and error. I probably would have saved a lot of money and wood if I had your wonderful article and pictorial guide way back then. This is a great post for those looking to get into the joy of woodworking.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on January 19, 2015:

Thank you Dennis!

It was the same for me, learning by trial and error over the last thirty years or so. Wood is a wonderful material to work with, planing and carving especially, is very satisfying. I think craftwork, whatever form it takes, alongside exercise, is great therapy for body and mind.

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Judy Specht from California on May 16, 2014:

Love our miter saw. We struggled for years with a miter box or cutting by hand. Nice instructions.

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This guide shows you what fittings you need to connect up your garden hose to an indoor or garden tap (spigot or bib in the US) and also how to attach it to spray nozzles, sprinklers, pressure washers and coiled hoses.

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Typical string trimmer
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Lawn Mower Won’t Start: The Complete Troubleshooting and Repair Guide

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Help! My Lawn Mower Won't Start After Winter

It's summer again, you drag the mower out of storage and of course it refuses to start up. Or it starts once, then refuses to start again. TYPICAL!
In this article, you'll find a ten-point checklist to get your mower started. If that doesn't work, you'll learn more in-depth information about fuel, oil, and ignition system problems, carburetor fault-finding, checking for bad compression, and other issues which could be preventing the engine from starting. 

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An Overflowing Water Tank in Your Attic

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How to Get Your Home Ready for Winter

 

There are lots of ways to prepare your home for winter's freezing temperatures. © Eugene Brennan

Winter Is Coming!

This article gives you some common sense tips on keeping your home snug and warm in the winter. It also provides information on how to protect your home and yard from cold, wind, rain, and snow. 

What Is Insulation? 

Insulation is any material that reduces the rate of heat transfer. For instance, the handle on a saucepan is insulated so you don't burn your hand. Metal is good at transferring or conducting heat, so saucepan handles are usually made from wood or plastic to stop heat conduction.

In the context of a building structure, however, insulation is a material that is used to stop heat flowing out through the walls, ceiling and floor. Usually, this is in the form of boards with an insulating foam layer or layers of fleecy material such as fibre glass, rock wool or sheep's wool. If rooms are well insulated, once they're heated, they hold the heat for longer and it doesn't leak out so fast.

How to Keep the House Warm in Winter

There are numerous ways to keep the chill at bay when temperatures drop.

General Tips

• Single-glazed windows should be upgraded to double or triple-glazed units.
• Boilers should be serviced to ensure they are working correctly, the flue is clean, fuel is being burnt thoroughly and they are working at top efficiency. Circulating pumps can become stuck during the summer so this needs to be checked out.
• Chimneys of open fires need to be cleaned to remove soot and creosote deposits or leaves from overhanging trees. Guards should be fitted to the chimney pots to prevent birds setting up residence the following spring.

Insulation Upgrades

• If you can afford it, try to upgrade the insulation in the house. Most heat is lost up through the ceilings into the loft and out through the roof. The space between the joists should be insulated with 4 inches (preferably 8 inches) of fibreglass or rock wool insulation.
• Inner walls can be insulated with rock wool and finished with plasterboard (drywall), or plasterboard backed with foam insulation may be used.
• Cavity walls can be drilled and a foam insulation pumped into the intervening space.
• External insulation is also an option. Multilayer sandwich panels consisting of insulation, a water-permeable membrane and an outer painted finish can be retrofitted to exterior walls. Some contractors render the finished insulation when it is installed.

Exterior House Maintenance

• Gutters and downpipes need to be cleaned to ensure proper drainage from roofs, but wait until the leaves have fallen off all nearby trees or you will have to do the job again later!
• Remove any moss or leaves which accumulated in the valleys between apex roofs.
• Ensure all brackets, nails and screws holding the gutters are secure.
• Check your downpipes are not clogged.
• Drips from overflowing gutters in the winter can form large icicles.
• Check gulleys for blockages from leaves and other debris.

Gate Valve. © Eugene Brennan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protecting Plumbing From Freezing

• Frozen and burst pipes are a common problem during freezing weather. All pipes which may be exposed to freezing temperatures should be lagged with insulation to prevent freezing. New pipe work should be buried deep enough in the ground to protect it from freezing.
• The cold water tank in the loft should be surrounded with a layer of insulation and the associated pipe work should be lagged. When the floor of the loft is insulated, this makes the loft colder and plumbing is more prone to freezing, so during extremely cold or snowy weather, the loft door should be left open to allow some heat from the rooms below to travel upwards.
• Ensure you know the location of all your gate valves/stop cocks inside and outside and their functions. Write their function on the wall behind them with a thick marker and obviously check they actually turn and aren’t seized. You don’t want to be trying to turn off a seized valve in an emergency when water is coming down through the ceiling!
• You can use pipe heating cable to stop pipes from freezing where pipes are exposed to really cold temperatures. This comes in the form of a tape or cable that you wrap around the pipe. The tape warms slightly when powered up. Newer versions of this tape are self-regulating so temperature doesn't become excessive.

Preparing for Ice and Snow

• Ensure you have adequate supplies of fuel. Oil, gas and electricity suppliers are competitive so shop around to get the best deal.
• Get a good quality snowblower, snow or grain shovel for clearing snow from pavements and driveways. A blade made from aluminium is lighter than a steel blade.
• Clean moss from pavements with a proprietary cleaner or power washer.
• Stock up with salt and grit for defrosting snow and ice on pavements.
• Gutters should have adequate brackets to support snow load as snow starts to thaw and slide down roofs.
• Drain hoses to prevent them freezing and bursting.
• During thunderstorms which can occur during blizzards, unplug all electrical appliances and landline equipment such as modems and phones and use your cell phone for communication.
• Stock up with torches and a camp stove in case there are power failures.
• Get some storage containers which can be used to hold water in case the water supply pipes freeze and the supply is interrupted.

Protecting Garden Plants From Frost

If possible, bring vulnerable plants in containers which could be damaged by frost, inside or into a frost-free shed. Wrap bubble wrap or straw around larger plants or plants in the ground.

Here are a few more ways to protect your plants from frost.

Coping With Electrical Power Outages

• If you have a generator, make sure it works properly, the oil level is ok and it starts up without difficulty. Test it under load to see if copes ok without struggling.
• A freezer will maintain low temperature for several hours if it is not constantly opened.
• A portable gas stove can be used for heating and cooking.
• The backup batteries in your alarm panel and bell/sounder have a limited lifespan so replace them at the required interval.

 

 

 

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When a power tool won't power up there are various causes of failure. but troubleshooting should be done in a methodical order, the main thing though is to check the obvious first!

Equipment Needed:

Some screwdrivers, flat and Phillips head
Continuity meter or multimeter to trace continuity from the plug to the motor.

A non-contact voltage detector (optional). These devices glow when the tip is held close to a live cable

Important !!!

Remember to avoid shock, disconnect the tool from the mains supply before troubleshooting!!!

Troubleshooting: 

 ● It may be obvious but ensure the socket outlet isn't faulty, try the tool in another outlet to see if it works.

● Check whether the overload circuit breaker if fitted on the tool has activated. This happens e.g. on a table saw when the motor is stalled. To reset you need to press a button. The breaker may need a couple of minutes to cool down before resetting

● If plug is rewireable check for loose screws at plug pin terminals, loose fuses etc. 

● A common cause of failure especially with drills and other hand held tools is one or more broken wires in the power flex caused by metal fatigue in the cable (like when you break a paper clip by bending it backwards and forwards) , this usually happens where the cord leaves the plug or where the cord enters the tool. If you have a non-contact voltage detector, you can use it to trace the break from the plug to the tool. Plug in the tool and hold the tip of the detector at the plug, it will glow here but as it is moved down along the flex it will stop glowing after the break (If the break is in the live core of the cable)

● Sometimes it is possible to detect where a break is in a flex by stretching it, the flex will narrow in the region of the break

● If you still can't trace the fault, unplug the tool. Open it. Check the continuity from each pin of the plug to the switch in the tool.

● A faulty on / off switch can prevent the tool from working. Use the continuity tester to check this

● Loose spade terminals on switches may cause intermittent operation

● Tools with green and red start and stop buttons may have a faulty relay

● The brushes in the motor may have worn down

● The armature or field coils of motor may have gone open circuit. The field coils can be checked with the continuity meter

String Trimmer Line

This 0.095 inch diameter (2.4mm), 3 pound, 685 foot spool of professional trimming line manufactured by Oregon should last you years and years. It has a high strength inner core and an outer coating to prevent welding. In other words it is less likely to stick as it unwinds from the spool. The square edges also improve cutting efficiency compared to standard round profile type
Check your trimmer to see whether it is compatible with this diameter line.

Activities for Kids During the Covid-19 Lockdown: Sowing Seeds

Equipment

• Some trays, pots, yogurt containers or similar
• Spray bottle from shower or window cleaner
• Seed compost or multipurpose seed and potting compost
• Seeds

Time to sow

For annual and half-hardy annuals, February to April. Check the seed packet.

You can use any types of pots, boxes or proper seed trays

Steps

1. Fill the containers almost to the top with seed compost
2. Shake the seeds out onto your hand and scatter evenly over the compost
3. Don't cover very small seeds. Seeds a few mm in diameter can be covered with a sprinkling of compost. Larger seeds such as sunflower seeds should be pushed about 1/2 inches (12mm) below the surface.
4. Water with the spray bottle and keep the compost moist. Only water as needed, not everyday. You can use a watering can, but unless it has a fine sprinkler rose, it can flood the compost and wash away seedlings.
5. Keep the tray in a warm place and cover with a sheet of card to conserve moisture and keep the seeds dark until germination
6. Once the seeds germinate, remove the card and move to a bright place such as a window sill.
7. Transplant into pots once seedlings have their first pair of "true leaves" (the second pair of leaves to appear). Once the plants become large enough, transfer to their final location.

Fill tray with compost

Sprinkle seeds from your hand

Transplant seedlings once they're big enough and have two "true" leaves

Repairing a Heat Selection Knob on a Fan Heater

Well this was frustrating! The range selection knob on my fan heater was turning without doing anything. I decided to try and open the case to see what was wrong, but of course the manufacturer had used security fixings, relatively uncommon triangular ones too!

I have lots of shapes and sizes of Torx bits and screwdrivers, but they would be useless in this situation. Luckily I managed to undo two of four screws from the upper side of the heater using a large jeweler's screwdriver. This allowed me to pull the case apart just enough to remove the knob.

Part of the shaft of the knob had snapped off in the switch. Gluing, even with superglue wouldn't be a permanent fix because the resistance of the switch was such that a large torque was needed to change range.
First I removed the broken-off piece of shaft from the switch using a woodscrew. The piece was hollow as was the other piece of shaft remaining on the knob. I decided to attach the two pieces together using a rivet pin.

I hoard lots of scrap, and rivet pins are part of my collection, along with self tapping screws, springs, nuts, washers and all sorts of other miscellaneous items! Some of these pins were exactly the right diameter.

I dripped some super glue into the hollow interior of both sections and also on the broken surface, then joined the two pieces together. Some heat from another fan heater accelerated curing of the glue.

After trimming the pin, I replaced the switch, cost of repair? Zero!