Sunday, October 13, 2002
"Salvage Style for Outdoor Living" (Rodale Press, $27.95), written by Moira and Nicholas Hankinson, is about making garden accessories and patio furniture out of recycled and rescued materials.
For example, with a very few tools, you can turn a wooden packing crate into a planter. You can salvage old windows and lumber and build a cold frame.
You can also turn four skids into a compost box, which I've also done.
The authors turned a wooden wastebasket they found discarded outside a home center into a planter, as well.
Have lots of discarded stone from construction? The Hankinsons combined the stone with railroad ties and built inexpensive steps.
They turned a plywood cable spool into a garden hose holder and tree branches into bird feeders.
Youngstown agency sethome buyer session
A First Time Home Buyer Workshop will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Family Service Agency at 535 Marmion Ave., Youngstown. The workshop will cover basic home buying information such as determining affordability, budgeting, credit problems and the loan application process. There is no cost for the workshop.
Those interested may make reservations at (330) 782-5664. No reservations will be taken the day of the program.
Will packaging countfor this wood glue?
Would you buy a product for its package? Loctite, a division of Henkel Consumer Adhesives, figures you will. So it has placed its high-grade wood glue -- Professional Wood Worx -- into a nifty Easy Flow dispensing system.
The container rests on its side, so the glue is always a nozzle squeeze away from application. The lid contains a storage place for the cap and because the container rests on its side, it can be stored more easily in tool boxes.
The glue is of cabinet-grade quality; it dries translucent, sets up in 15 to 25 minutes and cures in 24 hours. When it's still wet, the glue also cleans up with soap and water. It's available in 6.76-ounce containers for $3.99 at Wal-Mart.
Flowering bulbs makefor carpetlike edging
Certain small spring-flowering bulbs can be used to create a carpet effect in March and April. They will spread from year to year and look particularly effective on the edge of deciduous woods and grassy verges.
Possible species include scilla, chionodoxa, grape hyacinth, crocuses and snowdrops. Plant enough to make a show, at least 10 per square foot.
hTurn fallen branchesinto instant art
Marthe Le Van brings outdoor items such as tree branches and stones indoors to create "Nature Style" (Lark Books, $27.95).
The wind blows down a few dogwood branches that look like a tripod. The bottoms are leveled so they sit flat on the floor.
The result: instant art.
Driftwood you found at the beach becomes the frame for a bathroom mirror.
Leaves are attached to a lampshade with glue to produce an interesting look when the lamp is lighted.
Glass vases and pebbles are turned into permanent luminaria.
Branches drilled at one end are candlesticks.
Twigs are turned into a chandelier.
Before bringing plantsindoors for winter
Before returning houseplants indoors, make sure they are free from pests that would multiply this winter, including spider mites, mealy bugs and whiteflies.
Light infestations can be removed with a vacuum cleaner or by spraying an organic pesticide on upper and lower leaf surfaces. Systemic pesticides are available for large pest populations. Severely infested plants should be discarded.
Combined dispatches
The right hand sawhelps job and safety
Besides making the job easier, using the proper hand saw will make for a better finished product, and will often contribute to job safety. The size and accuracy of a cut is determined by the number of the saw's teeth, also called points, their size and setting. If you want to rough-cut a piece of wood and aren't concerned with what it looks like, a saw with large widely spaced teeth, will do the job. If, on the other hand, you're doing interior trim work like crown mold or chair rail, use a fine-toothed saw. And remember, having the right saw is only half the battle. Keep the saw sharp and store it in a location where the blade won't be damaged by other tools. If the saw must be stored in a tool box with other tools, invest in a blade guard.