Stonehaven Life

Keeping Warm During a Power Outage

Extreme winter weather events almost always cause power outages at some point. It may be just a few isolated locations or it can affect a large area, plunging millions of people into the cold and dark – possibly for several days. And the frequency and impact of extreme weather is expected to get worse in [...]

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How to Make Cabinet Toe Kicks

Level floors are a rare thing… even in new homes. You might not even notice how badly a floor slopes until you start installing base cabinets – and discover that the dishwasher won’t fit under the countertop or that you need a 1″ stack of shims at the end of the cabinet run. While this [...]

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The “Mighty” Rockwell BladeRunner

Imagine having a table saw, jig saw band saw, hacksaw and tile cutter in one portable package – all for less than $200. Well now you can! Asa Christiana, editor at Fine Woodworking magazine has run the “mighty” BladeRunner from Rockwell Tools through its paces and gives it high praise, especially for anyone just getting [...]

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MDF Baseboard Radiator Cover

This project idea is the result of a recent bathroom reno. The old steel shroud on our baseboard radiator had to come off to get the plaster, lath and wood shavings out of the wall behind it. If you’ve taken one of these out before, you know it involves cutting things apart. Damage aside, it [...]

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Superinsulated House Design

The cold winds of October are here, the furnace has kicked on, and I’m wondering once again, how much it will cost to stay warm this winter. Retired Architect, Richard Lachance lives just a couple of hours drive from my place, and he knows what to expect as the long winter approaches. His NB Superinsulated [...]

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Pet Gate Plans Prove Popular

The Build No-Sag Gates for your Porch woodworking plans are a big hit with pet owners, and the interest and feedback so far has exceeded my expectations. I want to thank the fine folks who have purchased Stonehaven Life Woodworking Plans over the years, and to extend my appreciation to all my regular readers. If [...]

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7 DIY Pop Can Solar Heaters

There are hundreds of different DIY passive solar air collector plans floating around, but I’m focusing on a few that incorporate recycled aluminum pop, beer or juice cans as the "solar absorber". These DIY pop can solar panels are inspired by Cansolair – a commercially-produced product invented by a man from Newfoundland, Canada. The Cansolair [...]

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A Bucketful o’ Tools

Now THIS is a good idea! I can’t even begin to count how many trips I wouldn’t have made back to the workshop if I had one of these. Duluth Trading Co. launched their company on this one simple product – the "Bucket Boss"- a tool organizer that hangs over a plastic bucket. This thing [...]

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Plumbing Access Camouflage

I needed to provide access to the bathtub "wet wall" plumbing during a recent renovation. It had to be located in a highly visible place – right beside the flush where it was subject to close scrutiny. Since we planned to add bead board panelling to the lower part of the wall, I figured I’d [...]

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Saw on it. Stand on it. Sit on it.

Subscribe today and get the detailed Woodworking Plans to build this multi-purpose step stool. I didn’t make this handy little work step, but it’s the first thing I grab when it’s time to change a light bulb, paint a room, or get down & dusty on a reno project. It’s been dinged, danged and dunged [...]