How to Avoid “Avocado Hand”

...t there’s a song by Swedish singer Jens Lekman about avocado hand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIwIAbcLFhI I was slicing up an avocado When you came up behind me With your silent brand-new sneakers Your reflection I did not see It was the hottest day in August And we were heading for the sea For a second my mind started drifting You put your arms around me You put your arms around me You put your arms around Blood spraying on the kitchen sink...

Read…

Soap as a Furniture and Floor Finish

...v=NiJ3qsdPTUo An old idea still practiced in some northern European countries, dissolved soap flakes can be used as a furniture and floor finish. Soap is non-toxic and, as Christopher Schwarz points out in this video, your clothes get cleaner when you take on this annual chore. And that’s the only catch: like wax, you have to re-apply at least once a year as part of a household wide soapy cleaning ritual. More detailed info on soap finishes here....

Read…

Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop in Silver Lake this Weekend

...00 pm in HaFo SaFo (Echo Park/Silver Lake) I have taught fruit tree pruning classes at botanical gardens including The Huntington and I will adapt the same handouts I’ve used for this workshop. We will prune 1 peach, 1 apple and 1 lemon tree so that we can discuss the three most common types of fruit tree pruning for Southern Californians. I’m asking for a $40 donation per person to attend (though you are welcome to donate more!) Once you donate I...

Read…

Garden Fork on Raised Beds

...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMb8efz8Aiw Keeping with the raised bed theme this week, Eric of GardenFork just did a video about redoing some basic raised beds. In the video he covers the different types of angle brackets you can use to reinforce the sides as well as touching on the treated vs. untreated lumber debate. Plus there’s lots of labrador action (and non-action)....

Read…

An Improvised Roof Rack for Lumber and Sheet Goods

...lates and bolts to make the rack sturdy and easy to remove. A pair of brackets keep the sheets from sliding forward during transit. And I use this handy online calculator to make sure I don’t exceed the weight capacity of my rack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laE43nfJUTA Pattison’s rack is not just for sheet goods. In fact, I use it for transporting lumber much more often than plywood. Put those 2 x 6s on the roof, strap them to one of the 2 x...

Read…