China’s Ghost Cities

Wow! Talk about an overbuilt real estate market! How is this even possible?

The Bike du Solei (Cargo Bike) (via Ruzter Tales)

This is truly amazing! Great for carrying tools and small project parts!

It's not what you can buy, it's what you can build I have amalgamated the pictures related to the construction of my cargo bike in one blog post for those interested in its construction.  Since picture are worth 1000 words, I won't put too much text, but include as many pics as I have. The name evolved as we originally called it the circus bike after the kid's car seat were added, then it became the Bike du Solei from the famous Cirque du Solei. … Read More

via Ruzter Tales

My O-Fishel Snowman Tribute!

Strange but true, in the days before the current Ice Age, Raleigh went for long periods of time -even years- without snow or any significant winter precipitation!

Sometime around 1991 several winters had passed with a near complete absence of such seasonal precipitation.

Our local TV weather forecaster, one Greg Fishel, publicly lamented the absence of such seasonal precipitation on the evening news broadcast!

Those of us down at the International Handyman Headquarters heard his lamentations and acted to relieve his suffering with our own warm weather field expedient improvised snowman and snowball fight made from plastic bags and wadded newspaper.

Anyone can build a snowman when it snows, but it takes an O-Fishel turn of mind to build a snowman without snow!!

We fear his pain may not have been completely diminished but we did our best!

Happy 30th Anniversary Greg!

It seems like only yesterday you first graced our local TV screens!

DIY: Demolish It Yourself (via Bye Bye, Brooklyn)

Today, for audience edification, some guest commentary from elsewhere….

One of our favorite parts about renovating is the demolition part. Call us destructive, but there is nothing more satisfying than smashing a sledgehammer through some perfectly good sheet rock. Wait. I take that back. There is nothing more satisfying than smashing a foot through some perfectly good sheet rock. We've done it. Can't recommend it highly enough. But before we could get to the foot-of-fury part of the project, we had take care of one … Read More

via Bye Bye, Brooklyn

More Vintage Furniture Repair

Before

After

In an earlier episode of Handyman Blog a matched set of mid 20th century vintage Phillipine settees arrived at the International Headquarters in need of refurbished seat webbing.

CLICK LINK HERE

Today a matched chair from the same set arrived for refurbishment as well.

While not as desperately in need of help, the new seat web makes the chair remarkably comfortable in a fashion absent from many contemporary chairs.

Cottage Bungalow Siding Repair

From this……

To this……

To This……

Strange but true, in this age of Masonite, vinyl, and Hardiplank, genuine yellow pine Dutch Cove Siding or in the jargon of the vernacular, “German Siding” is still available at a modest price ($1.59 @ linear foot)!

The new siding perfectly matched the vintage fifty year old planks from yesteryear on this Cottage Bungalow in a historic downtown Raleigh neighborhood.

Good ole pattern number #105- a true classic!

Click Image for high resolution picture.

Raleigh Tornado Aftermath

Humongous double tree fell between two buildings. Damage minimal

Slightly smaller humongous tree fell on building. Damage severe.

Huge rootball and stump.

Another huge rootball and stump

Really huge stump! About 5 feet tall and 5 foot diameter! Jeez!

Pictures from the tornado zone, off Glascock and King Charles Road. Click on image to see large high resolution picture.

After three weeks things are pretty organized.

These root balls were moved to the street by crane. Now who will load them and carry them away?

It almost seems they will need to be loaded by crane on to a lowboy to haul them from the neighborhood.