| Solid State Lighting Last 10 Times Longer Than CFLs with NO Harmful Mercury |
| | Solid-state lighting, or SSL, could be the next big thing in residential lighting. SSL refers to a type of bulb—or lamp, in industry parlance—that uses the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material to generate light. The semiconductor is in a solid block form, hence “solid state.” Because there’s no filament that heats up (and eventually burns out), SSL is up to 50 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs, claim manufacturers. SSL is also said to last as much as 10 times longer than compact fluorescent lighting and contains none of the potentially harmful mercury that has brought CFLs image down to earth and made recycling them a hassle.Read the full Consumer Report. article. |
| | 5/02/2008 7:36 PM (681d 23h 26m ago) |
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| Woodworking Articles |
| | Product reviews and Pro's Page |
| Should I buy a Lithium-Ion-Powered Cordless Drill? |
| | Consumer Reports has seen more makers of cordless drills and cordless tool kits abandoning nickel-cadmium batteries for lithium-ion, or Li-Ion, cells, which promise lighter weight and/or longer run times. How you plan on using the tool plays a critical role in your decision to take the Li-Ion route. If you’re an infrequent, light-duty user, it probably wouldn’t make sense to pay a premium for a Li-Ion-powered drill. If you use the tool frequently for heavy-duty tasks, it might make sense to buy a Li-Ion drill.Take a look at the Consumer Reports review. |
| | 10/13/2008 4:43 AM (518d 14h 19m ago) |
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| Tips & Techniques: Top 10 Home Improvement Skills |
| | Thomas Baker, from This Old House online provides his top 10 home improvement skills. 1. No-Splinter Sawing: A portable circular saw is the tool to use when you need to shorten a door to fit an existing opening or to accommodate a new layer of thick carpeting. But, even the newest, sharpest blade will tend to splinter the top surface, especially if it's a veneered door.2. Using a Tourniquet Clamp: A web clamp is an ideal tool for repairing wobbly tables, chairs, and stools. Its long nylon strap conforms to any shape and can be wrapped around all four legs at the same time. If you don't own a web clamp, just grab a length of rope. 3. Clean Caulking: A continuous, watertight seal along the top edge of a bathtub or shower base is crucial. If the caulk is cracked or missing in spots, water will seep in and ruin the wall. 4. Clean Cuts in Glass: Cutting glass to replace a broken windowpane doesn't necessarily require the services of a pro. All it takes is the proper tools and technique. The key is a glass cutter, a pencil-size piece of metal with a tiny, superhard tungsten-carbide wheel. The wheel scores the surface, allowing you to snap the glass cleanly. 5. Fixing Loose Hinge Holes: The small screws used to secure kitchen cabinet door hinges to the face frames of cabinets often work their way loose over time. Unless they're tightened immediately, the screws will enlarge and strip the holes until it's impossible to tighten them. A quick, convenient cure can be found just inside one of the cabinets: toothpicks. 6. Smooth Brushwork on Wood: Even when the paint and brushes are top quality, applying a smooth coat of glossy paint to woodwork is one of the more challenging things any painter has to do. Here are some key steps and techniques to make your brush-painted woodwork look like it was done by a pro.7. Freeing Stuck Nuts: Any time you replace an old faucet, you have to take off the locking nut that holds the faucet tight to the countertop. But often that nut will... |
| | 3/27/2008 7:57 PM (717d 23h 6m ago) |
| Tips & Techniques: Top 10 Home Improvement Skills |
| | Thomas Baker, from This Old House online provides his top 10 home improvement skills. 1. No-Splinter Sawing: A portable circular saw is the tool to use when you need to shorten a door to fit an existing opening or to accommodate a new layer of thick carpeting. But, even the newest, sharpest blade will tend to splinter the top surface, especially if it's a veneered door.2. Using a Tourniquet Clamp: A web clamp is an ideal tool for repairing wobbly tables, chairs, and stools. Its long nylon strap conforms to any shape and can be wrapped around all four legs at the same time. If you don't own a web clamp, just grab a length of rope. 3. Clean Caulking: A continuous, watertight seal along the top edge of a bathtub or shower base is crucial. If the caulk is cracked or missing in spots, water will seep in and ruin the wall. 4. Clean Cuts in Glass: Cutting glass to replace a broken windowpane doesn't necessarily require the services of a pro. All it takes is the proper tools and technique. The key is a glass cutter, a pencil-size piece of metal with a tiny, superhard tungsten-carbide wheel. The wheel scores the surface, allowing you to snap the glass cleanly. 5. Fixing Loose Hinge Holes: The small screws used to secure kitchen cabinet door hinges to the face frames of cabinets often work their way loose over time. Unless they're tightened immediately, the screws will enlarge and strip the holes until it's impossible to tighten them. A quick, convenient cure can be found just inside one of the cabinets: toothpicks. 6. Smooth Brushwork on Wood: Even when the paint and brushes are top quality, applying a smooth coat of glossy paint to woodwork is one of the more challenging things any painter has to do. Here are some key steps and techniques to make your brush-painted woodwork look like it was done by a pro.7. Freeing Stuck Nuts: Any time you replace an old faucet, you have to take off the locking nut that holds the faucet tight to the countertop. But often that nut will... |
| | 3/27/2008 7:57 PM (717d 23h 6m ago) |
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