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How To: Clean a Butcher Block Table

A butcher block table (or counter) is a solid, wooden table. Originating in butcher shops (hence the name), this has become a popular household item. Butcher block tables and counters are durable and attractive looking. The downside of butcher block is that the wood is so porous it can stain easily. Butcher block can be sanded and refinished to get rid of stains, but that drastic step isn't always necessary.

Build a Home Arcade Machine: Part 2

I assume at this point you have already completed your control panel using Part 1 of this How To guide. Now, if you are anything like me, you couldn't fight the urge to play, and you have your panel sitting on saw horses in the living room.

How To: Find North in Minecraft Without Using a Compass

It's easy to lose oneself when playing Minecraft and easier still to get plum lost. That's why it's always good to have a compass on hand. No compass? No problem. There are, in fact, no fewer than seven methods at your disposal for finding true north in a Minecraft world. Better still, a lot of them are accessible to you from the very moment you start playing the game.

How To: Eat Fire (And Look Damn Good Doin' It)

Eating fire is a guaranteed method of not only impressing an entire room, but also instantly settling any questions as to whether or not you're a complete and total stone cold BAD ASS. When you can casually whip this trick out in a bar, you're not only going to get your drinks bought for you for the rest of the night, but at least three phone numbers scrawled on the backs of napkins.

How To: Track Down an Apple iPad 2 (All Models) in Stores or Online

If you're a diehard Apple fan, chances are the new iPad 2 caught your eye, stole your heart and emptied your wallet. Who couldn't resist the sophisticated slim-body design or its fascinating new Smart Cover? Well—it seems nobody could. And if you were late to jump on the bandwagon, you're still probably cleaning that dust out of your mouth because it took off without you—leaving the latest and greatest Apple gadget out of your reach.

How To: Build & Hide a Campfire from Your Enemies — The Dakota Fire Pit

Fire.  It’s everywhere— always has been.  From the Ordovician Period where the first fossil record of fire appears to the present day everyday uses of the Holocene.  Today, we abundantly create flames (intentionally or unintentionally) in power plants, extractive metallurgy, incendiary bombs, combustion engines, controlled burns, wildfires, fireplaces, campfires, grills, candles, gas stoves and ovens, matches, cigarettes, and the list goes on... Yet with our societies' prodigal use of fire, t...

How To: String An Electric Guitar

A First Timer's Guide When some new guitarists break their first string they stash it in the closet and forget about it. Me, I put the sweaty axe back in its case and asked my parents to take me to the local music store. After a morning full of senseless racket emanating from my bedroom, my mom welcomed the drive.

How To: Make healthy poached eggs

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to poach eggs. Making poached eggs is easy and requires no fat to cook in. Begin by heating 1 1/2 inches of water in a skillet for boiling. For additional flavor, you can add broth, tomato juice, dry res wine or milk. Then reduce the heat so that the water gently simmers. For the best shaped poached egg, use cold fresh eggs. Brake the eggs one at a time into a cup. Hold the cup under the surface of the water for a second while the egg sets out, and th...

How To: Perform the Michael Jackson Circle Slide

Who doesn't want to dance like Michael Jackson! Anthony King from Pineapple Studios in London and Videojug team up to show you how. This video demonstrates how to perform the Michael Jackson Circle Slide. You will need: trainers, a smooth surface and comfortable shoes. This video breaks down the move into its component parts and explains each in detail. Guaranteed to impress anyone near the dance floor. Perform the Michael Jackson Circle Slide.

How To: Build a 360 degree cube world with After Effects

In this four part video tutorial, Creative Cow leader Carl Larsen shows you how to create a 360 degree camera-aware environment in After Effects without the use of third-party plug-ins. In part two, build a title sequence within the 360 degree environment created in part one of this tutorial series. Part 3 shows you how to track a lens flare onto the surface of a 360 degree camera-aware environment without the use of a third-party plug-in. Part 4 shows you how to track a lens flare onto a 360...

How To: Fold a dress shirt with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE

Sure, we all know how to fold t-shirts by now with all of those t-shirt folding videos on the internet. But do you know how to fold a dress shirt? If you want your closet to be as neat as a store display, watch this video to learn how to fold a dress shirt with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE. Folding your dress shirts instead of hanging them won't just free up precious inches of closet space, it'll help cut down on wrinkles (and dreaded ironing time). Follow these simple steps fo...

How To: Master sixth grade mathematics

Math class got you down? We all know sixth grade mathematics is where we all start to lose it. We get frustrated with all of those numbers, try to figure it out, but ultimately flunk out or barely pass the class. Maybe the teacher just wasn't good enough to educate us, who knows, but there's no worries anymore.

How To: Knit a Ball

Knitted balls can be used for all sorts of projects. The obvious is a Christmas ornament, but knitted balls can also be the basis for knitting toys or snowmen. And of course, they can be used simply as balls which make a lovely gift for a baby. They can be all one color, striped or patterned. To get started, follow the directions below for a one-color knitted ball. You will need to know how to knit on double-pointed needles, so if you need help with that, check out my other article.

How To: Handle and restrain a mouse for injections

This Animal Welfare Foundation two-part video tutorial is from expert veterinary staff demonstrating the correct procedures for handling small mammals for clinical examination and medication. Its aim is to show that the primary consideration should be for the the welfare of the animal. This video guide will show you practical animal handling for a mouse.

How To: Make a Banner for a Lightweight RC Plane

I decided to make a quick banner for my RC plane. It was basically free, but you might need to get a few materials if you don't have them. My plane is a Hobbyzone Champ, which is a hardy but tiny plane, weighing only 1.3 ounces with the battery. My how-to is modeled after this, which is intended for the Super Cub. It is the bigger version of the Champ, weighing a total of 25.2 ounces, which is more than 18 times the weight of Champ. As you can see, I was faced with a problem. How was I going ...

How To: Change Rear Disc Brakes on a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan

Changing the rear disc brakes on your 2001 Chrysler Town & Country (henceforth referred to as T&C) can be quite a challenge, but if you can spare a few hours (remember that you need to budget time to get the brake parts from the parts house) and are willing to get a little dirt on your hands, then you can save quite a bit of coinage!!! If after reading this article you do not feel like you can safely change your brakes, then bring your vehicle to a repair shop and let a professional do the jo...

How To: Control Running Bamboo

Most bamboo in the United States is running bamboo, because nearly all cold hardy bamboo is the running or invasive type. The tropical bamboos are mostly "clumpers" and stay in a nice, tight clump. Running bamboos spread far and wide and can be very invasive. I grow many kinds of running bamboos and over the past 20 years I've had to learn how to control it's spread.

How To: Snorkel

Why the Love? Every one has a reason for loving something. Mine was that it was the only thing I had. That one sure thing. I loved it because I had nothing, and it cost me nothing. At times I had no idea what was going to happen to me, or where I was going to be. The shore is always there! Rain or shine( the water is always calm beneath the surface), day or night( bring a waterproof flashlight).

How To: Clean an iron with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE

What's the best way to clean an iron? It is inevitable that it will eventually need a good cleaning. Your dress shirts look crisp, but over time your iron might look the worse for wear. This simple technique gets rid of mineral spots on the iron's plate and cleans out caked steam vents. Learn how to clean an iron with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE.

How To: Fold a fitted sheet with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE

Nothing better than crisp, clean, smooth sheets. Yes, folding a fitted sheet may seem like one of life's great mysteries, but this quick method will have you creating a neat and hassle-free fold in no time. Say good-bye to those crinkly, balled-up messes. Soon you will be folding sheets as expertly as a hotel, crisp and clean. Learn how to fold a sheet perfectly with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE.

How To: Play the aluminum foil prank on a coworker

Giving your colleague’s office or cubicle a makeover is a nifty practical joke. You will need aluminum foil and a camera. Cover up the entire surface of the office with foil, wrapping down everything down to pens. Watch this video pranking tutorial and learn how to play an aluminum foil practical joke. Play the aluminum foil prank on a coworker.

How To: Model a knurl in Maya

A knurl refers to one of a series of small ridges or grooves on the surface or edge of a metal object, such as a thumbscrew, to aid in gripping. In this video tutorial you will learn to model a knurl in Maya. Model a knurl in Maya.

How To: Make and use iron-on transfers

This video will teach you how to transform a plain white t-shirt into a one-of-a-kind fashion statement. Show off your own personal style using an iron, a transfer, a hard surface, scissors, and a shirt or jacket of your choice. Make and use iron-on transfers.

How To: Sew a Baby Changing Mat

This all-in-one baby changing mat is cute and convenient! It has two pockets to hold diapers and wipes, and it folds up into a tidy clutch. It features a laminated vinyl surface, so messes are easy to wipe off. It has an elastic closure so you don't have to make a button hole. You can sew it yourself in no time with my easy step-by-step video tutorial.

How To: Create wet maps in Houdini 10

This tutorial looks at how to create a map of the wetness left by a particle fluid, so that you can correctly render surfaces with a wet look. It looks at rendering out a point cloud with wetness information, and creating a bespoke shader to correctly render surface using the point cloud. Whether you're new to Side Effects Software's popular 3D production program or a seasoned graphic artist just interested in better acquainting yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by ...

How To: Unwrap a low-polygon building in Blender 2.5

In this Blender 2.5 video tutorial, you'll see how to begin the process of completely UV unwrapping a low poly, hard-surface building. The tutorial provides tips on how to deal with a large number of replicated objects and unwrapping a multitude of small parts. Part one covers unwrapping part of the side of the building and the fire escape. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout...

How To: Create a rock texture with procedurals in 3ds Max 2010

In this 3D Studio Max tutorial, you'll see how to use procedurals to create a rock texture. Specifically, the guide addresses displacement tuning in Mental Ray, specularity properties and using stacked procedurals to create cracks, rust, and bumpy structures over the surface. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information...

How To: Soften a portrait without selections in Photoshop CS3

In this Photoshop CS3 tutorial you will learn an easy way to soften a portrait. Create the silky soft look of a dreamy photo in a few seconds with the help of Photoshop. No selections needed, but a sneaky channel move makes a quick fix. Remove surface blemishes like acne in a few seconds. This Photoshop trick for softening imgaes is great when in a time jam. Soften a portrait without selections in Photoshop CS3.

How To: Build your own aquifer

Many communities obtain their drinking water from underground sources called aquifers. If a surface water source, such as a river, is not available, water companies will drill wells into the soil and rock to a water source below. Some homes have their own private wells and must tap into the same ground water sources. In this video tutorial, you'll what aquifers are, how they work, why they are important and, of course, how to build your own model! Build your own aquifer.