If you look around your home, there are numerous areas that can be worked on to help you save money and energy. From your tv, to your laptop, to even your sink, it's all around you. You can even find it in your basement. Those water pipes that are exposed underground, are perfect areas of where you can easily save money.
This video tutorial explains how to strip insulated wire the right way. You'll learn how to adjust your wire strippers to make the process easier. Some people don't even use wire strippers, they use a knife or maybe even their teeth, but this causes nicks in the copper. To get the insulation off with ease and without gouges in the copper wire, use the proper sized wire strippers and adjust them right to fit the gauge of your wire. It's as simple as that. You don't need to go to vocational sch...
In this video, viewers will learn how to dress warm for winter and look cute. These video tips allow users to be able to wear skirts,shorts and dresses from the summer. Wear tights underneath and then wear a pair of leggings on top to have 2 layers of insulation. Then wear some high socks with leg warmers over them. Keep the feet warm by wearing high snow boots. To keep your neck and upper body warm, wear a scarf. Make the scarf fashionable by twisting 2 different scarves together. This video...
First, the plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) subfloor floats on a corrugated or “cleated” waterproof underlayment, so the wood never actually touches the floor. The underlayment material can be made of Styrofoam or heavy-duty polyethylene, the same material used in corrugated plastic drain pipe (one of the toughest plastics available). This underlayment creates an air gap above the concrete. Combined with the wooden panels, the air in this space provides a thermal break that acts as insu...
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to seal gaps in houses using DAP foam sealant DAP 3.0 Weather seal caulk. The DAP products are designed to meet the tough standards demanded for professional window & door installations while effectively sealing large cracks, gaps and voids. Users learn to use the foam sealant to seal in gaps from inside the house. The gaps found behind wall trims. The seal caulk is used outside around windows. This video will benefit those users who want to learn how...
In this how-to video, you will learn how to build a wilderness survival shelter. One thing you can do is use a rain poncho, blanket, or piece of plastic and make a water impermeable shelter with a rope like material. These materials could include anything like a cord or dental floss. You can build a debris hut by using a large stick leaning against a tree. Stack many other sticks around this large stick, and then pile up debris such as dirt or leaves to build up walls. Once the structure is b...
Are you doing a graveyard shot and decided it would be cool to throw someone through a tombstone? This video tutorial will show you how to make a breakaway tombstone. It can also be used to make a cool fake graveyard. You will need foam insulation, a tape measure, sand paper, a utility knife, a marker, string, and paint. Watch this video prop-making tutorial and learn how make a breakaway tombstone for your next scary movie.
Get tips on how to make your home more eco-friendly, especially if you plan to renovate it.
The best way to make sure you have the best connections on high voltage-lines is to clean them. Cleaning high-voltage wires with cleaning solvents is the best way to get the job done for a better flow of electricity. This video, produced by Polywater, trains electricians on the proper high-voltage cable cleaning procedures during splicing and termination. Methods are shown to remove different types of shields and compounds from insulation. The "Do's and Don'ts" of abrasion, solvent spraying, ...
Like your significant other, fine wine deserves to be pampered. Unlike your significant other, it prefers a dark, moist, cool place. Here's how to create the perfect environment for your little pointy-headed loved ones.
This how-to video demonstrates how to use a copper wire stripper.
In the video we experiment with several different types of insulation, including paper towels, newspaper and aluminum foil to see which one keeps the heat in the best.
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a paper mache baby elephant. To begin, you will need a pattern, which you can find at Ultimate Paper Mache. There is a grid on the pattern that you can use to expand onto a large piece of particle board. This will give you the entire body for the elephant. After you cut the elephant out of the board, glue and nail it together with spacers in between the body parts. After this, crumple up newspaper and then tape and squish it onto the wood until the muscl...
In order to install Warmups Underfloor heating system, you will need the following: a Warmup Thermostat, a Warmup Kit, RCD, a multimeter, a permanent marker, measuring tape, tape, and scissors.
This video describes how to solder a wire. The first thing you have to remember is that the wires should be cleaned, shiny, and bright. Then trim about 1/2-inch of the insulation of the wires and then make a secure mechanical connection. Next, put some soldering pencil clean and shiny 60/40 rosin core solder. Do not use 50/50 core solder. Start by making sure that the soldering iron is tint. Put the soldering iron underneath the joint. Heat tends to rise and then touch the solder to the joint...
You can very easily replace your normal light switch on the wall with a dimmer switch. The first step is to turn the power off at the circuit breaker. To prevent anyone from accidentally turning the circuit on put a piece of tape over the fuse switch so that it is clear that it is to stay turned off. Remove the screws that hold the switch plate and use a tester to make sure that none of the wires are still live with electricity. Remove the two screws that are holding the switch itself in plac...
Think a project is too difficult? Think again! With Fermacell, you can tackle any fix-it job, and this handy how-to gives a great description.
This is a simple video guide that shows you how to install electric underfloor heating cables. 1. Measure the area to order right heater for the room.
A CNC router machine is probably the most useful tool a hobbyist can own, but the price for a CNC machine on the market is way more than the average hobbyist is willing to spend. You can build your own CNC with very basic tools, little knowledge of machinery, mechanics, or electronics, but be warned, these machines are inherently dangerous, so wear the proper protection and use common sense. At the very least, read the instructions and precautions on every tool you use.
Tim Carter demonstrates how to remove insulated glass panels from either side of a front door. Replacing the sidelights on the front door is possible. Just follow these steps for glass replacement.
Some people hate wallpaper, but some people love it inside their homes. Those that do will eventually have to deal with wallpaper that will lose it's attachment. It will eventually bubble and curl. Curling wallpaper seams ruin the decorative effect of wallpaper. Eliminate the ugly signs of aging wallpaper with these steps.
Learn to move a heavy appliance without injuring yourself: When you move a heavy appliance at your home, you really have to be careful. Not only can you hurt yourself, you hurt the appliance and even the floor.
A lot of my hacks use salvaged parts from an old microwave, with the microwave oven transformer (MOT) being the most useful component.
Believe it or not, an ammo box can still be of use to you once its rounds are gone. You can use it for storage, as a toolbox, or possibly even as a Faraday cage. But if you want to use it as more than just a container, why not turn it into a portable set of speakers that you can take with you anywhere? The ammo can speaker pictured above was made by Instructables user Dustin White. He started with an empty .50 cal box, though you could probably even use thinner 5.56 or 7.62 mm cans. He remove...
Back in 2008, media artist Kyle McDonald created a 3D interface that could track movement, which he turned into a virtual Tic-tac-toe game.
If you plan on installing a skylight in your home, there are some rules that need to be followed. Not following them can lead to something that was poorly put together and can damage the interior of your home. So check out the tutorial for some helpful tips, pay attention, and good luck!
When temperatures drop and hit new lows during the cold, winter months, it's hard not to crank the heat up. That means increased energy bills each month, no matter if you rely on gas, electric, or another fuel for heating.
If things are getting a bit stuffy at your desk, don’t fret. A cool breeze is just a USB slot away. Watch this video to learn how to make a USB fan.
Decades ago, Japan rocked the automobile industry with its revolutionary manufacturing and car quality, but today that title seems to be moving over to Elon Musk's electric car company Tesla. Nevertheless, Japan isn't done innovating mass-produced hardware.
Duct tape is the king of all household items. You can use duct tape for practically anything, like this sweet wallet. But duct tape isn't the only crafty tape out there; masking tape holds its own, too.
There's a lot that goes into making a nice crystal radio set, so this is going to have to be broken down into two parts. The first part is the actual making of a functional radio, and the second part is making the whole arrangement look nice. In this part, I'm actually going to tell you more than just how to make a crystal radio, but I'm also going to explain how and why they work. Crystal radios are pretty Steampunk in and of themselves, since they were first developed in the late 19th centu...
Winter is already here, and when Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, he tends to nip on your wallet, too.
We frequently associate plastics with the modern era, starting at around the 1950s with the prevalence of bakelite. However, for all of you "you can't use plastic in Steampunk" purists out there, I have bad news for you:
This is a great series that shows the step by step process of creating a recording studio from the ground up and how it is soundproofed along the way. You will learn about the insulation used, how rooms are designed and the differences between each room and the acoustics of each.
In this series of how-to videos, home improvement expert Amelia Tallman shows you step-by-step instructions on how to install a new power outlet in a wall of your home. She demonstrates how to strip the existing wires, drill holes and properly install a new box for a new outlet. She also shares tips for improving your home by installing insulation using a blower, which should help you save money on energy costs by maintain temperature. By following the advice and techniques shown in these fre...
In our first part on software-defined radio and signals intelligence, we learned how to set up a radio listening station to find and decode hidden radio signals — just like the hackers who triggered the emergency siren system in Dallas, Texas, probably did. Now that we can hear in the radio spectrum, it's time to explore the possibilities of broadcasting in a radio-connected world.
You know your going to have to sleep outside and you don’t know how to stave off the chill of the night. With the right equipment, some layering techniques and a full belly you be sure to get a good nights sleep even if it’s cold out.
In the past, infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) commonly led to dementia as the virus made its way to the brain. Even in effectively treated people, HIV can hide out and replicate in places like the brain, where it's tough to detect. That's why it's very concerning that half of all HIV-infected patients still report cognitive problems.
If you're anything like me, the urge to bake comes in waves. Winter constitutes an especially large wave; when I need to put on a few extra pounds for insulation, I go a bit carb crazy and take any opportunity to make breads, pies, and cakes.
For some reason, there's only ever one person in a group of friends that has a cooler. Every time there is a hangout or BBQ, that friend is called and has to lug his expensive, huge plastic cooler around for everyone. Not really fair, is it?
