I hope you had a great weekend!

I had a really productive weekend. Most of my waking hours were spent editing the videos of my DIY Shed project.

When I taped the videos, there was no script. I just talked about what I was doing at that point of the job. As I was taping the videos, I felt that I was not giving out enough information. At least that's how it seemed to me.

Now that I'm editing the footage, oh my gosh! I'm happy to report the videos are loaded with tips. For example, I just finished editing the video where I demonstrate how to do the math to determine exactly how high to cut the first wood post that supports the wood floor.

Instead of trying to describe it with words, I made a drawing on cardboard and showed the three critical dimensions and how I got them.

Once you have the first post cut and verify it's correct, the top of that post becomes the benchmark for the other posts! If you then make the tops of all the posts match the height of the first post, then the floor is going to be perfectly level.

I show you the tools to use and how to get the exact height. I also show a super ninja carpenter trick in that video. It's the BEST way to attach a wood beam to a wood column.

Earlier in the day, I edited a video that shows you how to get any foundation or a wall square.

Watch this video. It demonstrates the teaching style you'll see in most of my DIY shed videos. If you take the time to watch this video, you'll understand the basics about how to layout your shed or whatever you're building.

The bottom line is it's really fun editing the DIY shed videos. If you've already purchased all the videos of the shed project, all I can tell you is that you better buy a big ol' bag of popcorn. You're going to need it. There's SO MUCH FOOTAGE.

If you want to purchase all the DIY Shed videos for a low price, you better act NOW. Soon the price for the entire set is going to surpass $100. Even at that price, it's a tremendous deal because there's so much content and there are so many videos.

How much footage you ask? If you remember, I promised you 100 videos of the entire process. I just edited the video showing how to calculate the height of the first wood post that supports the floor. That's video number twenty-six of the series! Can you imagine how many more videos there are? I've not even started to frame the walls yet!

If you've already purchased access to the videos through Kickstarter.com or directly from me, you don't have to do a thing.

I'll be releasing the first 30 or 50 videos very soon so you can start watching them. Please be just a little more patient.

TIP OF THE WEEK - FIXING A RUBBING DOOR

Do you have problems with one or more doors at your home where they rub slightly against the top of the door jamb as you open or close the door?

The problem might be very easy to solve. Often loose screws in the upper hinge cause the door to sag slightly. This is enough to cause the rubbing. Tighten all the screws on all the hinges and see if the rubbing stops.

If your door still rubs, the solution to the problem is slightly more complex. That just might be the subject of an upcoming LIVE online class I'll be teaching.

MAKING ASKTHEBUILDER.COM BETTER FOR YOU

I've got a huge favor to ask you. Take this one-question quiz.

Would you like more:

• Tool Reviews
• New Product Reviews
• Free How-To Guides

If you answered "Yes", then keep reading!

I want to grow AsktheBuilder.com by hiring more people. These extra employees will assist me in getting more of the above high-quality information out to you faster. There's so much I want to share with you, but I just don't have the resources now to hire those with the skills I need.

You can assist right from your home or office. It's so easy, and it won't cost you a penny.

If you do regular online shopping at Amazon.com, would you simply start your shopping trip each time by clicking a link to Amazon.com from my newsletter? Even better, convince your friends, co-workers or relatives to do the same thing.

If you do that, I get a very small commission on anything you buy when you enter Amazon.com using my link. You could even bookmark the special link on your browser to make it easier.

Going to Amazon.com via my link does not increase the price of anything you buy.

Let's work together to take AsktheBuilder.com to the next level. You'll benefit as I get to give you more of what you want. The extra information I produce will save you time and money. That's a fact.

Here's a link right now to a constantly growing list of my favorite tools at Amazon.com. Click the link and then just go find what you were going to buy anyway.

Thank you very much for doing this.

AUSTIN, TX FAN MEET UP!!

I'm going to be in Austin, Texas for the first time of my life in a month. I'm there on business for just 48 hours.

I've arranged my return flight so I can do a fan meet up for breakfast on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. I'd love to meet you!

If you live in Austin, TX and can make a breakfast meeting, reply to this email with AUSTIN MEET UP in the Subject Line. Give me your contact information, and I'll be in touch.

I don't yet know where I'll be staying, so I can't tell you yet where we'll be having breakfast. My guess is I'll be in the core downtown area. I'm open to suggestions for a great place to eat breakfast in Austin.

GENERATOR RECALL SUCCESS!

Over the weekend, I let you know about a generator recall.

Robyn Eller wrote back with some great news. Here's what she said:

"THANKS BIG TIME FOR SENDING THIS OUT!! I forwarded this out to our "neighborhood watch" email list, and my neighbor two doors down emailed me back immediately to say he has this exact generator! There are only about 35 people on the list, so I thought what are the odds!"

This is why I send out these alerts. Hopefully it saved a life or serious injury.

COME SEE ME IN NEW JERSEY

I'll be in northern New Jersey just 33 miles west of New York City tomorrow and Thursday (November 7 & 8, 2012). If you, a relative or a friend needs HELP with questions about damage to their homes caused by Hurricane Sandy, come see me.

You can come see me even if your house was not damaged. I'll be available to answer your questions no matter what's wrong with your home.

I'll be at the Garden State Exhibition Center at 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873. I'll be inside the center on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 from 10 am until 3 pm and on Thursday, November 8th from 10 am until 2 pm. You can find me at Booth 732 in the second aisle near the concession stand. You'll see a Stain Solver banner at the booth.

You can get into the Exhibition Center for FREE if you fill out a simple online form. You MUST do TWO things when you fill out the form at this Attendee Registration page to get the FREE admission.

You MUST click the radio button that says you were invited by an exhibitor. See the red arrow on the left in the above image?

You MUST fill in the words STAIN SOLVER in the box that opens up when you click the Yes radio button. See that large red arrow in the image?

When you show up at the Exhibition Center, they'll ask you if you did this and give you your ticket or badge to come see me. It's not hard to do.

Please go fill out the form now in case you decide to come. It costs nothing but a few minutes of your time to fill out the form NOW.

If you're a new subscriber in the past three days, please understand this is not a normal newsletter. Hurricane Sandy that struck the East Coast of the USA has caused not only tremendous damage, death and hardship, but it's also caused me to publish extra alerts.

GENERATOR RECALL - VERY IMPORTANT!

My friend Steve emailed me overnight to tell me about an immediate recall concerning Champion portable generators. There have been reports of these machines catching on fire during use.

There are TWO models involved: 41332 and 41532

CLICK HERE to read all the facts about this recall.

PLEASE FORWARD this email to all your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. We need to get the word out ASAP to those that own either of these two generators. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

TIM CARTER IN NEW JERSEY NEXT WEEK

I'm going to be in northern New Jersey in a few days just 30 miles west of some of the worst devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. I'll be there for about 30 hours.

I want to help you, any friends, relatives, etc. that live in New Jersey, New York City or surrounding areas. If you or they were harmed by Hurricane Sandy, come meet with me to see what advice I can offer to assist in the repair and rebuilding of your/their homes.

You or your relatives or friends can come visit me and ask ANY questions about how to mitigate damage to their homes or apartments. I'll answer questions about how to repair damage. I'll answer questions about how to get prepared for a disaster.

If your house was not damaged, I'll still answer your questions. Just come to visit.

I'll be at the Garden State Exhibition Center at 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873. I'll be inside the center on Wednesday November 7, 2012 from 10 am until 3 pm. I'll be there on Thursday November 8th from 10 am until 2 pm. You can find me at booth 732 in the second aisle near the concession stand. You'll see a Stain Solver banner at the booth.

You can get into the Exhibition Center for FREE if you fill out a simple online form. You MUST do TWO things when you fill out the form at this Attendee Registration page to get the FREE admission.

You MUST click the radio button that says you were invited by an exhibitor. See the red arrow on the left in the above image?

You MUST fill in the words STAIN SOLVER in the box that opens up when you click the Yes radio button. See that large red arrow in the image?

When you show up at the Exhibition Center, they'll ask you if you did this and give you your ticket or badge to come see me. It's not hard to do.

Please go fill out the form now in case you decide to come. It costs nothing but a few minutes of your time to fill out the form NOW.

GET PREPARED CLASSES

After sending last week's newsletter, I was stunned. You may be one of the *thousands* that responded. I was deeply humbled by your kind words and sentiments. It was simply impossible for me to respond to every email.

Before I hit the SEND button that causes the newsletter to get to you, I actually thought, "This going to be a DUD newsletter. I'll get a boatload of complaints from subscribers that don't care about the hurricane, weren't affected, and just want home improvement information."

The exact opposite happened.

Hundreds and hundreds want me to do the Get Prepared classes. Many want me to do the classes about how to read topo maps.

Amid all the other work I've got going on, I'm preparing to do them. So WATCH for an announcement about all the classes. If you can't attend the LIVE online classes, I'll be taping them so you can get access when it's convenient for you.

Since the Hurricane, I've been hypersensitive to the news. I've been collecting headlines and links to articles and videos that backup exactly what I warned about last week when I sent my first alert about Hurricane Sandy.

Each day, I see horrific photos and videos about the damage.

Each day, even this morning four days later, I hear about people still being found dead from the storm. It doesn't surprise me after taking the CERT training. There are thousands and thousands of houses to search.

Watch this video I just found online this morning. It's raw footage, but often that's the BEST. You can see the mayhem, the frustration, the desperation and the anger. You'll also see a top government official giving citizens lip service.

Tell me if you might be the next Rose Sokolow. You'll see this woman first in the video. Listen closely to what she's saying as she's holding back her tears. Will that be you or someone you love next time?

Listen very closely to what Anthony Fratto says. Go back and listen to his comments twice. I'm serious. Listen to what he says.

Then you'll see a clip of a press conference held just east of where I'll be. Oh how I wish I could have been at that press conference as a member of the press.

You may not know this, but I am a member of the working press. My syndicated newspaper column, Ask the Builder, still runs in sixty newspapers nationwide.

Had I been at the press conference, I would have said the following and asked two questions:

"Ms. Napolitano, you and your team had five days advance notice that Hurricane Sandy was going to strike the East Coast above North Carolina. It's about a 4.5 hour drive from Washington DC to New York City.

It's been many, many hours since the storm made landfall. Moments ago you said, ' .... we want to make sure the right resources are brought here as quickly as possible.'

I have a two-part question for you Ms. Napolitano: Your job is to know ahead of time exactly what resources will be needed for each natural disaster scenario. You knew it would be a hurricane, and you should know ahead of time what's needed after those events. Why weren't those resources identified last week before the storm?

My second question is: Since you had over a week's notice that the storm was going to hit, why weren't the resources and assets mobilized before the storm, move to safe zones close to the predicted damage areas and then put in place at the damaged areas on Tuesday afternoon once the storm subsided and it was safe to travel on the roads?"

Assuming you're not a victim of Hurricane Sandy and assuming you don't live under a rock, you're seeing the same things I'm seeing from the safety and warmth of our homes. Next time it could be you, me, or my family out in the cold looking through plastic bags of donated clothes.

Actually, I'm getting prepared so I never ever have to do that. You can too. You can be prepared so you're not a Rose or Anthony. You can get prepared so you don't care what the folks from FEMA or Homeland Security are saying at press conferences. Why? You'll not need what they'll bring you at some point in time days or weeks after you need it.

The bottom line is that hundreds of thousands of people in the affected areas are having to survive on their own. The truth is the government is not equipped to handle situations like this. The evidence is blaring at all of us in the news right now.

If local, state and Federal government agencies COULD deal with all of this, there would be none of the video footage you just watched. All the victims would be already taken care of and housed in temporary shelters, tents, trailers, etc.

That was the spirit of my warning in my Special Alerts. The government will either be overwhelmed or too slow. You need to know how to fend for yourself.

Here's the good news.

The Get Prepared classes I'm going to teach are going to show you:

• How to Prepare for Disasters to Minimize Damage to You and Your Possessions
• What to Do During the Disaster
• What to Do After the Disaster
• How to Survive Without the Need of Local, State or Federal Government Workers

I'm working on these classes now in between all my other work.

Stay tuned and STAY SAFE.

I HOPE to see you next Wednesday or Thursday in New Jersey. Come see me if I can HELP you or a friend.

Remember, Do It Right, NOT Over.

Kathy and I made it back to New Hampshire safely on Monday. I want to thank you for your good wishes and your concern for our safety.

I'm really glad we made the decision to cut our visit short and drive home early. We walked over the threshold about an hour before the wind started to pick up here. The highest wind gust here at our house was 28 mph about 8 pm on Monday night.

Suffice it to say we were lucky here at our house. It could have been so much worse. Citizens and rescuers died along the East Coast. As the television and Internet reports are showing, many have suffered catastrophic damage to their houses and possessions.

Hurricane Sandy was everything, and more, the experts predicted it would be.

While the storm is still fresh in all our minds, I suggest we use this as a valuable teaching moment.

Taking Heat

None of what I'm about to say below is to be taken as "I told you so" or as being smug.

I already know that what I'm going to say will offend a few. How do I know that? I got two blistering emails from John and Mark in the past few days. They were highly upset about my remarks about how first responders would not be there to help you if you needed them.

Sadly, it happened. The first responders along the coast of New Jersey were totally overwhelmed. They couldn't deal with all the emergencies. Heck, in some cases the first responders couldn't even get equipment to where it was needed. Roads are gone, areas are flooded, etc. That's what I was referring to in my Special Alert emails over the weekend.

If you know someone who was affected directly by Hurricane Sandy and you were not, then this should be an invaluable newsletter for you. Why? Because next time it could be you or your loved ones. This time you and I dodged the bullet.

The rest of this newsletter is devoted to the take-aways from Hurricane Sandy. Sandy was a natural disaster. They come in many forms.

Some come with no warning at all, earthquakes are an example. Others come with little warning, say a tornado, flash flood or a forest fire. But storms like Sandy bellow they'll be coming days in advance.

Listen and React

Go back to 1938 and try to imagine being on Long Island wondering why all of a sudden the wind was starting to pick up. Twelve hours later, a monster storm is upon you, and it's simply too late to get away.

Fast forward to today. We have satellite imagery, buoys in the ocean that transmit data, airplanes loaded with instruments that fly straight into the fierce storms and computer programs that accurately analyze all the data gathered above.

We have instant communications between ourselves. We knew days in advance that Sandy could, then WOULD, strike somewhere along the East Coast.

Yet thousands of people in harms way still did not heed the warnings.

Why? What is it about people that they feel immune from Mother Nature? Is that going to be you next time?

Are you a subscriber to this newsletter that got flooded? Did you not react? I'd love to know why and get a better understanding of this.

Countless Stories

I saw on Facebook yesterday a plea from a friend to help some friends of his who suffered from storm surge. They live in Broad Channel, NY. The oily, grimy water ruined all their possessions in their one-story house.

I had instant empathy for these people. But I said out loud sitting right here at my desk, "Why didn't they move their important possessions to higher ground? It would have taken one day and a few friends to move things to an offsite storage facility." Yes, it would be work, but they knew it was coming. The forecasters were warning people in New York City that things were going to get ugly.

The experts said there was going to be a storm surge. The early predictions were for 8 feet in their area. I know as I saw it on all the TV stations. The Weather Channel was pleading with people in this area to get prepared.

As the storm got closer to land, the storm surge prediction was revised to 11 feet.

Did these people not know the actual vertical distance between the ocean and their first floor? They had to. Just look at where they live.

Did you know this information is available for free online? Did you know you can get access to simple topographic maps that are easy to read? These maps show you what the elevation is of your house. They show the elevation of surrounding bodies of water, rivers, etc.

Did these people not know that the worst possible place to be in a hurricane is northeast of the eye of the storm? Did you know that?

Maybe I need to do a 30-minute class on PowHow about topographic maps, how to read them and how to interpret them so you know how to be safe at your home. Do you want me to teach that class? If so reply to this email and say so.

Do you want me to teach other classes about how to prepare? If so, speak up.

Getting Prepared

I'm hoping that when you see on television all the devastation and pain caused by Hurricane Sandy, you take a moment and imagine it's your house. It absolutely can happen. Just talk to my very good friend Bill who lives in New Orleans. Katrina paid him and millions a visit just seven years ago or so. It's still fresh in their minds, believe me.

I toured New Orleans eighteen months after Katrina roared through the region. I went to where the eye of Katrina made landfall. Eighteen months after the hurricane, there was still nothing there but bare foundation slabs and trees with trunks 30 inches in diameter snapped off 20 feet in the air like they were toothpicks.

Here are some photos I took. Remember, these were taken about eighteen months after that horrible hurricane.

If you're a new subscriber to this newsletter, five weeks ago, I announced I was taking CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) training. It's been eye opening. I thought I was prepared for minor events and major disasters. I'm here to tell you I'm NOT prepared, but each day I'm MORE prepared.

I URGE you to sign up and take the CERT classes. You'll not regret it. Go to the CERT website and find the closest CERT team near you. You don't have to become a CERT volunteer - just take the classes!

Having a Plan

Just before the storm hit, on Facebook one or two of my subscribers reached out to me. Their message was the same. They were FROZEN with fear. They didn't know what to do.

Fear overcame them because they didn't have a plan. The heat of the moment was upon them, and they were caught by surprise.

It's time for you to have a plan. Here's how you start.

These are just a few of the questions you need to answer to create a preplan that will guide you when disaster appears in your life:

• Where will you go?
• What will you take with you?
• What time of year is it?
• How long might you be gone?
• What can be replaced with an insurance check?
• What can be left behind?
• What are the most important things in your life that can fit into your car or truck within an hour?
• Do you keep cash around the house? In a disaster, ATM machines might not work or will be empty because you got there too late.
• Do you have enough food and water to last you three days? A week?
• What about your pets?
• Do you keep your cars and trucks gassed up?
• Could you get in your car and drive without stopping for four hours if you had to get away?

I could go on and on with questions, but you get the point.

I beg you to start making a plan.

Perhaps I'll create a planning checklist for you based on what I'm learning at my CERT classes. Yeah, I'll do that just after I get the DIY Shed Videos edited. I started on them yesterday. They're coming along great!

Do you want me to teach a class about Getting Prepared on PowHow? If so, speak up.

I'll have a regular newsletter for you next Tuesday. It'll have two reviews in it for tools I just got.

Kathy and I heard you yesterday. We're taking your advice.

I've only got a few minutes here. You may be happy to know I'm leaving a day early to get back to New Hampshire. Even still, when Kathy and I awake tomorrow morning in Albany, NY, the winds and rain could be fierce as we try to make the final sprint across MA to NH.

I got some great tips from others. If you're going to be impacted by Hurricane Sandy, take photos now of everything in your home. Photograph every wall, all your furniture, your garage, your basement, open drawers, take photos of the inside of closets, etc. You want a photo record of everything you have.

Don't be frozen with fear. Get moving now. Forget about material possessions that can be replaced. At the end of the day, they mean little.

Focus on things that can't be replaced. You know what those are.

I need to scoot. I'll be on the road in less than an hour.

If you're on Facebook can you do many a favor? Please got to the AsktheBuilder.com Facebook page and Share the Special Alert I sent you yesterday. Cindi emailed me asking me to put that email up on Facebook. I did it an hour ago. SHARE it if you can so others may benefit from tips there that they've not heard before.

I'll try to communicate with you on Tuesday, but I may not be able to. My Internet could be down or I'll be out helping others. I've already been activated by my local ham radio ARES group. We're at a Level 2 planning to be at Level 4 by the time I get back to NH at 3 pm tomorrow.

I could be out on the radio helping others at shelters for days so I'll be unable to get out the next newsletter.

Thanks for anything you can do to help others.

If you're a new subscriber in the past three days, this is NOT a typical newsletter. This is a Special Alert newsletter to help you.

This alert is primarily for all of those that live on the East Coast of the USA north of North Carolina. If you don't live there, you may have friends or relatives who do that may benefit from some of the following tips. FORWARD this email to them.

Now is the Time to Act

Believe it or not, I'm not in New Hampshire as I write this. I'm in Cincinnati, OH for a brief time visiting with my father-in-law. I'll be driving back to New Hampshire on Monday - right into the gaping maw of Sandy.

I've been getting a flood of emails from subscribers like you asking me what they can do to help their houses survive. Well, look into the history books about the famous Long Island Express hurricane of 1938 and it can be overwhelming as to what to do. It laid waste to New Hampshire and other parts of New England.

Five weeks ago, I started taking CERT training. You need to know this right now:

If Tropical Storm Sandy turns out to be like what the forecast is saying, you will NOT get help from your fire or police department.

READ THAT AGAIN. You will NOT get help. They don't have enough resources and they will be charged with saving the MOST VALUABLE things in your community. Your house, you and your family are the LEAST VALUABLE things in the community as far as they're concerned.

Here's the truth in my own town. The area around my house in New Hampshire (say a radius of 15 miles) has maybe 500 firefighters and perhaps 100 total fire trucks. Yet perhaps 25,000 people live in that same circle. If just 10 percent need help they will be overwhelmed. Get it? Do the math in YOUR town.

Don't take any of the above personally. Just understand you could be on your own for days or weeks. It's not that the professionals don't want to help you, they may not be able to help you.

Insurance:

CALL your insurance agent RIGHT NOW and get the skinny on whether or not you're covered. You may THINK you're covered for water damage, but you might not be. You may only be covered for water damage IF the water is brought into your home by the wind.

I'm NOT an insurance expert. At the very least, get out your policy NOW and read it. If you don't have flood insurance, see if that rider can be added this weekend.

Trees:

Gather things of value now that could be hurt by water, wind or trees crashing down onto your home. Get valuable away from windows or glass doors.

Park your cars and vehicles away from trees that could fall on them. Park AWAY from where water can rise and flood the car.

Basements - Crawlspaces:

Get anything of value up off the floor now. Get it to high ground. About ten years ago, friends of mine who lived on what they thought was high ground had their basement completely fill with water in about 20 minutes during a fierce thunderstorm.

The side of their yard all of a sudden became a small river with water running 1-foot deep. The water came up against their foundation and BROKE a flimsy basement window. Water POURED through this window and filled the basement.

Other friends of mine had their cottages wiped out by Tropical Storm Irene last August. They had about 8 hours of warning to prepare. It was not enough time for them.

You have at least two days. GET WORKING NOW to move things to high ground and where you know water will not reach.

Can water flood your basement or house? If so, react now.

Electricity:

You could be out of electricity for days. Your sump pump will not work. Gas stations may not be able to pump gas.

Get your car/truck filled with gas now. Have enough gasoline to operate chain saws / generators / pumps, etc. on hand now.

After the storm there WILL BE GIANT LINES of people trying to get gas from the FEW stations that MIGHT BE OPEN. GET YOUR GASOLINE NOW.

What can you do now to survive that? Flashlights, batteries, etc. I'm sure it's possibly too late. The stores could be sold out by now.

Generators:

Be SURE you know how they work and don't use one in an enclosed space. Carbon monoxide from generators KILLS people all the time.

Wind:

Think now about what you will / can do if the wind blows out windows or doors. What about wind-driven rain leakage? How will you deal with it?

Is anything of value outside that can be blown away?

Do you need to clean out gutters now to handle the heavy rain?

You should have gotten those fantastic gutter guards I talked about two weeks ago. Too late now, but you can get them to be ready for the NEXT storm.

Water will leak through brick walls and chimneys. I've written extensively about wind-driven rain, brick walls and mortar joints. It's TOO LATE to prepare now for that. Just understand water can pour through brick walls.

Wind can topple brick chimneys. If it does, where will it fall on your house? Stay away from that part of the house during the storm.

Friends and Neighbors:

Now is the time to assess what the combined resources are of you and your neighbors. You're going to have to possibly RELY on each other for a while. Who has what tools? How can you work together?

That argument about the fence, bushes, etc. seems pretty petty now doesn't it? It's times like this where you wish you bent over backwards to be a great neighbor.

If you get into trouble, you better hope that your neighbors will have the right attitude to help you.

Common Sense:

It's time for you to use common sense and start to prioritize what you're going to do.

What can you do now? What will you do during the storm and what will you do AFTER the storm if no help comes?

Get a plan together now.

Wish me luck driving across I-90 from Cincinnati, OH to NH. I'll be making my way past Buffalo, NY Monday about 7 pm or so. I'm trying to get to Utica, NY by 9 pm.

If you have other great tips to share BEFORE the storm that I missed, get them to me. I'll create a bullet point list and send it out later today or tomorrow.

This information was shared about in October 2015 when Hurricane Joaquin was about to make landfall.

CLICK HERE to read my November 3, 2012 Newsletter answering many emails that I received after sending out this Newsletter.

Lots of exciting stuff is happening here at AsktheBuilder.com. For one, the DIY shed project has come to a close! More on that below. If you're one that purchased the videos, read the announcement below.

As the weather turns colder and I'll be spending more time indoors, I'm embarking on a new project that's sure to get your attention. Soon you'll be able to watch in-depth teaching videos. I've been waiting for a few years for all the elements to do this to come into alignment. The great news is that technology has advanced to a point where this can be done somewhat easily and cost effectively.

Here's an example. Would you like to attend a live online class - or watch a taped version of the class - where I show you how to:

• solder a copper pipe
• make PEX pipe fittings
• cut a straight line with a circular saw
• patch a small hole in drywall use a coping saw
• cut ceramic tile with different tools
• cut in a straight line with a paintbrush and NO tape

I think you get the picture. There are HUNDREDS of things you probably want me to show you. Keep in mind I'm talking about something I could demonstrate in 15 or 30 minutes. What do you want me to show you? REPLY to this email and tell me. Change the Subject to: Video Classes. I'll put it on the list!

P.S. Remember, your idea for a class needs to be something I can show you in 30 minutes or less. In other words, don't tell me you need me to show you how to remodel your kitchen. I can't do that in 30 minutes. :->>>

Tip of the Week - Using the Right Saw

I think you'll enjoy this story about a young carpenter.

One day this fledgling carpenter had to make a rectangular hole in the center of a very expensive Douglas Fir exterior front door. The hole was for a mail slot. A fancy brass frame covered the hole on both sides of the door. The hole needed to be about 12 inches long by about 2 inches high.

The door was 1 and three-quarters-inch thick. This carpenter thought the best tool to use for this job was a jigsaw. He thought this because the hole was pretty small and it seemed impossible to cut the small 2-inch legs of the hole with any other tool.

The young lad carefully drilled three-eighths-inch pilot holes at each corner of the rectangle for the jigsaw blade. He plugged in the saw and started to cut being sure to keep the blade on the pencil line.

He completed the cut and the hole looked perfect - at least from the side of the door that was facing up. He made the cut while the door was resting flat on saw horses.

The rookie carpenter picked up the door, carried it to the frame and began to install it. Shock came to his face when he looked at the other side of the door.

The cutout hole was grotesque and much larger than the perfect rectangle that he saw on the other side. Fortunately for him the brass hardware frame just barely covered the gaping hole.

What the inexperienced carpenter didn't realize is the jigsaw blade would tilt when cutting through thick material. The blade wasn't rigid enough to stay oriented at a 90-degree angle as it cut through the thick, dense wood.

That wet-behind-the-ears carpenter was me many years ago.

Ever since that day, I've used the right saw for the job. In retrospect, I should have used a circular saw to carefully cut the long legs of the rectangle. A router, making several passes at several depths, could have been used to cut the small 2-inch legs.

The bottom line is that you need to know the limitations of the saws and other tools you use. Match them up accordingly with the task at hand.

Bosch Clutter Contest - You MUST Look at the Current Clutter Photos!

I don't know about you, but money is tight right now. Wouldn't you like to win $1,000 worth of Bosch loot? I know I would, but I'm not eligible because I'm a member of the media.

Bosch is promoting a fantastic line of new storage boxes. They're call the L-Boxx. I've owned all sorts of tool boxes and bags over the years, but I have to tell you that these new L-Boxxes are some of the most practical storage boxes I've ever seen.

But let's get back to the contest. All you have to do is take two or three photos of your messy garage storage shelves, your firetrap basement workshop, your packed-solid work shed, or the garbage dump you call the back of your work van or pickup truck. You get the point.

You then upload these photos to the Bosch website - very easy to do - and then just write up a description of the chaos that exists around your tools.

I know what you're thinking, "Tim, I've entered lots of contests but I NEVER win. This will be another WASTE of time." Hah! You're wrong!

You have a fantastic chance of winning. I know because I've seen the other entries!!! Go look for yourself. I'll bet you that you've got a MUCH BIGGER mess and you can win!

Go now to the Bosch Take-Back-Your-Day Contest page and look at all the entries at the bottom of the page. Do this BEFORE you take your photos. You'll get inspiration looking through the entries. I'm sure your workspace is worthy of a win!

Do you know someone with a messy workspace? FORWARD this email to them and get them to enter!

DIY Shed Video Update

If you purchased either through Kickstarter or directly from me the complete video set of my DIY Shed Project, you'll be happy to hear that I'm starting on the editing process now.

If you've not purchased them yet, go here to get them.

Two things delayed this process. A little over three weeks ago I received the bad news that my very close friend Mike was at death's door. That caused a major disruption in my life right when I was trying to tape the last videos. I finally taped the last videos this past Saturday.

Just after hearing about Mike's terminal condition, my iMac hard drive crashed. It took about five days to get it back from the Apple store. But just after getting it back, I had to leave town to attend Mike's memorial service.

I know, you're sick of excuses. But it's the truth. The good news is that you're going to get far more than you bargained for. Originally I was to give you 100 videos. I've far surpassed that. I have no idea how many videos I have, but just the set about building the stairs is nearly 25 in-depth videos!

I'll be releasing access to the videos as I edit them. This will allow you to get started on your shed project. I'll start at the beginning and work forward for you.

Stain Solver FLASH SALE

Here's a quick Stain Solver sale for you. Our second-most popular size is on sale.

The 4.5-pound, our second-most popular SKU, size is now 10 percent off with FREE SHIPPING too. There are only 300 of these at this sale price. When they are gone, the price jumps back up to the regular price. Hurry, these will sell out FAST.

Makita Job Site Radio Review

I reviewed a very nice job site radio. Go here to watch the video review.

Do You Want Me to CALL You?

Do you have a problem at your house? Maybe you need coaching about how to do something.

For years I've had a product at my shopping cart where I can help you for just 15 minutes. I've helped hundreds of people over the years.

Well, I've put this item on sale. It's now 60 percent OFF! CLICK HERE to get this fantastic price.

I've NEVER BEFORE offered this kind of huge discount on this product. It's insane on my part because of the time commitment. But I feel that in these tough economic times, you may need help over the phone.

Only 200 people will get it for this price. You can buy multiple units of the 15 minutes if you want.

For example, if you feel you need to talk for an hour, then purchase four of the 15-Minute segments. You get the point.

It's going to be on a first-buy first-called-back basis. If you need to talk to me SOON, you better pull the trigger on this sale right now.

If you live somewhere else other than the USA, you'll have to have Skype installed to do this. I can't afford - at the sale price - to make international calls on my regular phone.