Author: Gardenfork Added: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:55:00 -0800Duration: 517 Do you need to replace a circuit breaker in your fuse box? Want to watch Eric get near electricity? Want to learn how to work with electrical panels? No need to watch This Old House, HGTV, or the DIY channel, watch Gardenfork. Then visit http://www.green-house.tv and joinn the discussion! Distributed by Tubemogul. Less

Muralist, photographer, painter, music video creator... Maya Hayuk prefers to simply call herself an artist, because under that moniker she has the freedom to work in whatever medium she wants at any given time. Maya has painted murals around the world, and her work has been featured in magazines, album covers and ads campaigns. Her improvised style and bright colors seem to be part of a new resurgence in psych-folk art that is pinned to a higher consciousness. Etsian Tara Young met with Maya first in her Brooklyn studio and then in Braddock, PA to talk about Ukrainian crafts, drippy paintings and working to revitalize depressed communities. Less

The Handyguys provide an introduction to DIY home security, surveillance and automation. The Handyguys give an overview of these technologies in this episode. We may dedicate a show to each of these topics later in the year. If you have any specific products you would like discussed or have any questions on DIY home automation, home security or surveillance please contact us. We want to deter the creepy looking creeps from invading our personal space and of through a cool DIY project. First off - The Handyguys discuss DIY home security There are two primary methods of doing DIY home security; wired and wireless. A wired system consists of hard wired sensors on doors, windows, smoke detectors, motion detectors, CO2 detectors, etc. Those wires come back to a main panel. When an alarm is tripped it can notify a central monitoring service, your cell phone, email and/or sound an alarm. The main advantage of a wired system is that it is reliable and requires no batteries. A wireless system is much easier to install and the prices are coming down yet they can be more expensive than wired systems. Complete packages are available from many different companies. Handyguy Paul is looking into Home Security Store as one possible vendor. One wireless system that looks easy to install is the InGrid system plus they have central station monitoring and a cool web interface. We may discuss InGrid in detail on a future episode. The Handyguys then discuss home surveillance Home surveillance systems are a network of cameras. Two types the overt and covert. The covert systems are virtually invisible with cameras in things like clocks or teddy bears. The overt system is what Handyguy Paul is more interested in, an obvious camera hooked up to a digital recorder. They are motion activated. Such a system can act as a deterrent and can also be used in identification of criminals and assist prosecution.  One kit is from wylife.com The Handyguys Podcast is looking forward to discussing the wylife.com solution in a future episode. If our listeners have a favorite DIY home surveillance system they want us to look into for our episode on home surveillance please let us know. Lastly The Handyguys discuss home automation How does home automation fit with home security and home automation? Home automation can traditionally do things like turn on and off lights, control HVAC, etc. Some home automation systems can interface with home security systems. The Handyguys ideally want to find an all in one system that can handle home automation, security and surveillance in one easy to use DIY package. One possible place to get everything needed may be smarthome.com Do any of our listeners have any other suggestions? Let us know. Less

Author: RealWorldGreen Added: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:54:16 -0800Duration: 126 Here is a great tip from Eric for a very easy way to improve the gas mileage of your car. Check out Real World Green and then visit our viewer forum for more great videos. www.green-house.tv Distributed by Tubemogul. Less

Author: Gardenfork Added: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:54:16 -0800Duration: 404 Eric bakes a Screwball Cake, sometimes called Wacky Cake, or Crazy Cake. Whatever Alton Brown or Christopher Kimball from Cook's Magazine calls it, grab your apron and a spatula (or fork) and watch Eric try his hand at baking his childhood memory. Distributed by Tubemogul. Less

Can't see the video? Watch this video now in a browser or download this video now. BBtv guest teen haxxor correspondent 5t311a teaches us how to do guerilla t-shirt silkscreening, as described in Cory Doctorow's novel Little Brother , and as detailed in a recent series of Instructables posts. (Thanks, Charis Tobias!) Less

Learn how to make a knitted swatch of fabric, attach it to cardboard and send it in the mail! http://knitknit.etsy.com takes us through the process in another Etsy Labs Howto Less

The Handyguys, Brian and Paul, first take a question from our call in line regarding repair of rotted porch posts. We then move into a Head to Head tool challenge to test out jigsaws and then wrap up with a new segment Buy, Borrow or Rent. We also discuss tool borrowing Etiquette. Listener Questions First off, the Handyguys answer a good question from one of our listeners regarding the repair of some porch posts. Our caller listened to our episode regarding using Bondo to repair rotted wood.  His posts were too far gone for repair so The Handyguys recommend replacing the posts. Listen to the Podcast to hear the question and Brian and Paul’s response. Brian and Paul provide some good information to help you evaluate how to go about such a repair. Head to Head Tool Challenge The Handyguys then move to the garage to test out two jigsaws.  Their tests pit a cheap jigsaw against a finely tuned cutting machine. The Handyguys devised three different tests: cutting a curved line in 1/2″ plywood, cutting 4″ circle in 5/4 cedar and cutting a piece of 2x pressure treated southern yellow pine. The cut in the pressure treated lumber might be similar to creating an interesting detail on the end of a rafter for a pergola. The tests were done with similar toothed blades in the same condition. The Bosch jigsaw handled all cuts without breaking a sweat. The Skill jigsaw could not even finish the cut in the pressure treated 2x material. The finished cut of the pressure treated material, using the Bosch, was square to the face of the board; a key indicator of a quality jigsaw. The Skill was almost uncontrollable in the thinner softer material and did not create a clean cut. Buy, borrow, rent or steal The Handyguys discuss the merits of renting versus borrowing versus buying tools. Being tool junkies, the Handyguys usually prefer to own their own tools but renting or borrowing makes sense if it is a one-time-use tool. What about borrowing? The Handyguys will lend certain tools to people and are not afraid to borrow tools either. Listen to their take on Borrowing etiquette. Oh, and you cant borrow Brian’s chainsaw but he will be glad to help you with some cutting tasks. Remember, its not too late to enter the drawing for our EcoGlue and tool bag giveaway. The winner will be drawn and announced August 7th. To enter the drawing just subscribe to our email announcement of new shows. More details can be found in our Episode 25 show on glues. Less

Erin aka ErinHaldrup works on the Support Team and was one of the first Etsy employees after Matt and Emily joined the founders. She hails from Indiana originally and went to painting school here in New York City. Less

Mary Helt and Chris Sittel of maryink met at a party in Nashville when they were home visiting their families. At the time Mary was living in NYC working as a photographer's stylist and Chris was living in Florida working at a silk screen studio. After a few years of tee shirt parties and projects the two packed up and moved back to Nashville to start their original silk-screen design clothing company maryink. Check out the rest of Etsy's Handmade Portraits series at Etsy.com Less

Can You Sell Your Home In a Downturn Market?  The Handyguys Say “Yes”! This show is sponsored by www.basementsystems.com First off, Brian and Paul discuss the Wall Street Journal article entitled “Will Upgrading Your Home Help You Sell It?” The Handyguys agree with the author,  M.P. McQueen, that a big ticket upgrade will not pay for itself when re-selling your house. If you want to add on or upgrade your home, and you can afford it, then go for it. If you want to DIY the upgrade you may be able to re-coup your costs if the upgrade is done well. There may be a possible benefit to an upgrade that is indirectly related to costs and that is time on market. If you have a finished basement, for example, and none of the other similar homes in a particular market have that, then your house may sell first or be more attractive to buyers as long as its priced similarly. The Handyguys also discuss the negative impact of a bad remodel. When the housing market was hot many buyers overlooked bad renovations. In today’s market buyers can take longer to make up their minds and be more discerning. A poorly executed remodel will turn away buyers so make sure your remodel is up to snuff. Remember, you can always ask The Handyguys if you need any help. It is certainly no fun trying to sell your home in a buyers market.  In some areas of the country there are dozens of homes for sale on every block .   To be sure, you won’t fetch the price you would have received a couple of years ago.  And you may be better off not selling at all if you can help it.  However, if you need to sell now, here are some tips.  Curb Appeal Pictures compliments of Triton Builders The Handyguys recommend doing everything you can to make your house stand out form the minute potential buyers step out of their car.  Clean up your landscape.  Remove that broken down old car on cinder blocks.  Tear old old, overgrown shrubs.  Scrape off pealing paint and repaint.  Make sure siding is clean using a power sprayer.  Update outdoor light fixtures.  Repair any rotted wood.  Get your lawn looking good. Do anything you can to make your house more presentable. Declutter the Inside Pictures compliments of One Bag Nation In addition to cleaning the inside of your house, make sure that you declutter.  Kitchen counters should be clear of everything.  Closets should be clean and free of junk.  If your closets are stuffed with clothing, remove at least a third and store elsewhere.  Remove or reposition furniture to make the house look more spacious. Update fixtures Improving light fixtures and plumbing fixtures can help your presentation. No last minute Cheap Improvements A downturn market is not a time for updating your kitchen with the cheapest cabinets possible.  It is not a time for shoddy work either.  In this market, buyers are taking their time, looking over houses.  They will not overlook bad products or shoddy work that was done at the last minute to try to make a house look more presentable. Correct any structural problems, including leaky basements or cracked foundations. You don’t want to scare off potential home-buyers with a house that could cause them headaches.  Correct the irritating problems caused by leaky basements.  Be sure that your structure is solid.  Many potential homeowners are willing to make the cosmetic changes in a new home but they do not want to deal with major issues to the foundation. These are just a few areas to address.  Listen to our podcast for more information. Time running out on the eclectic products wood glue and tool bag giveaway.  See Episode #25 for details. Less

Etsy's accountant Sinohe Terrero, aka sinoheterrero, balances our books and runs a tight ship over here at the Etsy offices in Brooklyn, NY. He's a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and loves spreadsheets. Etsy Profiles is a series of cardboard box confessionals of Etsy admin. Etsy is interested in getting to know all of you Etsians out there as well! Shoot your own video profile telling us who you are, where you live and what you make. Show us something that you've made and don't forget to include a ten second dance break! Upload your video, tag it Etsy and profile and we will put a link to your video on the Storque! Less

Can't see the video? Today on Boing Boing tv, Xeni and Pesco dive deeper into the magical chocolate factory founded by a NASA software developer. In this installment of BBtv's 3-part series on TCHO Chocolate, we learn more about the hacked-together, home-tinkered machines and high-tech wizardry that keep the factory running. The philosophy is "scrappy, not crappy," as founder Timothy Childs explains. TCHO's R&D lab contains such diverse components as Space Shuttle tape, a modded RONCO turkey oven, stone grinders used in Indian restaurants, and deconstructed space heater parts from the local hardware store. Next, we zoom in to the molecular-level science behind this most delicious confection. Science buffs, rejoice! This episode is as fun for your eyes and brain as the "obsessively good" chocolate is for your mouth -- Polymorph fun for the whole family. Warning: this episode is NSFC (not safe for chocoholics). Previously on Boing Boing tv:* TCHO, part 1: chocolate origins. Related: read a feature about TCHO by David Pescovitz in the current issue of MAKE Magazine, Timothy and the Chocolate Factory . Here are some iPhone snapshots from Xeni on Flickr: TCHO, Boing Boing tv. (Special thanks to Amy Critchett, and Wayne & Breanna) Less

With out any models to guide her, this self taught fashion designer went from selling her handmade dresses in her front yard to owning three stores across the US and a successful clothing label. As part of Etsy's Handmade Portrait series, Wendy Mullin of Built by Wendy took time out to talk with us about how she's built her business from scratch. Her sense of style and process are rooted in making garments by hand, and although she's not an Etsy seller, Wendy's beginnings were similar to many handmade clothing makers starting their own businesses. Her passion, hard work and drive got her where she is today. Less

Dare to be a sharp dressed handyguy! Those old jeans have got to go. They always get holes in the knees and you end up wearing them out on those tough handyguy jobs. Consider becoming a sharp dressed and smart dressed handyguy with the proper handyguy attire. You probably thought you could just grab the oldest clothes in your wardrobe (and you can) but your knees are too important to be left unprotected. Those old jeans always wear out on the more rugged jobs. Every handyguy knows how jeans get holes in the knees as soon as you get down and dirty working on your home. Before you know it, you don’t have a decent pair of jeans to wear to church social events! Replace those jeans with Carhartt Canvas work pants . These pants protect your legs and keep you cool using a 7.5 oz lightweight canvas. These pants performed well for Paul during Katrina relief work on 95+ degree days! Despite hard labor, his legs came out without a scratch and he did not have to sweat over it. However, do be careful which Carhartt pants you purchase. Reserve the heavier 9.5 oz Carhartt pants for the winter months! This link will take you to our store where you can purchase the lightweight Carhartts. Depending on the work you are doing, it may be wise to invest in a good pair of workboots. Some have a steel shank to protect your feet from those nails that you step on when demolishing that old shed in the back yard. Others have a steel toe to protect you when you drop that cast iron drill press. However, many handyguys can get away with a plain ole’ pair of sneakers. Once you upgrade your handyguy clothing, you need to consider accessories… although these accessories are not optional! Safety glasses and ear plugs or muffs should always be within reach. In addition, knee pads are a must for that tile job. Listen to the podcast for more details. Can anyone tell what music Handyguys Brian had on when the show started? Leave a comment if you know. Less

After quitting her day job in Manhattan and moving to Martha's Vineyard, a quiet island off the Massachusetts coast, Susan Gibbs aka MVKnits had a great idea. She started Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm and figured out how to make a living making yarn. Why not use the local food movement's model of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and apply it to a yarn harvest? Shareholders pay for a share in the yarn harvest as a way to support a local farm (or in this case, a local farm supported through the internet) and in return they get weekly updates, photos from the farm, an invitation to the shearing and ultimately a share of the yarn. Less

The Handyguys revisit a bit of advice on keeping your lawn green and discuss various types of glues, in particular, EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive Read on and listen to the podcast for details of a wood glue and tool bag giveaway from Eclectic Products. First off - Good advice or bad advice The Handyguys re-visit keeping your lawn green. Is the advice for making sure your lawn gets an inch of water a week sound? Yes, of course. What happens if you don’t follow this advice? Listen to the podcast to find out. The Handyguys then discuss different types of glues Common types of glue discussed are: Epoxy Hot Glues Household glue & paste Polyurethane glue Wood Glue The Handyguys review a new wood glue from Eclectic Products. The glue is a low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) wood glue called EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive. Before making a recommendation and giving away a sample, the Handyguys did an informal test. The Handyguys selected a piece of cherry wood for their test. The same glue-up was performed with a regular yellow wood glue and EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive. The documentation says to wait 24 hours for 100% strength on both the yellow glue and the EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive. The sample boards were properly jointed, prepared and glue applied. The test pieces were clamped for over 24 hours. The Handyguys then scratch their heads for a way to test the strength of the two glues. Obviously the test is not a purely scientific one. The goal is to ensure that the new EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive is stronger than the wood itself. We then spanned the test pieces between two boards and applied weight directly to the joint. We had a bit of fun finding heavy stuff to apply weight to the glue joint. We added a 50lb battery, a case of shotgun shells, a drill press and Paul’s weight on the glue joint. Neither the yellow glue nor the EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive joint or boards broke. Brian, being a bit heavier, was able to break the yellow glue sample board while holding the drill press and the car battery. The EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive sample board still did not break. Finally, to break the EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive sample board, Brian reached for his Estwing framing hammer and gave the glue joint a sharp rap. The board broke into three pieces but the glue held strong. The Handyguys also tested scraping excess dried glue from the joint. The excess dried glue scraped off the same as traditional yellow wood glue. The Handyguys were very satisfied that the new EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive will perform as well as a traditional yellow glue yet have lower VOCs. OK, The Handyguys admit their test isn’t very scientific. Below are the results of two tests performed by Eclectic Products. Click on the thumbnail image to see the results full size.  ASTM D 3164-03 Lap Shear Test  ASTM D-903 180deg Peel Test The Handyguys then go on to discuss a giveaway contest Eclectic products will be sending some samples of EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive to one of our listeners. The giveaway includes two containers of wood glue, a sample board and a nice portable tool bag. This is an entirely free giveaway. To enter the contest, you simply need to subscribe to our email notification of new podcasts. To subscribe, just enter your email in the box just below where it says “Subscribe and get the new shows in your email inbox” on the right side of our home page. You will be sent an email asking you to verify you really want to subscribe. Just click the link in that email to confirm your subscription. The Handyguys never spam. You will only get an email from us when each weekly episode is published. We will also use the address on occasion when we have other announcements.  The emails will usually arrive in your inbox every Thursday between 5PM and 7PM Eastern time. A winner will be drawn from the list of people who have signed up for our weekly notification. If you already receive our email notifications you have already been entered. If you get our episodes via iTunes or some other delivery method you will need to come to the site and provide your email address. A winner will be announced on our home page on August 7th. Thanks for listening and good luck. Less

Best known to the Etsy Community as Stellaloella (or Stellllllla!), Lauren was already a very familiar face as an extremely helpful presence in the Etsy Forums before she was hired in February 2007. Etsy Profiles is a series of cardboard box confessionals of Etsy admin. Etsy is interested in getting to know all of you Etsians out there as well! Shoot your own video profile telling us who you are, where you live and what you make. Show us something that you've made and don't forget to include a ten second dance break! Upload your video, tag it Etsy and profile and we will put a link to your video on the Storque! Less

Author: Gardenfork Added: Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:12:19 -0800Duration: 564 Making pickles is easy, even Eric can do it. Watch Gardenfork to see Eric make bread and butter pickles with this simple recipe. Distributed by Tubemogul. Less