Tools in Gear

Only Tools: the latest headlines first, then BRO’s own Tools stories and video. All of Gear →

Build a garage workshop you'll use on a Tuesday night

Most home shops fail for one reason: starting takes too long. Fix that first, and the tools take care of themselves.

GuideWoodworkingWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Build a tool tote first, and buy these five tools

One board, one afternoon, no table saw. The project that teaches you square cuts, glue-ups and finish — and gets used for the next twenty years.

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Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

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GuideGarden & YardWes Dunbar6 Oct 20265 min

Your Mower Sat All Winter and Now It Has Opinions

The box says pull the cord. The box hasn't met your shed. How to wake a hibernating mower without wrecking your Saturday or your shoulder.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

Home6 min read

Hanging a heavy picture straight on the first try

One frame, two hooks, zero extra holes. The way it really goes, plus the bathroom scale trick nobody mentions.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideCountry BroDean Shaw3 Oct 20267 min

Set up the block so your worst swing hits wood, not your shin

Most splitting injuries are decided before the maul leaves the ground. Get the block, the stance and the wedge right, and a bad swing costs you nothing.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes Dunbar3 Oct 20267 min

Sweating a Copper Joint Is Mostly About Getting the Water Out

The torch is the easy part. A dry pipe and clean metal decide whether the joint holds, and most first-timers skip both.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

PartnerCancerDefying.com

GuideSelf-Employed WomenNina Castellan3 Oct 20266 min

Your home is your office now, so own a real drill

Every jammed disposal and sagging shelf costs a home business a morning. A dozen basic tools, and what each one actually does, fix most of it.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideBRO for HerNina Castellan3 Oct 20266 min

The anchors that came in the box are why the shelf fell

A cordless drill isn't hard. The clutch, the pilot hole and the right wall anchor are the whole game, and almost nobody explains them.

BRO TakeBe a ManMarcus Vale23 Sept 20265 min

Apologize for what you did, never for what you are

Men have picked up a reflex of shrinking on request. Real apology is a tool worth keeping. The hedging is dead weight, and it costs you more than you think.

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Pressure-test my business idea

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