How do I carve a wooden spoon?
Laying the blank out so the grain runs the length of the handle, roughing out before hollowing, and the hook knife technique that hollows a bowl without tearing.
intermediate3 hr4 min read
Practical Skills
The things everyone is assumed to know already.
355 guides in Lifestyle
How do I make a solid wood table top?
Choosing and acclimatising the boards, gluing up in stages, flattening a panel bigger than your machines, and the edge and fixing details that keep it flat for decades.
advanced8 hr4 min readHow do I paint a miniature — base coat, shade and highlight?
The three-stage method every miniature painting style is built on, why thin paint is the whole technique rather than a refinement, and where to stop for a model that is going on a table.
beginner1 hr 30 min5 min readHow do I shoot better video on my phone?
Phone video is limited by three things people rarely change — swinging the camera about, letting the exposure hunt, and recording sound from two metres away with the built-in microphone.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I stop my seams fraying without an overlocker?
Four finishes you can do on an ordinary machine or with shears, compared on bulk, durability and what fabric each suits — and how to tell which your fabric actually needs.
beginner20 min5 min readHow do I take a bike wheel off and put it back on properly?
Getting a wheel out without fighting the derailleur or the brake, and the closing sequence that makes sure it is actually secure.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do I take better photos of people?
Light on the face, focal length and distance, focusing on the eye, and the direction that gets a real expression.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I take better photos with my phone?
Light, distance and framing choices that improve phone photos far more than any camera setting.
beginner20 min2 min readWhat do P, A, S and M mean on my camera dial?
Each mode is a statement about which setting you have decided and which the camera is allowed to choose. Reading the dial that way makes the whole thing obvious.
beginner15 min4 min readWhich camera should I buy as a beginner?
Why sensor size and lenses matter more than megapixels, what a phone already does well, and the case for buying used.
beginner30 min3 min readWhich woodworking joint should I use?
Butt, housing, half lap and mortise and tenon compared on strength, difficulty and what each is actually for.
beginner20 min3 min readWhy does my coloured pencil work look waxy, patchy and streaky?
Patchiness is the paper texture showing through too few layers. Waxiness is too much pressure too early. Both are solved by building many light layers before ever burnishing.
intermediate30 min4 min readWhy does my perspective drawing look stretched and distorted?
The construction is probably right. The distortion comes from vanishing points placed too close together, which is the drawing equivalent of standing 30 centimetres from a building.
intermediate25 min5 min readHow do I draw with charcoal without making a grey mess?
Charcoal rewards a completely different working order from pencil: cover the paper, then take the light out. Knowing which of the three types you are holding is most of the battle.
beginner30 min5 min readHow do I host people without getting stressed?
Choosing food that can be made ahead, sequencing the day, and lowering the standard to something achievable.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I take notes I will actually use?
Capturing meaning rather than transcribing, and the review step that turns notes into something useful.
beginner25 min2 min readWhat do I actually need before a baby arrives?
Separating what is genuinely needed in the first weeks from what can wait or be borrowed.
beginner1 hr2 min readWhy are my drawing lines scratchy and hairy?
Furry, sketchy, repeatedly-corrected lines come from drawing with the fingers at writing grip while resting the wrist — three habits that each have a direct replacement.
beginner20 min4 min readWhy do my phone photos look worse than they used to?
A phone camera that was sharp two years ago and is hazy now usually has a scratched lens cover, trapped moisture or a worn stabiliser — three faults with three different signatures.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I bake polymer clay without burning it?
Scorching is caused by radiant heat and a swinging thermostat, not by the temperature you set. The tile, the foil tent and the oven thermometer that between them prevent almost every burnt batch.
beginner45 min5 min readHow do I build a simple wooden box with strong corners?
The four corner joints worth using in ascending order of skill, making the box as a sealed cube and cutting the lid off afterwards, and fitting a bottom that can move.
beginner3 hr4 min readHow do I clear cloudy yellowed headlights?
Why polycarbonate lenses yellow, wet sanding through the grades safely, and the sealing step that decides whether it lasts a year or a month.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I cut a housing joint for a shelf?
The trench that carries a shelf's weight into the side of a carcass — cutting it to fit the board you actually have, and stopping it short so it does not show.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I find a club or group locally?
Where groups actually advertise, what to expect from a first visit, and judging whether one is right for you.
beginner30 min4 min read