I come by my nickname, “the 2-by-Guy,” honestly. Whenever I’m scoping out new tools as an editor for HGTVPro, in the back of my mind I’m imagining how they will advance my first interest: building projects with 2 x 4s, 2 x 6s and so on. Typically, this lumber is used for decks and framing walls, but there’s nothing like it for experimenting and honing your basic woodworking skills–without investing a lot on materials or devoting too much time to a single project. The wood rack shown on the next page is a good example. It’s simple but good-looking, and it takes just a few hours and commonplace tools to build. Best of all, it proves that not every worthwhile project requires gossamer-fine precision and lots of little pieces. Come winter, I’ll store hardwood logs on the rack to feed my wood stove. And during a recent warm-weather remodeling project, the structure proved to be ideal–appropriately–for safely storing 2x stock off the ground.
Related Posts
Seriously, I have tons of books. And there’s cool stuff in them like trucks, animals, numbers, Dora the Explorer, Elmo, Thomas. My mom and dad…

An ice dam is an open invitation for water to invade your house and cost lots of fear and money. An ice dam is also…
Question From the Twitter-Sphere: MyFixitUpLife, what is the best way to maintain heat in a trailer during the winter? Take into consideration that I live…
Sorry, but I have very little to good to say about no-name snow shovels. I do have a lot of nice things to say about…



Getting new windows for a window replacement project or even new construction doesn’t seem like it should be that hard. But sometimes getting windows is…
Sun-Tzu, legendary author of the classic military guide—something that over the centuries has also become a model for business and in some regards, life—The Art…



Autumn is the ideal time to repair your lawn and ensure that grass is healthy when springtime comes around. Want a green, healthy lawn next…



I can say, with confidence, that I’ve driven both a lot and through gnarly weather. From blinding, white-out rain storms in the Mid-Atlantic to slinging…
Question: Hey MyFixitUpLife, I have an old house question. I feel like I should know the answer to this, but I don’t. On the roofs…
Mark & Theresa talk about the upcoming Rebuilding Together Philadelphia and Popular Mechanics magazine volunteer project. From energy audits, cool roofs, and solar water heater…
MyFixitUpLife radio show August 7, 2010 Mark and Theresa are broadcasting from a Rebuilding Together Philadelphia project in the Wister section of Germantown in Philadelphia…
The Snow Wovel—or walking snow shovel—is a contraption of sorts. It looks like a combination between an old fashioned bicycle with the huge front wheel,…



Snow guards are those…you know…’thingies’ you see at the edge of a roof. And I love them. But what are they for? I usually see…
As winter continues to roar, picturesque dreams of chestnuts roasting on an open fire may dance in your head. And you’re not the only one…



Mark and Theresa are taking you inside the sneak preview launch of Stanley Tools new tools in New York City where they will be talking…