Shop Class for Everyone: Practical Life Skills in 83 Projects Plumbing · Wood & Metalwork · Electrical · Mechanical · Domestic Repair

Did you remember your goggles?

There used to be a time when pretty much every high school offered Shop class, where students learned to use a circular saw or rewire a busted lamp- all while discovering the satisfaction of being self-reliant and doing it yourself. Shop Class for Everyone now offers anyone who might have missed this vital class a crash course in these practical life skills. Packed with illustrated step by step instructions, plus relevant charts, lists, and handy graphics, here’s how to plaster a wall, build a bookcase from scratch, unclog a drain, and change a flat tire (on your car or bike). It’s all made clear in plain, nontechnical language for any level of DIYer, and it comes with a guarantee: No matter how simple the task, doing it with your own two hands provides a feeling of accomplishment that no app or device will ever give you.

 

Sharon Bowers is the author of Ghoulish Goodies, Candy Construction, and The Lazy Way to Cook Your Meals. She lives in New York City and Dublin, Ireland
 

David Bowers is the author of Dad's Own Guide to Housekeeping and Bake Like a Man: A Real Man’s Cookbook. He lives in New York City and Dublin, Ireland.

Table of Contents

Domestic Repair [Your home tool kit and how to use it]
How to Hang a Picture
How to Hang a Shelf
How to Install a Closet Rod
How to Patch a Hole in a Wall
How to Plaster a Wall
How to Mix Plaster
How to Repair Cracked Plaster
How to Prepare a Surface for Painting
How to Paint a Room
How to Paint Faux Finishes
How to Polish Furniture
How to Strip Paint
How to Prepare Wood Surfaces for Painting
How to Refinish Furniture
How to Caulk a Bathtub
How to Replace Cracked Tile
How to Patch Linoleum
How to Replace a Damaged Section of Carpet
How to Refinish Wood Floors
How to Refinish a Deck
How to Catch Mice
How to Repair or Replace a Screen
How to Weather Strip Windows and Doors
How to Caulk Windows
How to Replace a Windowpane
How to Unblock a Gutter
How to Repair a Cracked Gutter
How to Prevent Ice Dams
How to Remove an Ice Dam from the Roof
How to Repair a Crack in a Concrete Driveway
How to Patch Cracked Asphalt
Woodworking & Metalworking [The fine art of measuring, cutting, soldering, and making with your hands]
How to Measure Hardwood Boards
How to Sand Wood
How to Build a Birdhouse
How to Build a Picture Frame
How to Build a Doghouse
How to Build a Shaker Stool
How to Build a Chessboard
How to Make a Butcher Block
How to Stain Wood
How to Build a Bookshelf
How to Build a Storage Chest
How to Build a Table
How to Make a Spoon Ring
How to Make Earrings
How to Make a Decorative Metal Plate
How to Make Wind Chimes
Plumbing [Learn to unplug, seal up, and troubleshoot to make all your “pipe dreams” come true.]
How to Stop a Drip
How to Unclog a Drain
How to Fix a Burst Pipe
How to Patch a Pipe
How to Stop Your Pipes from Freezing
How to Install a Sump Pump
How to Fix a Leaky Washing Machine
How to Replace a Sink Faucet
How to Replace a Drain Basket
How to Replace a Toilet
How to Troubleshoot a Showerhead
Electrical [Wires, circuits, fixtures, and switches]
How to Slash Your Electricity Bill
How to Make a DC Circuit
How to Install a Dimmer
How to Install a Light Fixture
How to Rewire a Lamp
Mechanical [Keep those wheels and gears turning]
How to Wash a Car
How to Detail the Interior of a Car
How to Bang Out a Dent
How to Fill a Ding or Scratch with Putty
How to Repaint Your Repair
How to Change a Windshield Wiper Blade
How to Fix a Chipped Windshield
How to Change a Flat Tire
How to Rotate Tires
How to Check and Top Off Fluids
How to Change the Oil
How to Locate an Oil Leak
How to Jump a Battery
How to Sharpen a Lawn Mower Blade
How to Maintain a Motorcycle
How to Fix a Flat Tire on a Bicycle
How to Adjust Bicycle Brakes
How to Maintain a Bicycle Chain
How to Tighten a Single-Speed Chain
How to Align Bicycle Gears
Index
Conversion Tables