Shop Notes

Cooler packed for a weekend at camp

Camp Gear Has Two States: In Use, and Rotting Q...

Camp gear has two states: in use, and rotting quietly in a tote. The put-up routine for tents, smoke-soaked gear, the cooler, and the boots — dry, clean, smells like...

Camp Gear Has Two States: In Use, and Rotting Q...

Camp gear has two states: in use, and rotting quietly in a tote. The put-up routine for tents, smoke-soaked gear, the cooler, and the boots — dry, clean, smells like...

Chickens outside a working barn

A Barn Should Smell Like a Barn, Not Like a Pro...

Farm smell is fine. Ammonia at the door is a schedule that fell behind. The weekly stall routine — strip it, wet it, let the enzymes work, dry it —...

A Barn Should Smell Like a Barn, Not Like a Pro...

Farm smell is fine. Ammonia at the door is a schedule that fell behind. The weekly stall routine — strip it, wet it, let the enzymes work, dry it —...

Greased machinery in the shop

The Oil Spot Is Older Than Your Truck. Here's H...

The oil spot on the garage floor is older than the truck. Absorb, degrease, scrub, rinse — then fix the engine bay that made it and the rag pile that...

The Oil Spot Is Older Than Your Truck. Here's H...

The oil spot on the garage floor is older than the truck. Absorb, degrease, scrub, rinse — then fix the engine bay that made it and the rag pile that...

Hose spray in the sun for outdoor cleaning

Clean the Deck Before You Stain It (Or Do It Al...

Stain doesn't fail because it's bad stain. It fails because it went on dirty wood. The clean-before-you-stain routine — wet it, wash it, scrub it, rinse it, wait longer than...

Clean the Deck Before You Stain It (Or Do It Al...

Stain doesn't fail because it's bad stain. It fails because it went on dirty wood. The clean-before-you-stain routine — wet it, wash it, scrub it, rinse it, wait longer than...

Foam sheeting down a work truck during washdown

How to Wash a Bucket Truck (From People Who Run...

We run line crews. Here's the Friday washdown routine for bucket trucks, digger derricks, and reel trailers — boom first, degrease before you wash, and don't forget the trailer.

How to Wash a Bucket Truck (From People Who Run...

We run line crews. Here's the Friday washdown routine for bucket trucks, digger derricks, and reel trailers — boom first, degrease before you wash, and don't forget the trailer.

Bass boat running on the lake

Putting the Boat Up Right (So Spring Doesn't St...

Boats that get put up dirty come out haunted. The one-hour end-of-season routine that saves your spring — hull wash, livewells, the cooler ceremony, and the list.

Putting the Boat Up Right (So Spring Doesn't St...

Boats that get put up dirty come out haunted. The one-hour end-of-season routine that saves your spring — hull wash, livewells, the cooler ceremony, and the list.