What Happens in Vegas?

SPAX and The International Builders' Show (IBS 2016), that's what happens!

We're excited to once again be a part of the NAHB International Builders' Show during Design & Construction Week in Las Vegas from January 19-21. With 50,000 visitors from more than 100 different countries and 500,000 square feet of the latest, greatest and coolest products/services in the industry - needless to say we're stoked!

It's not too late...Christmas gifts, DIY style!

 By contributing partner and guest blogger, Sandra Powell - Sawdust Girl

This cute wood book holder is super easy to build and would be a great DIY gift that you can
build in an afternoon. It can be used to hold an iPad or a traditional book and finished any way
you can imagine. Use wood scraps from around the shop and this becomes the most
inexpensive project possible —free!

Pocket Protector

 

By contributing partner and guest blogger, Mark Clement - MyFixItUpLife

So I was gonna write something fairly expected about pocket holes…until I found out that pocket-hole joinery was used by the Egyptians!!!! The Pyramid Egyptians. And then I had to spend time freaking out a little. 

How the Egyptians did things, large and small, of such lasting ingenuity and beauty always stops me in my tracks…If I don’t send an email for a day or two the world forgets I’m here. They’ve got a 5000+ year history. 

But back to reality. I’m a huge pocket hole fan too. And while they’re typically the stuff of woodworking and sometimes trim work these days—along with various clamps and jigs and the resulting super-tight joints—I take a different approach and use them in rough carpentry all the time.

What’s in My Tool Box

By contributing partner and guest blogger, Isabelle LaRue

I love tools and have lots of them. I have so many, in fact, that I have a whole closet full of them in my apartment! So when I’m asked which ones are a must to have for a beginner DIY’er, it’s hard for me to pick favorites. But when I made a house call recently to help a friend who was moving into a new apartment, I realized that the tools I chose to bring with me are in fact my “go-to”, “must-have” basic tools and fasteners. So here’s a list of what I brought with me:  go-to

Multi-tool: This is by far my most used and cherished tool - There are many different kinds out there, but most of them will give you a few basic screwdrivers, pliers, a knife and other small useful tools.

Remodeling and Deck Expo, Chicago: SPAX Style

We packed our SPAX and our power tools and made our way to Chicago in early October for The Remodeling and Deck Expo at Navy Pier along with 4,407 other eager builders!

This mega event highlighted nearly 300 products and services for the residential builder as well as live installation clinics and product demos. We were pleased to meet so many old and new SPAX customers and enjoyed talking "fasteners" with the crowds.

SPAX's own Tim Andrews enlightening the crowd

Saving Time: Beast Mode Style

 By contributing partner and guest blogger, Mark Clement - MyFixItUpLife

 

One of the things I love about my job as co-host of MyFixitUpLife is that I get to try new things—tools, toilets, molding, screws—in my projects. And I get to run them through my all-pro, beast mode ringer.

While this post is mostly for those of us who make our living building things, there is some DIY wisdom to be gleaned from my mania for full-tilt-boogie speed.

In other words, on the job site I’m nuts about saving time, saving steps, going fast and doing top shelf work. Things that help me do that are things I fall in love with. 

And, something I found out quite by accident while using different SPAX screws in different projects, is that adopting what I'm calling a 'screw system' is a beast mode time-saver I wish I thought of years ago.

Why Build Shelves When You Can Build Floating Shelves!

We just got back (still catching our breath) from the Remodeling and Deck Expo...much more to come on that very soon! We saw so many cool new products and witnessed some great remodel and outdoor demos that we've got the bug to start "swinging the hammer" (or we should say the impact driver) all over the place ourselves.

When we think of remodel projects one of the first names that come to mind is our friend Sandra Powell aka Sawdust Girl. Not only does she do it right, she does it like an animal! She's been tackling some major projects in her house, primarily her awesome kitchen area and we love to follow her progress. Oh, and did we mention she uses SPAX for all her projects? (Cue the angel chorus)