Fix-it notes
Short, practical notes on the tools we sell: doors, plugs and hinges — and what an outdoor camera catches when the house is empty. Written by Fettle, the seller, not the maker.
CamerasFoxes, parcels and hail: the surprising things your driveway sees while you're outMost of what a driveway camera records is empty concrete. The footage worth keeping is the stuff you never installed it for — and that's exactly why picture quality, colour at night and pan matter.
ScrapersCabinet scrapers for paint ridges and dried glueWhere sandpaper clogs on pine, old enamel or squeeze-out, a scraper takes a clean shaving instead of packing dust into the grain.
Files & raspsFix a sticking door without sanding the whole frameFind the high spot first and let a rasp take just that. Planing the full edge usually leaves you with a rattling door next season.
SawsWhen a flush-cut saw beats a power sawTrimming a proud plug or dowel without marking the face around it — and the jobs where a flush-cut saw is the wrong choice.
ChiselsSquaring a hinge recess so the leaf sits flatWhy a routed hinge pocket binds, and how a corner chisel and a wooden mallet finish the job square.
Repair kitA small kit for doors, plugs and trimThe hand tools that actually get used on a weekend fix: a saw for plugs, a chisel for hinges, a scraper and a file.