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Country Lifehome garden Routers Ever wonder how professional or amateur woodworkers create precise cuts and profiles into the face or edge of a piece of wood? Chances are, some type of router was the tool used to do it. Routers are designed to perform tasks from the grand (cutting out a mortise or stair) to the intricate (putting grooves into a sign or side of a table) and everything in between. Each type of router has its own spe- cific characteristics and features, and is ideally equipped to perform certain tasks. working industry's most popular router, meet the fixed-base router. It has few moving parts, it's easy to use, and it's safer than any other type of router. The handles and wide rounded base add stability, and cut depth can be set prior to cutting. With a plunge router, you can actually adjust the cut depth while it's turned on—a handy feature when your pro- ject requires you to make several passes on a board. Also, many models include depth stops to place the tool to your desired depth with accuracy. Combo routers combine a fixed-base and plunge router base. This isn't the largest router around, but should be able to help you accomplish most woodworking tasks. Trim routers can squeeze into spots larger routers can't. If you're looking for the wood- Murphy Project Home Other advantages include the bits' faster rotating speed and greater accuracy and precision for smaller projects. For those who fear too much router is not always good, a palm router can usually address most amateur wood- worker's needs. By Mary Beth Brecken- ridge Akron Beacon Journal (MCT) Sean down for winter? Not so fast. Now's the time to tackle a few chores that will help your house and yard ride out the cold season ahead. Here are a few to check off your to- do list. Ready to hunker TERS CLEAN THE GUT- Gutters and down- spouts direct rainwater away from your house. That keeps water from pooling around the foundation and leaking into the basement, or freezing in the gutters at the roof line and causing damaging ice dams. But those gutters and & Fall chores prepare home, yard for winter money. Some are moti- vated by saving lives. Either one should be an incentive to get your chimney inspected. Chimney inspections help prevent both haz- ards and expensive repairs by spotting problems early, said Melissa Heeke, a spokesperson for the Chimney Safety Insti- tute of America. The inspector looks for cre- osote buildup, cracks and obstructions such as birds' nests and debris — problems that can contribute to chimney fires or carbon monox- ide. downspouts can't do their job if they're clogged with leaves and other debris. Those who use a D-handle router enjoy the control and safety of the pistol-style starter switch, which allows you to shut the tool off quickly. Many woodworkers prefer a D- handle router with variable speeds when working in tight quarters or on a meticulous job, since the handle configura- tion promotes better control. They're typically classified as either carbide-tipped or high- speed steel. Additionally, bits can be grouped as edge bits or non-edge bits. If you're shopping for a router, consider the following Router bits come in dozens of shapes and varieties. must-have features: • Power up. Commercial routers range from 1 to 3 horse- power. • Variable speed controls. One or two speeds are nice, but a router with multiple speeds adds versatility and maxi- mizes its potential. • Soft start. This allows the motor to gradually build up speed, ensuring it won't go to full speed at the start. • Chip collection system. Wouldn't it be nice if you could eliminate all wood shavings and dust from your work area? Yeah, so do we. finished shedding their leaves, get up on a lad- der and clean that stuff out. Plug the top of the downspout with a rag first to keep debris from going down the spout, and wear heavy gloves to protect your hands. Reader's Digest Association's "1001 Do-It-Yourself Hints & Tips" recommends removing the debris with a plastic sand shov- el or garden trowel, or you can fashion a scoop from a plastic milk jug. Dump the debris into a bucket instead of push- ing it over the lip of the gutter to avoid dirtying the siding, the book sug- gests. After the trees have • Anti-kickback bits. Select a bit that prevents kickback, a potentially dangerous effect. Jeremy Broun suggests in his book, "The Incredible Router" that the router is "the most versatile tool in the world." And while hyperbolic statements like this may be hard to quantify, Broun also may not be too far off the mark. Until next time, Happy Home Improving! Visit the company's website for more home improvement tips at www.build.com. Sean Murphy is a copywriter for Build.com in Chico. Under the hood: Style, power and a purr express yourself. By Karen Sullivan The Charlotte Observer (MCT) Above every stove or cooktop hangs an opportunity to howls from a space beneath the spice cabinet. Now that the kitchen is one of the most popular places to No more are we stuck with a boring, bulgy box that gather, range hoods are evolving and competing to be a focal point. They are floating elegantly above a voluptuous kitchen island and commanding attention from a wall. Make the right choices, and you can have a sleek new kitchen ventilation system that has power and a purr — for an investment starting at about $400, plus installation. It would be easy to spend a lot more. Prices for custom and high-end decorative hoods can quickly climb to thou- sands of dollars. Homeowners are turning on to the trend. From the artsy to designs with attitude, decorative range hoods are turning up in settings from contemporary to traditional. "If you're doing a traditional home, there's no reason you couldn't use a more decorative hood," said Lora Donoghue, past president of the National Kitchen and Bath Associa- tion's Carolinas Chapter. Form over function? Not necessarily. Range hoods are When the gutter is clean, run some water into it from a garden hose. Clear a clogged downspout with a plumber's snake or a blast from the hose, working from the bot- tom up so you don't compact the clog. CLEAN UP THE GARDEN: Even though plant growth winds down this time of year, diseases don't necessarily go away. Many pests and pathogens spend the winter on diseased plant parts, lying in wait for the chance to launch a new attack in spring. That's why plant experts preach the importance of cleaning up diseased plant mater- ial. Prune out affected stems, remove diseased leaves and pick up any plant debris that's lying around. Diseased annu- als should be removed completely. The affected plant material can be com- posted, but only if the pile gets hot enough to kill pathogens. Most home compost piles don't get sufficiently hot, but municipal com- posting facilities do. FERTILIZE YOUR more powerful than ever, with blowers moving air at rates from about 400 to 1,300 cubic feet per minute or more. Check online consumer reviews to avoid noisemakers. The might and muscle is important these days. Ranges in many homes are big, sometimes six to eight burners. That's a lot of territory for a range hood to cover to remove the grease and steam bubbling up from the pots and pans. "If it isn't leaving the house, (the greasy steam) is on — guess what: beautiful new cabinets, carpeting, upholstery, walls, pictures and you," says Jan Byers, manager of the Sub-Zero/Wolf showroom in Charlotte, N.C. Many homeowners still prefer traditional decor. About 70 percent of customers want a traditional look when they come to Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, on South Boulevard in Charlotte. A custom hood built by a cabinet maker is often their choice. A hood can be built to match the cabinets — and the size of the range. "Basically if you can draw it on a CAD (computer-aided design) program, they can make it," said Liz Gant, Fergu- son's appliance manager. The institute recom- mends an annual inspec- tion, Heeke said. It also recommends having the chimney cleaned when creosote builds up to thickness of one-eighth inch. MCT photo Pat Miller uproots a celery plant during cleanup day at the Fairlawn Community Gardens in Fairlawn, Ohio. The changing of the season to Fall brings landscaping chores to clean up from the summer and prep for winter's cold. (Your grass will still benefit from an applica- tion this time of year, he said, if you get some warm days.) For an average lawn, he recommends apply- ing a high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer at a rate of 1 to 1.5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. This late in the year, much or all of the nitro- gen in the fertilizer should be water-soluble as opposed to slow- release, since the latter won't release enough nitrogen before the weather gets too cold for growth. The percent- age of soluble and slow- release nitrogen is usu- ally marked on the fer- tilizer package. Boy says. If you cover it, use cloth, because plastic can trap mois- ture. More information here: http://ohioline.osu.edu/ hyg- fact/4000/4006.html. STORE YOUR LAWN: Lawn-care experts often say this is the best time to fertilize a lawn. Fall fertilizing pre- pares grass plants for the rough winter ahead and ensures nutrients will be available to them in spring, when growth resumes. ty's Joe Rimelspach rec- ommends two fall feed- ings, one around Labor Day and the other right about now. If you skipped that first fertil- ization, you won't see the dramatic response in your lawn that you would have otherwise. Ohio State Universi- Gasoline often con- tains ethanol, which pulls moisture from the air. If you leave the gas in the tank for an extended time, that moisture can cause metal to corrode, he said. In addition, the ethanol and water can settle to the bottom of the tank over time, caus- ing engine problems and damage. MOWER: You may be in the habit of adding fuel sta- bilizer to your lawn mower before you store it for winter, but that's not enough, said Mark Stiles, owner of Bath Tractor. Experts differ on how often you need to have a heating system inspect- ed and serviced. Domin- ion East Ohio and most heating contractors rec- ommend annual mainte- nance, while the non- profit American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy says every other year is sufficient for natural gas furnaces. The council recom- mends annual servicing for oil-fired systems. A furnace inspection is a matter of safety as well as comfort. Besides spotting potential prob- lems and helping your furnace run more effi- ciently, a technician can find combustion and venting issues that can lead to the production and buildup of deadly carbon monoxide. Now's the time of year to have your fur- nace inspected and pos- sibly tuned up, before the weather turns bitter. Dominion East Ohio recommends hiring a well-qualified contrac- tor. The company says a thorough inspection should include: NACE: blower bearings and blower motor. vents, the heat exchang- er and the filters. Gasoline shouldn't be left in a lawn mower or other gas-powered equipment for more than two months, Stiles said. Before you store that equipment, run the engine until it's out of gas, he advised. It's a good idea to clean your mower, sharpen the blade, change the oil, lubricate the engine and clean or replace the air filter, too, mower maker Lawn-Boy recommends. Store the mower in a cool, dry place, Lawn- —Lubricating the —Inspecting all —Checking the pilot light, if the furnace has one. The inspection guide- line goes for all exhaust flues, including flues for furnaces, gas water heaters and other devices that involve combustion, Heeke said. A flue inspection may or may not be part of a furnace inspection, so be sure to ask. INSPECT THE FUR- Most people need a basic chimney inspec- tion, which involves a visual examination and check of accessible parts of the fireplace and chimney. The inspector will also look for obstructions and identify the type and extent of combustible deposits on the inside of the chimney. who's certified by the CSIA, Heeke said. You can find one near you on its website, www.csia.org. She noted that only the indi- viduals listed on the site are certified, not their companies. Choose an inspector WEATHERSTRIP: Closing gaps in your SEAL AND home's exterior and between conditioned and unconditioned areas keeps warm air in and cold air out. That not only makes you more comfortable, but it saves energy and money. Some common prob- lem spots are: —The edges of doors, windows and chimneys. —Places where pipes or wires enter the house. —The joint between the foundation and the walls. Saturday, November 10, 2012 – Daily News 3B —Baseboards, which often cover gaps between floor and wall. —Penetrations in the basement ceiling and attic floor for pipes, wires and ducts. —Clearing the fur- nace area of dust or combustible materials. —Cleaning dust from the blower compart- ment. —Testing the thermo- stat to be sure the heat- ing system is working properly. —Checking the safe- ty components. to make sure it's clean and open. —Checking the flue INSPECT THE CHIMNEY: Some people are motivated by saving Most small cracks and gaps can be sealed with paintable caulk, although chimneys and furnace flues require a specific type. For slight- ly bigger openings, use spray foam, being care- ful to choose the right kind for the job. Open- ings larger than about 3 inches across can be covered with foam board, sealed in place with caulk. For doors and win- dows, which need to open, install weather- stripping and door sweeps. While you can seal indoors anytime, take advantage of mild days to tackle work on the outside of your house. Caulk doesn't stick well when the temperature drops below 50 degrees, and foam doesn't flow well in the cold.