Category Archives: Home Repair

Installing Leather Trunk Handles

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Does anyone remember traveling trunks? They were very popular in the early 20th century for those who traveled via steamship and train.

A special friend of mine and her sister were given a couple of trunks from their mother. The trunks came over from Ireland, to New York, spent years in New Hampshire, years in California, and settled in a garage in Arizona for almost two decades.

After that many years, the leather handles dry out and basically disintegrate. My friend’s sister replaced the handles on her trunk and sent my friend a pair as well. Hey, guess who gets to install the new handles… yep, Mr. Project Man!

Here you can see the existing handles on her trunk. They are long gone!

Now, how to get the handle brackets off without destroying them. I very carefully pried them up using a screwdriver. I thought rivets were used, but they tuned out to be these crazy curved brass nails. Very difficult to get out. Yes, let me repeat, very difficult to get out!

Here are some of the nails. I did not bend these, this how they came out.

I used brass screws to reinstall the brackets with the new handles.

Should be good for another 100 years!

Garden Tank Set Up

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Spring is really just around the corner, so it’s time to get your garden prepared. Last year I set up this garden tank for veggies. I’ll show you what I did.

I purchased a large stock tank. They were on sale for $99.00.

I positioned and leveled six left over blocks to place the tank on.

I had to place the tank on the blocks a couple of times to ensure I really did get it level.

I drilled 1″ holes throughout the bottom of the tank to ensure that there would be proper drainage. I purchased the metal drill bit at the same time as the stock tank.

I placed a 2″ layer of gravel on the bottom, followed by the soil. I selected a soil mix specifically for veggie gardens. It took less than a 1/4 yard of soil. Keep the soil about 2″ below the top of the tank.

Here I have butter lettuce planted and added flexible tubing. This enables you to easily cover the garden on frosty nights or on those hot summer days. Looks a little like a covered wagon. I can hear John Wayne now, “Get the garden tanks in a circle, the deer are commin’.”

Here’s the garden in late summer. I grew peppers and tomatoes after the butter lettuce harvest. Depending on the season, you can really grow any type of veggie in the tank that you’d like.

A simple set up for “good eats” all year long!