POP Projects is a collection of new and classic projects from more than a century of Popular Mechanics. Master skills, get tool recommendations, and, most importantly, build something of your very own ...

When Dave and Becky Lime purchased a 2.5-acre lot on Linwood Lake near Wyoming, Minn., during the mid-'80s, they decided to take on an ambitious project: building a timber frame home. Timber framing ...

BILLINGS - It sounds mystical, but it's true. Nels Houghton's dream was the catalyst that brought Daniel Schwartz, an Amish craftsman who specializes in timber-frame buildings, from El Dorado Springs, ...

Acting as your own general contractors on the building of your house is not for the faint of heart. It takes time, money and, most of all, vision. It helps to do a little rehearsing. “We spent three ...

In 1989, my father-in-law taught me to smoke meats and cheeses. I was a timber frame builder—I have my own company, called OakBridge Timber Framing—and I wanted a home project to help me unwind in the ...