Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Workbenches can often divide opinion in the DIY world. Some DIYers  look upon them as the equivalent to a dishwasher in a kitchen, as they can’t imagine what life was like before having one. Others are very happy resting stuff on the end of garden benches, steps, or grovelling around on the floor with a couple of lengths of wood for support. Personally, I have a foot in both camps, and it does depend on the particular job at hand, but if you are thinking of investing in a new collapsible workbench, here are a few points to consider that should help in your deliberations. read more »

The best toolboxes for the DIY market, and the professional market for that matter, are supplied by Stanley. As a company, Stanley seem to have made it their mission to design the perfect toolbox range by carefully thinking through exactly what ‘we’ require, rather than just slapping a couple of hinges on a box, which is what many other manufacturers have clearly done. The following guide looks at the essentials for toolbox design, and which Stanley option is, in my opinion, the best toolbox in their range. read more »

A junior hacksaw is a seldom used, but still essential part of any DIY toolkit. It tends to knock around at the bottom of your toolbox, rarely sees daylight, and only pops out on the odd occasion before disappearing back down into the depths of toolbox oblivion. However, any self respecting DIY enthusiast simply can’t do without it, as although a junior hacksaw is not an everyday tool, there are just some jobs you come across, where it’s always going to be the ideal choice. read more »

The best tape measures on the market are manufactured by Stanley, but as is the case with most DIY tools, there is an enormous range to choose from, and so deciding what is the best option can be tricky. Therefore, below I’ve outlined the key features to look for when buying a tape measure, and why this is a case where I always find that two is better than one. read more »

Buying a handsaw for your DIY needs sounds simple, but the enormous array of options on the market, can make the whole process pretty confusing. Defining a handsaw in itself can be complicated as you could include any hand held saw in this category, but for the purpose of this guide I’m talking about the basic, general purpose saw, normally called a panel saw, with the easily recognisable shape shown below. read more »