Welcome to Episode 28 of How to Handyma'am, the podcast where we are all up in your business! This week we are tackling Saws 101—breaking down the 6 best saws for your DIY arsenal, what they actually do, and how to use them without a trip to the emergency room. But first, we’ve got some serious field chaos to catch up on. The Chaos Before the Tools:The Maddie Fan Club: This episode is dedicated to Arly's brother's girlfriend, Maddie, whom we love so much we are keeping her and ditching him if they ever break up. The Left Ass-Cheek Sandwich: Samantha’s ongoing war with Panera over a flat, greasy breakfast sandwich that definitely had a left butt cheek imprint on it. A $20,000 Fix for $70: How Arly used a patent number and Google Reverse Image Search to save a client from replacing a whole French door system. The 100mg Zoloft Club: Normalizing store-bought serotonin, the gene mutation that keeps us from processing folic acid, and why SSRIs give you terrible heat intolerance on the job site. Saws 101: The Breakdown Circular Saw ("Cucumber Slaw"): Best for straight cuts on big plywood sheets. Watch out for blade binding and kickback. Miter Saw ("Chop Saw"): Perfect for accurate, repeatable angle cuts. Do not wear gloves around this spinning blade. Table Saw: Built for long "hot dog" cuts down a board. Always stand to the side and use a push stick so you don't lose a thumb. Jigsaw ("The Sewing Machine"): Great for curves, circles, and cutting sinkholes into countertops. Just don't cut things on your lap! Reciprocating Saw ("Sawzall"): Pure demolition. Great for slicing tree roots, but check inside your walls for wires before you go wild. Multi-Tool ("The Oscillator"): The absolute hero for precise flush cuts and slicing hidden nails. Watch out, the blades get burning hot. 💖 Support the Show on Patreon!Join us at ⁠patreon.com/howtohandymaam⁠ $5 Level: Extra content, deep dives, and unedited chaos. $25 Level: Directly sponsors a spot for someone who can't afford our in-person training classes. 📬 Connect with the Crew:Email: [email protected]/Website: @HowToHandymaam / ⁠howtohandymaam.com⁠

Welcome to another unhinged edition of the How to Handyma’am Sidequest!

📻🧰 Friday to Friday is just way too long to wait, so we are back for our weekly halfway point bonus episode. We decided to give you a normal, well-organized main episode followed by complete, coo-coo-bananas chaos on the sidequest. We kick things off with a highly relatable discussion about a viral video featuring a chicken wearing a bra, which transitions seamlessly into Samantha’s wild medical stress test story. Find out why you can't wear an underwire bra on a cardiology treadmill, and how two nurses used two entire rolls of 8-inch self-adhering tape to manually construct an emergency sports bra. Plus, Arly recounts the traumatic childhood moment when she was shot off the back of a fast treadmill and got road rash on her face. Then, the girls jump into a high-stakes round of "Who Is Most Likely To... (Job-Site & Shop Edition)" to settle their worst workspace habits once and for all.

⏱️ The Chaos Goblin Docket:

The Pencil Vanishing Act: Who loses their pencil 5 seconds after putting it behind their ear? (Samantha Pearl takes the win, even though she hides them in her hair bun).

Tool Carnage: Who is most likely to accidentally slice right through a live extension cord? (Emily owns this one completely). And who drops brand-new impact drivers off 10-foot ladders?

The Meat Tenderizer: Why Arly's confident new framing hammer swing results in broken fingernails, blood blisters, and bruises from her textured waffle-head hammer.

The Nail Gun Hoard: How the team accidentally ended up owning four separate nail guns simply because they keep burying them in the truck and buying replacements. Workspace Disasters: Ripping into who leaves the workbench a complete disaster zone on Friday afternoons, plus a translation of why an Arly "nudge" means exactly 1/8 of an inch in the field.

Drywall Dust & Power Turns: The time Arly sanded a bathroom ceiling looking like a sweaty, red-faced monster, and why Samantha is legally a hazard when navigating construction zones in the company vehicle.

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Welcome to Episode 27 of How to Handyma’am! ☀️🪚

We missed you all so much, and today the trio is back with an incredibly packed episode dedicated to one of our day-one supporters, Pam! We kick things off with a chaotic late-night studio session featuring emergency mac and cheese, blue slushies, and a complete breakdown of our very first in-person workshop class. We also celebrate a massive milestone—hitting 1,000 Instagram followers!—and dive into a necessary soapbox moment about local elections and why exercising your right to vote shapes your day-to-day community safety and zoning laws.

Then, it’s time for the main event: DIY Judgment Day. Samantha, Arly, and Emily act as judge and jury for 11 common internet home improvement trends, sorting the brilliant budget-savers from the absolute house-destroying crimes.

• Chalk Paint on Kitchen Cabinets without Sanding: EXTREMELY GUILTY. It scratches instantly, holds onto greasy kitchen fingerprints, and belongs on old furniture—not your high-traffic kitchen. Stick to a satin finish.

• Bathtub & Tile Epoxy Kits: NOT GUILTY. Renovating a bathroom is thousands of dollars. If you take the time to prep properly, a $50 kit can buy you a few extra years of sanity.

• Sharpie Shiplap Lines: GUILTY. Alcohol-based Sharpies bleed through latex paint with a weird purple hue. If you must fake it, use an acrylic paint marker instead.

• WD-40 on Squeaky Hinges: GUILTY. Standard WD-40 degrades plastic components and acts as a dust magnet, turning into a gunky sludge over time. Use dry silicone spray or beeswax instead.

• The Rubber Band Paint Can Trick: GUILTY. It gets messy, blocks the lid from closing, and risks snapping paint all over your clothes. Just use a standard paint stick.

• Adhesive vs. Nails for Board & Batten: A TIE. Because walls expand and contract, a squiggle of construction adhesive combined with a finish nail is the ultimate team. Just know it'll rip your drywall if you ever take it down.

• Boiling Water Down a Clogged Sink: HIGHLY GUILTY. It doesn't clear grease—it just pushes it 50 feet further down your line where it solidifies again. Worse, boiling temperatures melt the glue holding modern PVC drain pipes together.

• The Kitchen Sink "Ban List": We break down why coffee grounds, eggshells, potato peels, rice, and pasta expand and destroy your plumbing. Plus, the hard truth about why "flushable" wipes are a marketing lie that keep plumbers rich.

• Marketplace Dresser to Bathroom Vanity: NOT GUILTY. It’s a gorgeous, customizable project. Just make sure to waterproof the inside of the drawers with a sealer before doing your plumbing.

• Grout Pens vs. Grout Sealer: Don't grout over grout, and don't paint it with latex. We explain how to clean dirty lines with toilet bowl cleaner and seal them using a proper grout impregnator. (And never use white grout on floors!)

• The Accent Wall Showdown: EMILY’S SOAPBOX. Emily goes to war against taped geometric feature walls and random trim patterns. Stop being 75% fun—commit to the color and let it wrap the whole room like a hug!

🗳️ LINKS & RESOURCES: Want early bird access to our highly anticipated August workshop classes? Head over to howtohandymaam.com and sign up for our newsletter to get a 2-day head start on registration before slots open to the public! You can also email us your burning trade questions directly at [email protected] to be featured on next month’s Q&A sidequest. And don't forget to check out our Blog!

Welcome back to the How to Handyma’am Sidequest! 📻🧰

We are switching things up and moving to a once-a-month, rapid-fire Q&A format so we can dive deep into your burning home improvement questions . Recording late on a Tuesday night from Samantha’s house (aka Emily’s mom!)—complete with an angry, trapped dog downstairs acting like a disgruntled Pixar character—the trio gets straight to the point .

In this sidequest, Samantha, Emily, and Arly tackle everything from cosmetic fixes to serious structural liabilities. They break down the legalities of property lines, walk you through the literal colors of electrical wiring, and save you from making a massive material mistake on your outdoor deck.

🛠️ Questions Answered in This Sidequest:

• The Bondo Dilemma: Can you use Bondo to repair 1960s wood paneling damaged by dogs? (Yes! ). Can you use it to patch up cracks on your exterior deck boards before painting? (Absolutely not—and we explain why it doesn't flex with the weather ).* Outlet Bulbs & Light Sockets: What are those magic old-school basement light bases that let you plug string lights directly into a bulb socket? .

• Ceiling Fan 101: How do you know if your ceiling box is legally rated to hold the weight of a spinning fan? (Hint: If it's blue plastic, you're in trouble ). Plus, a breakdown of the mysterious blue wire and why sequence matters .* The "Pretty Side" Fence Law: Why do most HOAs and municipalities force you to face the finished side of your fence toward your neighbor? . We talk property value, climbing risks, and strict pool code requirements .* Zoning vs. Building Permits: Why building a shed under 200 square feet without a permit doesn't mean you can skip zoning approval.

💜 JOIN OUR PATREON & NEWSLETTER:Want a super mega, totally uncut, and highly unhinged bonus episode every single month? Join our $5 Apprentice Tier on Patreon to support our mission of making the trades accessible to women ! Plus, our Patreon crew and newsletter subscribers get absolute first dibs on registration for our upcoming summer classes.

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Welcome back to How to Handyma'am! ☀️🪚

In this episode, Samantha, Emily, and Arly are breaking down Part 2 of their "Aging in Place" series—this time, taking the conversation completely outside for an Outdoor Independence Audit. As licensed builders running their construction company, MyHandyma'am, the crew dives into 10 practical ways to modify your home’s exterior so that you and your loved ones can enjoy the sunshine with zero barriers to entry.

From understanding the exact mathematical ratio of a safe ramp to the hidden emergency safety benefits of smart keypad door locks, this episode is packed with lesser-known adjustments that make properties safer for everyone. Plus, the girls share hilarious updates from their first adult education class, debate the reality of terrible city drivers, and recount some legendary smart-home broadcast pranks.

🛠️ Inside This Episode:* The 1:12 rule for building safe, non-slip ramps.* Why contrast matters way more than brightness in outdoor lighting.* The difference between standard wood deck rails and a truly "graspable" handrail.* Ergonomic advantages of table-height gardening and strategic seating.* How a smart video doorbell eliminates the dangerous "rush to the door".

💜 SUPPORT THE SHOW:Want to help us continue providing education and making the trades more accessible without any mansplaining? Join our $5 Apprentice Tier on Patreon to unlock exclusive monthly bonus episodes and peek behind the curtain of our chaotic antics!

• Join the Patreon Crew: patreon.com/howtohandymaam
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Welcome back to How-To Handyma’am! This week, Samantha, Arly, and Emily are stepping away from our standard workshop schedules to take you on a wild, chaotic deep dive into the completely bizarre history of the everyday tools sitting in your garage .

Emily is feeling sneaky and sharing her inner history nerd as we play a guessing game with the unsettling origins of modern trade tools :

• 🩸 The Childbirth Chainsaw: Discover why the modern chainsaw was originally engineered in the late 1700s by two Scottish surgeons to cut through pelvic bones during high-risk deliveries long before wood loggers ever touched it .

• 👗 The Corset Tape Measure: How the flexible, spring-loaded tape measure in your tool belt owes its mechanics to Victorian-era hoop skirts , plus the hidden reason why snapping a 90s snap bracelet might feel painfully familiar .

• 🔫 The Colt .45 Power Drill: Why your modern cordless drill moved away from painful chest-pressed "breast drills" to a design explicitly modeled after a semi-automatic handgun to maximize manual control .

• ⚔️ The Battlefield Screwdriver: For over three centuries, the humble flathead screwdriver wasn't a woodworker's tool at all—it was a specialized military weapon maintenance tool engineered to hold plate armor and muskets together .

• 🛠️ The Truth About Stripping Screws: Why standard Phillips head screws were actually engineered to "cam out" and strip on purpose to preserve armor plating , plus Arly's recent "come to Jesus" love affair with the chunky Phillips 3 (P3) driver bit .

We wrap up the episode with some surprising bonus facts about sharkskin sandpaper , the evolutionary perfection of crabs , and our definitive rankings of the best animals on the planet (spicy black bears included).

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Connect with us! Drop your favorite animal in the comments of our social channels so we can tell you their weird evolutionary traits . Find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @howtohandymaam (remember, it's ma'am, not man!). You can also share your latest DIY workspace projects directly by emailing [email protected].

#HowToHandymaam #ToolHistory #ChainsawOrigin #PistolGripDrill #PhillipsHead #WomenInTrades #HistoryHacks #PatreonApprentice

Welcome back to How-To Handyma’am, the podcast where we put the handyman in the hosting ! This week, Samantha, Arly, and Emily are bringing you part two of our ultimate summer hosting guide, packed with genius backyard hacks and tactical entertaining blueprints to put even your most introverted guests completely at ease .

Before we hit the backyard, we kick off with our Three Minutes of Chaos segment . Emily reminisces about using actual gas leaf blowers to clean movie theater aisles in high school , we launch into the highly controversial French Fry Wars , and Arly recaps her recent Amazon sunscreen crisis . We also break down a terrifying "Field Tale" of a classic mid-century ranch house that was criminally forced into a black-and-white modern farmhouse aesthetic .

On a serious note, Emily shares some heavy-hitting safety takeaways from her recent builder’s license continuing education classes . We discuss the critical 3-rung extension ladder rule , why a post-fall rescue plan is just as vital as your harness , and how a simple DIY ratchet strap trick can completely eliminate a terrifying ladder wobble .

In the main segment, we map out Emily's Summer Hosting Blueprint :

• Tactical Bug Defense: Reclaiming your air space with industrial fans and easy DIY plug-in porch ceiling fans .

• The DIY Food Shield: Building a custom, screened buffet enclosure using a basic 1x lumber box, window screen staples, and a piano hinge .

• The No-Fumble Party Flow: Why separating food and drink zones prevents bottleneck lines .

• The Golden Rules of Hospitality: Why you must open every bag of chips before guests arrive , labeling your coolers with painter's tape , and the absolute necessity of a bathroom speaker to mask awkward noise .

🔗 Grab all our resources and full build guides here: linktr.ee/howtohandymaam

🔗 Check out our blog HERE!

Connect with us! Tag us in your project photos on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @howtohandymaam (remember, it's ma'am, not man!) . You can also send your latest DIY project triumph photos directly to [email protected]

Grab your respirators, folks. In this Sidequest, Samantha, Arly, and Emily officially open the doors to the MDF Hate Club . While medium density fiberboard looks uniform and beautiful on the store shelf, we are here to expose the pros, the cons, and the absolute lies surrounding this compressed wood fluff .

In this Sidequest, we break down:

• What is MDF anyway?: A mid-20th-century invention made from leftover wood chips and sawdust ground into fluff, mixed with wax and resin under intense heat and pressure .

• The Pros (The Short List): It’s perfectly smooth, doesn't warp or crown in perfect conditions, and cuts cleanly on a table saw—making it the "hot dog of wood products" with one single consistency all the way through .

• The "Stupid Sponge" Reality: Why making kitchen and bathroom cabinets out of a material that turns completely to mush when exposed to water makes zero sense .

• Samantha & Emily’s Horror Story: The nightmare of refinishing 35 factory-painted cabinet doors, scraping out wet mush with utility knives, and using Bondo to manually sculpt cabinet profiles back together .

• The Fastener Fail: Why driving a screw into MDF is exactly like putting a screw into a piece of Smartie candy, and why you only get "one shot" before the hole strips completely .

• The "Finest Toxin": Why you must wear a respirator when cutting MDF, plus a technical cleanup hack using vinegar to break the static cling of the powder .

• Don't Hate OSB: Why Oriented Strand Board is layered like a phone book and is actually an incredibly strong, great product, unlike the trap of MDF .

Handyma’am Verdict: If you are new to woodworking, do not start your hobby with MDF or you will want to quit . If you must build a heavy-load project (like Samantha and Emily's budget vinyl record bookshelves), skip the MDF and buy cabinet-grade plywood—or be prepared to install a 1x2 wooden skeleton just to keep it from failing .

Disagree with our anti-MDF manifesto? Let us know at howtohandymaam.com or find us on socials @howtohandymaam!

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We’ve officially hit Episode 24! This week, Samantha, Arly, and Emily are breaking down the essential steps to building a fence that stays level, plumb, and square for years to come. Samantha kicks things off with a heartfelt dedication to her Aunt Annie—the original "master of the chaos" who taught her that getting older means finally being exactly who you are.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Four-Step Fence: A simple breakdown of the process: dig the hole, set the posts, set the rails, and screw in the pickets.

• Beating the Frost Line: Why digging 42 inches deep is non-negotiable in the Midwest to prevent "frost heave" from ruining your foundation.

• Fence Anatomy: Understanding the vertical 4x4 posts, horizontal 2x4 rails, and the "skin" of the fence—your pickets.

• Choosing Your Style: The differences between Standard Picket, Shadowbox (the "good neighbor" fence), and Board-on-Board for total privacy.

• Legal & Social Prep: Why you MUST call 811 (MISS DIG), find your survey stakes, and why the "pretty side" usually has to face your neighbor.

• Hardware Advice: Why interior screws are a "no-go" for fences and how to use a jig for perfectly aligned picket screws.

Handyma’am Tip: Don't just eyeball your property line. Verify your survey stakes or you might find yourself moving a whole fence later!

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#HowToHandymaam #FenceBuilding #DIYHomeRepair #OutdoorLiving #HomeImprovement #WomenInTrades

We’ve officially survived the "22-episode failure zone," and with over 43 total uploads including our Sidequests, we’re just getting started! This week, the studio door is open, and Winnie the dog joins Emily, Arly, and Samantha as we tackle a themed Q&A all about your home's exterior.

In this Sidequest, we answer:

• Staining a Weathered Deck: Is it ever too late to stain a graying deck?

  
  

• Soft Washing 101: Why chemicals, not high-force power washing, are the secret to a clean wood deck.

  
  

• The Wood Filler Trap: Why we suggest avoiding "Deck Correct" and standard wood fillers or Bondo for outdoor projects.

  
  

• Patio Permit Truths: When you need a permit for pavers and why you MUST call MISS DIG before digging.

  
  

• Vinyl Siding Deep Clean: The best solutions for getting rid of algae and mold on your siding.

  
  

Handyma’am Golden Rule: Before you soft wash your siding, soak your foundation and nearby plants with clean water to protect them from chemical runoff!

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#HowToHandymaam #DeckMaintenance #DIYHomeRepair #OutdoorLiving #HomeImprovement