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Chuck Miller

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Charles Miller worked as an editor for Fine Homebuilding for more than 30 years. After his retirement, he moved to California, but he remains on the masthead as an editor at large. As of 2017, he still illustrates and edits FHB’s “Tips & Techniques” department, and he appears online in many of our archived There’s a Better Way video series. Before signing on with Fine Homebuilding in 1980, he was a builder in Berkeley, California. He still builds for fun — “My wife calls me an over-do-it-yourselfer,” he says.

  • How to Make a Better Drill Bit in a Pinch

    Chuck Miller takes an online reader's suggestion and adds a new step to the emergency homemade-bit technique.   Attention all tipsters! We're looking for any smart idea that would make…

  • How to Cut a Hole in a Ceiling Without Making a Mess

    If you've got to cut a hole in a drywall ceiling for a light fixture, you could just let the dust and debris fall and clean it up later, but…

  • How to Patch a Leaky PVC Water Pipe

    If you've got a PVC water-supply line that's dripping, you could put a bucket under it and use it to irrigate the garden, but there's a better way

  • Build a Simple Shingle-Cutting Bench from Scrap Wood

    This angled bench is at a comfortable height for cutting identical-width starter strips for asphalt shingles.

  • Make Stress-Relief Cuts for Stronger Stair Stringers

     If you're cutting stair stringers out of two-by stock, you could make both of your saw cuts right to the intersection and hope you don't over cut and weaken the…

  • How to Staple Housewrap Tight to Sheathing on Inside Corners

    Don't trip up your siding installers by not doing a good job when hanging your weather-resistant barrier

  • Build a Simple Jig to Drill Cabinet-Handle Holes Perfectly

    Learn a foolproof way to locate and drill handle holes in cabinet drawers or doors.

  • A Quick Circular-Saw Blade Change

    Don't bust you're knuckles fumbling with a wrench to get your old blade off; use this super-simple tip instead.

  • Pressure-Treated Wood Preservative Tip

    If you've drilled some pressure-treated lumber for a bolt, you need to protect the inside of that bolt hole with some wood preservative. You could use a small paint brush,…

  • Make Accurate Inside-Corner Measurements on Mitered Cuts

    If you need to measure a mitered piece of trim from the short point, you could try to hook the end of your tape to a very difficult purchase point…

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 331 - June 2025
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  • Issue 330 - April/May 2025
    • Deck Details for Durability
    • FAQs on HPWHs
    • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
  • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
    • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
    • A Kominka Comes West
    • Making Small Kitchens Work
  • Issue 328 - Dec/Jan 2024
    • How a Pro Replaces Columns
    • Passive House 3.0
    • Tool Test: Compact Line Lasers
  • Issue 327 - November 2024
    • Repairing Damaged Walls and Ceilings
    • Plumbing Protection
    • Talking Shop

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