Contractor Nightmare Checklist: 7 Things to Put in Writing
Before you hire a contractor, write down these seven project details so the homeowner and the contractor share the same expectations before money changes hands.
Latest build
I Bought a Jeep I’m Not Qualified to Fix
I finally bought the next big project for the channel: a 2004 Jeep Wrangler TJ with the 4.0L inline-six and a 5-speed manual.
Recent build notes
Latest from the bench
Before You Buy the Milwaukee Tilt Bin Organizer
If you’re tired of pulling a whole case off the wall just to grab a few screws, the Milwaukee Tilt Bin Organizer aims to fix that.
Build a Winter Car EDC That Actually Works
Winter strands drivers for simple, preventable reasons. A focused car EDC keeps you warm, moving, and safe when temps drop—especially in Upstate New York conditions.
Why this exists
Real builds. Real tools. No fluff.
HeyDerFolks is a DIY, tools, and EDC site built around real garage projects — the kind where things don’t always go as planned.
I’m not in the trades and I didn’t grow up around them. Most of what I build, fix, or improve, I’m learning as I go — often by making mistakes on camera and figuring out how to recover from them.
I have a strong appreciation for good tools and a “buy once, cry once” mindset. I don’t need professional-grade gear for everything, but when I do buy a tool, I need it to work — because time in the garage is limited. That’s why you’ll see a lot of Snap-on and Milwaukee here, along with honest notes about what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d do differently next time. Each post is a set of build notes tied to a YouTube video, focused on learning, tools, and getting better one project at a time.
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Build logs, tool lists, and notes — indexed for quick lookup.