In this episode:

Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada and mason Mark McCullough team up to install a water feature for a bubbly new project. By tapping Mark’s secret stash of hand-selected boulders and Jenn’s knowledge of landscaping features, the two put together a stone water fountain made from basic materials that homeowners can find at most hardware supply stores. First, Jenn shows Mark how their fountain will work, including the parts necessary for the job. Then, the two get to work cracking one of Mark’s handpicked boulders in half before drilling a hole for the fountain. Finally, Mark helps Jenn assemble the fountain before turning it on in the workshop. Next, carpenter Nathan Gilbert takes us through the ins and outs of miter saw blades. Nathan tells us all about the different sizes of miter saw blades, explaining the most common (and most accurate) ones. He even explains the other parts that make a miter saw blade, the teeth styles, and the best for specific projects. Finally, the whole gang meets back at the shop to talk with host Kevin O’Connor about supply chain issues. Everyone feels the impact, from Jenn Nawada’s pavers, Ross Trethewey’s microchips for smart devices, Mark McCullough’s bluestone, Mauro Henriques’s paint tints, Richard Trethewey’s smaller parts, and heat pumps, to just about everything Tom Silva needs on-site. Between the lack of materials or simply the lack of workers able to move those materials, everyone’s resorting to Plan C.

How To Build a Stone Water Fountain

Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada and mason Mark McCullough team up to build a simple stone water feature that will make a big impact.

Where to find it?

Jenn and Mark team up to design and create a water feature out of a boulder. Jenn and Mark work together to split the boulder, sourced from Mark’s personal collection, in half using the feather and wedge technique. With a Bosch masonry drill, they drill a series of holes across the center of the boulder. By placing feathers opposing one another in each hole and wedges in between each of the feathers, Mark is able to split the stone in half using a hammer. To finish they drill a hole through the center of the boulder that’s slightly larger than the width of the tubing, the tubing and water pump was assembled together in the fountain basin. The fountain is powered by an MD Tidalwave MD-Series Pump manufactured by Atlantic Water Gardens. Pondmaster Adjustable Bell Fountain Kit was provided by Pondmaster Store. The accessory rocks were supplied by Miami Beach Pebbles, Inc Decorative Stones.

Tool Lab | Miter Saw Blades

Carpenter Nathan Gilbert explains everything there is to know about miter saw blades, including which to choose for particular materials and projects.

Supply Chain Shortages

The whole gang meets back at the shop to talk with host Kevin O’Connor about supply chain issues. Everyone feels the impact, from Jenn Nawada’s pavers, Ross Trethewey’s microchips for smart devices, Mark McCullough’s bluestone, Mauro Henriques’s paint tints, Richard Trethewey’s smaller parts, and heat pumps, to just about everything Tom Silva needs on-site. Between the lack of materials or simply the lack of workers able to move those materials, everyone’s resorting to Plan C. Original Air Date: Feb 3, 2022, Season 20; Ep. 17 23:42