The warm, dry days and cool, relatively humid nights of the late summer and early fall provide the perfect conditions for drying tobacco leaves. Tobacco leaves that are too green will dry green, which you want to avoid. Typically the lower leaves on the plant will turn yellow sooner, so take those first for drying. The leaves need to be protected from direct sunlight, rain, and wind for drying. A barn, shed, or garage would work well for this. You could even dry the leaves in your home, as long as you have the space -- just be sure the air isn’t too dry.  Find a shelter where you’ll have some control over the humidity by opening or closing doors, windows, or vents. You’ll need to keep the humidity relatively high to keep the leaves from drying too quickly.  Be sure the leaves are protected from direct sunlight, which may burn them. Fasten the leaves to a clothesline or rope, bunched together at the stem and tied with a strong rubber band that will contract as the leaves shrink. If you’re only drying a few leaves, another method is to thread individual stems and hang the leaves from a string.

Summary: Dry tobacco in the fall for the best results. Pick leaves that are a pale-yellow for drying. Find a well-ventilated shelter for drying, typically a barn or shed. Hang your tobacco in bunches of 3 to 5 leaves.


Shih Tzus do not respond well to punishment. If you see your Shih Tzu has had an accident, it is too late to scold the dog. Punishing your Shih Tzu after an accident has occurred will only serve to confuse her.  Never put your dog in her crate as a form of punishment. You should never use physical violence, like hitting the dog, as a form of punishment.  You should never yell at a Shih Tzu. The only form of scolding you should use is a firm "No!" Raising your voice can startle your dog, creating an environment of fear. This can make training more difficult. In the event of an accident, clean the affected area thoroughly. Use an odor-neutralizing spray and make sure you get out any traces of urine or feces. You want to make sure the area is clean. Shih Tzus are drawn to smell. If an area smells like urine or fecal matter, they're likely to eliminate in that area again. Shih Tzus are highly trainable dogs, but it may take a few weeks for your dog to be successfully house-trained. If you're working with an older Shih Tzu, training can take longer. However, consistent training over a long period of time will eventually pay off. Even if you are frustrated, try to have patience while you're training your Shih Tzu.

Summary: Do not punish a Shih Tzu. Clean accidents thoroughly. Have patience.


When you first lift the sofa’s rear upholstery panel, take pictures of the frame, base, and other relevant features. That way, when you have to put it back together, you’ll know what the sofa is supposed to look like when it’s fully assembled. If you’re unsure about your mechanical abilities, you could take pictures at each step of disassembly to guide you during reassembly. Have plastic bags or other small containers on hand when you unfasten any screws or bolts. Place your hardware into a bag as soon as you remove it. Keep separate bags for each base bar’s hardware so it’s easier to sort through the screws, bolts, nuts, and washers. Label your disassembled parts so you’ll know where to reinstall “left seat back” and “top base bar.” Line up each of the base’s parts up so their backs face the ceiling. Locate the predrilled holes on the top base bar where the screws or bolts fit, and line the bar up with the corresponding holes on the sofa’s base. Start by fastening the top bar’s center screws that attach it to the center part of the sofa, then work outward to reattach the bar to the base of each sofa part. After securing the top bar, drive the screws into the remaining bars to reassemble the sofa base. Place the sofa in a normal position. Carefully slide the detached seat back into its housing, and jiggle it a little until you’ve slid it all the way into place. Turn the sofa forward so the back faces toward the ceiling, locate the locking levers, and push each lever down to lock the seat into position.

Summary: Take pictures as you disassemble the sofa. Keep bolts, screws, and other hardware in separate plastic bags. Reinstall the top bar first during reassembly. Reassemble seats by replacing the backs and locking the levers.


Building fine furniture requires a number of hand tools for completing detail work.  They can be expensive, so it's daunting to think about investing in a lot of different hand tools.  Begin by purchasing these essential hand tools for woodworking.  A bevel-up, low-angle jack plane is a versatile tool to smooth and shape wood. A block plan for planning across the end grain of wood. A small 7- or 8-ounce Japanese plane hammer for common finishing tasks like driving in finishing nails. Bevel-edge chisels for chopping mortises by hand. Water stones for sharpening tools. A 3-inch engineer's square for laying out joinery. A pocket square for frequent measurements like checking thickness. A 12-inch combination square for a straight edge or for finding a 45-degree angle. A wheel marking gauge for making reference marks. A 6-inch sliding bevel gauge for doing work with angles. A card scraper for sanding tricky areas like curved parts. A mill-bastard file for shaping and sharpening. Obtain the basic machinery first.  Once you have that on hand, consider any special equipment you need to make your manufacturing process more efficient.  A band saw for cutting angled or curved shapes. A disc sander for sanding the end grain of timber. A drop saw for cutting timber. A finisher for sanding the edges and faces of timber. A mortising machine for drilling out square mortise holes. A pedestal drill for accurate drilling on large materials. A scroll saw for cutting small, thin pieces of timber. A table saw for cutting large pieces of timber or manufactured boards. A thicknesser for smoothing rough timber and reducing its thickness. Professional upholstery requires a combination of hand tools and pneumatic tools.  Invest in top quality tools that will make your upholstered pieces look their best.  In addition to professional tools, purchase useful items from the hardware store, such as: wire cutters for pulling out staples; a framer's square for straight cuts on fabric; a 45- or 60-inch ruler; and a utility knife for removing old fabric.  A magnetic tack hammer for easily picking up tacks and attaching them to furniture. A webbing stretcher for pulling webbing close to the frame. A regulator for adjusting cushion filling through fabric. A rubber mallet for installing tack strips without marring the surface. Upholstery shears for cutting fabric. Assorted curved needles for hand sewing. A 10-inch button needle for installing buttons through pillows, cushions and furniture backs. Upholsterer and “T” pins for holding fabric during hand sewing. A hand-held staple gun or a pneumatic upholstery stapler. An upholstery button machine for making buttons. An upholstery foam cutter.
Summary: Equip your shop with woodworking hand tools. Purchase or lease furniture-making machinery. Obtain upholstery tools and equipment if necessary.