Problem: Article: It's easy make mistakes when building a brick oven. These mistakes can lead to cracking, collapsing, or bad insulation. If you follow your plan, you will avoid making these mistakes. Resist the urge to cut corners or improvise. If you do, you may undo all of your hard work. Your plan may ask you to build wooden templates. If so, you will need to know how to use basic woodworking tools. Some basic tools include: A circular saw, to cut straight pieces of wood A jigsaw, for cutting shapes in wood A power drill, to drive screws into pieces of wood A level Your plan will ask for several different kinds of bricks. It may be tempting to ignore their recommendations and use the cheapest or most readily available bricks. However, each brick type has an important function that will extend the life of your oven. For example: Firebricks are used to line the interior of the oven. These bricks resist crumbling caused by heat and can withstand high temperatures. Red clay bricks are usually used on the exterior of the oven. These bricks help insulate the firebricks and are somewhat heat resistant as well. Other brick types, such as concrete blocks, may be used for the base of the oven. These are chosen for their durability and stability. Usually, when you build a structure from brick, you use a concrete mixture to hold the bricks together. However, if you use this to connect the bricks in your oven, the concrete may cause the bricks to crack as they expand from the heat. Instead, use a mixture of clay and sand to cement your bricks together. This mixture will expand and contract at the same rate as the bricks. Follow the ratios in your brick oven plan. Usually, the plan will ask you to mix six parts of clay to four parts of sand. For advice on bricklaying, talk to a representative from your local home improvement store. They can direct you towards the proper tools and equipment.
Summary: Follow your plan exactly. Understand basic woodworking techniques. Use the correct types of brick. Use the proper mortar.

Problem: Article: Coat the inside bottom and sides of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. You could also use specially designed slow cooker liners for an even easier clean-up. Note that this recipe requires the use of a 2-qt to 4-qt (2-L to 4-L) slow cooker. If you use a smaller or larger slow cooker, adjust the recipe by proportion accordingly. Mix the flour, granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir until evenly combined. These ingredients form the base of the actual cake batter. Pour the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla into the wet ingredients. Stir them into the dry ingredients until evenly combined. The resulting batter may have a few small lumps, but use the mixing spoon to break apart any notably large lumps. Keep stirring until you can no longer see any of the dry ingredient mix. In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and 1/4 cup (60 ml) cocoa powder. Stir the hot water into the mixture, as well. Combine the two dry ingredients first, followed by the hot water. Continue stirring the mixture until it appears evenly combined and very smooth. Do not leave any lumps. Pour the cake batter into the slow cooker, then pour the pudding mix on top. Do not stir the two together. Since the cake batter will be thick, you'll need to spread it over the bottom of the slow cooker with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Do so before topping it with the pudding. Try to pour the pudding over the cake batter layer as evenly as possible. Cover the slow cooker and switch it onto its high heat setting. Cook the cake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not remove the lid while the cake is cooking. Doing so will release too much heat and may increase the final cooking time. Turn off the slow cooker once the cake is done. Remove the lid and allow the cake to stand for 30 to 40 minutes before serving it. Instead of serving this cake in slices, you'll need to spoon it out into serving dishes. You can enjoy this cake by itself or serve it with ice cream and dessert sauce.
Summary: Coat the slow cooker. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients. Make the lava. Pour the batters into the slow cooker. Cook on high heat. Cool slightly before serving.

Problem: Article: Oil-based enamels are most easily used with a compressed air sprayer, but acrylics and latex paints can also be sprayed. Adding a suitable thinner will allow more viscous paint to flow freely through the siphon tube, metering valve (fluid) assembly, and nozzle. Place a drop cloth, sheet plastic, scrap lumber or other material on the ground, floor, or any furniture. For "fixed" projects, like the one illustrated here, you will need to protect adjacent surfaces and make sure you have adequate ventilation. Protect nearby surfaces from "over spray" with masking or painter's tape and painter's paper or newspapers; in windy, outdoor conditions, airborne paint particles may drift farther than you expect. Set your paint and thinner on a suitable surface so that spills will not damage anything. These will keep you clean and protect you from dangerous fumes and particulates. Grind, brush, or sand off rust and corrosion from metal, remove all oil, dust, or dirt, and make sure it is dry. Wash the surface: for oil-based paints, use mineral spirits; for latex or acrylic paints, use soap and water. Rinse thoroughly. You can use the sprayer to apply the primer (following the steps below as if it were paint) or apply it with a brush or roller. When you're done, sand it smooth if needed.
Summary: Select your paint and thinner. Prepare the area where you will paint. Put on a mask or respirator, safety glasses, and gloves. Prepare the surface to be painted. Prime the surface if necessary.

Problem: Article: The shims will help hold the panel in place, and they will ensure an even placement of the panel in the space. The shims should be about 1/2" (1.27cm) wide and long enough to easily remove once the first round of mortar sets. Install the shims at 3" (7.62cm) intervals, moving away from the corners. You can mix batches about five or six trowel amounts at a time. It should ideally have a consistency close to bread dough, which will stop the panel from floating in the space as its sets. This should just be a thin layer between the shims to help form a base before placing the window. The panel will be heavy, so have assistance on hand to place the panel. Reset any shims that move while setting the panel. Assure the window is plumb and square before continuing. Use a trowel and pack the gaps around the shims at the bottom of the panel. Allow it to set, hard to the touch, before mortaring the sides. From inside, scrape away any clumps of mortar with your trowel. Assure that the mortar is firmly set before applying pressure to the window. Slide all of your shims out and finish mortaring the gaps once the mortar has set. Allow the mortar to set for two hours and then smooth it out with a striking tool. Clean any excess mortar off the panel with a sponge while it is still wet. Applying mortar at the top gap of the window can produce downward pressure as it sets that can compress and crack the glass. Let the mortar set for a full twenty-hour hours, then fill the entire gap with 100% silicone caulking.
Summary:
Install cedar shims at the bottom of the frame. Mix small batches of mortar. Apply a small amount of mortar to the bottom of the frame. Tilt or slide the panel into position over the shims. Slide shims into the top of the window until it is snug. Pack the gaps at the bottom with mortar. Mortar the sides of the panel. Apply caulk to seal the top of the window.