Bob Beacham
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Name: Bob Beacham
Title: Contributing Writer
Bob Beacham is an engineer by trade and has spent 35 years working on everything from auto parts to oil rigs. He is also an avid DIY enthusiast. Bob started writing for the Bob Vila team in 2020 and covers tools, outdoor equipment, and home improvement projects.
Expertise and Experience
Bob spent many years working as an engineer. This gave him the opportunity to travel around Europe and the U.S., working with component suppliers to Aston Martin, Audi, Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen. He also spent some time working on control systems for the aviation and petrochemical industries.
In his late 40s, Bob changed career paths. Since woodworking was one of his favorite hobbies, he decided to start his own woodshop. During this period, he remodeled an old rural farmhouse from the ground up with his wife—the first of two similar projects. As a result, he gained extensive experience with techniques and tools. The woodshop was hugely enjoyable, but not particularly lucrative. He supported his passion with consultancy work and began writing freelance articles about his experiences for several online publications. After 10 very enjoyable years, Bob closed the woodshop after relocating to his current home. The consultancy work and writing continues.
Browse By Tag
It’s not unusual for miter and chop saws to get mixed up. The fact that miter saws are sometimes mistakenly called chop saws doesn’t help. At a glance they have a lot in common. For examp...
A porch swing is a great place to relax on a balmy evening while sipping something cool and refreshing—what’s not to love? Even if you don’t have a porch, you can still create a similar v...
Whether you’re a keen DIYer or a pro, there’s little more frustrating than being unable to find the right tool when you need it. Digging through a disorganized pile of wrenches, hammers, ...
Welding can be used to fix auto bodywork, repair a gate, make an Art Deco chair, or create a garden sculpture. It can be a fascinating hobby or a full-time career. Skilled welders are alw...
Nothing is as effective as a plate compactor when it comes to creating a solid foundation for hardscaping projects like paths, patios, and driveways. These tools are invaluable for creati...
Impact drivers are the go-to tool when dealing with long screws and other large fasteners. An impact driver delivers extra rotational force to drive the fixing home for jobs in which a st...
The TIG welder was first developed in the 1930s as a way to weld lightweight magnesium for the aircraft industry. These machines can produce very neat welds, particularly on thin metal sh...
MIG (metal inert gas) welding, also known as gas metal arc welding (GMAW), is generally accepted as the easiest type of welding to learn. Yet with the right equipment, MIG welding can han...
A rotary laser level is an invaluable tool for a variety of jobs where maintaining accuracy over a wide area or long distance matters. DIYers and pros use levels on plenty of slopes or gr...
DIY projects big and small are often solitary tasks. Sometimes there’s nobody around to lend a hand and other times, an inexperienced “helper” may end up getting in the way. For those tas...