Earlier this year, with the help of a contractor, I updated the bathrooms in my condo with new sinks, taps, countertops and (low-flush) toilets. Although I considered changing the towel bars, I decided that I liked the existing ones well enough. What I really wanted was an additional bar for a hand towel mounted on the side of the sink cabinet.

I could have chosen a fashionable towel ring, but that would have hung the towel below comfortable arm's reach.

Although Totem still carries the older style of towel bar in my bathroom, the smallest size (18 inches) was too long for the hand towels I wanted to hang there. In addition, the position of the toilet would have made it very difficult to install without removing the tank. I soon figured out that it would be fairly easy to cut the longer one down to the perfect size.

You need a hacksaw and a file to do this. Here’s how.

1. Determine the perfect length and mark it on the bar.
2. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the bar, centered over top of your mark.
3. Remark the cut line on top of the tape.
4. Notch the bar with a hacksaw on this mark and then saw through the bar. The tape will prevent damage to the bar if the saw slips.
5. When the bar is cut, remove the tape and file off the rough edges. (Be careful; they can be very sharp.) The end supports will cover slight imperfections in the cut.
6. When you mount the bar according to the package instructions, wrap a thin bead of plumber’s putty inside the end supports (see it in the picture above) to keep the bar from rattling.

The library has some terrific books specifically geared to women who want to learn how to use tools and tackle home improvement projects. (Good for the guys, too.)

Marie’s Home Improvement Guide and Chix Can Fix both describe the use of a hacksaw. A mini-model like mine is an inexpensive and easy tool to master – useful for cutting down curtain rods as well.

Google “using a hacksaw” for helpful sites and YouTube demos like this one.