Ron Swanson DIY 101: Can You Beat Parks & Rec's Ron Swanson at His Own Game?
Written by Jessica Holom
Last updated · 10 min play time
From building canoes to fixing sinks, handyman Ron Swanson is Parks & Rec's go-to DIY-er. Can you keep up with the DIY master? Take our Ron Swanson DIY 101 quiz and show us your craftsmanship skills!
Quiz written by
Jessica HolomJessica Holom is a freelance writer and digital nomad with a background in literature, art, and writing. She believes curiosity never killed a single cat and enjoys learning, world-exploring, and writing about both.
Ron Swanson DIY 101 Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 405 Plays · 1 Comment
Question 1
After drinking six shots of whiskey, Ron proved his DIY skills to Leslie by building a harp. What tool was NOT used in its construction?
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ANailgun
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BBandsaw
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COscillating spindle sander
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DSpokeshave
Nailgun
In order to prove to Leslie Knope that he was a capable drunk driver, Ron built a perfectly tuned harp after six drinks. He did so using a bandsaw, a spokeshave, and an oscillating spindle sander. Knope, you just got served.
Question 2
Ron capitalizes off the apocalypse by selling his flutes to members of The Reasonabilists cult. What are they made from?
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ADiamonds
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BBrass
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CWood
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DSilver
Wood
“The Zorpies are ridiculous, but like the founding fathers, I believe in absolute freedom of religion," Ron said. "Also, their ceremonies require the playing of flutes. I happen to make flutes in my woodshop.” Ron sells his wooden flutes to the Zorpies – aka, the Reasonablists cult – who think Zorp will soon destroy the world. Helpful tip: cults are a key market for handcrafted products.
Question 3
When the team builds Leslie a scale model of the department out of candy, Ron goes another way with her desk. What is NOT a step to build one?
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AAttach the legs
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BCut your wood to the chosen dimensions
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CTake measurements
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DCut a 45 degree angle
Cut a 45 degree angle
The team builds Leslie a gingerbread Parks & Rec department, but Ron does what he does best: he builds a model of her City Counselor desk out of wood. As you may have guessed, cutting a 45-degree angle isn't necessary to desk construction.
Question 4
“No home is complete without a proper toolbox," Ron Swanson decrees. What item is NOT necessary for one's basic toolkit?
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AVice grip
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BWindex
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CLevel
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DTape measurer
Windex
“Here’s April and Andy’s," Swanson says, holding the plastic bag up in disdain. "A hammer, half of a pretzel, baseball card, some cartridge that says ’Sonic and Hedgehog’, a scissor half, and a flashlight. Filled with jelly beans.” Needless to say, nothing but the hammer makes the cut for a toolkit. Along with a tape measurer, a vice grip, a level, screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters, nails and screws, and a few other odds and ends, your basic needs will be set.
Question 5
As a wedding gift to April and Andy, Ron repairs things around their home, starting with their bathroom sink. What is NOT a step in repairing a compression faucet leak?
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AShut off the water beneath the sink
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BReplace the seat washer
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CRemove the pipe beneath the sink
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DRemove each handle
Remove the pipe beneath the sink
Instead of joining in the party fun, Ron hires Ann's "small hands" to help him repair things around April and Andy's home...his idea of fun. To fix a compression faucet, you must turn off the water from below, remove each handle, remove the nut with a wrench, pull the stem out, and replace the seat washer before reassembling. Leaky faucets are almost always the result of old seat washers.
Question 6
Instead of waiting for the "government" to repair the roads, Ron takes it upon himself. What's the first step in fixing a pothole?
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AUse a tamper to compact the area
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BRemove loose rock and debris
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CFill in the hole with paver base
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DLet it sit and dry
Remove loose rock and debris
Ron Swanson to the rescue again! When a local woman complains about a pothole in front of her home, Ron doesn't wait for government bureaucracy; he fills it himself. He does so by first clearing the hole of loose debris, filling it with paver base, compacting it with a tamper, filling it with blacktop repair (a mix of asphalt and stone), and compacting again until smooth.
Question 7
For his help in getting his woodshop up to code, Ron gifted Mark Brendanawicz with a hand-made canoe. What's the first step to building one?
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ALaminate the stems
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BDance around your woodshop to "Eye of the Tiger"
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CStrip the hull
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DCut the forms
Cut the forms
Funnily enough, real-life handyman Nick Offerman, who plays Ron Swanson, actually builds canoes himself. He can tell you that step one (after preparation and planning, of course) is to cut the forms out of plywood or whatever material you're using.
Question 8
After building a beautiful keepsake box for Chris Traeger, Ron says what will warp the wood?
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AAlkaline
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BWoodstain
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CSaltwater
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DMetal
Saltwater
"Saltwater will warp the wood, so keep your tears in your eyes, where they belong," Ron tells Traeger. And he wasn't kidding; salt pushes wood fibers apart, creating a "fuzzy" look.
Question 9
Be sentimental, like Ron, and build a picture frame for your dear friend. What's the first step?
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AGlue it together
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BTake a picture, it'll last longer
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CMeasure the dimensions
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DCut the materials
Measure the dimensions
During <i>Parks & Rec</i>'s final season, Ron and Leslie aren't on speaking terms, but Ron still has it in his heart to make Leslie a picture frame using the door of Ann's house. Cue happy tears. And, of course, he knew to measure the dimensions first.
Question 10
Being that Ron doesn't trust the government, it's not too surprising that he's a bit of a survivalist. In one episode, he goes off-grid. What step must NOT be taken?
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AInvest in solar and wind energy
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BNo social media presence
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CHarvest rain with a cistern
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DBuy a limited cell phone plan
Buy a limited cell phone plan
Ron decides to go off-grid, but unless you buy a burner phone, a cell phone plan is a no-go, as any cell data is traceable. Getting off social media, investing in solar and wind energy, and harvesting rain with a cistern to create your own water supply are three ways to get yourself off the grid.
Question 11
Do you have an award-winning chair? Then, you're no Ron Swanson. What's NOT a step in building a basic chair?
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ABuild the chair back
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BPrepare for the connections
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CAssemble the sides
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DCut 10 meter squares of plywood
Cut 10 meter squares of plywood
Although we never see which is Ron's award-winning chair, we do know how to make one, and it doesn't involve cutting 10 meters of plywood. Basically, you cut and assemble the sides, prepare for the connections, build the chair back, and then connect and secure the back/seat combo. Sand or paint where necessary.
Question 12
"People who buy things are suckers," Ron says after making Ben and Leslie's wedding rings in twenty minutes. What was NOT one of the steps he took?
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AHeat the pieces in a cast iron bucket
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BForge and shape the rings
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CPan for gold
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DLiquify the metal
Pan for gold
“It’s not rocket science. I removed the sconce, fired up my grandfather’s torch, heated the pieces in a cast-iron bucket, liquified the metal, poured into a mold, obviously keep it over a low flame to achieve a nice temper, cooled it in antifreeze and just forged and shaped the rings. Any moron with a crucible and acetylene torch and a cast iron waffle maker could have done the same." – Ron Swanson
Question 13
Ron Swanson's alter ego, Nick Offerman, is a woodworker in real life. Offerman did a woodworking DIY Q&A on YouTube. What type of wood does he say never to stain?
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APine
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BBirch
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CRed Oak
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DPoplar
Red Oak
This may just be a preference, but Offerman says to never stain red oak. He suggests that if you're going to stain wood, use something cheaper, like poplar.
Question 14
In the Q&A, someone asks Offerman about this joint, which is what?
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ABridle
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BFinger
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CDovetail
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DDistal interphalangeal
Dovetail
Offerman says that he likes tiny pins in a dovetail layout because he thinks it's handsome and "belies a mastery of the form."
Question 15
Are woodworking aprons necessary? Offerman says yes. What is NOT one of the reasons he gives?
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AProtects civilian clothing from finishing products
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BProtects civilian clothing from dust
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CHas pockets in which to store pencils, rulers, etc.
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DIs cool looking
Is cool looking
Offerman lists two reasons to wear a woodworking apron: 1) To protect civilian clothing from dust and finishing products and 2) To store necessary tools in the pockets. Done and done!
Question 16
Offerman was also asked the question – what angle should you cut a miter joint at? What was his answer?
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A360 degrees
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B45 degrees
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C90 degrees
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D25 degrees
45 degrees
Being that traditionally, you're going for a 90-degree corner and you bisect your angle, that makes for a 45-degree angle. All corners should add up to 360 degrees, whether you're building a square, a pentagon, a hexagon, etc.
Question 17
Offerman actually runs his own woodworking site, offering DIY kits, one of which involves building a stool. What item is NOT required for such a project?
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APower jointer
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BSandpaper
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CMallet
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DSmall handsaw
Power jointer
For Offerman's “Build Your Own Damn Stool” Kit, the tools involved are basic: a mallet, hammer, or cudgel, a small handsaw, sandpaper, and optional wood glue. Assembly instructions are included.
Question 18
Another DIY kit on offer is a Hatchet Kit. What tool is NOT required for this building project?
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ATablesaw
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BHammer
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CSpokeshave
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DRasp
Tablesaw
Offerman's OWS Hatchet Kit reads: "Fashion a grip too good to be buried." Including hatchet heads made of steel, along with either a hickory or ash handle, the tools required are a hammer, a spokeshave, a rasp, sandpaper, and finish. If you're a beginner, you're in luck! According to Offerman, only basic skills are required to build the hatchet.
Question 19
Offerman said that his woodworking took off when he "started building decks and cabins in peoples’ yards...and got really into post-and-beam construction." What type of building materials does post-and-beam use?
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AHeavy timbers
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BMetal
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CDimensional lumber
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DBananas
Heavy timbers
"[Los Angeles] is a great town for people wanting custom-commissioned work of all sorts," Offerman said when explaining his woodworking evolution. As described by Offerman, post-and-beam, in particular, uses heavy timbers as opposed to dimensional lumber.
Question 20
As the series wrapped, Offerman made his colleagues and castmates paddles from wood on the set. What is NOT a step in building such a heartfelt gift?
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AUse a jigsaw to cut out the paddle shape
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BKnock off the corners
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CTrace the top shape of the paddle on the board
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DHog out the unnecessary wood
Use a jigsaw to cut out the paddle shape
Offerman used lumber from the set of <i>Parks and Recreation</i> to create paddles for each cast member. Building a paddle is more about reduction rather than addition and doesn't require a jigsaw.
Comments (1)
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I got 19 out of 20 and never watched the show!