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I am about to paint some cornhole boards and I was thinking about painting a camo pattern on them. This would be my first time painting a camo pattern and I was wondering if anyone had any tips to make it look perfect.
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Aug 3, 2008 01:08
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My mother-in-law's favourite folk cafe was damaged by arson, and the owner, who was thinking of retiring anyway, took it as a signal to call it quits. He gave away the cafe's furniture, so we picked up some for her - one IKEA BEKVÄM kitchen cart and two KAUSTBY chairs. (chairs are finished, cart is unfinished) They weren't directly damaged by fire, but they were in the building during the fire, then sitting around in it for a while, then sitting in the garage with a bunch of other smoky furniture... and they (or possibly just the cart) kind of smell. My mother-in-law, who is kind of  about chemicals, has washed them with vinegar and lemon juice and sanded the kitchen cart a bit, but she says they still smell smoky and she is considering getting rid of them unless the local natural paint store can come up with some way for her to sort of seal the smoke smell in. I think that'd be too bad, because she really needs the furniture. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to get the smell out? I suggested she lock them up with a bike lock and let them sit out in her carport for a few days or weeks in the fresh air (she doesn't have a car, so there's plenty of room) but I'm not sure how much that would actually help.
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Aug 6, 2008 20:21
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OK now that you simply cannot buy VCR that record cable anymore, my VCR decided to start 'skipping'. What is causing this and how can I fix it.
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Aug 7, 2008 05:40
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EVERYTHING I SAY ABOUT JAPAN OR LIVING IN JAPAN IS COMPLETELY WRONG, BUT YOU BETTER BELIEVE I'LL 
ABOUT IT.
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maplecheese posted:My mother-in-law, who is kind of Another scented oil (peppermint for example) could cover up the smell. Over time the smell will lessen at least.
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Aug 8, 2008 01:27
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I've decided to replace my house's ancient mercury thermostat with a new digital one. Problem is, the wires to the existing thermostat don't conform to the new one (probably because it is so old). Here's the old one:  Six wires: W2 - white O - tan X - light blue R - red Y - yellow G - green And here's the digital one I just bought:  Five spots for wires: Rh Rc W Y G So I guess my question is this: is it possible to use this digital thermostat, and if so, how do I match up the wires (and what do I do with the odd wire out)? And if I need to go get a different digital thermostat, does anyone have any recommendations for this configuration?
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Aug 10, 2008 18:10
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I bought a newly built apartment recently and noticed something odd when doing my checkup rounds. Three light fixture cables, all on the same circuit, have a voltage even when the switches are turned off. All three have around 55-60V all the time. When I toggle the light switch, the one I toggled goes to the normal 230V while the voltage in the other two increases to around 90V. The wires are doing the right thing - the voltage is 60V from the live wire to both neutral and ground. Two of the lights are on a twin switch (two buttons) and one is separate. What's going on here? This can't be right, can it?!
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Aug 10, 2008 18:54
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EssOEss posted:What's going on here? This can't be right, can it?!
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Aug 10, 2008 22:32
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EssOEss posted:All three have around 55-60V all the time. When I toggle the light switch, the one I toggled goes to the normal 230V while the voltage in the other two increases to around 90V. Did you measure the 60V with a multimeter? If so, it's very likely that this is just induced voltage which you only see because your multimeter has a very high input impedance. Try connecting a light bulb to the 60V and see if it lights up. It shouldn't. Also, if you measure again with the light bulb still connected, it should read 0V.
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Aug 11, 2008 11:04
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EssOEss posted:I bought a newly built apartment recently and noticed something odd when doing my checkup rounds. Three light fixture cables, all on the same circuit, have a voltage even when the switches are turned off. You have a loose neutral somewhere, almost certainly on a different circuit. Your house wiring has "pairs" of circuits that both have 120v to neutral. When the neutral on one of those fails, it goes through the circuit on the "other side" to get to ground, showing wierd voltage drops across components. Call a professional electrician; this one may take some serious troubleshooting to solve. Most likely, what happened is someone either forgot to hook a neutral up or there's a bad joint under a wire nut. If it's very newly built, I'd call the company that built it and explain the problem. It's possible that the exact electrician that wired your apartment remembers all the pain-in-the-rear end joints he had to make and knows which one it could be. If you're feeling lucky, start in your panel and work backwards towards devices. Look for neutrals not connected. Start checking voltage between neutral and ground. There should never be more than a tiny tiny voltage between neutral and ground. You can turn off breakers in the panel to see when the voltage on neutral in your lighting circuit drops, too. Good luck.
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Aug 11, 2008 12:13
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edit: posted in the electronics thread instead//
tokki g fucked around with this message at 03:57 on Aug 12, 2008 |
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Aug 12, 2008 03:45
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RegonaldPointdexter posted:Did you measure the 60V with a multimeter? If so, it's very likely that this is just induced voltage which you only see because your multimeter has a very high input impedance. Theory confirmed! Thanks! I was getting worried there  Now for an unrelated question: how do I hang stuff on drywall? I have been surrounded by reinforced concrete on all 6 sides for my entire life. Now, some of the walls are stone and some are drywall on some sort of a metal frame. How do I hang something on drywall? What kind of screws or screw-like objects do I use? There are no studs in the wall or anything like that - it is some sort of metal frame - I don't think there are any attachment points. The wall is relatively flexible when pushed by hand.
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Aug 12, 2008 05:53
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I'm sorry if this should go in Ask/Tell, but I kind of would like to build a Gyrocopter a few years from now when I'm out of college, and was wondering if anyone on here has firsthand advice or some good sites/books on the subject. If this is the wrong place, I apologize.
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Aug 12, 2008 08:27
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EssOEss posted:Now for an unrelated question: how do I hang stuff on drywall? I have been surrounded by reinforced concrete on all 6 sides for my entire life. Now, some of the walls are stone and some are drywall on some sort of a metal frame. Are you me? I've moved a few months ago and am now surrounded by drywall myself. Also, I've had the induced voltage "problem" at my new place. My advice is to get some of these, they work great for drywall:  I have no idea what they're called in English, the German word however is Universaldübel. Also, don't get these:  They are supposed to be special drywall anchors, but in my experience they're total crap. Seftir posted:I'm sorry if this should go in Ask/Tell, but I kind of would like to build a Gyrocopter a few years from now when I'm out of college, and was wondering if anyone on here has firsthand advice or some good sites/books on the subject. If this is the wrong place, I apologize. A friend of mine built one from scratch. The only thing he didn't do himself was the flight control/gyro PCB. For example, he built a frame himself and developed his own motor control PCBs and his own battery charger as well. I think the best advice is: Order a lot of propeller blades. They're gonna break. All of them. If you have any specific questions, I can ask him. RegonaldPointdexter fucked around with this message at 10:25 on Aug 12, 2008 |
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Aug 12, 2008 10:21
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RegonaldPointdexter posted:Also, don't get these: Seconding this to the freaking moon. It does not matter if thoy are plastic or metal (I've tried both) those things suck. THey just end up putting an enormous hole in your wall because they do not bear any weight at all. Get something like the first thing he posted there, that grabs the front and the back of the drywall and picnches.
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Aug 12, 2008 10:44
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RegonaldPointdexter posted:Are you me? I've moved a few months ago and am now surrounded by drywall myself. Also, I've had the induced voltage "problem" at my new place. Yeah, you can find drywall anchors at any hardware store. I've never seen the second kind you listed (and advise against) but a standard quarter-inch anchor that looks kind of like the first one you listed usually does the trick. Just make sure you're not first drilling into a stud! No advice for my thermostat replacement? Is that something that would probably warrant its own thread? I didn't post it in the electronics thread, because it seems to be like a relatively simple issue unless you're a total tard when it comes to electricity (like me).
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Aug 12, 2008 13:32
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Ballz posted:No advice for my thermostat replacement? Is that something that would probably warrant its own thread? I didn't post it in the electronics thread, because it seems to be like a relatively simple issue unless you're a total tard when it comes to electricity (like me). There probably aren't so many thermostat/heating experts in here. I'd say call the thermostat manufacturer, they should be able to tell you how to hook it up.
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Aug 12, 2008 13:43
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Alright! Universaldübel it is then. Speaking of not hitting a stud - does anyone know what this "metal frame" in my walls would be? I have no idea what this thing inside the wall actually looks like. Due to this, I really do not know how I can find out what the bad places to drill are.
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Aug 12, 2008 14:12
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 I wouldn't be so worried. It won't do any harm if you drill a small hole in one of the studs.
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Aug 12, 2008 14:52
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Ballz posted:No advice for my thermostat replacement? Is that something that would probably warrant its own thread? I didn't post it in the electronics thread, because it seems to be like a relatively simple issue unless you're a total tard when it comes to electricity (like me). EDIT: No, you didn't read the manual. Section 1: This thermostat is not compatible with heat pumps or multistage systems You need to take it back and get one compatible with a heat pump system. Which is what you have. Sorry to be a dick, but you'll save yourself a lot of time, heartache and money if you always read the manual before opening your toolbox. This was a really easy mistake to make, especially since heat pump thermostats are a bit more expensive than others (but heat pumps are more efficient, so you save money in the long run). At least you were smart enough to not just try plugging and praying
Sapper fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Aug 12, 2008 |
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Aug 12, 2008 15:37
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Sapper posted:EDIT: I read the manual, but I didn't know what a heat pump system is or that I even had it. I just figured the big thing to keep in mind was if it was a gas or electric system. I had some AC guys working on my system a few weeks back, and I asked them if they could also replace the thermostat. The guy pretty much said, "Sure, but it'll cost you $130. Or you could always just go install it yourself, it's not that hard." I was pretty much under the impression all I needed to do was turn off the power and match up the wires, so I was thrown for a loop with the mismatched wires. Thanks for clarifying, and you can be a dick to me all you want. I'm a new, first-time homeowner trying to learn all this crap without burning down my house, so I'll take all the surly advice I can get.
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Aug 12, 2008 16:27
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Ballz posted:I read the manual, but I didn't know what a heat pump system is or that I even had it. I just figured the big thing to keep in mind was if it was a gas or electric system. You'll pick up stuff as you go along, and in a few years you'll be the person everyone asks for advice. Sorry to be crabby, I got a call from a relative as I was going out the door to work this morning wanting to know if I could come hook their home stereo up this evening. "Did it come with a manual?" "Yes?" "Did you read it?" "No, I thou-*click*" I'm sure I'll be catching hell from my mommy tonight for that.
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Aug 12, 2008 23:50
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RegonaldPointdexter posted:A friend of mine built one from scratch. The only thing he didn't do himself was the flight control/gyro PCB. For example, he built a frame himself and developed his own motor control PCBs and his own battery charger as well. I think the best advice is: Order a lot of propeller blades. They're gonna break. All of them. Well, just the normal questions like how long did it take, cost, where did he get the plans from. Is it as fun as it looks, how'd he learn to fly.
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Aug 13, 2008 00:14
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My brother put a cherry bomb in our own toilet. His excuse was "I didn't know fuses burned underwater." He blew a five inch hole in the side, so the toilet has been removed. It hasn't been replaced yet. There's a hole about 4-5" across where it used to be in our floor (the mouth of the drainage pipe.) Will bad stuff happen here if I take a shower? I don't want backed-up sewage on my floor if I can help it.
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Aug 13, 2008 03:46
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Definitely stuff a rag in there- there's no P-trap in the toilet downpipe, all that is in the toilet itself (which he blew up). You don't want noxious, stankin' rear end sewer gases flooding into your house (The ones that you don't smell are the ones that can kill you. And explode. Taking a shower shouldn't cause a backup or anything, though. But still, block that pipe off. And for the love of God, use a new wax ring when you replace the shitter.
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Aug 13, 2008 05:01
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Sapper posted:Taking a shower shouldn't cause a backup or anything, though. But still, block that pipe off. And for the love of God, use a new wax ring when you replace the shitter. I see these new fangled-ish rings that are not made of wax. ANy experience with them?
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Aug 13, 2008 07:28
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kapalama posted:I see these new fangled-ish rings that are not made of wax. ANy experience with them? Nope, never used them. I imagine anything that is squishy enough to make a water-tight seal would work, though. I doubt they'd spend lots of time and money developing a new product to replace a simple $1 wax ring if it didn't work, though. Maybe I'm too optimistic.
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Aug 13, 2008 14:08
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How the gently caress did I doublepost a minute apart? Maybe the database is loving up again.
Sapper fucked around with this message at 02:20 on Aug 14, 2008 |
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Aug 13, 2008 14:09
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Quick favour: I want to change the lightning in my room, as it is now I only have one 75W light bulb hanging from the ceiling in an ugly lamp so it gives appropriate illumination to the room, but it's... well, it's harsh, for a lack of a better word. Problem is, while I know what effect I want to achieve (proper illumination so I can SEE but something gentler), I have utterly no idea where to begin. Which type of lamp? Where to point it at? Also I was thinking about making some dimming lights at the sides of my couch (on the floor) in order to play games/watch movies. Good idea? Bad idea? Are there any web pages you can recommend so I can steal some ideas or some general tips? I'm just starting off on this idea and I don't want you guys to solve everything for me; some reading material and pictures would be a great start. Once I have a general idea I will pester you guys some more. 
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Aug 13, 2008 16:33
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Those GE Reveal or whatever the gently caress those light blue bulbs are good. You want a 'warm' light, something with a high color temp. I think. Cold lights, like florescent, light everything harshly. If it's your property, you could always cut holes in the ceiling and put in recessed lighting. Not advisable for dorm rooms, barracks, or your parents' house, though.
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Aug 13, 2008 19:15
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It is my parent's house. I could start cutting holes, but I'd rather not, as I will probably be moving out soon, hopefully. For now, It's better if I make do with some minor tweaking. Those Reveal bulbs sound pretty good, I'll see if I can find them around here. Thanks. Any pointers regarding placement/orientation of light sources?
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Aug 13, 2008 19:22
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Sapper posted:Those GE Reveal or whatever the gently caress those light blue bulbs are good. You want a 'warm' light, something with a high color temp. I think. Cold lights, like florescent, light everything harshly. Actually the Color Temperature of those Reveal bulbs is very high 5100K.(WIth a big "kind of" attached, see the next post.) 'Warm' usually refers to a low color temperature down around 2500K. But the CRI of the reveal bulbs is supposed to be not good at all. In general for accurate lighting you really want to go fluorescent for a number of reasons. First you current fixture might even be overdrawn with a 75 watt incandescent. Many fixtures are supposed to be limited to 60 watt bulbs because of the large amount of waste heat incandecent bulbs put out. Remember, incandescent light work the same way an electic stove does: Run current through a resistive wire until it lights up. FLuorescnets work by exciting electrons to higher orbitals and having them decay to lower orbitals and blast off the orbital energy differential as a 'pure' frequency. It why they are so much more efficient, because they energy is output as visible light, not as infrared heat energy. Since they are more efficient, you can do more blending of two different color lights without spending a lot of energy. For the best color I usually mix a 'Daylight' (usually 5000k) WIth a 6000K bulb. Philips has a bunch of stuff on color temps, CRI, and what not on their site. And even if your local Home Depot does not have a display with the various color temp lights to look at, it will have them for sale. Don't buy boxes of Industrial fluorescents. Buy the bulbs one by one and try out different temps to see what you like. It's cheapest to get a "shop light" for the four foot bulbs since those bulbs are the easiest to find. Remember I am from Hawaii, so... Since we are outside most of them time we like indooors to be like natural sunlight, too, so YMMV. kapalama fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Aug 14, 2008 |
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Aug 14, 2008 02:43
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Worthwhile rant from a photographer about the GE Reveal bulbs: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1000&message=22418166 I would quote it but it is too long, and not particularly interesting except to color fascists like myself. But it does pretty much sum up everything about lighting in one post. kapalama fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Aug 14, 2008 |
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Aug 14, 2008 02:45
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Edmond Dantes posted:Quick favour: If you are not sure what effect you want straight away, you can try out some different setups by sampling first using incandescent bulbs. They are much cheaper (esp in the budget brands) so for like $5 you could have between 5 - 10 different bulbs. Once you have found one you like get the closest match with a compact fluoro. A hardware or lighting store should have a number of lamp shades that can easily be fitted to a ceiling rose lamp for added effect. If you are looking for dimming lamps, you can get some (slightly more expensive) compact fluoros that have a dimming circuit integrated into their design. The bonus? You don't need any special switching to get them to work. They work kind of similar to a touch lamp, where a series of switching combinations sets the light level. The only thing that you may have to consider is that its a stepped gradient as opposed to a smooth gradient which you get with a dimmer mech. If you were after a smooth dimmer, you will not be able to use them with fluoro bulbs.
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Aug 14, 2008 08:43
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Thanks for all the answers, I'll poke around a little bit more and hit Easy (our wal mart equivalent) on Saturday and see what they got. Maybe I can take a picture or two of my room and paint some "location ideas" I have in mind. Thanks again, guys.
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Aug 14, 2008 13:47
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There are loads of MAME cabinet sites and examples of MAME cabinets however most of them are either housed in old gutted arcade machines or in hand crafted cabinets made to look like arcade machines. Does anyone know of any sites that show examples of standing game stations with different designs? Maybe more in the style of console demonstration pods you get in game stores. Or even something with a projector unit rather than a monitor. Just different and unusual ways people made dedicated arcade game units.
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Aug 14, 2008 16:41
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What's the best way to strip paint off concrete? I've been contracted to repaint my grandmother's porch, and want to get as much of the old paint off as possible so the new sticks better. I've already used a scraper to get the really flaky bits off, but I want to tear it down to bare concrete. There's a Harbor Freight just up the street, and she says she'll pay for (cheap) tools. I'm thinking angle grinder + wire wheel. Any better ideas? Edit: and if the $20 Chicago Tool or whatever the current cheap Chinese import brand is survives the job, I'll have an angle grinder! Hmm, maybe I should accidentally cut some bars out of the porch rail so she'll buy me an arc welder . . . 
Chillbro Baggins fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Aug 16, 2008 |
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Aug 16, 2008 03:18
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Bad Angus! Bad!
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Delivery McGee posted:What's the best way to strip paint off concrete? I rented a (really disturbingly) high-pressure sprayer for a few hours to strip paint off of concrete. There were only very very small patches of paint left over after that that I feathered out with a spare brick before repainting. An angle grinder and wire wheel would take forever, but probably work better.
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Aug 16, 2008 05:51
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Hello Pity posted:There are loads of MAME cabinet sites and examples of MAME cabinets however most of them are either housed in old gutted arcade machines or in hand crafted cabinets made to look like arcade machines. You'll have to look around a little, but there are some really cool projects being built at http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=10.0
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Aug 16, 2008 07:04
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Delivery McGee posted:What's the best way to strip paint off concrete? Personally, I think that taking it back to bare concrete is excessive. Remove what loose paint and dirt etc you can with a pressure hose, followed by scrubbing the whole floor with sugar soap (I think the equivalent in the US is called TSP) and a stiff brush. Rinse it off, let it dry, then whack down a couple of coats of primer and repaint. Angle grinder back to bare concrete will take you loving ages and ruin your back.
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Aug 16, 2008 11:12
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Part of my kitchen sink appears to be leaking. It's very slow, and I'm wondering is it possible for me to fix this, or do I need a plumber? Plumbers are incredibly expensive here in France which is why I am trying to do it myself. Here is the picture. Basically water drips out slowly but constantly.Thank you, I am appreciative of any advice. disgraceful fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Aug 18, 2008 |
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Aug 18, 2008 21:13
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