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Ok, so here's my dilemma. I have roughly 700 construction bricks(the ones with holes in them) that I obtained with my house, and I'm trying to figure out a good use for these babies. My initial idea was building a BBQ smoker; however, I already have a grill and don't want a bigass smoker in the backyard that would affect resale value. My other idea is using building them into a freestanding landscape wall, but I'm not incredibly happy with that idea either. What do I do with 700 bricks?
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May 7, 2009 02:02
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Brazing is an identical process using a metal that melts at a higher temperature and is typically stronger. Thanks - that seems to be just what I'm after.
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May 7, 2009 03:26
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dinozaur posted:What do I do with 700 bricks? Build a shithouse.
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May 7, 2009 04:48
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dinozaur posted:Ok, so here's my dilemma. I have roughly 700 construction bricks(the ones with holes in them) that I obtained with my house, and I'm trying to figure out a good use for these babies. My initial idea was building a BBQ smoker; however, I already have a grill and don't want a bigass smoker in the backyard that would affect resale value. My other idea is using building them into a freestanding landscape wall, but I'm not incredibly happy with that idea either. Having grown up with a bricklayer for a father, I can tell you that unless you've got some nice pavers you want to make a patio with, your best bet is probably to make a sign that says "Free Bricks" and plant it next to them.
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May 7, 2009 05:08
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dinozaur posted:Ok, so here's my dilemma. I have roughly 700 construction bricks(the ones with holes in them) that I obtained with my house, and I'm trying to figure out a good use for these babies. My initial idea was building a BBQ smoker; however, I already have a grill and don't want a bigass smoker in the backyard that would affect resale value. My other idea is using building them into a freestanding landscape wall, but I'm not incredibly happy with that idea either. You could always try something like this: 
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May 7, 2009 14:10
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I know a few of you have done bathroom renovations in the past and or have some experience with plumbing so I come to ask a question. This morning I was about to walk out to go to work and right before I decide to use the bathroom. I only pissed but there was some toilet paper in there earlier from when I blew my nose etc. Now this toilet is kind of old already so it basically used 40 gallons to flush but is still a weak and slow flush. It clogged. So I'm about to say "gently caress it, I'll just unclog it when I get home from work" when the seal area around the base (by that I mean where the toilet sits on the floor) which is caulked but has a few areas where the caulk has kind of worn away starts leaking water. Like it seemed to me like the toilet was clogged and then for whatever reason backwards pressure or something started pushing water out of the base. It wasn't overflowing from the bowl of the toilet. This leads me to believe that either the wax ring inside the toilet base is loving old and worn away and therefore isn't making a good seal, or something else. Either way its very bad. You guys think this weekend I should just replace the toilet and get a new wax ring?
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May 8, 2009 02:56
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You probably have something like a Bic pen or a toothbrush stuck in pipes of the toilet; you might try snaking it instead of replacing it. Or the tank hardware might be old and not letting a good flow when the flapper is lifted. Maybe. Depends on what you wanna do, it's probably cheaper to fix it. You definitely want to pull it off and replace that wax ring, though. Unless you're on a concrete floor, the water leaking out that you don't see is loving up your subfloor and the joists below. Nothing like straining to coax out a growler and suddenly having the floor collapse beneath you.
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May 8, 2009 04:17
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What is this thing, and why is it filled with water? Click for huge It's a sort of concrete pipe about 6-8" in diameter, right up against my house inline with the water main. I noticed a few days ago that it had some water in it, maybe a foot from the top (the whole thing is like 2' deep I think), and my wife told me today that it was full to the top. We've lived here for about seven years, and it has never been full like this before. We've had some rain recently, but not so much that it would fill up completely so fast. I took a look at the water meter, and the fine gauge is ticking very slowly (for comparison, with the kitchen sink on full blast, it spins like a top). Is it time to start panicking?
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May 9, 2009 23:08
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stubblyhead posted:What is this thing, and why is it filled with water? I'd watch it. but it's likely nothing. You might want to go to Lowes/Home Depot and get a plug for that.
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May 10, 2009 07:13
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I think I am going to be calling a plumber tomorrow. I reached down in it yesterday afternoon. I was over elbow-deep, and just barely touching the bottom. My arm displaced a fair amount of water, and when I came back by a couple hours later, it was full again, so something is definitely leaking. My dad surmised that it might be a secondary water shutoff valve (the water utility where they live doesn't like people dicking around by the meter, so all the houses have a second shutoff valve by the house). If that's the case, then a leak there could be the cause of all this water.
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May 10, 2009 20:26
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stubblyhead posted:I reached down in it yesterday afternoon. I was over elbow-deep, and just barely touching the bottom. What did you feel at the bottom? Did you feel any pipework?
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May 11, 2009 01:10
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kid sinister posted:What did you feel at the bottom? Did you feel any pipework? No, I found a small piece of a broken bottle and a couple of pebbles. It felt like mud at the bottom, but I was just brushing it with my fingertips, so I don't know how much was down there.
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May 11, 2009 01:37
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Anybody know what this little gadget is called in English, and where one would go to get one? You use it to make little tapered pilot holes for wood screws. Yesterday I tried to explain this to some dude at Lowe's, but he had no idea what i was talking about.
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May 11, 2009 06:39
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hey santa baby posted:Anybody know what this little gadget is called in English, and where one would go to get one? You use it to make little tapered pilot holes for wood screws. Yesterday I tried to explain this to some dude at Lowe's, but he had no idea what i was talking about. Don't know if it's a different term for woodworking, but it's a tap in metalworking and is sold in a Tap and Die set at Lowes. Fire Storm fucked around with this message at 08:11 on May 11, 2009 |
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May 11, 2009 08:09
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hey santa baby posted:Anybody know what this little gadget is called in English, and where one would go to get one? You use it to make little tapered pilot holes for wood screws. Yesterday I tried to explain this to some dude at Lowe's, but he had no idea what i was talking about. It's called a gimlet. You can get them at woodworking stores; they're fairly specialty items now that everyone has electric drills with quick-change collets.
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May 11, 2009 12:17
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:It's called a gimlet. You can get them at woodworking stores; they're fairly specialty items now that everyone has electric drills with quick-change collets. Thanks, that's it exactly. And the guy at Lowes tried to sell me a power drill with exactly the same explanation, too. (Fire Storm -- it's not a tap. You don't make a thread with it, just a hole.)
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May 11, 2009 15:51
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How do I hook up my ice maker? My fridge has an automatic ice maker. Besides that, it has an in-door Ice and Water dispenser. (When I purchased my house, the fridge wasn't hooked up, and there was about a good 3 inches of hose coming out of the ground. It was no where near the fridge. I tried to pull it, but it wouldn't budge. It looked like it was partially tiled over, and the idiots/previous owners never pulled the hose back up before the tile-stuff/grout dried and locked the hose in place.) So today I decide to get the thing working. I drilled down where the old hose was and pushed it out. I put in a new hose. I have a place to hook it up to the incoming water line. When I got to my fridge, the instructions talked about some copper/brass hookup. It showed a picture of this hookup. All I saw on the back of the fridge was a plastic hose, like the one I just bought. So I took part of the back of the fridge off, thinking maybe it was inside, and I was just seeing part of the old hose connected to it. Well, inside the fridge was another hose. I traced it to the freezer part, but I have no clue where the first hose goes to. So what am I missing? Are these separate hoses to 2 different parts of the fridge? Like one for Ice, and one for just water?? Did the previous owners break off the copper/brass hookup that split the incoming water? Do I need to purchase another splitter for this? Also, how do I keep the hoses on? I have some metal insert that goes in the hose, then some metal washer that goes around it, and then its pushed into some metal combining-thing and a nut screws on. The hose can be pulled right out though, so it's not very secure. I can't find any online guides with pictures, and the Ice Maker Install Kit I purchased has NO PICTURES of the hose hookup. Any suggestions/help?
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May 12, 2009 05:05
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stubblyhead posted:What is this thing, and why is it filled with water? Update! The plumber came by today. It is indeed a second cutoff valve for the water main. It was of limited utility though since I didn't know if was there, and it was out of reach under about six inches of mud and debris anyway. So I got to spend my morning digging a big hole in my front yard so the guy could replace the thing, as it had a pinhole leak in it. He actually replaced it with a solid section of pipe, so I now have a solid piece of earth above it. Since I dug the hole myself, it only set me back around $200.
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May 12, 2009 05:19
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Xenomorph posted:How do I hook up my ice maker? As a Not A Plumber, I suggest getting a small valve, a barbed tee that fits all those hoses, and four hose clamps. Put the valve on the incoming water line, then a short section of hose from the valve to the tee, then both of those hoses on the tee. Tighten hose clamps, see where the water sprays from.
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May 12, 2009 05:46
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I have many neobdynium(sp?) magnets with a pull force each of about 7 pounds which I'm trying to glue to a box, one on a corner. I'm using UV-E3000 for the adhesive, but the force of the magnets necessitates the use of clamps, but the clamps, when applied, are not cooperating in a proper fashion and keeping the magnets where I want them. Does anyone know of any tricks to do doing this? Are there non-reactant C clamps anywhere for purchase?
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May 12, 2009 13:47
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:As a Not A Plumber, I suggest getting a small valve, a barbed tee that fits all those hoses, and four hose clamps. Put the valve on the incoming water line, then a short section of hose from the valve to the tee, then both of those hoses on the tee. Tighten hose clamps, see where the water sprays from. I'm wondering if there was some electrically controlled valve that the 2 hoses went to that split and controlled things. Maybe the idiot previous-owners broke something off. I downloaded the manual for my fridge, and it shows some big metal contraption that you're supposed to hook the incoming water line to. I'm thinking that I may need to visit a fridge repair place and ask them about a part for it.
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May 12, 2009 15:58
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Comrade Milton posted:I have many neobdynium(sp?) magnets with a pull force each of about 7 pounds which I'm trying to glue to a box, one on a corner. I'm using UV-E3000 for the adhesive, but the force of the magnets necessitates the use of clamps, but the clamps, when applied, are not cooperating in a proper fashion and keeping the magnets where I want them. I would imagine using a plastic clamp would work. Alternatively if you can fit a piece of metal inside the box you could use the pull of the magnets to keep them in place.
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May 12, 2009 16:30
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Comrade Milton posted:I have many neobdynium(sp?) magnets with a pull force each of about 7 pounds which I'm trying to glue to a box, one on a corner. I'm using UV-E3000 for the adhesive, but the force of the magnets necessitates the use of clamps, but the clamps, when applied, are not cooperating in a proper fashion and keeping the magnets where I want them. I sure hope this is another goon levitation adventure! You can get plastic clamps from home depot but they don't get very large. Plastic isn't very strong.
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May 12, 2009 16:34
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Mthrboard posted:I used to sell garage doors, the manufacturer recommended a spray can of lithium grease for lubricating the rails *as long as you have metal rollers*. Thanks, I did this today and the squeeking has stopped.
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May 13, 2009 00:46
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Comrade Milton posted:I have many neobdynium(sp?) magnets with a pull force each of about 7 pounds which I'm trying to glue to a box, one on a corner. I'm using UV-E3000 for the adhesive, but the force of the magnets necessitates the use of clamps, but the clamps, when applied, are not cooperating in a proper fashion and keeping the magnets where I want them. Xenomorph posted:'m wondering if there was some electrically controlled valve that the 2 hoses went to that split and controlled things.
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May 13, 2009 00:50
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Well, I hooked the water hose to the hose that went to the Ice Maker. Guest what? It doesn't go there! I turned on the water and it started gushing all over inside the freezer! I ran down stairs to turn the water back off, but not before tons of stuff was covered. Obviously the metal hookup thing is needed. It's probably some flow-control mechanism or something. The 2 hoses on the fridge probably need to be connected to it. There is an authorized repair center near me for the brand of fridge (Amana?). I will see how much that costs. It's a little retarded to have a nice fridge with in-door Water/Ice if they don't work. 
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May 13, 2009 04:35
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We got our inspection back yesterday, no problems other than an unusually high radon rate (13~ pCi/L). I know that there is equipment we can get (or make the seller provide) to mitigate radon, but my concern is that it may be coming from the water supply/sump pump. There is also a creek behind the house that may be seeping small amounts of water into the groundwork below the basement, but I don't think that's happening. Basically, how concerned should I be if it's in the water supply, and would it be a deal breaker in any way if they won't remedy it?
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May 13, 2009 11:56
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Xenomorph posted:Well, I hooked the water hose to the hose that went to the Ice Maker. Sounds like you are missing the solenoid for your ice maker/water dispenser. You should also be missing another hose. You're water line will hook up to a line that connects to a filter. The filter then supplies the solenoid. The solenoid will have the inlet from the water filter, and then two outs controlled by solenoid valves that are controlled by your fridge. One is automatically turned on when your freezer needs water for the ice, and the other is triggered by the switch on the door for the dispenser. You need to take the lower cover off the back and you should find two electric connections, and three hoses. It's an easy fix and a 60-70$ part. The part you are missing should look something like this:  The new style valves all have these simple push in type hose connectors, instead of the brass threaded style. I had mine fail on my fridge, and I found the cheapest place to find them is parts dealers on ebay. ease fucked around with this message at 16:56 on May 13, 2009 |
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May 13, 2009 16:44
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ease posted:Sounds like you are missing the solenoid for your ice maker/water dispenser. You should also be missing another hose. I really want to punch the previous owners. So much in this house was messed up. On the back of the fridge, I found 2 hoses and 2 electrical hookups. I dug around in the back. I guess I could try again with a flash light or something. But I only found those 2 hoses. One hose goes to the ice maker, the other goes somewhere on the bottom of the fridge. Maybe it goes to the front and then up into the door for the water or something. What would the third hose be for? If there is no "third hose", am I just hosed? WHY would someone pull that off the back of a fridge? I'm thinking maybe it broke, and they took it off - but never got it replaced.
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May 13, 2009 21:17
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What's the make and model on your fridge? If it doesn't have a filter in it, I guess it could have just the two lines.
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May 13, 2009 21:29
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ease posted:What's the make and model on your fridge? brand name: Amana (I never heard of it before) model: SGD22TW The picture on the back of the fridge and the manual show something is supposed to be there. Something with a metal connector where you hook the water line up to.
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May 14, 2009 06:09
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Xenomorph posted:brand name: Amana (I never heard of it before) Don't worry about the name, Amana has been making freezers and poo poo since 1934.
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May 14, 2009 13:48
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I went to "authorized repair center" listed on the Amana website. Right by where I use to live. I gave them the brand and model, and they handed me a new solenoid thingy. It has 2 hookups for the little hoses coming out the back of my fridge, 2 hookups for the wires hidden behind a panel on the back of my fridge, and 1 intake for the water line. The part was $60, and he charge $7 for the adapter to hook the 1/4" host to the full 1" connector thing. I haven't made it home yet, but I'm going to try and get the thing working tonight. Hopefully I just have to plug the 5 things in and it will start working. Of course, there is a chance something else in the fridge is broke. There was a big "NO RETURNS" sign for the part, so I'm out the $67 regardless of if it works or not. :/ We're having a mini-party this Sunday, and I was hoping to having working ice/water. ^_^
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May 14, 2009 18:12
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I got the solenoid. There are a few ways to hook it up.. I have a Blue/White plug, and a Brown/White plug. Luckily, the solenoid has a Blue and Brown side. However, I don't know which way it plugs in. The Brown and Blue side each have an "A1" side, and an "L" side. Do I connect: Blue to A1, Blue/White to L? Brown to A1, Brown/White to L? OR Blue/White to A1, Blue to L? Brown/White to A1, Brown to L? I can't find poo poo on installation. Part number D7742204. Since it's DC power, I don't want to get them backwards and fry the unit.
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May 14, 2009 23:23
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Ya, guess your fridge doesn't have a water filter. That will save you 30-40$ a year at least. Umm, I don't think it matters with DC solenoids. Power just has to get to coil. I'd imagine the coil doesn't have to engergize in any specific direction, but I could be wrong. It looks like in the picture the pins are the same sized? Hmm, maybe a goon who's good with low voltage electric poo poo can throw some input your way. I'm not saying go ahead and hook it up, but I doubt it will make a difference.
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May 14, 2009 23:34
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Well, I just plugged it in. I googled for a while and found nothing that said it had to be plugged in a certain way ( + or - ). Unfortunately, I guess I tightened the ice side too much, and crushed the plastic part a little. It's not leaking, but I don't think I could un-do it. I just spent $60 on this part, but I see I can get another online for ~$28. The good news - the water dispenser on the front of the door works! Ice cold water comes out now. I will check later to see if the Ice Maker it making anything. I don't know how to check if its working. It's not humming or moving or anything (or at least, moving too slow to notice). So, if it takes a while for the ice maker to kick in, and the thing doesn't leak on the back (I have it hanging out with a paper towel under it to check for leaks), I guess things are fixed. If it does leak, I will try to repair it, but probably just order another $28 part online.
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May 15, 2009 00:05
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HOA crap (long, because HOAs are a pain in the rear end no matter where you go): I recently moved into a small town, in one of those fenced communities. We asked the builder if the HOA was "overinvolved." He said they pretty much don't care what you do as long as it's not undermining the slab. We asked our broker, who only handles homes for this community, if we were going to have to deal with the HOA every time we sneezed. She said all the HOA does is plan events and manage community parks. And, most importantly, when we looked over and signed the covenant for the HOA, it says in writing that the only changes we need to submit for their approval would be: 1. structural changes requiring a foundation; 2. Anything significantly changing the slope of the land or drainage around the house. These were understandable requirements, being that if your plans are hosed up, you break your house and maybe your neighbors. My neighbors were all told the exact same thing. Repeatedly. One of my neighbors is actually taking classes in real estate and made absolutely sure the interpretation we all have is correct. I also took a look around the neighborhood before buying, and saw plenty of variation in the neighbors' houses in terms of landscaping - they obviously aren't freaking out about the weed-infested house one block over, or the house down the street that's losing its decorative shutters, or anything else that I can see. Reassured to the best of our ability that we could, well, exercise our property rights, our portion of the block has started doing fencing and landscaping for the better part of a month. One neighbor has a lovely poured-concrete patio they just put in. A day later, she got a knock on the door from someone none of us have ever seen - a lady claiming to be from "our" HOA, some office located not in our development, not in our town, not even in our county, and not mentioned by name in any contracts that anyone has signed! HOA lady brandished a "Design Review Request" and demanded that we submit all landscaping plans, from fences to shrubs to patio furniture, to the HOA before we install anything. Naturally, told we had the all-clear from everyone who would know and having read our covenant contracts, everyone's already started. HOA lady says we have to wait until the "committee" reviews our designs, which takes a minimum of 3-4 weeks. If approved, we can restart work. If not approved, we would have to take everything out and face fines. The "Design Review Request" has a space for us to sign that gives legal authority to this HOA to oversee and approve all landscaping changes, which also obligates us to complete work "promptly." (I also find it odd that nobody's said anything about my patio, trees, bushes or anything else on my block - maybe because we're all straight and white and they aren't? This is the third time some busybody has asked them weird questions.) We face several options. One, we can submit a request to the HOA every time we want to wipe our rear end. Not likely - this would be a complete 180, and we're in a very anti-covenant district legally. We can tell the HOA to take a flying leap. Honestly, what can they do? According to the legal contracts we all signed, they are explicitly prohibited from sticking their noses in this far. If they take us to court, our city and county are extremely pro-property rights, pro-individualism - and we have signed contracts supporting our side, the HOA doesn't. Or, the compromise option, which we're all in favor of: Submit a Design Review Request "as a courtesy," explicitly indicate that submission is *not* an acknowledgment of HOA legal authority, leave it unsigned, but welcome HOA suggestions and improvements - and proceed with our work anyway since it takes so long to approve. I don't disagree with the design review process, just the way the HOA has gone about it, and I'd like to get along with them without compromising my own rights. What do y'all think? Given how explicit our signed covenant is, do they have a legal leg to stand on?
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May 16, 2009 07:21
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Are you really seeking legal advice from goons? Talk to a lawyer.
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May 16, 2009 22:11
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Hi We just had a shower retiled as the previous tiles were laid straight onto plywood walling (this is in the UK). The new tiles have been laid onto aquaboard waterproof board and stuck down with waterproof adhesive, with which the boards were covered. The tiles were then grouted. I've noticed some small holes in the grouting, as the grout was applied quite saparingly. I'm worried that this will continue to leak, albeit in small quantities. My instinct is to apply grouting myself (which I've done before). Any other sugestions/thoughts?
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May 17, 2009 22:59
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therattle posted:Hi As they were laid onto waterproof boarding, they should be alright. Let the room dry out for as long as you can, then simply grout over. I've touched up the grouting in the kitchen in my last place like this, it's very simple. Just follow the instructions.
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May 18, 2009 19:28
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