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JediTalentAgent posted:Given that you haven't bought the AC yet, how big are you looking at? I know I have a bunch of strange windows and strange locations and about 6 years ago I forced to buy a portable AC for a specific person/location in the house. It doesn't need to be put in the window, it only requires a window to run a vent hose out of. I had one of those when I was in college and sold it to my friend. I liked it for what it did because I lived in an attic with minuscule windows, but hated draining it into a bucket. Those are out of the running for this current situation because of the price.
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May 26, 2009 21:50
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Hey, installing a new garbage disposal. In my haste to get the plug out of the old disposal I pulled it loose without realizing that this plug doesn't have a clearly labeled white and black wire (although the ground is clearly green) to attach to the disposal. Does anyone have a diagram of your standard plug arrangement in reference to the ground prong so I can just trace it down and properly attach it? (US disposal/socket)
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May 28, 2009 03:31
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Are you asking which slot is hot? If ground is down, then the right side of the outlet is hot (black, and the left is white) The hot side's hole should be a bit smaller than the neutral's slot.
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May 28, 2009 03:58
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ease posted:Are you asking which slot is hot? yep, i found this on the internet after googling six different ways (I guess I should've tried harder before posting) thanks though!
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May 28, 2009 04:33
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Posting this in the correct thread now per the rules. I wanted to hook up a dimmer switch for the new baby's room. House has three wires going to the current switch. White wire is on top, black wire is on the bottom and the ground is hooked to the screw the switch is held in place with. Dimmer is a Leviton decora. It has four wires. Green and red wires out one hole and black and red wires out the other hole. The red wire with the black is labled for a 3 way switch. What do I hook to what so I don't burn the dang house down? Thanks!
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May 29, 2009 00:26
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fast5c posted:Posting this in the correct thread now per the rules. Since I saw the other thread first, I already answered. I think that thread is the correct thread for both this and the previous question, as the previous question is answered in the first post of that thread.
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May 29, 2009 01:33
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I've got a lease on a house that will begin in August, and I will be sharing the house with 4 other dudes. It was meant to be a single family home (3bed/2bath) and has three large living rooms, one of which I intend to turn into a bedroom. The agent leasing the house to us said that was fine, but I'm really unsure of how exactly to put doors in without doing permanent damage to the woodwork. I figure it would probably be easiest to install only one door, and simply block off and soundproof the other opening with a temporary wall. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing or any recommendations for how I can get some privacy without losing my security deposit? The one idea I had, which I'm totally unsure of the viability of, is to build a frame inside of the frame, separating it with a quarter inch of foam or something, then installing a door inside of that frame. However, I don't know how structurally sound that would even be. Sorry for the lovely quality, but I took these with my phone while checking out the house, they weren't taken with the intent of showcasing the doors specifically, but hopefully they show the general setup. On the door shown on the left, there's about a quarter inch between the bookshelf and the frame that is not visible. Both doors are relatively clear on the other end, one opens into a hallway, the other into a kitchen. Any advice would be much appreciated edit: I'm just gonna link the image, cause it's pretty big. http://i41.tinypic.com/k1cb54.jpg nemesis07 fucked around with this message at 18:31 on May 29, 2009 |
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May 29, 2009 18:06
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nemesis07 posted:I've got a lease on a house that will begin in August, and I will be sharing the house with 4 other dudes. It was meant to be a single family home (3bed/2bath) and has three large living rooms, one of which I intend to turn into a bedroom. The agent leasing the house to us said that was fine, but I'm really unsure of how exactly to put doors in without doing permanent damage to the woodwork. I figure it would probably be easiest to install only one door, and simply block off and soundproof the other opening with a temporary wall. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing or any recommendations for how I can get some privacy without losing my security deposit? Yes, it should be feasible and yes, frame-within-frame is one way to go for temporary partitions your big thing in terms of damage will be fastening your temporary walls/doorframe to the passageway frame and floor. Ask your landlord / agent who "said that [it] was fine" what you can get away with sinking into the woodwork in terms of screws and anchors ... and that will dictate what you can do to build what you want. That it is necessarily temporary makes me inclined to think of what you describe more as set-masking problem than a construction framing and installation problem, so check out: http://www.amazon.com/Backstage-Handbook-Illustrated-Technical-Information/dp/0911747397 for how to actually go and build and hang the walls and door ----------------
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May 29, 2009 20:01
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Back in college, a hung sheet or two sufficed just fine.
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May 29, 2009 22:53
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So, my father is paying me to scrape, paint, and replace some of the siding on the house this summer. Good stuff, being outdoors, getting paid, etc. Our biggest problem in planning is getting to the edges of the house right under the peaked roof.  Could anyone with experience give me a rundown of my options, I'm assuming some sort of ladder would do the trick. The other thing is the opposite wall of the house is the same height, but there is no smaller room/roof under it to put a ladder on. Is my only option there a really tall ladder from the ground? Thanks goons!
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May 31, 2009 00:40
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Does anyone know where I can buy replacement parts for a Harbor Breeze model 187541? Specifically I need a new receiver for the remote portion, right now I'm just bypassing the module but I miss my dimmer and variable speed control. Their customer service line is busted and google has failed me.
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May 31, 2009 04:23
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That Which Squeaks posted:Could anyone with experience give me a rundown of my options,
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May 31, 2009 04:36
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Does anyone know where I can find parts like the tubing used for the frame of this component rack? http://www.studiotech.com/products/component_racks/high_fidelity_hf-4/index.html Or if I can't find parts, what would be a good way to secure tubing that I cut myself to the shelves to make it solid? I'm assuming that the tubes are individual pieces between each shelf and not one solid piece.
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May 31, 2009 22:08
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Elston Gunn posted:Does anyone know where I can find parts like the tubing used for the frame of this component rack? If you want something cheap, you can get metal conduit from your local electrical supply store. It won't be as shiny as that, but a can or two of silver spray paint followed by a clear gloss coat will take care of that. I used those exact ingredients, along with 2'x2' sections of 3/4" MDF and long threaded rods to make an entertainment tower similar to that a few years back. Another option that would already be polished, but not quite as heavy duty, is a closet rod from a home center. They typically come in 4, 6 or 8 foot lengths. A third option, polished and heavy duty, is a stainless steel bar rail. Lido designs is one company that makes the bar rail, and I'm sure there are others out there as well. I found the Lido rail in the millwork department of my local Menards, after I already cut and painted all the conduit.
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May 31, 2009 22:31
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Mthrboard posted:I used those exact ingredients, along with 2'x2' sections of 3/4" MDF and long threaded rods to make an entertainment tower similar to that a few years back. I made the exact same thing, only using 2'x3' MDF. My wrists were tired twisting those nuts after hanging 5 shelves.
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Jun 1, 2009 20:39
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I'm working on painting my condo right now, and I'm having a bit of a rough time with it. I have the living room painted in a beautiful red color that I really like a lot, but I'm having trouble getting the paint to look even on the corners of the wall where it's harder to roll. We applied up to 6 coats of the paint on the corners of the wall and it still is lighter than the rest. Is that just a caveat of painting with red paint or is there something I can do to make my life a little easier. Also, when painting, what is the proper technique to paint with a brush. Every area I paint with a brush comes out looking uneven and sloppy, and I really do want this place to look nice as I kind of want to live there for a long time. I wasn't even aware there are different knaps(?) of rollers, until I read an article today. I'm finishing up the trim with a white paint, but it's very hard to keep the white off the red on the wall. I suppose I should have picked something a little easier for my first ever home improvement job, but I'm still excited about it none the less and I'm looking for a few pointers! Thanks.
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Jun 2, 2009 03:25
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Dandy Cat posted:I'm working on painting my condo right now, and I'm having a bit of a rough time with it. I have the living room painted in a beautiful red color that I really like a lot, but I'm having trouble getting the paint to look even on the corners of the wall where it's harder to roll. We applied up to 6 coats of the paint on the corners of the wall and it still is lighter than the rest. Is that just a caveat of painting with red paint or is there something I can do to make my life a little easier. Also, when painting, what is the proper technique to paint with a brush. Every area I paint with a brush comes out looking uneven and sloppy, and I really do want this place to look nice as I kind of want to live there for a long time. I wasn't even aware there are different knaps(?) of rollers, until I read an article today. I'm finishing up the trim with a white paint, but it's very hard to keep the white off the red on the wall. I suppose I should have picked something a little easier for my first ever home improvement job, but I'm still excited about it none the less and I'm looking for a few pointers! Guess it's too late, but if you're going from a light to dark color, it's a lot easier to have a can of primer tinted to a similar shade and put a coat of that down first. I just painted dark blue over my kid's bright pink room, and it's looking great after gray-blue primer plus two coats. For the corners - buy a decent brush if you're using a cheap one, and feather the paint out instead of just going up and down. Set the tip of the brush flat into the corner and sweep it out horizontally after you have some paint down, and you should see more even coverage.
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Jun 2, 2009 05:19
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Sorry if this is not DIY-ish enough.. Our shower stall is rather dark and I would like to add some light to it, preferrably a 4" incandescent that can be put into the side wall. I checked Home Depot for water-proof trims and found something suitable. However, the lamp housing that goes with it is HUGE and unwieldy. I was looking for something that does not require access to the other side of the wall but can be mounted solely by making the 4" cut inside the shower (and wiring going up into the attic). My next approach was just adding one of those battery operated LED lights. Well, turns out they are not very waterproof. :-( Any recommendations for simple ways to get some light in there ?
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Jun 3, 2009 01:04
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Cross_ posted:Sorry if this is not DIY-ish enough.. Are you trying to electrocute yourself? Put it higher than the wall. If you already have access to the attic, then get yourself a waterproof can light that you can mount directly in the ceiling. Make sure you get one designed for a shower! Aside from the obvious electricity danger, the heat differential can sometimes make bulbs shatter, raining down broken glass when you're naked in the shower. Something like this: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100058837
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Jun 3, 2009 02:45
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Cross_ posted:Sorry if this is not DIY-ish enough.. Bow-chicka-bow-wow
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Jun 3, 2009 21:59
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kid sinister posted:Are you trying to electrocute yourself? Put it higher than the wall. Obviously I am looking for something that is waterproof, at the same time I don't want to deal with joists in the wall or ceiling. Something like a pool light is what I had in mind. Link not working. Thanks, Richard Noggin. The ThinkGeek version is a bit over the top, but apparently Silvania has two products: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LJZGB2 and http://www.google.com/product_url?q=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LJZGB2
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Jun 3, 2009 23:18
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Cross_ posted:I am torn between Huh? and Duh! Then untear yourself, because you want to do this the rear end-backwards way for WAY too much money. Pool lights cost around $150 apiece and their bulbs start at 100 watts. They take specialty bulbs that cost around $25 too. The one I linked to costs $20. Go to homedepot.com and search for "100058837". kid sinister fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Jun 4, 2009 |
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Jun 4, 2009 00:59
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I'm hanging a bigass mirror (4'7"x3'9") with a wood frame. It's heavy. The previous owner used some heavy duty wall hooks, so I know I could do that. Would have to get a studfinder, etc. But, looking on the internet, I see this ad for the MonkeyHook, which claims to be able to support 50lbs per hook and can be hung on just drywall. Anybody have any experience with them? Pic of the mirror in question, taking up the entire surface area of my CR-V expanded trunk area.  Click here for the full 604x453 image. Or something like OOK Heavy Hold hooks that don't need studs? Edit 2: rear end -- it sounds by knocking that it's an outside wall. So it's probably a plaster-covered brick wall. I know I have a couple options based on some quick internet searching (concrete/brick picture hangers, concrete screws, lead anchors) but it's not an exposed brick wall, so looking at these pictures of nails, I'm not entirely sure they'll penetrate the brick (or deeply enough). Any ideas or suggestions? Wally P fucked around with this message at 12:21 on Jun 4, 2009 |
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Jun 4, 2009 02:05
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What are the wall surfaces made from, plaster or drywall?
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Jun 5, 2009 06:51
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Plaster-covered brick. I managed to work this out yesterday with a couple trips to the hardware store. Carbide drill bits and blue screws. Holding up like a charm.  Click here for the full 604x453 image.
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Jun 5, 2009 14:05
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I have a question concerning a DIY project I will be doing sometime this week. It's DIY in the sense that it's being completely built from the ground up with no instructions and only a photo or two to go on, but at the same time, it uses a LOT of fire and thus has no "practical" value, other than the fact that it's entertaining to use. So my questions is whether it would belong in this forum, or if I should put it in, say, GBS for it's entertainment value. Those guys seem to love fire, so it seems like it would be a waste to put it where the bulk of GBS will not see it.
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Jun 7, 2009 00:10
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Why don't you just ask it here anyway and we can go from there?
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Jun 7, 2009 00:55
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teknicolor posted:Why don't you just ask it here anyway and we can go from there? I did. Should I post my "I'm gonna play with fire" DIY project here, where it makes more sense as far as rules go, or should I post it in, say, GBS, where it will appeal to more of the userbase?
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Jun 7, 2009 02:18
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neogeo0823 posted:I did. Should I post my "I'm gonna play with fire" DIY project here, where it makes more sense as far as rules go, or should I post it in, say, GBS, where it will appeal to more of the userbase? Post it here, depending how it goes we can ask a mod to move it.
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Jun 7, 2009 09:36
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Ok, odd little DIY project here. About a year ago, my self-propelled gas mower died, and after cleaning the carb, replacing the spark plugs, testing for spark, I couldn't get it to run on gasoline (I was able to get it to run off of propane from my pluming torch, but that's beside the point). I stopped loving with it and bought an electric (corded) mower. The problem is that the electric mower is not self propelled, and with a property as large as mine, it gets a little difficult to push (and I am just very used to self-propelled mowers). I want to convert the electric mower to self propelled, but I am not sure exactly which way to go and wanted a second opinion. Old gas mower is a 21" deck, the electric is 19" Should I: A. Just hack/bodge the old mower body with the electric motor? The old mower used a pulley on the main shaft that engaged the drive system by simply moving another pulley forward, causing the belt to grab and start moving. I'm just not sure the motor has enough power for both. B. Just add a second motor for the drive to the electric mower and power it off of the same power cord? My concern about this is that there may not be enough power to run both, given the motor is rated 15a, as is the extension cords that I use. C. B, but convert the mower to 240v (120v for each motor)? Understandably a pain in the rear end but would be one of the only 240v electric mowers in the US, I bet. D. Second motor for drive, but use a 6/12v battery to power it? Seems rather silly to me. E. Some other plan I haven't thought of. I would prefer not to go back to a gas mower, because I like not dealing with gasoline (and honestly, if I did, I'd just convert it to propane or natural gas).
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Jun 8, 2009 00:33
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My parents have a toilet that has a flushing problem. It's not a matter of water volume or whatever, I think there's just an accumulation of poo poo in the drain pipes. What can I use to clean it out (not Drano)? For reference, a small turd will clog the toilet and require a lot of plunging to get it going again. It's not a low-flow, it's an old school one, just looking for a product to use to clean out the pipes.
MaineMan fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Jun 8, 2009 |
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Jun 8, 2009 21:31
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MaakHatt posted:My parents have a toilet that has a flushing problem. It's not a matter of water volume or whatever, I think there's just an accumulation of poo poo in the drain pipes. What can I use to clean it out (not Drano)? For reference, a small turd will clog the toilet and require a lot of plunging to get it going again. It's not a low-flow, it's an old school one, just looking for a product to use to clean out the pipes. You want a "pipe snake". Get one especially for a crapper, those kind are run through a short length of pipe shaped like a "J". They have this pipe to more easily make the turn in the bowl so you don't have to put your hand in the turd water! Be careful not to scratch the porcelain with the tip, at least not anywhere visible, scratches up inside the pipe are OK.
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Jun 8, 2009 22:35
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My firey DIY project has hit a bit of a snag. I need to make an igniter. I was hoping to make something portable, so battery powered, and I can't use a BBQ lighter due to material and space constraints. The ideal device would have a button that I could push to create a small spark on command. Any ideas? I've looked in to a disposable camera, but I'm kind of afraid of the ultra high voltage capacitor.  EDIT: What if I soldered a smaller capacitor in there instead of the hulking one? Any recommendations on what specifications to go for? Remember, I only want to arc a spark across a tiny tiny gap. neogeo0823 fucked around with this message at 21:00 on Jun 9, 2009 |
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Jun 9, 2009 20:48
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neogeo0823 posted:My firey DIY project has hit a bit of a snag. I need to make an igniter. I was hoping to make something portable, so battery powered, and I can't use a BBQ lighter due to material and space constraints. The ideal device would have a button that I could push to create a small spark on command. How small does it need to be? Would a spark plug suffice? A gas BBQ pit lighter like you said might work too, or one for a gas range burner in the kitchen. Capacitors can be discharged, you know. If that battery has been dead a long time, then the capacitor might not even have much of a charge anymore.
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Jun 9, 2009 21:07
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neogeo0823 posted:My firey DIY project has hit a bit of a snag. I need to make an igniter. I was hoping to make something portable, so battery powered, and I can't use a BBQ lighter due to material and space constraints. The ideal device would have a button that I could push to create a small spark on command. Have you considered disassembling the igniter part of a BBQ lighter? Those are generally just a trigger that squeezes a piezoelectric crystal. It should be easy enough just to cut off the trigger part and extend the wires to where you need the spark. Failing that, some cigarette lighters have a piezo generated spark, and some have a battery+inductor+capacitor sparking circuit, which likewise should be easy enough to modify. You might also be able to find a replacement push-button igniter for a gas BBQ in Home Depot or a BBQ store.
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Jun 9, 2009 21:23
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Hobnob posted:some have a battery+inductor+capacitor sparking circuit, which likewise should be easy enough to modify. This is essentially what I was thinking of. Where could I get a light like that? No one in town seems to have one? Failing that, Do you know of a schematic for one that I could copy? The disposable camera seems to be far, far overpowered for what I want.
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Jun 9, 2009 23:06
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neogeo0823 posted:My firey DIY project has hit a bit of a snag. I need to make an igniter. I was hoping to make something portable, so battery powered, and I can't use a BBQ lighter due to material and space constraints.
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Jun 11, 2009 23:19
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Fire Storm posted:You know, I was at a MAKE meeting the other day and someone made a BBQ lighter one with a BBQ piezo trigger, a spark plug and some copper pipe. If you're interested, I can go into more details. While that is interesting, I want to create an ignition system that does not utilize a BBQ piezo trigger. The reason I keep saying I need a batterry powered one is because I need it to be portable and extremely easy to light. Unfortunately, even the loosest of piezo triggers requires too much pressure for the application I envisioned this thing for.
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Jun 12, 2009 06:54
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Anyone ever put a Sterling Accord 3-wall piece shower surround over an existing cast iron tub (heavy-duty shower surround, mounts to stud)? I know they're flanged specifically to attach to the Accord tub, but we want to keep the cast iron tub in place. It doesn't *appear* like there will be any issue, and we'll caulk it obviously, but I can't find a definitive answer on whether or not it will work. This deal, but only the walls: http://www.sterlingplumbing.com/onlinecatalog/bathsandshowers/bathtubshowers/detail.strl?productNumber=71240110&resultId=1407715465-0
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Jun 13, 2009 03:28
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neogeo0823 posted:Unfortunately, even the loosest of piezo triggers requires too much pressure for the application I envisioned this thing for. Try something like this. If you had more space and cash, you could do one with a automotive ignition coil or neon transformer. EDIT: You know, thinking about it, what's basically a neon transformer in a smaller package? A compact fluorescent ballast. Fire Storm fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Jun 13, 2009 |
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Jun 13, 2009 04:54
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