|
Running a generator in the aftermath of Irene. Pretty sure the power is pretty dirty (incandescent light bulbs are pulsing) and I'm not running any electronics off it, other than charging cell phones. Can I run a laptop off it without worrying about the laptop itself? If I kill the ac/dc plug I'm not to worried, but don't want to fry the laptop.
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2011 16:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 13, 2024 05:23 |
|
|
The power regulation circuitry in the computer will engage the battery during drops and the smoothing capacitors in the charger will dull any sudden spikes. Prolonged spikes are fine because universal power supplies are rated up to 240 V nowadays. You'll be ok. Even without all that almost all laptops and computer power supplies have over current/over voltage protection.
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2011 17:54
|
|
|
I have a ceiling fan that is either installed wrong or just plain lovely. The mounting bracket attached to the box in the ceiling sticks the whole fan out about a quarter inch from the actual drywall above and attaches to two points on the fan itself. As a result, when I turn the fan on anything above ultra-low it starts to wobble violently from side to side where is it completely unsupported. The bracket is mounted very securely to the box in the ceiling, so that's not an issue. It just seems that maybe the whole drat thing should be right up against the drywall, rather than lifted away from it. Any thought on how I could fix it?
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2011 20:07
|
|
|
If it's always wobbled, the blades probably need to be balanced. On the other hand, my bedroom fan just started wobbling after years of smooth operation; I'll be checking it later & will advise if anything weird turns up
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2011 20:10
|
|
|
PainterofCrap posted:If it's always wobbled, the blades probably need to be balanced. I took the whole thing apart and cleaned everything, blades included. I didn't see any deformities or anything. Is there a trick to balancing them?
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2011 20:25
|
|
|
Pope Mobile posted:I'm trying to figure out where to put the center speaker for my setup, and am thinking of making a speaker stand for it. I built one for my old TV using two 1x3s for supports with a piece of 1x6 screwed and glued the tops of them for the speaker to sit on. It took about 30 minutes to build (it would have taken less time if I didn't have to redrill the holes because of my lovely measuring job) and only cost a couple bucks. You'll basically end up with something like this:  Super easy, and super cheap.
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2011 23:16
|
|
|
Dragyn posted:I took the whole thing apart and cleaned everything, blades included. I didn't see any deformities or anything. Is there a trick to balancing them? They do sell blade weight kits. The anal way is to weigh each blade & adjust the mass. The normal way is to try to pinpoint which one's doing the pulling & try to put weights counter to it ny trial & error, using duct tape and loose change (really). Once it's balanced . swap out the tape & change for the weights. Here's a useful ink: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/740357.html edit: one fan blade was loose; it still wobbled a bit after I tightened it. I then rotated the fan motor housing & tightened it against the ceiling mount - it was a bit loose there as well. It's good now. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 12:35 on Aug 31, 2011 |
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2011 02:33
|
|
|
Dragyn posted:I took the whole thing apart and cleaned everything, blades included. I didn't see any deformities or anything. Is there a trick to balancing them?
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2011 01:11
|
|
|
teh jhey posted:I have an issue with my garage and basement flooding regularly, and it's not just the hurricane. Actually, I have an inch or two in the basement right now, and it's no worse than it has been in the past. Sorry, I'm not so good with homeowner vocabulary, so if there are better words I can use or clarification needed, let me know.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2011 01:15
|
|
|
I'd like to mention that is anyone in Philadelphia area need help, I'm available some evening and on weekends. I am a licensed and insured General Contractor and a Fire, Water and Smoke restoration specialist.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2011 01:17
|
|
|
Oh hey Nirox that's awesome! I just bought a house in Springfield PA like 15 miles west of Philadelphia, might have to PM you often! I do have one quick question about it. Our basement get's pretty wet, we even noticed that out washer seems to empty out right in the one corner that it leaks and we get a small puddle in our basement just from running it. My question is would trying to plug that leak potentially put stress somewhere else in the foundation and cause a new leak? I would love to minimize the amount of water that comes in, but if it's just going to cause new leaks I rather stick with where it leaks now because it eventually ends into our sump pump. Also, can we sort of dig a decent trench around the basement wall to direct the water instead of having it puddle? Thanks so much! The house was built in 1750 so it has a lot of little quirks.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2011 14:32
|
|
|
The mortar in a section of the brick foundation underneath my garage (looks like it's a concrete slab with brick lining the outside) is cracked. What's the best way to patch it?
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2011 14:48
|
|
|
I'm going to assume this is the proper thread for plant identification as I didn't see any better alternatives in this forum. I am pulling river rock and existing plants out of flower beds and replacing them with things that are visually appealing (i.e. different plants and cedar mulch). While doing so I encountered a plant that I have been unable to identify. It fits the area much better than most of the plants that have been removed, so it may be a candidate for relocation. Below are two pictures of said plant. I am located in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota (zone 4).   Thanks in advance for any help!
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2011 18:50
|
|
|
DrKennethNoisewater posted:I'm going to assume this is the proper thread for plant identification as I didn't see any better alternatives in this forum. We do have a gardening thread... Anyway, that's some variety of variegated creeping euonymus. Creeping euonymus is sometimes called wintercreeper too. I think that's the 'Emerald Gaiety' cultivar. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Sep 3, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2011 22:27
|
|
|
Beer4TheBeerGod posted:The mortar in a section of the brick foundation underneath my garage (looks like it's a concrete slab with brick lining the outside) is cracked. What's the best way to patch it? Walk over to a masonry isle at Lowes or home depot. The crack filler will be in tubes, all you'd need is a caulk gun to apply.
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2011 12:52
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:We do have a gardening thread... Thanks for the help! I didn't know if my question was appropriate for the gardening thread since my plant is neither veggie nor herb.
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2011 20:39
|
|
|
Any idea how to hang a hammock indoors on metal stud walls? Need to support 80kg - 140kgs. Consensus online is that the narrow metal channel does not have enough surface area to grip hooks. I also have a window and and closet door frame that are aligned, and wonder if it's safe to drill hooks straight into the casing, assuming there's solid wood underneath. Also considered getting LCD TV mounts, but that's more expensive than a couple bucks.
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2011 04:38
|
|
|
I think you have finally hit on the one thing that wood studs have over metal. I wouldn't try it; the window/door casing may be wood, but they may also be attached to more steel stud. The only way I can see attempting that is to attach a vertical wood stud to the channel, then fabricate rigging that translates as much of the force as possible of the hammock straight down rather than outward. The really awkward way would be to attach wood stud on opposite walls all the way to the ceiling, then run a stud along the ceiling between them as a brace. It's impractical as hell and would look like poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2011 13:45
|
|
|
evlbstrd posted:Any idea how to hang a hammock indoors on metal stud walls? Need to support 80kg - 140kgs. Consensus online is that the narrow metal channel does not have enough surface area to grip hooks. I also have a window and and closet door frame that are aligned, and wonder if it's safe to drill hooks straight into the casing, assuming there's solid wood underneath. Also considered getting LCD TV mounts, but that's more expensive than a couple bucks. Your walls aren't designed to resist so much sideways force concentrated on such a small area; I'd be concerned that crawling into the hammock would deform your walls and risk damage to something. The TV mount is still mostly designed to resist gravity; I think you'd pull it out of the wall. You need to anchor your hammock in something structural. This could be lumber, brick, concrete, stone or steel. It is possible to add properly secured lumber inside the wall, but I suspect that's a larger project than your looking for. Battered Cankles fucked around with this message at 14:10 on Sep 6, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2011 13:50
|
|
|
Is there no room to build a small hammock frame where you're putting this? Relying on your walls to hold the weight doesn't seem like a viable thing, but a frame can be relatively low profile and has the added benefit of letting you move the hammock around should you want to.
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2011 14:40
|
|
|
neogeo0823 posted:Hammock frames I use one of these for my indoor hammock:  It's awesome, and a handy person could build a similar structure. I take it outside on nice days since we don't have any good hammock trees. If you can manage a portable stand, it's worth considering.
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2011 14:48
|
|
|
DrKennethNoisewater posted:Thanks for the help! I didn't know if my question was appropriate for the gardening thread since my plant is neither veggie nor herb. One more note, as with all plants grown for their variegation, prune the non-variegated branches regularly. Since the totally variegated sections lack chlorophyll, they grow slower than non-variegated branches. In other words, non-variegated branches will outgrow variegated sections. Given enough time, you eventually won't be able to tell the plant was variegated at all. As for all that indoor hammock talk on steel C studs, your only option would be to mount an intermediate piece of lumber on the wall to attach your hanging hook to. Even then, getting in that hammock will make that entire wall shake, possibly cracking the drywall along that wall.
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2011 21:13
|
|
|
Thanks for all the helpful replies. It's a rental property so gutting is not an option. I don't have a lot of space for a frame but I'll look into building one or serious weight loss to satisfy my hammock urges for the winter.
evlbstrd fucked around with this message at 05:21 on Sep 7, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2011 05:18
|
|
|
dur posted:If it's a flatscreen, you can use the VESA mount holes to attach a shelf for the speaker to sit on. Make sure you get the right size screws so you don't damage the threads - the sizes are listed here. Oh hell yes. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2011 21:06
|
|
|
I've been checking my attic temperature vs. house temperature, and it's running about 20 degrees difference. I think my ventilation is adequate, but I've read online that ideal is around 10 degrees. I had a few thoughts on hitting that 10 degrees and maybe less, but I don't want to get mould or other issues. Any HV/AC guys or roofers know of any ill effects of beating that 10 degree mark?
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2011 03:18
|
|
|
Here's a picture of some plywood I got for a project but ended up not using. I photographed the side with the printing on it, in case there's some information there that would be helpful to an expert. I'd like to think of some neat way to make use of it, but I'm a little worried about straying from MDF and 2x4s, with which I'm more familiar. How feasible would it be to make a Mario question-mark box storage/stool thing out of it? How can I join two pieces of it at a right angle? I assume you can't screw into the sides of it, but maybe L-brackets would be effective. My budget for this is pretty much as close to $0 as possible; I won't have the money to buy more supplies until next Wednesday, but I've got the itch to build something.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2011 06:45
|
|
|
ejstheman posted:Here's a picture of some plywood I got for a project but ended up not using. I photographed the side with the printing on it, in case there's some information there that would be helpful to an expert. I'd like to think of some neat way to make use of it, but I'm a little worried about straying from MDF and 2x4s, with which I'm more familiar. How feasible would it be to make a Mario question-mark box storage/stool thing out of it? How can I join two pieces of it at a right angle? I assume you can't screw into the sides of it, but maybe L-brackets would be effective.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2011 07:06
|
|
|
ejstheman posted:Here's a picture of some plywood I got for a project but ended up not using. That's actually oriented strand board (OSB). I've never worked with it so I don't have any tips, sorry.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2011 07:18
|
|
|
wormil posted:That's actually oriented strand board (OSB). I've never worked with it so I don't have any tips, sorry. Is that why it's made of chips and not sheets? I noticed that, but I wasn't sure each layer had to be all one piece for it to be plywood. peepsalot posted:I'm not a carpenter, but you could try putting 2x4s or similar on the inside corners so you have something more substantial to screw each side to. Also if you want to avoid having the edges showing, you could try cutting a 45 degree bevel on all the edges, assuming you have a circular saw that can tilt. I do, though the blade's a little dull. I also have a reciprocating saw that can bevel, though that's not ideal for cutting a straight line, I don't think. Would the sharp edge tend to chip and/or snag stuff? ejstheman fucked around with this message at 07:25 on Sep 8, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2011 07:19
|
|
|
Hey, I remember that there was a thread in this forum where people were sharing free or low cost CAD tools for planning a house or for planning a remodel. I have been looking for that thread this entire morning, but I cannot manage to find it. Does anybody here remember that thread or knows of any tools to help out with remodel planning?
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2011 15:22
|
|
|
ejstheman posted:Is that why it's made of chips and not sheets? I noticed that, but I wasn't sure each layer had to be all one piece for it to be plywood. I wouldn't use the reciprocating saw on it. The blade on your circular saw can make a huge difference in the quality of the cut. I'd recommend one of these 40tooth freud diablos, not too pricy and produce a very quality cut. It says "finishing" but you can use it for all kinds of cuts IMO, it's not any noticeably slower to cut or anything. http://www.amazon.com/Freud-D0740X-Finishing-Knockout-PermaShield/dp/B00008WQ2H Also if you are worried about chipping(tearout), then try to always cut with the good side of the board facing down (assuming a circular saw. other way if table saw). Tearout only really happens on the side that the saw teeth pop out of the board.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2011 17:35
|
|
|
dur posted:If it's a flatscreen, you can use the VESA mount holes to attach a shelf for the speaker to sit on. Make sure you get the right size screws so you don't damage the threads - the sizes are listed Holy poo poo, I never even thought of fixing a shelf to the vesa mount holes. This is along the lines of simple things that make you think,"drat.. Why didn't I think of that." Thank you for the new Kinect camera thingy/wii bar mount.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2011 22:32
|
|
|
ejstheman posted:Here's a picture of some plywood I got for a project but ended up not using. I photographed the side with the printing on it, in case there's some information there that would be helpful to an expert. I'd like to think of some neat way to make use of it, but I'm a little worried about straying from MDF and 2x4s, with which I'm more familiar. How feasible would it be to make a Mario question-mark box storage/stool thing out of it? How can I join two pieces of it at a right angle? I assume you can't screw into the sides of it, but maybe L-brackets would be effective. Toss it out. OSB is designed for sheating a structure with a moisture barrier, then either siding or roofing on top of that. If you can find some cool effect from the grain of it without it bloating from the moisture, then maybe you can do something, but it's just cheap crap (less than $5 for a 4x8 sheet here). It's also not friendly to tools. You need a decent blade on a circular saw to get any kind of a clean cut. Basically, it's just crap to work with unless you're using it for its intended purpose. MDF is the way to go for small projects that won't get wet.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2011 03:38
|
|
|
jizzsock posted:MDF is the way to go for small projects that won't get wet. MDF is expensive as poo poo and dense as a motherfucker. Looks good and will last, but god drat if I dont hate working with it. Great for speaker/amp cabinets though (for real though don't ever let it get wet)
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2011 05:27
|
|
|
Ok, weird question; How can I go about replacing a 9' wide x 7' tall garage door with a regular door? One of the previous owners turned most of the one car attached garage in to an office, leaving only a 15 ' wide x 8 ' deep area for a workshop. They even put in a sheetrock ceiling and drop down wooden access ladder, but they left the garage door. The only way to get anything in to the attic is to open the garage door, move it in to the workshop, close the garage door, open the access ladder, put item in attic. Reverse to remove anything. It is a pain. This workshop will never hold a vehicle, and the old garage door is starting to rot out (it is like 40 years old). Is it just a matter of putting a salt treated base down (concrete floor), framing out a wall, putting in a door, and matching the siding? Also, I have never done anything like is in my life, so if what I said seems simplistic or outright wrong, that would be why.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2011 15:23
|
|
|
I need to cut 50 stars of an inch in diameter out of CD's for an art project. Any ideas on how to do it faster than cutting them out by hand with vinyl siding sheers? I think heat with some sort of metal stamp would be ideal but not sure where to find one.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2011 19:47
|
|
|
Gravitom posted:I need to cut 50 stars of an inch in diameter out of CD's for an art project. Any ideas on how to do it faster than cutting them out by hand with vinyl siding sheers? I think heat with some sort of metal stamp would be ideal but not sure where to find one. Depending on what kind of tools you have access to this might be a bit difficult, but what I would do is take some 10 gauge steel, bend it to make a star, solder it together at the points, and build some type of rudimentary press that gives you lots of leverage, sort of set up how those heavy duty staplers work. If you have access to a band saw that would be pretty quick (wear safety glasses and gloves). Failing that just use a decent pair of tin snips and cut 2 or 3 at a time.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2011 20:01
|
|
|
Shempt_The_Mighty posted:Is it just a matter of putting a salt treated base down (concrete floor), framing out a wall, putting in a door, and matching the siding? Step by step guide: http://www.ehow.com/how_6005958_close-garage-door-opening.html
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2011 22:58
|
|
|
Thank you. I looked and did not see that.
|
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2011 02:32
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 13, 2024 05:23 |
|
|
Cosmik Debris posted:If you have access to a band saw that would be pretty quick (wear safety glasses and gloves). The bandsaw is a good idea, but I can't agree with you on the gloves: Should I wear gloves when using a bandsaw? "Gloves are tougher than skin. A bandsaw is more likely to grab a hold of a glove, and the hand within it, and pull it down instead of just cutting your hand. This can cause your hand to get trapped against the work table with the bandsaw blade sawing away at your hand and you unable to pull away because the glove keeps getting pulled into the blade."
|
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2011 04:17
|
|
