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grover posted:Should be really easy. Doorbell circuits are just 2 wires, and surface mounted. Take off the button, drill a new hole to the side, fish the existing cable into it, and remount your button (or any new button, they're pretty much all compatible). The only challenge may be if they fished the wire between the joist and the door frame, in which case you might have to drill at an angle into the cavity, and it could make fishing the cable interesting. Ok, that doesn't sound bad. Thanks! For some reason I was thinking that the wiring would be a lot more closed off, but that would be pretty stupid to think that they made the wiring run from the transformer like that. Once I get the approval from the landlord to install this security door, I'll take off the buzzer and see what the wiring looks like. edit: Now, to repost a question that I think got forgotten two pages ago... Our sliding glass door is pretty old. When I pull on one side of the frame (opposite of the handle) you can see the frame move away from the handle. But that's for another day, unless someone has a quick fix for that problem. I noticed today that the only weatherstripping is on the side where the handle of the door meets the frame (so basically the part that closes when you go to close the door itself. At the top, there's nothing, and I could feel the air coming in the house. I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to create some weather stripping for the top piece and the side to block air from escaping or coming in. I've attached pictures...  Here's the door. We never use the door on the left, since it's blocked by a solid iron gate.  This picture is taken from the outside, so the exterior is on the right.  Inside of house on right, outside on left...can't really see the gap here...  This shows the gap the best. It's a pretty decent gap from the top of the door to the top of the frame, if that makes sense. I can take more pictures if needed, or let me know what else you need to know if I'm not explaining this the best way possible... I'm also looking for a replacement screen door. It didn't have one when we moved in, and I went to Home Depot and got a universal one. It fit fine, however the handle of the glass door is too thick and was rubbing against the screen door, so we had to take it back. Any recommendations on a screen door solution? My wife was thinking of one of these but those things look like they would never last... nwin fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Mar 26, 2012 |
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Mar 26, 2012 01:28
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nwin posted:I'm also looking for a replacement screen door. It didn't have one when we moved in, and I went to Home Depot and got a universal one. It fit fine, however the handle of the glass door is too thick and was rubbing against the screen door, so we had to take it back. Any recommendations on a screen door solution? My wife was thinking of one of these but those things look like they would never last... Hmm. Would it maybe be easier to just replace the handle on your glass door with a lower profile one? The only one I have taken apart is just 2 screws on the inside, and then another 2 screws in the jam to replace the part it latches into. Then you could have whatever screen door you want.
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Mar 26, 2012 04:02
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Jay-Zeus posted:I searched around quickly and didn't find anything quick, so I apologize if this has been asked: Can anyone recommend a deck design software package for personal use? My dad asked me to look into this, so bonus points if it's intuitive and cheap. My dad and his buddies always used Sketchpad 1.0 along with copious applications of the Evan Williams + Pepsi add-on package. If you're not comfortable with the paper pad and pencil interface, this might be handy: http://www.bighammer.com/ I haven't used them so I can't speak to how well it will suit your needs but like I said - a notepad and some whiskey always worked well to get our decks built. Oh, you want a deck that will pass some sort of fancypants inspection? Bah! You kids today and your *codes*. Realtalk - Hopefully the software link above will let you design the deck and then it's a matter of checking your local building codes. If they require a permit then *get it*. Yes, it's money and annoying but when you go to sell the home you have everything nice and documented for the future. I wasn't kidding about my dad and his buddies but their big advantage is one is a civil engineer and used to building multimillion dollar buildings and my dad and the other guys were just generally good about building stuff that didn't fall over (unlike them after lunch). That doesn't mean we built to code, we just overbuilt and hoped no one came by to ruin our day.
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Mar 27, 2012 20:55
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Anyone know the best way to get birds out of a dryer vent? I've got birds nesting in my vent. I didn't care till today, when they've migrated up into the tube inside my house that connects to the dryer. This is Not Cool. Animal control? Or is there a faster and cheaper way to de-bird my dryer vent? They've successfully clogged the whole thing with their nest so now my dryer doesn't work well at all. Once I do get them out, what's a good way of preventing them from coming back in? I called the condo management and told them I had birds all up in my dryer, and they claim they're installing "critter guards" on our exhaust vents, but then I'll have birds trapped inside my vent and then they'll die and my laundry will smell of roasted dead house finch. Mmm.
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Mar 27, 2012 22:12
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Redneck Option #1 - Get a broom handle and whack that nest the hell out of your vents. Grab a bigass crescent wrench and smash the poo poo out of anything that gets in your way. Get out your pliers, rip off the existing, useless dryer vent and install a brand new one that will close properly and reject birds. Redneckier Option #2 - Emit a hearty, "Ah hell!" as you survey the nest. Remove it carefully and set it aside so that the mommy and daddy birds can find it. Hopefully there aren't any eggs in there yet. Clean out the vent and install some wire mesh over the opening so that the birds can't come back. Relocate the nest nearby so it's up high and away from cats. Boy Scout Option #3 - Do everything above in Option #2 but build a little birdhouse and put the nest in there. Mount it near the existing vent so the birds don't get confuzzled as they come back. Enjoy your finches. 
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Mar 27, 2012 22:36
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If you touch the nest they will abandon it, hope they decide to build another, but clear that crap out.
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Mar 27, 2012 22:50
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CuddleChunks posted:Redneck Option #1 - Get a broom handle and whack that nest the hell out of your vents. Grab a bigass crescent wrench and smash the poo poo out of anything that gets in your way. Get out your pliers, rip off the existing, useless dryer vent and install a brand new one that will close properly and reject birds. I should mention that I'm on the second floor of a two story duplex, so I can't reach my outside dryer vent to open it to shove things out of. I can open it from the inside, but I'd have to reach the whole way in and scrape all of it into my laundry room, which I don't really want to do. There are baby birds already in it I think judging from the chirping, so I might just have to wait till the little ones fly away. Until then I guess I'll deal with a chirping, flapping and scratching dryer. Earlier there was a bird flapping around the back of my dryer. I suppose the best option is to wait till the dudes installing the new vent covers come and make sure they clean it all out before they attach the new ones and trap the birdies inside.
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Mar 27, 2012 23:01
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Anyone know the best way to get birds out of a dryer vent? I've cleaned more nests out of dryer vents than I can count. Can you reach the vent from the ground outside? Stick your hand in there and pull that poo poo out. That's it. If it's too far back, straighten out a coat hanger. Guards to keep animals out can help, but they can also cause the same problem. Some are check valves, some are grates, and they both have this problem. Basically, the wet lint flying out the exhaust hole can stick to whatever it hits out the way out. Over time, it builds up. It can keep flapper-style guards from opening, and will just clog up any grate. Honestly, there is no perfectly trouble-free dryer exhaust. They do need to be cleaned every few years. But you're renting, so make them clean it out! oh, you responded. Second floor? Pull your dryer back and take off the hose. Watch out for birdies. Look inside. Is it a straight shot outside? And any maintenance man will clean out that nest and birdies before installing that guard. Otherwise, that's two trips up the ladder. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Mar 27, 2012 |
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Mar 27, 2012 23:08
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What is the best kind of wood to make a sturdy desk? I want it to be 2 feet deep by 5 feet long and I already have 4 metal legs that I can screw on. Preferably real wood so I can use this awesome natural oil I've used before. Also, I would prefer not having to reinforce anything, I'd rather go overkill with wood thickness/quality. Is this doable? I've used a panel of factory glued 3/4in pine before and it started to twist about a year in. Should I add a 5th leg in the back? Unrelated, but is it possible to dye a leather couch from a deep burgundy red to a dark brown/black?
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Mar 28, 2012 00:37
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internet inc posted:What is the best kind of wood to make a sturdy desk? We have a woodworking thread...
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Mar 28, 2012 03:27
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internet inc posted:What is the best kind of wood to make a sturdy desk? If you're only using an oil finish, you'll probably want to stick with harder wood like maple, walnut, oak or maybe heart pine and cherry. Mahogany is too soft for oil only, you'll leave marks if you use it as a writing surface. You'll probably want to fill the pores on open or mixed pore woods like Oak or Walnut. internet inc posted:Also, I would prefer not having to reinforce anything, I'd rather go overkill with wood thickness/quality. Is this doable? ... Should I add a 5th leg in the back? Hardwood is sold in quarters, 4/4=1", 8/4=2". Using Maple as an example, a 1.5" (6/4) thick top should be fine if nothing too heavy will be on it; 8/4 would be plenty. Alternately you could use a thinner top and then attach aprons or edging. A fifth leg wouldn't be necessary but wouldn't hurt. Here's something for you to play with: http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm
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Mar 28, 2012 08:10
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Cakefool posted:If you touch the nest they will abandon it, hope they decide to build another, but clear that crap out. This is an old wives tale to keep children from messing with birds nests. They won't abandon the nest simply because you've handled it. If you've relocated it to somewhere cats can easily get to they might abandon it but its not your scent that runs them off. In fact most birds have a very poorly developed sense of smell. Cosmik Debris fucked around with this message at 15:19 on Mar 28, 2012 |
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Mar 28, 2012 15:06
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internet inc posted:What is the best kind of wood to make a sturdy desk? This right here is what you want: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10146525/#/80145749 I got the 96" one, cut about 16 inches off one end, and mounted it on two legs and a 1x4 against the wall.  If you want extra sturdiness, glue and screw a sheet of 3/4" plywood to the bottom or something.
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Mar 28, 2012 16:55
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Your 1x4 adds to the sturdiness, though. I'm a little worried because this will be my third desk in a few years, I've had to change the other two because they sagged. I fear gluing plywood on the bottom will just add to the weight without reinforcing the structure.  I'm going for a minimalist look (top + 4 legs) which is why reinforcing with metal brackets or anything else kinda sucks. I can't put it against a wall either. I used a T-shaped metal rail thing on my first desk, but it did little to prevent sagging as the top was a lovely 3/4 inch particle board. The bar stayed right but it slowly unscrewed itself from the top. I suspect using a thicker top, allowing for longer/bigger screws, of hardwood (as it was mentioned) will help hold that rail-thing in place, but... is it really helping? Nothing too heavy on there either, one monitor for now (maybe two eventually) and keyboard/mouse/small computer stuff.
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Mar 28, 2012 23:31
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internet inc posted:I'm going for a minimalist look (top + 4 legs) which is why reinforcing with metal brackets or anything else kinda sucks. I can't put it against a wall either. How about adding a timber cross to the underside, maybe 2x1 (2" high, 1" wide), notch where they cross, screwed to the underside, extended as close to the corners as you can get. Should be relatively inconspicuous & add a whole bunch of strength vs sagging.
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Mar 29, 2012 07:39
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Sorry for the double-post, I have a floor lamp, built out of three knackered ikea lamps. It's a floor lamp & 2 spotlights and each lamp has its own lead, inline switch & plug. As the total load is about an amp I'd like to tidy it up & run it off 1 plug, any suggestions? I've looked for a three gang inline switch but it doesn't seem to exist, that kind of leaves me making up a little enclosure with three toggle switches but I've like to hear any better suggestions.
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Mar 29, 2012 11:46
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So I'm looking to build a tiny dancing snoop dogg for a costume  I was hoping to just scavange a wind-up motors, but I'm not exactly sure how to set up the gears/parts to re-create snoop's smooth moves, or if its even possible to build something that small & complicated. crime weed fucked around with this message at 14:51 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 14:49
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Cakefool posted:Sorry for the double-post, I have a floor lamp, built out of three knackered ikea lamps. It's a floor lamp & 2 spotlights and each lamp has its own lead, inline switch & plug. As the total load is about an amp I'd like to tidy it up & run it off 1 plug, any suggestions? You want three switches and one plug? Get an inline box and splice your three cords upstream of the existing inline switches to a single plug-capped cord. You want one switch? Same idea. Inline box, splice to inline/plug cord. The boxes are small enough you can possibly mount it in the base and not notice it.
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Mar 30, 2012 15:47
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I don't know where this question belongs so I'm going to try here. Can I stick a 35 5/8" fridge with french doors in a space that is 36 1/4" ? The wall on the right side will stick out past the door, I believe the measurement is 41". I understand the door will not be able to open all the way, but will I be able to open it to 90 degrees or close or is it going to be so tight around the pivot point that the fridge won't open at all?
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Mar 30, 2012 16:52
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Hmm. I think that would depend on the style of hinges the fridge door uses. 5/8" Thats not very much room. If I'm understanding this right, your worried the front edge of the corner will bind on the wall as it swings out. If it does catch, my guess is you will be lucky to get the door open 15 degrees. A single doored fridge opening the other way sounds like it would be better. Also thats a pretty tight space to be putting a fidge in, if its that tight all the way around I might be concerned about airflow. Remember the back of the fridge needs to be able get rid of heat, or you will loose eff and your fidge will have to work overtime to cool stuff.
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Mar 30, 2012 18:13
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If you can't open the door 180, there better not be any removable shelves or drawers.
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Mar 30, 2012 18:16
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:You want three switches and one plug? Get an inline box and splice your three cords upstream of the existing inline switches to a single plug-capped cord. You want one switch? Same idea. Inline box, splice to inline/plug cord. The boxes are small enough you can possibly mount it in the base and not notice it. Could you link me to an example of an inline box please? is it just a small blank enclosure for a terminal strip?
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Mar 30, 2012 18:38
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I'm planning to build a slate patio outside my house, something like this. The area I'm looking to cover is about 10x13, so 130sqft. Is there some way of calculating how much stone I'll need? I'm wording this badly, but is there some universal measurement of stone, something like "apples are to pecks as pieces of slate are to X," where X is known to cover a certain amount of ground? I called the greenhouse that sells pallets of 1" flagstone slate (around $85, if that helps anyone make a guess), and the guy I talked to didn't know how much ground a pallet would cover, and I know I wouldn't do a good job of just eyeballing it.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:37
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If you multiply the square footage by 1/12 you get the cubic footage. Then you can get the cubic footage of a pallet's worth and compare. I find it highly suspect that they don't know themselves how much ground it would cover. Are you sure you weren't just talking to an idiot?
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Mar 30, 2012 20:22
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Corla Plankun posted:Are you sure you weren't just talking to an idiot? Seconding this. Call back an ask for senior staff member or a manager. This is something someone there would likely know.
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Mar 30, 2012 20:44
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I Love Topanga posted:I don't know where this question belongs so I'm going to try here. My parents had a french door fridge in too small a place when they moved into their current house. It was horrible, getting anything in/out of the freezer side was nearly impossible. It ended up getting relocated to the basement as a spare/beer fridge and they bought a normal single door fridge.
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Mar 30, 2012 22:50
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Cakefool posted:Could you link me to an example of an inline box please? is it just a small blank enclosure for a terminal strip? 3" metal pancake box. First hit on google. They're flush-mount metal boxes 5/8" thick with internal clamps. They're good for up to 4 lamp cords. I don't know if they sell them at a bigbox anymore. Your next best bet is an "old work round box" but that's probably going to be 2" thick. You're going to need two wire nuts for your splice. Make sure you match wire to wire. The neutral is going to be ridged or marked somehow, or aluminum, and the hot is going to be bare or copper. If you want to take some pictures and post them in the wiring thread, I'll make sure you don't burn your house down.
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Mar 30, 2012 23:38
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Cakefool posted:Could you link me to an example of an inline box please? is it just a small blank enclosure for a terminal strip? Could we get a picture of said frankenlamp? We could give you an idea of where to hide a switch. The rules for wiring inside devices are a bit more lax than building codes. You can just run the cords to a completely enclosed, internal spot and install switch(es) there. What kind of light control would you like? 1 at a time? 3 separate switches? All on at once? Be specific with your answer, you could probably do what you want with just a single switch, called a "canopy switch". kid sinister fucked around with this message at 23:59 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 23:48
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Corla Plankun posted:If you multiply the square footage by 1/12 you get the cubic footage. Then you can get the cubic footage of a pallet's worth and compare. Corla Plankun posted:I find it highly suspect that they don't know themselves how much ground it would cover. Are you sure you weren't just talking to an idiot? Next question: I'm building a stone border around a small tree I have in the yard. I want to plant something inside the border (periwinkle, ivy, some green spreading thing), but there's grass and weeds there now. How do I get rid of the grass and weeds without killing the tree?
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Mar 31, 2012 02:04
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:3" metal pancake box. First hit on google. I know what you mean now, thanks. As I'm in the UK our writing advice is a little different & I've use connecting blocks - plastic covered screw terminals that come in strips. kid sinister posted:Could we get a picture of said frankenlamp? We could give you an idea of where to hide a switch. The rules for wiring inside devices are a bit more lax than building codes. You can just run the cords to a completely enclosed, internal spot and install switch(es) there. What kind of light control would you like? 1 at a time? 3 separate switches? All on at once? Be specific with your answer, you could probably do what you want with just a single switch, called a "canopy switch". Pic coming this evening, nothing exciting. I'd like to control all three lamps independently as it's a floor & 2 spots, preferably half way up the lamp. It might be possible to feed the cords down the shaft but not to hide anything bigger in there. I'll get a pic later.
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Mar 31, 2012 09:10
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Cakefool posted:Pic coming this evening, nothing exciting. I'd like to control all three lamps independently as it's a floor & 2 spots, preferably half way up the lamp. It might be possible to feed the cords down the shaft but not to hide anything bigger in there. I'll get a pic later. Eh, 3 independently controlled lamps mean 3 switches... I'll wait to see the pictures.
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Mar 31, 2012 17:25
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jackpot posted:
Round up. It doesn't kill from the soil, it kills from the leaves / blades. Use that and don't hit the tree.
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Mar 31, 2012 21:40
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  Like I said, nothing fancy, just a bunch of bits that fit together from the same range. I reckon I could just about feed the cables down the pole, that just leaves needing some switches.
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Apr 1, 2012 10:23
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Cakefool posted:
Ok, leave the inline switches. Drill a hole in the base, run the three cords through the hole, glue a terminal strip inside the base, make your splice, run one cord out from under the base, making a hole/notch if necessary. You can probably find some kind of black plastic grommet to keep the cords from chafing in the hole you drill, and figure out some way to secure the cords nicely to the lamp pole to tidy it up.
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Apr 1, 2012 15:08
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Cakefool posted:
Ouch, that looks pretty cramped. You might be able to fit some canopy switches in the socket covers/glass bases. Something like this would probably work. You might be able to swap out the sockets for the old side-switched style, then find some longer keys or key extensions. Run all the wires to the base, then run in a new power cable for them all. Figure out some way to keep it from being pulled out: strain relief, cable tie, etc. Wire all of the neutrals together, then all the hots. Wire nuts with electrical tape should be fine, just make sure they're big enough for 4 of 18 gauge wire.
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Apr 1, 2012 18:09
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Cakefool posted:
Hey, I used to have the two-light version of that thing. I remember one time when my wife and I had just started dating she got up off the couch and smashed the glass shade on the lower one with her head. Not even a scratch on her, though it scared the poo poo out of both of us.
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Apr 2, 2012 07:32
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I'm looking to have my kitchen floor and the adjoining patio door replaced. Is it better to have the floor replaced first or the door? The frame will have to be replaced.
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Apr 2, 2012 16:54
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FCKGW posted:I'm looking to have my kitchen floor and the adjoining patio door replaced. Is it better to have the floor replaced first or the door? The frame will have to be replaced.
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Apr 2, 2012 21:59
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Is there a gardening/landscaping thread? I've got a pretty big ceramic flower pot, about 30" high and a couple feet in diameter. Heavy as hell, and there's not even anything in it yet. For what I'm going to put in it (a few small-ish plants, something like this - and is there a name for this kind of multi-plant setup, so I can search for ideas?), I don't need 30" of dirt and gravel, and besides, every winter I need to be able to haul it indoors - which would be drat near impossible filled with damp earth and rocks. Is there something good and light that I can use to fill the bottom third or half of it to take up some of the volume? Could this be the one environmentally-friendly use for styrofoam peanuts, or is that a terrible idea? Maybe empty plastic Coke bottles, or milk jugs? Just looking for ideas here.  Thanks for the help above on my slate-pavers questions - it's funny, I went back to the greenhouse and I had to talk to three people before one would confidently tell me how much ground a pallet (about 4x4x4") of 1" slate would cover. Turns out, not very much: about 100sqft. Suddenly the cost of this little project is starting at $600, so it's a bit beyond my original "I'll just buy some and see if this looks good" plan. Damnit.
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Apr 3, 2012 20:06
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jackpot posted:Is there a gardening/landscaping thread? Vermiculite or Expanded perlite? Try a gardening shop or Home Depot. Weighs a couple pounds per cubic foot. Looks like styrofoam pebbles.
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Apr 3, 2012 20:27
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