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Scarf posted:Don't have a multimeter :\ http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-multimeter-98025.html Harbor Freight literally gives this one away free if you have the right coupon, too. This, or similar, will be just fine for things like checking batteries and this.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:22
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Scarf posted:Opened up the switch housing, here's the innards, does anything look out of place? It's hard to be sure from the picture, but it looks a little like the hot lead on the left is touching the hot lead on the right, which would obviously be a bad thing. Assuming they're not touching though I agree that the most likely problem is a shorted switch, so I would just replace it and cross my fingers.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:34
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stubblyhead posted:It's hard to be sure from the picture, but it looks a little like the hot lead on the left is touching the hot lead on the right, which would obviously be a bad thing. Assuming they're not touching though I agree that the most likely problem is a shorted switch, so I would just replace it and cross my fingers. Well I just made sure all the connections were secure on the terminals, closed it back up and tada... switch works fine. So yeah, perfectly good table saw, $50. Can't beat that.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:50
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Scarf posted:Well I just made sure all the connections were secure on the terminals, closed it back up and tada... switch works fine. I wouldn't trust it, something has to be wrong in the switch. Just make sure to unplug it when changing blades.
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Mar 14, 2013 22:02
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lord1234 posted:does it matter if the original was flexible or solid? can't i just replace a solid with a flexible? Doesn't matter except for the logistics of removing it.
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Mar 14, 2013 23:25
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Molten Llama posted:Doesn't matter except for the logistics of removing it. Couldn't you just cut the old one as you ran out of room, then?
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Mar 14, 2013 23:33
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I recently bought a large-ish silver-plate punch bowl from eBay and it's got a fair amount of tarnish to it, as well as a few small scratches and scuffs, mostly on the inside of the bowl. I'm looking to get this looking as bright and lovely as possible. I have no experience cleaning silver, so I looked up how to polish stuff online. There are lots of guides to making a dip with aluminum foil, baking soda, and table salt, and I could possibly do that in my sink, but one or two places suggested being careful using it with silver-plate items, since you definitely don't want to wear through the plating. I'm also perfectly willing to just go at with with some sort of polishing cream and a lot of soft cloth, but I don't know if there are cheap, abrasive products I need to avoid. I'm willing to spend a bit of money and time making it look nice. Also if there's any reasonable way to buff out some of those scratches it'd be great, but I'm not particularly concerned about those. Any guidance would be much appreciated.
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Mar 14, 2013 23:35
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grover posted:You really need to get one; everyone should have a multimeter in their toolbag. They're, like, $5. Agreed. Or you could splurge on this one for $10 - auto ranging and storage for the leads. My favorite cheapie.
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Mar 15, 2013 01:15
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Kenning posted:I recently bought a large-ish silver-plate punch bowl from eBay and it's got a fair amount of tarnish to it, as well as a few small scratches and scuffs, mostly on the inside of the bowl. I'm looking to get this looking as bright and lovely as possible. I have no experience cleaning silver, so I looked up how to polish stuff online. There are lots of guides to making a dip with aluminum foil, baking soda, and table salt, and I could possibly do that in my sink, but one or two places suggested being careful using it with silver-plate items, since you definitely don't want to wear through the plating. I'm also perfectly willing to just go at with with some sort of polishing cream and a lot of soft cloth, but I don't know if there are cheap, abrasive products I need to avoid. I'm willing to spend a bit of money and time making it look nice. Generally, I like to start gently and escalate if needed. This goes for polishing any metal. Start off with a good cleaning with just water and a tiny bit of vinegar to cut the oils on it. This isn't going to do anything for the tarnish, but you'll want to get it clean and keep it clean for the rest of the process. Next you could do the dip you described above. I've never had a problem with this wearing through any silver plating, but to be fair my silver polishing experience is mostly with restoring jewelry. After that, clean it again and dry it. If you still have problems with tarnish, I'd next go with a commercial polish. You'll want to get one specifically for silver and follow the directions very closely. Polishes for other metals like mag polish or steel are going to be pretty harsh for silver. You can find silver polish in most grocery stores, even today. If that doesn't work, then we're talking about going the surgical route, which involves truly polishing it with progressively finer and finer abrasives. I wouldn't recommend that unless you're willing to take a risk with it. That goes triple if it is plated, because the chances of wearing through it are pretty high. Incidentally, for the scratches, that's pretty much the only way to get rid of them, aside from replating it. As for the cloth you use - do not use paper towels, and avoid terry cloth. You're going to something fairly soft for most of this, and a softer cloth for the final polishing.
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Mar 15, 2013 16:32
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Are arbor wrenches for table saws pretty universal in size? If so, what size are they typically? I'm going to change the blade out on this saw and don't have a wrench that fits, and none of the schematics/instructions I've found on the saw say what size it is.
Scarf fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Mar 15, 2013 |
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Mar 15, 2013 20:24
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Killing Flies posted:Generally, I like to start gently and escalate if needed. This goes for polishing any metal. Start off with a good cleaning with just water and a tiny bit of vinegar to cut the oils on it. This isn't going to do anything for the tarnish, but you'll want to get it clean and keep it clean for the rest of the process. Next you could do the dip you described above. I've never had a problem with this wearing through any silver plating, but to be fair my silver polishing experience is mostly with restoring jewelry. After that, clean it again and dry it. If you still have problems with tarnish, I'd next go with a commercial polish. You'll want to get one specifically for silver and follow the directions very closely. Polishes for other metals like mag polish or steel are going to be pretty harsh for silver. You can find silver polish in most grocery stores, even today. If that doesn't work, then we're talking about going the surgical route, which involves truly polishing it with progressively finer and finer abrasives. I wouldn't recommend that unless you're willing to take a risk with it. That goes triple if it is plated, because the chances of wearing through it are pretty high. Incidentally, for the scratches, that's pretty much the only way to get rid of them, aside from replating it. Cool, thanks for your feedback. I'll try and see what I can do in the next week. And I don't really mind the scratches so much, so that's fine.
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Mar 15, 2013 21:02
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Scarf posted:Are arbor wrenches for table saws pretty universal in size? If so, what size are they typically? I'm going to change the blade out on this saw and don't have a wrench that fits, and none of the schematics/instructions I've found on the saw say what size it is. You managed to find the repair part catalog for the switch, so if you can find the manual with an exploded view that would tell you. Maybe google around for replacement parts for that model number and they'll probably have it listed. I've had a couple different table saws, and they all used different sized arbor nuts. Usually, I just used a crescent wrench (or an adjustable wrench, whatever you want to call it.) If the saw doesn't have a brake for changing the blade, then the trick is to keep the arbor from spinning while you crank down on the nut. A screwdriver or piece of scrap placed carefully behind one of the teeth of the blade works in a pinch. Like you've already been told, I'd definitely unplug that thing before I put any of my parts near that blade, though. Almost forgot to mention - test the blade out after installing it on some scrap before you start cutting anything important. The arbor may be banged up in addition to that switch being messed up. If the arbor is bent, the blade will "wobble" and the cut won't be clean. Depending on how bad it is, it can be corrected. Just wanted to mention it because I see this all the time in used table saws. Usually because the previous owner was doing something they shouldn't have with it, and considering this was a rental that seems like a higher than usual possibility. Killing Flies fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Mar 15, 2013 |
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Mar 15, 2013 21:10
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Killing Flies posted:You managed to find the repair part catalog for the switch, so if you can find the manual with an exploded view that would tell you. Maybe google around for replacement parts for that model number and they'll probably have it listed. I've had a couple different table saws, and they all used different sized arbor nuts. Usually, I just used a crescent wrench (or an adjustable wrench, whatever you want to call it.) If the saw doesn't have a brake for changing the blade, then the trick is to keep the arbor from spinning while you crank down on the nut. A screwdriver or piece of scrap placed carefully behind one of the teeth of the blade works in a pinch. Like you've already been told, I'd definitely unplug that thing before I put any of my parts near that blade, though. Yeah, I've poured through all of the documentation for it, but no dice on the nut. And now, after combing through some Ridgid forums online, I'm pretty confident that it's 1 1/16". So yeah, I'm just gonna pick up a crescent wrench. And yeah, even if the thing was brand new, I'd still unplug it before changing the blade  Thanks!
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Mar 16, 2013 00:10
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Scarf posted:Yeah, I've poured through all of the documentation for it, but no dice on the nut. And now, after combing through some Ridgid forums online, I'm pretty confident that it's 1 1/16". So yeah, I'm just gonna pick up a crescent wrench. Get yourself a caliper, they are extremely useful for things like this. You can get a cheap plastic one at harbor freight for like $2. It has a vernier scale that purports to be accurate to 1/128", though I would not put much stock in that. Should be plenty accurate to the 1/16" scale though.
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Mar 16, 2013 00:35
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My goodman gas furnace is acting up. Normally, the blower will start, and after about 30-45 seconds the burners will ignite and it will heat for a few minutes. As it nears the end of the heating cycle the burner will cut off, and the blower will continue to run for a few minutes extra, then it will shut down. Recently but not consistently, while only the blower is running, it will cut off and then start up again after about a second. Sometimes it will cut the burner, and then after running the blower for a few minutes the burner will start up again with no complete shutdown in the middle. I hope I am explaining this clearly. Last winter I cleaned the flame sensor when the thing was short cycling and that problem went away. I also recently adjusted the hysteresis(?) setting on the inside of my thermostat which as far as I can tell lets you adjust how precise the temp hold will be. It was set at 0.1 and I moved it to around 0.8, however that was over a month ago and the furnace was running great. For all of these issues, it still keeps the house warm and pretty close to the set temp on the thermostat. Any advice?
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Mar 16, 2013 01:11
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Goober Peas posted:Sorry if this is the wrong place, but it seems like it would fit here. I wanted to follow up with everyone (not that anybody cared, but it seems like the right thing to do when soliciting help) - I ended up taking out a home improvement loan and getting new windows, doors, siding and roof. Construction has been going on for 2 weeks now. Roof is on - it took a full day to pull 3 layers off. The first layer was the original 50s shingle. The decking is tongue-in-groove and is in perfect shape. Every picture in the house was crooked after they finished and I swear I can still hear the hammering. Windows and doors are in. I got Pella Impervia fiberglass windows and Masonite exterior doors. They ended up having to sawzall the storm windows off - they were evidently installed with tar, which explains why I never could get them off to clean them. As expected, the west-facing window frames had significant rot. The new windows look great, and it's nice to be able to let some fresh air in. The siding was a disaster. All the contractors inspected it, and all estimated 2-4 boards total needed replacement. The contractor I picked started pressure washing it and huge chunks of board started raining down. Evidently there was tons of bondo patchwork. I ended up having all the siding removed and replaced with Hardie Board. That put me over budget by about $2000, but it needed to be done. Next week they begin painting. I hope I never have to do this again -- it's been an adventure, work, and stress. Thanks to everyone that gave input - your opinions helped me to decide to go all in rather than piecemeal the work. I'll take some pics once the work is done! 
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Mar 16, 2013 22:18
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So I'm building myself a spray booth, and intended to get a bathroom extractor fan to go in the top of it. I went to the store yesterday and had a look, and realised that of course all the ones available are for wiring into the fixed circuit at home. They also have warnings about not plugging in to flexible wiring. I'm guessing that is because it's not safe to have bathroom appliances plugged in to sockets, and that actually for my purposes it'd be fine. Is this the case? In addition therefore I realise I have no idea how to wire it in to a plug. Is that going to be straightforward?
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Mar 17, 2013 11:08
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I was trimming out a door the other day and did something moderately dumb. After spraying in the expanding foam, I opened the door for a while before it had fully expanded and cured. The door now sticks in the jamb pretty badly (opened quite easily before), though it is still possible to open and close it. Is there any way of fixing this short of cutting it all out and trying again?
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Mar 17, 2013 19:51
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How trimmed out? Did you fasten the frame to the studs yet, or put up the trim?
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Mar 17, 2013 20:14
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stubblyhead posted:I was trimming out a door the other day and did something moderately dumb. After spraying in the expanding foam, I opened the door for a while before it had fully expanded and cured. The door now sticks in the jamb pretty badly (opened quite easily before), though it is still possible to open and close it. Is there any way of fixing this short of cutting it all out and trying again? Did you use blue can foam meant for doors and windows? stubblyhead posted:I was trimming out a door the other day and did something moderately dumb. After spraying in the expanding foam, I opened the door for a while before it had fully expanded and cured. The door now sticks in the jamb pretty badly (opened quite easily before), though it is still possible to open and close it. Is there any way of fixing this short of cutting it all out and trying again? Try Wiring thread
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Mar 17, 2013 21:34
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ineptmule posted:So I'm building myself a spray booth, and intended to get a bathroom extractor fan to go in the top of it. I have been kicking around the idea of building a spray booth for airbrushing and came upon the idea to use an old range hood instead of a bathroom exhaust fan. They can be found fairly cheap on craigslist and already have the lights built in and wired up. Just something to consider if you haven't already purchased the bathroom exhaust fan.
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Mar 18, 2013 04:34
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Don't spraybooths have to use special spark-free fans to avoid combusting fumes?
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Mar 18, 2013 04:50
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stubblyhead posted:I was trimming out a door the other day and did something moderately dumb. After spraying in the expanding foam, I opened the door for a while before it had fully expanded and cured. The door now sticks in the jamb pretty badly (opened quite easily before), though it is still possible to open and close it. Is there any way of fixing this short of cutting it all out and trying again? Hate working on doors but you can try sinking long screws (3 or 4") and attempt to suck in the frame. If the door is wood you can also take a plane and take off material (Also seconding that it sounds like maybe you used the normal foam and not the minimally expanding foam intended for doors and windows)
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Mar 18, 2013 04:51
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eddiewalker posted:Don't spraybooths have to use special spark-free fans to avoid combusting fumes? Yes, that's a good point. The booth I had in mind would be for airbrushing acrylics (non-flammable). If you're going to be spraying something with a flammable solvent, you'd want to keep the risk of fire and explosion in mind.
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Mar 18, 2013 04:56
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eddiewalker posted:Don't spraybooths have to use special spark-free fans to avoid combusting fumes? I would expect this from a range hood as well.
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Mar 18, 2013 05:09
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dwoloz posted:Hate working on doors but you can try sinking long screws (3 or 4") and attempt to suck in the frame. If the door is wood you can also take a plane and take off material I did  There's like six kinds, and I'm honestly not sure which flavor I grabbed. The frame is fixed to the studs, but the interior trim is not up. It's a fiberglass door so I don't think planing the face will work. I'll try to figure out where the narrow spots are and try pulling it in some with additional screws. And I'll be sure to grab the right stuff next time I put one in.
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Mar 18, 2013 17:27
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stubblyhead posted:I did Since the trim is not on yet, can't you dig out the foam in the problem areas with a screwdriver, drywall saw, steak knife, etc?
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Mar 18, 2013 18:01
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emanonii posted:Since the trim is not on yet, can't you dig out the foam in the problem areas with a screwdriver, drywall saw, steak knife, etc? Yeah, I could do that, but I was hoping I might have some alternatives to tearing it out and starting over. Even after it dries the stuff sticks to loving everything (even if just through static cling), and the less of a mess I make the less my wife will want to murder me.
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Mar 18, 2013 18:28
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stubblyhead posted:Yeah, I could do that, but I was hoping I might have some alternatives to tearing it out and starting over. Even after it dries the stuff sticks to loving everything (even if just through static cling), and the less of a mess I make the less my wife will want to murder me. I was about to say...if he used the gap filler version of Great Stuff, he's never going to get it out. That stuff is a royal PITA to remove whether it's wet or dry. I got some on my hands once and I looked like I had leprosy for about a week.
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Mar 19, 2013 00:18
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Goober Peas posted:I was about to say...if he used the gap filler version of Great Stuff, he's never going to get it out. That stuff is a royal PITA to remove whether it's wet or dry. I got some on my hands once and I looked like I had leprosy for about a week. Yes, it's definitely something to wear disposable gloves for. Acetone/nail polish remover does a pretty good job of cleaning it up while it's still wet, but once it dries you're stuck with it until it wears off.
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Mar 19, 2013 07:25
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I have a hell of a lot of painting to do in the next 3 months or so...old house and new house, basically, around 3100 sqft total. Any tips from goons? I have painted a few rooms in my day but never had a marathon paint spree like the one I have coming. so far the tips I have accumulated are: -wrap the roller cover in plastic/plastic bag between painting sessions, no need to clean them everyday -master cutting in with a brush (which I am not so good at) Any gadgets or anything I should look at? My wife wants one of the paint rollers that stores paint in the stick, they have very mixed reviews so any goon experience would be great. It looks like most of the tools for cutting in are worthless, based on reviews. Does the brand/grade roller cover really matter? Are the 14 or 18" (vs 9) rollers worth investigating?
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Mar 20, 2013 01:33
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My advice, hire it out to someone with a paint gun. If you're set on doing it though, I'd stay away from the gimmicks and just use the tried and true brush and roller. Things go quickest with one person rolling and another person doing the cutting in with a brush.
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Mar 20, 2013 02:19
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Also get a 5 gallon bucket and fitting wire mesh to wipe excess. For a little more than those cheap roller trays cost you can have a more professional setup to save you time. Good luck, that's a lot of square footage.
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Mar 20, 2013 03:27
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ntd posted:Any gadgets or anything I should look at? My wife wants one of the paint rollers that stores paint in the stick, they have very mixed reviews so any goon experience would be great. It looks like most of the tools for cutting in are worthless, based on reviews. Does the brand/grade roller cover really matter? Are the 14 or 18" (vs 9) rollers worth investigating? Get a painter's tape dispenser (something like http://kk.org/cooltools/archives/698). It makes taping around trim so easy. It depends on the height/size of your walls, but you may want to look at getting a 24" roller. I used that on a room that had a vaulted ceiling and it really sped things up. Your arms will be sore after using it though. Whenever you open/use a new roller, rub some tape over it to remove the excess fuzz.
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Mar 20, 2013 13:17
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I have about 75 feet of 8 AWG bare copper wire I pulled from my house. It weighs about 4.5 lbs and apparently the scrap value is worth about $15, but it's in one continuous piece which makes me think it's worth more than that. Is it worth trying to find a buyer or should I just bring it in for scrap value?
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Mar 20, 2013 18:52
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ntd posted:I have a hell of a lot of painting to do in the next 3 months or so...old house and new house, basically, around 3100 sqft total. Any tips from goons? I have painted a few rooms in my day but never had a marathon paint spree like the one I have coming. so far the tips I have accumulated are: I really hate painting. The only thing I hate more is drywalling. As a result of this aversion, I've tried a lot of the gimmicks out there that say they'll make it easier. Almost none of them work. The paint-in-stick rollers are crap (in my experience) as are those stupid foam pads for edge work and pretty much any other cutting in tool. Painting is just one of those chores where there's just no good substitute for a brush, roller, and paint tray. You can use a sprayer, but a good one can be pricey and will definitely be more messy. My advice - keep it simple, but don't skimp too much. Get a couple quality brushes. I've found 2" angled brushes work good for cutting in. If you cheap out the bristles fall out or don't hold the paint well. You're looking for bristles that have some spring to them when you brush it against your hand. In other words - some resistance, but not hard. For rollers, you can sort-of cheap out here. Don't go super cheap, or they will literally snap as you're using them. Roller covers are the same, you can go cheap, but not too cheap. Really cheap rollers leave little ball of paint and fuzz on the walls/ceiling. The nap or the roller is a matter of the texture of the surface. If it's like rough stucco, go with a thicker nap. For most walls, the short nap will do. If you're doing ceilings, get a good quality extension handle. That means it should be about 3/4" thick and made of poplar. Too thin and it will bow under pressure. If you need to do taping, regular blue painter's tape is the way to go, just make sure the surfaces are clean before you stick it. The top of door casings, for example, tend to get really dusty. Also, I would skip the cheap plastic drop cloths. They suck. Get yourself a roll of paper to protect the floor. It doesn't cost that much, is easier yo put down and will do a much better job of staying in place. Alternatively, cloth dropcloths are even better, but tend to be more expensive. What else... oh yeah - Get yourself a paint tray and some liners. Make sure the liners fit the tray. Get the smaller trim trays for cutting in, since it makes it much easier to move the paint with you as you go. For clean up, it depends on the paint you're using. Latex washes off just fine. I'd still pick up some magic erasers to clean up mistakes. They also make brush spinners, but I don't use them. Honestly, painting supplies are so cheap that it barely pays to clean it all up for later use. I mean, unless you're painting frequently, why get a $25 brush spinner to save your $6 brush? When it comes to painting, almost the entire cost is in the paint itself. Also, the human cost. Which brings me to the most important purchase for painting - ibuprofen. I get a headache just thinking about having to paint 3100 sq ft.
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Mar 20, 2013 19:58
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Killing Flies posted:My advice - keep it simple, but don't skimp too much. Get a couple quality brushes. I've found 2" angled brushes work good for cutting in. If you cheap out the bristles fall out or don't hold the paint well. You're looking for bristles that have some spring to them when you brush it against your hand. In other words - some resistance, but not hard. Also, don't foam brushes. They suck and leave little black flakes in your paint job as the foam pops off. They will also snag and tear on any rough texture on your surface, period.
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Mar 20, 2013 21:54
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I swear by the green tape now. But I live in 100 year + old house and have original unpainted trim to worry about. If you want to leave it on more than a few hours go green.
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Mar 21, 2013 00:30
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I guess since we are taking about pretty basic stuff...I hope you aren't painting with the stupid "W" shape they show in the beginner videos. Roll in columns, like this guy: http://www.jackpauhl.com/how-to-roll-walls/
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Mar 21, 2013 02:42
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Came home tonight to find that the deadbolt on my front door is broken. By broken, I mean that my key still inserts correctly, but turning the key doesn't do anything. I can't unlock it, or lock it after I manually unlocked it from the other side with the knob. I tried two keys with the same result. How do I fix my lock? I would prefer to fix it rather than replace it, because there is another apartment upstairs who would also need replacement keys, etc.
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Mar 21, 2013 03:23
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