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I wanna build an ultrasonic cleaner since my cheap one is poo poo and gave out just now. I had plans for it before but then I bought the tiny one. I have a big square stainless container, can probably take two gallons in it. I wanna put it together using parts from ebay and I think 100 watts might be enough? But should I use two 50w transducers or one 100w transducer? My gut says two spaced out evenly is better... Also, epoxy or bolt in place? EDIT: Aaahh screw it! Went and bought a proper one from germany! 6L capacity with built in heater and drainage etc... His Divine Shadow fucked around with this message at 15:09 on Mar 27, 2016 |
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Mar 27, 2016 14:46
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^^ Whatcha gonna clean with that?uwaeve posted:For northeast soil, you might want to invest in a spud bar. Never heard it called that, just a "digging bar". drat handy if you are digging in rocky soil.
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Mar 27, 2016 16:49
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Harmburger posted:I have a lamp on a switched outlet, but it has a push button that you press to turn it on (DWR Rich Brilliant White) and has 3 brightness settings. Any ideas on how to make it just turn on when the switch is switched? Unplug the lamp, open it up, bypass the switch. Replace the socket with an unswitched socket if it can't be bypassed.
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Mar 27, 2016 21:28
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Squashy Nipples posted:^^ Whatcha gonna clean with that? I clean all kinds of things because I buy a lot of old stuff and restore and use it rather than buying new. Some gas welding equipment is what I am doing now, and it needs to use a special kind of cleaner that is rated for oxygen cleaning.
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Mar 27, 2016 22:25
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Anyone know some tricks for hiding/patching a scrape in a hardwood floor? I've had a ton of company over the last month and while I was moving various bits of furniture around to accommodate their needs I managed to scratch a two foot long mark into the oak floorboards. It's mainly superficial - just kind of a roughing up of the surface finish and 0.1mm of the top of the wood - but since it's perpendicular to the grain it kind of tore the wood up into a rough patch that's very noticeable in the right light. Is there any kind of wax/oil/sand-it-down thing I can do to make it look a bit better? 
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Mar 28, 2016 03:13
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How hard is it to hang cabinetry yourself? I don't care about fancy trim, just that I get it sturdy. I'm handy enough with tools (built multiple sets of shelves for my house etc) just never dealt with cabinets before. These would most likely be used cabinets from a second hand supply place.
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Mar 28, 2016 17:01
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Chin Strap posted:How hard is it to hang cabinetry yourself? I don't care about fancy trim, just that I get it sturdy. I'm handy enough with tools (built multiple sets of shelves for my house etc) just never dealt with cabinets before. I've done a couple before. It's doable, but not completely trivial. You'll want to have some kind of ledge you can rest the cabinet on that's already leveled and at the right height, and have the points where you're going to sink your lag bolts already determined and pre-drilled. Then you lift the cabinet onto the ledge, hold it there with one hand, and tighten down a bolt with the other. Once you've done one, you have more freedom to get the others in. The ledge can be temporary, like a 1x4 that's screwed into a couple of studs; when you're done, you can just unscrew it and fill the screw holes in.
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Mar 28, 2016 17:15
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PDP-1 posted:Anyone know some tricks for hiding/patching a scrape in a hardwood floor? Rest or a finish. Start lighter than you think and remember you can always make it darker but it's really hard to go lighter.
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Mar 28, 2016 17:42
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Chin Strap posted:How hard is it to hang cabinetry yourself? I don't care about fancy trim, just that I get it sturdy. I'm handy enough with tools (built multiple sets of shelves for my house etc) just never dealt with cabinets before. You can use a french cleat to make hanging cabinets pretty easy.
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Mar 28, 2016 19:49
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No joke, french cleats are the biz for so many applications.
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Mar 28, 2016 19:52
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Strange question. I've recently noticed that when I use my electric oven, one of the burners seems to get quite hot (I've checked on several occasions and no, it's not turned on nor does it get warm when the oven is not in use). None of the other burners do this, they all stay cool to the touch, but this one gets hot enough to cause minor burns when touched. The non-burner surface has always gotten warm from using the oven, but never hot enough to cause alarm. I've had electric ovens for nearly a decade (thanks apartment living) and I've never experienced anything like this. Obviously, I'm concerned about the safety ramifications of such a situation. What could be causing this issue? Is it fixable?
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Mar 29, 2016 01:12
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That burner is the one above the oven's vent. Maybe
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Mar 29, 2016 01:14
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Fair enough, so this is relatively normal and not a cause for concern?
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Mar 29, 2016 01:16
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spregalia posted:Fair enough, so this is relatively normal and not a cause for concern? Yes it's quite normal. Is it the back left burner? That's the common one in the 
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Mar 29, 2016 01:32
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Back right. But glad to know it's not something to be concerned about.
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Mar 29, 2016 01:34
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Back right is where my vent has always been, yeah. Use it to keep your tea water warm.
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Mar 29, 2016 02:11
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Also good for proofing bread.
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Mar 29, 2016 14:32
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Our toilet tilts forward coming off the floor in the back when I sit, but we're not getting any odd smells and don't really have leaks on the floor around the toilet ever that could get under it. How urgently should I look into fixing this, and should I replace the wax ring or just give it a look?
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Mar 29, 2016 18:14
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porkface posted:Our toilet tilts forward coming off the floor in the back when I sit, but we're not getting any odd smells and don't really have leaks on the floor around the toilet ever that could get under it. If you have vinyl flooring, especially if it's caulked around the toilet, it could easily be leaking underneath the vinyl. Normally you would see discoloration of the vinyl, but it could be leaking down around the flange and not showing. Bottom line is, if the toilet is moving, you probably want to take it up and replace the wax ring and closet bolts (and hope the flange hasn't rusted out from the leaking). Urgency is relative. It is likely leaking a little bit, which could cause problems over the long term. But if it's moving, every movement could be the one that finally displaces a good chunk of wax ring, and it could suddenly turn into a big leak.
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Mar 29, 2016 18:20
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:If you have vinyl flooring, especially if it's caulked around the toilet, it could easily be leaking underneath the vinyl. Normally you would see discoloration of the vinyl, but it could be leaking down around the flange and not showing. Bottom line is, if the toilet is moving, you probably want to take it up and replace the wax ring and closet bolts (and hope the flange hasn't rusted out from the leaking). What he said. However, if you replace the ring and the toilet still is wobbly, get some toilet shims.
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Mar 29, 2016 20:14
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Ugh. Currently in the process of painting my kitchen and just put on a second coat on one wall... it looks TERRIBLE. The initial cut-in that I did with a pad edger went on really thick, I didn't know enough to feather the edge, and both coats of rolled on paint sunk in to the point of almost disappearing even though it's supposed to be paint + primer. All I've lost so far is time and $20 on a gallon of paint, but god loving dammit I really wanted to wrap this up this week- was even going to play hooky from work to finish it up. Now I'm stuck with a lovely looking kitchen until I go to Benjamin Moore and pony up for the nice quality paint AND I have to re-paint, AGAIN. At this point I'm regretting not just saying gently caress it and paying the best painter in the greater DC region the $3K he estimated to paint my entire house. Where's the best place for me to get info about the "right" way to paint? I have read so much conflicting info about using a brush vs a pad to cut in, the correct way to feather, which paint is the "best", etc etc etc that I am getting decision fatigue. I'm just trying to paint my off-white walls bright white, it's not like I'm trying to go for a drastic color change or anything.
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Mar 29, 2016 22:09
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30 Goddamned Dicks posted:Ugh. Currently in the process of painting my kitchen and just put on a second coat on one wall... it looks TERRIBLE. The initial cut-in that I did with a pad edger went on really thick, I didn't know enough to feather the edge, and both coats of rolled on paint sunk in to the point of almost disappearing even though it's supposed to be paint + primer. Painting is all about prep work. Describe what you did before you started putting wet poo poo on the wall.
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Mar 30, 2016 05:11
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30 Goddamned Dicks posted:$20 on a gallon of paint This advice is going to make the competent people in the thread grimace. We always buy the most expensive paint at Lowes (Valspar Reserve, $45?/gallon) and just go to town. We've generally been just painting over whatever is already on a wall (so no bare drywall which I would break down and prime) without any prep work whatsoever, but it works. We buy high quality brushes and mid-range rollers. We likely go through far more paint than you're "supposed" to for a given sq-ft but I value being finished over potentially saving $10-20/gallon.
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Mar 30, 2016 05:53
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I'll second the good-quality paint. I hate the $20/can stuff from home depot, no matter how well you prep is just doesn't go on well and doesn't last. My personal preference is the sherwin williams paints.
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Mar 30, 2016 13:31
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Yeah, I went one coat with Sherwin William's Emerald paint, going from yellow to light grey, no issues. Used cheap rear end rollers and brushes too. I think I spent more time with painters tape than painting.
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Mar 30, 2016 13:48
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porkface posted:Our toilet tilts forward coming off the floor in the back when I sit, but we're not getting any odd smells and don't really have leaks on the floor around the toilet ever that could get under it. Very urgently. Simple fix, pop off the white dome caps covering the flange bolts on either side of the base, and hand tighten the flange bolts so it's tight against the floor. Don't use tools or you could crack the porcelain, be very careful not to overtighten. Pro fix, the seal on your wax ring could be hosed, which would be a very nasty and costly fix if it leaks. You'll know when you start smelling sewer gas. Easy 5$ fix though, just buy a new wax ring (I don't recommend the ones with the plastic horn, they can cause water splashing and early degradation of the wax). Shut off the water at the supply line, disconnect supply line, flush toilet and drain most of the water. Remove the flange bolts and lift up the toilet off the base. Stuff a rag into the hole to prevent sewer gases coming up if you think you're going to take longer than 5-10 minutes. Grab your putty scraper and scrape off the old wax ring into a plastic shopping bag to throw out. I usually turn the bags inside out and try to lift up the old one by hand if possible. Once the surface is clean, remove the film from the new wax ring, put it over the hole, and carefully lift the toilet straight down on top of the wax ring, being careful not to rock or break the seal once it's made. Tighten the flange bolts, install supply line, you're good to go. This might be a good opportunity to replace your toilet with a new low flow 1.2 gallon flush model if you don't already have a new one (<4-5 years old). Virtually all new toilets basically make plungers obsolete. Plus you can get a nice chair height oblong toilet... I don't know how people live with lovely toilets, I just really don't. H110Hawk posted:This advice is going to make the competent people in the thread grimace. We always buy the most expensive paint at Lowes (Valspar Reserve, $45?/gallon) and just go to town. We've generally been just painting over whatever is already on a wall (so no bare drywall which I would break down and prime) without any prep work whatsoever, but it works. We buy high quality brushes and mid-range rollers. We likely go through far more paint than you're "supposed" to for a given sq-ft but I value being finished over potentially saving $10-20/gallon. PDP-1 posted:Anyone know some tricks for hiding/patching a scrape in a hardwood floor?
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Mar 30, 2016 14:50
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Gounads posted:I'll second the good-quality paint. I hate the $20/can stuff from home depot, no matter how well you prep is just doesn't go on well and doesn't last. My personal preference is the sherwin williams paints. Honestly, the Behr Ultra Best or whatever at Home Depot that already has primer mixed in is probably the best paint I've ever used.
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Mar 30, 2016 16:24
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Safety Dance posted:Honestly, the Behr Ultra Best or whatever at Home Depot that already has primer mixed in is probably the best paint I've ever used. "Behr Premium Plus Ultra", because apparently paint follows the Street Fighter naming system now. But yeah, I've used it extensively and had no problems with it. Consumer Reports considers it to be one of the best available options, too. I still used primer underneath, because why not. And you should really be washing your surface down with TSP before you paint it.
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Mar 30, 2016 16:46
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Any advice for evaluating contracts/bids or things I should know for replacing 14 interior doors+trim, and 3 entry doors (front, garage, sliding patio)? I'm also asking them to build a door where one doesn't exist to block off my hot water heater. I got a bid from home depot for $3600 in labor + material, not including the doors and optional paint. They have a 15% off sale that ends today, but the guy who delivered the quote has been off for 2 days and I have some questions that need to be answered before I'll buy. I'm going for stop by tonight and ask if a manager can extend the promotion through the weekend. So, one of the questions is how home depot's prices will compare to other stores or individuals, and if 15% off their doors is as big of a deal as I think it is ($350-400 is my estimate). I know installers vary by region, and I'm comfortable with this installing contractor. Edit: I should also add that this project began as interior doors only, but we are excited by the prospect of replacing exterior doors too, so we tacked it on. We may do windows next year, so if replacing exterior doors makes more sense to combine with that job we would consider it. Andy Dufresne fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Mar 30, 2016 |
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Mar 30, 2016 20:22
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Andy Dufresne posted:I got a bid from home depot for $3600 in labor + material, not including the doors and optional paint. They have a 15% off sale that ends today, but the guy who delivered the quote has been off for 2 days and I have some questions that need to be answered before I'll buy. I'm going for stop by tonight and ask if a manager can extend the promotion through the weekend. They pull these time-limited offers specifically to try to get you to make a decision before you can get all the information you need. You should solicit at least one other bid for a project of this size, ideally two additional bids. That'll give you some context, plus you can say "So hey, Home Depot offered to do this for $x, can you beat that?" Don't worry about missing the 15% off thing; I bet if you ask they can extend it, and if not, just wait for it to come around again. Actual prices for these kinds of projects depend so heavily on specific details of your house and where you are that expecting a bunch of goon to give you a number is unrealistic.
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Mar 30, 2016 20:32
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So the quote was for trim only? I don't understand what you mean.
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Mar 30, 2016 20:41
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The quote was for everything that goes into installing the doors except the door itself. It does include trim (693 ft of it!), but also things like quarter round and insulation for the exterior doors and the labor itself. I'm less concerned about getting goon opinions on price I guess, because of what TooMuchAbstraction said and knowing that I'm combining a custom new door, a patio door, a front door, and 14 interior doors into a single number. But I would like to know if anyone has hired contractors to do a similar job and things that they liked or didn't like about the vendors they worked with. Home Depot got back to me and said two things... they could extend the sale if I buy quickly, but that's the store taking the hit. The 15% off promotion is from the vendor itself. But, they also said that I may not need to be in a rush because these types of sales happen frequently, so as long as I check regularly I may find it again.
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Mar 30, 2016 20:56
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:"Behr Premium Plus Ultra", because apparently paint follows the Street Fighter naming system now. But yeah, I've used it extensively and had no problems with it. Consumer Reports considers it to be one of the best available options, too. I still used primer underneath, because why not. And you should really be washing your surface down with TSP before you paint it. That's what I was using, and I did wash the walls beforehand. Wash, then spackle, then sand and tack cloth, then cut in, then roller. The cut ins look fine, the roller paint disappeared. I am going back to go back and prime everything, then try again- but will probably go ahead and purchase Benjamin Moore instead of HD.
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Mar 30, 2016 20:59
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30 Goddamned Dicks posted:That's what I was using, and I did wash the walls beforehand. Wash, then spackle, then sand and tack cloth, then cut in, then roller. The cut ins look fine, the roller paint disappeared. I am going back to go back and prime everything, then try again- but will probably go ahead and purchase Benjamin Moore instead of HD. Are you thinning the paint at all? (Don't.) How much paint are you going through for how many approximate sq ft rolling?
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Mar 30, 2016 21:07
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Home Depot is going to subdivide your job into 30 different subcontractors that won't talk to each other, and then screw your job up in a myriad of larger and smaller ways. Go with someone else.
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Mar 30, 2016 22:55
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ulmont posted:Home Depot is going to subdivide your job into 30 different subcontractors that won't talk to each other, and then screw your job up in a myriad of larger and smaller ways. I have no opinion on their performance but on the other hand they're not going to disappear on you if you need to complain and get them to finish the job properly, even if they lose money. If it's a job you can inspect the workmanship of it might be worth considering.
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Mar 30, 2016 23:38
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ulmont posted:Home Depot is going to subdivide your job into 30 different subcontractors that won't talk to each other, and then screw your job up in a myriad of larger and smaller ways. This is a single contractor, I've already met them. And to sund's point, I'm comfortable working with big box stores for that very reason... Nebraska Furniture Mart got to tear out and replace my entire backsplash last year after they did a poor job the first time. Andy Dufresne fucked around with this message at 00:01 on Mar 31, 2016 |
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Mar 30, 2016 23:59
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H110Hawk posted:Are you thinning the paint at all? (Don't.) How much paint are you going through for how many approximate sq ft rolling? No thinning of the paint. Not sure of the exact square footage, but I've used about 3/4 of the gallon and it's definitely less than 200 sft, probably closer to 150.
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Mar 31, 2016 00:22
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Andy Dufresne posted:This is a single contractor, I've already met them. The two big box stores sub out work but they typically only have one or two subs for each trade (depends on the market). I know they require the sub to have a million dollars of insurance. Any labor install quote is probably on the higher side of the market, or they wouldn't have any subs available. Best reason to go with home depot or lowes is if there is a problem, you can complain about bad install/product up the customer service chain until someone gets it fixed. This is assuming it's a legit problem.
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Mar 31, 2016 09:11
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The Gardenator posted:I know they require the sub to have a million dollars of insurance. This is something you should require of basically any contractor doing real work in your house. It is not expensive for them to carry this. Get proof of insurance before the contract is signed. Call the number at the top and make sure the policy is in effect for the dates they're working. It will likely look like this: 
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Mar 31, 2016 15:20
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