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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:I want to string some lights in the backyard but don't have enough actual spots to attach them high enough they won't clothesline people. I was going to just fill a bucket with quikrete and shove an 8 foot fence post in there but I'm getting conflicting info about this both from a longevity perspective and safety perspective. Obviously since this is a bucket and fence post I'm not looking for it to last forever and I don't want it to be easy to bump into and knock over. Some people have said a shallow and wide base is better which makes sense. Any suggestions on the cheapest/easiest/safest way to do this? I think I saw someone somewhere suggest garden edging and a plastic sheet to form the base which sounds like a good way to do it. I've also never mixed the stuff so suggestions on how to do it that might not be obvious to a first timer is appreciated! If your just hanging string light it doesn't need to be load bearing or anything so not sure what you mean by "safety". People leaning against your post in a bucket? If you want something with more footing just get a galvanized tub instead of a HD bucket. fill it about 2/3rds with cement and fill the rest with dirt for some small plants around the post. You would be surprised how much more people notice plants than the edge of something non organic. Something like this that is 2ft diameter. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Behrens-17-Gal-Galvanized-Steel-Round-Tub-3GSX/206638138 Mix about 10lbs of cement and pour a little at the bottom then your post with the rest around it. Top it off with dirt and some plants and call it done. Galvanized won't rust and will fit the theme of wood post in a bucket/planter rather than jobsite HD bucket and pole  Could always go with an Umbrella base and wood rod for something more low profile and less likely to be leaned against.
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Aug 8, 2019 22:27
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I looked back quite a ways before I resorted to it! Sorry!
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Aug 9, 2019 00:47
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Subjunctive posted:I looked back quite a ways before I resorted to it! Sorry! It's OK, it's quite annoying to deal with when search is sick. An alternative might be to go into another thread you've posted in, click the thingy, then change the thread ID in the URL.
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Aug 9, 2019 01:46
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Jaded Burnout posted:It's OK, it's quite annoying to deal with when search is sick. An alternative might be to go into another thread you've posted in, click the thingy, then change the thread ID in the URL. yeah, I’ll remember that next time!
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Aug 9, 2019 01:53
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This basement sink has been smelling like sewer gas lately. Google has led to to believe its not vented correctly. The drain disappears into the concrete floor Does an air admittance valve sound like my cure? What are my options for adding one with this mess of fittings? The backside of the black ABS pipe actually has a short stub Y’d back into the garage for a shop sink that never happened. Can I put a vent there?
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Aug 9, 2019 04:45
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eddiewalker posted:This basement sink has been smelling like sewer gas lately. Google has led to to believe its not vented correctly. The drain disappears into the concrete floor The "lack of venting" suggestion implies that the water in the trap is being sucked out by a vacuum caused by water travelling in the pipes elsewhere in the house, so it would seem a bit unlikely to me that it would only be happening "lately" unless you changed something elsewhere. Another way the water can leave the trap is through evaporation if that sink hasn't been used in a while (which fits with its role as a basement sink). Have you tried running some water through it for 10 seconds or so and then waiting a day for the smell to clear? If you do actually need more venting then an AAV would do the job but there's some subtleties there about where it sits compared to the waterline and other things that I believe make professionals consider them as a last option. The plumbing thread can probably provide more nuanced answers if the "run some water through it" solution doesn't work.
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Aug 9, 2019 12:27
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This might be a fools’ errand, but I’m trying to attach a flex-arm to a chair back. The flexarm has a female 3/8 camera fitting (some quite coarse thread I think, google says 16 tpi), and I think I need to find some sort of plate to screw to the chair that has a male 3/8 fitting parallel to the surface. Sort of a 90 degree thing if that makes sense. Anybody got any ideas? As it’s camera gear all the convenient aluminium plates seem to cost about Łeverything.
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Aug 9, 2019 18:35
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Jaded Burnout posted:It's OK, it's quite annoying to deal with when search is sick. An alternative might be to go into another thread you've posted in, click the thingy, then change the thread ID in the URL. You can make a toolbar search engine thingy in Chrome to do this pretty easily. Settings, Manage Search Engines, click "Add+". Do "sa" for the keyword and then use "https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=%s&userid=#######" for the search string. Replace the ####### with whatever your id number is, you can find it in the URL for your profile. Then you just copy the threadid and do "sa <threadid>" in the search bar to find all your posts in that thread.
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Aug 9, 2019 18:56
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I don't know about that URL in specific but lots of URLs will also take "username" instead of "userid" which can sometimes be easier to remember.
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Aug 9, 2019 19:06
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Vindolanda posted:This might be a fools’ errand, but I’m trying to attach a flex-arm to a chair back. The flexarm has a female 3/8 camera fitting (some quite coarse thread I think, google says 16 tpi), and I think I need to find some sort of plate to screw to the chair that has a male 3/8 fitting parallel to the surface. Sort of a 90 degree thing if that makes sense. Anybody got any ideas? As it’s camera gear all the convenient aluminium plates seem to cost about Łeverything. You're not going to find a right angle mount for a camera that close to its base. Those mounts are designed for the camera to be screwed onto the base, so the base needs a pretty good area clear all around it so that the camera has room to screw on. My best idea would be to do some gooseneck camera mount.
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Aug 9, 2019 19:40
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Vindolanda posted:This might be a fools’ errand, but I’m trying to attach a flex-arm to a chair back. The flexarm has a female 3/8 camera fitting (some quite coarse thread I think, google says 16 tpi), and I think I need to find some sort of plate to screw to the chair that has a male 3/8 fitting parallel to the surface. Sort of a 90 degree thing if that makes sense. Anybody got any ideas? As it’s camera gear all the convenient aluminium plates seem to cost about Łeverything. 3/8-16 is a popular mic thread, easily adaptable between 5/8-27 and 1/4-20. Regular 3/8 bolts and all-thread are my go-to for mounting mics and cameras to weird poo poo at my day job. You can just use two bolts turned against themselves as a depth stop. Since you used Ł I guess I should realize you’re in metric land, but in the US this is all cheap hardware store bin stuff. Except 3/8-5/8 adapters —those are amazon for a dollar or two. Are you using Manfrotto arms? Cause that’s my jam.
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Aug 9, 2019 20:42
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JEEVES420 posted:If your just hanging string light it doesn't need to be load bearing or anything so not sure what you mean by "safety". People leaning against your post in a bucket? This sounds great! thanks for the suggestion. I was trying to think of how I could do something like that with plants but was having a total brainfart.
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Aug 10, 2019 03:47
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I am trying to shut off the water and I cannot turn this valve, there is no give to it. What am I doing wrong?
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Aug 10, 2019 16:13
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dokmo posted:I am trying to shut off the water and I cannot turn this valve, there is no give to it. What am I doing wrong? Not turning it hard enough. The tag is still on the pipe from (i assume) the builder? How old is this place? It should be easy enough to turn. The fact that its not means its probably a lovely rear end 1.99 ball valve from home depot typical of Mc Mansion type residences built these days. There are actual plumbers on here that can advise you better, but you should consider changing that valve sooner than later because if a pipe bursts and you can't shut the water off.......
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Aug 10, 2019 16:27
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What's an appropriate valve for this, I've helped do a potable system in 1" stainless tubing and swagelok but that seems overkill, every elbow was like 200 bucks
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Aug 10, 2019 16:30
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wesleywillis posted:Not turning it hard enough. It's about $12 on Amazon...
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Aug 10, 2019 16:34
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wesleywillis posted:Not turning it hard enough. This, probably. When I moved into my place a bunch of mine were jammed, and once the plumber forced them back to life it turned out they were all so old that not a single one of the 50-year-old stopcocks in the house actually stopped any water. Had to turn it off at the street.
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Aug 10, 2019 16:39
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wesleywillis posted:Not turning it hard enough. When i said there is no give to it, i meant that using all the power in one hand i could not budge it, to the point where i feel like any more power and something would break. it feel almost like there's a lock preventing it from turning, but i've never heard of that and who the hell would put a lock on a main water shutoff? there is an identical valve upstream, which also refuses to move an iota. this place is almost certainly less than ten years old. there is no wear or corrosion anywhere that I can see. I am baffled by all this.
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Aug 10, 2019 17:11
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dokmo posted:When i said there is no give to it, i meant that using all the power in one hand i could not budge it, to the point where i feel like any more power and something would break. it feel almost like there's a lock preventing it from turning, but i've never heard of that and who the hell would put a lock on a main water shutoff? there is an identical valve upstream, which also refuses to move an iota. That is a bit odd. This is a really obvious question so don't be offended but you're certain you're turning it the right way?
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Aug 10, 2019 17:13
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Jaded Burnout posted:That is a bit odd. This is a really obvious question so don't be offended but you're certain you're turning it the right way? yeah, there's a metal thing preventing the lever from turning in one direction, so there's only one possible direction to turn (clockwise while facing it). it feels like there's something else preventing it from turning the other (correct) way, but i couldn't see anything like that.
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Aug 10, 2019 17:15
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dokmo posted:I am trying to shut off the water and I cannot turn this valve, there is no give to it. What am I doing wrong? Do you still have a warranty on the house from the builder? You could give it a little tappy tap to see if it breaks anything free, but I would wait until Monday, turn it off at the street, verify it's off, and then really force the issue. You might be shocked at how much force it needs if there is a bunch of calcium and lime in there. As above, you are swinging that down away from the pipe right? The metal bump stops on the pipe itself are fixed and the matching ones on the yellow handle move.
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Aug 10, 2019 17:19
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Easy question that Google isn't doing a good job of answering... The blinds my wife ordered came with 1 1/4" #8 hex wood screws. Our downstairs is drywall over concrete, so those won't cut it. But a) what type and size concrete screws should I get, and b) what size drill bit will I need to make the pilot holes?
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Aug 10, 2019 18:00
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Omne posted:Easy question that Google isn't doing a good job of answering... I would use 3/16 Tapcons and go straight through the drywall and into the block. 5/32 masonry bit that size screw if i recall correctly.
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Aug 10, 2019 19:45
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Omne posted:Easy question that Google isn't doing a good job of answering... Tapcons, use the bit that comes with them. I want to say the small size uses a 5/32" bit? Use appropriate length screws so that you're reaching the required 1" minimum into the concrete itself.
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Aug 10, 2019 19:47
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I would like to install a small LED flush-mount light over the shower to make that part of the bathroom less dungeon-y. It's In the lower level of a split-level house so there's no ceiling access, but I do have access to the backside of the shower wall from the crawl space (probably not up to the ceiling though). What should my approach be to run the wiring?  The switch is across a doorway to the left of the photo.
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Aug 11, 2019 03:19
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To atone, I just pushed a change to Awful.app to add a button for finding your own posts in a thread!
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Aug 11, 2019 03:34
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H110Hawk posted:Do you still have a warranty on the house from the builder? Yeah, I'd turn it off at the street, then put a bundled up towel over the handle and give it some whacks with a hammer. Or a dead-blow/rubber mallet and then you might not need the towels.
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Aug 11, 2019 13:45
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I'd probably try slipping a piece of pipe over the handle as a cheater bar before whacking it with a hammer
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Aug 11, 2019 14:07
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Subjunctive posted:To atone, I just pushed a change to Awful.app to add a button for finding your own posts in a thread! 
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Aug 11, 2019 19:25
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Teabag Dome Scandal posted:I want to string some lights in the backyard but don't have enough actual spots to attach them high enough they won't clothesline people. I was going to just fill a bucket with quikrete and shove an 8 foot fence post in there but I'm getting conflicting info about this both from a longevity perspective and safety perspective. Obviously since this is a bucket and fence post I'm not looking for it to last forever and I don't want it to be easy to bump into and knock over. Some people have said a shallow and wide base is better which makes sense. Any suggestions on the cheapest/easiest/safest way to do this? I think I saw someone somewhere suggest garden edging and a plastic sheet to form the base which sounds like a good way to do it. I've also never mixed the stuff so suggestions on how to do it that might not be obvious to a first timer is appreciated! Last year I bought some smallish t bar stakes and hammered them in and slid horizontal chain link fence pipe over them. Drilled some holes for eye bolts at the top and used carabiners to attach the lights. Gives you a good 10 feet or so off the ground and they’ve been standing perpendicular ever since.
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Aug 12, 2019 03:37
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Subjunctive posted:To atone, I just pushed a change to Awful.app to add a button for finding your own posts in a thread! I thought this was the awful.apk thread for a second and got confused.
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Aug 12, 2019 09:39
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I have a shed that I'd like to use to house some of my potted plants for the winter. I have a small workbench right in front of the window, so they would get sunlight, but what would be the best way to cheaply keep it at about 40-50 degrees f so the plants don't die off on the colder days? Also preferably something that wouldn't cost me a billion dollars in electric or burn my shed down. Thanks
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Aug 12, 2019 15:07
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About once every 3-4 months, I wake up in the middle of the night to a burning smell. The best way I can describe it is that it smells like a burnt pencil eraser. It is strong enough to wake me up. It's always in the middle of the night and it lingers into the next day. There's no smoke, and all of my smoke/CO detectors are working fine. I cannot "sniff out" the source, and there is never any visible evidence of burning anywhere I can see around outlets/appliances/the exterior of the house. It happens in both the winter and the summer, so I don't think it has anything to do with the heater. It's a fairly large house, and the smell is contained to one side. You can't smell it at all in the eastern side. Is it an animal? Is there some weird skunk that sprays burning mist? I have had trouble with foxes and possums hanging around before. Am I having a very slow stroke?
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Aug 12, 2019 17:02
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Lester Shy posted:About once every 3-4 months, I wake up in the middle of the night to a burning smell. The best way I can describe it is that it smells like a burnt pencil eraser. It is strong enough to wake me up. It's always in the middle of the night and it lingers into the next day. There's no smoke, and all of my smoke/CO detectors are working fine. Do you have any fluorescent lights? A ballast going bad can be interpreted as a burning rubber odor.
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Aug 12, 2019 17:10
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No fluorescents, but I do have a mercury vapor security lamp on that side of the house, and it is ancient.
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Aug 12, 2019 17:23
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Lester Shy posted:No fluorescents, but I do have a mercury vapor security lamp on that side of the house, and it is ancient. I'd give that a sniff. If it's the source the smell will probably linger around the fixture even if it's not stinky throughout the house right now. There's probably a big transformer and maybe an igniter that could put off a smell if they're starting to go.
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Aug 12, 2019 17:35
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glynnenstein posted:I'd give that a sniff. If it's the source the smell will probably linger around the fixture even if it's not stinky throughout the house right now. There's probably a big transformer and maybe an igniter that could put off a smell if they're starting to go. If it is going you should replace it before it does, those can daily dramatically. You might be able to find an led fixture to replace it with and save some electricity to boot.
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Aug 12, 2019 17:42
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Lester Shy posted:About once every 3-4 months, I wake up in the middle of the night to a burning smell. The best way I can describe it is that it smells like a burnt pencil eraser. It is strong enough to wake me up. It's always in the middle of the night and it lingers into the next day... It could be skunk. Depending on how far away they are when they cut loose, it could, from furthest to nearest, smell like hot pencil eraser, burning rubber tires, burning tomcat piss on fermented dogshit, or *runs to the bathroom to puke*
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Aug 12, 2019 21:17
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PainterofCrap posted:It could be skunk. Depending on how far away they are when they cut loose, it could, from furthest to nearest, smell like hot pencil eraser, burning rubber tires, burning tomcat piss on fermented dogshit, or *runs to the bathroom to puke* 
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Aug 12, 2019 21:21
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I've been living in the top floor of a historic Los Angeles apartment building for several years now, but there's a feature I've never discovered the purpose of. Along the outward-facing wall and part of a connecting wall, there are these strips of metal screwed or bolted to the wood floor. Some Pics: The corner of the 2 walls with these strips  The end of the border strip along the interior wall  Overhead view with foot for scale  Close-up view showing wood sanded down around metal after a century of re-finishes  I had always assumed that this was some kind of attachment to the steel frame of the building, but now that I'm thinking of re-finishing my floors, I can't actually find anything online to confirm that theory. More details: -The building was constructed in the mid 1920's, and there have not been many changes or modifications over the years. The wood so heavily sanded down around it makes me think it's original, this building's poor maintenance by the property owner means this could also be some kind of cheap & dirty repair of some kind. -The metal is covered in the same stain & varnish as the hardwood floor. Trying to scrape off the varnish makes it looks like the unfinished metal is actually a brass-ish color. -The metal strips don't seem to go through the wall, but stop flush with it. Similarly, they seem to go over the wood floor, like the wood strips continue un-cut underneath. -I don't know whether they are screws or bolts used to attach it, and I'm wary of removing any of them (plus the heads are stripped and filled with varnish, which would make that a chore). Any insight helps, thanks.
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Aug 12, 2019 22:24
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