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quote:How can a line of wire be energized but not flowing The same way that if you stick a resistor on a terminal of a battery and measure the potential from the end of the resistor to the other terminal you'll get the battery voltage. Voltage only goes down if current flows through a resistance, if no current flows then there is no drop in voltage. It's best to think of your entire house, including you standing in it, as being connected to a crappy chassis ground that cannot be disconnected. Ground and Neutral as connected to the literal ground via a big copper rod hammered into the dirt, the same dirt that your house is on and which you are "connected" to via the floor. There's some practical reasons why we choose to tie the middle tap of the transformer to ground and not one of the "hot" legs, but it's not really important for this conversation. What is important to know is that 120V is high enough potential to force enough amperage through your body and the relatively high resistance path to the dirt to severely injure or kill you. Additionally many appliances and fixtures were designed around the idea that neutral is ground is "safe", so the more easily touched things (and in egregious cases the entire outer housing) are tied to neutral. If neutral no longer is actually connected to ground (because there is an open switch in the way) then those parts are at 120VAC and touching them is Very Bad™️.
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Sep 30, 2023 13:34
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tuyop posted:I don’t understand how AC circuits work. How can a line of wire be energized but not flowing?  Point A is energized regardless of the position of the switch, but no current flows if the switch is open. But rest assured that if you touch A you can experience something unpleasant. quote:I just mean in DC, if I have a wire hooked up to the negative/“hot” side of a source, but it’s not connected to the positive/“neutral” side, that negative wire is perfectly fine to handle and has no electricity flowing through it until it’s connected. Doesn’t sound like this is Joe house circuits work. That hot wire isn't perfectly fine to handle because it's hot and there's an electrical potential there and if you provide it with a path to ground it's going to try to flow through you to get there. You will, in effect, become the neutral. If you're used to dealing with low-voltage DC then that's not normally a concern but with household voltages it is; AC vs. DC makes no difference here. The correct way to wire a switched lamp is you run 2-wire to the switch box. Hot wire goes to input side of the switch, neutral wire stays in the switch box. Then you take another piece of 2-wire, and run that from the switch box to the lamp, that's the switch leg. The neutral of that switch leg gets tied to the incoming neutral in the box, the hot gets tied to the output side of the switch. When the switch is off, there is no voltage at the lamp. The incorrect way to do this is the other way around, where you run the hot directly to the lamp, and put the switch on the neutral side. In that case, when the switch is off, there's no current flow but there's still voltage at the lamp, it's always live, and turning the switch to the off position doesn't make it safe to handle.
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Sep 30, 2023 13:45
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i finally bought a miniature chainsaw to keep my bamboo in check now where can i get miniature chainsaw chaps?
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Sep 30, 2023 15:23
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Deviant posted:i finally bought a miniature chainsaw to keep my bamboo in check A fetish store probably 
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Sep 30, 2023 15:33
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Has anyone built one of those steel frame house kits before? I'm looking into it and have a meeting with the manufacturer next week. Are there any gotchas I need to know about, or questions I should ask?
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Sep 30, 2023 17:05
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Thanks you two, it’s very helpful to think of the ground wire outside as part of the circuit and I didn’t know about the switching techniques at all, really.
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Sep 30, 2023 21:11
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I have a bathroom wall to paint. It's got slap on trowel work so it can't be sanded. It's almost certainly oil paint, although I don't know how to check. Am I stuck painting it with oil again, because water primers won't stick?
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Sep 30, 2023 22:19
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I would expect an oil based primer like Kilz original or Zinnsler would adhere and you can top that with whatever. Also you could skim it with drywall mud after priming to smooth it if you wished.
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Sep 30, 2023 22:48
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I don't mind the texture. It just prevents scuffing up the surface.
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Sep 30, 2023 22:54
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Tiny dumb question: I bought some metal numbers to put on my front door, each of which attaches with two small screws. Do I need to do any kind of waterproofing after attaching them, to prevent damage to the door?? I remember the mantra water is always the enemy.
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Oct 1, 2023 13:55
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No, but if you are feeling particularly anal, you could set the numbers, tap the nails in slightly; then pull them down, and put a dot of silicone on the holes / marks and then nail them in.
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Oct 1, 2023 14:59
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Kylaer posted:Tiny dumb question: I bought some metal numbers to put on my front door, each of which attaches with two small screws. Do I need to do any kind of waterproofing after attaching them, to prevent damage to the door?? I remember the mantra water is always the enemy. this is not something i'd lose sleep over, but you could pre-drill a hole, then put a bit of epoxy or something in there to waterproof and hold the screws you also dont necessarily need to screw the numbers to the door, you could adhere them, or put them on a decorative plate and adhere that with its higher surface area
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Oct 1, 2023 14:59
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Deviant posted:this is not something i'd lose sleep over, but you could pre-drill a hole, then put a bit of epoxy or something in there to waterproof and hold the screws  This is exactly in keeping with my personality, thanks.
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Oct 1, 2023 15:07
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Yeah alternately 3m mounting tape is legit or if you have a way to keep them clamped use silicone as an adhesive.
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Oct 1, 2023 15:58
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https://twitter.com/jpwarchaeology/status/1708199022492545253?s=20
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Oct 1, 2023 19:59
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My toes are broken just looking at this.
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Oct 1, 2023 21:51
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This Bosch dishwasher better be as phenomenal as advertised because the front feet are a bitch to level and made of some really lovely soft plastic, drat. That install sucked.
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Oct 1, 2023 22:01
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I have a DeWalt drill, and need to buy a set of drill bits to go with it. Does it particularly matter? This is for just general home improvements stuff. Next thing I'm likely to do with it is install a towel rack, after that probably run Cat 6/6A all over my house.
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Oct 1, 2023 22:55
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Ham Equity posted:I have a DeWalt drill, and need to buy a set of drill bits to go with it. Does it particularly matter? Not if it has a chuck, but if it has a quick release thing you'll need bits with that tapered section at the end to let them lock in. I don't think brand matters much for household stuff. You're guaranteed to break the small ones eventually no matter what you buy.
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Oct 1, 2023 23:11
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Tiny Timbs posted:Not if it has a chuck, but if it has a quick release thing you'll need bits with that tapered section at the end to let them lock in. I don't think brand matters much for household stuff. You're guaranteed to break the small ones eventually no matter what you buy. I guess I should probably post the drill: Dewalt XTREME 12v Cordless 3/8" Drill/Driver kit (DCD701F2).
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Oct 1, 2023 23:16
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Ok that has an adjustable chuck. Just buy whatever that isn't a dollar store set. I like to have a bunch of sizes because some of the cheaper ones will leave you stuck between a bit that's too small and a bit that's too large for a drywall anchor.
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Oct 1, 2023 23:18
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Also a quality pair of safety glasses because Tiny Timbs posted:You're guaranteed to break the small ones eventually no matter what you buy.
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Oct 1, 2023 23:21
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We need to replace the original-build garage exterior light fixtures, they look like poo poo. What’s a good source / brands for exterior light fixtures that aren’t crap from big box? The closest lighting store is over half an hour away. I already have a zwave switch on the circuit and don’t care about dimming.
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Oct 2, 2023 16:09
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devmd01 posted:We need to replace the original-build garage exterior light fixtures, they look like poo poo. What’s a good source / brands for exterior light fixtures that aren’t crap from big box? The closest lighting store is over half an hour away. "Over half an hour away" doesn't sound like much to be able to actually see fairly expensive things in person so that you can make in informed decisions about things that should be durable enough to last a couple of decades. Lighting stores are typically very well set up with examples of each style, and can then order that style in multiple configurations and mountings. I just don't know how you recreate that without going into an actual store.
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Oct 2, 2023 16:27
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Hey M, what's your feeling on steel framed house kits? Thinking about building my next house that way, any gotchas to look out for?
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Oct 2, 2023 18:30
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Ghostnuke posted:Hey M, what's your feeling on steel framed house kits? Thinking about building my next house that way, any gotchas to look out for? Never assembled one, never seen one get assembled. They sure look interesting.
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Oct 2, 2023 18:44
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Ghostnuke posted:Hey M, what's your feeling on steel framed house kits? Thinking about building my next house that way, any gotchas to look out for? You should also be extra careful when planning on how to insulate the house. Wood doesn't have the best R-value, but it's a hell of a lot better than metal. If you don't have any kind of exterior insulation, and just have the standard between-the-studs batts, your house is not going to be very thermally efficient.
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Oct 2, 2023 18:59
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SpartanIvy posted:I have no personal experience but I have read online where people with metal framing have issues down the line in some areas finding people that will work on their house if they want to remodel it. In a lot of areas in the US, all you find is wood framing in anything smaller than a sky scraper, so there's not a big skill pool for it. So you might look into that before deciding to build one vs a wood framed house. Steel studs provide a thermal bridge from the outside to the inside, and have almost no cross section. The insulation in them will be very effective since you're supplanting Wood (R value 1.25 per inch) with Fiberglass (R value 3.14 per inch). There can be some losses from the bridging though that negate the added insulation. Ideal detailing will have a thermal break somewhere to reduce the bridging. quote:There are several ways to break the bridge across a steel framing member: The basics of steel stud framing are pretty easy, although I think you'll have some little issues with someone who's unskilled at it. The most common being at junctions where they'll have a screw head or something sticking out over three pieces of steel lapped and creating a bulge in the wall. The labor pool will be different depending on where you live as well. If you're in a large metro area then you should be able to find framers without difficulty, and if you're in an exurb, there may be a bigger challenge.
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Oct 2, 2023 19:22
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SpartanIvy posted:You should also be extra careful when planning on how to insulate the house. Wood doesn't have the best R-value, but it's a hell of a lot better than metal. If you don't have any kind of exterior insulation, and just have the standard between-the-studs batts, your house is not going to be very thermally efficient. I watched some videos on the construction. They used a big roll of insulation that started at the ground on one side of the structure, went up over the roof and back down to the ground on the other side. I had considered maybe spraying the inside as well.
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Oct 2, 2023 19:34
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I will say my metal roof is providing A+ insulation compared to shingles
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Oct 2, 2023 19:59
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I'm putting up a some lumber racks in my garage. I have the brackets for the first rack installed in the picture below. Standard 16"OC studs and the brackets stick out 15". After the photo was taken, I cut some crappy 1/2" MDF to 15"x48" and applied it to the top of the brackets to make a continuous 12' long shelf. I'm thinking of putting up two more shelves - one above and one below. If I stack the shelves with walnut 10" deep to the full width of 15" and full length of 12", that's 475lbs per shelf and 1425lbs total for three shelves. With each shelf having 10 brackets, that's only 142.5lbs per stud. That seems like no problem, but I'm wondering about the total weight on the wall. What's a ballpark idea of how much weight I can put on those shelves before my wall collapses? I'm in Minnesota, so the garage isn't subjected to high winds unless a tornado hits. Also, I haven't forgotten about that steam bender I promised to make (and got toxxed) almost a year ago to install some trim. It is 95% built, but my insurance company did a home inspection and decided that there were higher priorities on my to-do list that I have been working on all summer.
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Oct 3, 2023 01:33
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On the topic of kit-built houses, I've always had a lowkey fascination with geodesic dome houses. Something about the unique aesthetics of the exterior is really appealing. I know about the following drawbacks compared to standard construction: - They're rare, so nobody really wants to work on them or finance them - They have a reputation for leaks between the plywood panels (I've heard this happens, but haven't seen a description of why, yet) - The curved interior walls and sloped ceilings are hard to work with, so interior space isn't necessarily used efficiently - Windows are more expensive Probably I'm forgetting some stuff, but the point remains that you need to be pretty committed to the look to be willing to build a geodesic dome house. My question is, are there building styles that have similar aesthetics while being more practical?
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Oct 3, 2023 02:04
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:- They have a reputation for leaks between the plywood panels (I've heard this happens, but haven't seen a description of why, yet) There are definitely way more and more specific reasons than this, but the obvious one is: BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY. Now multiply that by the other reasons. Anything in that shape is just a mess of joints that are always going to be maintenance issues in one way or another. Solve one, and you get a different one. E: Take Beth Sholom (Frank Lloyd Wright) for example. It's a goddamn mess and a constant money pit. I'm familiar with this because it's close-ish to me and very close to my sister in law. Just a straight up disaster in almost every way that is essentially a millstone around the neck of that congregation because they can't NOT maintain this mess anymore....it's FAMOUS and HISTORY. Where if it was designed by anyone else it would have been pulled down in the late 70s or early 80s when it became too burdensome to maintain and considered a failed experiment like any other greenhouse style building (but this was was so much worse and needed so much more maintenance than even those). Oh woops....I just typed a lot about something I didn't think I cared about that much. Wiki link for context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth_Sholom_Congregation_(Elkins_Park,_Pennsylvania) Motronic fucked around with this message at 02:16 on Oct 3, 2023 |
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Oct 3, 2023 02:06
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You know, that makes a ton of sense. They're like bubbles in wallpaper. Thanks!
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Oct 3, 2023 02:09
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:On the topic of kit-built houses, I've always had a lowkey fascination with geodesic dome houses. Something about the unique aesthetics of the exterior is really appealing. I know about the following drawbacks compared to standard construction: An earth house maybe? Depends on how married you are to geometric panels vs. the rounded look
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Oct 3, 2023 02:13
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:On the topic of kit-built houses, I've always had a lowkey fascination with geodesic dome houses. Something about the unique aesthetics of the exterior is really appealing. I know about the following drawbacks compared to standard construction: Basically anywhere two planes meet on a roof is a good place for a leak to happen as the water slows down or changes direction or surface tension works its weird magic. A normal gable roof has 2 planes meeting in a line at the highest point of the roof which is also perpendicular to the likely flow of water. That's good. A shed roof with one plane and no edges is even better! A geodesic dome has like....20? 30? 100? different planes meeting in a gazillion joints, many of which are also oriented downhill and just begging for water infiltration. Roofing tech has come a long way since the hippy days of the 60s and 70s, so maybe if you just wrapped the entire structure in self-adhesive, self-healing ice and water shield under the roofing/siding it would be okay?
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Oct 3, 2023 02:23
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Motronic posted:There are definitely way more and more specific reasons than this, but the obvious one is: BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY. you build ONE leaky structure....
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Oct 3, 2023 03:13
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There's a winery we go to a few times a year and the tasting room seems to be in one of these. I find it completely fascinating. None of the interior walls are load bearing, so the upper room is one gigantic room with nothing other than the center pylon interrupting the space. If I was building something in a scenic place, it would be pretty cool to have a huge kickass 360 degree living room.
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Oct 3, 2023 03:37
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:- They have a reputation for leaks between the plywood panels (I've heard this happens, but haven't seen a description of why, yet)
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Oct 3, 2023 03:50
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Hanging pictures should be easy if you put up a picture rail. Downside is it would block the space along the edges that’s unusable anyway
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Oct 3, 2023 04:32
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i like nice words