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The jive turkeys at the apartment complex I live in painted my bathtub and bathroom tiles with latex house paint. The paint started peeling up from the bottom of the tub, so we're stripping it all off. This really, really sucks. It's an interior bathroom with no windows or ventilation save a really lovely little fan, and I'm using a chemical stripper. In order not to die due to fume inhalation, I'm only doing a little bit of stripper at a time. I let it sit fifteen minutes as per the directions, and then I scrape the poo poo out of it with a plastic putty knife. Is there anything I can use to scrape that is more effective than a plastic putty knife but won't damage the enamel on the tub? I hesitate to use steel wool or something because I worry it will scratch the hell out of the tub. What should I do?
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Sep 26, 2012 03:03
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| # ? Jun 12, 2024 00:39 |
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Stripper is most effective left as long as possible but not long enough to dry out. You can put plastic sheeting over it to prevent drying and leave it for a whole day. Also, apply it in a thick layer 1/8" or so. I don't find the fumes that bad but its hell on skin; very caustic (there are safer formulas available though) Nylon bristle brush will loosen the goo and not scratch the tub dwoloz fucked around with this message at 03:09 on Sep 26, 2012 |
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Sep 26, 2012 03:07
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dwoloz posted:Stripper is most effective left as long as possible but not long enough to dry out. You can put plastic sheeting over it to prevent drying and leave it for a whole day. Also, apply it in a thick layer 1/8" or so. I don't find the fumes that bad but its hell on skin; very caustic (there are safer formulas available though) At this point I'm well aware of the chemical burns, I did most of it drunk wearing gym shorts. Immediate soap and running water take care of it pretty well, which are not hard come by in a bathroom. The fumes aren't hitting me too hard, but I figure I might at least take a little bit of precaution. The recommendations on the back of the solvent say to rinse the surface afterwards with mineral spirits. Do you know anything about this? Is it really necessary, or can I just run the shower for a while when I'm done?
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Sep 26, 2012 03:15
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Cleaning with mineral spirits is if you want to recoat it with something (paint, varnish, what have you). Wouldn't hurt to use mineral spirits but for a tub you don't plan to recoat, soap and water should be fine.
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Sep 26, 2012 04:45
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Incidentally, if it comes down to it we just had one of our tubs recoated and it turned out fantastic. By the time we repaired the plumbing, bought new fixtures, and the coating it was over a thousand dollars though. We would have had to bust the tile to replace the tub and that wasn't in our budget plus my wife loves the tub.
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Sep 26, 2012 05:06
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I hope it works out for you...never seen a recoating last, though. VVV Pro. Water's a bitch. There's a good reason they enamel the bastards...mine's been rusting around the drain for twenty years & the finish is shot. Not looking forward to popping out the bottom couple of courses and sledgehammering it out, but it might come to that. Might go back with a tub-footprint-sized shower pan. Wife complains, "we'll never sell the house without a tub!" gently caress that, we bought the place in '92 & we're never moving. /end rant PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Sep 27, 2012 |
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Sep 26, 2012 05:33
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PainterofCrap posted:I hope it works out for you...never seen a recoating last, though. DIY or professional? I don't expect it will last forever but I have some experience with recoated kitchen stoves and the recoat outlasted the stoves.
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Sep 26, 2012 06:42
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Hi guys, can anyone recommend a good way of adhering neodymium magnets to a surface? I understand that you can buy adhesive magnets, but they're about four times the price of the non-adhesive ones. The pictures of the adhesive ones I've seen have a peel-off, double-sided-tape look to them, but everything I've read about adhering magnets recommends a lengthy preparation and testing procedure before applying a two-part epoxy. This would be fine, but I need to prepare at least a hundred, and it sounds like it would take forever. Any help or suggestions appreciated.
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Sep 27, 2012 09:55
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Tears In A Vial posted:Hi guys, can anyone recommend a good way of adhering neodymium magnets to a surface? I understand that you can buy adhesive magnets, but they're about four times the price of the non-adhesive ones. Try http://www.thistothat.com/
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Sep 27, 2012 15:50
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How big, to what surface?
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Sep 27, 2012 20:35
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Tears In A Vial posted:Hi guys, can anyone recommend a good way of adhering neodymium magnets to a surface? I understand that you can buy adhesive magnets, but they're about four times the price of the non-adhesive ones.
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Sep 28, 2012 20:42
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So I am making a weirwood tree (from Game of Thrones) for a Halloween decoration. I am starting with a pre-fab three-dimensional tree with black print on it. I intend to have to have it last for more than one use. It will be outside so I have some concerns. The tree will have to eventually be painted white. My concern is water-proofing the cardboard though. What would be the best way to water-proof or seal the cardboard and also allow for painting?
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Sep 29, 2012 22:37
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Polish posted:So I am making a weirwood tree (from Game of Thrones) for a Halloween decoration. I am starting with a pre-fab three-dimensional tree with black print on it. I intend to have to have it last for more than one use. It will be outside so I have some concerns. The tree will have to eventually be painted white. My concern is water-proofing the cardboard though. What would be the best way to water-proof or seal the cardboard and also allow for painting? I'm confused. You're starting from a 3D cardboard tree?
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Sep 29, 2012 23:28
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kid sinister posted:I'm confused. You're starting from a 3D cardboard tree? Yep. This to be exact: http://www.spirithalloween.com/product/fn-haunted-tree-corrugated/
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Sep 30, 2012 00:02
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Polish posted:Yep. This to be exact: Eh, you could always spread something load-bearing over the cardboard that is more waterproof and paintable, like plaster or cement.
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Sep 30, 2012 00:08
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kid sinister posted:Eh, you could always spread something load-bearing over the cardboard that is more waterproof and paintable, like plaster or cement. That would be good, however I have to transport this thing.. and I don't wanna rent a truck to do it.
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Sep 30, 2012 00:22
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Polish posted:That would be good, however I have to transport this thing.. and I don't wanna rent a truck to do it. Well then you can forget painting it. Paint doesn't hold up too well along folds. Neither do waterproofers. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 00:59 on Sep 30, 2012 |
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Sep 30, 2012 00:35
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All I can come up with is a spray acrylic or shellac, doubtful it would stand up to rain though. You could encase it in laminate then score the folds. It's too bad they didn't print on corrugated plastic.
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Sep 30, 2012 01:14
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I put up a tile backsplash a couple of weeks ago. Because I'm super lazy, I haven't grouted or sealed the tile yet. I'm getting conflicting answers online and offline on whether or grout or seal first. Leaning now towards sealing, grouting, sealing again. Any thoughts? Medium is lowe's standard tumbled stone (almost like a soap stone).
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Sep 30, 2012 20:49
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Grout it & you're done...what's the sealer supposed to do? PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Sep 30, 2012 |
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Sep 30, 2012 21:27
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Protects the stones from staining. Eg bacon grease
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Sep 30, 2012 21:42
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Ah. And here I'm thinking bathroom backsplash... I would seal it after grouting.
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Sep 30, 2012 22:15
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If the stone can be stained by grout then you should seal it first If its ceramic or porcelain then you can grout, clean, then seal
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Sep 30, 2012 23:38
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So I'm a fountain pen nerd, and I have a few inkwells with machined anodized aluminum caps. In cleaning off a bunch of really nasty inks, I stupidly soaked these things in undiluted household ammonia and the next day most of the anodized coatings were removed. My bad, that was really dumb and so on. So what sort of things are out there that can add a colored coating to these parts? Can I do anodizing at home, or are there paints/other coatings? They won't receive any major wear and tear except for the parts on the insides which screw on to the ink bottle themselves. Any thoughts on a protective, color coating I could feasibly apply at home?
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Oct 1, 2012 00:56
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I have been working in a dog-hot fully-enclosed un-air-conditioned interior office (this sucks, don't do it). This is mitigated a bit by a fan mounted on my desk; however, when the fan's running my phone has zero signal on or around the desk. I don't like this and I want to know if it's possible to easily shield the fan's EM output.
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Oct 1, 2012 15:33
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Splizwarf posted:I have been working in a dog-hot fully-enclosed un-air-conditioned interior office (this sucks, don't do it). This is mitigated a bit by a fan mounted on my desk; however, when the fan's running my phone has zero signal on or around the desk. I don't like this and I want to know if it's possible to easily shield the fan's EM output. Wrap the fan (or, if possible, just the motor case)in a brass metal mesh to create your own Faraday Cage. Just be sure the fan isn't conducting to it and you should be okay.
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Oct 1, 2012 17:04
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I replaced the Carburetor on my 1998 Lawn Tractor. When I went to hook up the linkage from the governor arm to the carb, the arm wouldn't move. I put a little force on it (not much, really) and then it broke loose. Now the engine revs like crazy as if the governor isn't working at all. Did I break it?
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Oct 2, 2012 01:24
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http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3302145 This thread in AI might be able to help you.
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Oct 3, 2012 14:19
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Solkanar512 posted:So I'm a fountain pen nerd, and I have a few inkwells with machined anodized aluminum caps. In cleaning off a bunch of really nasty inks, I stupidly soaked these things in undiluted household ammonia and the next day most of the anodized coatings were removed. GWBBQ fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Oct 4, 2012 |
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Oct 4, 2012 23:02
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GWBBQ posted:You can get DIY electroplating and DIY powder coating (don't use an oven you use for food to bake it) kits. Next time you need to clean one, try soaking it in hairspray instead of ammonia. Thanks for the links! I just kept seeing a whole bunch of crap and wasn't sure what to look for.
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Oct 5, 2012 01:41
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I put together a quick and dirty bulletin board for the community and had it installed with some small angles bolted into concrete. As suspected, some rear end in a top hat kicked or knocked it over and split the wood Wondering what a better, stronger attachment method would be Picture:  My only thought is using really long heavy gauge angles that go up half the length and have more bolts through that angle
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Oct 6, 2012 02:29
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Anybody know of a DIY way to determine where mice might be getting into my house? I've caught 7 mice since late August and today, and after I cleaned the initial infestation (4 mice) out from my house, I've caught all the rest in my utility room. I sealed a large crack in the foundation by my a/c unit with caulk, and confirmed that all my exhaust vents are covered with hardware mesh. I can't see how they would be getting in, otherwise. I heard something on the radio about pest control companies using IR scanners to see where there are heat "leaks," and based off of that can find gaps in the exterior--anybody know anything about that? I first started getting mice in the house 3-4 years ago, and in the past it's been one or two mice in a year, never this many. MaineMan fucked around with this message at 22:59 on Oct 7, 2012 |
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Oct 7, 2012 22:55
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MaakHatt posted:re: mice Mice can get through the tiniest cracks, it's ridiculous. My dog chases rabbits in the yard and they run through the chain link fence at full speed like it isn't even there. A squirrel got into my outdoor shed through a hole about as big around as my thumb. Sorry, I have no actual advice just commiserating. How small are the holes in the hardware mesh?
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Oct 8, 2012 04:52
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wormil posted:Mice can get through the tiniest cracks, it's ridiculous. My dog chases rabbits in the yard and they run through the chain link fence at full speed like it isn't even there. A squirrel got into my outdoor shed through a hole about as big around as my thumb. Sorry, I have no actual advice just commiserating. How small are the holes in the hardware mesh? Not sure on the exact size, but it's smaller than 1/4" or a dime (small enough to keep decent sized bugs out). It's heavier duty than mesh but not huge. But yeah, it sucks.
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Oct 8, 2012 06:23
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Is it ok to block up the cold air return vents in just one room, if there are plenty of other open returns? What would be some concerns of doing this? Just bought a house and two of the bedrooms have a single shared cold air return duct between them. There are a floor level return vents and ceiling level vents on this duct, one of each in each room, cut back to back - you can literally toss a ball from one room to the other through either vent. One room is for our very noisy parrot. I'm lining the shared wall in his room with high density insulation sheets covered with cork paneling to cut down sound transmission, and I'd like to just run it right over the two return vents in that room to further block sound. The vents in the other bedroom will remain open. Googling hasn't given me a definitive answer as to whether this will cause serious problems. Some sites suggest the blocked room will be colder; that's not a problem in this situation (he has his own heater). Any other concerns I'm missing?
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Oct 8, 2012 15:01
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alucinor posted:Is it ok to block up the cold air return vents in just one room, if there are plenty of other open returns? What would be some concerns of doing this?
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Oct 8, 2012 15:38
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grover posted:In HVAC systems, air has to flow. You can model it almost like you would an electrical circuit with resistances and currents, etc. Blocking air vents will disrupt system balancing and lead to some rooms getting more or less heat. You may be able to compensate by adjusting the supply register dampers, but it's hard to say from what you posted. Yeah I've never seen a setup like this, it's a bit hard to visualize. Maybe this will help:  Two bedrooms, shared wall between. Each room has two supply registers, served by two ducts, so four total (red). Each room as two return registers, one above the other, ALL four registers served by one duct (blue). I also just realized that the same return duct has two registers in the adjacent hallway so that duct actually has 6 registers opening onto it. I want to close up the two registers on the side of the return duct marked in green. If it makes a difference, this is not the only return duct - there are 5 others serving all the other rooms.
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Oct 8, 2012 15:56
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alucinor posted:Yeah I've never seen a setup like this, it's a bit hard to visualize.
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Oct 8, 2012 16:16
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Bummer. The thermostat is in that hallway too. You think I could block the top register in one room, and the bottom register in the other, and have it work OK? If the register openings just weren't both back to back it seems like it could make a satisfactory reduction in sound transmission. If not I'll probably have to cut in another cold return register and duct to that room, one that's not so closely shared. Fortunately the ductwork and wallspaces are accessible from below via a drop ceiling in the basement. Thanks!
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Oct 8, 2012 17:34
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I had a plan to fix my deck. I wanted to pull up the decking in order to refasten it with screws and fix the spacing. After looking at the ledger situation, I think I need to address that as well. Here's a quick sketchup of the deck as it is now. The grey is the concrete foundation of the house. Red is brick facade, blue is the existing ledger board and green are the deck joists. Yellow is the rim joist of the house. It looks like at some point when the deck was replaced the brick facade was removed below two sliding doors and the joists were installed resting directly on the foundation and nailed to the rim joist. I'm not really concerned about the strength of this setup but I don't like the rim joist being exposed. Luckily the roof overhangs by a good amount and the threshold of the doors extends out to the same plane as the foundation so there doesn't appear to be any moisture problems. I'm thinking about blocking in a frame in the space where the brick was removed, flashing it and installing a correct ledger board with lag screws through the blocking and into the rim joist and then hanging the joists from that.  Does anyone have any other suggestions or comments about glaring flaws?
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Oct 8, 2012 20:03
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