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Routhic posted:I just wanted to report a success story here. I ended up using the Lexan that a different Home Depot carried. Lexan (polycarbonate) is used for bullet-proof windows, and is engineered to be very tough and flexible. Plastic cutters are designed to work with brittle acrylics. Sorry you found that out the hard way!
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May 12, 2008 05:19
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Micomicona posted:Help me goons! Find out what renovations the landlady is planning on doing first. Personally I would scrape/sand off the paint, fill in any rough spots or cracks with spackle, and then hit the whole thing with a nice coat of Kilz primer. Then color as needed if you don't particularly like white. Endor posted:Any additional opinions or suggestions? If the house isn't a long-term investment go with the option that's cheapest and easiest to install. You've already justified why you don't care about the additional reliability or quiet, so why choose the option that's going to be a pain to work with? Just make sure installing the Chamberlain is as easy as it appears at first glance. Few things are more difficult than shoehorning a system where it doesn't want to go.
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Jun 10, 2008 21:13
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I would be inclined to just skip trying to fix the problem with the door, and instead go directly for option number 3 if your neighbor is open to it. If the mechanical problem is as difficult as it seems then I suspect any efforts that constrain you like that are just going to be a problem. Instead of cutting a hole in the plywood (is it seriously just a single sheet of plywood?), see if you could remove an entire section. I don't have a lot of experience with garage doors. Can you replace a single section of the garage door? If so, I would consider cutting a hole in the garage door and then replacing that single section.
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Jun 18, 2008 04:09
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Haikeeba! posted:I have no idea about US safety codes, but I do know you are sitting on a goldmine with that copper. Copper is ludicrously expensive at the moment, so take as much as you can and sell it to a scrap metal dealer. Some scrap dealers may even accept it with the insulation still on.
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Jun 21, 2008 14:25
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Endor posted:A relatively small project in the DIY world I know, but you have to start somewhere. I'm glad everything got fixed up.
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Jun 28, 2008 00:57
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b0bx13 posted:I want to put up a small shelf in my room, about 16" across. Problem is on one side is the closet, on the other side the wall recesses to another set of shelves, so there's only one stud, on the right side. I want the shelf to hold my bartop MAME cabinet that I built, which is around 15 lbs (we'll call it 20 for safety). Is there a way to make this work, or should I just figure out a different place/method for it? There are drywall anchors rated for upwards of 50+ lbs, so you should be fine.
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Jun 29, 2008 21:25
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b0bx13 posted:Awesome, thanks. And just because I'm overly paranoid, that's 50lbs for each one right? So if I have 2 brackets with 2 anchors each, that's 200lbs, right? Or am I an idiot? I'm pretty sure it means each one is rated to hold 50 lbs before they will pull out.
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Jun 29, 2008 22:26
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I like using my 18V DeWalt cordless tools, but I'm also a gearhead and put them through a lot of different tasks. If you're doing traditional household stuff then you're pretty much good for anything. Look for higher voltages if you're going cordless; according to their website Home Depot sells a 12V cordless Ryobi drill for $50. In my experience Black and Decker also make very good consumer grade tools. Target has a $100 Black and Decker "Home Project Kit" which includes an 18V drill and a bunch of hand tools.
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Jul 2, 2008 03:22
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b0bx13 posted:I'm not against a cordless, I just figure that I don't mind using an extension cord for as often as I'd use it, and I'm probably going to get a corded one much cheaper. The one I'm looking at locally is a Black & Decker 6 amp that goes up to 1500 RPM. Is that good enough? B&D makes great consumer-grade power tools, so if you're okay with cords then I would suggest you go for it. Check out reviews on Amazon.com or other retailer websites if you have a specific model you're happy with.
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Jul 2, 2008 20:25
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simplethird posted:While I at first thought the same, upon further thought it seems to me wood is used to support very heavy loads when used in the right way. Whether there's a way (and I feel there must) to fabricate some kind of structure that will hold up a single bar at two points with weights up to 200-250lbs or not is why I come to here, that people with more knowledge on the physical capabilities of wood and clever manipulation of force can weigh in. This is one of the many times when I feel that making something yourself is going to be more of a hassle than just buying a commercial one. Check out craigslist for someone who wants to get rid of their stuff. If you're hell bent on making this thing, fabricate it out of steel. Wood has a grain structure which makes it strong in one direction, and weak in another. Given that this particular application can kill you if there's a material failure, I'd avoid wood.
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Jul 14, 2008 14:00
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Gimpalimpa posted:I've been melting casting grade 14k gold using a propane/oxygen torch. Not the smartest thing in the world, but it's what I have.. The result is very brittle and far from malleable. Is there any ways to make it softer? I feel as though I missed a step in my internet forge schooling. I'm not an expert on casting, but it sounds like you're getting impurities into your gold. Is everything as clean as you could possibly make it? Are you directly heating the gold, or indirectly heating it through a bowl or something? I would imagine directly heating the gold with a propane torch will dump impurities into the mixture. Please note that I cannot emphasize enough that I am not an expert on casting. It just sounds like the material you're working with in the end is some weird alloy that's full of stuff that shouldn't be there.
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Aug 31, 2008 05:08
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Molten Llama posted:Check the phone book for a local appliance parts company. Shelves would almost certainly be available as replacement parts, and appliance parts are often stupid cheap. A cut sheet of tempered glass would probably cost more than a full sheet of plexiglass. I'd suggest seeing if there's a plastic supply shop nearby, or barring that a machine shop. If you explain what you need someone would probably do it for cheap.
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Sep 1, 2008 02:50
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The Human Cow posted:That's what I have in mind, but if somebody has a better idea I'd love to hear it. I thought about eye screws and hooks, but I don't think that it will look nice or be very functional. I think what you're looking for are "draw latches." I suggest searching for them online, at a website like https://www.mcmaster.com or something similar. I imagine Home Depot should also sell them if you specifically ask for draw or tension latches.
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Sep 1, 2008 23:32
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TLG James posted:How to I fix a screen door's screen? A raccoon pulled it out of the doorframe while getting into the house via a small hole. A raccoon pulled the screen door out of the doorframe? I'd move somewhere far away. Replacing individual screens can be easy or hard depending on the design of the screen door. My experience has been that the screens are generally held in via screws or a series of tabs. Remove the broken screen, measure it, and pick up a replacement at a hardware store.
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Sep 10, 2008 04:55
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TLG James posted:This loving raccoon is no joke. He's almost my arch enemy. He fears no one (well humans at least) and will hiss at you. I tried to stop him from getting into our trash by putting a bungie cord on the lid to the main frame. He actually knocked it over, and was able to overhead press the lid open enough to crawl in (and out) of it. All while I was standing there. It actually drew a crowd of like 3 kids on bikes watching the raccoon because it was at like 8 pm. I tried to get it to run away, and it just started walking at me hissing aggressively. Fix your door, and then solve your raccoon problem... 
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Sep 11, 2008 03:13
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redheadgeek posted:I make leather masks: What kind of temperatures are we talking about? Have you tried hunting around for the head of a manikin or something similar? You need to know the maximum acceptable temperature before you decide on the material. If you need to pin the leather to the head then that will require something softer (ruling out metals, hard plastics, or ceramics). There are high temperature foams and rubbers in a variety of compositions that will meet your requirements. I would start by searching for manikin heads and seeing if the plastic they are made from is sufficient to meet your temperature requirements (and if the plastic is soft enough). Then I would suggest looking for websites on how to mold stuff. In general what you do is take a form you already have, and then cast around the form to make a negative mold. You then fill the mold with the material of choice, let it cure, and you have yourself a new part.
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Sep 25, 2008 15:46
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Try finding a wooden wigmaker's block. It's a wooden head. Easy to pin to, and safe up to 500 degrees or so (maybe only 450). If that doesn't work, silicone rubber is probably a good bet for temperature resistance. Or carve your own!
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Sep 26, 2008 11:22
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drchipotle posted:Is there an easy/smart way to fabricate a custom spring? Like an inch long and 1/4 inch around? https://www.mcmaster.com Ships next day. Unless you have some kind of super-rare magical spring tempered in the fires of Hell and then quenched in unicorn blood they will have it.
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Oct 8, 2008 04:37
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Cutty posted:Contact paper - where do I buy it? Home Depot, Wal-Mart, craft stores? And in what sections of the store should I be looking? I'm almost positive places like Michaels or AC Moore would sell it, but as to where I have no idea. Just ask the information desk. Wal*Mart/Target might have it in their supply section. I recall them having some for covering books, but that was years ago.
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Oct 11, 2008 06:13
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atrowe posted:The garbage disposal in my sink just stopped working. It hums so I know there is some current going through it, but the blades inside do not turn. Sounds like something in between the motor and blades broke, like a gear. I'm not familiar with how hard it is to take apart and reassemble a garbage disposal, but depending on the complexity you may be able to take the unit apart and replace whatever interfaces between them.
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Oct 13, 2008 17:53
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tokz posted:Wondering what the best way to fasten this framed print to the wall. I tried using some heavy duty adhesives but the paint on the wall is very slick and doesn't play well with adhesives. There is nothing on the back of the frame/print except for some old fasteners that have been ripped off. You look really pissed off that you have to deal with that frame. I would suggest either checking out those 3M removable adhesive strips, or installing new hardware into the frame. If you know what the old hardware looked like it shouldn't be hard to replicate that.
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Oct 26, 2008 20:02
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Phlegmbot posted:Also cue the 'changing a light bulb jokes.' According to The Internet you push one side in and remove it. Wear gloves so you don't get oil on the bulb.
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Nov 21, 2008 00:33
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Nubile Hillock, I would suggest you check out https://www.mcmaster.com for any parts that might work.
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Nov 22, 2008 16:20
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I said come in! posted:Okay so my next goal is to find out the type of plastic then. I know its made by these guys; http://www.chemcastacrylics.com/ Just by the name I would assume it's acrylic plastic, which is generally very brittle and a pain in the rear end to machine. What kind of class are you talking about? Are you at a university that has an engineering college? Most universities have a machine shop (or several) with a friendly machinist who would be willing to help you. In general this kind of work is much easier to do on a mill than by hand, especially with brittle plastics like acrylic. Plus it'll even be straight.
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Nov 25, 2008 21:15
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OldMidgetWillow posted:I'm not entirely sure where I should even ask this question, but I'll give it a go. Metallized polyester sheeting, also known as reflective mylar, would probably work for what you want to do. You know those silver mylar balloons? That's the material. A 27" wide by 12" long roll of 0.005" thick material is $18.05, and you can get it from https://www.mcmaster.com (part number 7538T12). Alternatively there are plenty of other locations where the material can be purchased.
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Dec 1, 2008 03:02
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qlat posted:This lamp shade has a clip on attachment but I want to know if there's any way to get it so it attaches to the 2 receptacles around the socket or a ring mounting where I screw in the light bulb to attach it. Cable ties (aka zip ties) could work. Cut the loop out, bend the wire 90 degrees downward, and zip tie it to the receptacle.
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Dec 18, 2008 02:41
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Generally I find a piece of tape makes a pretty good visual stop for drilling, especially if precision isn't a concern. Alternatively you could take a dowel and punch a hole through it. Cut the dowel to a length such that it's long enough to bridge the distance from the drill chuck to where you want the drill bit to stop. But personally I would go with tape.
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Dec 30, 2008 03:08
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Blue_monday posted:I've got a hot water boiler in my apartment and every time I take a shower I dont even bother turning on the cold water because the water is barely hot enough. I have a suspicion my father hosed with the heat settings if possible, or the boiler is getting old. Normally there's a thermostat you can adjust inside the water heater. Google "water heater temperature adjust" for help.
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Jan 6, 2009 04:03
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Flush toilets are shamefully easy to repair and replace; don't pay a plumber to do it. Just make sure you get your measurements and dimensions so you get a toilet/hardware that fits. babyeatingpsychopath is correct; replacing a toilet is very easy. But you won't need to; at worst you should only need to replace the valve assembly. The process for that is pretty simple, and will be described in the replacement kit you get. You won't need much in the way of tools either.
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Jan 7, 2009 13:43
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Try posting them in this forum for starters?
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Jan 12, 2009 00:53
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The Human Cow posted:I've searched on Google for bookshelf plans, but nothing's really jumping out at me, and I didn't know if anybody had any good resources handy. If you haven't seen them before, digg.com linked to a few interesting sites about bookshelves... Interesting Ideas Another Cool One Personally I think the magnetic shelf idea is both cool and easy to do.
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Jan 14, 2009 04:14
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Local Yokel posted:I'm wondering if it will be a disaster to pull this thing off. How damaged will the wall be underneath, and is it likely that it is hiding something? If so, how much repair and patching can I get away with without the paint looking awful on top of it (I think we want to use an eggshell finish, so it will have a moderate sheen to it). Depends on what they did. If it's just a piece of wood nailed to the wall then hopefully you're not dealing with a lot of damage. I don't have a lot of experience with it but I would imagine the caulk will come off with a bit of hassle. After that it should be mostly patching, sanding, and then painting. Personally I would go for it.
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Jan 17, 2009 17:33
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OOP Rabbit posted:I'm having some refrigerator trouble. Since living in my apartment for over 6 months, my fridge has worked fine. However, after loading it up with tons of food and drinks [including many gallon bottles of Gatorade], it slowly got warmer and finally was about as warm as room temperature. After all my food either rotted or was consumed, I inspected the two air vents in the top and discovered ice blocking the air flow. I've tried clearing the ice out several times with a knife, but the condensation from the broken ice always seems to form another blockage. Another important thing to note is that my freezer has and continues to work fine. Have you considered turning off the fridge and letting all the water evaporate before turning it on again? It would be messy (especially if your freezer has a lot of ice in it), but it might solve your problem.
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Jan 23, 2009 05:50
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Local Yokel posted:Speaking of yards, what does one do with brush, leaves, bark, other organic waste when you've got a yard too small to justify a compost or fire pit? I've previously lived places where you could throw things deeper into the woods, or just burn it. Now I'm on my own teeny plot in suburbia, and I've got several enormous piles of stuff to get rid of. I've already filled about eight trash bags with it, but this seems wasteful, and is hardly a start on the volume I'm working with here (I have a feeling that I'm cleaning up 2.5 years worth of yard neglect from the last owners). Most suburbs have a yard waste pickup day, although it may not have started yet. Is there a reason you can't just leave it out front for regular trash pickup?
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Mar 17, 2009 13:48
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Local Yokel posted:I think it's too much volume to leave out for the regular trash. I'll try to figure out if there's some kind of yard waste pick up day though. Most neighborhoods also have bulk trash pickup days. It's how I got rid of my couch. You could also just call the waste management folks and ask them directly. I mean these people are packing up entire neighborhoods worth of garbage, so I doubt you'll be taxing their capacity.
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Mar 17, 2009 14:38
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Chinaski posted:How strong is a solder connection? I have an interest in making desk lamps and I will probably use a good amount of metal. I don't have access to "real" welding gear and I want to keep things simple. A Google search shows that solder has tensile strengths in the realm of 5-6 ksi, which is comparable to some glues and epoxies. Not knowing what you're doing I would suggest you give it a shot and see what the results are. Sweat joints (such as those associated with plumbing) are typically very strong when there's a lot of surface contact. Just remember that solder doesn't do a good job of filling large gaps. Also I believe solder behaves differently depending on the metal. I know it's good for copper and brass.
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May 5, 2009 20:24
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Comrade Milton posted:I have many neobdynium(sp?) magnets with a pull force each of about 7 pounds which I'm trying to glue to a box, one on a corner. I'm using UV-E3000 for the adhesive, but the force of the magnets necessitates the use of clamps, but the clamps, when applied, are not cooperating in a proper fashion and keeping the magnets where I want them. I would imagine using a plastic clamp would work. Alternatively if you can fit a piece of metal inside the box you could use the pull of the magnets to keep them in place.
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May 12, 2009 16:30
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Vaporware posted:I've got a problem with my new refrigerator. It's a GDL22KCWSS. I've got no cooling or lights in the refrigerator section, but the freezer is fine. Demand a replacement? That's what I would do.
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Jun 19, 2009 19:39
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Esthar posted:an A/C unit in my house is making odd noises and spitting water out of the back fins. any ideas what could cause this? Clogged drain plug? It sounds like your unit is full of condensation and it's not able to drain out. Check and see if there's a drainage hole somewhere around the underside or back of the unit. If it has a plug in it (I know mine was shipped with one installed) then pull it out. Has it been particularly humid recently?
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Jun 23, 2009 15:06
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Reed posted:Is there a standard size bolt for affixing a lampshade to a lamp? If so, does anyone have an idea what size it is? 1/4-20 is a pretty standard size. Why not measure the hole/rod and buy a variety of bolts/nuts around that size? They're pretty cheap and it saves you multiple trips to the hardware store.
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Jul 12, 2009 16:40
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