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How long should I let Walnut acclimate to my shop? I'm building a jewelry type box and I don't want it to bow on me. Today I join and planed it flat to expose some of the inner grain because I was told that speeds things up, but how long should I wait until I mill it to final size?
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Jan 24, 2008 04:11
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I bought a replacement hall light from IKEA a few weeks ago, but I don't know how to install it. This is the first time I do anything with electricity, apart from converting cable plugs from UK to European pins (stereos and whatnot). Now, the ikea paper leaflet has a specific slot for the neutral wire and the live wire. The wires on my hall light, however are both exactly the same. Does it matter where I plug each cable in? Current light:  IKEA leaflet:  Another question I have is for mounting it to the wall. There are two screws, do I need to drill a hole in the wall and then put the screws in, or just screw them in? The walls I have are quite thin (about 7cm) made of terracota-like hollow bricks with about 1cm plaster covering them. Screw diagram: 
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Jan 24, 2008 17:09
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Can I use regular spray paint on plastic? I want to dress up a big plastic toolbox (they're so boring once you take the sticker off the front). Of course, I didn't think of this brilliant idea until I got home from WalMart, so I'd like to use the paint I already have. I also don't want to buy a whole can of Krylon Fusion for one tiny project. (Guess why I have the paint I have. Y'know, I don't think I even ever got around to the tiny project I bought this can for, though I've used a little here and there on other things.) The paint is Rustoleum flat protective enamel ("stops rust" product line), and the box has recycling code 05 PP, with a rough/matte surface (I'll sand it if needed).
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Jan 24, 2008 20:36
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Bad Angus! Bad!
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galliumscan posted:Sheet styrene, from a big hobby shop - one of those places that sells radio controlled planes/ cars, etc... Comes in many different thicknesses, from really thin (like 0.010 in) to pretty thick (like 0.050 in), opaque white. I've never used styrene before. Would it be feasable to cut the thinner sheets with an x-acto knife? Also, do you know if there are any propellants or other chemicals common in spray paints which would damage styrene?
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Jan 24, 2008 20:37
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Recently I decided that I really enjoy waking up to the sun. However I have hard time falling asleep when there is light coming through my windows. Because of where I live in order to make my room dark at night I have to close my curtains. I think I can rig up some battery operated curtain opens for pretty cheap and I think it would be a neat project. I am pretty sure I can rig up some servos and string to get the actual curtains to open but I have no idea where to find timing devices that will interface with a servo. Or timing devices in general. Where should I be looking?
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Jan 24, 2008 21:22
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poeticoddity posted:I've never used styrene before. Would it be feasable to cut the thinner sheets with an x-acto knife? Also, do you know if there are any propellants or other chemicals common in spray paints which would damage styrene? Oh, wait, I do! Rustoleum vs. polystyrene cup (the kind you use at a kegger, not foam): Yeah, it melts. Not immediately, though. You could probably get a one-shot stencil out of it, but it'll fall apart in a few minutes.
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Jan 24, 2008 22:00
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poeticoddity posted:Also, do you know if there are any propellants or other chemicals common in spray paints which would damage styrene? Yes, spray paint will melt it. You can paint it with regular latex paint first, and then spray paint on that. That is what I did when I made tombstones out of styrofoam for halloween. It worked well.
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Jan 24, 2008 23:17
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MaiaN posted:Now, the ikea paper leaflet has a specific slot for the neutral wire and the live wire. The wires on my hall light, however are both exactly the same. Does it matter where I plug each cable in? MaiaN posted:Another question I have is for mounting it to the wall. There are two screws, do I need to drill a hole in the wall and then put the screws in, or just screw them in? The walls I have are quite thin (about 7cm) made of terracota-like hollow bricks with about 1cm plaster covering them. PurDunamis fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Jan 25, 2008 |
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Jan 25, 2008 00:24
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PurDunamis posted:'Does it matter?' covers 3 questions - Will it work, will it be safe and does it meet local regulations. I have no idea what the local regs would be in your part of the world, and for the first two, it depends on the fitting you have. With most light fittings it doesn't make much difference which way around you connect the live and neutral in terms of function, but when it comes to mains electricity it's not a good idea to guess - especially since just because it works, doesn't mean it's safe. How would I go about finding out which wire is which, if trial and error isn't really an option? PurDunamis posted:Drill, insert wall plug, then screw would be the way I'd normally do it. 
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Jan 25, 2008 00:54
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Cmdr. Chompernuts posted:How long should I let Walnut acclimate to my shop? I'm building a jewelry type box and I don't want it to bow on me. Today I join and planed it flat to expose some of the inner grain because I was told that speeds things up, but how long should I wait until I mill it to final size? Planing one side isn't going to dry it any faster - surface area to volume is barely changed at all. What planing will do is show you if the wood was properly dried in the first place. If you plane .030 or so off one side and the board moves you know improper drying has put not-good stresses in the outer fibers and you'll have to be careful to work both sides equally or close to it, or let it come to a new equilibrium and joint and plane again hoping it works and doesn't check.
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Jan 25, 2008 07:49
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MaiaN posted:I bought some fluorescent lights for my kitchen today and asked the person in the shop for advice. They said to just try, if the breakers tripped then it was the wrong way round. As for local regulations, I don't think there are any for something this specific over here (Spain). It's just occurred to me that in much of mainland Europe un-polarised sockets are the norm, so it won't matter which way around you connect the live and neutral, just make sure you wire up the earth correctly and you should be good to go.
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Jan 25, 2008 10:24
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PurDunamis posted:It's just occurred to me that in much of mainland Europe un-polarised sockets are the norm, so it won't matter which way around you connect the live and neutral, just make sure you wire up the earth correctly and you should be good to go.
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Jan 25, 2008 23:03
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I've been house sitting my parents' place for the past few weeks, though I have an apartment in the city. I returned to my apartment last night to find it torn up (the landlord is redoing my kitchen), but I didn't realize it was going to be now. I went upstairs to use the bathroom, and of course the water was turned off, so no flush. Is it true that if I just dump water down the drain it will flush? How much do I need, and is this a viable way to survive for the next few days?
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Jan 26, 2008 19:59
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Cybor Tap posted:Is it true that if I just dump water down the drain it will flush? How much do I need, and is this a viable way to survive for the next few days? Yup. Just grab a gallon bucket or so and fill it full of water. After you use the bathroom, dump it in there and the pressure will suck most of the contents down the drain. It's not the most pleasant thing in the world to do, but you'll be fine for a few days.
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Jan 26, 2008 22:20
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Would there be any interest in this forum for a vegetable gardening megathread? Now's the time to start thinking about ordering seeds and setting up for spring planting/transplanting. I think I could put together a decent OP.
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Jan 28, 2008 09:20
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Milka posted:Would there be any interest in this forum for a vegetable gardening megathread? Now's the time to start thinking about ordering seeds and setting up for spring planting/transplanting. I think I could put together a decent OP. Yes! I've always wanted to start a garden from seed, but wasn't sure where to get everything. Also, if you have any tips trellises for climbing veggies, that would be great.
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Jan 28, 2008 13:14
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Milka posted:Would there be any interest in this forum for a vegetable gardening megathread? Now's the time to start thinking about ordering seeds and setting up for spring planting/transplanting. I think I could put together a decent OP. I think this forum is young enough that anyone or anything could still get in the ground floor.
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Jan 28, 2008 15:15
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My mom wanted me to replace her outlet in the bathroom with a GFCI. Her house is wired with aluminum. The guy at Lowe's said that I needed to convert the aluminum to copper before wiring the outlet. He sold me a few feet of 12-3 copper and some of these brass cylinders. He said all I have to do is twist the copper and aluminum together then use the wire tool to pinch the brass over the twist. After I got done doing that I wrapped the exposed areas with electrical tape. Is my mom's house going to catch on fire? (Did I do anything wrong? Did I do anything right?)
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Jan 28, 2008 17:26
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Cybor Tap posted:I've been house sitting my parents' place for the past few weeks, though I have an apartment in the city. I returned to my apartment last night to find it torn up (the landlord is redoing my kitchen), but I didn't realize it was going to be now. You could also use the bucket to fill up the tank and then flush as normal. You just would have to fill the tank every time, but I would think that would be better than potentially splashing doo-doo water on yourself.
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Jan 29, 2008 12:42
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TheKub posted:My mom wanted me to replace her outlet in the bathroom with a GFCI. Her house is wired with aluminum. The guy at Lowe's said that I needed to convert the aluminum to copper before wiring the outlet. He sold me a few feet of 12-3 copper and some of these brass cylinders. He said all I have to do is twist the copper and aluminum together then use the wire tool to pinch the brass over the twist. After I got done doing that I wrapped the exposed areas with electrical tape. Well, what you did sounds correct, assuming the crimps are sound. It's a bit of overkill though, and probably a lot more expensive than using an aluminum-rated receptacle. I'm a little confused as to why he sold you 12-3 wire, unless they don't sell 12-2 by the foot, and you only really need 1 foot for the pigtails.
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Jan 30, 2008 04:39
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Mthrboard posted:Well, what you did sounds correct, assuming the crimps are sound. It's a bit of overkill though, and probably a lot more expensive than using an aluminum-rated receptacle. I'm a little confused as to why he sold you 12-3 wire, unless they don't sell 12-2 by the foot, and you only really need 1 foot for the pigtails. 12-3 for black/white/ground. I need to do another outlet anyways so I got all the supplies I needed for both. Thanks for the info.
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Jan 30, 2008 19:01
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TheKub posted:12-3 for black/white/ground. I need to do another outlet anyways so I got all the supplies I needed for both. Thanks for the info. Ok, that's the right wire, but it's not called 12-3. Technically, it's 12-2 w/ ground. The ground wire doesn't count as a conductor.
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Jan 31, 2008 02:10
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I didn't want to make a new thread about something that has an answer online. I have a question about the online answer. I'm hoping to make a clothes dryer run properly. It heats clothes on most cycles without drying them. Only when using the fluff dry/low heat mode does it manage to dry clothes, and it takes two or three times running at that cycle to do that. Going by online advice, the dryer is clogged somehow and needs to be cleared. I would like to know if I can do this using a shop vac using suction. I haven't looked at the outside vent yet. Is it fairly easy to disassemble the vent to the outside and clear it?
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Jan 31, 2008 05:09
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The System posted:I didn't want to make a new thread about something that has an answer online. I have a question about the online answer. Generally these machines are pretty easy to take apart and repair. Just make sure it's unplugged and that you note what steps you took to get inside.
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Jan 31, 2008 15:18
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The System posted:I didn't want to make a new thread about something that has an answer online. I have a question about the online answer. I just took my dryer apart to replace the heating coil, and while I was at it vaced out the vent. Most units have a kick plate on the back that gives you access to the guts. Mine was pretty simple but your results may vary. This site that Blowupologist found when I had a problem was very helpful.
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Jan 31, 2008 22:28
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At my work we use just the standard type computer chairs, the 5 leg things on wheels, seat with the back part bolts on to the seat. On 1 of the chairs, someone must have leaned back to hard, so the bolt holding it on has like, jumped out of its thread. Its locked in to tight to screw out without stripping the bolt head first, so just kinda wondering if there is a way to pop it back on without like, jumping on it or something.
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Jan 31, 2008 23:08
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I have bought an Art. However, this art has no facility for hanging, no wire, no fitting etc. What do I need to make this hangable? edit:it's a picture
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Feb 4, 2008 16:33
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I have a 20lb monitor I'd like to mount on a wall, ideally with plenty of stud support. The wall in question is from a home built in the 70s that appears to have studs spaced 50 inches apart. Is that impossible? Why hasn't the wall fallen down yet? Will public records blueprints tell me for certain where the studs are in the wall? If the studs are in fact 50" apart from each other, what are my best options for a secure mount? edit: ^^^ i demand a hanging stuff subforum 
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Feb 5, 2008 08:37
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Cakefool posted:I have bought an Art. Carlton Banks Teller posted:I have a 20lb monitor I'd like to mount on a wall, ideally with plenty of stud support. The wall in question is from a home built in the 70s that appears to have studs spaced 50 inches apart.  Get a stud finder ($10 or so at Home Depot). They may be oddly spaced, but four loving feet seems just a tiny bit excessive.Edit: if you used a stud finder to find them 50" apart, I'd suggest trying a different stud finder. Or move out before the house falls in on you. Chillbro Baggins fucked around with this message at 09:48 on Feb 5, 2008 |
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Feb 5, 2008 09:45
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Delivery McGee posted:More details? Is it in a frame, on some kind of board, anything? If it's got a wooden back to it, hardware stores sell those little sawtooth-looking things that they have on the back of picture frames, and they nail on. If it's a metal frame with a lip on the back, just put some nails in the wall and hang it on them. If it doesn't have a frame, put it in one. I are retarded. It's a framed picture with a wooden back. The only fittings are the clips that hold the back into the frame under the mounting tape (?)  Do you have a picture of the sawtooth -looking things?
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Feb 5, 2008 14:44
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Cakefool posted:Do you have a picture of the sawtooth -looking things? Here's a random internet picture:  They usually come in a big ol' box of miscellaneous home fasteners for $5, along with hooks to put on the wall. How big/heavy is it?
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Feb 5, 2008 15:03
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You can also forgo the stud finding if you use something like Hercules Hooks. Ignore the "OMG I'M BILLY MAYEZ AND THIS PRODUCT IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD BUY NOW!" They do work very well.
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Feb 5, 2008 19:49
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Delivery McGee posted:Here's a random internet picture: So these nail to the back of the frame, sawtooth down? and the hook goes behind this and engages in the teeth to stop it slipping? Sorry, I feel I'm quite technical normally - I can do plumbing, basic carpentry, decorating, most car maintenance etc etc but this is a huge mental blind spot of dumbassery for me. Delivery McGee posted:How big/heavy is it?
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Feb 5, 2008 21:42
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Cakefool posted:So these nail to the back of the frame, sawtooth down? and the hook goes behind this and engages in the teeth to stop it slipping? quote:About 3 kg, maybe 120cm wide, 30cm high. I was thinking two of these saw-magijs?
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Feb 5, 2008 22:44
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Perhaps you guys can shed some light on this. I have a smoke detector in the house that randomly beeps maybe 5 times once a day or so. Do you know why that may be? There is no fire, and while I'm not positive if it has a Carbon Monoxide module, I have a separate Carbon Monoxide tester that reads zero on its digital display like 10 feet away from it. It is wired into the ceiling, and has no obvious battery backup, so I don't think it's that either. If it's just poo poo the bed, is it difficult/dangerous for a layman to replace a smoke alarm thats wired into the house like that? If so, who do I call, an electrician? The fire department? Any other ideas for what it might be? It's just random, like 3-5 beeps, 15 seconds apart each, then nothing. Never more than once or twice a day. Pakistani Brad Pitt fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Feb 6, 2008 |
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Feb 6, 2008 01:47
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MrChupon posted:
How do you know it is wired into the ceiling? Did you take off/apart? Sometimes there is a battery, but it is very hard to see. MrChupon posted:If it's just poo poo the bed, is it difficult/dangerous for a layman to replace a smoke alarm thats wired into the house like that? If so, who do I call, an electrician? The fire department? It is possible that it took a dump. And no, it is not difficult at all to replace. Just go to a home center (like Home Depot) and get a replacement. Since it is wired to the house, the wire connected to it will be live. Just turn off the breaker for it (or if you can't figure that out, turn off the breaker for the whole house) and then use a circuit tester to make sure the wire has no current going to it before you take everything apart. If you want someone else to do it, then you can get an electrician to do it. MrChupon posted:Any other ideas for what it might be? It's just random, like 3-5 beeps, 15 seconds apart each, then nothing. Never more than once or twice a day. Does it have a brand name/model number? If so, try searching online for a product manual. If you can't find one, take the brand/model number to your local home center and see if they have the same thing. If so, see if you can open the box and read the manual that comes with it. That weird beeping really sounds like a low battery warning to me.
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Feb 6, 2008 14:16
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MrChupon posted:Perhaps you guys can shed some light on this. I have a smoke detector in the house that randomly beeps maybe 5 times once a day or so. Do you know why that may be? There is no fire, and while I'm not positive if it has a Carbon Monoxide module, I have a separate Carbon Monoxide tester that reads zero on its digital display like 10 feet away from it. Well, we had the same problem with ours. Being cheap and not wanting to replace it we just left it. Eventually it was time to do some filter replacing and cleaning up the furnace. After doing all that it stopped the beepeing (and cleared up my allergies. Man you should have seen how old and dusty the filter was.  previous owner!
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Feb 6, 2008 16:09
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I heard from a friend that you could remove (or adjust) some magical piece of the inside of a shower head to improve your water pressure. Said friend then moved to Wyoming and never showed me which piece to remove. Is this even possible? And if it is which piece to I remove.
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Feb 8, 2008 01:41
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McSpankWich posted:I heard from a friend that you could remove (or adjust) some magical piece of the inside of a shower head to improve your water pressure. Said friend then moved to Wyoming and never showed me which piece to remove. Is this even possible? And if it is which piece to I remove. Unscrew the fixture from the pipe. Look inside the end of the fixture. It'll probably be a piece of plastic that occupies most of the pipe. Barring that, just take the thing apart and look for a plate or chunk of plastic that looks like it's designed to block the water flow. It's different on a lot of models, so you'll have to hash it out for yourself as to what piece does what. Not all shower heads have them, you might just have crappy water pressure.
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Feb 8, 2008 17:29
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I recently found my dad's old Mont Blanc fountain tip pen. It's one of those thin ones and is very sleek and sharp looking, but I'm guessing it's around 20 years old. So I need to do a little restoration, so two questions, ink and cleaning. I just went out and bought some large blue Waterman cartridges. I'm not sure how great that ink quality is, but it's the only thing I could find at a local store and I'm not sure which stores would specialize in ink refills. And then, it's got a slight amount of rust on the nib, I'm fairly certain there is a large build up of old ink throughout the delivery system (hasn't been used in years) and the only way I can get it to write at all is if I squeeze the cartridge while it's inserted until it's dripping. That might also be in account that the cartridge attached was also years old and had mostly evaporated. So I guess, how would I clean this bitch. I was thinking rubbing alcohol, but I'm not sure how much damage it would possibly do.
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Feb 14, 2008 02:30
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