DIY - do it yourself's topics - tribe.net

Pop-up tent trailer to a flatbed trailer conversion

2008-07-24T23:45:47Z

After years of time consuming repairs, my tiny Viking Spirit pop-up trailer canvas
is getting beyond repair. I do need a flatbed trailer and was told that I could just remove
the pop-up portion and have a trailer base.
I called Viking and was advised that if the side walls are removed
the whole thing will just lift off. (Has to be done while fully popped up and open.
It make the most sense to do the dismantle right where the disposal site is.
In the San Francisco area, where could I do this?
It is the smallest pop-up Viking ever made. The whole thing weighs @800 lbs.
From under the metal frame of the trailer, you can see the screws popping thru the trailer frame.
I will spray these with what, WD40? to make the dismantle easier?
There is a sink and 2 burner propane stove that could possibly be reused.
I would like to go green if possible.
Thanks for your idea's!

It looks like the bolts are inserted from inside the trailer so it would have to be done
where it is lifted off the frame.

Are there light weight flat trailer bottoms available with wheel guards?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 3 replies

I need to remove glue off of glass!

2008-07-24T23:33:12Z

I bought this really awesome picture frame a few days ago from wal-mart, and when I unwrapped it from the plastic the glue that held the frame together was all over the bottom of the glass. I didn't think to keep the receipt, so I don't think I can return it. So instead I'd just like to remove the glue... But it's really thick. How can I remove it without damaging or scratching the glass?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 24 replies

how to choose a New Toilet?

2008-07-24T22:10:34Z

I've never been in the market for a new toilet before.

Any tips?

We've heard about when low-flow became the thing, but it took many flushes to do the job-
then about them solving these problems and improving the flush efficiency.

How do you tell a good one from a bad one without having to take it home and try it out?

I've had it with trusting the advice of random hardware store guys.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 14 replies

Piss On It

2008-07-24T18:38:49Z

A month ago I was talking with my neighbor. I was complaining about my hops plant which always turns yellow in July. This hops plant climbs 25 feet on a trellis to the tip of my gable end of my house and offers a lot of much needed shade. My neighbor, who also has hops plants suggested that I fertilize the plant. Indeed, I have. I piss on it twice weekly and its leaves are now a deep green and much fuller. Screw Miracle Grow, piss on it!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 9 replies

Squeaky chair

2008-07-24T06:24:22Z

My computer chair is so squeaky I can't even sit in it anymore, because it irritates everyone in the house. My boyfriend says to use WD-40 but I was hoping I could use something I have around the house already... Wax paper, or some kind of oil. I don't know. Does any one have any good ideas on how to stop a chair from squeaking?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 7 replies

copper patina

2008-07-23T23:41:30Z

alright, i checked the archives- and google. all i got were- "urine patina and picasso" for the archives and bogus site after bogus site on google. i need to know what chemicals would create what effects on copper. looking for the same effect long exposure to salt water would do to the copper. have no idea what that looks like, not even sure if the copper would survive.... making a costume to be "pirate's booty" - making a copper chastity belt- because the man can work comfortably with copper as opposed to other metals. the idea is i've been under the sea for a while...any ideas?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 12 replies

How to prevent plastic watchband from cracking?

2008-07-23T13:07:01Z

Is there any chemical that can be applied to a plastic watchband to prevent it from cracking from continues bending when taken on off?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 4 replies

Spare tire sand box

2008-07-23T05:10:06Z

I was thinking of making a sand box out of a spare tire for my son. I have a concrete manhole cover in my back yard, and thought I cover it with a sandbox. Anyone tried this or have suggestions? Anyone know where I can find a spare tire free? Thanks.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 8 replies

Converting part of deck

2008-07-21T15:20:08Z

I have an outdoor deck area that I want t install a washer and dryer on. I am on the bottom floor of a 3 floor building. There is a deck above mine that water can pass through. There are essentially 3 girders. The wall that it connects to and 2 girders, which create 2 sections.
Can I place flashing under the deck at a 1/4 in drop and have that collect in a gutter at one end that drains into the yard?
I want to place insulation under the flashing and then install a light and then some breakerboard to create a roof.
I have pictures and can provide more information as needed.
My concerns are that I dont compromise the deck and that I create a waterproof roof for my outdoor washer and dryer..
Thanks

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 2 replies

Replacing car headliner

2008-07-20T18:27:13Z

New cars are probably different (I haven't paid any attention so not sure) but I'm referring to a 1960's car. The kind with a fabric headliner and "bows" running laterally. I won't be using a kit either--- will be using fabric and the existing metal bows. But regardless of the kit or no-kit approach, anyone ever install a headliner? Difficult? Tips & tricks? I know you have to remove the back glass, which I have already done.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 10 replies

Check out my blog, see my new free video on home remodeling tricks of the trade

2008-07-20T03:00:48Z

Charlie Nail here, joined a week or so ago, and wanted to let you know that I have posted the first of a series of free video clips on home remodeling tricks of the trade. These are just fun, funky trivia facts that you might find helpful. http://www.charlie-nail.com. I have started a series of instructional videos which are listed on my home remodeling how to site, and as soon as my partner can finish video editing, we will post more.

I am excited about this tribe, because this is what I do, and I want to share it all with you. Check out my site: http://www.home-remodeling-how-to.com for all kinds of free advice from start to finish.

I will check in often. Thanks for having me, Charlie Nail

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 1 reply

Hot tub question

2008-07-19T02:16:33Z

I have a chance at getting a hot tub for free :) Would anyone know how to convert a hot tub from natural gas to propane?

Thanks!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 2 replies

tiling bathroom floor

2008-07-17T10:46:18Z

i would like to tile my bathroom floor and need some advice on how to cement the tiles down. i know there is a "waterproof" cement that is used in making outdoor tile murals. is that safe for the bathroom? what is the name of this product?

btw, i'll be getting my supplies at building resources in sf. if any of you have been there, should i call first to ask if they have what i'm looking for?

thanks! :)

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 14 replies

Ever built a stripper pole?

2008-07-17T04:45:31Z

A dear friend of mine has kindly requested if I would help her build a stripper pole. So she sent me the following design:

http://www.jaysilver.net/pictures/cosmo/2/stripperpole.html

Which sounds great, but she wants it in her room and such a platform would take over all available floor space.

- She lives in a 10' x 10' room

-Her ceiling is 14'. The ceiling joists are exposed and the floor is plywood. I am allowed to drill into both.

My questions are:

1. What do you think of the design from the link?

2. Can you recommend a better design that would work with the room measurements mentioned above?

Thanks!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 23 replies

boiler installation

2008-07-15T17:05:45Z

Has anyone ever installed a new gas boiler themselves? We are switching over as soon as we can turn the existing diesel boiler off for the season and my husband wants to install the new boiler himself. Is this crazy? We'll have to get a new gas line installed, not doing that ourselves. Should I override this decision and get a professional to do it?
Thanks!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 17 replies

mosquitos

2008-07-15T15:07:28Z

so its mosquito season, i live on my boat and the little buggers come in then wait till i go to sleep then eat the hell out of me, this has been going on for 2 weeks, i have like 10 bites from the last 6 hours asleep and its driving me mad, any ideas how to get rid of them and yes i am allready using more garlic in my food.
rick

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 22 replies

ants....part two hundred and six

2008-07-13T22:15:44Z

this is an interesting and informative site....http://www.getipm.com/thebestcontrol/bugstop/control_ant.htm

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 1 reply

extracting honey

2008-07-13T01:18:28Z

so we have about 10 pounds of wild honey sitting in a trash bag in the freezer, waiting to be extracted from its comb... and absolutely no idea how to do it. last winter we rigged a strainer over some simmering water over the woodstove, and it took about a week or so to all drain out. that worked pretty well, but obviously the stove's not going, a week of running the kitchen stove constantly would totally bankrupt us, plus drive us crazy, and anything that gets left out is pretty soon covered in ants. it's taking up almost an entire rack of the freezer and needs to go asap, and besides, we're out of the strained stuff! i know commercial bee keepers use centrifuges for their extractions, any ideas on how to rig one up? or any other easier ideas??

many thanks!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 25 replies

Building with pallets

2008-07-12T19:44:35Z

This is cross posted. I just would like as much input as possible.

I ran across this idea from an old thread in the Green Building tribe. It seems to me that a structure made out of pallets would be nice to live in and easy to build, as well as VERY cheap. It would be very easy for me to set up all the systems I want like greywater, passive & active solar, and catchment given the savings i will have.

One concern that was brought to my attention is that some pallets are treated with methyl bromide.
Look under Health Effects:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromomethane

I don't know if having pallet walls would give off enough to be harmful/

Has anyone had experience in a pallet building, or ideas/suggestions?

summerville-novascotia.com/Pall...Shed/

I am thinking that i would like to build a little shack like the third one down here on the land for my humble little home.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 6 replies

Adding thin insulation to house walls (heat retention)?

2008-07-08T04:04:11Z

Hi. I live in a 2x4 frame house with fiberglass exterior-wall insulation (built 1976). We're in plant-zone 6 and get a coldish winter (but not as cold a winter as much of the rest of Canada), and a hot mid-summer. About a year ago, I read about a highly heat-reflective paint layer that has been developed - remove your exterior siding, paint the material on the inside of the siding, replace the siding, and you supposedly have a significantly improved R value, due to reflected heat.

I don't know how true this is, about the performance of this sort of product. But it's made me wonder if there IS some thin (possibly quarter-inch) material that can be installed under siding that can significantly increase R value, without resulting in recessed window and door frames. That would be a very important consideration for me.

By the way my house was originally built with black-building paper over plywood sheathing behind the exterior siding, and with a plastic-sheet vapor barrier on the interior behind the drywall or wood panelling.

What do any of you know of about thin insulating products? I make no assumptions about the validity of these. But if such products do exist and are effective, are there down sides to using them in a house like mine? And how costly are these materials when used extensively enough in a house to be effective? Thanks.

Tanemon

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 18 replies

cleaning up and tuning up a wondow AC unit

2008-07-07T12:45:52Z

I've recently moved into an apartment with window mounted AC units. I poked around one of them and the styrofoam insulation has some black spots. I'm wondering if there's any easy or reasonable way to clean and rehab these things for better performance and cleaner air.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 1 reply

Solar Oven

2008-07-07T02:46:25Z

I'd like to build a solar oven. Yes, I've googled it and I have several different designs to choose from. Has anyone here ever built one? If so, what did you like and what would you do different?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 12 replies

gravity water system sucking air

2008-07-06T17:10:15Z

my house is on a gravity fed system from a creek and i just tried to splice into the tube but instead of water shooting out of the new pipe, its sucking air hard. my original line is 1.25 inches and i attached a 1.25 T- joint to it with some pipe and then turned it with a 90 degree attachment 4 inches later and then reduced it to 1" and then 3/4." the old pipe has great water pressure and the new pipe is cocked at a slight angle so that is sits slightly below the old pipe. any ideas on how to get water flow into the new pipe?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 5 replies

Hi,I'm new to this tribe

2008-07-03T02:08:33Z

Been on tribes for over a year now and have for unknown reasons never signed up when my expertise is not only doing it yourself but a whole arrary of cheap make overs,repairs,ideas focused on kitchen,baths,custome piece furniture and much more.28 years solid and slightly burned out from the demands.
you have a question or just want to test me,I'm up....but I must tell you that if it involves a/c,clorinateing pools or heavy electric-seek the engineers.This could be fun.......see ya

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 2 replies

basement help please

2008-07-01T14:57:49Z

so I painted these 40 year old damp and crumbly walls with a breathing kind of white paint, nice and bright, since it only has a tiny hatch window. I am left with a dirt floor which had once upon a time some largish pebbles on it, which have disappeared into the dirt by now, or are seriously grungy. I think my basement was used as a coal cellar of sorts at some point.

The ground water table is high, as the house is on land which was dried up swamp lands, and we have several rivers nearby. I have therefore opted not to concrete or damp proof, as it would drive the damp up into the walls, into the ground floor rooms etc. I am renting from the city, and major/proper damp proofing is not an option.

I am planning to scrape out some of this grungy dirt, and add a bit more gravel, the lay concrete tiles to make a washable surface.
I am hoping to move my laundry area in there, as well as use it for storage of veg and items which dont mind a little bit of damp.. Someone else suggested wooden "tiles" you might expect on a patio/deck.

Any suggestions? Any better ideas? Comments? i'd appreciate it. Thank you.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 12 replies

carpenter ants removal

2008-07-01T07:26:58Z

We have a problem with carpenter ants. In the wooden ceilings dropping sawdust
in a few places in the house. All our neighbors had the same problems.
I have been making up and replenishing saucers of Boric acid and sugar
and water and see them eating from these.
I also spread spent coffee grounds around the base of the house and
pulled up most of the ivy touching the house.
Other than cinnamon, which I will also try, any suggestions?
Our landlord uses harsh chemicals that we would rather not live with.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 11 replies

Re chimny breast. Is it safe ?

2008-06-30T20:03:22Z

When I saw " breast" I was hopping for something entirly diff. !
Is that thing safe ? It looks like burnt wood trim along the top, not near enuf air space between it and the walls. How much space is there, and what are the walls made of ?
How do you get the heat to the living space with it closed in like that ? Looks to be a fairly large unit 125,000 + BTU's. You could easly burn your house down with it !
With the top trim looking like that , I would suspect that the walls around the back and sides look like charcoal ready to burst into flames.
Everbody take a look and throw in $.02 .

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 8 replies

filling in an outside stairwell

2008-06-29T18:57:22Z

Hi~ My outside stairwell that leads from the walkway, down a flight of stairs to my basement door fills up with water after a very heavy rain (the water is very slow to drain). I was thinking of filling it in. I was going to have someone remove the basement door, build a block wall and then fill in the stairwell with old rock, gravel and dirt. Does anyone have any thoughts as to whether this is the correct way to get rid of the stairwell?

THANKS!
Aurora

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 0 replies

kitchen paint job

2008-06-29T15:14:43Z

Hi all, just wanted to share my kitchen project with you.

http://do-it-yourself.tribe.net/photos/fdc6fcea-5771-4658-9504-f6325260652f

http://do-it-yourself.tribe.net/photos/12ed4f31-9893-478f-a029-6ab8452e188c

ow I am planning to add a pattern, which will require either a stencil or a stamp, and the a handpainted addition. The wall is quite rough, and I have never stencilled nor stamped anything onto the wall before.. Perhaps you will be able to give me some tips.

I am planning to use the green as seen on the chimney breast for a repeated pattern, and it should be still green, but not totally opaque, leaving the steel colour to show through. The stencil/stamp will have relatively fine swirlies, but I am unsure how small I will be able to go, or how liquid the paint will need to be to get the desired effect..
I guess I will do some tests on some cardboard or such..

any feedback or comments most welcome

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 2 replies

artworks by Artist Muller Jean Francois.

2008-06-29T14:58:09Z

Welcome to artistpaintingonline. Here you will find original artworks by Artist Muller Jean Francois.
Original flowers.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 2 replies

clogged stairwell drain

2008-06-29T13:28:59Z

The drain at the bottom of outside stairs going to our basement is clogged. I broke the concrete of the stairwell with a jack-hammer to find out the pipe goes in 2 directions: one under the stairs toward the backyard was filled with roots; my guess: it probably goes to a well that is now worthless. the other direction goes toward the basement. When putting a snake, it sounds like it is going to the foundation drain. Water backs-up quickly if I poor a 1/2 a gallon in the pipe. My guess: if it goes into the foundation drain that might now be clogged with small roots washed over time from the other side of the drain. The foundation drain goes to a sump pump on the opposite side of the house but that sump pump stays always dry. Calling plumbers and waterproofing companies, I hear 2 solutions: putting a new pipe to a new sum pump in the basement close to the stairwell - seems like a clean but quite expensive solution (~3k). The other solution would be to break the concrete inside the house to see what is happening where the old pipe and the foundation drain meet and possibly open it to unclog it. Before I take a jack-hammer to try that, does any one have some good advice or can think of alternative solutions?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 6 replies

ANTS

2008-06-29T00:54:36Z

I've read a lot of remedies to get rid of ants but I need to know what is safe to use around my pet parrot. I woke early this week to find big fat black ants in the bird's cage....top and bottom trays. Really not in his food dish. This morning was the same thing. I'm not talking a few....I mean 70-80 and maybe more. I don't even have them in the kitchen where the food is.....just in the bird cage. I've had many birds before and NEVER an ant problem. HELP! I live in the western part of Ohio if that would make a difference. Thanks

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 4 replies

anyone

2008-06-28T18:59:45Z

know a good perm. way of getting rid of fire ants in the garden? They weren't bothering me at first and had the if you don't bother me I won't bother you attitude, but then one day.... one bite me! owwwwwwwwww!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 7 replies

big black ants

2008-06-27T05:18:35Z

Now that spring is here, my "summer problem" is slowly making a comeback.

Big black ants are beginning to crawl around my house.

Unlike small ants that travel in large numbers on easily-identifiable paths, these black ants are loners. They just wander aimlessly, so I can't figure out where they are coming from -- making it difficult to kill them at the source. (And yes, I don't mind killing them.)

They also bite! I got bitten on the neck by one while sleeping!

So any ideas about how to get rid of them would be appreciated.
Maybe catching them early in the season will help.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 19 replies

best outdoor varnish? decoupage glue? polyurethane? for a chair

2008-06-23T09:00:08Z

so i got these two fiberglass chairs see which someone had painted a kind of nauseating turquoise (NOT spraypainted mind you, so it ends up the paint is flecking off anyway) and underneath is an equally unlikeable plastic rust color. So I wanna funky decoupage it up (mostly types of paper and pictures i think). What do you guys think is the best, least toxic most durable longest lasting non-yellowing not so expensive material to weather the outdoor ages, as a finish sealant? Thanks if you got any suggestions or tips if you tried something similar...

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 9 replies

mosaic countertop (?)

2008-06-23T05:10:27Z

anyone ever done this? someone painted over the regular countertop, trying to cover the 60s-70s laminate i guess, anyway the latex (duh) paint is peeling and well i want to do something like i saw a friend do years ago, she used flat (polished) stones and some tile and put it right over the old countertop. wow it was beautiful, unfortunately she is out of the country now and i am not sure what to use to adhere it to the top of the counter...:) would love to hear your experiences and/or advice!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 4 replies

wiring nomenclature

2008-06-19T07:56:48Z

a friend has recruited me to install a fan in his greenhouse, which seemed simple enough when I agreed to it, but when I took a look at the fan I couldn't figure out the wiring schematic. It can be wired either 120 or 240 and it needs to be 120 for this application. The problem is that the schematic for wiring it 120 lists "line1", "line 2" and "insul". I'm much more sued to seeing "hot", "common" and "ground". Not being 100% positive about the translation, I was not about to just assume anything and surprisingly i could find little to no help with a google search. So, I know there are more than a few of you out there who know volumes more about electrical things, and now I'm hoping to exploit your expertise and generosity.

thanks in advance, electrican gurus

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 2 replies

Mold & Mildew in car

2008-06-19T05:39:06Z

My gf had a leak in her car, which has been fixed. But there is a definite mold/mildew smell in the car now, and with the Atlanta heat, the vehicle seems to be turning into a big petri dish. She plans on getting the interior shampooed, and I suggested leaving the car in the sunshine with the windows open. What else can she do to be rid of the mold/mildew problem?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 13 replies

stuff to do

2008-06-18T11:01:14Z

Somebody up there likes me. Week before last I scored 7 33" X 89" double paned sheets of glass and tonight a buddy shows up with a bunch of bricks. I think there's a little over 400 of them. Any ideas for a cool projects? One piece of glass is going into a bigger solar air heater. I have a 50' length of plastic tubing that I use as a hot water heater so I thought another piece of glass could go to make a box for it so the water gets hotter.

So I have a load of bricks and 5 remaining pieces of glass. Oh, and a pile of lumber from the shed we tore down. Any ideas?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 6 replies

Saltillo Tile Resource

2008-06-15T06:16:51Z

I'm looking for a good source for saltillo tiles in California, somewhere between the Bay Area, Fresno and LA, there must be a good source that isn't Home Depot. I know they carry them for $1.05 each, I'm testing the waters for a better price. I need about 700 sqft.

Thank you community!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 0 replies

Cleaning plumbing deposits w/out ripping up the wall

2008-06-13T15:30:38Z

I think I have seen this discussed before on this tribe but can't find it.
Anyway, the water flow in our shower is greatly decreased from what I assume to be hard water deposits in our old crappy pipes. (We already cleaned the head and there was little to no improvement.) Is there a way to clear these deposits? Shoot something in there? Create a backflow?
Help!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 9 replies

Acacia engineered hardwood flooring

2008-06-12T23:56:21Z

Hi guys,

We're amped to remove our carpet and put down some kind of wood flooring. We've been considering bamboo but recently have found some engineered hardwood made from Acacia. We like how it looks and found it at a great price (something about the company ordering too enough for a condo and then loosing the deal, so its on clearance). But we haven't heard about Acacia and there are few reviews on line. We're installing it over a concrete slab, after laying an underlayment pad that seals the concrete. It looks a lot like traditional oak flooring, you can refinish it, and it has a 27 yr warrenty on the finish that it comes with.

Does anyone have experience with this material? We think we're sold on it but I thought that I would see if there are any thoughts on it from the tribe.

Thanks! Firekity

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 4 replies

ANTS! - part 2 - copper barrier.

2008-06-12T13:27:23Z

so... old wives tale or effective way of dealing with ants?

someone told me that if you set u a copper barrier - strips of copper around kitchen cabinets, etc - it will keep them away - anyone heard of this?

either way... I'll test it out first

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 5 replies

hugelkulture flash instruction

2008-06-11T15:42:27Z

http://student.vfs.com/~dd07simon/flash_t2/preloader.html

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 4 replies

Chop saw blade for finish cuts?

2008-06-10T16:24:21Z

I've been doing my finish trim cuts and miters with a backsaw in an adjustable-angle frame. It works okay, but kind of slow! LOL

I'm thinking that I've been doing enough of those kind of cuts around the buildings on my place that I could justify spending the $$ on a chop saw (already have a table saw, circular saw & reciprocal saw).

What kind of blade is best for smooth, finish cuts? (Number of teeth?) Thanks.

Tanemon

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 4 replies

cool diy website

2008-06-09T13:41:18Z

i posted this site in response to another post but felt it needed it's own posting. it's www.instructables.com. there is a lot of green stuff on there as well as a lot of crafty items. i found a great halogen bike light on there that i'm anxious to build. sorry if this has been posted before.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 2 replies

Stings bites & itches: instant cure.

2008-06-09T05:28:22Z

(This may Not something to do if there ar allergy issues in play)

Years ago I tried a thing with hot water and yellow jacket stings.

I was cutting a hedge in the early evening dusk while wearing dark glasses with an electric hedge trimmer.
I slewed the thing through a nice large yellow jacket nest and out they poured.
The found my nose first. It was while before I realized that the fog wasn't dust.
I fled as fast as I could with my face on fire.

In the house I plunged my face under the hot water spigot. I near scalded my face with the hottest water I could get for as long as I could stand it - and longer. But damn if the heat didn't break down the the bee stings venom. The hurt & Swelling went away and didn't come back.
I have had excellent results using really hot water for just about every kind of bite and sting ever since. Fleas mosquito you name it.
Bake the bite and the itch goes away. The venoms are apparently no stable in heat. The heat you need to use is such that you are damn convinced it's going to scald or blister but, it doesn't. It's gotta be hot~!!

The urishol in Poison Ivy and Poison Oak is a lot tougher but, it sort of kind of works on that too.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 6 replies

preserving wood

2008-06-07T15:23:39Z

Between tearing down the shed and ripping out walls, I have a crapload of old 2 X 4s. These things are so old and rock hard that I can't get a nail through them. I had to attach all the new drywall with big honkin' screws. I'd like to use them doubled as fenceposts. Some folks say to use linseed oil and others say to use a deck perservative.
Any thoughts?
Don't say, "go buy pressure treated lumber". Its not in the budget so if I can't use the 2 X 4s, the fence won't get built.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 24 replies

Cutting Tempered Glass

2008-06-06T19:19:50Z

I have a 19" x 52" piece of tempered glass salvaged from an old shower door that I would like to cut down to 47" for a project. the glass has a bit of a pebbled texture to it as well.
I have a good quality glass cutter and breaking pliers for tools, but I've only worked with non-tempered glass previously.

Is breaking tempered glass as simple as "score and break", with the scoring being done on the smoothest side? Any other tricks of the trade I need to know?

In glass breaking, one usually only gets one chance to get it right!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 30 replies

homemade oregano oil

2008-06-06T12:46:07Z

I became a convert to using oregano oil over the past year.
But it's expensive to buy good quality stuff.

Coincidentally, I have a garden that is simply crawling with oregano. I'm sure I could harvest several wheelbarrows full every year.
So I figured I'd try to make my own oregano oil.

I've done a bit of research and I've learned that different varieties of oregano may be more effective than others. Also, it's active component (carvacrol) varies depending on several factors.

But I'm going to try to make my own anyway.

The only thing is that I'm not sure how to derive the most concentrated oil from herbs.
I've done a bit of online searching, but it's hard to tell which sites are actually giving accurate and useful information.

So I thought I'd ask here...

Any tips on making your own high-potency herbal oils?
Also, if you can recommend any web sites or books that you absolutely know are useful, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks all!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 7 replies

DIY food production... also known as farming...lol

2008-06-03T23:37:42Z

Growing the zero-mile diet
With fears of GMOs and widespread carbon guilt, cultivating your own veggies is poised to be the new competitive sport

FIONA MORROW

From Friday's Globe and Mail

May 23, 2008 at 9:01 AM EDT

VANCOUVER — So you've bought into the 100-mile diet. Eco points to you. If you're looking for serious ethical kudos this season, however, you're going to have to dig even deeper - literally.

Serious locavores are working on a zero-mile diet, courtesy of the old-fashioned vegetable garden. As Canadians break ground in many parts of the country this month, concern over the carbon footprint of the global food trade is inspiring them to reach for their spades. And the hunger for a diet free of genetic modifications means the demand for organically grown and heirloom varieties has never been so great.

Dan Jason should know. The owner of Salt Spring Seeds has been promoting an intense local diet for 20 years from his home on British Columbia's Salt Spring Island. After he was interviewed by Vancouverites Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon for their groundbreaking book, The 100-Mile Diet, Mr. Jason was struck with an idea.

"I thought, 'What is this 100-mile diet? We should be aiming for a zero-mile diet.' "
Dan Jason, owner of Salt Spring Seeds in British Columbia, has been promoting a local diet for 20 years.
Enlarge Image

Dan Jason, owner of Salt Spring Seeds in British Columbia, has been promoting a local diet for 20 years. (Deddeda Stemler for The Globe and Mail)
The Globe and Mail

Inspired, he set about writing a pamphlet listing his best, most popular and most reliable crops. Then he took 12 of them - everything from wheat, flax and barley to kale, garbanzo beans and tomatoes - and combined them to form the Zero Mile Diet Seed Kit. The $36 kit went on sale in January and was sold out by the end of February.

"I thought I'd be lucky to sell 100 packs," Mr. Jason said. "I sold 300 before I ran out of seeds. It's pretty radical - until this year, no one was buying wheat or barley at all. And sales of quinoa have increased fivefold."

Other B.C. seed producers are also struggling to keep up. "I would say sales are up 50 per cent from last year," said Jonathan Alcock, owner of Kelowna-based Sunshine Farms. "We've sold out completely of several varieties of soy beans, peas, peppers, carrots and lettuces."

The rise in enthusiasm for homegrown produce reflects the increasingly politicized food arena.

"The new customers coming our way tell us they want to support non-GMO [genetically modified] seeds," Mr. Alcock said. "They are concerned about the corporate control of food and they want to support local businesses."

Though a family of four would need about an acre of land to become self-sufficient, Mr. Jason is excited to see people deciding to grow their first foods.

"You don't have to do the whole thing straight away," he said. "Whether you plant a couple of lettuces or a 100-foot row of beans, you've grown something you don't have to go to the store to buy. And it all counts."

The hunger for homegrown is not confined to British Columbia. "Interest has never been higher," said Judy Newman, office manager for Seeds of Diversity, a Toronto-based charitable organization that encourages the cultivation of heirloom and endangered food crops.

"It's no longer the case that people will sit back and wait for whatever fruits and vegetables their grocery store chooses to sell," she said. "The awareness that there is such diversity of food available to them is gaining, and that, with the interest in eating local, organic produce, has captured the collective imagination."

The group's "Seedy Saturdays" swap meets take place all across the country and offer members the opportunity to trade with each other and sell to the public.

Heirloom tomatoes are already an obsession among gardeners, Ms. Newman said. "People will hear of a certain type and suddenly it's the new big thing. This year it was the Black Krim."

Even heirloom melons are gathering a following. The Citron - planted by the pioneers - is becoming popular. "It's hard as a rock and can sit on your kitchen counter for months," Ms. Newman said.

"We are monitoring closely how much we are selling," said Bernie Martin-Wood, who owns Two Wings Farm in Metchosin, west of Victoria, and specializes in heirloom tomatoes, salad greens, peas, beans and peppers.

"Sources for some of our heirloom varieties are quite scarce, so we have to make sure we keep enough seed back to plant for next year."

Ninety per cent of the produce Mr. Martin-Wood grows is left to go to seed - the natural state of a vegetable if left unpicked. Left alone, a round lettuce will eventually grow flower stalks with puffy heads similar to dandelions that can generate thousands of seeds. Tomato seeds are harvested through a fermentation process after the fruits are crushed.

Both Mr. Martin-Wood and Mr. Alcock are encouraging home gardeners to save their seeds, with tips on how to gather and store them for planting next year. If demand remains as high next summer, Sunshine Farms may cut their Internet and catalogue sales and only sell locally.

Mr. Alcock said even those without prime gardening space are keen to get involved; using pots on decks or signing up for community gardens.

"People at the farmer's market say they're digging up their lawn to plant more veggies," he said.

"I gave a lecture at [the University of British Columbia] recently and handed out heirloom beans. A young fellow asked if they would grow on his balcony in a pot - he just wanted to do something that wasn't part of the industrial agriculture complex. Hopefully, he'll be able to make at least one pot of soup with his harvest."

*****

Plant a salad ...

We consulted Jonathan Alcock of SunshineFarm.net and Linda Crago of TreeAndTwig.ca for the following recommendations:

Tomatoes

Stupice tomatoes produce early and will keep growing right up to the first frost. In cold climates or patio pots, try Black Russian - a sweet, spicy black/brown fruit - or Morden Yellow, a mid-sized yellow fruit.

Lettuce

Deer Tongue dates from the 1700s and copes well in high temperatures. Bronze Arrow grows quickly, producing red and green oak-shaped leaves.

Onions

Chives and scallions work well in pots, as do cipollinis, as long you use good quality potting soil and water sufficiently.

Garlic

In cold climates try Spanish Roja, prized for its taste. Red Toch produces large, pink-streaked cloves that can be eaten raw.

Seedy Sources

For general information on growing heirloom seeds, check out Seeds.ca and OrganicGardening.com.

To mail-order seeds, try to find a source in your province, as they will carry varieties appropriate to your climate. In British Columbia, try SunshineFarm.net or TwoWingsFarm.com. In Saskatchewan, try PrSeeds.ca.

Manitobans can check HeritageHarvestSeed.com and in Ontario there are HeritageSeedAndProduce.com and TerraEdibles.ca. In Eastern Canada, try New Brunswick's HopeSeed.com.

Fiona Morrow

... and save the seeds

Always save seeds from healthy plants that produced good fruit. Dry them thoroughly before storing in an airtight glass or metal container in a cool, dark place.

Tomatoes

Cut open fully ripened fruit and gently squeeze out the jelly-like substance that contains the seeds. Place in a small, loosely covered jar in a warm location and let sit for three days, stirring once a day. After three days, fill the seed container with warm water and drain off contents, repeating until a layer of seeds is sitting at the bottom and the water runs almost clear. Drain and allow to dry completely. Break into individual seeds and store.

Peas and beans

Allow pods to dry brown, about six weeks after eating stage. Open pods and remove beans, and let them dry thoroughly. Before storing, place inside freezer for 72 hours to kill any insects that may be hiding inside.

Lettuce

Lettuce produces self-pollinating flowers, each of which has one seed. Wait until half the flowers on each plant have gone to seed, then cut entire top off plant and allow to dry upside down in an open paper bag.

Onions

As soon as majority of flowers have dried, clip off. Allow to dry in cool, dry location for 2 to 3 weeks. Fully dried flowers will drop clean seeds naturally.

Garlic

Since garlic isn't grown from seed, you can save garlic bulbs to replant each year.

Sources: SeedSave.org and

VictorySeeds.com
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080523.wlseeds23/BNStory/lifeMain

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 14 replies

Chimney turbines

2008-06-03T17:32:25Z

Our living room has a tendency to be uncomfortably hot all summer.
I put up shade on the adjoining deck and this has helped tremendously.
How helpful are the self generating turbines on a chimney in moving air
in support of keeping the cool?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 6 replies

Replacing a Gas Water Heater with an Electric Water Heater

2008-05-30T20:49:02Z

My mom has purchased an electric water heater to replace her old gas one- her house had a leaky gas valve somewhere, and as everything else in the house is electric, she figured it would be cheaper to go fully electric than to track down and repair a leak even the inspector couldn't find.

I know I need to go to the city for permits, but how hard is it to replace a gas with an electric heater? Can it be placed in the same housing?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 33 replies

Uncloging old generator carburetor

2008-05-29T06:46:05Z

I've loved having that old Homelite electric generator. WWII vintage -literally built like a tank (smae model used aboard old M4 Shermans), bought on the cheap 18 years back... always provided dependable AC on-demand here in the woods.

Well, the varnish finally defeated the carburetor --won't pass fuel anymore. So does anybody have a surefire trick for dissolving that old solidified gunk lodged in the carb's passages? Sure want to know. Plenty of life left in old gal.

briggi

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 19 replies

Do-It-Yourself life span/ conciousness extension

2008-05-29T01:09:09Z

: )

Join it at: http://MetaBrainGrowthProcess.tribe.net

MetaBrain Growth Process tribe is dedicated to the exploration of processes to extend human cognition into alternative substrates.

From cyborg components for theraputic and augmentative ends to the ultimate goal of moving sentient entities into faster, more powerful, and more durable hardware (~5,000 ave. lifespan estimates) in a safe and effective manner, this tribe is intended as a center for discussion, networking, and collaborative effort.

(If you enjoy this topic, you should find the various other Transhumanist tribes of interest.)

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 6 replies

water seeping behind bathroom walls - possible causes ?

2008-05-28T23:00:26Z

Hi ! perhaps someone here has had this problem, will know what's going on, and how to fix it.
I rent an apartment, and in certain areas of my bathroom walls, theres are bubbles forming under the paint. These eventually open and "blister", the paint flakes away, and the plaster or drywall (not sure what is the wall material) get exposed, and crumbles out in a weird, damp powder. This is happening on the wall immediately behind my toilet tank, and on either side of the bathtub where the tiled enclosure ends and the wall begins. It seems like water is seeping from UNDER the walls to the surface. Would this be from a roof leak ? from plumbing leaks inside the walls ? I do not have this problem on the bedroom wall which is on the opposite side of one opf the bathroom walls - only in the bathroom.
The owner plastered over and re-painted the damaged areas, but after about 2 years, it's appearing again in the same places, so obviously the source of the problem was not addressed by patching over the crumbly, "dissolving wall" spots.
Any theories, remedies, or suggestions ?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 14 replies

under slab water leak

2008-05-28T15:32:57Z

Just learned something today when a plumber can over to investigate why there was little or no hot water in our house. The water heater appeared to be working fine. But the plumber could hear water running. He called out the leak detector guys. They found, apparently, an under slab water leak. So now we apparently have to jackhammer through the foundation to find the leak and repair it. Apparently no records are kept of where pipes are at when they build residential houses these days (this house was built in 2000). We hear rumor that it's no longer covered by insurance in Texas. There is no damage to the house. The water is apparently going into the limestone underneath the house.

I don't even know what I'm asking here. Just looking for some advise, support, etc, since it's bound to be a horrendous and expensive experience.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 20 replies

Leaky pipes under slab....

2008-05-28T15:31:03Z

Please help. We have multiple leaks unnder slab (at least that's what I think). We we thinnking of repipe but someone suggested repair with epoxy. The installer says its better than repiping and has 25 year warranty. Can someone out there help me undre stand the difference and what your experience is epoxy.. Cost, benefit, drawbacks.. etc.. Thanks

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 10 replies

Cast Iron Sewage pipe

2008-05-28T15:28:41Z

How do I repair a crack (minor crack, but slight leaking/seepage). Any siggestions short of dig and replace?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 13 replies

Getting rid of a pile of black top

2008-05-28T07:55:51Z

When I bought my house there was a pile of blacktop/asphalt next to the driveway. Basically a big mound about 3 foot tall. I'm finally ready to try to remove it, any ideas?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 15 replies

How to wire 6 different leds

2008-05-27T18:33:08Z

Can anyone help me? I want to wire up 6 LEDS in total, 4 of them are white at 3.6v, 20ma, 2 of them are red at 2.1v, 20ma. I want to wire it to my car battery which gives out 14.4v. and if possible a 12v neon trim all together. That a total of 30.6v that it needs. Is there any way I can do this.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 12 replies

Heating systems when car camping...

2008-05-27T17:56:03Z

I recently read "Rancho Costa Nada", in which the author moves to a shack in the desert. His power source is a couple of marine batteries (not sure how those differ from terrestrial batteries) that he hooks up to his car battery so that they charge while he's driving, just like his regular car battery does. When he's home, he disconnects the marine batteries from the car battery and connects them to two terminals in his shack, in order to power up lights, a tv, and a few other ammenities.

I'd like to figure out if it would be practical for me to try something like this. I like to car camp (station wagon) in the desert, but here in Oregon it gets pretty cold at night if you go early or late in the season. So I'd like to investigate the feasibility of hooking up batteries to power a light and electric blanket or something.

Is that how small RV's work; off of extra batteries that recharge off of the vehicle's alternator when the vehicle is being driven?
Is there a certain kind of battery that's best for that, and a certain way to hook it up?
Anybody have experience with those sorts of things?
I'm guessing you need some kind of adaptor to run 110 appliances like a lamp (or a blanket) off of a 12 volt battery?
I'm definitely a novice in the battery & electrical department.

Or, alternately, is there another way to heat a small space without suffocating yourself?
I'm wondering here about the safety of some types of small catalytic heaters and if they might be a possibility.

Thanks!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 16 replies

camp trailer to guest house

2008-05-23T20:31:22Z

I have the world's best renters. Last winter I told them I would build them a small guest house in their back yard. Due to a main sewer line and easements, it is not possible. However, I have this 1974 camp trailer (Holiday Rambler 8 x 16). I thought I would tear it down to the floor and build a nice little guest house and then wheel it into my renter's back yard. I am thinking that 11 ft will be the maximum height and with a cathedral ceiling it should be quite roomy. Anybody had any experience with such a project? web sites? suggestions?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 10 replies

sink clogs - why they happen, what are home remedies that work

2008-05-23T14:28:12Z

my bathroom sink clogs every couple of months - just won't drain.
this is puzzling, because all I use it for is washing my hands and face with plain old soap and water (nothing goopy, no scrubs, no grains, no masques etc), and brushing my teeth. when I brush my hair, if any strays fall into the sink, I swipe them out immediately . nothing "clog-inducing" goes down that drain.
the apt. mgr. has used a "snake " on it several times.
what's going on ? the only other preventative measure I can think of is simply never using the sink.

.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 40 replies

need to replace a fence on property line

2008-05-23T04:45:01Z

I'm not interested in building my own fence from scratch, but I'd rather just buy a prefab thing from OSH or berkeley lumber or home despot and install it. Any ideas on doing it right as apposed to quick and dirty?

Neighbors side has a lot of sharp viney stuff- a rose bush gone feral, with blackberry vines aroudn that, and some other non flowering thorny thing. And there's jasmine vines and bourgenvelia all over the place. I'll be chopping some of it back, but do we have to remove all of it?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 15 replies

Sleeping next to the electrical meter...

2008-05-22T19:22:13Z

So, uh... would you be comfortable sleeping with your head next to the external wall where the electrical comes into the house?
I just wonder about the electro-magnetic stuff being right next to my head, even though seperated by the wall.

Is my concern groundless, do you think?

Maybe nothing that a tin-foil pillowcase can't fix?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 12 replies

ANTS!!!!

2008-05-21T19:19:07Z

Here's my dilema:
I live in a huge warehouse with many rooms, unknown and mysterious cracks and crevices and holes, large openings into walls and under doors and cabinets, and many other places ants like to crawl into...
Patching up these cracks/crevices/holes/openings would be way too much work, and pretty much impossible because there are so many, and the ants seem to be coming from outside and inside in every direction. This has been an ongoing problem since we have been occupying the place, and I'm sick of it!
I need a pet and kid friendly way to get rid of, or at least cut down on the number of these ants! Please help!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 17 replies

Sap all over paint job from too-green wood

2008-05-21T18:57:56Z

Last year I had new construction done behind the house and the guys used doug fir (I believe) and then were pressuring me to get it painted right away (this was for an overhang extending from the roof onto posts to make a shaded area for tools, plants, etc.) Construction was done in high summer. I painted just some parts myself, basically the fascia boards first because the gutters were going to get installed right away. I primed and did 2 coats of paint too with good paint. For one elevation this was done within a few days, for another I think I got it painted in the next two weeks. This spring there are all sorts of clear little drips now on top of the paint which I believe are sap extruding from the wood; it really looks terrible. The drips are dry and hard.

There was a little bit of sap seepage within a month or so of painting on some areas, but now there is much more -- and it's like 10 months after construction. Obviously the wood was very green (there are long cracks too in various areas). Luckily I didn't paint the underside of the overhang, a huge job that I could find no help for.

How much work am I going to have to do to fix the sap blobs? I can't stand looking at them and yet somehow, can't look away.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 3 replies

Spiders

2008-05-21T18:21:29Z

Hi all, I searched for this but couldn't find a recent posting on getting rid of spiders.

We have all kinds. Orange ones with thick, short legs; creepy white ones with long legs; creepy brown ones with long legs (too fat to be a Daddy Long Legs), and I'm sure I've seen a Black Widow or three...

We live in a woodsy area (there is a Red Wood growing through our patio) so it's prime territory for these little boogers...

What is the best spray to get them to go and stay away??

I know, I know... they are good to keep other insects at bay, but we don't really have others. Maybe because of the spiders?? - I'm willing to risk it! I've heard of 2 people in the area getting bit by Brown Recluse spiders (one person DIED) and just don't want to risk the black widows shacking up with us!!

We don't have kids or pets so I don't care how strong it is. I prefer one of those spray things to a fogger.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks!
~C

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 36 replies

tanning a hide-gross-read at own risk

2008-05-20T02:39:37Z

I've tanned hides before but always recieved the brain in a bag ready to use. This time they brought me the entire head.

Any suggestions for extracting the brain, or should I toss the head and just buy some cow brains at the grocery?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 35 replies

Rolled Roofing, any secrets

2008-05-19T18:22:51Z

I am going to do rolled roofing on my garage and go right over the old shingles, there is only one layer. I know that I should start with the first layer at the bottom, but what do I do from there?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 8 replies

Addition and new roof

2008-05-17T00:25:49Z

I'm starting a roof replacement on a southwestern-style parapet home - reroofed to be pitched and ProPaneled. It also has a 8' x 30' addition to the rear of the house. I am lookng for good (diy) resources for foundations, masonry and stucco. I got the rest of the resources/skills on tap, but I rarely set a foundation or throw mud (if I can help it).

The home wasn't built on a slab, and I don't plan to remove the entire old roof. Just tear off the skin and set rafters along a plate set to the old edge.

Any help here is greatly appreciated.

J

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 0 replies

Building a chicken coop!

2008-05-16T22:53:18Z

I am building a chicken coop out of free/recycled materials.... any advice? I am familiar with the basics for a chicken coop; I'm just wondering if anyone has any handy tips on acquiring materials on the free/cheap.

<3 Sean

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 19 replies

Tool Shopping Online?

2008-05-12T17:14:27Z

Any recommendations for online tool shopping?

I'm looking for a good deal on a Makita drill/driver - 14 volt (maybe 18).

thanks in advance

Will

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 5 replies

What's your favorite secret weapon?

2008-05-11T23:33:27Z

So Red Green says that duct tape is the handyman's secret weapon. And from his shows, you can sure believe it.

What's your secret weapon?

Mine is wooden toothpicks and Skin So Soft bath oil.

Wooden toothpicks and a little bit of glue are one of my favorites. Great for fixing things I goof up when drilling. I made bookshelves recently, and planned to use those little brass brackets to hold up the shelves. The last time I made shelves, the brackets I bought required 1/4" holes. I should have checked the store and bought the brackets before I drilled. Can't find 1/4" anymore. But wooden toothpicks came to the rescue. 3 toothpicks in the hole, pushed in the bracket and broke of the excess toothpick...you can't even tell.

They're also great for those wobbly little screw-in knobs that won't stay screwed in. Just put a toothpick or two in the hole with a drop of glue. Let it dry, then screw them back in.

Loose furniture joints can also be fixed with the flat kind of toothpicks...they slide easily into the spaces in the joint .

Skin So Soft is also great stuff! Aside from removing gooey gluey stuff, you can also use it to clean oil based paint off yourself and off brushes. It's a lot easier on the skin and brushes than paint thinners. It is a bit more expensive, but you don't need a lot to do the job.

WW

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 103 replies

Privacy planting

2008-05-09T22:58:46Z

I saw the post on Bamboo, and rather than feed a 3 year old post, thought I'd start a new topic.

You see, I'm thinking of planting bamboo. But want to make sure I don't run into the "never able to remove it" category. Or maybe there's another quick growing alternative to a privacy fence.

I am in the process of putting in a retaining wall in my back yard. Should be done in a month or two. My neighbors lot is at a much higher elevation than mine, and being the dirty fuckers they are, they just love to pee on their back fence (and often will try and make small talk with me over the fence while they do). They also have a laundry line they hang over the back of the fence over my yard to dry their clothes on.

So in a passive aggressive way, I want to shut them out, get more privacy, but they may resist because it will block their elevated view of east oakland. But I have no problem with being more aggressive than passive.

My back wall is 6 feet high, then there's about 4 feet of dirt, then another 3 foot tall wall, and a 4 foot tall fence on top of that. It's this ledge/terrace I want to plant bamboo or some other privacy barrier. But I want to make sure the bamboo won't go down 6 feet, and go under the wall and start growing in my yard. And as much as I dislike my neighbors, I just want to shut them out, not have bamboo grow down 2 feet, under that wall, and up through 3 feet of dirt and start growing in their yard...

Suggestions?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 7 replies

eradicating Bamboo

2008-05-09T16:42:37Z

Bamboo is so dam insidious and grows like a weed. I have a section in my backyard that is about 40 feet wide by 15 feet deep that was overgrown with bamboo. 4 weeks ago, I had some gardners in and had it all chopped down to ankle height. The next step is to start digging out the roots. Already in 4 weeks there is a whole bunch of new stalks growing; the tallest is already over 3 feet. I really want to plant other things there but I need to eradicate the bamboo first and need advice and suggestions on how to do so.

Before anyone suggests burning, which I know is probably the very best solution, much as I'd like to, it is not a posibility unless I contact the local fire dept and pay them (a lot of $) to come out and do a controlled burn for me.

Suggestions I am looking for is as I pull the roots out how to kill what I am not able to get, treatments for the top of the soil and or to turn into the soil, etc. Or treatments to put on top so I don't have to do so much work pulling out roots that will still kill off the stuff.

Thanks in advance for all of your suggestions.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 26 replies

replacing car antenna

2008-05-08T17:36:30Z

Any tips on replacing a car radio antenna? Mine got snapped off this weekend. It's on a Toyota Tacoma 2001 truck... it looks pretty hard to access the area where the wiring to the base is.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 11 replies

Any one ever removed popcorn ceiling?

2008-05-08T01:49:30Z

Any one ever removed popcorn ceiling? I have popcorn on my ceiling and want it removed. How hard is it to remove yourself and how much does it cost to have someone else do it?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 38 replies

What are those little disks called used in SFO art installation?

2008-05-06T21:44:30Z

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about:

http://nedkahn.com/art/portfolio/wind/windPortal.jpg

I want to use them for a project!

Thanks!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 6 replies

wall/pipe damage.....

2008-05-02T21:47:48Z

a pipe in the back yard craked and was leaking, but the damage was right on the wall so we had to break down the two bricks surrounding it to replace it. now I have a fixed pipe, yay, but a hole in the wall, :(. how can I fix that? should i just put cement? should I spray the pipe w/ anything so it wont happen again when it gets cold?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 2 replies

Mouse Patrol!

2008-05-02T21:13:03Z

I haven't had a mouse problem in this old house for years.
Now, though, they're overrunning the place.

It's going to take me a while to completely mouse-proof all the crawlspaces.

In the meantime, do those sonic deterrent things work, in anyone's experience?
They're supposed to make a sound that rodents can't abide but that humans can't hear.

Any other things rodents don't like?
I know they don't mind cat pee, cause cats prowl around outside the house at night and pee on pretty much everything.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 30 replies

water damage/flaking paint

2008-05-01T18:18:22Z

Ok, I'm new to this tribe and have a little problem. A year ago the roof was leaking and there was a little water damage to a small portion (maybe 2 feet square) of the high living room ceiling. There are now big(palm-of-hand-sized) flakes in the paint. I don't want to have to resurface and repaint the entire living room. Any ideas? I haven't even tried to just pick the big flakes off, because I'd need to set up the ladder, and I don't want to make things worse if that's not the way to go, but I'm getting tired of looking at them. I was acutally thinking of maybe just resurfacing that area only, and putting in a tromp l'oiel type tree over it. It's a curved ceiling and the tree would look like it was somewhat overhanging that corner of the living room.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 9 replies

repairing a rusted-out motorcycle gas tank

2008-05-01T15:54:38Z

(x-posted to The Crucible)

I have an old motorcycle gas tank that's in need of serious repair. It's a saddle-type tank, where the frame top-tube divides the tank in half, with a separate fuel tap on each bottom. (Thankfully, the areas around the fuel taps are sound.) Most of the bottom of each half is rusted out, and there are small rust-holes going up one side about 1/3 of the way. I'll be painting the tank, once it's repaired.

I know -- the first response from people is "get a new one", but this is an extremely rare bike, and after 6 months of serious searching, I have not been able to locate another gas tank anywhere in the world. So replacement isn't an option. My budget is low, so having it professionally restored isn't an option either. That leaves repairing it myself. Most of the bike's restoration, I'll be tackling myself and, having restored (to at least a decent amateur standard) a dozen or so bikes over the years, I'm pretty confident about doing whatever is necessary. However, I've never done rust-patching where it would be visible AND where it would have to safely contain gasoline. That's why I'm asking here.

The options that I know of are forming steel to the right contour and wire-welding or brazing it in place, and then doing any necessary filling with lead, brass or 2-part filler. I don't have a wire-welding rig, so that's going to make it more complicated, although I'm considering buying a flux-core (gasless) welding rig. Or, I could buy a brazing torch rig and go that route. I've done acetylene welding in the past, but never wire welding or brazing, although I'd like to learn and think I could pick either one up pretty quickly.

Are there other options I don't know about? Is there any way to use say, fiberglass or aramid-reinforced resin that will be able to patch a bike's gas tank? Some new miracle material or process?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 30 replies

Water picker-upper

2008-04-30T20:49:58Z

My 95 GrandAm is leaking water from somewhere, and the floor on the driver's side is always wet this time of year. I've been using newspaper, but it usually turns into papier mache and makes a big mess. It's not the heater core...just water leaking in somewhere...and I can't figure out where.

Does anyone know where I can get those large packets of silica gel that they use to soak up water? The kind you put down, soak up the water, dry them out, and reuse? Any idea what they're called? The local HD and Loew's only have buckets of stuff for taking water out of the air...not reusable.

Thanks.

WW

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 11 replies

Painting concrete block

2008-04-30T17:04:52Z

Hi,

I need advice on how to best paint concrete blocks for my bookshelves.

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 4 replies

HANDYMEN NEED APPLY

2008-04-30T00:11:45Z

I need to build a shed to store a motorcycle. Any suggestions on plans, books, or budget? Any help is thankful!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 1 reply

Glow in the Dark/ Blacklight... cheap!

2008-04-29T15:15:05Z

Hi there all you creative people,

A friend and I are working on an art project and I was wondering if any of you knew of any cheap somethings made of glow in the dark or blacklight/UV responsive material? Cans? Bottles? Metal? Wires? Or a place where we could get blacklight paint for cheap or anything else that would work in this way??

Any info would be much appreciated, thank you!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 29 replies

Leaky radiator - trick fix ?

2008-04-29T04:16:08Z

The cars today have a bunch of plastic surrounding the front, instead of a healthy fat steel bumper. You can bump into stuff and the plastic will go back to its original form, even while doing damage to parts inside....unfortunately, my '01 Volvo skirted a snow bank recently, resulting in some impacts to the radiator area, The antifreeze flowed out. Now the car's up on stands while I putter underneath trying to figure a fix. Any old-timers/ new timers out there who know of a lasting trick fix ? like some kind of gunk that finds its way to the perforations and plugs them ? The alternative seems to be total dismantling and replacement of seriously expensive compnents.
Thankful for any tips/hints/suggestions.
b!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 15 replies

tile glue

2008-04-28T20:14:51Z

Back in the 60s my kitchen floor was redone in nasty gray tile. It has to come up anyway because many are cracked as they were laid right on top of 4" wide oak flooring.
The tiles are popping up fairly easily, but the black glue is going to be an issue. Is there anything I can use to remove the glue, or should I resign myself to sanding it all?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 7 replies

Dirt Yard?

2008-04-27T21:33:06Z

I just bought a home, and when the septic was redone, the whole yard was ripped up, so here comes spring and I have mud and dirt everywhere! Any tips on what to buy to get grass growing?

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 37 replies

Building a compost bin from free wooden pallets

2008-04-26T00:06:04Z

I'm proposing that our school build a 3-bin compost bin, using wooden pallets that I find all the time for free on Craigslist. (Here's the basic instructions I'm going by: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dep/greenman/pallets.pdf)

I was just wondering if anyone here has done this and has any advice, tips, or suggestions to help ensure our success? (We're in Phoenix, AZ, so we know we'll need to find a rather shady spot, so it doesn't dry out too fast.)

Thanks!

posted in DIY - do it yourself - 8 replies