Home Improvement

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

13:12

Good morning everyone! Don't forget, Project Update Thursday is scheduled for the same time today -- 20:00 to 23:59 UTC!

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

13:29

Also, check out this article:

oneprojectcloser.com/install-crown-molding

BMitch

15:11

@AarthiDevanathanΨ I think it's a lot easier to prop the molding against the the backstop as if it's the wall and cut a simple 45, less math and readjusting the saw.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@BMitch comment and say as much! :D

BMitch

@AarthiDevanathan, I think I said it on a question here

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

EVEN BETTER: LINK HIM.

BMitch

hey, aren't you in charge of promotion? :)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

lololol maaaaaaybe?

actually i do need your help with something, if you got a minute

BMitch

15:15

7

Q: What is the best way to calculate the angle at which crown moulding should be cut?

What is the best way to calculate the angle that crown moulding should be cut in the compound miter saw to fit an inside corner?

@AarthiDevanathanΨ depends on how long this install takes, whatcha need?

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@BMitch i'd like an experienced person to look at some tools we might be giving away

tell me if the tools are legit and if there are better options

BMitch

@AarthiDevanathanΨ sure, need a mailing address? :)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

lolol i have interweb links, will that do?

first: homedepot.com/Appliances-Vacuums-Floor-Care-Wet-Dry-Vacuums/…

BMitch

can't say I didn't try. Ok, links will have to do

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

haha @BMitch no one would say that. :D you definitely gave it a shot, haha

BMitch

15:19

@AarthiDevanathanΨ we use rigid at the job site, 9 gal is a good size if you have the space for it. I've only got a 6 gal since I don't have a garage here

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

How does Rigid compare to ShopVac? 'cause i'm debating substituting this one instead:

amazon.com/Shop-Vac-9650600-3-0-Peak-Vacuum-6-Gallon/dp/…

BMitch

I don't have any experience with that brand, so I can't say

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@BMitch fair enough.

second item: amazon.com/Makita-BO5041K-5-Inch-Random-Sander/dp/B003M5IWM8/…

from what i hear, this is the top brand around

BMitch

I've yet to meet a Makita owner that complained about their tools, it's a good brand

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

haha sold

third item:

homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100661366/h_d2/…

BMitch

15:23

I've never been a fan of the power rollers

Ryobi has been around, but I've never considered them as a high quality brand

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

yeah that's the impression i'm getting.

for something similar/similarly themed but less terrible, what would you suggest? i'm thinking an HPLV spray gun

BMitch

For power rollers, all the time saved while rolling is then spend cleaning up the equipment when you're done, and then you have to find replacement rollers that will work with the equip

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

Hey it's an @NiallC!

@BMitch yeah, i believe i've heard others make similar comments.

BMitch

Spray guns are nice if you can close the area off, but unless you're doing things like those cabinet doors, the old fashioned rollers seem to do the best

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

i'll suggest putting together a paint kit like i did for YHL, then.

so the fourth item:

amazon.com/Milwaukee-2601-22-18-Volt-Li-ion-Compact/dp/…

BMitch

15:27

I rank Milwaukee up there with Makita

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

A+. the fifth item: homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202517812/h_d2/…

i actually have no problems with the Amazon products; it's the HD ones that i'm like, eeeeeeh

BMitch

hmm, the table saw is ok, but I'm thinking a mitre saw may get more interest because it's less specialized

and my comment on Ryobi stands

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

yeah i was actually thinking the top giveaway could be this instead

amazon.com/Hitachi-C10FCE2-10-Inch-Compound-Miter/dp/B000V5Z6RG/…

BMitch

nice one, I'd personally like a 12 inch, but that will get a lot of interest

Niall C.

Second the 12" mitre saw (not really here)

BMitch

15:32

If you're looking for more ideas:

55

Q: What are the tools that every Do-it-Yourselfer must own?

What are the tools that every DIY'er should have? This is a community wiki as there is no one right answer. Instructions: One item per answer (so they can be voted on - answers with multiple items will be voted down) Clear formatting like this: [ITEM NAME] [Reason why item is essential/usefu...

tools

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

Wait, do you mean this one:

amazon.com/Hitachi-C12FDH-12-Inch-Bevel-Miter/dp/B000E7YQ40/…

BMitch

nice one!

but you don't have to blow your budget on my personal wishlist

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

lololol I have about 750 for a 5-day giveaway

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

15:50

sooooo money's less of an issue, I guess?

BMitch

well, the 12" is $300, which is a good chunk of your budget. I think having two $150 tools would be better so more people have a chance to win something (I never win anything).

Karl Katzke

Just popping in to say I won't make most of the chat today. I'm in Florida for work.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@BMitch awww, okay then. TWO 10" saws! :D

@KarlKatzke no worries, but YOU WILL BE MISSED! clings

BMitch

@AarthiDevanathanΨ :)

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathanΨ :)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

15:58

HEY @KARL!

cycle through the backstream and let me know your opinions about the tools?

Karl Katzke

12" saw if you get one. 10" saws are almost useless unless they're sliders.

BMitch

well, back to work, installs finished, /waves

Karl Katzke

Ryobi table saws are underpowered and dangerous due to kickback ... I wouldn't even have one in the running.

And the power paint system is ... faulty.

I would recommend instead a compressor/nailer kit, an orbital sander, and an impact driver.

(1, 2, 3)

Or maybe flip the orbital sander and the impact driver.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke can you give me some amazon link recs? :D

Karl Katzke

1st place: amazon.com/Porter-PC3Pak-Finish-Stapler-Compressor/dp/…

amazon.com/Porter-PC3Pak-Finish-Stapler-Compressor/dp/…

amazon.com/Bosch-PS41-2A-12-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Impact/dp/…

And the next two as a combo pack

amazon.com/DEWALT-D26451K-5-Inch-Random-Sander/dp/B0007XXHGO

amazon.com/Mirka-23-615-AP-Assorted-Dustless-Sanding/dp/…

Niall C.

16:05

But I agree, a nailer kit would be awesome

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

ooooh shiny

Karl Katzke

All three of those are far more useful than either a cheap table saw (which has huge risks to it and doesn't produce good results) or a near-useless but nice chop box. (miter box)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke miter box = the hitachi thing? or the power roller thing? or....?

Karl Katzke

And in fact, I think those three tools are the ones I use and take with me the most often.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

#n00b

Karl Katzke

16:06

Miter box = the hitachi thing

Niall C.

I'm itching to fix typos in the description of that nailer: 16-gallon 2-1/2 inch finish nailer; 18-gallon 1-3/8 inch brad nailer; ...

Karl Katzke

@NiallC hahahahaa. I didn't even see that, but yeah.

@AarthiDevanathan And let's just forget about the power painter now like you'd never mentioned it.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke what are you talking about? I never mentioned anything ;)

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathan I like you.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

but the Hitachi thingum is kinda useless? 'cause i'm okay with not getting that

Karl Katzke

16:09

Yeah, it's useful ... but it's not something that someone will get LOTS of use out of. The problem is how big of a board you can cut with it. It's OK for trim, but not a lot of people do a ton of trim.

you need what's called a "slider" if you want it to be useful for more than cutting trim or a 2x4.

amazon.com/DEWALT-DW717-Double-Bevel-Compound-Miter-Saw/dp/…

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke gotcha. that's actually really useful to know. I....obviously don't know a lot about tools, huh? asked a question about thumbtacks

Karl Katzke

Hehehehehe. It's OK. That's why we're here. :)

And anything made by Ryobi is ... of limited usefulness.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

okay i'm going to lunch, but I'll be back in ~1hr, and then I'll continue to pick your collective brains. or something. I'm hungry brb, hahaha

@KarlKatzke lol definitely getting that impression.

what were your exact words?

> Ryobi table saws are underpowered and dangerous due to kickback

afk lunchtimes

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathanΨ waterfront-woods.com/Articles/Tablesaw/tablesaw.htm -- section 1.2

Off to lunch myself.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

16:51

I return!

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

17:18

Oh hey, @KarlKatzke

Karl Katzke

:) Back for a few until we finish lunch and have to get back to work.

Did you have any questions about tools or the links?

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

17:37

hmm

@KarlKatzke Oh! Actually, yes -- should we get the 9gal Ridgid shop vac or a 6-gal Shop-Vac wet/dry vac?

Karl Katzke

Rigid has a fine reputation. ShopVac is the standard one and parts/filters are easier to find. Whichever you get, make sure that it accepts cartridge filters instead of bag/ring filters.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

ohhh man, @KarlKatzke what would I do without you?!

Karl Katzke

Buy different tools. :)

;)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

lol! A+

Karl Katzke

So the shop vac has a cartridge filter, couldn't find the link to the rigid one.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

17:42

homedepot.com/Appliances-Vacuums-Floor-Care-Wet-Dry-Vacuums/…

Karl Katzke

The cartridge filters are reuseable and washable and don't clog anywhere near as often as the bag/ring ones do.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

kind of like with, well, normal vacuums

Karl Katzke

Ok, cartdige filter, but it's a nonstandard one, so people would have to order it online. The ShopVac cartridge filters are much easier to find.

You can find ShopVac filters at both Lowe's and Home Depot and Ace, but the Rigid ones are only at Home Depot.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke so am i crazy or does the Shop-Vac one sound better?

@KarlKatzke I was thinking maybe this one: amazon.com/Shop-Vac-9650600-3-0-Peak-Vacuum-6-Gallon/dp/…

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

18:21

A wild @Tester101 has appeared!

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathanΨ Shop vac one is probably better.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke that's what i thought. would a 6-gal one be a decent size or should I look for other sizes?

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathanΨ Six gal will get most people by. I think I use a 15 gal at home and rarely have to empty it... but it also doesn't fit in a car easily.

So six gal probably has a higher overall utility than the big one.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke jfc, 15 gal is huge!

@KarlKatzke awesomeeee

dude, you're seriously amazingly helpful

Karl Katzke

Everything's bigger in Texas. ;)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

18:28

trudat. i grew up in Plano

Karl Katzke

Hey, I try. I don't always know details, but with tools -- I've tried most of the ones out there.

Including a cheap Ryobi table saw that I almost killed myself with.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke oh dear god, that's horrifying

Karl Katzke

So that's one of those "Ask me how I know.(tm)"

Yeah, it kicked back a 3 foot long, 2 inch wide piece of pine at me when I bound it too tightly against the fence. Luckily, I'd just taken a step to the side so that I could receive the cut on the other side, but it punched a hole in the drywall.

So if I'd been in the way ... it probably would've left a mark, and I was home alone working out in the garage on a cold night.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke jfc karl

that's legit terrifying EVEN AS AN INTERNET STORY

Karl Katzke

18:45

Heh. Well, all power tools are dangerous. Cheap power tools are doubly dangerous. Don't let friends buy or use cheap power tools.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

noted -- invest and be safe!

Karl Katzke

Yep. Especially things with fast moving blades...

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke D: BLADES.

so @KarlKatzke are you out near College Station or San Antonio?

Karl Katzke

Heh. I still remember when I answered the door holding a shingle hammer and it was some scruffy looking guy asking me if I wanted my lawn mowed ... he was backing away from the second I opened the door...

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke ha. hahaha.

Karl Katzke

18:55

@AarthiDevanathan My house is in Bryan, I live some of the time with my girlfriend in Houston, but I'm in austin and san anton frequently since that's where most of my friends live.

(Do you know what a shingle hammer looks like? That's what makes the story funny. It's like a hatchet and a hammer had a lovechild.)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

(dear god, i need one of those in my life)

@KarlKatzke now i feel lame, Plano child that I was

Karl Katzke

Hehehe. It's a handy too. Pulls nails, chops small branches, pounds nails...

's ok, I don't like all the driving, but like the areas and like my friends.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

awww.

yeah friends means i'll go pretty far

Karl Katzke

Yeah, my company has an office in Austin and is about to move some machines to a datacenter there.

So I spend a lot of time there too.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke oh wow. that's right, you're like a sysadmin aren't you?

And HEY.

Karl Katzke

19:02

And I wouldn't go to San Antonio unless I had friends there. ;) Yes, I'm a sysadmin at heart. Hence the stackexchange network, which I found via ServerFault.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

WELCOME TO PROJECT UPDATE THURSDAY!

@KarlKatzke yeah San Antone is a little, ah, yeah. D'aww, I have a soft spot for sysadmins thanks to Cory Doctorow.

Karl Katzke

We're an under-appreciated subspecies of the human race. (Cory's pretty awesome, I'm nowhere near as awesome as he is.)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke I read, uh, four of his books. I kind of love him.

Hey, @Tester101 do you have anything for Project Update Thursday? 'cause @KarlKatzke and I could probably wax poetic about sysadminship for all four hours

Tester101

Not really. I've been too busy with other crap to tackle any projects on my todo list.

just here to live vicariously through the stories of others. and wish I could get back to working on the house.

Karl Katzke

Yeah, sorry, I don't have any really entertaining stories this week. I'm in Florida on a business trip.

Tester101

19:13

Where is Jay? I want to hear about the yurt!

We need a blog just so we can all finally see that thing.

Karl Katzke

Oh, that's right, I keep forgetting to post the next step question.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

hahaha and i don't have any DIY projects either. =/

wow, this week is lame.

Well, @Tester101 what's on your todo list, at least?

Tester101

They can't all be winners

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@Tester101 this bodes ill for the blog.

Karl Katzke

Heh. I don't know, I could probably make a few weeks worth of posts myself. That's actually one of the things we have to figure out per the 'list' steps.

Tester101

19:18

I think a blog is a bit easier than chat, since it's not time sensitive.

Karl Katzke

That and you can store up a couple weeks' worth of posts.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

ehhh fair enough

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathan One question I had about the blog that you might run by RChern is who gets to have moderator/editor level permissions. Is that just a StackExchange employee, or ... ?

(brb)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke it would be one of y'all, some sort of community advocate, high-rep user, etc

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathan Sounds good. I'll post the next step from the airport tomorrow.

Tester101

19:24

So all the mods on the main site don't have permissions?

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@Tester101 for the blog? they could, but @ChrisF has said that he'd rather not. And if you can get @JeffWidmer or @Vebjorn to pop in, cheers to you 'cause I've tried

Tester101

Seems like a lot of possible work / responsibility for a single user.

Karl Katzke

I agree...

I'd probably want to set it up (if it were me) as either an elected term, an editorial board of a few people including: someone who wants to be there but might not be the highest rated user on diy.se, a high rated user, and someone from the SE officialdom like Aarthi, a moderator, or Rchern.

But I'll post that in the thread. actually, I might as well go make it now while it's fresh on my mind.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

How about I bring in RChern and she can blather with you guys?

she knows the blogging stuffs

and she can speak to how it works on other sites

Karl Katzke

That works, but we can just point her to the question in a minute when I post it.

I'm sort of multitasking right now.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

19:34

no worries. i'll ask if she doesn't mind coming in either way.

Karl Katzke

ok. Thanks.

Rebecca Chernoff

Allo (:

Karl Katzke

'Owdy!

Rebecca Chernoff

so what can I do for y'all?

Karl Katzke

We were chatting about the blog and were wondering how other sites run the editing portion. Who has editor status, who can actually approve things for posting, if it's a group of people or if it's an elected position or whatnot.

What do other sites do, and what actually works?

Rebecca Chernoff

19:40

We basically leave this to y'all to do whatever works for you. There aren't really any rules (other than don't just make everyone an admin, really).

Other sites generally have someone or maybe a couple people spearheading the effort as a whole, so they'll be admins

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@RebeccaChernoff can you give some examples? like, break down how other sites' blogs editorial is structured

Rebecca Chernoff

Then, people that you know from the site, trust, etc that you can be confident in their editorial/proofreading ability would be editors.

Karl Katzke

Hmn. How can I search for a user by name?

Rebecca Chernoff

there's also the regular "author" role which is in between who can publish their own posts.

Looking at the SU blog, they've got 5 admins, 8 editors, 2 authors, and 15 contributors.

gaming is 3, 12, 11, 2

Karl Katzke

OK, how do those sites do user creation? Do they just have people asking in a meta thread for access to the blog, or is there some other process that happens?

Rebecca Chernoff

19:45

post in meta, add a comment on an existing post, ask in chat

Tester101

how do you handle it when admins/editors go AWAL? can you revoke privileges, and pass them to another user?

Rebecca Chernoff

this is why a mod being willing to help spearhead things is helpful because they can see emails on user profiles and then can just go add the user account

Karl Katzke

@Tester101 That's actually one of the questions I'm putting in the question.

Rebecca Chernoff

there isn't a hard number of accounts to give out, someone doesn't need to be deleted to add someone else (:

Karl Katzke

Yeah, but it's generally a good idea to NOT have inactive accounts sitting around with access ... I mean, just speaking from a sysadmin point of view!

Tester101

19:48

I agree

Rebecca Chernoff

One thing to be clear about though: SE's role in this is really simply to provide the resources (ie, the server, the wp install). This is for the community to manage. Adding user accounts, posting, etc...that is for you all to manage. Each user account doesn't go through me.

I'm absolutely here for any support and help I can offer, but the day-to-day managing of the blog is your responsibility.

Karl Katzke

nod Do you still have access to the system in case we need you to fix something that's out of our control, or if we should lose access due to a malicious 3rd party action?

(I'm a sysadmin, again -- I think about these things.)

Tester101

Or all the mods are lost to a cataclysmic event?

Rebecca Chernoff

yes of course. There are a couple SE staff that hold network admin accounts (a step above the regular admin on a single blog), and I have access to the server itself.

I also, coincidentally, happen to enjoy yelling at our sysadmins if need be.

(kidding)

((kind of))

Karl Katzke

You don't need to kid. Sysadmins are there to be yelled at. ;)

Rebecca Chernoff

19:51

I just meant to be clear that the day-to-day operations should not rely on SE staff. (:

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@RebeccaChernoff only a little? ;)

ChrisF

@AarthiDevanathanΨ I'll gladly help out and even contribute the odd post - but I don't have the time to add managing a blog to my list of Stack Exchange stuff.

Karl Katzke

@ChrisF Understood, but out of all the mods, you're actually the most frequently involved. Is there a way that we can still have you in a consulting role and possibly have your help getting standards and schedule set up, and not active management role?

Rebecca Chernoff

And in case anyone is curious, there are definitely nightly backups. (:

Karl Katzke

hehehe

ChrisF

19:54

@KarlKatzke Yes (I think so). Just ping me either here or via a meta question with what you want doing and I'll do my best. If I'm not able to get onto something in a timely manner I'll try and let you know too.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@ChrisF @RebeccaChernoff are the other mods real? I wish they'd pop in once and again.

ChrisF

I see evidence of their activity. I only appear to be around all the time ;)

Tester101

The other mods are like ninjas. they are here and gone, before you even know they were there.

ChrisF

Well actually I am, but don't tell the boss (or my wife...)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@Tester101 you'd been like that for a while, tbh, ime.

Tester101

19:55

Only in chat.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@Tester101 true, we "ran into" each other in questions and stuff.

Tester101

I'm on the main site and meta almost too much.

ChrisF

@KarlKatzke - just featured your post.

Karl Katzke

I mean, I'm willing to do much of the work on the blog, but I have a tendency to disappear for a month to gut a room or assemble a bathroom or something, so I don't want to be solely responsible for it.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@Tester101 yeah, but i love that.

Karl Katzke

19:59

Thanks, Chris!

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke make sure you take pictures~

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathanΨ I always try to remember to take pictures.

Rebecca Chernoff

The role of the editors and admins can vary as well. If there is a good group of authors, and they can write well enough that each post doesn't need to be carefully proofread, and people are good about keeping a posting frequency up, then people nagging people to write isn't necessary. (:

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke during the process tho? ;)

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathanΨ My family usually demands pictures of what I've done and what I'm doing, but I sometimes can't do pictures that show me going through the motions because I'm working alone. Things that tend to involve a lot of cussing -- like drywall or tiling -- I tend to keep the process private.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

20:02

@KarlKatzke ahahaha

BMitch

that's my before

Tester101

I'm always afraid I'm going to wall up the camera (I've lost a few tape measures that way), so I typically don't do "during" photos.

Karl Katzke

My girlfriend doesn't like to be around when I'm working with substances that turn into bricks in the bucket, trapping my expensive trowels.

BMitch

Karl Katzke

Oh, big improvement.

BMitch

20:04

the chandelier had been done a long time ago, this weekend was for installing the blinds

lesson learned on blind installing, they cut outside measurements to the exact size, no allowance for the bracket space

fortunately an extra 30 seconds with a wood chisel is all it takes to fix that.

in the before, all my windows just had the rollup shades

@Tester101 haha, I know someone that has cut through several tape measures on the miter saw. Don't think he's walled any of them up yet, but he probably wouldn't admit it if he did

Karl Katzke

Yeah, that's a good point about the blind width. Most people don't know that... Curtains are cut the same way, actually. Ugh, hate those rollup shades.

Oh, shoot, I've cut through a SpeedSquare with a circular saw.

BMitch

plastic or metal?

Karl Katzke

Metal. Wood blades won't cut the metal SpeedSquare, but a HardiBoard blade sure will.

BMitch

ouch!

Karl Katzke

It's in my car at home ... I'd post a pic. And actually, I didn't do it, my dad did.

We were cutting big sheets of Hardi on the ground when we were siding the house.

BMitch

20:09

that would make a good blog entry too

@KarlKatzke on the blinds, I knew that they were supposed to be cut to the exact width, but I thought I saw somewhere that the header (or whatever you call the top part) was cut slightly smaller to allow for the brackets. But then I was comparing multiple sites.

Karl Katzke

I have more pictures of it than this, but we were really struggling to get the work done... flickr.com/photos/karlkatzke/5610256596/in/photostream

@BMitch Some might, some might not. I've always been told every time I've ordered any to order them a half inch smaller than the opening.

BMitch

@KarlKatzke Interesting usage of a stabilizer on the ladder

Karl Katzke

We're doing another friend's house in Hardi this fall at some point.

@BMitch Which picture?

Oh, the ones with the towels on them? That's because I was using the ladder for a simultaneous inside project doing drywall.

BMitch

yup, that one

I use a piece of pipe insulation, bent into a U over the end of the ladder, and stuck into form with a piece of duct tape

got it here, I'll take a pick in a sec

Karl Katzke

Yeah, I was too cheap to buy the little rubber boots that go on them -- towels wrapped around the feet and duct taped works just as well and is just as stable and doesn't marr your walls. I didn't have any pipe insulation -- all my plumbing is in the slab.

BMitch

20:19

made them once, been using them for years, they just slip on

Karl Katzke

nod I can see ... that's pretty awesome.

i have to cut the towels off if they get too dirty, but hasn't happened more than once or twice.

I love that ladder, though -- It's the heavier duty one that will make an 'A' 12' tall, and the entire thing will fit in my Honda Accord.

BMitch

yup, got a similar one, but light weight version of yours

can't make it up to my roof though

that's the downside of a townhouse

Karl Katzke

nod Even I'm having problems... oh, that reminds me that I'm going to have a question about roof safety ...

*Having problems with a friend's house, not mine.

My roof is VERY flat.

Most important picture from re-siding the house...

BMitch

haha, I just got to the UPS jiggled package pic myself

Karl Katzke

hahaha

Yeah, that's still sitting on the floor of my "master suite" -- which is the next room slated for destruction.

The magic smoke DID get out of it when it got plugged in.

Here's me cutting a board similarly to how Dad managed to cut the speedsquare...

BMitch

20:27

the magic smoke never does go back the way it came out

at least you haven't cut the power cord to the saw, yet

Karl Katzke

Yeah, I actually have never made that mistake. I usually do a "hands, feet, and parts" check before I squeeze the trigger.

Dad's lost part of his little toe, two different pairs of shoes, and now one of my SpeedSquares to a circular saw.

BMitch

I'm paranoid that I'll forget to give the full safety speech to a volunteer one day. I'm always stopping someone that doesn't realize that their finger will lose against the saw blade.

(I do a lot of volunteering with the local Habitat chapter in case no one gets my volunteer references)

lmao, some builders need a dope slap. flickr.com/photos/karlkatzke/4503768371/in/photostream

ChrisF

I caught the end of a finger on my circular saw when it was spinning down. I'm still not sure how I managed it, but the saw must have been still on the wood to some degree or the guard stuck. It didn't quite take the end off, but there was a lot of blood.

Tester101

I've noticed folks tend to be less cautious with a saw that's spinning down, like the danger is gone once they finish cutting.

ChrisF

It was towards the end of the job as well so I was getting blasé

Tester101

20:40

probably the best time for an accident. either near the end, or when rushing to get things done.

I watched a guy lower a saw to the ground by the cord, while it was still spinning!

BMitch

I've watched a guy drop a chainsaw out of the tree he was working in, but to be fair, I'm pretty sure he was related to "Wile e coyote, super genius"

Karl Katzke

heh heh heh.

@BMitch There are a lot of things in this house where the builder needed a good smack upside the head. A few of the worst I didn't want to take pictures of so I had plausible deniability; fixing them would've meant tearing off a large chunk of the roof or something.

BMitch

I've got a few pictures like that. Maybe a while after I've moved they'll come out.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke d'aww

Tester101

I dread opening walls in my house, almost every 2 hour job turns into a 2 day affair. Worst part is, the people who owned the house before me ran some type of construction company!

Karl Katzke

20:53

@Tester101 The cobbler's children have no shoes....

Tester101

I don't think that was the case... I think the garage was built entirely from 2x4's he skinned from jobs.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

oh god that sounds bad

BMitch

a home made from spare parts, what could possibly go wrong

Karl Katzke

noooo kidding

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

nothing if i'm a contractor‌!

Karl Katzke

21:04

Gotta go. I'm gonna be on a boat. ;)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke i have the PERFECT gif for that

BMitch

lol, I've got to step away myself

@AarthiDevanathan, nice gif

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@BMitch thank you. not mine, but i adore it.

aww, quiet chat is quiet.

and unfortunately, my day is over. love you all, @RebeccaChernoff will close up shop tonight at 7pm EST / 23:59 UTC. /waves

Rebecca Chernoff

(:

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@RebeccaChernoff thanks again!

Rebecca Chernoff

22:21

It got quiet in here! (:

Niall C.

Usually happens when Aarthi's not around.

Rebecca Chernoff

22:48

@AarthiDevanathan is the life of the party, tis true.

Rebecca Chernoff

23:03

Ok, me, myself, and I are closing this party out! (:

4 hours ago, by Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

WELCOME TO PROJECT UPDATE THURSDAY!

Thanks for attending Project Update Thursday! We'll see you all here next week -- same bat-time, same bat-channel.

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