Home Improvement

BMitch

03:04

Our next potential Darwin award candidate:

0

Q: How could I go about modifying (or building) a hand dryer to be more efficient?

I find myself spending a fair amount of time in my workshop as a result of some newly acquired hobbies (painting an building things), and a seemingly equal amount of time in the kitchen as a result of long-held necessities (preparing and eating food). And as I don't like having paint-covered hand...

Niall C.

I'm sure Tim the tool man Taylor would be able to help him

lsiunsuex

13:10

@TheEvilGreebo

where did you get the santa hat in your avatar

The Evil Greebo

13:21

i don't remember, i set that avatar up a year ago or so

it was a crude job of course :)

lsiunsuex

13:38

so after filling the day with work yesterday - i went all day on 3 smokes - 2 spans of 6 and 7 hours a piece

woke up - feeling paranoid i would fall to the ground and curl into a ball cause of withdrawl- i bought a pack this morning - had 1 drag, got light headed, threw it out the window - haven't had one since 530am (almost 9am)

no one is happy for me? :(

i'm very emotional right now

The Evil Greebo

14:03

The reason no one answered isn't cause we don't care

I'm very proud of you :) Keep it up! Now stop whining cause your sleeping chatroom "ignored" you

;)

lsiunsuex

:)

Informaficker

Hey, are questions about equipment choice considered on topic on this site? (not shopping recommendation of course)

lsiunsuex

@Informaficker like should you buy dewalt over ryobi type question ?

The Evil Greebo

@Informaficker Example?

lsiunsuex

or should you have forced air as apposed to baseboards

Informaficker

14:14

No more like I have a 6mm drill chuck and 8mm screw anchor, should I spend my money on a new chuck or on smaller anchors?

The Evil Greebo

It's a very subjective question

you're asking an opinion, not a "how do I" question

so not a very good fit

lsiunsuex

what is the anchor securing ?

Informaficker

Its a bike lift, maximum weight is 20kg, but my bikes are more like 9kg and 13kg. The lift consist of two steel plates, each has 4 anchors.

(I hope asking here is OK, then? :) )

lsiunsuex

asking here is fine

Informaficker

I 'think' 6mm anchors would be sufficient, the ceiling is made of concrete

lsiunsuex

14:18

what kind of anchor you using? a concrete anchor ? links help :)

Informaficker

Yeah, pretty normal anchors they were shipped with the bike lift, so of course no name brand.

not the same as pictured, those are Fischer anchors.

lsiunsuex

god i hate plastic ones

Informaficker

What are the alternatives? I've never used anything but plastic.

Well I've used metal, but only for drywall. And even there I would prefer plastic today

I was thinking about using some concrete-glue mixture to inject into the drillhole, but have no idea how easy it will be to get the screw out afterwards (when I move out).

The Evil Greebo

14:34

oh i see

you're not asking about chuck size and drill bit size

my mistake

Informaficker

If you have any idea just spit it out, I think asking a question wouldn't be good after all as I am on my way out to the hardware store ;)

Chris Cudmore

If you want the Top of the Line answer, then you want Redheads.

Let me look it up.

confast.com/articles/red-head-wedge-anchor-installation

There's a picture of one.

It's a bolt, with a wedge at the end. You drill the hole, slip it in, and then when you tighten the nut over whatever you're securing, the wedge expands. A little bit of movement until it's tight, but then it's never coming out without breaking the concrete.

Informaficker

Thanks, but never coming out isn't quite what I am looking for. As I need to remove it as soon as I move out :)

The Evil Greebo

it'll come out if you unscrew it

unbolt it even

Chris Cudmore

Yeah, if you take off the nut, it will slip out.

Informaficker

14:50

I will see if they sell those at the hardware store.

Chris Cudmore

But it might be overkill for 20 kg.

Informaficker

I like overkill :)

Chris Cudmore

the 1/4" tru-bolt has a pullout strength of 1392 lbs in solid concrete.

Is that enough?

oldredheadsite.com/pdfs/RH_pdfs/Appendix_B.pdf

Informaficker

Sound futureproof, If I ever buy a motorbike I can tow that up, too :)

Tester101

15:38

@TheEvilGreebo @ChrisCudmore Are you sure that anchor will come out if you remove the nut? Seems like the end gets deformed when you tighten, so the tip expands to fill the hole and wedges itself in place. I'm not convinced removing the bolt will cause the tip to un-deform.

Chris Cudmore

Tap it with a hammer, and the sleeve will loosen.

YOu might not be able to use it again, but it will come out.

I'm wrong.

Tester101

Installations instructions

Chris Cudmore

The solution, according to the company, is too drill your hole, really deep before installing, so you can pound it in later, and patch over it.

lsiunsuex

haha, he said pound, haha

Tester101

Nice.

Chris Cudmore

15:44

confast.com/articles/wedge-anchor-removal

@lsiunsuex I don't get it.

Anyways, they're a really great connector for things like Ledger boards.

Tester101

They are good anchors, just not removable.

lsiunsuex

@ChrisCudmore nothing :) just going through withdrawl haha

The Evil Greebo

16:07

You do not want a cigarette.

You do not need a cigarette.

You hate the taste. You hate the smell. They make you feel bad.

You do not miss them .

lsiunsuex

i think for the most part the drug addiction is gone now - now its just my hand twitching

like, i'm fidgeting - tapping my feet, switching back and forth between my laptop and desktop for no apparent reason

Chris Cudmore

How long has it been?

lsiunsuex

2nd day now

everytime i've tried to quit in the past, the drug addition was gone in a day ish - it was always the physical that was hardest for ME to deal with

Chris Cudmore

How long does nicotine withdrawal last?

The duration of nicotine withdrawal syndrome (the official diagnostic name for nicotine withdrawal) varies, but on average, the acute physical syndrome is worst during the first month of abstinence. In a recent study, all symptoms related to nicotine withdrawal returned to baseline levels much earlier than one month – and resolved within 10 days of quitting.

lsiunsuex

lots of water and coffee and you can flush nicotine out of your system in a few hours. not getting up for a smoke every hour is a b**ch

@ChrisCudmore right - obviously it gets stored in fat / muscle / the brain, etc...

like any other drug - gets in everyhting

BMitch

16:46

@TheEvilGreebo Who are you and what did you do with The Evil Greebo?

wax eagle

@lsiunsuex can you find something else to do every hour or so?

lsiunsuex

i'm getting over it

not as bad as i was yesterday at this time

The Evil Greebo

17:08

@BMitch SHUT THE **** UP JERK

I'm sympathetic to ex smokers cause I'm one

BMitch

:)

I stopped smoking a long time ago, and promised never again to light myself on fire.

Chris Cudmore

I quit cigarettes when the kids were born 6 years ago.

But I still love the occasional Cuban.

Don Tomas Maduros. Yummy.

But it's a rare month where I have two.

Sometimes I open the humidor, and just inhale the aromatic goodness. That keeps me going for a week.

Aaron

18:55

man, this stupid octagon ceiling box strap

lsiunsuex

19:14

@Aaron pic?

BMitch

19:36

You're strapping it on wrong.

3

lsiunsuex

omg, its PUT - almost forgot

EVERYONE WAKE UP

BMitch

Simma down, now. Save up that energy for 20 minutes from now.

BMitch

19:59

Welcome to Project Update Thursday

My own projects this week included snaking out a slow drain and the realization that I have no idea of how to measure bolt/nut sizes.

lsiunsuex

@BMitch drain clogged or ?

BMitch

@lsiunsuex Just slow, but after hitting it was a snake it flies like new

lsiunsuex

cool

BMitch

I debated disassembling the trap, but that had two downsides:

1. I would have needed to clean out under my sink and dealt with some messy junk directly

2. I wouldn't have gotten a new tool in the process

New tools almost always win a decision making process

lsiunsuex

true

BMitch

20:04

And for anyone keeping score, it's Chain saw: 1, Tree: 0, BMitch: no permanent injuries.

I'm also the proud new owner of a leaf blower, I can suck and blow!

lsiunsuex

nice

BMitch

The neighbor's cat was less impressed. :)

That's all I've got, take it away @lsiunsuex

// drops mic, walks off stage

lsiunsuex

tonight, gonna finish up the network in the new office - just need to put an end on the line to the room in the basement - i probably should insulate the room's ceiling in the attic now that its nice and cold outside - i'm sure i'm loosing a lot of heat

wax eagle

I bought a compressor...but it's for an auto repair

lsiunsuex

thats about it for me - just need to sand the plaster on the outlet i retro'd in and paint the the repaired wall - no biggy

getting close to christmas == tie up loose ends before the new year so i can start fresh and clean

BMitch

20:09

I've got to rerun my network wires at some point to fix various issues and let me get up to gigabit

@waxeagle How big of a compressor?

wax eagle

@BMitch just a 3 gallon one.

basically needed something to get me 30 psi to pop the cylinder out of a caliper

BMitch

That's enough to run most nail guns

wax eagle

@BMitch cool, I was hoping so :)

I've got a couple of jobs on my long term list that a nailer would be helpful with

The Evil Greebo

why do I always end up super busy on thurs afternoons during PUT?

lsiunsuex

@TheEvilGreebo you suck at time management ? :)

BMitch

20:12

@TheEvilGreebo Quit doing real work and start slacking off like the rest of us!

The Evil Greebo

Probably

lsiunsuex

and... you just killed the chat. good job!

The Evil Greebo

YAY! I'M POWERFUL

lsiunsuex

i'm trying to crash the UPS website now by refreshing it every 2 minutes to see if the status of my package has changed (it hasn't )

The Evil Greebo

@lsiunsuex If you keep clicking that you'll go blind.

lsiunsuex

20:20

can we ask questions during PUT or just share projects?

the grout in the kitchen floor which is / was a nice beige has gotten quite dirty - almost a nice shade of grey now in some spots :( - recommendations ?

i have a steamer, dont mind using chemicals

The Evil Greebo

@lsiunsuex clean it

lsiunsuex

well, yeah

with what? vinegar? windex ? alcohol (bacardi or strait vodka ) ?

The Evil Greebo

have you tried cleaning it yet?

lsiunsuex

obsessively compulsively i scrub the floor by hand once every 4 months with hot water / some floor cleaner she has - not cutting it anymore

its my quarterly cleaning of the house i do - trim, doors, everything gets wiped down - if trim needs to be repainted / touched up...

BMitch

@lsiunsuex I'd suggest cleaning it. :)

The Evil Greebo

20:26

sounds like its stained

you could remove it and regrout

lsiunsuex

@TheEvilGreebo passing my mind

BMitch

Or tear the house down, build a new one.

The Evil Greebo

@BMitch Thats probably best

lsiunsuex

the tile is porcelain so it should stand up to the dremel grout remover

but i just remodeled the kitchen 3 years ago :(

The Evil Greebo

use epoxy grout when you redo it

BMitch

20:27

@lsiunsuex Did you remember to seal the grout?

The Evil Greebo

and be careful with the grout remover - it can easily chip tile edges (ask me how I know :( )

lsiunsuex

ummm..... i left that up to the wife ?

BMitch

and then reseal it every year after

The Evil Greebo

@lsiunsuex YOU FOOL YOU!

@BMitch Something not necessary w/ epoxy grout :D

Jeremy Stein

This chat needs more pics. :)

I procrastinated too long on building a new 8-foot table. Now I'm trying to stain it in the garage in 40°(F) weather.

I'm hoping it still dries OK.

lsiunsuex

20:31

@JeremyStein nice

do you have a space heater you can turn on ?

Jeremy Stein

@lsiunsuex Yeah, but I'm loathe to heat the outdoors.

The Evil Greebo

can it come indoors?

lsiunsuex

or stain it in the house - the fumes aren't that bad - i slept through hard wood floors drying for 5 days and didnt die

BMitch

It's a garage, close the door.

The Evil Greebo

@lsiunsuex Don't do the same for polyeurothane tho

wax eagle

20:33

@lsiunsuex I didn't die is the top qualifier for safety on DIY right?

3

lsiunsuex

@TheEvilGreebo i did

Jeremy Stein

Thanks for the suggestions. I only want to move it once, so maybe

I'll close the door and adda space heater.

lsiunsuex

@waxeagle i didn't die is the slogan right next to the darwin award

wax eagle

@lsiunsuex yes.

BMitch

@JeremyStein don't take our punchy nature too seriously, we're a tough crowd.

The Evil Greebo

20:34

@BMitch Speak for yourself. I'm a soft cuddly teddybear.

Jeremy Stein

@BMitch It's more fun that way.

BMitch

@TheEvilGreebo YOU LIE!!!

wax eagle

@JeremyStein looks gorgeous. Dining room table?

The Evil Greebo

@BMitch YOU THINK?!?!?!

lsiunsuex

everyones nice and friendly till someone holds a nail gun to your temple

wax eagle

20:35

I consider hanging out in here tantamount to setting foot on a construction site, you're going to get screwed around with here...

BMitch

everyone's nice and friendly after you hold a nail gun to their temple

Jeremy Stein

@waxeagle Yes, thanks.

wax eagle

@JeremyStein might have to build my own whenever my folks decide to move back to the states permanently and take their table back...

BMitch

Although the sawzall is my favorite for mass carnage and the ramset is my favorite for using a 22 cal gunpowder cartridge.

Jeremy Stein

@waxeagle It's this plan: ana-white.com/2009/12/plans-farmhouse-table-knock-off-of.html

Supre-cheap 2x wood

wax eagle

20:37

@JeremyStein we've looked at several of the plans on that site (the fold up sandbox is on our list of to-do projects)

Jeremy Stein

Yeah, my wife has a long list of her plans for me to do. :)

lsiunsuex

that table looks like something i've seen at Pottery Barn

The Evil Greebo

spike.com/video-clips/gaxcss/…

speaking of nail guns

lsiunsuex

potterybarn.com/products/…-NoFacet---_-

not to far off

Jeremy Stein

I love it when my mis-aligned boards and knotty wood can be considered "rustic" features. :)

@TheEvilGreebo Dang it, Greebo. NSFW, dude! I should have checked the URL before I clicked.

The Evil Greebo

20:47

@JeremyStein um

it's PG

Jeremy Stein

I know, but still not something you want overseen.

The Evil Greebo

you sure about that? ;)

Jeremy Stein

Unless they overlooking body notices it's Nathan Fillion. That might counteract the rest. :)

The Evil Greebo

you didn't finish it I take it

Jeremy Stein

I did.

I mean NSFW in the literal sense.

The Evil Greebo

20:49

I suppose nsfw is work dependent

Jeremy Stein

True enough.

Pray continue! The last time I joined a PUT, I killed it. Looks like I've done it again.

The Evil Greebo

I haven't done much this week - we're kinda resting after the major renovation period

Aaron

21:11

so exhaust fan is in progress

on a tangent, that ceiling strap and junction box are the stupid

The joists were put in, then this strap and box were put in, and THEN they put up the ceiling

I don't have the foggiest notion how to get it out of the way

I ended up using the dremel to get a good portion of it out of the way, but there are a some nubs left and I have no idea how to remove it without making a gigantic mess of things

shirlock homes

Hi there boys and girls

Jeremy Stein

@shirlockhomes He's back!

shirlock homes

what am I looking at in your pic?

Is there a light under that jbox?

where is everybody this afternoon?

Aaron

@shirlockhomes it was, but it was covered over with a round blank face plate in the bathroom

(and painted over, but that's another discussion)

shirlock homes

ok.... surprized you don't incorporate it in the new fan install

maybe I'm late and don't know what you are really doing

Aaron

21:23

Well, define 'incorporate'

shirlock homes

what are those chrome rods?

Aaron

I needed to get that box out of the way because that's where I wanted to put the fan, and I just put the cables into a bigger box right next to it, but accessible from the attic side

what chrome rods?

BMitch

@Aaron That's the normal order for any new work install.

shirlock homes

i see what look like small diameter chrome wires/rods??????

never mind, i just emlarged it it s the foil lolololol

Aaron

@BMitch and how in the world is someone supposed to remove the strap and box later?

Shouldn't it go between the joists instead of on the bottom of the joists?

BMitch

21:28

@Aaron you aren't, without sawing or removing a chunk of your ceiling. Just like a new work electrical box in a wall, they don't expect you'll try to remove it from the other side of the wall.

Aaron

They haven't met me yet!

I do unexpected stuff all the time!

shirlock homes

I think I smell a sawzall job coming up lol

BMitch

Very few objects inside the ceiling or wall are designed to be easy to renovate without opening up the drywall first.

Sawzall would be fun, but it would probably destroy the ceiling under it. Something like a dremel might be better.

shirlock homes

hell no. drill holes at the corners of the hole for the fan, then cut out the ceiling from the bottom. Connect the dots

Aaron

I ended using the dremel to cut the straps right up against the joist

shirlock homes

21:32

use a finer tooth blade

OK drive the nubs into the wood with a hammer

Aaron

the fan fits nicely between the joists and the strap is as out of the way as I can get it without making any additional holes besides the one for the fan opening itself

shirlock homes

sounds good so far

Aaron

to cut the hole for the fan itself, jigsaw, multitool, .... ?

shirlock homes

I guess I really don't know what the question is or if there is a question. lololololol

Multitool is good. I loike a sawszall from the bottom

but a multitool will do a good job

Aaron

so drill holes at the corners of the box, then draw lines on the bottom connecting the holes, then cut that?

shirlock homes

21:36

is it simple sheetrock?

Aaron

@shirlockhomes I don't know if I really had a question or not either, I was just participating in PUT

@shirlockhomes plaster

shirlock homes

yep. quick and easy

drill small holes, connect the dots, cut

a sabre saw works well too

if you use a fine blade, it won't make as much of a mess

Aaron

although it shows the duct exiting right away from the fan, and I need to have an elbow to bring it over the joists:

deltabreez.com/Products/InstallationGuide/…

page 3 on the install sheet

shirlock homes

oh ya, the not included plumbing. lol

Aaron

should I get a solid elbow and then flex tubing for the rest of the run, or just go flex tubing right away (the insulated kind)

shirlock homes

21:42

how far of a run?

Aaron

probably 20 feet

shirlock homes

if you don't kink it, you can go flex. if you want to clear the insulation or be able to get insulation close to fan, put in a simple elbow first... either way is safe and works

be sure to strech out the fles for max airflow, cut off excess

Aaron

why do these morons not provide a cut sheet either

shirlock homes

welcome to chinese made products

the instructions on all kinds of products today are so lacking

I absolutely hate the ones with pics only, no words. usually by a bad artist to boot

Let's talk vacations in Florida.... Sick of work and it's getting cold here

lsiunsuex

21:59

Vegas!

BMitch

Vacations in Florida sound like a good idea

Taking the Black Pearl (did I remember her name) down there or leaving her in dry dock?

Actually, vacations are a great cutoff point for put, so I'll close this up...

Thanks for joining this week's PUT

lsiunsuex

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

BMitch

now hang around and talk about fun stuff :)

lsiunsuex

easiest way to cut bat pink insulation to stuff in between ceiling / attic joists?

strait edge + razor blade or ?

Aaron

?

get the right width to start with?

BMitch

22:01

Project Update Thursday - 2012/12/06

2 hours ago, 2 hours total – 178 messages, 7 users, 4 stars

Bookmarked 9 secs ago by BMitch

lsiunsuex

yes i got the right width :)

BMitch

Yes, straight edge + razor is best, take multiple passes. Fiberglass is great for cleaning dirty blades.

You'll be left with a shiny dull blade :)

Wear gloves, and make sure you're on top of something you can cut (sheet of plywood)

lsiunsuex

should probably go do it huh haha - no insulation above this room

Project Update Thursday - 2012/12/06

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