What did you do today

[dbhosttexas]

Determined the failure of the closet rod in the master suite. The rod pocket was mounted to a 14" piece of 1x6 pine that was in turn nailed to the sheetrock wall.

Notice I did NOT mention any studs right?

F#$%ing geniouses that built my house...

Ah, yes: Load bearing dry wall! Shelly and I renovated a house once and discovered similar such marvels.

Tom

I am going to state this CAREFULLY and be clear I am NOT making any accusations, but I am CURIOUS IF the home inspectors when my house was built were being paid under the table by the contractors, or MAYBE they were thoroughly incompetent, because I have found things in the way my house was built that NEVER should have passed any reasonable inspection.

I am not asserting those things DID happen or WERE the case, but I am asseting I am curious IF these things happened or were the case...

Seriously though. Who the heck nails a pine board directly to drywall and expect it to be a supporting member?

[Tom&Shelly]

Determined the failure of the closet rod in the master suite. The rod pocket was mounted to a 14" piece of 1x6 pine that was in turn nailed to the sheetrock wall.

Notice I did NOT mention any studs right?

F#$%ing geniouses that built my house...

Ah, yes: Load bearing dry wall! Shelly and I renovated a house once and discovered similar such marvels.

Tom

I am going to state this CAREFULLY and be clear I am NOT making any accusations, but I am CURIOUS IF the home inspectors when my house was built were being paid under the table by the contractors, or MAYBE they were thoroughly incompetent, because I have found things in the way my house was built that NEVER should have passed any reasonable inspection.

I am not asserting those things DID happen or WERE the case, but I am asseting I am curious IF these things happened or were the case...

Seriously though. Who the heck nails a pine board directly to drywall and expect it to be a supporting member?

I've bought houses in Kansas, California, and finally New Mexico (2), and sold the ones in Kansas and California. I believe the home inspection requirement is bogus, and the inspectors (especially in Los Angeles) are incompetent. I bought a condo there and the fool missed that a previous home owner had wired in his own heat lamp over a shower, using lamp cord in the walls!, and took out an outlet to make room for the switch. Then he re-wired the outlet on the side of the vanity, over the toilet, again using lamp cord (2 conductor--the ground didn't go anywhere), and with no outlet box.

I fixed all of that, after I moved in and discovered it, but, eleven years later, when I sold the place, a different inspector claimed there wasn't a GFI outlet for that bathroom, missing that the wiring for that, and an upstairs bathroom, were on the same circuit and used the same GFI. He screwed up in a few other ways as well, so I wrote a letter to the potential buyers, through my real estate agent, and let my opinion of the inspector be known in no uncertain terms. They bought the place anyway, and I'm certain were safer than they would have been if I hadn't lived there and made the fixes.

Needless to say, I didn't use the services of an inspector when I contracted to have the cabin built (of course, I visited the site nearly every evening--and the builder and I are still friends), or the one Shelly and I bought on foreclosure. That one we renovated and are now renting out. The county did send folks to inspect the cabin while it was being built, but my builder knew all of them. Can't say the inspectors added much value, although they generally seemed to be nice guys and knew their business. (Much of our county government seems a bit incompetent though, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if many are corrupt, though I've never actually paid any off in my dealings with them.)

Anyway, that was a vent, and I'm with you!

Oh, the fellow who nailed the support into drywall: Day laborer--simply doesn't give a dam.

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

so I paid $20 for a set from Walmart.


Tom

Nice. I have a very similar one in my shop. The downside is with a place to store all the little stuff, sometimes things get kept that never get used.

I find harbor freight moving dollies to be a good source of cheap casters. The dollies often go on sale for less than $10

Good tip on the dollies!

I have a feeling the cart isn't part of my problem with keeping things that never get used:

Didn't take too long to fill up




But really the cart is just the overflow for the back room



When I contracted to have the cabin built, I told my builder not to throw any wood out. I hate having some small project in mind on Saturday morning, but having to drive into town to buy the material. Any wood I didn't think I could use, I burned.

But, when it came time to build the teardrop, I realized that, except for OSB, there was no plywood at all, so we had to buy all of that material. The scrap bin really has the extra ply cut-offs.

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

Today, in a major military (style) operation in our campaign to clean out the basement, we loaded the Taco completely full and took it to the Thrift Store. We had both agreed this was a one way mission; we weren't even going to go into the store to look. I do remember making the joke that "after filling the truck, at least we won't come back with more than we left with." <sigh>

Our downfall is the fact that they have stuff outside the store on a nice day like this. "Well, we should look for a two drawer filing cabinet, because we really need one..."

No filing cabinet, and I managed to resist the Craftsman contractor table saw ($80 firm), mainly because we already have one. (My friend's; he stores it in our workshop. Rental fee and storage fee just cancel.) But, then I saw the plastic, mouse proof (I hope) bins, perfect for storing camping gear in our garage. There were 21 of them for $4 each, but Shelly pointed out that everything outside the store (not marked firm) is half off.

So I did have to go into the store and told the clerk I wanted to buy the 21 bins that were marked $4 each, but I understood they were $2 off, so that should be $42.

"They are half off," she said.

"OK," I said.

So she went outside and counted the bins. "There are 21 of them," she said.

"OK," I said.

She went back in and punched some numbers into the register. "At $4 each for 21, then with half off, that's $42," she said.

"OK," I said. I paid, but then realized, to my horror, that Shelly was no where to be seen and clearly must be browsing somewhere in the store. <dramatic music>

Oh well, we filled the Taco and went home. I hope these things keep the mice from making nests in our sleeping bags!



Tom

[tony.latham]

Well... I've decided to call this project, nearly done.





It's a 2 x 72" belt grinder. A graduation gift for my wanna-be knife-building stepson. He's finishing up his doctorate of nurse practitioner this spring.

As you can see, it rotates to the horizontal. The 2 HP motor really turns it into a beastie.

Tony

[dbhosttexas]

Well moving forward with my shop cleanup. Ugh...

I am getting there but boy oh boy was it a mess.

[dbhosttexas]

Well moving forward with my shop cleanup. Ugh...

I am getting there but boy oh boy was it a mess.

2HP?!

That thing is a beast for sure. My Table Saw is a meager 1.5HP....

[twisted lines]

2HP?!

The noise is one of its own
Dada need's one now

[tony.latham]

Dada need's one now

Great plans:

https://housemade.us/products/revolution-diy-2x72-belt-grinder-plans?variant=39409644011674&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2020-02-23&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=Cj0KCQiAuP-OBhDqARIsAD4XHpfh9HGXps_OmwFp7WvzroGC9l6rMyki5hpaNjODisy354eZUdRuafEaApwnEALw_wcB

The plans come with the DXF files for the flat parts. I had them CNC'd locally. Saved a ton of work.

Tony

[edgeau]

Well I've been no fun, the to do list for the 'drop is languishing unattended. I got the Covid test result today and I am positive. Fortunately I have it mild. I was due for my booster on 1 Feb, seems a bit late. Luckily the better half has had hers. Unluckily it is her Birthday and my Son's 18th next week and the whole house is now in isolation. Happy Birthday my love.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[twisted lines]

Hoping they don't weld the door's shut

[dbhosttexas]

Not directly TD or Small camper related, but it is because it is the workspace I need for the build....

My workshop lights are in the process of losing ballasts left and right. They are all about 15 years old and just dying a miserable death. So I ordered up a box of ballast bypass LED conversion tubes for them. I have 1 hanging, and 6 directly mounted to the ceiling. I am opting for the double ended tubes / wiring. So the install will be simple. Wires for keystones on one side goes to hot, wires for keystones on other side go to neutral, ground stays where it is, ballast goes bye bye. Done.

I am also upgrading my dust collection ducting from 4" to 5". I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but it is around 50% more volume, allowing me to take full advantage of multi port collection at the table saw, and sanders...

Cleanup is progressing VERY well. Floor is clean now. Onto the benches, table saw, and mystery totes and I will be done.

I am building some flip top bench tool stands to maximize space efficiency in the shop as well.

For now, I need to stow my camper plumbing and electrical assemblies. My wife wants them out of the house, but forgets they double up, particularly the AquaTainers, as emergency water supplies for hurricane, or deep freeze. SO I stash them in an unused bedroom closet.

Making progress on figuring out the trunk / door lock problems on my Malibu, and sadly the issue MAY be in the fuxe panel IN the trunk. Testing the circuit I am getting grounding problems in / around that fuse panel. I need to check deeper to see how it connects to the harness. Might be cheaper / easier to just grab a wrecking yard unit and try it out...

The F150 repower project sits for now, waiting on budget. I need to do my taxes, but I think I can squeeze finishing it up in with my taxes this year...

[friz]

Tuned up and reconfigured a couple folding bikes that fell in my lap.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[MickinOz]

Well I've been no fun, the to do list for the 'drop is languishing unattended. I got the Covid test result today and I am positive. Fortunately I have it mild. I was due for my booster on 1 Feb, seems a bit late. Luckily the better half has had hers. Unluckily it is her Birthday and my Son's 18th next week and the whole house is now in isolation. Happy Birthday my love.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

How ya going edge?
As flat as a dysentery turd, I expect?

[edgeau]

Well I've been no fun, the to do list for the 'drop is languishing unattended. I got the Covid test result today and I am positive. Fortunately I have it mild. I was due for my booster on 1 Feb, seems a bit late. Luckily the better half has had hers. Unluckily it is her Birthday and my Son's 18th next week and the whole house is now in isolation. Happy Birthday my love.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

How ya going edge?
As flat as a dysentery turd, I expect?

Not too bad. All I have now is a lingering cough. They say the point of the vaccine is to keep you out of hospital so I'd say on that score it worked. Just hard for a person like me to sit and do nothing, but not having a winge as I am so much better off than others. Only a few days confinement to my bedroom left. So overall I am thankful and on the mend.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk