In the last WDT some people were talking a bit about Do It Yourself projects. We've got a few threads in the Permanent Threads forum that deal with specific topics; home repair, make your own beer, etc. This thread will be a more of a catch-all, generic DIY ask and answer topic. We'll start it off in the General Discussion forum to get some traction, and then move it to the Permanent Threads section. FOCUS: Ask about DIY stuff here. Help out a fellow TiB'er/ette with DIY info. ALT-FOCUS: Share your past/current DIY projects. What stuff do you DIY that most people wouldn't? Share your successes and failures; sometimes it's just as important to learn how not to do something.
I saw this today and it can be shoehorned in here I guess. http://lifehacker.com/5809458/brew-an-emergency-cup-of-coffee-with-just-two-paper-cups-and-a-filter Spoiler I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I've been in situations where someone's pot recently broke or got blown up with a firework or something so this is nice to know.
I was really hoping for more inspiring things than how to cut up a coffee filter, but beggars can't be choosers, no? I do have to say that this story about a Man Who Built A Plane In His Basement And Had To Dig Up His Back Yard And Rip A Wall Out Of His Foundation To Get It Out is full of both inspiration and "WTF".
Alt. Focus: I live in a condo without a yard, so my DIY projects have been relatively limited. Aside from painting (which really shouldn't count), I've installed three ceiling fans and designed my AV setup. While the ceiling fans are nice, the AV setup is what I'm the most proud of. I've got 5 flat panel 11"x14" speakers mounted to the wall and a 10" subwoofer under an end table with all the wiring hidden. Most of the wiring that is outside of the wall runs along the molding and is hidden by our sofa. The rest runs through the walls. There are only two places where you can really see any wiring at all. The first is in our second bedroom, where it runs in the crotch where the brick wall meets the sheetrock and where the wall meets the ceiling as it runs over into a closet (where it then drops down and punches through the wall to connect to the speaker). Because of the brick and the natural wood ceiling, the wire is barely noticeable. The second is where one speaker is mounted to a brick wall, but I went to Walmart and bought some fake vine plant and zip-tied it to the wire and draped it around the speaker, so you can't even tell it's there. Most people have just assumed it's a wireless speaker. The TV is mounted to the wall with all of the wires running through to a wooden shelving unit that I built in the room behind it. An RF remote controls everything. From the sofa, all you see is the TV and the speakers, so it's a nice, clean look.
If you like beer, why not build a Kegerator. What you need is a chest freezer, a local friendly microbrewery am to purchase the following two items. The Kit The temperature Regulator Those link to the more expensive units, so you can buy it for less then the $450, when I made my Kegerator I picked up a local CO2 tank which dropped the shipping costs considerably. I've had mine for going on 4 summers now, and being able to buy two kegs as needed dropped my beer expenses to the point where the whole deal broke even after the 2nd summer.
I have a bunch of projects in my mind that I want to do, but my biggest problem is planning and preparation. For example, I want to completely remodel my basement bathroom. My Dad and I redid my other bathroom and taken individually, I'm capable of performing all the necessary tasks. Taken as a whole, however, I feel lost. Here's the list of things that I want to do to that bathroom: -Put new flooring in, which will be tile -Rip out the shower and put in a jacuzzi -Put in a new toilet and sink -Build a vanity and towel cabinet -Repaint the walls & ceiling and put in new base trim What do I start with? What's the most logical order in which to do all those tasks?
I have a long documented history of being able to turn any consumer electronics device into a paperweight.
I don't know how inspiring these are but... the first one is of the fence and raised beds I built. I built the same raised beds for the front of the house, and if you look just above the fence on the left, you'll see the chicken coop I built. I plan on doing the rest of the back yard in this fencing, only at 6 feet high instead of 4. Right behind the light pole and further into the woods I plan on building my son a tree house. Hope to have the platform built by the end of the summer. Still have a LOT more landscaping to do. One of the reasons I bough this house was because the yard was a "blank slate" and I could do it how I want without having to take other people's crap out. The next one is an electronic firing system for fireworks I've been working on and hope to have done by the fourth. All that's left is wiring it up. If you like fireworks, shooting electronically is the only way to go.
If you're not using the bathroom now, it sounds like you want to gut it, so just tear everything out first. I'd probably go biggest-to-smallest so you have the most maneuverability and the biggest tasks usually result in the most collateral damage (i.e. you're more likely to smash into your new vanity when installing the jacuzzi, then you are the other way around). So, given that, and assuming the plumbing is already where you want it, I'd: - Rip everything out, including flooring - Paint (you don't want to paint around things or risk spilling) - Lay down whatever base flooring you'll need for the tile (if necessary) - Jacuzzi - Vanity/cabinet - Trim - If the sink is part of the vanity, install it. If it's a pedestal sink, wait. - Tile (toilet/pedestal sink will go over the tile) - Toilet and sink if not installed in the vanity - Touchup paint from the inevitable marks you'll leave I'm not a professional contractor, just did a few full bathroom overhauls.
If anyone has any Carpentry questions, feel free to shoot them my way. I've been building with wood and related products for a little over twenty years now, however only the last 8 have been professionally.
My little tiny runt of a dog hates heavy rain. I live in Vancouver. I also don't like poop on my carpet. Something needed to be done. It's 4' lengths of that 2' wide corrugated plastic roofing material screwed on either end to two 10' lengths of PVC pipe. An elbow at either end give holding places for 2 1/2' legs. A pipe strap at either end causes it to hinge down and out of the way when it's not raining.
I dunno man, I think this guy has him beat in terms of DIY inspiration and WTF. He lives alone on a mountain building shit. Just watch the first couple videos in order, and you'll see why he's so awesome, not to mention his goofy humor:
Does anyone have any ideas how to improve insulation around metal framed windows? I live in a condo and My entire exterior wall is floor to ceiling windows. The building was constructed in the mid 70's so the windows are double pane with metal frames. None are fogged, but I lose a shit ton of heat through the metal frames. I installed thermal drapes when I moved in, but it still gets cold as shit in my unit. Replacing them is not an option and so far everyhing I find about decreasing cold loss through windows addresses the window and not the frame itself.
Any stores that sell things like draperies and blinds should be able to help. There are clear films you can "stick" to the windows that increase insulation. They are transparent and can be cut to shape with scissors. They might help. I know most of the shitty "big box" stores like Home Depot have them in the draperies/wallpaper area. Just ask.
It could be because there isn't any insulation around the window frame, not necessarily the metal frame itself. Does your window have trim around it? If so, you should be able to carefully pull one side of that trim off and it should expose the framing and insulation underneath so you can get an idea of what you're dealing with. Old windows are notorious for not having any (or proper) insulation around the frame, which leaves just a cold air gap between the outside siding and the inside wall, which is a highway of cold coming into the house. If, after you carefully pull off the window trim, you see that this is the case, you could spray foam the empty spaces underneath it. If you're careful when prying that shit off (it should be held in place with small brad nails), it should be a simple procedure. (Just be careful when nailing them back in place that you don't dent the trim with a hammer.. .either use a brad gun or a nail punch). That would make a HUGE difference.