Re: [BlindHandyMan] Wife isn't happy
On Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:32:47 -0400you write: Today, after months of my wife saying the water pressure in the house is a trickle. Kept telling her that on well water that is as good as it gets. Today she went to the grandkid soccer game and I decided after all these months she was right, but I am unable to read the pressure gauge, so I had to wait until she came home to read the thing. Got out my socket wrenches and turn up the pressure from 40 PSI to 60 PSI and when she seen how simple it was, I was in trouble. But after she takes her shower, maybe I will be forgiven. smile Well, it is a well known fact that a man is not complete until he is married; then, he is finished. Seems like I read that somewhere. :) Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] air conditioner
The 2 things you can do are to make sure your filters get changed on a regular basis and make sure the outside unit is clean. Those outside coils get clogged over time especially if you have a cottonwood tree near by or a dog in the back yard. I think those units would last a lot longer if they were placed on the roof not on the ground. Terry On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 06:37:15 -0500you write: It is time to start up my central air conditioning unit soon. I am trying to put it off, but I have to face it. What has to be d one to get it ready for the season? Do I need a service guy to inspect it, or can I do it myself? money is definitely an issue this time too. My husband just went on short term disability and that has cut our income in to less than half of what it was. Jennifer
Re: [BlindHandyMan] orientification
If you got toung and groove OSB, it makes no difference. However, if you didn't, you want the 8' side to run with the joists. You will need to suppport all edges of the OSB between the joists. With the piece running lengthwise, you have less extra work to do. Terry On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:03:35 -0400 (EDT)you write: Does it matter which way you lay down OSB board on the floor joists? Does the long edge have to run parallel to the joists, or doesn't it matter? I laid out the joists with the idea that the short edges would run parallel to the joists, but before I start screwing things down, I want to make sure I don't screw them up. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail:d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
Re: [BlindHandyMan] brad point bits, metal?
Wood or plastic On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:24:10 -0400you write: Will brad point bits work in metal or are they just for use in wood? John
Re: [BlindHandyMan] changed subject: dish washing.
On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:51:56 -1000you write: Aloha Blaine, I have a dishwasher because my other half thinks it is his job to wash dishes and they are not clean. I've been washing dishes for more years than I am willing to admit here, but I assure you that I will never forget how. There are some items that I still wash by han d. I must say that since we installed the dishwasher, my water bill has gone down $7 per month. My dishwasher does not require me to rinse the dishes before putting them in. I only have to make sure that there are no chunks of food on them. Betsy I have a dishwasher also. Like yours, I don't have to even rense them. Nore, do I have to get the food off. Although, sometimes, my dishwasher makes these terrible noises. I've tried to fix the problem; but, have no idea the cause. Her name is Cheryl. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] talking multimeter
If you think of black as the absence of color, one can use a piece of electrical tape to cover the sinser on the color identifier. By doing this, the only color that will be returned to the senser is the color of the wire. Basically I fold a piece of tape so that the sticky sides touch. The piece is about the size of the opening on the color identifier. I then tape this to the identifier over the hole leaving enough slack so I can slide a wire under. On very small wire, I might have to double it up before I slide it under the tape. I have the same color identifier. Hope that answers your question Scott. Terry On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:22:26 -0400 (EDT)you write: As clear as I can be, as I've said before; I have a cobalt (spelling) color I.D. My hand comes out as something like dark pink. If it's a red wire I get something like dark red and if it's a black wire in my hand I get dark purple. So white comes out as light pink. This is because the color identifiers blend the colors. A striped white shirt, will be very light gray if the stripes are gray and light gray if the stripes are black. Does that make sense to anyone; I want to be clear with the reality of the process and resultant opportunities for our independance. Best to you all. On Sat, 27 Mar 2010, Rick Hume wrote: Hey, Terry, I've asked dozens of people about this before, without anyone being able to supply a precise answer. You say that y ou use a color identifier. I assume that you use it to determine wire coating colors? Does your color identifier accurately iden tify the color of wire coatings? What make and model of identifier do you have? Thank you for your information. Rick
Re: [BlindHandyMan] not selling to blind explination
I would think that would put a sales person in an awkward position. Kind of like a bar tender deciding if a person had too many except harder. So, I guess we should at least look confident and look like we know what we are doing. :) Terry On Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:33:34 -0400you write: I do not agree with this however I can now understand the reluctance of selling some items to blind individuals. I was talking to a friend at the local hardware store and mentioned that some sales people do not want to sell power tools to the blind. He told me that it is not necessarily because you are blind. A few years ago a salesman in a department store sold something to an individual who was mentally incompetent. The individual got hurt and the family filed a suit against the store and salesman. It was settled out of court. Because of that some sales people are reluctant to sell to anyone that they believe could have a problem operating the machinery. As I said I do not agree with that but it now makes a little more sense understanding their attitude.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Router bit life
The most important factor is the quality of the bit. I have decided, I will always purchase the higher quality bits rather than going cheap. Never purchase high speed steel. These bits dull quickly and leave burn marks on the wood. Mainly, the carbide bits appear to get dull if they are coated in pitch. The best advice I have is clean them before you put them away. Also, keep them from knocking into eachother or other hard surface. The cutting edge can chip some what easily. I have heard of folks sharpening their bits with a diamond file; but, have never done it. I do know the bit is usually sharpened from the back flat side. That's my $0.02. Terry On Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:21:38 -0400you write: Since using routers in my remodeled workshop is fairly new to me, I have a question. Can router bits be sharpened as can drill bits or does one simply discard them when dull, etc. Approximately what type usable life do they have? I realize part of the answer to this depends on how much one uses it. For example, today I put an edge on 3 sides of 4 1 by 12's I had made some shelves out of. Using this as an example, any idea how many shelves I could do like this before the bit needed to be replaced? thanks Al
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Sheet goods carrier.
Well, I don't know what color mine is. I never thaught to ask. It is about 16 tall. at the top is a handle much like a suitcase would have. On either side of the handle are 2 rails. These rails angle down at a 45 degree angle for 2 or 3. This makes room between the handle and what you are carrying for your hand. At the bottom, there is a shelf with a lip. The shelf is about 2 ddeep and 7 or 8 wide. With the sheet leaning against something and resting on one of the long sides, one places the carrier under the middle of the long side. I use mine by grabbing the handle with the palm of my hand facing my body and the back of my hand facing the sheet material. This hand and arm supports the entire weight. My other hand grabs the opisit edge to steady the material. This hand is up by my head. I can easily carry a 3/4 sheet of MDF with out denking up the corners. I first got it when I needed to handle some baltic birch plywood. This stuff comes in 5' x 5' sheets. Being I'm 5 ft 6, I find it uncomfortable to span that distance with my arms plus lift the material. Terry On Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:44:22 -0400y u write: Terry, They sound great. Wish I had them a couple of months ago when I had some sheet rock dropped off. Could you describe one so next time we are there I could have my wife look for them? thanks Al -Original Message-
Re: [BlindHandyMan] update - TALKING DIGITAL MULTI METER WITH LIGHTED LEADS-MPJA, Inc.
I have one on the way. I didn't talk to anyone; just did the web order. It will be nice to finally have an accessible meter. Thanks Tom Terry On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:00:14 -0400you write: Good job, I did not get the man's name but he was pretty emphatic that they could not really be used by the blind. - Original Message - From: Tom Fowle fo...@ski.org To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 2:14 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] update - TALKING DIGITAL MULTI METER WITH LIGHTED LEADS-MPJA, Inc. I just talked to a lady at MPJA on the tech info line and told her that dozens of us have those meters and are quite happy with them, and that whom ever had the idea that some blind folks were not happy has it wrong. She seemed quite thrilled to have the call and said they would continue to bring them in and sell them as long as they could get them and sell. Hope that does the trick. She didn't seem worried at all by the prospect of selling to blind folks. tom Fowle
[BlindHandyMan] Rent or own, that is the question
Hey all: Over the past 4 years or so, I've needed a roofing nailer 3 times. If I add up all the money I've spent on renting one, I have purchased one for the tool rental company out right. In my mind, I'm thinking I won't use one enough to purchase one; but, evidently, this isn't the case. I've wasted about $250 so far. On the other hand, I don't think I'll need one for the forseeable future. Unless, I have to replace another roof plumming vent as I did last weekend. Having a nailer sure makes the job go much quicker and easier than a hammer and box of roofing nails. I'm half way tempted to get one the next time I have to do any roof work. What do you all think? Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Rent or own, that is the question
On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:06:00 -1000you write: Aloha Terry, Well, you could buy one and rent it out to others for less than the rental place and then you'd have it if and when you need it. It may be one of those things like when you throw something away you need it the next day, but if you don't have it you'll need to keep renting. Betsy Yah, And, maybe if I buy one, I won't need it therefore I won't have to go up on the roof. I'm liking that more and more the longer I think about it. :) Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Rent or own, that is the question
Sounds like good advice to me. I am definately the world's worst tool junky. I have really been trying to rreform myself; hence, this query. On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:33:36 -0400you write: Well, according to an old contractor that I used a few years ago, it is time to purchase. He was having a yard sale of all of the tools that he does not need. He told me his new philosophy. He no longer purchases a tool that looks neat or nice to have. He now waits until he could have used it 3 times then the next time he could use it, that is when he purchases it. I should have followed his advice, I have several items that were only tested, the newest being the palm nailer.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Rent or own, that is the question
Rick: Thanks for the info. Knowing what you did, I could have purchased 2 of them. I have no problem with referbbed tools. A shingle gets 4 nails; one at each end and 1 above the place where the tabsmeet. All nails go above the strip of tar. They tell me most of the manufactures put marks where the nails go. (Not that that helps me). Keep in mind a roofing nailer is not like other nailers. it fires when the trigger is pulled and the tip is touched to the shingle. It will keep firing until the gun is lifted or you let off the trigger. If you are not careful, you can have 2 or 3 nails in the same spot. Just a quick light tap is all you need. Terry On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:36:46 -0400you write: I just bought a DeWalt coil roofing nailer. I haven't got to use it yet, but it looks very well designed and I like the safety fe atures. Since you've used one of these before, could you tell me how many coil nails you drive into a single standard 3-tab shing le? I'm just curious if more coil nails are required than standard roofing nails.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Rent or own, that is the question
I agree. I really dislike looking for something or trying to get a tool to work. And, there are very few people I will lind my tools too. Router bits don't get loned out to anyone, no how. Terry On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:43:03 -0500you write: its always better to have your own tool then you will have it for things you didn't know you needed it for. also you know how its treated jim
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Rent or own, that is the question
John: Now, I'm wondering if my Wife knows Your Wife. Maybe, they are sisters or something. I'm right there with you brother. I try and convence her to go right after I've taken her out to dinner. :) One time, I was working on the kitchen sink. We had to go to Lowes 3 times in one day. And, that's all I'll say about that. Terry On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:55:13 -0400you write: Hi Terry For me it is better to have the tools and nails on hand so that I do not have to go some where to get them. My wife hates woodworking stores and hard ware stores, so we do not go often. when I go, I get every thing I need or think I migh t need. I do not want to spend your money, but I would tuy the nailer and the nails. John
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Rent or own, that is the question
Exactly what Rick said. I think that is going to be the plan. Terry On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:30:26 -0400you write: Consider a reconditioned one. You can pick one up for about half the price of new and they come with a decent warranty. You can Google them or there are a couple places you can look. http://toolking.comcarries many reconditioned as well as good prices on new tools. That's where I got my Bostitch RN46 from.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Rent or own, that is the question
On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:49:09 -0400you write: What is it with wives and their hate of tools? It's like this, why buy tools when you can buy jewerly or shoes?
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Table saw injury report.
I'm in favor for the Saw Stop for those who want to pay for it. The Saw Stop people are trying to make it a law that their product is a mandatory feature of all saws sold. I have a problem with this because I feel I should have the option to have the saw stop or not. I agree, the saw is very nice and smooth; but, this is true for the nicer contracter saws and on up to the cabinet saws. I know exactly what you are saying about blade tilt between the Saw Stop saw and the craftsman. I experienced this upgrading from my ridgid contracter's saw to my grizzly cabinet saw. Saws are dangerous. They cut stuff with a lot of power behind the blade. People need to realize this before they use one. All the manufacturers all have explicit warnings in their documentation. I look at all this like the lady who sued McDonalds for spilling hot coffee in her lap. I'm sure it was painful and a horible experience; but, it was her fault. Terry On Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:48:13 -0500you write: Hi Woodworkers; I do agree with Bob, that good table saw techniques are needed no matter how safe your saw is. The problem is that a beginner mus t start some where. Not all the blind have training available. I have nicked fingers and have had wood thrown into my chest in the past, but not for a very long time. I also believe that Blind Woodworkers are safer woodworkers than sighted woodworkers in general. I would like to speak in favor of the Saw Stop. I dry a lot of my own wood, and wet wood can fire the safety feature. A nail in the wood is a more common reason for a misfire. The Saw Stop does a have a mode where you can test the wood ahead of time to see if it will fire on the wood. This test is done w ithout the blade running. But if I had two misfires, I still would be willing to buy another cartridge and blade. Another point about the Saw Stop is that it is a very nice table saw. I took an angle measurement with a TO bevel. I took that m easurement to a dado blade on the SawStop, turn the wheel, and I was very impressed on how easy it was to bring the blade to that angle. With my craftsman table saw, I would have to go back and fourth several times to get that angle. With the Saw Stop, I was able to bring the blade right to that angle. So to make sure, I went past and then went down. It was very easy. The fence is very easy, but many saws have that kind of fence. Over all, even with the safety feature turned off, it is an excellent saw. But it is hard to beat with the safety feature on. John
Re: [BlindHandyMan] glues
On Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:18:31 -0500 TiteBond is water soluble until it dries. The #2 is only rated as water resistant but the tests they use to determine water proof is so crazy nothing will ever face those conditions. Gorilla glue is a urethane glue and in turn it takes a solvent to clean up. It also expands as it cures which is a whole other ki nd of problem. For all my wood working projects, I find Titebound 2 and 3 all that is needed. I still keep grilla glue and apoxy on hand for other projects. Apoxy and Grilla Glue can be used to attach dissimular surfaces while titebond is for strictly wood. Terry
[BlindHandyMan] band saw adjustment
Hello all: I wanted to provide some information on proper band saw adjustment. I do use my saw for ripping and resawing very successfully. My serfaces require very lettle smoothing and are straight and square. I am able to cut veneer less than 1/8. I found this article on Highland Hardware. They do a much better job of talking about bandsaw adjustment than I could. I will make some comments before and after as this relates to me as a blind wood worker. It didn't cut and paste very well. I'd suggest getting the pdf. Recommendations: Good rip fence. ball bearing guides (They can contact the blade while guide blocks don't. (guides blade more steady) a good resaw blade (sharp and clean) Make sure the saw is adjusted such that the blade tracks as close to the center of the bottom and top wheels as possible. Make sure no guides are deflecting the blade when blade tracking is being adjusted. This is the html version of the file http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/library/resaw.pdf. Google automatically generates html versions of documents as we crawl the web. Page 1 Slicing WoodA Practical Guide to Successful ResawingTo begin at the beginning: resawing is cuttinga sawn plank into thinner planks. Thus the cut runsthrough the plank's width, which distinguishes resawingfrom ordinary rip cuts where the blade runs through thestock's thickness. Its all ripping in any case, and thetechniques well review here apply just as well to rip-ping 8/4 stock as to sawing 10 veneers or 5 drawer sides. The bandsaw is the ideal tool for this job. Its farsafer than a circular saw, because it doesnt cause kickback. Its narrow kerf and vertical blade movement makeit extremely efficient, wasting minimal wood and cutting relatively easily and quickly even with a low-powersaw. Resawing is easy; all you have to do is cut straight lines (very straight indeed). This requires nothing morecomplicated than appropriate blade selection, adequate tension, effective stock control, and practice.Blade Selection: No ContestAs you saw through very thick stock, each saw tooth shaves out an enormous amount of waste. In order tomaintain a reasonably productive feed rate, there has to be somewhere for that waste to be stashed out the wayuntil the teeth emerge from the cut. Otherwise the gullets between the teeth fill up and stall further advance untiltheyve cleared the stock. Blades with about 3 teeth per inch (tpi) have large gullets which can accommodate asmuch waste as youll generate by sawing through thick stock, and they'll handle anything less substantial withno trouble at all. Youve made the best choice of all with our Wood Slicer?, whose thin-kerf, variable pitch 3-4tpi design makes it the smoothest and quietest resaw blade on the market.In principle, the wider the blade, the higher its beam strength and the better it can maintain straightness.Wider, however, isn't necessarily better. Almost all U.S. woodcutting bandsaw blades over 1/2 wide are .035thick, thicker than the Wood Slicers total kerf width. 3/4 blades are set far more coarsely as well. They morethan double the load on your saw, and they cut so roughly that they're clearly a step in the wrong direction.High Tension: No WorriesTension may be the least important factor in successful resaw setup, but its significant nonetheless. Ad-equate blade tension helps keep stock centered even if your control isn't flawless, and it reduces the blade'stendency to flutter under thrust. It's easy to set a satisfactory amount of tension. Install the Wood Slicer on yoursaw, with lateral guides and thrust bearings opened up and backed off both above and below the table so theydo not contact the blade. Crank on some tension, and then give the blade a sharp sideways poke about halfwaybetween the upper and lower wheels. The blade will deflect a short distance and then seem to hit a wall; if youpush a lot harder it will bend farther, but there's a fairly distinct point where it quits deflecting easily. Add ten-sion until this sideways movement is just 1/4 to 5/16 on saws with 6 depth of cut, or about 3/8 - 1/2 onsaws with 12 depth. By the way, don't look at the saw's built-in tension gauge until you're finished; there's noneed to confuse yourself with arbitrary numbers. After youve gotten the hang of tensioning by feel, check thegauge and use its reading as a setup guide.Once the blade is tensioned and tracked properly, theres one last bit of tuning you can do that can make a realdifference in performance. Before you bring the lateral guides and thrust bearings up close to the blade, close thewheel covers and turn the saw on. If vibration blurs the blade, try increasing or decreasing the tension very slightlyuntil the blade runs smoothly in a straight, quiet line from wheel to wheel. Cuts will be smoother when you elimi-nate this source of fluttering in the kerf, and the saw will run quieter and more efficiently as well.Stock Control: A Leading
Re: [BlindHandyMan] New Band Saw.
Hey Max: I believe the bearings are so posed to be in contact with the blade. This keeps the blade from flexing from side to side. There is a bearing behind the blade that keeps the blade from sliding backwards when a cut is being made. I have my saw set where there is just about .02 between the back of the blade and the back bearing. To set your guides, move all of them away from the blade. You don't want anything to be touching the blade. Tension the blade and spin the saw a few times. This will let the blade settle on the tires exactly where it will track. Adjust the side bearings from front to back such that the blade teeth extend past the bearing. Slide the side bearings in until they touch the blade. Be careful not to deflect the blade from right to left. Move the back bearings forward until they are almost touching the back of the blade. That's it. It is very important to use the correct blade on the band saw for the given task. If you are ripping or re sawing, you need a re saw blade. If you are cutting circles, you need a thinner blade. One thing to keep in mind about a band saw is the fence should not be set square to the miter slot on the table. Every saw tracks different. One must set the fence accordingly. I use the woodslicer re saw blade. It is very quiet and does a very good job. My resaw edges are square and pretty smooth. A quick pass over a sander is all that is required to finish up the edge. If I'll be happy to describe a procedure to set a band saw fence if anyone is interested. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] to those of us that turn wood
On Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:55:17 -you write: have any of you folks played with carnuba wax sticks I think it has a lovely smell when melting using friction and it has a hi glossy finish [or at least it feals like it does] You are correct. If the surface has been well prepared, one can get a nice glossy finish. I use the hut wax all the time. I found it doesn't hold up for things handled all the time such as pencils, pens and such; but, for those bowls it works just fine. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Help with air fittings
I agree totally. Just use teflon tape to seal the threads. You can get the black pipe in 1/2 increments; so, no need to cut and thread anymore. Terry On Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:37:56 -0600you write: Dale, If you are looking for long term use I would suggest you go with the half inch black pipe. Unless you are using three eighth hose it could becomerestrictive for some uses. The black pipe you would easy to come by pipe fittings and just have to reduce down to quarter inch for the quick disconnect fittings. The female ends are usually screwed to the pipe and the male end is on the mova ble hose. The female being biggger is less apt to be damaged and less pointed for us blind folk to bang into. You would probably run this up along the basement ceiling so don't forget drip legs at the bottom of each verticle drop. I have these drip legs te rminating with a valve for easy water removal, but a cap screwed over the end of a pipe nipple serves well also. Haven't drained mine in two years, but it doesn't get a lot of use. . For valving look for ball valves that are rated correctly. Usually stamped like o a g or g a o. I don't remember the order, but meaning it is rated for oil, air, and gas. I think you find the pipe i s competative with the bunch of hoses needed. Hope this helps some Ron
Re: [BlindHandyMan] RE: talking tape measures;
Tom: Thanks for the note. It is too bad this tape measure is not going to be made anymore. It is well made. The case has with stood several drops and general abuse. I do have an old echoplus somewhere. It would be worth hooking them up to see what happens. I looked in my mail logs. I do see where you tried to send me an email directly. It was rejected because ski.org does not have a DNS entry. If my mail system can't verify the sender's IP address, it won't accept the email. I have this configured to try and cut down on spam. Sorry about that. Terry On Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:38:06 -0800you write: Terry passed me the model number of the Starett digital tape he has. Sadly, it is no longer being made, and they don't plan a replacement. Too bad product reviews of it sound very good. My reply to Terry bounced, so I make the following suggestion here as it may get to Terry. Terry, If the serial port on the tape runs at 9600 baud and sends ascii strings with CR/Lf terminations, why not find an old doubletalk Lt synthesizer and just hook it up see if it'll talk directly. Of course if the speed or data format is wrong, no luck I looked around on ebay to see if I could fine a starett DP1-25 but no luck. Sure sorry I didn't find that while they were being made. Tom Fowle
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Power Miter Saw
On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:46:37 -0500you write: I have had both saws and I only have a 12 inch Deewalt miter saw now. I miss the radial arm saw very much. I sold it because I was moving from Houston to Newport, Kentucky, and I didn't want to haul it around. The miter saw is much more accurate, since the radial arm saw has so many places to loose accuracy from the table up to the rolling motor mount. I have both a Delta 33-890 radial arm saw and a bosch 10 sliding compound miter saw. I would say the miter saw is good enough for most folks. However, for my needs, I would give up my bosch miter saw before I'd let go of my Delta radial arm saw. The radial arm saw does everything the miter saw will do and more. When makeing multiple repitive cuts, there is no need to turn off the saw. I can make dados, rabits, half lap joints with a dado blade. The saw swings any direction 360 degrees. The blade will tilt both left and right for those compound cuts. The saw is much quieter. The motor is much more powerful. I can measure a cut easier and much more accurately because the saw can be pulled forward to the point where the measurement needs to take place. What I don't like about radial arm saws: Their setup is more involved then a miter saw. They are very dangerous. They take up a lot of room I think radial arm saws got a bad wrap because of the later saws produced by some of the manufactures who were trying to produce a saw that would compete with the miter saws. The later craftsman saws (ridgid) were very sloppy because of the lighter arm. I think the only new radial arm saw you can buy is one by Delta and General International. I'd stay away from everything else due to the lighter construction. My Delta is every bit as accurate as my miter saw. Although, it took me about 4 or 5 hours to get it tuned up. hth Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Stripping paint.
On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:46:38 -0500 (EST)you write: So, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I decided to rip down the canvas wall paper covering, taking with it some 80 years of paint, including lots of lead based paints. I sealed off the nursery, taping the door closed, had a big box fan exhausting out one window with the other window cracked open. I had my respirator on, and a jump suit. I pealed all the paper off the walls and ceiling in pretty short order. I bagged it and sealed the bags. Then I shop vacked the hell out of the room with a heppa filter on the vac. All went quite well. Unfortunately, Teresa and I made a monumentally stupid decision after that. Being good parents to be, we discussed the fact that due to past water damage, the paint on the window sills was chipping and pealing so we should probably strip that paint off and repaint them. What a fucking nightmare. I spent about 20 hours over the weekend in a respirator, painting stripper on the trim and scraping it off. The stripper worked well on the first umteen layers of paint, it literally bubbled right off. After a second application of stripper, I was still fighting with the last couple of layers of paint. I finally gave up and just scraped it all down so that there was no loose material. My hands are scraped and sore from smashing them on corners, edges, radiators, and exposure to harsh chemicals. My back and shoulders are killing me from hours on the floor scraping the damn baseboards. I attempted making the pitch of just ripping out the trim and putting new stuff in, but that didn't fly. It would have been so much easier though. Anyway, it is done, sort of, and now I have to deal with patching up the walls a bit, and finishing the trim work on the closet. SHEESH! Sounds like a lot of work, no doubt. Did you consider taking up the trim and putting it back when you were done? Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Stripping paint.
I would agree; replacement would have been the path of less resistance. However, there is that peaceful, tranquil home environment which must be maintained. :) You have to go back to work so you can rest. :) Between you and Dale, you guys make me look bad. Terry On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 11:13:22 -0500 (EST)you write: Terry, That was my first choice, remove the trim, strip it, and put it back. Teresa didn't like that idea, she thought it would be more work, and that there was a possibility of breaking some of the trim and needing to replace it. Personally, after seeing how difficult it was to strip it, I think just replacing it all would have been the easiest of the choices.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Talking tape measures
Hey all: I've been reading about tape measures in general. And, have come to reconfirm my opinion. It seems that starrett still makes the best digital tape measure. I'm sure there are those who will disagree though. About 2000, I purchased a Starrett DigiTape along with the serial cable. I used this tape for a while; but, soon discovered it was not practical. One can not always take measurements when attached to a laptop. This tape is very accurate and is extremely durable. I still use it today with the locking feature when I need the measurement; but, don't really care what the number is. I would suggest seeing if Mario Salazar would be interested in maybe making some sort of bluetooth module for this tape. What do you all think? In some earlier postings, it was discussed ways of electronically reading the the length of tape out. The Starrett DigiTapes read a barcode printed on the tape. I don't know if this would be more reliable or not. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Alternative MP3 Players!
On Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:49:22 -0500you write: But, Why do you need this Rock Box Software? Thanks. Claudia An mp3 player is nothing more than a small computer. It has storage, cpu, memory ... The rockbox software is the operating system that runs on the device. Since, an mp3 player is considered to be an imbedded system, the software is known has firmware. Rockbox is a replacement firmware for several players. The reason rockbox is of interest to us is that it provides speech output for the mp3 players it runs on. It will not play .aa files. I get around this by converting my .aa files to .mp3 files on my computer. I use it for making recordings as if it were an old tape recorder. It would have been very helpful if this technology was available when I was in College. A good part of my music library is stored on my iAudio. To use rockbox, you will have to find a player somewhere that is supported. (ebay, internet out-let creg's list ...). You will have to learn how to flash (load the firmware) and generate voice files. I read somewhere about an open source player. I have kept this in the back of my mind for the day when my iAudio has to be replaced. I have heard that the ipods are now speech accessible; but, know nothing further. I don't think a blind person and a touch screen would get along very well though. Also, I don't want to have to mess with that itunes funny business. Hope that helps. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Alternative MP3 Players!
Hey Scott: Thanks for the opinion. Per your recommendation, I did look at the mac and have tried out the speech interface. And, was impressed. There are numerous benefits to have an inter grated speech. From what I can tell, it is as good as linux with speakup / orca. When looking at my wife's iphone, It reminded me of those microwave ovens with the absolutely flat and smooth key pad. How do you know where the buttons are? I am glad to hear the iphone is accessible. Terry On Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:24:20 -0400you write: Well Tarry, I have been using an iPhone for just shy of three weeks and I find the touch screen not to be an issue for me. In fact I think any blind person has a very good shot at learning to work with the interface with some time and patience because any new interface will take a little more time to learn. I have successfully read/sent e-mail, played music, podcasts, loaded several applications, and even have a very affordable (for $90) a rather accessible GPS solution. I just got the MobileNavigator software, so have to work with it a bit more. Of course there is the iPod Shuffle and Nano, which the Shuffle offers playback only, but is very accessible with the controls in the earphone cord, and the Nano now offers recording audio and video as well as a FM radio, and is controlled with a wheel you would slide your finger around. Now as far as iTunes, I've been using it with great success for many years. I find iTUnes to more than fit my needs and for most people it will work fine. SOme folks do have special requirements that perhaps iTunes does not meet, but for transferring music to the device, it'll get the job done fine. Now of course it's easy for me to say since I use a Mac and iTunes just works beautifully and not having used it on a windows machine, the results may be different. Just wanted to share the fact that there are options that do not require you to flash a device. I've done this, so I'm familiar with the process and know it is not overly complicated, but it just seems unnecessary when there are accessible solutions available. I personally did not like Rockbox myself and this was a number of years ago when I tried it out, but just the way it handled speech always seemed to behave oddly.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] finishing waxes
I have always used the hut wax. It looks like a candybar. Never used carnuva. I'll keep it in mind though. I got some deer antler from a friend who is a hunter. There are people who turn that stuff. I couldn't. The smell was really bad. Terry On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:48:39 -you write: for those of us that do wood turning hav you had a play with carnuba wax i think it smells nice when melting buy fricktion in the usual manner
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Alternative MP3 Players!
You might want to visit www.rockbox.org. This site is the home for rockbox, a public domain firmware for several players. I have an iAudio x5l running rockbox. I am extremely happy with it. Terry On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:26:27 -0500you write: Hi All, My Muvo T100 has bitten the dust; what are some other alternatives players that I might purchase, to replace this one? Creative Labs seems to have discontinued both the Muvo Zenstone models, so I'm looking for something that's pretty easy to manage. Thanks. Claudia
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Click Ruler versus Rotomatic
Just make yourself some story sticks. Often the less techniqual the better. Terry On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:03:33 -0400you write: I'm getting ready to put in some baseboards and some interior door casings. Can anyone recommend which of the above would work best for measuring the length needed and then measuring the wood for the miter saw cut? Previously when I used my talking tape for measuring the board to cut on my miter saw, I have the following problems. First of all the metal tab on the end of the tape won't hold around the edge of the board. So, I have to hold the dumb end down by sticking a push pin into the first perforated hole in the tape to hold it down. Bear in mind, if I don't work fast the talking tape turns off and I have to pull the pin and reset the tape and start over. Secondly, I run the tape down the board to the correct measurement, against my saw blade, then badk the tape off and make my cut. After the cut I pull the tape to the end of the board to check my measurement. Again, I have to work fast or the thing will turn off again. Anyway, all this stuff is ridiculous, so, I was wondering whether I would have better luck using a click ruler or the rotomatic. Since I've never used either of them, I don't know which one might work the best for these applications. Can anyone out there advise me on this Thanks, Tom Hodges?
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Drill Press Table
I think the wood pecker products are certainly top notch as well. My Wife says, the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. Terry On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:07:24 -0400you write: I have the same table, although it has the Pinnacle name on it. That is the house brand Wood Peckers gives their line of accessor ies they sell through Woodcraft. I used the mounting hardware that came with it and haven't had any trouble with the table moving. I saw the radial drill press at Woodcraft made by Rikon. For the price it's a great machine. I don't know that all the angles yo u can reach are necessary unless you are building things like rocking chairs or other pieces of furniture. Grizzly also has a rad ial drill press for less and it sounds pretty good too.
[BlindHandyMan] Drill Press Table
I wanted to let folks know what I did to modify my drill press to support woodworking for my needs. Hopefully, others will be able to benefit as well as offer some suggestions. When one purchases a drill press, it is not set up for woodworking and especially wood working for a blind person. They come with a table of some sort usually made out of cast iron or aluminum. These surfaces are usually too small to support a project. There is no way to accurately position a fence or position hold-down clamps. These tables have no support for the wood as the bit exits therefore, causing tear-out in the underside of the piece. The first addition to a drill press should be a table set up for woodworking. In my mind, this table should have various t-tracks used for hold-down clamps and fence positioning. The fence should support flip stops and be easily removed when not needed. The table should support in certs that can be replaced as needed. Supporting the underside of a piece when the bit exits is very important. I decided to purchase the drill press table from Wood Pecker http://www.woodpeck.com/wpdrillpresstable.html. There are many other tables out there. One could even make their own easy enough. I wanted the table to be attached securely. I wanted the table to be unable to slide in any direction. The hardware kit that came with the table provided some course threaded ddrywall type screws and some large washers. I immediately decided to figure out a better way to make the connection between the the drill press table and the wood working table. I was afraid this would not hold over time. The cast iron table on my drill press is round. It is about 13 in diameter. It has 6 slots radiating out from the center evenly spaced around the circle. Think of pieces of pie. I first cut a piece of 3/4 plywood 13 square. I then drilled 4 holes 1 in from each of the corners of the plywood. These holes are 9/32. I then positioned this plywood on the bottom of my new wood working table. I was very careful to center the plywood from left to right and from front to back. I wanted the plywood to be centered and square with my new table. using some quick clamps, I firmly clamped the table and plywood together positioned properly. I then used a 9/32 transfer punch to mark the 4 holes from the plywood on to the underside of my new table. using the divits left by the transfer punch, I drilled 1/4 holes through the new table and came out the top. I then counter sunk these holes from the top. Next, I pounded in t-nuts into the 4 holes in the plywood. Using 1/4x20 counter sink machine screws, I attached the new table to the plywood firmly. And, checked to make sure the plywood was positioned properly under the new table. It just happened, the slots in my cast iron table are 1/2 wide. So, I used 1/2 dowel sets in 3 of the 6 slots at the outer edge of the circle. I then centered the cast iron table under the chuck using the cone shaped front of the chuck in the center hole of the table. I then tightened everything up. The new table has a 3/8 hole in the exact center. I next chucked up a 3/8 transfer punch hand tight. Using this punch and the center 3/8 hole in the new table, I positioned the new table on the cast iron table. I next firmly pressed down on the table so the dowel sets would mark where the 1/2 holes were to be drilled. I then removed the new table and unscrewed the plywood from the bottom. I used the 3 divits made by the dowel sets to drill 1/2 holes through the plywood. I then counter the holes in the plywood using a forstner bit so the head of the 1/2 bolts wouldn't stick up above the plywood. I then attached the plywood to the cast iron table using 1/2 bolts 1 1/2 long. At this point, the plywood wasn't going to go anywhere. And was exactly centered on the round table. All that was left was to attach the new table to the plywood as before. This was quickly done using those 1/4x20 counter sink screws. I have made 2 jigs to help with alignment of my table. The first makes sure the table is exactly perpendicular to the chuck. This jig is nothing more than a piece of wood 6 long. At each end is a 1/4 bolt attached through holes in the wood. One end gets chucked up and the other end is used to measure the distance between the head of the bolt and the table. The device can be swung between 3 and 9 O'clock to compare the measurements. It works well and is very accurate. The second device is a stick that measures the distance between the back corner of the table and the drill press post. It is used to ensure the table is square with the machine. This is important when drilling any angles other than 90 when the table is tilted. There are 3 tools I consider to be very important when using a drill press. These are: set of transfer punches, dowel centers and a centering tool from wood craft. Hope thatmumbo jumbo helps someone. I'd be
Re: [BlindHandyMan] power twist link belts
I'd have a look at the drillpress table from wood pecker. It is a much nicer table. http://www.woodpeck.com/wpdrillpresstable.html On Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:32:13 -0400you write: Lenny, if you get the table I got, you may want to make some changes before you use it. The round nuts are fastened to the bottom with small screws and will pull out of the wood, easily. I changed mine so the nuts are on top and pull against the top of the table and the clamps hold much better. earlier, Lenny McHugh, wrote: Hopefully tomorrow I will be making a trip to Grizzly. Been trying to get there for a few weeks. One of the items on my list is a 3/8 inch power twist link belt for my drill press. Has anyone converted the drill press to use these belts. My only concern is to get the belts to the correct length. My grizzly 7943 press uses two belts. When I upgraded the belt on my table saw the difference was almost unbelievable. All vibration went away, you can stand a nickel on edge while the machine is running.If we can get there I also plan to purchase the table for the drill press. I could not make one for what Grizzly is selling it for. Not sure how long I will be there it is a major (candy) store with over 12,000 tools on display. --- Please visit my home page; it is motivational, inspirational and humorous with many resources for the blind. http://www.lennymchugh.com Lenny
Re: [BlindHandyMan] power twist link belts
Hey Lenny: I highly recommend the link twist belts. I have replaced the belts on my equipment with them. The drill press was one of the first. The 2 tools I noticed the most improvement was the drill press and my band saw. Just measure all your belts for length. Add up the total feet. Buy enough packages of the link twist belt material. Construct new belts with the proper number of links to make the same size belts. The link twist belts are not cut to size. One adds or removes links as needed. The links are small enough you never have to worry about having a belt too large or too small. In fact, you might have to remove a link or 2 after your belt gets worked in. I always like going on a Grizzly pilgrimage. I wish I could join you. I remember when I got my table saw, planer and jointer. It was a once in a lifetime deal. It was like mega Christmas. There was just under 1 ton of stuff in a 1/2 ton truck. Anyway, hope you get to head that way tomorrow. Better buy that Wife a nice dinner or something. :) Terry On Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:09:40 -0400you write: Hopefully tomorrow I will be making a trip to Grizzly. Been trying to get there for a few weeks. One of the items on my list is a 3/8 inch power twist link belt for my drill press. Has anyone converted the drill press to use these belts. My only concern is to get the belts to the correct length. My grizzly 7943 press uses two belts. When I upgraded the belt on my table saw the difference was almost unbelievable. All vibration went away, you can stand a nickel on edge while the machine is running.If we can get there I also plan to purchase the table for the drill press. I could not make one for what Grizzly is selling it for. Not sure how long I will be there it is a major (candy) store with over 12,000 tools on display. --- Please visit my home page; it is motivational, inspirational and humorous with many resources for the blind. http://www.lennymchugh.com Lenny
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Compound curve gauge.
On Wed, 7 Oct 2009 22:07:29 -0400you write: I just received this device for setting or copying compound curves. It is a strip of metal about inch and a quarter high and five and a half feet long. At intervals there are brackets attached to it with slots and tightening knobs which allow you to bend the s trip into curved shapes then lock them with the knobs. Dale: Thanks for the info. I'm going to be making a headboard soon. The top will have a slight arch or curve with cut-outs at each end. This device might do the trick. I'm thinking a good solution would be to use this device to create a pattern out of hardboard using a flushtrim bit. Then, by using a pattern bit, one could make the exact curve desired. Thanks again. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] EZ Smart Guide
Hey Dan: I have 2 circular saws. One is an 18V cordless 6 blade while the other is a corded 7 1/4 blade. To be honest, I mostly use the 18V cordless because of it's ease of use. I don't have to mess with the cord. Although, if I'm doing more than a few cuts, I'll drag it out. For cutting straight, I just use a plane straight edge. I don't use that attachment you were talking about. So, don't give up depth. I've found that if the straight edge sticks out far out enough to line up the saw before cutting, it is easy to follow the straight edge through the length of the cut. Terry On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:23:11 -0400 (EDT)you write: I have one of those amazingly useful EZ Smart Guide Systems from Eureka Zone. This is an extruded Aluminum track that you can use to ride your circular saw on to make very straight cuts. You have to add a special shoe to the shoe of your circ saw so that the new shoe rides on the groove of the track. OK, here's the deal, the shoe adds some thickness, as does the thickness of the track. Possibly I've got a circular saw with one of the smaller max depth of cut, but it drives me absolutely insane that I can't even cut through two by material while using the smart guide. While using the guide, I can cut exactly 1 and 7/16 inches which means I have to hand saw that stupid last 1/16 of an inch. Of course it never comes out perfectly smooth. Anyway, I am wondering if other people have the same issue. Also, I am considering purchasing an 8 and a quarter inch circ saw. I've not laid hands on one yet, but have read about them. Anybody have one? Are they significantly larger, heavier, or harder to handle than the standard 7.25 saw? The one I am considering has a 3 inch max depth of cut. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail:d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
Re: [BlindHandyMan] EZ Smart Guide
I say iif it works for you then there is no need to do anything different. Also, since it was a gift from your Wife, you had better use it. :) Terry On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:10:16 -0400 (EDT)you write: Terry, I am old, lazy, and forgetful, so when I try and use my circ saw with a straight edge, I can never remember what the offset from the edge of the shoe to the blade is. So I have to measure it again. Then I inevitably make the mistake of cutting on the wrong side of the blade and screw up the cut anyway. That's why I like the saw guide, I just line up the edge of it with where I want to cut and I am done. Yes, I can make one of those handy dandy guides that we have heard about on this list, but the EZ guide does have a couple of nice features like, built-in clamps, and being made out of Aluminum. And, since my wife gave it to me as a Christmas present, I have it and might as well use it, especially if it means I need to buy another tool to use it more effectively. *GRIN* -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail:d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
Re: [BlindHandyMan] measuring tip
Lenny: Thanks for sharing. I always like to hear of interesting ways of accomplishing tasks such as this. I bet this method also helps to keep the tacks in a straight line as well. Terry On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:28:56 -0400you write: The other day I watched a little of diy. They were planning on using some decorative tacks around a project. The way that they evenly spaced them was pretty neat. They took a piece of elastic material and poked the tacks through right next to each other. Then they stretched the elastic against the project. By stretching it perfectly made each tack the same distance apart. Then they tapped in the tacks and pulled the elastic away before finishing. There are probably many other uses for this type of measuring.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Lubing crank on tablesaw?
Hey Mat: On my tablesaw, I use dry cilicone. It comes in a spray can like spray paint. To apply, you shake the can and spray where needed. It dries quickly and forms a protective coating. Your saw might be caked up with a greece and sawdust gunk type mixture. This turns into a sticky like paste which will have to be cleaned. Since the dry cilicone is dry, saw dust won't stick to it. At any rate, I would clean the moving parts with meneral spirits or wd40 first and then coat with dry cilicone. Don't use wd40 as a lubercent. It doesn't hang around very long. Like you, I use wd40 to clean my cast iron table tops. The wd in wd40 stands for water displacement. I then use johson's paste wax to protect the surface and make the tables a little more slick. Terry On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:40:04 -0500you write: Hi ya, I'm wondering what's best to clean and lube the crank for raising my table-saw up and down. It's really tough to turn. I was thinking wd40 and then Johnson's paste floor-wax, but that's my answer to just about anything. Well... I don't use wd-40 much , but I feel a want-too, coming on again here lately. I just read one of their FAQ's on the net. I use it to clean my tool's table-tops and then I go over them with the wax. I have axel Greece, which I use on the posts of my wife's golf-cart, but not sure what else it is good for. Matt
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Bose
I think Bose make decent consumer grade speakers. One has to understand what their goal is. They want to provide the best sound they can in the smallest enclosure possible. Think of it as range of sound verses the size of each speaker. Given this, they have done a good job. For most folks, as long as the mid range sounds good, the highs and lows can be ignored. An example is: Bose uses vented woofers making the enclosure a lot smaller. A lot of sound can be produced in a small box with relatively little power. The draw back is the enclosure is resonate over a very narrow range of frequencies. Bose tunes this so they get a nice booming sound; but, this doesn't accurately reproduce someone playing a bass guitar. Sounds good when that car blows up during that movie though. Bose have developed ways of deflecting the sound from their speakers such that the sound will both flow directly from the speaker to our ears and indirectly by bouncing off objects in the room. This is how we hear naturally anyway. So, our brains can better relate to the artificially produced sound. So, I wouldn't pay for Bose technology in an open space. However, for spreading out the sound from a small enclosure, it is adequate. Personally, I very much enjoy listening to music. Late at night, I like to listen to some good blues, jazz or sometimes classical. A clear full rich sound is very important to me. I like to hear not the instrument; but, the instrument being played as will. In short, Bose sound quite good for every day listening, watching TV ... However, they can not accurately truly reproduce music with the depth and warmth they claim. As most things, it is a compromise. I do think they are overpriced because of the Bose brand though. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] another sound around system question
Probably one of the external USB sound cards is what you want. Never heard surround sound from a pair of headphones. Bet that is an experience. Terry On Tue, 1 Sep 2009 11:19:03 -0700you write: A few months back I bought some nice speakers for my desktop. The sound around type with front, right, and middle speaker, rear left and right, and a woofer that sits on the floor. Once I went to hook it up I found out I didn't have enough input jacks on my sound card. So I had to buy an external sound card, I bought one from Turtle beach which worked out fine. The system sound great. So next I decided to by some head phones from Turtle Beach called Ear Force X52 that I could use on my notebook. Since I was over in the Bay Area, I stopped by Fry's Electronics and saved myself 20 bucks plus shipping and handling. Told the guy at fries what I wanted to do and he said the ear force X-52 was ideal for my needs and would hook right up to my notebook. Well when I got home I discovered that the head phones had to different connections that would plug in at the end of the ear phone cord, and it's got a round female connector. So one of input jacks had your standard input jacks that you'd insert in to your sound card, or in my case I hooked it to the ear phone jack in the front of the notebook. But Damn it! this only produces stereo.In order to get the surround sound I need to hook up the cable , one end being male and round, and the other end pig tails out with four jacks. Is there some kind of device out there that one end has a USB connection that I could hook these four jacks to and get the surround sound?
[BlindHandyMan] expensive mistake
Hello All: I was using my router table as a work surface since my bench was occupied with another project. I was installing henge's on some small boxes I made for my Daughters. These henge's came with #4 screws. They are very small and can easily escape. Of course one came up missing. I didn't think too much about it since the package contained a couple of extras. Normally, I use a magnetic pan to contain all my parts. I did find the screw later. It gave my router a bad case of indigestion. It is amazing how much damage a little screw like that did. The router is now pretty much toast. When my router is not in use, I crank it down below the table and install a blank throat plate. Even though, that plate has no center hole for a bit to come up through, it has 2 small holes across from each other. These holes are located on the outer edge and are used to twist it on or off. The screw would have had to fall through one of them. The screw would have bearly fit. My router was on for about 3 seconds. The first second was me deciding there was a problem. The last 2 was me fumbling with the switch. The moment I turned it on it was probably too late. Haven't decided if I will order the parts and repair it; or, just buy a new one. That's $300 I really don't have. The router is a or was a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 HP variable speed router. Porter Cable sells it with just the motor for use in router tables. (which is good) Lesson learned. That one hurt. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Clog Cannon!
If one has a drain that keeps getting stopped up, there is a product I recommend. It is a flexable trap. The trap can be squeezed or moved in such a way to release the blockage. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] idears for makeing a spinning top pleas
On Sat, 8 Aug 2009 18:27:12 +0100you write: i'm thinking of makeing a frinds suna spinning top but i doan't kno whair to start I've made several of them on my lathe over the years. A drill press can be used as well. Get a length of dowel rod. Drill a hole in a block of wood glew a piece of the dowel in the hole. Leave about 3 sticking out. Chuck the piece in a drill press or on a lathe. Use what ever tools you have to shape the wood. A launcher can be made with a piece of wood with a hole on one end. Stick the dowel through the hole, wrap string around the dowel by twisting the top. Hold the launcher in one hand and pull on the string with the other. A helocopter can be made this way as well. My Daughters had great fun with simple toys like that. They sure grow up fast. Now, I'm dealing with driving and boy friends. Where's my shotgun anyway? :) Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] a rat problem
I was thinking about a few cats with atitudes. Get some cats and feed them hardly anything at all. Make them fend for themselfs. Seriously, that is what my Grandfather did in his hay barn. The only thing, I can't vouch for with absolute certainty is whether the cats had little attitudes or not. :) On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:11:04 -0500you write: If only you could hire the Pied Piper... Other than that I suppose poison and traps are the only option. Tom -Original Message- From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:blindhandy...@yahoogroups.com]on Behalf Of carl Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 10:31 PM To: anamals; blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: [BlindHandyMan] a rat problem we hav a rat problem due to next dor not takeing mutch cair of heas propaty is thair a humain way to get them to leave?
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Opinions on a product
This small generator would be perfect for camping or on my boat. It is small and light weight. The only real problem is it has a 2 cycle engine. So, you would have to mix the oil in the gas. The exhaust will be pretty messy. The 2 cycle engines are not all that efficient. Terry On Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:53:04 -0500you write: hi the question is what are you wanting to use it for. with only 800 watts it won't do much. it will run some lights and a power tool or 3 but that's about it. it won't run a hair dryer or a a larger TV. i wouldn't trust my computer on it be cause i am sure there isn't that much filtering on it. but if you just want it for little things away from the power it should work fine. but not that much Jim
Re: [BlindHandyMan] craftsman slider saw
Over the years, it has been my experience that, Grizzly is the best, Porter - Cable/delta is second and craftsman is a far third. My first lathe was a craftsman 1236. When I received it, the live center was bad. It wouldn't turn freely. Upon contacting craftsman, they wanted me to send in the lathe rather than just sending me out a new live center. I ended up going to wood craft and purchasing one so I wouldn't have to wait. When I first got my Grizzly planer, one of the bed rollers was bad. My boards were coming out with a slight wave. Grizzly sent me 2 new rollers which arived in less than 2 days. I'm sorry; but, I won't by craftsman wood working tools anymore. Terry On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:35:19 -0400you write: Well, I am becoming a little upset with the Sears repair center. The saw that I could not get the laser aligned up had a few other problems. About three weeks ago I decided to clean the blade. I can not remove it. The screw that holds the guard in place can not be removed. I guess it was installed by machinery at the factory. I had two friends also try to get it out and all that we are doing is messing up the head. Since I was going on vacation I decided to send it away listing three problems, the laser, that the guard can't be removed and it no longer slides smoothly. The other day I received a phone call that there will be a delay in the repair. I was told that there would be a ten day turn around and if it can't be repaired it will be replaced. It is now going on three weeks since they received it.
[BlindHandyMan] (unknown)
I would be extremely interested. If you could take the time to translate the plans into something we could understand, you would have my gratitude. I have an old antenna which needs to be replaced. Our ice storm of last year destroyed it. My Wife has been bugging me to do something about it. You know how Wifes are. I need all the points I can get. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] GFI receptacle
A GFI plug will have 2 buttons. There is no specific placement of these buttons. I've seen one on top of the other as well as the 2 side by side. One button is the reset. If the circuit has been tripped, this button will be pushed out. You just have to push it back in and the circuit should become hot again. The other button is the test. If it is pressed, it will cause a fault and the reset will pop out. If the buttons are one on top of the other and the plug is installed properly, the reset will or should be the top. You can't hurt anything by pushing each of them. In fact, that is what you most likely have to do. Hope that helps. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] roap cleats
I'd goto a marine supply store. I just replaced the cleats on my boat not too long ago. Terry On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:59:26 -0400you write: I want to install three rope cleats for some roll up porch blinds. I could not locate stainless steel for the back porch. Where I will be installing that one the post is wrapped with white aluminum. I could only find the cleats in chrome or nickel plated. I purchased the nickel since it will probably last longer. I wonder if some nylon washers will be enough to put between the cleat and the aluminum? The screws are probably also nickel, I think I have some stainless #8 that I could use in place of the ones that came with the cleat. I also have some thin plastic that I could cut out a small piece to use as an insulator, any other suggestions?. --- Please visit my home page; it is motivational, inspirational and humorous with many resources for the blind. http://www.LennyMcHugh.com
Re: [BlindHandyMan] digital indicator with a talkman speech module
Hello Art: First of all, I need to correct myself. I said Talkman instead of Voiceman. I believe Talkman was an adaption of the Soni Walkman to play 4 track tapes. The Voiceman is a speech module made by Mitutoyo. This device reads SPC data from digital indicators, protracters, scales, calipers, ... I would suggest doing a google search on blind machinist. There are a few good articles you can check out. I believe the part number of the Voiceman is 64aax001. I would suggest locating a Mitutoyo dealer in your area. I personally have a digital indicator and 6 caliper. Along with the necessary data interface cables, The Voiceman comes in very handy. I am saving my dimes to purchase an angle guage (protracter). One of the scales would be good as well. This is a stripp that is mounted on the front rail of a tablesaw. The measuring part would be mounted on the fence. One could then have a digital readout of the rip setting. (cool deal) Of course, I do have to admit, I am a tool junky. In stead of a munkey on my back, I have a Grizzly. Hope this helps. I purchased from K. T. Supply out of Oklahoma City. Worked with a fellow named Mel. Terry -- Original Message --- On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:43:46 -0400you write: Terry You mentioned a digital indicator with a talkman speech module in your reply to a message. Where might one find digital indicator with a talkman speech module for purchase? Thanks. Art
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Mopping Floors?
My parents stand by the swiffer. Http://www.swiffer.com I know hoover makes an upright wet/dry vacuum as well. Terry original message -- On Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:29:24 -0500you write: Hi All, I know that this has been discussed before, but I'm at my wit's end. We have laminate floors, all throughout the house, except the bathroom. I use floor cleaner, specifically for this purpose, with a regular mop. After the floors are done, they have this residue on them, as if the mop were leaving lint and fibers from the mop head! I don't know what to do or what other types of mops I might use? I hate mopping the floors because they don't feel clean to me afterwards. It's not dirt because I've even tried using new mop heads, even when the other ones have only been used a couple of times and thoroughly rinsed out, between uses! This residue just makes it seem like I haven't even cleaned, so all my efforts go to waste! Would a steam mop help my cause? I've just recently heard of these but have never seen one! Thanks. Claudia
Re: [BlindHandyMan] screw driving and rilling straight
On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:39:55 -0400you write: Hey guys, Do you all have good methods for making sure that, when you're using a power drill or screw driver, you're holding the drill or screw driver so that the screw or drill bit goes in completely straight and not on an angle? I've had problems lately (just started using my portable 12V drill extensively) that when I start screwing in a screw, it sometimes does not go in level. I'm assuming that there has got to be a better way than using an audible level or drill press. I'm working on putting together a set of Ikea kitchen cabinets and I'm terrified that I'll drill at an angle or something and screw myself up completely. I've tried using the screw driver bits with a sleeve screw guidd, and that seems to help, but what about drilling? Any other ideas? All the best. Noel I use a 6 square I purchased from Wood Peckers. The square gives me the reference point I need to drill straight. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] laser guided saw
On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:21:18 -0400you write: Thanks Terry. I tried that with a two, by four and my blade didn't touch the corner of the board, it touches the top surfaace of the board. Any suggestions? Thanks, Tom Do you have a miter saw or a sliding miter saw? You need a sliding miter saw to use the method I use. If you can't position the blade exactly where you want it (a tooth just touching the corner of a board, it won't work. I'd think the only way to cut a accurate length on a 90 cut would be to hold the rotomatic on the board and lign it up on the teeth of the blade. Cutting angles would be much more difficult. I just don't like to have to fumble with the measuring tool on the bed of the saw while holding the board and then moving the measuring device to make the cut. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] laser guided saw
Lenny: Sounds like your lady is a very special person. Her patience must be boundless. I'm like you. I want the scales on my equipment to read true. Although there are just a few people I will allow to use my tools, I what them to function as they should. I have a wood worker friend of mine come over and set the scales when ever I get a new piece of equipment set up. It is not only possible but easy for a blind person to properly align and or square up all wood working tools in his shop. With a few jigs and measuring tools, you can have your tablesaw cutting straight and true. or your jointer making flat and true edges. Some useful tools I use are: rotomatic, machinests square, set of feeler guages, Grizzly g9799 space block set, straight edge. I also recently was fortunate enough to obtain a digital indicator with a talkman speech module. Although very expensive, this tool allows a blind person to do a setup or alignment with up to 10 thousandth of an ench accuracy. These tools are my bench mark tools. Other than my rotomatic, they stay safely put away until it is time to do a setup. With a magnetic base and a digital indicator, most all set up tasks can be achieved. Just for grins, when I first got it, I checked the run out on all my tools. I think I stayed up most of the night measuring stuff. I know this is not directly related to Lenny's observations; but, his note made me think about tool set up for a blind person. I will be happy to write an article on tool setup or give a list of tools/make/models of the measuring tools I use. I think most folks on this list can easily adapt setup instructions manufactures provide though. Terry On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:02:38 -0400you write: Well, I have a laser guided compound sliding miter saw. Obviously, the laser is useless to me. The other day we were in a hurry to cut and glue something so we could leave for a few hours. To save time I had Karen align up the saw with the laser for a quick cut. After the cut was made it was almost 3/8 inches too long. I rechecked my measurement then checked the cut piece and it was too long. I had Karen again set up the cut for me with the laser and again it was too long. Now got some scrap wood and made marks for more test cuts again everything was incorrect. I went back to using my way of setting up for a cut and it was perfect. Later I had my son-in-law look at the saw. He and Karen spent about an hour trying to align the laser beam. Now it is on an angle across the board. I have a few projects this summer that must be completed. I think I will then have Sears send the saw back for correct alignment. I have a 5 year warranty on the unit. I have this problem that if something is not correct it really bothers me. Even though I can not use that feature, I am bothered that it is not available for someone else to use. What really bothered me was that I wasted more time having Karen helping than if I just would have done it myself. --- Please visit my home page; it is motivational, inspirational and humorous with many resources for the blind. http://www.LennyMcHugh.com
Re: [BlindHandyMan] laser guided saw
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:52:50 -0400you write: No, there is nothing in the book. They said that the laser beam comes through what looks like a camera lens. They got it close but it is on about a 3 degree angle. Well if Sears can't fix it they will owe me a new saw. - Original Message - From: john schwery jschw...@embarqmail.com To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2009 7:24 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] laser guided saw Lenny, are there instructions for aligning the laser? My drill press came with such instructions. I'd think there would have to be some sort of documented adjustment due to different curf blades. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] help needed
I would suggest turning on wep or one of the other encrypted protocols. If you don't, someone can easily snoop your trafic. This will allow them to inpersonate one of your computers and get on your network even if you have only a specific set of MAC addresses allowed. WEP is not totally secure either; but, it is hard enough that hackers will move on to other access points that aren't protected. I can attach to 4 other networks other than mine from my home. These others are wide open and broadcasting. What people don't realize you can be held responsible if someone uses your network to hack computers. I tried to explain this to my neighbor and help him get encryption set up; but, he hasn't taken me up on it yet. Terry On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:57:53 -0400 (EDT)you write: Brice, Yeah, it is possible. If you open your browser on your desktop and go to 192.168.1.1 you can log into your router. Then you can turn on the wireless radio and set up some other things. Make damn sure you change the password on the admin user. Also, change the S I D to some other name. Actually, I have mine set not to broadcast the sid at all. You can also set up the wireless to only accept connections from specific machines. You may want to do that as well so that your neighbors aren't surfing on your network. Later. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail:d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
Re: Sweating pipes: [WAS] Re: [BlindHandyMan] Interesting grounding issue.
I have sodered copper pipe as well just to say I have done it. I have also driven both of the pickup trucks I've purchased for my wife. That doesn't mean it is a good idea. There are some things that are best left to the professionals. Terry P.S. I didn't want to make payments on a truck I've never driven. On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:27:43 -0400 (EDT)you write: if this new Chicago heat gun could do it, on small enough pipe; I'd do it. On Thu, 11 Jun 2009, Lee A. Stone wrote: I have done it for soe copper pipe work outside by keeping the heat right on the elbow and then feeling the solder move as I do. I would no longer do it in house as one time I started a fire and did not know it. but then again thers could do it with no problem.Lee On Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 09:25:27AM -0400, Tom Hodges wrote: How in the world could a blind or visually impaired person solder pipes? I know I couldn't and I used to do it before I lost my sight. You would have to have pretty good eye sight to be able to see the solder go into the joint. Tom From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:blindhandy...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dale Leavens Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 7:02 PM To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: Sweating pipes: [WAS] Re: [BlindHandyMan] Interesting grounding issue. Should we maybe create a new handyman convention with a couple of workshop seminars? One could be sweating pipe. Maybe we will convene in Dan's basement with his beer. - Original Message - From: Scott Howell To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 6:44 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Interesting grounding issue. Yeah, it would seriously suck if all your efforts resulted in a leak. That is why I also have not attempted to take this on myself. I got a couple of valves I want to replace as well, but I need to get someone in here who can do the job. I still have a goal of trying to learn to sweat pipes. On Jun 10, 2009, at 2:30 PM, Dan Rossi wrote: Lee, I actually have two main shut-off valves inside the house. One of them is right before the meter. It is a big four inch, cast iron wheel. The water line then goes up, then straight down the length of the basement. Someone installed a regular shut-off valve in the middle of that line before it branches anywhere. I want to change that big old cast iron valve with a ball valve, then, remove the shut-off that is in the middle of nowhere. If I had any cohones I would just do the work myself. But, I've never sweated a fitting in my life. I'd like to try, but I don't think Teresa would be as enthusiastic. I'd be pretty nervous myself. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail: d...@andrew.cmu.edu mailto:dr25%40andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
Re: Sweating pipes: [WAS] Re: [BlindHandyMan] Interesting grounding issue.
I know what you mean Dale. And, I do agree. In most cases, if we, as blind people, want something done, it is in our best interest to figure out how we can accomplish the task. I'm kind of picking with my projects anyway. I spend too much time trying to get it perfect when close would probably be fine. Terry On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:54:50 -0400you write: One must take some care when working up under floor joists not to cause fire, blind or sighted, more care when blind no doubt but I have plumbed the addition in this house which includes two bathrooms and a dark room in the basement and an outside spigot, two bathrooms in an office in Dawson Creek, part of one in an office in Chatham, a laundry room and half bath in a previous house here all using sweated copper. I have taken to running 3/4ths line which runs much quieter and retains second floor pressure much bett er however that does take more heat. I don't work nearly as quickly as a sighted plumber, certainly not the speed of a professiona l but few do-it-yourself plumbers would. I don't lay lock stone as quickly or plaster drywall as fast and it takes me much longer to mow the lawn too. I too have driven automobiles a few times but never really functionally. That is not the same thing at all. I shower or bath thank s to plumbing I installed but can't drive to work or the supermarket. You may be right, maybe I should not, certainly my mother and father would not think I should use circular saws or chain saws or r outers but they were never comfortable with me walking around the city to work either. It is interesting though what people choose to find extraordinary. Around here it seems to focus primarily on me and ladders. Just what good eyes are on a ladder continues to escape me, I suppose you get to see what is going to really hurt just before it does but what ever it is, stories about me on ladders seem to be what capture the imagination. There is one builder in town who, if he is working where I walk past always calls me over to demonstrate to his mates, helper or a ny passing persons how I can drive nails with a hammer. I don't get it but he seems to think it is pretty amazing. Unlike a lot of other things, when you stick copper pipe together it leaks or it doesn't. the installation is tidy or it is not. T his is something I can reliably judge and something which can objectively be evaluated weather done blind or sighted. No one who is uncomfortable doing it though should feel any need to do so. My next door neighbour who is fully sighted wouldn't ev en consider trying. We are not all talented in the same ways. Just because I don't trust my application of wood stain to be even and blotch free doesn't mean that those out there who are confi dent they can do it well aren't right. It doesn't even mean I do a poor job, just that I prefer to leave it to someone who can see they are doing it as well as it can be done.
Re: Sweating pipes: [WAS] Re: [BlindHandyMan] Interesting grounding issue.
:) Well, the purchases were about 8 years apart. :) Just don't get the other left mixed up with the right right. That's all there is to it. While in high school, I worked for my cousin who had a handyman business. Guess that is where I learned what I know. My parents also had several rent houses we were always cleaning or fixing up after the deadbeats moved out. At least until my mother became a grandmother, she was a mean old lady. She never cut me any slack because of my blindness. I think she was even a little harder on me than my brother. I think God for that. Anyway, my cousin would have me drive his truck when he needed to watch outside closely. This was mainly backing up in tight quarters. Or throwing off fence materials while driving down a fence row. I agree with Dale (absolutely). That doesn't mean I'm going to let him come sweat pipe at my house though. :) (that's a joke) Terry On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:18:20 -0700you write: Terry, both the trucks? Does that mean that after you drove the first one you had to go buy another rite away? GRIN Kidding, just had an image of a truck into something solid. I know Dale has said that sometimes he would rather do something hard than wait for help that may take a long time to come, and that happens to us all. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't Tom
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Intro and a question.
One thing I didn't mention. The common and hot might be pushed into holes in the back of the plug rather than attached to the screw terminals. If this is the case, you may or may not be able to pull the wire out. If you can't just cut it off at the plug and restrip the wire. Otherwise, you can get some channel locks and crunch the plug and then get it out. I prefer the channel lock method myself. :) Terry On Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:02:25 -0400you write: Never done this before but am willing to try. Heading to the hardware store today. Thanks, C.
Re: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Of doors and walls.
My hat is off to you Dan. Sounds like a lot of work; but, I know the personal satisfaction you will gain will be more than what the project cost. Terry On Thu, 4 Jun 2009 19:35:42 -0400you write: Hardly leaves you any time to make that crib or dresser or changing table... - Original Message - From: Dan Rossi To: Blind Handyman List Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 10:20 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Of doors and walls. As I sit here at work, two guys are at my house bricking up my kitchen door. This was a door leading from my kitchen to the back steps. Since I put the deck in, and opened the dining room wall for French doors out onto the deck, the kitchen door became unnecessary. Last evening, I gently removed the trim from the doorway and the small window next to the door. I removed the Aluminum storm door and trim from the outside, and cleaned up the enormous amount of black soot that poured out of the wall as I pulled off the trim. The masons will be bricking up the small window and the lower part of the doorway. I'll install a window in the upper part of the door hole, then frame in the inside wall. I'll leave the plaster work for later since we will be doing a major kitchen project in the fall and will have a professional do the plaster work when I am done ripping out walls, ceiling, stripping the plaster off the chimney to do that exposed brick look, and pull all the cabinets down. So many projects, so little time. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail: d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Intro and a question.
The electrical outlet should be replaced immediately. If the plug is not making good contact, heat build up will occur due to extra resistence. Terry On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:42:38 -0400you write: Hello, all, I'm new to the list. I'm Carlos, and live in Maine. Some of you may know me from other lists. My question pertains to electrical outlets. Some of mine are loose; meaning that anything plugged into these outlets hangs downward with the weight of the brick/ETC or falls out and onto the floor. What is the best way to approach this issue? Thanks for any ideas. C.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Intro and a question.
The key is to make sure the power is turned off. :) It's not too hard. You just have to put the wires back where they came off. When I do it , I move one wire at a time. You might have to move 2 sets of wires if the plug is in the middle of the circuit. I have a color identifier that helps to check as well. If the plug is installed properly, you really don't have to worry about it. black goes to the short slot. white goes to the long slot green or bear goes to the grounding screw. round hole is ground lower middle short slot or hot is upper right longer slot or common is upper left. for us in the U.S. that is. On Fri, 5 Jun 2009 10:36:38 -0500you write: I just priced these little outlet boxes at the home repair store a few months ago and they were less than $1 each. I have not got ten brave enough to do electrical work with my three kids leaning in over my shoulders and trying to help, but still it does seem doable. Jennifer
Re: [BlindHandyMan] any joiners about
Power is not the key for cutting straight and accurately. Having a properly sharpened tool is the key. Bob is absolutely correct about these saws. The cuts are smooth and quickly done. I don't own a Japanese plane; but, have used one. I was very impressed with the results I achieved. When finishing a really nice project, I will use a scraper rather than sand paper. I believe a finer finish is achieved scraping. It takes longer though. I quickly figured out I got much better results by pulling. This was before I understood about Japanese wood working tools. Eastern wood workers also knew much more about putting an edge on a tool than us in the west. If you get a set of Japanese water stones and learn how to use them, you can have a tool you can easily shave with. Terry On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:46:18 -0400 (EDT)you write: Hmm, pulling the spirits toward you. And I would have thought it was because someone got annoyed when they bent a saw trying to power through the push, and realized that putting the blade in tension made more sense than putting it in compression. *GRIN* I would think that you could get a bit more power from a push saw because you tend to be above the saw and the work piece and can put your weight behind the push. pulling it toward you though, definitely minimizes the problem of buckling the blade because you are putting the blade in tension through the power stroke. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail:d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
Re: [BlindHandyMan] any joiners about
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:23:19 -0400you write: You know I've read this thread with some interest. It seems to me that it would be more natural to cut on the pull stroke instead of the push stroke. I hadn't thought much about it until reading this thread, but seems you would have a little more control over the cut by pulling instead of pushing. I wonder where the idea of cutting on the push stroke came from and why the Japanese came up with a saw that cuts on the pull stroke. All very interesting questions. From what I understand, the Japanese believe that all living things have a spirit. They designed their tools to pull the spirit of the wood toward the craftsman rather than push it away as western craftsmen do. The Japanese planes are designed the same way. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] any joiners about
I find the saws that cut on the pull stroke much easier to control (personally). I can cut much more accurately it seems. By pulling toward my body, I can keep the saw in the plane of the cut much easier. Terry On Sun, 31 May 2009 09:01:59 -0400you write: I have two Japanese style pull saws. One is a flush trim saw, the sort you would use for trimming dowels off flush to a surface, the other is a stiffened back style. The teeth are very small and sharp. It takes a bit of getting used to, starting the saw on the push stroke. The really nice thing though is tat the blade doesn't flex when pushing and of course it doesn't flex when pulli ng. These little saws just slice through wood beautifully and cut a very fine kerf. The handles are more like knife handles. - Original Message - From: carl To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 7:51 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] any joiners about i was listening to a woodworking magazine a wile ago and the japanies hav made a verry thin bladed saw and this works as it is a pull saw has anyone had a play with one yet?
Re: [BlindHandyMan] best hardwoods
On Fri, 29 May 2009 18:48:02 -0500you write: I've been getting some wood at Menards and Home Depot. They have select grade woods, pine, oak, cherry, maple, etc. It comes wrapped in plastic, with very few knots. My wife goes along and still inspects them to pick out the best that are available, and I've been quite happy with them. Blessings, Tom I think if you calculate what you are paying for a board foot, I think you will find you are paying almost double. Woodcraft isn't quite that bad; but, they still charge more than they probably should. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] best hardwoods
On Tue, 26 May 2009 22:12:37 -0400 (EDT)you write: hi, I am not sure of the local lumber yard; or their minimums to be honest. But I'm wondering where, or if you guys get your fine hardwoods on the net? If so, what are the best places on the net for: mahogany, cherry, or any of the weather resistant woods such as redwood or (spelling) teek? Thanks Hello all: I like Steve Wall Lumber http://www.walllunber.com. These folks are honest. I have always gotten a little above what I asked for. When you ask for select, that is what you get. I have never had to wait more than 4 days for my shipment to arrive at the shipping dock. I have ordered as much as 300 board feet of red oak (select) and as specific as 8/4 poplar (select) with specific dementions. Their wood is shipped in the rough. Although, they will plane it for you for so much per board foot. Personally, I like to plane my own just before I am ready to use it. That way, I don't have to worry about it getting damaged during shipping or while hanging around the shop. They also have ups bundles. These are bundles of wood less than 5' long and weighing less than 70 pounds. They will even ship pliwood if you can meet their minimum order. They are really good at packaging so the corners don't get damaged. Their pliwood is actually furniture grade. This means the core is hardwood, usually poplar and having no voids. The stuff I've gotten at the home centers is junk compared. The thing that really ticks me off about the home center plywood is how thin the outer veneer is. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] security pad lock
I'd think a bit of C4 would take care of it. :) I'm sorry, Couldn't help it. Terry On Wed, 13 May 2009 23:22:44 -0400you write: Well my son-in-law has a security pad lock on his bike. He lost the key, which is common for him. I have a bolt cutter that only slightly nicked the lock. I have a dremmal with a cut-off wheel. In a few seconds the teeth were removed from the cutter. Any suggestions on how to remove this lock? --- Please visit my home page; it is motivational, inspirational and humorous with many resources for the blind. http://www.geocities.com/lenny_mchugh/ Lenny
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Power Putty
I've wondered about this product. As a rule, I never purchase those products off those infomercials or anything that starts with Billy Mais here. These type of commercials make me think of a slimy used car salesman. I realize this is my own problem. I do realize this is often the only method folks have to get their good idea or advention out to the general public. The guy who thought up the upside down tomatoe hanging thingy is doing quite well for him self because of his invention. Also, I'm thinking another good product is those extra obsorbent towels. Anyway, generally speaking, it is not easy for a blind person to use the 2 part epoxy. If you have ever done it, you know what I'm saying. There are situations where epoxy is very necessary. It works well when bonding 2 surfaces that are not the same like wood and metal. I like to use it on my wood working projects where a joint will be required to take a lot of force (such as a chair leg/style or seat/leg joint). I assumed power putty was ment more as a filler and had the consistency of mashed potatoes. Likewise, it's generally considered to be more for repair rather than initial construction. I'd be interested in hearing what others think. If there is a product that is easier to use than 2 part epoxy, it would make certain tasks much easier (for me anyway). Terry On Wed, 06 May 2009 11:51:10 -1000you write: Aloha all, This is one of my favorite products that I keep around with the duct tape and WD40. Power Putty Now you can repair any job big or small, thanks to Power Putty. Power Putty is great for anything from your smallest craft projects to your largest home improvements! The easy way to fix, fill and seal almost any surface, and make it last. Power Putty is a powerful bonding epoxy stick that you can mold to any shape and can apply to any surface for an everlasting bond. Simply cut, activate and apply...then all you do is let it dry. Price: $12.99 Teamwork: Together we achieve the extraordinary.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Audio Beacon
Hey all: I have to admit that I haven't kept up with this thread; so, hope I am not mentioning a solution which has already been proposed. I would recommend wayfinder access for the purpose of finding a particular point on this big ball we live on. I use it both for following a particular route on land as well as maintaining a course on my boat Terry On Tue, 05 May 2009 13:15:18 -0400you write: Just pondering over the device that works with the phone. If someone is using the phone you will get a busy single and the alarm will not be activated. - Original Message - From: Edward Przybylek przy5...@rochester.rr.com To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 8:41 AM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Audio Beacon Hi Tom, Right now, I'm looking at three of the options that were suggested. The wireless outlet/keyfob, the wireless doorbell from Lowe's, and the device that uses a phone to activate some kind of sound source. I can think of specific situations where one of these units would work very well. The first one I'll probably buy is the outlet/keyfob device. Take care, Ed
Re: [BlindHandyMan] water calculation
Just a note of interest. My sailboat uses water for ballast. Before any sails are raised, one must remember to fill the ballast tank. It is a 150 gallan tank made into the very bottom of the hull. I think that would be about 1200 pounds or so. Very necessary on those windy days. Terry On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:42:59 -0400 (EDT)you write: whew, that's a lot of tension on the springs if it's a car pool. On Wed, 29 Apr 2009, Dan Rossi wrote: You got your cubic foot calculation right, and there are 7.481 gallons per cubic foot. So, about 6200 gallons. The 62.4 number that someone mentioned is actually pounds per cubic foot of water, not gallons. So, just for fun, your 6200 gallon pool will weigh about 387000 pounds, or 193.5 tons. Make damn sure you put it in the right spot, first time. *GRIN* -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail: d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
Re: [BlindHandyMan] no room for more tools
On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:11:52 -0400you write: I have a small basement shop. I would like a jointer and plainer but no room for them. The other day I visited the Wood Craft store and they have a combination eight inch jointer and plainer. It is a bench top unit standing 16 inches tall and I think 33 inches long. I want to talk to a neighbor who does a little welding and has access to a lot of square tubing. I am thinking about having a frame that will hold the unit a little below the top. then Place a work surface on the top to replace one of the work tables that I use. I would mount rubber wheels and a locking system similar to my shop fox table saw support. When I want to use the tool raise it and lock it in place at the top for the jointer and a little higher for the plainer. I would also then have a small storage underneath. The tool is $329. The welding and parts would be a little more than two cases of beer. I want to first talk to him about the idea then try and convince Karen. All that she said when she saw it was, and where do you think you could put it? My shop is small as well. It is about 19 x 16. Of course, my Brother's is 30 x 30. He says he doesn't have enough room to cuss the cat. Space, or the lack there of, is a huge problem for all wood workers I know. There never seems to be enough. Little tricks like you are thinking are the best way to maximize the use of your available space. Make a cabinet double for more than one purpose. In my shop, my router is my out feed table for my table saw. Have work surfaces function for more than one purpose. All my bench top tools are kept in a cabinet mortiser, disk sander, spindle sander, ... The top of this cabinet is the work surface utilized by these tools. The base of each tool locks into some tee track embedded in the surface. When I need to use a tool, I lift it out of the cabinet and set it on the work surface. This cabinet also acts as the left side table for my miter saw and the right side table for my radial arm saw. Keep in mind though, a piece of equipment utilized for more than one purpose has a certain amount of inconvenience associated. You just have to decide what is too much. An example for me is I decided early on not to purchase Shop Smith equipment. I do believe their products are well made and of the highest quality; I didn't want to spend my time doing all the set up when swapping tools. The most important suggestion is to keep everything on wheels. (remain flexable) Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] no room for more tools
On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:23:06 -1000you write: Well, at least she gave you the option of figuring out where to put it... Betsy Spoken like a true wife. Do you all take lessons from each other or what. :)
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Roots in sewer line
On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:40:28 -0400you write: Howdy all, I just unclogged the sewer line in which I have found tree roots. Several years ago I installed an outside cleanout, since the house is on a slab. Is there anything I can put in the line which will stop these roots? Will any chemicals work? Frank I wonder if your pipe is that old orangeburg stuff. If so, you have to replace it. If not, you probably have 2 lengths that have a slite crack in the joint. In this case, you will have to find where it is happening dig down and patch it. It doesn't take much for those roots to get in. I'd think there wouldn't be any orangeburg still in use these days though. I'm thinking it would all have been replaced by now. Terry
[BlindHandyMan] Quartz infrared heater / story stick
Hello all: I had planned to comment on my new heater after a couple of months of use. Just wanted to say that since I installed my quartz infrared heater on my shop cieling, my electric bill has been $25 less than the same time last year for the same time. Likewise, this holds true for my January and Feburary bills for this year versis my December bill. You can draw your own conclusions; but, I think this heater is the cause. Besides, my shop is much more comfortable to work in. My previous heater was a 110v 1500w space heater. This is a 3000w 220v cieling hung infrared heater. I keep my shop at about 58 degrees. It is perfect for working in a sweat shirt. My hands are warm so I can feel what I'm doing. Before, I was always cold. This heater cycles as one would expect. The old heater never shut off. The new heater is like a sunny day at the beach without the sunburn. I was on leevalley looking to replace the tire brushes on my bandsaw. I noticed leevalley offers a product called Veritas Bar Gauge Head. this product is used as the main part of a story stick. There was a large thread previously on this list concerning story sticks and their usage. There is a cut / paste of the web page below that explains the product far better than I ever could. I'm considering ording a few of these. I have several drawers to build. It would sure help with squaring up during the assembly. I normally use 2 sticks held together with a quick clamp. I'm sure these are much more compact. The $14 has me thinking though. Well, that's my $.02. It is what it is. You all take care. Terry -- Veritas Bar Gauge Heads Simple bar gauges are among the most useful tools in a shop. Much like cabinet scrapers, once you have used them, you wonder how you got along without them. They have two primary purposes, comparing measurements (such as ensuring equal diagonals in drawers or carcasses to guarantee squareness) and transferring measurements. Any time you can transfer a dimension directly, without converting it into numbers, you avoid a primary source of error. Bar gauges not only shine in basic measurement transfer, but are unequalled for inside measurements, such as for sizing shelves or interior trim in windows. They can also be used as story sticks for complex built-ins where nothing is square. Gauge head openings are 1/2 x 3/4; you just rip 1/4 slices off standard 3/4 lumber to make bars of the length you want (wood is not included). Made of brass and ABS plastic. We now include two brass pins for transferring inside or outside measurements smaller than the length of the sticks or for transferring outside measurements without making hook tips. A pair of brass pins is available separately to retrofit a previously purchased set of bar gauge heads (although a pair of small nails will also do the trick). Bar Gauge Heads 05N31.01 $14.50
Re: Re: [BlindHandyMan] attic fan
On Wed, 4 Mar 2009 18:25:18 -0500you write: Terry, What kind of color identifier do you have, or where did you buy it? I have one but it isn't worth a darn with colors of wires. Not sure what the make is or where it was purchased. My Wife gave it to me as a gift. I'll find out though. However, mine didn't work well with wire color identification either. The opening is much bigger than the width of the wire. This caused light to enter the unit that was not directly reflected off the wire. To solve this problem, I cover the opening with a piece of electrical tape. This tape is black; so reflects no or very little light. I then slide the wire under the tape. On the smaller wires, I double it just to get a little more color out of it. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] attic fan
This is exactly what we were thinking as well. Terry On Wed, 4 Mar 2009 22:36:40 -0600you write: We used to have one of those fans when I lived with my mother and father in Florida. We couldn't afford air conditioning. Management is important to control the comfort level in the house. Turn off the fan sometime around midnight. If you don't you will have the morning dew all over the inside of your house. Keep doors, windows, and shades closed until the day starts to heat up. Then turn on the fan and open only windows and or doors where people are. If everything is open you won't feel much air moving through each window. By keeping unnecessary windows closed you will have nice cool feeling moving air where you are. Friends would visit our home and comment on what a nice cool breeze we had coming in our front windows. Regards. Max. K 4 O D S.
[BlindHandyMan] attic fan
Hello all: I just wanted to send a short email discussing the installation of my attic or whole house fan. My Wife and I decided to install a whole house fan to hopefully lessen the need to run the airconditioner. These kinds of fans are usually placed in the hallway of a single story home (like mine) or at the top of the stairs in a multistory home. The fan moves the hot stale air from inside the home up into the attic. One would open windows or doors to allow cool air from the outside to move in and replace the evacuated air. The fan is placed in the ceiling and looks like a flat panel. As the fan comes on, the suction causes the louvers in the panel to open. The instructions said to mark the ceiling using the template provided. Cut out the marked opening with a saber saw. Frame up the opening to fit the fan. Obviously, this wasn't going to work for me. There is no way I'm going to follow a line drawn on the ceiling. My solution was to measure the frame of the fan and build the 2x6 box in my shop. I then carried the 2x6 square up in the attic to figure out exactly where the opening would need to be placed. This box is 33 3/4 on a side. The ceiling joists in my house are on 24 centers. So, I needed to cut one of the joist since the 33 3/4 box was not going to fit between them. I set the box on the joists where I was going to make the opening. I measured from the cill plate from each wall to center the box in the hallway ceiling. I next marked the joist at the point where the outside of the box rested on the joist. To make a mark, I just use a sharp knife. Setting the box aside, I used my circular saw to cut about half way through the joist in the 2 marked places. I then finished up the cuts with a hand saw. The board that used to be part of the joist came right up. The nails just pulled through the dry wall. I also had to re-route 2 circuits that ran across my opening and move a hall light. That was pretty straight forward. Next, I dug out all the insulation and set the box on the ceiling screwing it to the adjacent joist and to the 2 ends I cut. To my immeasurable delight, the box fit perfect. It dropped into place with just a little resistance. After running the wire to the opening and fishing the switch wire to a newly placed 2x4 junction box in the wall, all the work in the attic was done. I next setup shop in the hallway. I used a rotary tool to plunge through the ceiling and follow the inside of the 33 3/4 box I installed. At this point, I had a square opening perfectly sized. The rest was pretty much uneventful. My color identifier worked well for the wiring. The only other thing I can think to mention is my portable fence I made to use with my circular saw. It is made from 2 pieces of wood. It tells me where the cut will be exactly and what square is as referring to a 90 degree perpendicular cut on something like a2x4. This is how I accurately cut out a piece of that ceiling joist. If anyone is interested, I'll write up a description. I'll have to think about how to put into words how to attach these 2 pieces of wood. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Run-down on Louisiana work trip
This is exactly how I wired up my quartz infrared heater. I like to have the breaker in my hand when attaching the hot red / black wires. I then snap it onto the bus. Most people, who can see, just work on the breaker when it is snapped in. I use a color identifier when I'm messing with wire. Now, I know my box. I know where the mains come in and attach. There is an area at the top of the box, if touched, would light up your life even if the mains are off. I can't imagine getting my hands in a unfamiliar box. It makes me nervous enough in mine. Terry On Thu, 5 Feb 2009 20:07:10 -0600you write: Just an insert from aside. I have very little usabble vision and if I am installing a circuit you can do most of the stripping et c from outside the box once you have the cable in. I attach theneutral and ground wire. Sometimes with light I can tell the diff erence between black and white. And since these bars are grounded there isn't a problem. I then put the wire on the breaker I am using and then snap it into the hot buss bars and then turn it on. If I am feeling nervous I wear dry leather gloves also. Ron - Original Message - From: Alan Terrie Robbins To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 7:01 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Run-down on Louisiana work trip Dale, I used to do this stuff in boxes when I had some vision but have not done so now that I have practically none. Question for you, when you are in the main breaker box do you shut off the main breaker before poking around in there? thanks Al
Re: [BlindHandyMan] sears auto switch
Hey Linnny: Over the years, I have tried different solutions to have my dust collector come on while machining a piece of wood. I settled on a remote switch. You can get a 120v remote switch at any home center. They come with a short cord attached to a small box. The cord plugs into the wall. The box has a 120v outlet. You put a small remote in your pocket. (you get the idea). Wood Craft sells 2 nicer models. (one 120v and one 240v). I think te ones at the home center are $30 or so. The wood craft models are around $50. I like this method of switching on and off my dust collector because I can turn it on just before the cut and leave it on after as long as I want. It's a long story; but, I have both the of the 120v and 240v wood craft models. I had the 120 version when I had my jet dust collector. I then upgraded my shop to 240 and then upgraded the jet to a grizzly cyclone dust collector. The grizzly comes with a control box with an infrared remote. So, I've got 2 remote switchs I'm not using. Terry On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:15:56 -0500you write: I don't remember who made the post about the sears auto switch. I purchased one am I am not totally pleased, unless I am doing something wrong. There are three outlets and a switch for automatic mode. If the shop vac is plugged into the top outlet next to the switch it comes on regardless of the switch position and tool will not. If the sander is in the top and the shopvac in one of the two bottom outlets in automatic mode when the sander is powered the shop vac automatically comes on when in automatic mode. In manual mode only the sander will work. Should it not be the other way meaning that in manual mode the shop vac will be powered and in auto mode it would be controlled by the tool? If I want to only use the shop vac I would have to unplug it and use another outlet. I do think I will try a night light in the other outlet by turning on the night light the shop vac will be powered. I have also been considering using a six outlet power strip. that way I could plug in both of the hand sanders, my router table, bench sander and sliding miter saw. Then I would only have to move the vacuum hose and when the tool is turned on the shop vac will be activated. --- Please visit my home page; it is motivational, inspirational and humorous with many resources for the blind. http://www.geocities.com/lenny_mchugh/ Lenny
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Braille compass
On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:00:26 -0600you write: Hi, Is anyone familiar with the Brunton Nexus 16B Braille compass? If so, what do you think of it? There is a good description of the compass at the following Web site: http://tinyurl.com/9ea6c5 Also, does anyone have any recommendations for any other Braille compasses? I'd appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. Gary Something my family likes to do is sail. We have a 26 ft boat called Cherokee Wind. When out, I get my turn at the helm just as does my Wife and Daughters. I'll tell you, there is not much better on this earth than piloting a sailboat with a nice breeze. To maintain a course, I needed a compass I could listen to. It would not be possible to feel one on a heaving deck. I never found one that was satisfactory. None of the actual compasses that talk are accurate enough. My Wife or Daughters (who ever was lookout) was always having to tell me up or down 5 degrees. I found a product called wayfinder access. It is navigation software that runs on some Nokia cell phones. Add a bluetooth gps and you have a pocket Tomtom or garmon. It works very well on the boat giving me exact course and speed and when traveling helps with routes and locations. It is pretty expensive though. http://www.talknav.com Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Braille compass
On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:22:13 -0800you write: Can I ask why you'd need a compass? After 25 years of losing my sight at age 33, I've never had a need for a compass. I depend solely on the position of the sun, wind, and major traffic flow to keep my directions straight. One should never be absolutely dependent on a device such as a cumpass. Normal mobility skills should definately be developed and maintained. That being said, a compass is very useful when crossing a large open space such as a parking lot. Terry
Re: Re: [BlindHandyMan] grizzly clamps
Personally, those quick grip type clamps never seem to last that long. I don't use them for glue ups or assembly work. I will use them for an extra hand to clamp something to my bench or hold a straight edge. The also work well to clamp a stop block to a fence. (stuff like that). For glue ups and assembly, I like the bessey clamps. You probably won't find them on sale much though. At least, I haven't. Terry On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:13:01 -0500you write: Those aren't Grizzly clamps. They are the Irwin brand sold on the Grizzly site. It is an internet ad they send out. - Original Message - From: Dale Leavens dleav...@puc.net To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 11:48 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] grizzly clamps Where did you see this price? That is a significant discount. One wonders if this is a sale to reduce inventory during a recession or to get rid of sub-standard stock? About a third the price. Most of you guys seem to fee Grizzly to be a good brand, we don't seem to have them up here in Canada. - Original Message - From: Lenny McHugh lmch...@verizon.net To: handyman-blind blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 11:37 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] grizzly clamps Internet Special ! - Sale Ends 1/22/2009 Description Like all Quick Grip� clamps, the Mini Bar Clamps allow you to use one hand to apply as much or as little pressure as you please. Use them once and you'll never want to use C-clamps again. Their compact size and precision feel make them perfect for smaller projects. Set includes four 6 Mini Bar Clamps. list price is $71.80 price $29.95 sale price $24.95 With Pa tax and shipping they will be about $35 Does anyone have these? If so how well do they work. A few years ago Karen purchased a set of the F clamps and they don't hold. Every time I try to use them I threaten to send them to the scrap yard. The ones that she purchased came from Aldie's they are an unknown brand. I don't want to spend another $35 if these also slip. Thanks Please visit my home page; it is motivational, inspirational and humorous with many resources for the blind. http://www.geocities.com/lenny_mchugh/ Lenny Send any questions regarding list management to: blindhandyman-ow...@yahoogroups.com To listen to the show archives go to link http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemasterPAGE_user_op=view_pagePAGE_id=33MMN_position=47:29 Or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ Visit the archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following address for more information: http://www.jaws-users.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: blindhandyman-h...@yahoogroups.comyahoo! Groups Links Send any questions regarding list management to: blindhandyman-ow...@yahoogroups.com To listen to the show archives go to link http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemasterPAGE_user_op=view_pagePAGE_id=33MMN_position=47:29 Or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ Visit the archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following address for more information: http://www.jaws-users.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: blindhandyman-h...@yahoogroups.comyahoo! Groups Links Send any questions regarding list management to: blindhandyman-ow...@yahoogroups.com To listen to the show archives go to link http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemasterPAGE_user_op=view_pagePAGE_id=33MMN_position=47:29 Or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ Visit the archives page at the following address
Re: [BlindHandyMan] defrosting freezer
Like you, I would rather have a chest type. Each time the door on my upright is opened, all the cold air spills out. Which, allows warmer moist air to rush in. Which, causes the dreaded frost build up. The chest types contain the heavier colder air. We don't have the room. Terry On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:04:58 -0500you write: Well today I am taking advantage of the cold weather. Everything in the upright freezer is now in bags and wash baskets on the porch. I discovered something that I am not at all happy about. Water is dripping out of the door. This means that over the years condensation has built up in all of the insulation. Although the freezer is not continually running this will greatly reduce the efficiency. I told Karen to start using everything in it and not to put anything new. When empty, I will do as an old refrigeration repair friend told me. That is to leave the door open for two or three weeks. It will take that time for everything to dry. If it were a chest he would place a dehumidifier in it for a few days. When we had a chest freezer defrosting was much easier. I hooked one hose to the freezer drain and ran to a floor drain. Then using another hose hooked up to warm water proceeded to melt the ice. When finished there was no mess and the freezer was washed out. Sure wish that there was a drain on the bottom of the upright.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] defrosting freezer
You are talking to one of the worst tool junkies. I've got it bad. Last year, I had to build a 6x3 foot attachment on the south wall of my shop. I moved my dust collecter and aircompresser out there. Had to make room for my lathe. :) I was just trying to make more room; but, it has other benifits. I don't jump out of my skin when my aircompresser decides to switch on anymore. It seemed it was out to get me. I would be concentrating on something and then, with no warning, here comes 90DB's or so. The only bad thing is I have to go out side to empty the sawdust. My Daughters call it the outhouse. They want to paint a half moon on the door. Terry On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:38:10 -0500you write: Yes, room was also the issue. When we had the 25 cu ft chest I had a piece of plywood that I put on top for another work area. I also miss that.Something had to go to make room for my toys, I mean tools. - Original Message - From: Terry Klarich te...@klarich.net To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 2:15 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] defrosting freezer Like you, I would rather have a chest type. Each time the door on my upright is opened, all the cold air spills out. Which, allows warmer moist air to rush in. Which, causes the dreaded frost build up. The chest types contain the heavier colder air. We don't have the room. Terry
[BlindHandyMan] quartz infrared heaters
Hello all: I needed to purchase a heater for my shop. I was looking at a couple of options; but, couldn't decide. After learning about quartz infrared heaters on this list, I did the research. And decided, for my application, this heater would work the best. So, I ordered one from grainger along with a thermostat. The unit runs on 240V, is 53 long. It looks like a florescent light fixture. I Hung above my work bench. The thermostat mounts in a standard 2x4 box. I am extremely happy with how it works. Thanks to the list. I appreciate all the good info. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] quartz infrared heaters
On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:51:51 -0600you write: hi terry, what did the heater cost? jim The list was $178.00. However, my employer has an account with grainger and do a lot of business with them evidently. My cost was significently less than that. The grainger part number is 1UCR1. You can look it up on grainger.com if you want. I picked this one because it is cieling mountable and came with the cord. I just mounted a 2x4 box next to the heater on the cieling. That way I can unplug it on those summer days. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] quartz infrared heaters
On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:16:19 -0600you write: Terry: Do they rate those heaters in terms of BTUs? And, what's yours rated at if they do. Here's the low-down. Electric Infrared Heater, Indoor/Outdoor, 3000 Watts, 10236 BtuH, Voltage 240, 12.5 Amps @ 1 Phase, Height 3 3/8 In, Width 5 1/2 In, Length 57 In, Beam Pattern 60, Number of Lamps 1, Housing Material Painted Steel, Anodized Reflector Finish, Mounting Ceiling Hung, Agency Compliance ETL I know we've all heard this before. Anyway, according to my calculations, this heater shouldn't cost me any more to run than my old electric space heater. It was 1500 watts at 120V. It 12.5A. At least it was until it died. This wone draws the same amps; but, is so much warmer. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] quartz infrared heaters
I always assumed our charges from the power company was based on amp hours rather than power. I don't pretend to be an electrician. Nor, did I play one on TV. I didn't even stay in a holiday Inn last night. We'll see what it does to my electric bill. :) Terry On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:10:51 -0600you write: It uses the same number of amps but the voltage is doubled. That gives twice the power as the spects say, 1500 watts versus 3000 watts. It will give twice the heat but in very cold weather when the thermostat is not cycling, it will cost you twice as much to run. Regards. Max. K 4 O D S. Email: m...@maxsmusicplace.com Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, funwithtubes-subscr...@yahoogroups.com
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Sharpening blades
I think Bob just about covered it. The only thing I would add is, not only is the bevel important, the edge should be straight and exactly 90 degrees from the plane of the iron or chisel. Also, The honing step is very important. Honing is the procedure of removing the hook (of metal) left behind when setting the bevel and edge of the tool. The only tool that should have a hook is a scraper. My honing setup is a delta variable speed grinder with cloth wheels. I took off the fenders / guards / tool rests and turned the motor around in the base. Now, the wheels turn away instead of toward the operator. I keep the left whell coated in WD40 and jewelers rouge. The right wheel is left un treated. To hone a tool, I start with the left wheel and finish up with the right. This grinder is also very helpful for polishing just about anything around the house. A lot of times, a quick pass with this grinder will restore the edge without having to go through the entire sharpening process. This is especially true with my lathe tools. Bench chisels tend to need more work because the edge gets a dink out of it. (At least in my shop). I learned about this setup from an old wood carver buddy of mine. He is an expert sharpener who's tools are always razor sharp. When looking at sharpening systems, make sure there is an easy way to dress the stone or wheel. If there isn't, you will never achieve the results you want. A sharper tool is a safer tool. Learning to sharpen is as important as learning to use the tool. That being said, if you looked at my bench chisels right now, I would be embarrissed. Let me know you are coming so I can sharpen them. :) Terry On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:45:24 -0500you write: The grinder that is set up for chisels and some plane irons is the Work Sharp 3000. That has a little window or port on the side of the machine and the angle is already set for you. There are a bunch of other grinders and if you have the money a couple of very expensive sharpening systems out there Like Tormek and Jet. If you want to sharpen by hand, I'd suggest getting a jig for it. It's tough trying to keep the same angle each stroke. I saw a very impressive tool for hand sharpening at Woodcraft. It is made by Pinnacle. It has preset angles you choose and it locks at t hat angle until you actually make a change. The cool thing is it has a definite stop for each of the angles so all you'd need to do is count to the one you want. The draw back is you have to use the angles that are built in, you can't add or subtract a coupl e degrees to finish with. But you'll always get the same angle when you're finished. Just go on a couple of the sites we talk about often and search for sharpen and you'll have a whole evening of reading to do... - Original Message - From: Keith Christian To: Blind Handyman Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 11:20 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Sharpening blades Hi, I am very interested in learning how to sharpen chisels, knives, and hand planers. Is this something that I should consider doing with an oil or water stone? Or is it possible to get an attachment for my grinder to take care of sharpening in one step? It seems like there was a conversation a long time ago about a machine that had a bar that could be set for a particular angle and one could run their blade across it for sharpening. I have heard of people using several steps in the sharpening process. One step is a mild stone with 200 grit, then a 400 grit and then a leather strap or buffing wheel for polishing. As you can tell, I am at the learning end of this sharpening gig. Is there a sharpening FAQ that Ray or anyone else has put together on the topic? Thanks, Keith
Re: [BlindHandyMan] miter saw stops
Hello all: I have a bosch b3915. It is a 10 sliding compound miter saw. The cool thing about it is the cast degree scale. And, yes, you can easily set up the saw by feel. Both the miter and bevel scales are raised. Stops are at 0, 15, 22.5 31.6 45 and 60. One of my woodworker buddies happened to run across this saw and thought I'd be able to feel the scales. Needless to say, He got several beers on my tab for that. The saw is made out of aluminum. I would rather have cast iron; but, I have to admit the aluminum has held up perfectly through many projects. It cuts as well as the day I baught it. Looks like this saw is still available. I've had mine for about 10 years or so. Here's the low-down: Features: Powerful 13.0 Amp motor, 2.8 max. tool HP Crown miter detents - 31.6° miter and 33.9° bevel detents for quick, accurate crown cuts Large 25 aluminum base with 3 extension for 28 total length - Provides extra support Tall 3-1/2 Fence - For easy bevel set-ups and increased crown molding cutting capacities Dual rail design - For superior accuracy Exclusive wedge-and-slot miter detent system - Consistent and precise miter angles Miter detent override - For easy setting of any setting for any neighboring angle Electric brake - For quick and repetitive cuts. Stops blade in seconds Cast and machined scales - Visible for the life of the saw Double insulated, UL listed, complies to OSHA Includes: 60 Tooth Carbide Tip Blade Workpiece Clamp Blade and Stop Wrench Fence and Base Wrench Directional Dust Chute Dust Bag B-3915 I hope this is helpful to the list. Terry
Re: [BlindHandyMan] routers (fwd)
I believe Frued to be up there with Porter Cable. I also like their saw blades. Terry On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:11:30 -0500you write: I have a Freud, fixed based router that does a=20 good job. It uses 1 wrench to change bits.
Re: [BlindHandyMan] The kitchen remodel drama is starting
I would respectively disagree with this email. All jobs I've been envolved with, The base cabinets are installed and leveled with the subfloor. The floor covering is then installed around the base cabinets. Flooring is generally installed under all removable appliances. (washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove Dishwasher) I've seen this problem when vinyl or linoleum is replaced with wood or ceramic tile. It really gets bad when the contracter puts the new floor over the old. (happens all the time). Terry On Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:17:39 -0500you write: Yes. The floor covering goes down before the cabinets. I just ran into a situation where the cabinets with a under the counter d ish washer was in stalled then the floor covering was installed up to the cabinets. It was a real task to remove the dish washer for servicing because it was lower than the floor covering! - Original Message - From: Betsy Whitney To: blindhandyman-yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 5:25 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] The kitchen remodel drama is starting Aloha everyone, It's time to replace the counters in our kitchen and we have been advised that since our cabinets are 30 years old and were not the best quality to begin with, that we really need to replace the cabinets also. We were planning to install vinyl in the kitchen to match the vinyl that we put in the entry way and in part of my office, but now they are suggesting that since we are going to replace the cabinets, that we should wait until the cabinets have been removed, then install the vinyl and then put the cabinets on top of the vinyl. Is that usual? I am wanting thoughts and ideas about this project. Do any of you have items in your kitchens that you really like or dislike? I was looking at some lazy-susan units that look like they would be very helpful, but I just don't know how well they hold up and if they are truly sturdy. Besides suggesting that I move out until the job is done, I welcome any and all suggestions. Perhaps I can get my husband to take a vacation while the work is being done. That would really be of great help,...grin. Thanks, Betsy
Re: [BlindHandyMan] routers (fwd)
I have had bits move with 2 different routers. Both of these routers didn't have a collet as such. Rather, the bit was helled directly by the armiture of the motor. A proper sized hole was drilled into the end of the armature to hold the bit. Next, a slit was cut lengthwise across some threads. A farrel nut was then threaded onto the end of the armature. As the nut was tightened, down, the end of the armiture would get squeezed making the sides of the armature clamp onto the bit. Unfortunately, this doesn't create equal force on all sides of the bit's shaft. Also, the bit is only gripped at the very end near the cutters. This allows the bit to vibrate. A collet works more like a drill chuck creating equal force on all sides of the bit. As the collet is tightened it is forced deeper into a cone. The cone forces the fingersto squeeze the bit as the surface area gets smaller. Being is that there are 4 fingers, the bit is gripped equally on 4 sides. The bit is also gripped along more llength of the shaft. So, I guess I should ammend my statement. If I am using a router with a collet, I'd feel very comfortable in snugging down the bit and making the cut. If I am using a router wwith out one, I'd torque the thing as hard as I could. Terry On Fri, 9 Jan 2009 10:34:59 -0500 (EST)you write: Terry wrote: Likewise. If a collet is over-tightened it will eventually have to be replaced. Snug is good. Torqued isn't. Hmm, that probably explains why bits have been sticking in my router, and why I probably need a new collet. I crank the hell out of it when tightening in a new bit. I've heard many stories about bits walking out, ruining a nice piece of wood, or your whole damn day if it fully comes out. So, I always tightened my bits in super tight. Guess I can ease off a little. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail:d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
