tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72996266620673347512024-03-14T08:31:01.443-07:00Handyman KevinThe official companion blog to the Handyman Kevin YouTube ChannelAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-79540787843848019092016-09-20T14:51:00.001-07:002016-09-20T14:54:29.964-07:00A Shop Built Pliers Punch for Thin Plastic<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS1dQMLIgbc13ephwUeDqE0xQPL-HycTilmY4td37vtwXhsOV5Z34gr5SThI92MVBvG0UoQEI6JkWigkDzPeCQHrKnnnXqKXFQn_1o7AWvi3VFCWHoAHPdcm5ad1Eu0pZ1lXJyXK338M/s1600/IMG_3700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS1dQMLIgbc13ephwUeDqE0xQPL-HycTilmY4td37vtwXhsOV5Z34gr5SThI92MVBvG0UoQEI6JkWigkDzPeCQHrKnnnXqKXFQn_1o7AWvi3VFCWHoAHPdcm5ad1Eu0pZ1lXJyXK338M/s320/IMG_3700.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My shop built punch making holes in polystyrene (below) and card stock (above)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you've ever done any work with thin plastic sheets, gasket stock, or paper board you've probably noticed that ordinary drill bits do a lousy job making holes in it. The reason is that the material deforms as it's being drilled, causing the holes to drift, deform, or get fuzzy around the edges. <a href="http://amzn.to/2cn7YT7" target="_blank">Brad point</a> bits do a little better, but they tend to clog or dull quickly. By far the best solution is some kind of punch.<br />
<br />
I am currently working on a scratch-built model which is built out of polystyrene sheet (the same stuff they make the plastic "For Sale" signs out of that you see for sale at a hardware store. My model has numerous little round port holes which need to be opened. I have an <a href="http://amzn.to/2csjRW4" target="_blank">office style hole punch</a> which cuts through the plastic very well, and which I have used for some of the larger holes. But it only cuts 1/4" diameter circles, which is too big for most of the windows.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSd5hYW7F4UDYvWEh4CB-xg8QdCkVg-AkGxvqIpygdLC9sBfp6p9uZ2Q2jvFgDY6hT-IWTWKCa46k0_CZVqvqp1LqmP6B-eUW-EvGZIX47GCoqgAmmxkFWUOLPkb4p_8a08Q2JKAtLXg/s1600/IMG_3702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSd5hYW7F4UDYvWEh4CB-xg8QdCkVg-AkGxvqIpygdLC9sBfp6p9uZ2Q2jvFgDY6hT-IWTWKCa46k0_CZVqvqp1LqmP6B-eUW-EvGZIX47GCoqgAmmxkFWUOLPkb4p_8a08Q2JKAtLXg/s320/IMG_3702.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My design inspiration</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
The right tool for the job would be either a <a href="http://amzn.to/2csjQBG" target="_blank">Whitney punch</a> or a <a href="http://amzn.to/2d2RRuD" target="_blank">rotary leather punch</a>. I have owned both in the past and they work well, even in their cheap Chinese knock-off versions. Unfortunately, I don't have either available right now and, as usual, I'm broke.<br />
<br />
The solution, which took me slightly under half an hour, was to sacrifice a pair of dollar store pliers (which never worked that well anyway) to make my own.<br />
<br />
I didn't take a video of this project, but I thought I should still post some pictures because it is a good example of modifying a tool to meet your needs, which is a skill every handyman needs on occasion. While my tool looks rough it does a good job of punching holes in polystyrene--much better, anyway, than I can do with a drill bit, and easy to clean up with a needle file.. I believe it would also work for modifying gaskets or on leather, if it wasn't too thick.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62clgSt_XNVNG0RwQaBMNS17epZmOVLeQ1JlnFP5OGYz5sBj1qW5OwDpAtlGCfwC1JD1bl3fZ2BVblbIF-NXQGW7-DUsIPgoVjiK7cScfKVb6h-GjuuFihq3dPLkkVL1nb-pQN1sKClM/s1600/IMG_3698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62clgSt_XNVNG0RwQaBMNS17epZmOVLeQ1JlnFP5OGYz5sBj1qW5OwDpAtlGCfwC1JD1bl3fZ2BVblbIF-NXQGW7-DUsIPgoVjiK7cScfKVb6h-GjuuFihq3dPLkkVL1nb-pQN1sKClM/s320/IMG_3698.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZPvV6QGdhFU3uk_-YlAQPOmHYOkA2EaUKfSObf2u6ftNxqaIpKzzYRnPPmc8RsH2jnMllqzv_SaeWOEBSYt5469Mwt9qKa7zdGUsu5F17IBLTqQQhtukhAawRs3CXD4iVxWyxGEl4AY/s1600/IMG_3699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZPvV6QGdhFU3uk_-YlAQPOmHYOkA2EaUKfSObf2u6ftNxqaIpKzzYRnPPmc8RsH2jnMllqzv_SaeWOEBSYt5469Mwt9qKa7zdGUsu5F17IBLTqQQhtukhAawRs3CXD4iVxWyxGEl4AY/s320/IMG_3699.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<h2>
Step By Step</h2>
<ol>
<li>Find a functional pair of pliers that you can bare to part with. Lineman's style pliers work the because the jaws are relatively flat and parallel. Cheap pliers are actually preferable since they aren't heat treated very well and will be easier to file and drill.</li>
<li>Carefully file off the teeth on the jaws. You could use a grinder, but a file does a neater job and (with good technique) is nearly as fast.</li>
<li>Check to make sure that the jaws still line up and close most of the way. Fine tune your filing job if needed. I had to clear a little bit of metal from the throat of my pliers to make them close, which only took a couple whacks with a cold chisel.</li>
<li>Find a piece of steel for a pin. I used a section from a 16d framing nail.</li>
<li>Center punch the and drill a hole all the way through the jaws of the pliers. Ideally you want a drill bit just large enough to give you a "friction" or "interference" fit with the pin which--in simple terms--means that it won't quite go in on its own but will easily drive in with a small hammer. You probably won't have the exact drill bit you need though, and will have to settle for a slightly loose fit, which should still work.</li>
<li>Insert the pin in the hole in one side of the pliers so that about 1/16" of metal is sticking up on the "outside" face. Back the pin up against the anvil on your vice (or any other solid chunk of iron). Use the round end of a smallish ball-peen hammer to peen the outside end (mushroom it out with many small taps).</li>
<li><i>Optional: Heat the pin cherry red with a torch. This will make the next step easier but isn't really needed with soft steel like a nail.</i></li>
<li>Close the jaws of the pliers as far as they will go. The pin should line up with the opening of the hole in the opposite jaw. Back of the side with the hole against your anvil. Pound the back of the pin until the pliers closed. This forces metal upwards away from the hole making the part set in the first jaw thicker and locking in the pin. </li>
<li>Open the pliers. Use a file to clean up the end of the pin so it will just slide into the hole.</li>
<li>You new punch should now be done. Go find a piece of thin plastic to try it out. </li>
</ol>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-10041459667647223882016-09-06T15:46:00.003-07:002016-09-06T15:46:37.087-07:00Box Jigs for Working With Round Parts<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
Round part present special challenges in the workshop. How to we safely machine them on the table saw, drill press, or other machines when their is no flat side to put against the fence and table? The best solution is usually to build a simple box jig which, as the name implies, is nothing more than a simple box made out of scraps to hold the part. While the video above uses woodworking examples, box jigs are also handy to hold round or irregularly shaped metal parts for work with machines like mills and shapers.<br />
<br />
Basic box jigs come in two types. Open ended jigs, as shown in the first part of the video, are useful with parts that have one flat face that can be screwed to one of the faces of the box. They are very especially useful for making cuts in the round part on the table saw or band saw. Closed end jigs are used with spindles and curved parts which need to be secured from the ends and are especially useful for routing or drilling operations. While simple versions like the one in the animation at the end of the video usually just use screws to secure the ends of the work, it is also possible to build in lathe-style centers and a shop-built or store-bought <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indexing_head" target="_blank">indexing head</a> to hold the piece at certain precise angles. Professional indexing heads are complicated and expensive, but a simple pivoting disk of wood with holes for a pin is often adequate for one-off jobs. Many furniture makers build simple indexing box jigs to so they can route the mortises in table pedestals to attach the legs.<br />
<br />
While they are very simple, box jigs are one of the most useful and common families of jigs in the handyman's workshop.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-20415738959631655582016-05-26T11:16:00.001-07:002016-05-26T11:16:16.562-07:00A Simple, General Purpose Woodworking FinishFinishing is a complex subject which can seem a tad bewildering to beginning woodworkers. There are a multitude of products on the market, and numerous special finishes for particular applications or visual effects. The following, however, is a good general purpose finish that should give good results for most indoor projects regardless of the type of wood used. It doesn't require any special tools or knowledge and the supplies are available at any hardware store.
<br />
<h2>
Supplies Needed</h2>
<ul>
<li>Several Lint-Free Rags - Scraps from a worn-out t-shirt are ideal. Heavy-duty paper towels will also work.</li>
<li>Cotton Swabs or Small Cheap Brush - For getting into tight spaces.</li>
<li>Disposable Rubber Gloves - Unless you don't mind staining your hands brown.</li>
<li>Oil Based Stain - All of the brands give similar results. The shade is a matter of personal preference; when in doubt go with any of the "medium" brown colors.</li>
<li>Premixed Shellac - I use <a href="http://amzn.to/20Hfl69" target="_blank">Zinser</a> brand, which is widely sold here in the States.</li>
<li>Denatured Alcohol - For thinning and cleaning up after the Shellac. This is just high-concentration rubbing alcohol.</li>
</ul>
It is often a good idea to sand and finish a scrap first to see what a finish will look like when it's done. If you write notes on the back of the scrap you can save it and start building a "library" to help remember what different finishes look like on different kinds of wood. If you're satisfied then go ahead and finish your project.
<br />
<h2>
Step-by-Step</h2>
<ol>
<li>Sand everything to 180-grit. Try to sand hard-to reach spots <i>before</i> you glue together your project.</li>
<li>Thin shellac about half-and-half with alcohol to make a sanding sealer. Rub this over your whole project and allow it to dry for at least half an hour. The sealer will fill in the pores of the wood keep the stain from streaking--a particular problem with pines and maples.</li>
<li>Lightly hand-sand with 220-grit.</li>
<li>Stir up your stain and wipe it onto your project with a rag. You can put it on fairly thick. Use cotton swabs or a brush to push stain into corners and small details.</li>
<li>Give the stain about 15 minutes to soak in then wipe off the excess with a clean rag.</li>
<li><i>Optional: If the stain is uneven or you missed some spots, repeat the last two steps for a second coat.</i></li>
<li>Let the stain dry completely. Depending on how dry the air is, this can take up to 18 hours.</li>
<li>Use a clean rag to wipe on two coats of premixed shellac, waiting at least 20 minutes between coats.</li>
</ol>
That's it, you should now have a beautiful finish that looks professional and shows off the grain of your wood. With basic dusting and occasional polishing with a good (non silicone) paste wax, the piece should last for generations.
<br />
<h2>
Safety Concerns</h2>
Neither shellac nor wood stain is particularly nasty stuff--certainly not compared to most modern lacquer or epoxy finishes. It's still a good idea to do your work in a well ventilated area, however. The biggest safety concern is properly disposing of the oily rags. Stain-soaked rags are highly flammable and can spontaneously combust if they get too warm before they are totally dry. <b>It is not safe to through wet oily rags directly in the trash.</b> Back when I had a wood stove in my shop I used to just burn them there. Nowadays I hang them on an old coat hanger until they are dry enough to throw away.
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<h2>
A Variation for "High Abuse" Applications</h2>
Shellac is a good general purpose finish, besides being economical and environmentally friendly. Unfortunately it isn't tough enough for surfaces like kitchen tables that see heavy daily use, including spilled liquids and coffee rings. For these sorts of surfaces you can follow the steps above, but substitute wipe on Polyurethane for the Shellac, which will give you a thicker, more liquid resistant top coat. <a href="http://amzn.to/25kq1ed" target="_blank">Minwax</a> makes a wipe-on Polyurethane that I've used several times with good results. You can also make your own by thinning regular polyurethane with mineral spirits.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-8742434315702981202016-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:002016-02-09T09:00:04.308-08:00The Turner's Tool Kit<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
In the latest video I talked about the most important tools for hand turning on the lathe, as well as how to build your own tools.
<br />
<h2>
Edge Tools</h2>
If you are just getting started turning your best value will probably be to buy a <a href="http://amzn.to/1TOa8IB">set of tools</a>, then add to it later, either by purchasing special tools or by making your own. Expect to pay $75 to $100 new for a usable "apprentice grade" set. There are plenty of used tools around, though, since people sell off their original sets as they upgrade.
While it is theatrically possible to turn wood with nothing but a single gouge or scraper, a minimalist set of edged tools should include at least the following:
<br />
<ul>
<li>Parting Tool</li>
<li>Medium Gouge</li>
<li>1/2" Skew</li>
<li>Spear Point</li>
<li>1/2" Round Scraper</li>
</ul>
A more comprehensive set would add:
<br />
<ul>
<li>Roughing Gouge</li>
<li>Med. Bowl Gouge</li>
<li>1" Skew</li>
</ul>
If you do a lot of end-grain work (on bowls, rosettes, etc.) or you make patterns for metal casting (which are usually made of MDF, putty, and other man-made materials) you will want to make or buy a couple of other sizes of round and flat scrapers.
If you do a lot of small work for models, pens, jewelry, or the like, you might want to get extra small versions of the gouge, skew, and spear-point.
And then of course there are a number of specialized tools in the catalogs for particular tasks: combination gouge/skews so you don't have to switch off when you turn spindles, knurling tools to add texture to wood, special tools for undercutting the insides of vases, and a host of others. These tend to be a bit expensive, but they might dollar out if you plan to make dozens or hundreds of the same type of item.
<br />
<h2>
Making your own turning tools</h2>
Save your worn out files and other pieces of tool steel. It is relatively easy to make skews and scrapers that are just as good as the store bought kind. You simply grind an old file or a piece of tool steel bar to shape. Then you sharpen it while it is still soft, then temper it with a torch or in a forge. My video this week includes a short animation of how to temper tools. To reiterate the process:
<br />
<ol>
<li>Heat a spot about 2" from the end of the tool to a dull cherry red.</li>
<li>Dip the tool in salt water so that <i>part</i> of the heated area goes under. Salt water is used because if fizzes less when quenching and gives more even heat treating.</li>
<li>Watch the colors in the steel spread out from the part that is still hot towards the now cool end. It helps if you quickly polish the end of the tool with sand paper to remove scale and oxidation.</li>
<li>When the bluish-brown part of the color gets to the cutting edge plunge just the tip of the tool back in the salt water and jiggle it up and down until it stops hissing. The jiggling is to avoid a sharp temper line, which can lead to stress discontinuities in the metal's molecular matrix.</li>
<li>Set the tool aside and let the still-warm parts cool naturally to room temperature. This leads to a hard cutting edge and a shaft that is a little soft, hence less likely to be brittle.</li>
</ol>
Tempering is something that can be confusing at first but is very easy once you've done it a couple times.
In the video I also showed you how to turn handles for your tools. For material I used a piece of maple with a 1/2" section of copper tubing for a ferrule. This is a fairly elementary spindle turning project. The steps are as follows:
<br />
<ol>
<li>Cut a blank of wood slightly oversize. On pieces larger than about 1" you'll usually want to cut off the corners with a table saw or band saw (or a draw knife, if you're feeling old school). This will save turning time.</li>
<li>Mark the centers on each end and make a small dimple with an awl or center punch.</li>
<li>Drill a hole for the tail stock center. The preferred way to do this is to use a specially shaped center drill, mounted in the tail stock, since it will produce holes of exactly the right shape and alignment. When this won't work for some reason it's usually OK to hold the piece in a vice and drill a hole with an electric drill.</li>
<li>Take the spur center off the lathe and drive it into the end of the wood with a hammer or mallet.</li>
<li>If using a solid "dead" style tail stock center, put several drops of oil into the center hole and give it a moment to soak into the end grain.</li>
<li>Mount the work in the lathe and tighten the tail stock ram.</li>
<li>Position the tool rest so that it just clears the corners of the work and the edge is about 1/8" below the centers of the lathe. Rotate the piece by hand to make sure everything clears.</li>
<li>Start the lathe on low speed. Use your biggest, heaviest gouge to rough out a circular shape on the blank. Go until the piece is circular. Exact diameters don't matter at this point as long as it is "big enough".</li>
<li>Find another handle of the same style you are turning and use it as a reference to mark critical points on the turning with a pencil while it spins. Mark end points, points of minimum and maximum diameter, and inflection points where curves flatten out or change.</li>
<li>Increase speed. Use your outside calipers to measure the diameter at each critical point on the model handle then use the parting tool to cut down to this diameter at each of your pencil marks.</li>
<li>Measure the inside diameter of the ferrule with your inside calipers and transfer the measurement to your outside calipers. Cut the space for the ferrule using mostly a medium gouge, but taking the final cuts with a skew.</li>
<li>Remove the piece from the lathe and pound the end into the ferrule with a mallet. Remount the piece in the lathe.</li>
<li>Trim the end with the ferrule so the wood and metal line up perfectly. If the wood is proud of the metal face it down with a skew. It the metal is proud of the wood trim it with a spear point tool.</li>
<li>If the metal of the ferrule is rough, give it a light finish pass with a skew or flat scraper.</li>
<li>Returning to the medium gouge, shape all of the curved and straight surfaces on the handle.</li>
<li>Take a light cut with a sharp skew to fair out the surfaces cut with the gouge.</li>
<li>Move the tool rest out of the way and use sandpaper (up to at least 180 grit) to smooth the turning. If you want the ferrule to be really shiny then wet sand it with 400 grit or higher sandpaper and a few drops of oil.</li>
<li>Switch back to low speed and use a clean lint-free rag to apply a couple coats of lacquer or shellac. The finish will dry almost instantly from the friction and airflow of the spinning lathe.</li>
<li>Once the finish is dry to the touch apply paste wax to the spinning handle, then buff with another clean rag.</li>
<li>Remove the handle from the lathe. Use an electric drill to deepen the hole for the tool tang.</li>
<li>Pad the jaws of your vice and clamp the tool blade in it. Use a mallet to pound on the new handle.</li>
</ol>
With slight variations this procedure works for the handles of most hand tools, including screwdrivers, chisels, files, and others. With slight modification (using multiple centers to produce an oval cross section) it will also work on things like hammers. If you are just getting started turning I suggest that you gather up all the tools in your garage that have missing, damaged, or ugly handles and turn new handles for them, since it will be a great way to practice your basic spindle turning skills.
<br />
<h2>
Sharpening Tools</h2>
Everyone has their own preferences and prejudices when it comes to sharpening but everyone needs to perform the same basic functions: rough grinding to shape new tools and restore damaged edges, honing to sharpen edges, and stropping to polish edges and smooth out wire edges. After experimenting with different systems, including bench grinders and grindstones mounted in the lathe itself, I have settled on my belt sander as my grinder of choice. It's always handy, and it seems easier to control than a round grindstone. Whatever grinder you use, make sure that you only press the tool lightly against the belt or stone and that you cool it immediately when it starts to heat.
For honing I normally use a <a href="http://amzn.to/1TOan6t">small Arkansas stone</a> with a few drops of whatever oil is within reach. It takes a fair amount of practice to reliably use an oil stone for sharpening but, once you develop the knack, it's still the simplest and most versatile way to sharpen. There are various jigs and guides out there which are supposed to make the process easier, but I've never found one that was worth the bother. One piece of advice I can give you is to sharpen early and often. If you touch up your edges as soon as the begin getting dull then you will be able to go a long time between regrinding.
For stropping I favor a <a href="http://amzn.to/1W6PC4K">SlipStrop</a>, made by Flexcut. This is nothing more than a piece of hardwood with a couple patches of leather glued on and various profiles routed on the back side. You smear it with abrasive (either the yellow stuff from Flexcut or ordinary red rouge) and then pass the edges of your tools against it to polish them and straighten out the microscopic wire edge. The SlipStrop goes for about $15; if you have more time than money you can easily whittle one out of a scrap of hardwood. Masonite (smooth side out) is an acceptable substitute for belt leather and actually seems to work a little better for hard steels like the ones from Solingen or Japan.
Scrapers are ground and honed the same way as cutting tools but are normally burnished instead of stropped. This is a process of rubbing a slight "hook" on the scraping edge with a burnishing tool, often a round screwdriver shaft or ratchet extension (especially if it is chromed, since chrome is harder than most steels).
<br />
<h2>
Measuring Tools</h2>
Measuring is just as important in turning as in other shop work. For wood turning and ornamental metal turning you will want the following:
<br />
<ul>
<li>An accurate 12" ruler</li>
<li>Outside calipers</li>
<li>Inside calipers</li>
<li>Dividers</li>
</ul>
It's useful to have more than one pair of outside calipers so you can leave a pair set to a particular dimension that you know you will need again. There are several imported sets containing both kinds of calipers and a pair of dividers on the market, which are usually a pretty good value. In the past I have also made my own dividers by jigsawing the legs out of thin plywood or plastic and screwing them together. They aren't nearly as accurate as the store-bought kind, since the amount of "spring" is wrong, but they are good enough for everyday wood turning.
For precision metalworking you will need to substantially add to your arsenal of measuring tools. At the minimum you will want:
<br />
<ul>
<li>Dial calipers and/or micrometer</li>
<li>Dial indicator on magnetic base</li>
<li>Small steel square</li>
<li>Feeler gauges</li>
<li>Combo square with center finder attachment</li>
</ul>
There naturally work-arounds if you are missing one or all of these. In one of <a href="http://amzn.to/1Phzews" target="_blank">Dave Gingery's books</a> he boasts that he could have built his whole metalworking shop with no precision tools except a $2 set of feeler gauges. On the other hand, cheap import tools get better every year, and things go much faster if you have the right tools for the job.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-35174255123332509422016-02-08T13:15:00.000-08:002016-02-08T13:15:12.697-08:00Free Ebooks About Lathe WorkHaving become interested in lathe work well before YouTube was a "thing,'" I learned many of my techniques from books. Nowadays, of course, you can watch videos by myself and others and find a wealth of plans and tips on websites, but I think books are still useful for someone who is learning to turn. And of course the only thing better than a useful book is a <i>free</i> useful book, so I thought I would point you towards a couple of free ebooks which I think are worth reading. All three are available from <a href="http://gutenberg.org/">Project Gutenberg</a>, a non-profit organization that finds and scans public domain books and makes them available in a variety of electronic formats.<br />
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<h2>
<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48179">A Manual of the Hand Lathe (1869)</a> </h2>
Egbert P. Watson<br />
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Despite its age this book is a do-it-yourself guide in a format which will be very familiar to contemporary readers. Watson wrote at a time when small foot-powered lathes were a must-have tool for the home workshop. Unlike later books, which usually focus on either woodworking or metalworking, Watson takes for granted that you will be using your lathe to turn wood, metal, and any other material that was available in the 19th century. Probably the most valuable aspect of the book is the description of how to perform metalworking operations like threading using hand tools. At times Watson becomes a bit pedantic, and his organization could perhaps be better, but this book is still a treasure for anyone interested in "low tech" lathe work.<br />
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<h2>
<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15460">A Course in Wood Turning (1919)</a> </h2>
Archie S. Milton and Otto K. Wohlers<br />
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This book was intended as a guide for high school shop teachers for developing wood turning lesson plans. As such, it describes all of the essential techniques and concepts for both spindle and face-plate turning. Even though it was written nearly a century ago, none of the fundamentals of the craft have changed. Anyone who masters the skills in this book can legitimately claim to be a competent wood turner. The book also includes plans for a number of projects and, although few of them would be mistaken for anything except a high school wood shop assignment, some of them, especially the spiral turnings, could be a useful source of inspiration for the reader's own projects.<br />
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<h2>
<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34030">Turning and Boring (1914)</a> </h2>
Franklin D. Jones<br />
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This work was intended as a general reference to any sort of turning and boring operation that might be encountered by a working machinist. Although it assumes the use of a metalworking engine lathe (or, in the later part of the book, a boring mill) many of the operations can be adapted for use on a simple lathe like the <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/2016/02/building-handy-lathe.html" target="_blank">Handy Lathe Mk. I</a>. Probably the most valuable parts of this book for most of us will be the detailed drawings of mandrels, hold-downs, and steady rests, and similar fixtures, which are so necessary for many advanced turning projects.<br />
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Download these books to your tablet and other device. Study them, perhaps with the addition of a couple of classic non-free books like <a href="http://amzn.to/1RjkTlz" target="_blank"><i>Machine Shop Operations and Setups</i></a> or the <a href="http://amzn.to/1T0WukA" target="_blank">Gingery</a> series, and you will know just about as much about lathe work as you're going to learn from books. After that, the only way to learn more will be to get to the shop and make things.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-24817654562286686982016-02-02T10:10:00.000-08:002016-02-02T10:10:04.993-08:00Building The Handy Lathe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The following instructions describe how I built my own lathe, as shown in the videos. My design was dictated by the tools and materials that I happened to have around, since one of the major goals of the project was to build the lathe for the minimum possible cash outlay, using mostly junk and leftovers from other projects. If you build your own lathe it will undoubtedly be different. Part of the charm to home made tools is the uniqueness of each one. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D_4JnGPrBHs" width="420"></iframe><br />
Part I of the Video</div>
<h2>
The Head Stock</h2>
The head stock consists of a bicycle bottom bracket held in a sturdy wooden frame. There are at least half a dozen configurations of bottom brackets out there, many of which can probably be made to work. <a href="http://amzn.to/1JUDEub" target="_blank">The kind I used</a>, which is the most common on adult bikes of the '80s and '90s, has 10mm male threads on the spindles to which you can screw adapters for the pulley and chuck (or face plate, live center, etc). A slightly newer design, also very common, has female threads to which you can attach things with a bolt. Either one should be pretty easy to work with. My bottom bracket is old enough that it uses loose ball bearings with adjustable cones, which means I can adjust and/or repack the bearings dozens of times as they wear in. Newer units have sealed bearings which last a bit longer, but you need to replace the whole unit when it wears out. <br />
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If you don't have the tools you need to adjust or dismantle a bottom bracket (which vary depending on the type) it will be cheaper to bring it into a bike shop than to buy them. I do have the tools, though, because I used to work in a bike shop.<br />
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The bottom bracket shell fits tightly into a hole in a wood glue up and is held in with a 1/4" lag bolt that engages one of the holes in the shell. Precision is very important when building the head stock--more so than with any of the other assemblies. You want to start by finding well-seasoned, straight-grained wood. Hardwood--perhaps maple or white oak--would be ideal. I used a chunk of old-growth fir which I have been saving for something special ever since I sawed it out of a 1940's house. <br />
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After the glue dries you will want to carefully plane all of the surfaces to get them absolutely square, since everything else you build will be squared against the face of the head stock. This is one of those tasks for which there is just no substitute for a well-tuned <a href="http://amzn.to/204Q4kW" target="_blank">smooth plane </a>and a little patience. <br />
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You will probably not have drill bits that are the right size for the holes for the bottom bracket and pipes. For the bottom bracket hole I used an <a href="http://amzn.to/1JUEmHI" target="_blank">adjustable bit</a> to bore it slightly (about 1/32") under-size. Then I very carefully enlarged it with a <a href="http://amzn.to/1JUEvuX" target="_blank">half-round file</a>. <br />
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<i>Optional: So I wouldn't have to remove quite so much material, I used a <a href="http://amzn.to/204QQP5" target="_blank">rabbet bit</a> in a router to remove some of the wood from the sides of the inside of the hole. </i><br />
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Once the bottom bracket would go in I mounted an old crank and checked everything for square against my table saw by rotating the crank and measuring it. I was only off by a fraction of a degree and was able to correct it by a little more filing and scraping. If end up taking off too much material you will need to shim the bottom bracket square with pieces of shim stock (a.k.a. beer can). <br />
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I followed a similar procedure for the holes that received the pipe ways, except that I was able to use an <a href="http://amzn.to/204R9cw" target="_blank">adjustable hand ream</a> to enlarge the holes. A bicycle seat tube ream is a good size for this. <br />
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<i>Optional: You can cut a shoulder on the ends of the pipes using the <a href="https://youtu.be/ZffhW5oyDNM" target="_blank">pipe grinding jig</a> that I showed you how to build two episodes ago, which will give a very nice fit and allow you to use a 1" drill bit. </i><br />
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The small counter-bored hole in the lower center of the head stock isn't mentioned in the video. Its purpose is to receive a lead screw later when I add a sliding carriage for metalworking, but it's easier to add it now before the lathe is assembled.<br />
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The last step is to use a router or a file to round off all the exposed corners, which will keep them from splintering.<br />
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<h2>
The Ways</h2>
The ways are made of 3/4" schedule 40 water pipe. Actually, 1" or 1 1/4" would have been even better, since it would be stiffer, but 3/4" was what I had. You need to find the straightest pieces of pipe you can. An old trick is to role them on a flat surface and listen for clicks, which means that they are bent. If you have access to another lathe it would be a great idea to take a pass along each of them to true them up. Ironically, someone gave me a long-bed lathe a couple weeks after I had already installed them...that's the way these things seem to go. <br />
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The bracket that holds the tail end of the ways is just a piece of straight-grained 2x4 with holes that line up with the ones in the head stock.<br />
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Assemble the ways to the head stock, square everything, then glue and screw it to a piece of particle board. Why particle board? Because it is very dimensionally stable and you don't have to worry about it warping and bending your ways out of alignment.<br />
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<h2>
Spindle Adapters</h2>
Now you need to figure out how to get a pulley on one end of the spindle and whatever chucks or other accessories you will be using on the other. In my case the pulley I was using accepts a 5/8" shaft with a key-way and my chuck goes on a 5/8" plain shaft typical of accessories that are meant for <a href="http://www.shopsmith.com/" target="_blank">ShopSmith</a> machines), so both adapters are basically 5/8" metal cylinders that screw onto the threads on the spindle. If you are using a threaded chuck then you will need to thread the adapter. This job is best done on a friend's engine lathe, but is possible with a die if you are careful. <br />
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The adapters can be made out of, in decreasing order of suitability, brass, pot metal, bronze or steel. The reason brass is the best because it is reasonably strong and threads nicely. Pot metal and bronze are even stronger, and thread nearly as well. Steel is the strongest, but it is hard to cut really nice threads in it, especially with a crappy tap and die set like mine. You can buy short lengths of brass round stock from <a href="http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=80&step=2&top_cat=79" target="_blank">Online Metals</a>, a company with which I have done business off and on for years. I'm poor though, and didn't want to wait for delivery, so I melted down scraps of pot metal and cast my own adapters. <br />
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Metal casting is both an art and a science, and I don't pretend to be an expert. However, this is just about the simplest casting that I can imagine, and is well within the abilities of a handyman. The amount of metal involved will melt on an ordinary camp stove and the "mold" is little more than a hole poked in some dirt. The most important advice I can give you is to poor <i>slowly</i> otherwise you will end up with bubbles in the metal that will create voids and ruin the casting. <br />
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Also, remember that molten metal is hot! You definitely want to wear sturdy leather boots and gloves and long pants. Welding gauntlets and leathers, if you have them, would be even better. Also, be aware that when molten metal spills on concrete it sometimes causes it to spall, sending high velocity chunks around the shop, so casting over blacktop or dirt is safer. Always plan your motions ahead of time and know what you are going to do before you have a crucible of metal in your hands, and never rush; it's better to screw up a pour than to go to fast and end up hurting yourself.<br />
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Once you have your castings done, or cut your round stock, you will need to do some work to turn them into adapters. A drill press, though not absolutely necessary, is quite useful for these steps. <br />
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The first step is to create a flat reference face on one end of the casting. I started by hack sawing off one end as square as I could get it. Then I put the casting in a vice and cleaned it up with my belt sander (a file would work too, but I'm really good with a belt sander). Then I clamped the piece in a drill press vice with v-blocks and faced it up with a stiff sanding disk that I made.<br />
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Next I located the centers and drilled with a tap size drill bit (9.5 mm for the 10 mm fine threads on the bicycle spindle. In precision work like this it is best to drill first with a smaller drill bit and then "follow the hole" with your final size bit. <br />
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Next I tapped the hole in the drill press. The center in the drill chuck holds the tap square and make it less likely that you will get a "drunken" thread. If you don't have a tapping fixture for your drill press you can just put a center in the chuck and wrap a bungee cord around the feed handle to apply even pressure. <br />
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Once you have the threaded hole you can screw the blank adapter onto the spindle and turn it to the final size. "But wait," you say, "we don't have a pulley on the lathe yet, how do we make it rotate for turning?" I solved this problem by powering the lathe with my half inch drill and a flex shaft made out of some hose. You could also use the actual lathe motor and a slightly bigger diameter hose. Either way you want to clamp the drill/motor down pretty securely. Otherwise it will pull towards you and whip the hose around at high velocity. <br />
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For adapters that need a key-way, like the one on my pulley, you can cut it with a small chisel then clean it up with files. Back in the days of yore all key-ways were cut this way and it isn't difficult, just time consuming.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bgnLhPsKX28" width="420"></iframe><br />
Part II of the Video</div>
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<h2>
The Tool Rest</h2>
The next step is to build a tool rest which is sturdy enough to last and adjustable enough to get you into all the positions you need for hand turning. I opted for a fairly short rest, since my lathe will mostly be used to turn fairly small objects.<br />
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Of course the eventual plan is to put a sliding carriage on this lathe, but even for metalworking hand work is more convenient for certain tasks...such as the spherical sections on almost any piece. And nearly all wood turning is done with a hand rest.<br />
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The bracket that holds the tool rest to the ways is made by gluing up some pieces of 2x4, then drilling a hole and sawing down to it. Make sure you use pieces without any knots, or they will break when you try to clamp them.<br />
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The socket that holds the tool rest is a piece of 3/4" schedule 40 pipe left over from cutting the ways. Use a <a href="http://amzn.to/1POdWn5" target="_blank">round file</a> to deburr it and smooth out the inside, then drill and tap for a set screw. I used the set screw from an electrical conduit pull box which I had already melted down for its pot metal. If you want, you can solder on a wing nut or half a dime to make it a wing screw, like I showed you how to do two episodes ago in the <a href="https://youtu.be/ZffhW5oyDNM" target="_blank">pipe grinder</a> video.<br />
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The tool rest itself is a section of a 1" pipe nipple brazed or welded to a piece of 1/2" pipe. <br />
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First you will need to turn down the bottom two thirds or so of the vertical piece down so it will fit in the socket. You can do this by roughing it out with a file and then chucking it in the lathe. You will need to kludge a temporary tool rest up out of scraps--it doesn't need to be fancy, since you'll only be using it once. For the actual turning use a diamond point tool and take many light passes, then smooth it up with 120 grit sand paper.<br />
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<i>Note: If you don't have lathe tools yet, I will be giving you some tips on how to make them in an upcoming episode. </i><br />
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The horizontal piece can be cut out of the 1" pipe using a hacksaw or abrasive cut-off disk in your angle grinder. <br />
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You need to cope the vertical piece so it fits against the bottom of the horizontal piece. You can do this by eye, but I also made this <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2679843/Handyman%20Kevin/Handy%20Lathe/coping_template.pdf" target="_blank">template</a> which you can print, snip out, and use to mark the cut line. Rough it out with grinder, then use a half-round file to finish it. <br />
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Then drill and tap for a little 3/16" bolt or machine screw to hold everything together while you braze or weld it. If you own an acetylene torch fillet brazing with brass rod is the way to go: it looks better and will be less likely to deform the pieces. Arc welding is also fine. If you own neither a torch nor a welder, then you do what I did and just fill the inside of the rest with molten pot metal. I buried the whole assembly upside down in a can of dirt, added some vents by poking with a piece of coat hanger, and slowly poured in the metal. The result probably isn't as strong as torch brazing would have been, but I haven't had any trouble with it. <br />
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Clean up your welds/brazes with files and smooth out the top of the rest with a fine file.<br />
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The clamp that locks the tool rest is a quick release from a bicycle hub. Quick release skewers are made of heat-treated steel which is hard to cut or thread, even with carbide tools, so use the whole skewer and make a spacer out of pipe fittings or a block of wood. <br />
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This tool rest looks like a jury-rig, but actually locks up faster and tighter than the one on my big Harbor Freight lathe and about as well as the one on the old 1930's wood lathe that I owned before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail at Bottom of Tool Rest</td></tr>
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<h2>
The Tail Stock</h2>
The tail stock is the single most complicated sub-assembly in this lathe. <br />
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The body of the tail stock is a glue-up made from pieces of wood. Ideally, you would make the whole thing out of some sort of tough, dimensionally stable hardwood like white oak or maple. Hardwood is expensive, though, and I made it out of dry construction lumber and only used maple for the pieces which will actually contact the ways. <br />
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Start off by gluing up two rectangular slabs, then plane them flat. Next, drill the holes for the ways, and cut off the waste piece at the bottom. Then saw out the shape on each piece. A <a href="https://youtu.be/yZSTezQcOAs" target="_blank">band saw</a> is ideal, but a portable jig saw, or even a coping saw, will work. Next, cut one of the pieces in two and glue the two pieces onto the other piece. Sand everything flush and round off exposed corners.<br />
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The next step is to make sure the half holes in the bottom of the tail stock match the ways and that it sits absolutely square. To do this, stick some PSA sandpaper on the ways. Then mark the surface with Sharpie pen or pencil and scrape the tail stock back and forth over the sandpaper for a few minutes, holding it as square as possible (it helps to clamp a square to the ways that you can eyeball on). When you turn the tail stock over you will see where the ink or pencil has been sanded off. Attack these high spots with a half-round file and/or a scrap of pipe with sandpaper wrapped around it. Repeat as needed. For the last few passes forgo the file and use the sandpaper itself to lap the holes for a really good fit.<br />
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The next step is to make the clamp that locks the tail stock in place. I cut and bent an old iron plant hanger and added a bicycle seat post quick release. This setup works well. My only complaint is that I need to bend the strap when I take the tail stock off the lathe for chuck work, and I'm afraid it will eventually work harden and break off. A better design would incorporate a hinge on the bottom piece of strap. Maybe you could weld in a small gate hinge?<br />
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The next step is to bore the hole for the tail stock ram. Do this by chucking a spade bit (not a self-feeding bit, a cheap spade bit) in the lathe chuck and slowly sliding the tail stock into it. Like the other holes in this project, you will need to enlarge this one to the precise diameter of the pipe. You could use a hand ream again, but it is easier to make a boring bar and use the lathe. In this case the boring bar is just a scrap of 1/2" EMT conduit with a sheet metal screw in the end. The end of the screw is plenty sharp enough to scrape out the inside of the hole. Take several back-and-forth passes, calipering the hole frequently until it is the right size.<br />
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<i>Optional: If you drilled the holes in for the lead screw, you can insert a piece of 3/8" all thread rod and use it to push/pull the head stock back and forth for the boring steps. A ratchet and socket on a double nut on the end makes a handy crank. This is slower but should result in a slightly more accurate hole. Besides, it looks awesome while you're doing it!</i><br />
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Next, you will need to cut a key way slot in the hole to receive the 1/4" feather on the bottom of the tail stock ram. You can use a coping saw to cut the edges of the hole, then clear out the waste with a 1/4" chisel. <br />
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The tail stock ram is yet another piece of 3/4" pipe (marvelous stuff, pipe, and you can find hundreds of feet of it abandoned in the crawlspace of any house that has previously been re-piped!). It has a 1/2" hex nut pressed into each end. Because this is an interference fit, you will need to either hammer in the nuts or press them in with either an arbor press of a pipe clamp. I also put a blind rivet in each nut to hold it in.<br />
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To do a blind rivet, cut a short chunk of a nail (10d common nails are about the right diameter for this). Drill through both pieces, but don't go through to the other end. Then insert the little chunk of nail, cutting it if necessary so it sticks up less than 1/16" of the surface. Then peen it with a ball-peed hammer until it squishes into the hole and locks the pieces together. Finish by filing it flush with the surface. With larger rivets it is helpful to heat the rivet cherry red with a propane torch before peening, but it isn't really necessary with little ones like this.<br />
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The tail stock ram also gets a feather at the bottom made from 1/4" key stock, which keeps it from turning in the hole. I also attached this with blind rivets, but brazing would be another option.<br />
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A bit of <a href="http://amzn.to/1POfa1I" target="_blank">paste wax</a> on the ram makes it much easier to shove into the hole. You want a tight running fit with no side play. <br />
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The ram feed screw is a piece of 1/2" all thread rod with hex nuts and washers. It passes through a wooden plug which you can turn in the chuck (the easiest way is probably to drill the 1/2" hole first and stick a 1/2" dowel through it so you have something to grab in the chuck. <br />
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The knob on the end of the feed screw is turned much the same way. I had originally had trouble with it slipping on me, so I mortised in a short piece of left-over key stock which engages a notch I cut in one of the nuts.<br />
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<h2>
Accessories</h2>
<h3>
Dead Center</h3>
You will need a dead center for any kind of spindle turning. I make them by cutting off a short length of all thread rod or a bold and fixing a hex nut in the middle with a blind rivet. Turn a point on one end to about a 60º included angle. Whenever your center starts to get dull or beat up (which happens often when you are turning metal) just put it in the chuck and turn a fresh point on it. <br />
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<h3>
Tail Stock Chuck</h3>
Most types of drill chuck can be adapted to this tail stock. Probably the easiest is a <a href="http://amzn.to/1JUHmE7" target="_blank">chuck with 1/2" threads</a>, since you can just the head off a half inch bolt and use a die to thread one end of it to the 1/2" NF threads in the chuck. Riveting a nut in the middle gives you something to hold onto when you screw it in to and out of the tail stock. <br />
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A chuck that is meant to go on a Jacobs or other taper is going to require some more complicated turning, since you will need to exactly match the taper for it to fit on. Your best bet is to turn it a few thousandths oversize and coat it with Sharpie or <a href="http://amzn.to/1POgodm" target="_blank">machinists' dye</a>, push the chuck on to see where the high points are, and use a very light pass to adjust. Repeat until the chuck goes on all the way and stays on.<br />
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<h3>
Drive Center</h3>
I don't actually recommend hand made drive centers, since they don't usually work as well as even the cheap store bought ones. Of course if you have a milling machine you can make as many high quality ones as you need--but since you are reading about how to build a lathe out of junk, I assume you don't have a mill either. The basic procedure is to start with a cylinder of steel (part of a large bolt works) and drill and tap it to go on your head stock spindle. Then mark out the spurs. Four is the most common number, although I have seen centers that use anywhere from two to twelve. Then carefully carve out the metal with a grinder and files. <br />
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It is easier to make the center pin separately and then press it into a hole in the center. This avoids the problem of turning the pin without wiping out the spurs, which can be quite a challenge with hand tools.<br />
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<h3>
Other Accessories</h3>
Look in any machine tool or woodworking catalog and you will see literally hundreds of different accessories for lathes. Many of these are fairly simple and, with a little ingenuity, you can probably build your own versions...especially now that you have a lathe. It's also worth diffing around in pawn shops and flea markets. Dig around in the junk boxes they usually have in a back corner and you can find all sorts of bits, centers, chucks, and other useful parts that can be adapted to your own setup, often sold for pennies on the dollar.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-39271774917729813922016-01-12T09:58:00.001-08:002016-01-12T09:58:15.054-08:00The Lathe: A Brief HistoryThe history of the lathe is a microcosm for the entire history of technology. The first literary mention of a lathe that I am aware of is in Plato's unfinished <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1571" target="_blank"><i>Critias</i></a>, in which Critias describes the island of Atlantis as being perfectly circular with the capital places "as if at the pivot of a lathe" (113d). There is little information on what Hellenistic lathes actually looked like but a certain degree of sophistication would have been required to create some of the mechanisms attributed to Greek inventors. Certainly the Greeks, with their great reverence for geometry, would have seen the potential of a simple tool that makes perfectly circular objects. Simple lathes of some sort (probably based on the Greek models) were around throughout the Roman period--just look at the turned wooden grips on the hilts of late Roman short swords. <br />
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In the dark ages everyone got much poorer and tools became simpler. Round objects were more likely to be carved with a draw-knife than turned. Even so, lathes probably never completely went away. By the High Middle Ages wood turners, using simple spring pole lathes, were in business throughout Europe, often unpacking their lathes and setting up in the middle of forests so as to be near a steady source of green wood. Spring pole lathes are deceptively simple. A rope or thong is wrapped around the work. One end is tied to a springy rod (often a handy tree branch) while the other is attached to a pedal, or just tied to the turner's foot. When he steps down the work rotates and he takes a cut. When he raises his foot the spring pole rotates backwards. As primitive as spring-pole lathes are, however, they can potentially do every operation that a modern store-bought electric wood lathe can.<br />
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Spring Pole Lathe [Flickr user Mark, CC-BY 2.0]</div>
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Spring pole lathes do have one big drawback, though: they you can only cut for half the cycle. This problem was solved with the invention of the treadle lathe, which uses a crank rod attached to the treadle to rotate a flywheel which in turn rotates a drive center through a belt and pulleys. This style of lathe was also easy to connect to an external power source--initially a water wheel, but later a steam engine or electric motor. Many turners actually preferred treadle power, however, because of the fine-grained speed control it gave for delicate operations like threading. <br />
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The first treadle lathes were made of wood, as the spring pole lathes had been before. The advent of iron casting, however, allowed for the mass production of lathes in various standard sizes. In the 19th century cast iron treadle lathes were ubiquitous in every kind of shop or factory as well as in home workshops. In his 1869 <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48179" target="_blank">book on lathe work</a> (definitely recommended reading), Egbert Pomeroy Watson extols the virtues of the lathe as a must-have DIY tool,
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<blockquote>
There is no family in this country that would not find it economy to have a foot lathe in the house, where the members have mechanical tastes—not necessarily the male members, for ladies use foot lathes, in Europe, with the greatest dexterity. Some of the most beautiful work ever made, was by Miss Holtzapfel, a relative of the celebrated mechanist of the same name. If there are shovels to be mended, the lathe will drill the holes and turn the rivets. If the handle of the saucepan is loose, it will do the same. If scissors or knives want grinding, there is the lathe; if the castors on the sofa break down, there is the lathe; if skates need repairs, either of grinding or of any other kind, there is the lathe. In short, it ought to be as much a part of domestic economy as the sewing machine, for it takes the odd stitches in the mechanical department that save money.
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The first lathe I ever used was a Victorian treadle mini-lathe that lived in my Grandfather's basement. He used to use it to make knobs and handles for kitchenware and toys for us grandchildren. <br />
Most of these lathes looked very much like a modern wood lathe, with a simple iron tool rest which was used with various hand tools, but turners used them to work metal as well as wood. The cylinders and threaded parts for the first few generations of steam engines were turned by hand, as were most gun barrels prior to the civil war. Precision metalworking on a simple lathe is absolutely possible!<br />
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The mid-19th century saw the next major step in the evolution of the lathe: the engine lathe. These machines used tools clamped in a holder which was attached to a carriage that was moved with hand wheels, allowing for more precision in less time. A further addition of a lead screw (providing a power feed for the carriage) and change gears (for automatic threading in standard pitches) led to the direct ancestors of modern metal lathes.
The standard wood lathe and engine lathe have remained relatively unchanged since then and are still a basic part of well-equipped woodworking and metalworking shops, but the late 19th and 20th centuries saw the emergence of a profusion of special purpose lathes optimized for particular jobs: bowl lathes, metal spinning lathes, brake drum lathes, pipe machines (a lathe designed to cut and thread pipe on job sites), and many others. In the second half of the 20th century the focus was on automation. Production wood lathes gained duplicator attachments to rapidly copy table legs and similar pieces by following a template. Metal lathes gained turrets which held several different tools for rapid selection. With the advent of CNC technology the turret lathe became fully computer controlled.<br />
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At the same time that production lathe technology was heading towards specialization and automation, however, there was a growing interest in simple lathe designs which could be built cheaply and used for a wide variety of tasks. One of the first to publicize this sort of lathe was hand tool woodworking guru Roy Underhill, who has built and demonstrated several simple foot-powered lathes on his PBS show <a href="http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/home/" target="_blank"><i>The Woodwright's Shop</i></a> and currently teaches a class in how to build your own spring-pole lathe. Prior to becoming a TV personality Roy toured the craft-fair circuit with a treadle lathe built mostly out of construction lumber, doing spindle turning while playing the harmonica. All of his lathes are built out of wood with only a few metal parts.
In the 1980's Dave Gingery came on the scene with a <a href="http://amzn.to/1RehYeD" target="_blank">series of books</a> about how to build a machine shop from scratch. The core of his program was a simple but versatile engine lathe built from pot metal and aluminum castings. Many thousands of hobbyists have since built and used Gingery lathes.
More recently, there has been an upsurge in interest in a WW I-era engine lathe design by Lucien Yeoman which was created to rapidly tool up munitions factories. <a href="http://makezine.com/2012/04/12/the-concrete-lathe-project/" target="_blank">Yeoman lathes</a> are built mostly out of concrete with pipe ways. They require no foundry work and only minor welding. Yeoman lathes can typically be scaled up larger than Gingery lathes because the latter are limited by the amount of metal you can heat in a single pour.
My own lathe design incorporates elements from the Underhill, Gingery, and Yeoman designs, and was largely dictated by the tools and materials I happened to have on hand. I don't have a foundry or a welder, but I did have a box of old bicycle parts and plenty of wood. Also, I have pretty complete sets of woodworking and bicycle tools (I'm a journeyman in both those trades) but only basic metalworking tools. So I built a lathe mostly out of wood, like Roy Underhill, but with pipe ways like Yeoman. The headstock bearings and spindle are a bicycle bottom bracket and I used bicycle quick-release levers to lock down the tool rest and tailstock. <a href="http://amzn.to/1Rei1al" target="_blank">Gingery's book</a> was constantly at hand as I designed, machined, and assembled the various pieces.<br />
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Roy Underhill with one of his lathes</div>
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A Yeoman Lathe [courtesy of opensourcemachinetools.org]</div>
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Since completing the Handy Lathe six month ago I have used it for numerous projects in wood, plastic, and metal, and it works pretty well. The biggest problem I have is that the headstock spindle occasionally gets bent and I have to realign it (a fairly easy process involving a surface gauge and a big Crescent wrench.
I am in the process of setting up a small foundry which will allow me to sand-cast parts. When it is done I plan to build a Gingery-stylr carriage and tool-holder to make the Handy Lathe into a true engine lathe. I also plan to turn a beefier spindle as soon as I find a big enough chunk of steel. My <i>long term</i> plan is to use the Handy Lathe to machine the parts for my dream lathe, the Handy Lathe Mk. II, which will be a full size machine with a geared transmission. For now, though, the Mk. I suits my needs quite nicely and I also think it would be a good first machine for someone who wanted to learn turning.<br />
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The Handy Lathe</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-77552088529893649162016-01-05T10:30:00.001-08:002016-01-06T07:10:33.596-08:00Pipe-End Grinding Jig
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This season of the show I'm trying to focus more on workshop skills, and one of the most basic workshop skills is designing and building jigs and fixtures.
In a small shop you almost never have specialized machines to do particular jobs. But as long as you have a few basic power tools, and some ingenuity, you can usually build jigs to do any job you need.
For example, the other day I was building something out of metal, and I had a problem. I needed to socket a piece of pipe into a hole, but the end of the pipe was bigger than my biggest drill bit.
I could have ground the end of the pipe down by hand, but this was a precision job and it would have been tough to keep everything straight and circular. I would have had the same problem if I tried to file out the hole bigger.
Instead, I spent about 20 minutes and created what was essentially a new power tool to do the job, a grinder that produces tendons on the ends of pipe or round stock.
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You may never have the same problem, but I thought it would be a good example of a jig with moving parts that might give you some useful ideas.
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Step by Step</h2>
<ol>
<li>Find a piece of pipe that has approximately the same inside diameter as the outside diameter you need to grind. If you don't have a pipe vice, grind some flats on the end of the pipe so a regular machinist's vice will grip it securely.</li>
<li>Use a hand ream to smooth the bore of the pipe and enlarge it to a couple thousandths of an inch bigger than the finished diameter of the tendon you need to cut. The ream I use is made for bicycle seat tubes but I use if for all sorts of jobs. Be sure to use plenty of cutting oil and take many light cuts.</li>
<li>Find a piece of steel strap to hold the pipe. I broke this one off the back of an electrical box. </li>
<li>Use a table saw to cut the v-shaped notch where the jig hits the pipe.</li>
<li>Use a table saw to round the corners on the upper piece of wood and to rough out the hinge. You could do all of this with a hand saw, the table saw is just faster.</li>
<li>Use bench chisels to clean up the hinge.</li>
<li>Drill a hole and insert a hinge bolt.</li>
<li>Put a couple screws through the wood to reinforce it at likely splitting points (not shown in video).</li>
<li>Attach the pipe, using screws to hold on the strap.</li>
<li>Attach the grinder to the jig with some 12-gauge electrical wire. You can also run a screw through the wood to engage one of the holes in the grinder (not shown in video).</li>
<li>Build and install the cut depth adjustment screw. If you decide to make a wing-screw, follow these steps:
<ol>
<li>Find a wing-nut with an inside diameter slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the screw head.</li>
<li>Turn the screw head to the thread-crest diameter of the threads on the wing-nut. If you don't have a lathe you can chuck the screw in a drill and turn it with a file.</li>
<li>Use a die to thread the screw head then screw on the wing-nut.</li>
<li>Solder the two pieces together.</li>
</ol>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8CwoW4xQN7zYivNIv_TD1rrHOqx_IcTnLAwC0z524FEHk8AvzrPY78N7qb9GbpWFZBgJ-0HALxtlCHLTX1oKDVIWCbS1_-0v9mfwsSrLXOf8_Q52d6UqHS_BB5OOSqfZoTfmMBFQzzY/s1600/HK_pipe_grinder_wingscrew.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8CwoW4xQN7zYivNIv_TD1rrHOqx_IcTnLAwC0z524FEHk8AvzrPY78N7qb9GbpWFZBgJ-0HALxtlCHLTX1oKDVIWCbS1_-0v9mfwsSrLXOf8_Q52d6UqHS_BB5OOSqfZoTfmMBFQzzY/s320/HK_pipe_grinder_wingscrew.png" /></a></div>
<br />
Another method, which doesn't require threading, is to clip a dime in half and solder one of the halves into the screwdriver slot on (flat-head) pan head screw.
</li>
<li>Blunt the end of the cut-depth adjustment screw and add another screw where it contacts the upper piece of wood. This will keep it from digging into the wood.</li>
<li>Clamp the jig in your vice.</li>
</ol>
<h2>
Using the Jig</h2>
Slowly rotate the pipe you're grinding against the grinding wheel as you slide it into the other pipe. You get smoother action if you grease the inside of the larger pipe.
<b>PRO TIP:</b> Set up a "junk yard" for all your old one-off jigs. When you build a new jig it's often faster to cannibalize old ones for parts than to start from scratch.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-24134019443180938762015-12-29T07:35:00.000-08:002015-12-29T07:39:01.670-08:00Putting in A Lawn Sprinkler System<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XdEI0-Cct8c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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In this week's video I landscaped a small front yard. Part of the job involved replacing the sprinkler system. Although the sprinklers were a small part of that project, lawn sprinklers are a popular DIY project, so I thought some tips and information would be in order.
Large sprinkler irrigation systems with multiple zones and elevation changes can be pretty complicated to design (not nearly as complicated as fire sprinkler systems, but that's a topic for a different day). If you have that much square footage though you are either 1) rich enough to hire a sprinkler contractor or 2) a farmer, and you probably know more about irrigation than the contractor does. Accordingly, most of what I say here will be applicable to a small single-zone system such as you might see in a suburban front yard. Putting in this sort of system is well within the scope of a handyman or weekend DIYer.
If you need more extensive information, you should check out Jess Stryker's <a href="http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/">Irrigation Tutorials</a> website, which is probably the most complete online resource I've seen.
<br />
<h2>
Materials</h2>
In the old days most sprinkler systems were made out of galvanized steel pipe, but plastic pipe is now universally used because it is cheaper, has better hydraulic characteristics, and never rusts out. There are several kinds of plastic pipe available, each with its own advantages. I think that 95% of weekend handymen will probably use ordinary white PVC, however. It works fine, requires no special tools, and is available at any hardware store.
Nearly all lawn systems use pop-up style heads because they are less prone to damage and tripping. Shrub heads (the kind that screw on top of a fixed pipe) are used only in planters, especially with certain wet-climate plants that like to be watered from above. For liability reasons they should never be used where people could trip over them.
<br />
<h2>
Steps to Put in the System</h2>
<ol>
<li><b>Draw the area.</b> Your drawing doesn't need to be beautiful, but it does need to be to scale and show planters and things like tree trunks that might block sprinkler spray. Graph paper comes in handy. 1/4"=1' is a handy scale for many front yards.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRr4TeujmxA1FnSJgUO1NhxSZlGdlzmtcc_5hj4QanzFygIljnTR4_VOBBCyBHmejyOLM8yMjbmPXWgjzK7Z8wfYlbldCJ12x3n4ou_xrPvYorts14pvVzQjrUnQfuJLbUrg6g4Zyn5PQ/s1600/HK_lawn_sprinklers_layout_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Example lawn sprinkler layout, part 1" border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRr4TeujmxA1FnSJgUO1NhxSZlGdlzmtcc_5hj4QanzFygIljnTR4_VOBBCyBHmejyOLM8yMjbmPXWgjzK7Z8wfYlbldCJ12x3n4ou_xrPvYorts14pvVzQjrUnQfuJLbUrg6g4Zyn5PQ/s640/HK_lawn_sprinklers_layout_1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
</li>
<li><b>Locate the sprinklers.</b> The goal is to use the minimum number of heads that will still provide complete coverage of the area. Common sprinkler heads are sold by their spray pattern (360°, 180°, 90°, straight line, or adjustable) and how far they throw water. For instance a head might throw water in a 90° pattern in a 20' radius. You can use a compass to draw the radii of each spray pattern and make sure you have coverage. You might need to erase a couple of times before you get a pattern with which you are happy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWKP8tiRv_oRld35JMHgkseSNYxvy4P5qyiZ1SzmK8Pg5KkminSy7Dabab4XyrB_r8hhwcDj1u7jr-GBL3NGZ8cFQ6Iug7SBr6qF3YXWEMb-YDL4siJKzYU_b49DAMyi1Xs5sZJrpjjk/s1600/HK_lawn_sprinklers_layout_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Example lawn sprinkler layout, part 2" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWKP8tiRv_oRld35JMHgkseSNYxvy4P5qyiZ1SzmK8Pg5KkminSy7Dabab4XyrB_r8hhwcDj1u7jr-GBL3NGZ8cFQ6Iug7SBr6qF3YXWEMb-YDL4siJKzYU_b49DAMyi1Xs5sZJrpjjk/s640/HK_lawn_sprinklers_layout_2.png" /></a></div>
</li>
<li><b>Draw in the laterals and mains.</b> The design that uses the least running feet of pipe is nearly always the cheapest--both in materials and labor--regardless of pipe size. Secondary to this consideration, try to minimize the number of fittings and tees needed and the number of times you need to get pipe across sidewalks or other walkways.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFoAfrWWWjVlovxBBO-hlaJbIHvqMt1rHUFxwrbfgDyHi-W5auj96-wgJIKFzMgU_k-YsZTwlGWFV_98T5I6sIXzuvodFHwLJiQfAuxsM4Mtbc2G1PXusXJxt-hk_NaPyzhyxXJjEgGo/s1600/HK_lawn_sprinklers_layout_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Example lawn sprinkler layout, part 3" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFoAfrWWWjVlovxBBO-hlaJbIHvqMt1rHUFxwrbfgDyHi-W5auj96-wgJIKFzMgU_k-YsZTwlGWFV_98T5I6sIXzuvodFHwLJiQfAuxsM4Mtbc2G1PXusXJxt-hk_NaPyzhyxXJjEgGo/s640/HK_lawn_sprinklers_layout_3.png" /></a></div>
</li>
<li><b>Size the pipe.</b> This can be a complicated mathematical procedure in larger systems. For a small system with good local water pressure (over 45 psi static), however, you can usually get away with simple rules of thumb. In fact, for the sort of system shown here you could just make everything 3/4" and be assured that you will have enough water.
Pros usually use something called a "PSI/100" table to size pipe. For your convenience, I have boiled this process down into an easy to use spreadsheet which you can get right here:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwD_IArDSAo5k6w132c25K4pPQZQw4Yc1eyM_hLAYfd6zXN92wbaDr2TV-p70h19v0J1EOLyMyc2z3FyYOgVan4xnmbc2Rmds8Ba0gjoZn_9tWxiRBK0tWGerpCzk7YJ2WshwnpCkOrM/s1600/HK_lawn_sprinklers_ss_screen_shot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Screenshot of the pipe sizing spreadsheet" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwD_IArDSAo5k6w132c25K4pPQZQw4Yc1eyM_hLAYfd6zXN92wbaDr2TV-p70h19v0J1EOLyMyc2z3FyYOgVan4xnmbc2Rmds8Ba0gjoZn_9tWxiRBK0tWGerpCzk7YJ2WshwnpCkOrM/s320/HK_lawn_sprinklers_ss_screen_shot.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2679843/Handyman%20Kevin/sprinkler_sizing.xls">sprinkler_sizing.xls</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlchOZaHKVFn0vz8zeyY0FupbGBMetUJH5GVoV03njEw8qwoFJuSXDboedG4WR3j_6LbFzt-efOhwKppObhXSpsXQs7HMb8tj0W0Lbityffw9E2ixCaRwDbYIxNkhAd3c7XuTY4RRNr0g/s1600/HK_lawn_sprinklers_layout_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Example lawn sprinkler layout, part 4" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlchOZaHKVFn0vz8zeyY0FupbGBMetUJH5GVoV03njEw8qwoFJuSXDboedG4WR3j_6LbFzt-efOhwKppObhXSpsXQs7HMb8tj0W0Lbityffw9E2ixCaRwDbYIxNkhAd3c7XuTY4RRNr0g/s640/HK_lawn_sprinklers_layout_4.png" /></a></div>
</li>
<li><b>Buy your materials.</b> PVC pipe is cheap, and home centers accept returns, so be sure to pick up plenty. You can always return unused lengths later. Also pick up a can each of PVC glue and PVC primer.</li>
<li><b>Dig your trenches.</b> If you have a nice lawn, try to cut the sod away in chunks that you can put back later. If you put it in the shade and keep it moist it will be safe for several days. I like to put in plenty of stakes or flags that I can look at for reference while I'm digging. Lateral pipes should always be buried at least 6" deep, and 12"-18" is better. Mainline pipe is required by code to be at least 18" deep in most areas. Additionally, if you live in a cold climate make sure to put the pipe well below the frost line.</li>
<li><b>Crossing Sidewalks</b> presents special problems. Luckily, ordinary sidewalks are only a few inches deep and are laid on a bed of sand or gravel. If you excavate enough on either side you can usually just hammer the pipe through. On wider sidewalks or driveways you might need to saw the concrete away and patch it later.</li>
<li><b>Lay the pipe.</b> It is usually easiest to put the mains in then work out to the ends of the laterals. Make sure the outlets point up. If you haven't worked with PVC pipe before, my video has a quick demonstration of how to cut and glue it at about 2:26. I like to put a 1/2" plug in each outlet before I install the tee, which keeps dirt out and lets you pressure-test the system.</li>
<li><b>Install the backflow/control valve and make the system connection.</b> This will usually involve shutting off your water supply at the curb and cutting a tee into your main water line (upstream of the house shut-off valve and the pressure deducing valve, if present).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAh_s8jIIh-876Wrn14X099lDpAwZdTR-TDhVryeaacb3JqUxWC6-Vo_UBlGF7VsFCVxc00e94b7Oq_ZpmwdRbhocNQZYL4fD2Pm3ih0rwjBB8_PpuLSB_c1KMTnzpzShR0VJLHGrPCCw/s1600/HK_lawn_sprinklers_backflow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img a="" border="0" connection="" for="" of="" point="" residential="" sprinkler="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAh_s8jIIh-876Wrn14X099lDpAwZdTR-TDhVryeaacb3JqUxWC6-Vo_UBlGF7VsFCVxc00e94b7Oq_ZpmwdRbhocNQZYL4fD2Pm3ih0rwjBB8_PpuLSB_c1KMTnzpzShR0VJLHGrPCCw/s320/HK_lawn_sprinklers_backflow.jpg%20alt=" system.="" typical="" /></a></div>
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</li>
<li><b>Turn the Water Back on and Check for Leaks.</b> You shouldn't have any if you followed the directions when gluing your pipe. If you do find a leaking fitting, just cut out the whole fitting and replace it.</li>
<li><b>Remove Plugs from and Flush the Pipes.</b> Let the water run for several minutes to wash out any dirt and plastic bits that got in during installation. This will keep them from clogging your heads later.</li>
<li><b>Install the Sprinklers</b></li>
<li><b>Cover the Pipe.</b> Tamp and smooth the dirt and replace the sod, if applicable.</li>
<li><b>Install the Timer.</b> Follow the instructions in the package. These days you can get a simple battery powered-timer for around $15. Typically, installation is a simple matter of slipping it over the top of the control valve and setting the times.</li>
<li><b>Put your drawing away in a safe place.</b> If you ever need to dig up part of the system to repair it, it will be handy to know the pipe sizes and locations.</li>
</ol>
The above seems like a lot of instructions, but the work usually goes pretty fast. Even a fairly inexperienced handyman can usually put in a simple system like the one in the drawings in a weekend, and most pros could do it in a few hours.
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<h2>
Dealing with Low Water Pressure</h2>
The most common problem that people encounter, especially if they live in older, heavily built-up neighborhoods, is not having enough water pressure to run the system. If your water pressure is extremely low (in the 20s or below) you might be stuck upgrading your water service or installing a booster pump, and you should probably call in a pro. If it isn't as bad as that, some of the tips below might help.
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Use rotary sprinklers instead of fixed heads.</b> While rotaries use the same <i>total</i> amount of water, they don't need it all at once, because they only water one sliver of the circle at a time.</li>
<li><b>Use bigger pipe.</b> Larger diameter pipe has less friction loss.</li>
<li><b>Break your system into smaller zones.</b> With fewer heads on each circuit, each circuit will require less water.</li>
<li><b>Consider a Looped or Gridded System.</b> Conventional irrigation systems are shaped like a tree with the mains as a trunk and the laterals as branches. Systems in which the heads are set on a continuous loop of pipe or in which the laterals run in a grid between two mains have much better hydraulics (which is why they are very popular in fire sprinkler systems). Unfortunately, actually calculating the pressure losses and sizing the pipe requires some fairly serious mathematics and is usually done with specialized computer programs. Nonetheless, I think loops and grids are underutilized in irrigation applications. In the video I replaced a conventional "tree" system with a 1/2" loop and the new sprinklers work much better than the old ones ever did.</li>
<li><b>Consider a Drip Irrigation System</b> It takes much less pressure to drip water than to spray it, and you have more control over where it goes. I don't have the space in this post to go into drip systems, but there are plenty of other good resources online.</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-16995266405894733092015-12-01T11:30:00.000-08:002015-12-01T21:15:22.481-08:00Spray Painting EquipmentWhile it is perfectly possible to get good clear and painted finishes by brushing, rolling, or rubbing, most handymen eventually encounter a project where they need the high quality and speed of application that only spraying can provide. The variety of spray systems which are available, even on a small shop budget, can be a bit bewildering, but hopefully this post will help.
<br />
<h2>
Aerosol Cans</h2>
"Rattle Cans" might evoke images of overpass graffiti but, when used properly, they can give good results. They also avoid the need for a costly equipment investment. Perhaps their biggest advantage is in clean-up, however. This can be a big plus when you are working on a job site without water or a place to dump old paint thinner. Even in a shop setting it is often preferable to throw away an empty can instead of spending twenty minutes cleaning a spray gun that you only used for a 30-second finishing job.
My buddy Joe Orrantia, a professional animator, uses aerosol cans almost exclusively to paint the wonderful sets and props for <a href="https://youtu.be/omysVaNsH6Q">his experimental films</a>, which shows how versatile they can be in the hands of a real artist.
Aerosol cans also come in a variety of special finishes such as "hammered metal" or "natural stone" which would require a lot of trial and error to reproduce with a spray gun. Not only can these textured effects be quite decorative, but they tend to hide scratches or dents left by an imperfect prep job.
In this week's video I showed how to paint a metal book cart using aerosol cans:
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://youtu.be/ygJAJ-OQ8-c" width="420"></iframe></div>
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My video covers all the basics, but I would like to add a couple of general tips.
<br />
<ul>
<li>Always keep the can as close to vertical as possible. Aerosol cans will no spray upside down. The exception is "marking paint," used to spray on floors and pavements, which only works upside-down.</li>
<li>When you are done with a can which still contains paint, always invert it and spray until the stream comes out clear. This will clear the nozzle so you can use the can again.</li>
<li>Most aerosol cans work best within a fairly narrow temperature range (listed on the can) so don't try to paint when it is too hot or too cold out.</li>
<li>When possible, use a plastic <a href="http://amzn.to/1XBiRwf">spray can handle</a>. They only cost a few dollars, and will keep your index finger from getting sore.</li>
<li>If your tip starts to clog, don't try to keep spraying. Just pull it off and clean it, either by swishing in a little bit of thinner or by poking it with a fine pin. You can also pull a clear tip off an empty can and use it.</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Air Sprayers</h2>
<h3>
Conventional Sprayers</h3>
Conventional sprayers use compressed air to siphon up paint and move it to the work. They are effectively obsolete at this point, but there are still millions of them around and they work fine for many types of work. They also tend to be cheaper and require smaller compressors than the HVLP equipment which has replaced. They come in three basic sizes: Air brushes are tiny little spray guns used for lettering, art, and painting models. <a href="http://amzn.to/1MZvkF8">"Touch-up" guns</a> are slightly bigger. As their name implies, they were originally intended to paint over small auto-body repairs. They are also an appropriate tool for painting bicycles, motorcycles, and small to medium furniture pieces. <a href="http://amzn.to/1IjV3LR">"Standard" or "full size" guns</a> are the most popular size for auto-body and industrial work or for painting cabinets.
The major problem with conventional sprayers is that the paint particles move too fast and bounce around. This means that less paint goes where you want it. This leads to wasted paint, messier work, and a greater chance that someone will breath the paint. HVLP sprayers, which use slower moving air, were invented to address this problem.
Conventional sprayers also have trouble with thicker finishes, because they don't siphon as well. For this reason they are normally used with thin finishes like lacquers and enamels, and are usually unsatisfactory with latex and acrylic paints.
<br />
<h3>
HVLP Sprayers</h3>
HVLP means High Volume Low Pressure. These guns work by moving a large amount of air at pressures around 5-10 psi (compared to 35-40 psi for a conventional gun). They come in the same basic sizes as conventional guns and look similar, except that the paint is more often held in a gravity-feed reservoir above the gun. HVLP guns have a very controllable paint stream and (with the appropriate tip) can handle a broad range of finishes. When I worked in a mobile home factory we even used them to spray contact cement and wood glue.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1MZuY1f" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" caption="HVLP Spray gun set with touch-up and full size guns, and accessories. [image courtesy of Amazon.com]" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyvRRf-75Hz11ZZdhN9R-PQ7kukK8trU8tDj_PdAuOo5tlLff9uhfNcSvyjvVQvq5-EcPSeGtlO60KhOpm6TP2rv1mXTJ5vbf7GXvqoVl9W7ea3OmYI3EQ4D8CBvrnNAWlD2PxPFXvmg/s320/hvlp+set.png" /></a></div>
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The main drawback to an HVLP system is that it needs a high volume supply of clean air. This can be obtained either by a <b>big</b> compressor (usually at least 20 CFM) or a turbine system. The portable compressors used by most woodworkers to run nail guns are completely unsuitable, because they are designed for low volume and high pressure, and because the small tanks collect too much water condensation. People who don't have the space or budget for a massive compressor, or who might need to spray on job sites, usually opt for a self contained HVLP system with a built-in turbine. These cost a bit more than just the gun alone but much less than a gun plus compressor and air lines.
<br />
<h3>
Tips for Using Air Sprayers</h3>
<ul>
<li>Sprayers need air at the correct pressure to work. In multi-person shops, or those with long runs of air lines, it is useful for the spray station to have its own regulator.</li>
<li>Some thinning of the finish is nearly always required to get the ideal viscosity. Too much viscosity will lead to jamming guns, orange peeling, and foaming. Too little will lead to thin, runny finishes. Many guns come with a device called a <i>viscosity cup</i>, which can also be bought at any paint store or auto-body supply. To use a viscosity cup you fill it with paint and time how many seconds it takes for the cup to drain. For instance, the data sheet for an enamel might call for a viscosity of "20', Zahn #2". This enamel is at the right viscosity for spraying when a #2 cup drains in 20 seconds. For some reason the "#4 Ford" viscosity cups are always the cheapest. Luckily, there are plenty of <a href="http://www.spraygunworld.com/Information2/Viscosity.html">tables</a> on the web to convert between the different sizes and shapes.</li>
<li>Straining is a good idea with fine finishes or any finish which has been sitting around the shop for a while. <a href="http://amzn.to/1IjTYUj">Paint strainers</a> look a lot like coffee filters. They fit in the spray gun cup as you fill it and strain out any big chunks of material that might spoil your finish.</li>
<li>Most guns have three basic adjustments. The <i>fluid</i> adjustment controls how fast paint is fed to the gun and the <i>air</i> adjustment throttles the air. Finding the right setting is a trial and error process that gets much easier with practice. It is handy to keep a piece of cardboard around that you can spray on while you make adjustments. The <i>fan shape</i> is controlled by turning the tip of the gun. Guns spray in an oval pattern and you want to the wide part of the oval to be perpendicular to the path of travel so you can cover more area faster.</li>
<li>It is important to use the right tip size for the type of finish you're spraying. Most guns ship with a tip which is appropriate for lacquer and enamel. You will want to get a larger tip if you plan to spray thicker paints, such as latex house paint.</li>
<li>95% of spray gun problems can be solved by thoroughly cleaning the gun. It is useful to keep a <a href="http://amzn.to/1MZtOTg">cleaning kit</a> handy with various sizes of small brushes and wires to clean the passages and tubes. The normal way to clean any spray gun is to empty the cup and wipe everything down with a rag. Then fill the cup with the appropriate thinner for your paint and spray into an empty bucket until the stream comes out clear.</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Airless Sprayers</h2>
When you need to move a lot of paint in a hurry, and especially for painting the exteriors of buildings, there is no substitute for an <a href="http://amzn.to/1IjURfq">"airless"</a>. With practice, you can use one of these sprayers to paint a two-story house in a couple of hours. I also know a few cabinetmakers (including the man I apprenticed under) who use them in the shop to spray lacquer. They tend to be less temperamental than air sprayers and tolerate a wider range of viscosities without thinning.
These devices are basically powerful pumps. They come in two versions: a hand-held type with a cup attached which is of limited utility, and a larger model which sits over a five gallon paint can and feeds the paint through a hose. If you are buying a system you should pay the extra for a device which uses a metal piston. Cheaper models use a plastic diaphragm pump which is noisy and will wear out faster. In general, if you only need an airless a few times a year you are better off renting them. All paint stores and rental yards have them, but be sure to make a reservation a couple of weeks in advance during the "peak" painting season of May-August.
Whether you rent or own, make sure that you get a long enough hose to comfortably reach the highest point on the house. Also be sure to pick up a "trim" tip, which sprays a smaller fan of paint for doing fascias, window casings, and other smaller areas. A long extension for the gun can also save some ladder climbing.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1IjURfq" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" caption="Airless sprayer [image courtesy of Amazon.com]" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZIbhYBjjZKFr3ekFi54nkOdweJEHzJAHR7wbMfxcSw4aBmSPCme0I5nP57kxcM3Bmb2y_VruRfR5f_KJFlEQXRWpnpOfK158kdN5bBemBJDryEof6FV8SQluRXgTiDSiUsQJ_7fv6iU/s320/airless.png" /></a></div>
<h3>
Tips for Using Airless Sprayers</h3>
<ul>
<li>Put the unit on a drop cloth on a flat piece of ground in a central location. Get a long enough hose that you don't need to move the unit much.</li>
<li>Knowing how much to mask is an important skill of a professional house painter. On your first few jobs you will probably be conservative and tape up a lot of paper. With practice, you will be able to cut in almost as close with an airless as you can with a brush.</li>
<li>House painting works best as a two-person job. One person operates the gun while a helper moves the ladder, holds plants out of the way, untangles the hose, and uses a brush to move paint into spots the gun can't quite reach.</li>
<li>The pistons on airless units occasionally get stuck. The time-honored way to loosen them is to apply a couple of sharp whacks to the machine with a rubber mallet or scrap of board.</li>
<li>It is nearly impossible to clean all the paint out of an airless sprayer. For this reason, contractors that spray both paint and clear finishes usually have a dedicated set-up for each, so they won't worry about finding paint particles in their lacquer.</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Safety and Hygiene Considerations</h2>
<ul>
<li>You should <emph>always</emph> wear a mask when doing any kind of spray finishing. A plain paper or cloth dust mask is usually fine for water and oil based finishes, but you need a respirator with "organic vapor" (i.e. activated carbon) cartridges for lacquer. When in doubt about what kind of mask you need read the product literature, especially the Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Whatever respirator you use should fit your face. Men should shave all of their facial hair in the spots where their respirator touches them. When walking into a strange cabinet shop you can often tell who does the finishing because he is the only one with a clean shave. Respirator cartridges go bad if exposed to the air too long. The best way to store your respirator is in a clean, air-tight coffee can.</li>
<li>A dedicated spray booth with downdraft filtration is the ideal place for spray finishing, but is a luxury few of us can afford. Regardless, the work area should be clean, well ventilated, and well lit. It is helpful to have at least one light that you can move to get better contrast or to light up the inside of work pieces. Also, try to keep trip hazards to a minimum, since you will be looking at the work, not the floor. </li>
<li>Getting rid of unused finishes and dirty thinner is often problematic, since the are both flammable and poisonous. It is <emph>not cool</emph> to pour them down the drain or dump them "out back". The best approach is probably to talk to someone at your local body shop and ask them what they do. The problem of disposing of old solvent is one of the major reasons that most of us are using more water and alcohol based finishes these days.</li>
<li>Fire--or more accurately, explosion--is the most immediate danger when spraying. Always be mindful of anything that could set off an explosion including pilot lights on appliances, sparky motors, or cigarettes. Dispose of solvent soaked rags either in an explosion-proof waste bin or by hanging them outside to dry completely before throwing them away. Keep one or more fire extinguishers handy to put out small shop fires before they can reach the finishing area.</li>
<li>If you decide to build a spray booth, isolate the booth ventilation from the shop dust collection system so that a fire in one won't spread to the other. I have had the experience in a shop where I once worked of racking to tear out a duct before a small fire in the dust collection blew up the spray booth, and I don't care to repeat it. </li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-45390702401702549522015-11-24T11:30:00.000-08:002015-11-24T11:30:00.391-08:00Bandsaws<h2>
Why You Want a Bandsaw</h2>
The bandsaw is one of the most versatile tools in the shop, able to rip and resaw lumber, cut curved sections in thick material, and make make dovetails without a jig. With appropriate blades it can cut wood, plastic, metal, leather, foam, or composite materials. if you are an aspiring furniture maker or boat builder then a bandsaw is probably one of the first stationary tools you will want to acquire, but even if you don't do much of either, a properly set-up bandsaw is useful in any workshop.<br />
<br />
Compared to the other big saws in the shop, like table and radial arm saws, bandsaws require much less horsepower to cut a given thickness of material. This makes them cost effective for resawing (cutting thin slices the long way across a piece of board to make veneers and such) since the motor is usually the single most expensive part of a saw. It also means that you can run a relatively large bandsaw without needing to install a 220V and/or three phase electrical circuit, which is usually an absolute necessity for any of the 12 inch and large table and radial arm saws. Also, unlike circular saws, band saws are not prone to "kick back", the dreaded phenomenon in which a saw launches a piece of wood backwards at hundreds of miles per hour. Finally, many operations which require complicated jig-work on a circular saw, such as cutting tendons or circles, can be done free-hand on bandsaw.<br />
<br />
The main drawbacks to bandsaws, versus circular saws are that they do not cut as smoothly and that they have very limited cross-cutting capacity. This makes them a less used tool in the dedicated cabinet shop, where the ability to make smooth cross-cuts in large plywood panels makes the tablesaw king.<br />
<h2>
Choosing a Bandsaw</h2>
The first decision you need to make is what size machine to get. Bandaws are sized by the diameter of the wheels. A <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0s0Zw" target="_blank">10"</a> or smaller machine is intended for hobby and modeling work but won't have the capacity for serious woodworking. Still, if your space or funds are limited it will serve better than no bandsaw at all. At <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0sheN" target="_blank">12"-15"</a> saw will meet nearly all the needs of a home woodworker or cabinet shop. People who plan to do serious resawing probably want at least a <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0tIKq" target="_blank">17"</a> machine. Those who are creating corbels and other architectural woodwork, ripping structural timbers, restoring wooden ships, or doing similar heavy work will simply want the biggest machine they can find.<br />
<br />
The next choice is whether to buy a woodworking bandsaw or a metalworking bandsaw. While both are really general purpose machines you should probably get the one for the type of work you do more often. Woodworking bandsaws usually have the blade running vertically and have a larger table which can accept a fence and/or a miter gauge. Metalworking bandsaws have a much smaller table, usually run horizontally, and have a cross-cutting mode which is very handy for cutting pipe and sectional steel.<br />
<br />
Next, look at bandsaws in your size range and type and decide how much you are willing to spend. The most affordable saws are usually older American-made machines like the one i work on in the video. My buddy bought it off CraiglList for $10. The downside of these machines is that they often require a little elbow grease to refurbish them into working condition.<br />
<br />
The quality of new saws has a lot to do with their country of origin. At the low end are Chinese machines like <a href="http://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-4-speed-woodworking-band-saw-60564.html" target="_blank">Harbor Freight's 14" model</a>. These saws usually work well but might have strange wobbles, be underpowered for their size, or have machining defects which need to be corrected.<br />
<br />
Most of the midrange saws are currently being build in Taiwan. <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0suPd" target="_blank">Grizzly</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0ssXs" target="_blank">Jet</a> are typical brands. They each have numerous models which are mostly decently made and fairly priced.<br />
<br />
At the top end are the European bandsaws; <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0sz5m" target="_blank">Laguna</a> is an example. These saws are beautifully machined and have power to spare, but their prices make them hard to justify for a small shop.<br />
<h2>
Bandsaw Maintenance and Rehab</h2>
In this week's video I show you how to do a number of the more common maintenance tasks.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yZSTezQcOAs" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<h3>
Changing the Blade</h3>
The general process for changing blades is similar on most machines:<br />
<ol>
<li>Disconnect the power cord.</li>
<li>Remove the cover</li>
<li>Release the blade tension. Usually there is a lever provided for this purpose. On some machines you need to turn the blade tension adjuster knob.</li>
<li>Remove the old blade</li>
<li>Put on the new blade, making sure the teeth face down towards the table.</li>
<li>Retension the blade. A properly tensioned blade should still have a little bit of flex at the middle when you poke it with your finger.</li>
<li>Rotate the wheels by hand to check the blade tracking. Tracking is adjusted with either a knob or screw, but the placement varies in different machines. <b>NEVER TRY TO TRACK A SAW MOVING UNDER POWER!</b></li>
<li>If neccesary, adjust the blade guides.</li>
<li>Replace the cover.</li>
<li><i>Optionally, you can hone the back of a new blade. This removes imperfections, makes the blade run cooler, and helps it turn in a shorter radius. Just take an oilstone with a few drops of oil and use the edge of it to round the back of a moving blade. A few seconds is all it takes.</i></li>
</ol>
<h3>
Adjusting Guides</h3>
Blade guides come in various styles, from the blocks of pot-metal that come stock with most saws, to <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0s7E8" target="_blank">special composite materials</a> designed to last longer and run cooler, to little ball bearing roller assemblies. I personally believe that the plain metal blocks are fine for nearly any work as long as they are adjusted properly. The four blocks that restrict the blade's side to side movement should be run all the way into the blade then backed off a couple 1000ths of an inch. That is, they should be as close as you can get them without actually touching. The guides should line up with the flat part of the blade, not the teeth. Otherwise they will be shredded by the set of the teeth.<br />
<br />
The guide that keeps the blade from being pushed back, which is nearly always a roller, should be run forward until it just begins to rotate with the blade, then backed until it just stops rotating.<br />
<h3>
Lubrication</h3>
Use a dry lubricant (graphite, Dry-Glide, or paste wax) on parts that will come in contact with wood and metal shavings, such as the trunions and the blade guard post. On the inside, especially on the tracking/tension assembly, apply a good coating of all-purpose grease. A few saws are fitted with grease zerks so you can use a grease gun. More commonly, however, you just wipe the grease on moving parts with a rag.<br />
<h3>
Replacing a Tire</h3>
Some metalworking bandsaws are meant to run without tires on the wheels, but most woodworking and general purpose saws use soft tires. This setup lets the wheels accommodate different widths of blade without the teeth chewing into the wheel itself. You should never run one of these saws without some sort of tire, even if it is only improvised. Stock tires are basically big rubber bands. Install them by putting a little bit of contact cement and stretching them over the wheel. <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0soaf" target="_blank">Urethane tires</a> look similar but cost more. They definitely last longer and possibly run smoother. Since tires, even the rubber kind, are somewhat expensive, many people improvise their own, either by cutting them out of an inner-tube or using some sort of tape. I've heard of that bicycle rim strips work adequately, as does friction tape (look for it on the electrical aisle of the hardware store).<br />
<h3>
Maintaining the Table</h3>
The table should periodically be checked to make sure that the 90degree stop on the trunions actually places the table at right angles to the blade. It is usually easy to adjust by loosening a couple of screws.<br />
When putting a saw into service, use a straight edge to make sure that the table is dead flat. Minor imperfections can be sanded off with a sheet of sandpaper on a surface plate or piece of plate glass. Major warping or pitting requires either hand scraping or surface grinding in a machine shop. Hand scraping is easier than it sounds, though fairly time consuming. The basic process is to coat a flat surface with layout dye (a.k.a. "machinist's blue") then rub it against the table to transfer the dye to the high points. Carefully scrape off all of these high points using a machinist's scraper (which looks a little like a blunt chisel). Repeat as many times as necessary.<br />
<br />
Keep your top nice by scrubbing off any gunk that builds up with WD-40 or something similar. Then rub on a nice coat of paste wax to prevent rust and make work slide easily.<br />
<h2>
Building Your Own Bandsaw</h2>
I haven't done it myself, but I've seen numerous plans and videos about how to make your own bandsaw from scratch. I suspect it would usually be more cost effective to refurbish a used machine than to build your own, but it could still be an awesome DIY project.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-14269119136212246212015-04-27T12:39:00.000-07:002015-04-27T12:53:58.758-07:00What to Expect in Series II<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sgPLIXC7XRM" width="420"></iframe></div>
<br />
Here's a taste of what you can expect from the next series of episodes.<br />
<br />
Last year on the show I spent a lot of time on real basics: how to choose and use the most important hand tools, common home repairs, and elementary woodworking tools. Some of you might have found this a little slow, but you needed to to walk before you could run.
This year, we will be getting into the fun stuff. I'll show you how to build a small blast furnace to melt pot metal and aluminum and heat treat steel. I'll also be introducing three of the most useful and versatile workshop tools: the band saw, the drill press, and the lathe. Don't worry, though; I'm not going to tell you to go out and buy a bunch of expensive hardware. I'll show you how to get precision results out of a refurbished $10 Craigslist band saw, a "baby" drill press, and a homemade lathe. <i>Handyman Kevin</i> is always about teaching you skills, not selling you tools.<br />
<br />
My corporate overlords at <a href="http://creativeminorityproductions.com/" target="_blank">Creative Minority</a> haven't set an official release date yet, but the first week in October is my best guess for the series premier. See you then!<br />
<br />
-HKAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-13364856295581827862014-11-19T08:00:00.001-08:002014-12-10T07:36:26.002-08:00Building the Nightstand Cabinets<i><b>This article contains instructions for the nightstand project. A general overview of the cabinet trade is available<a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/2014/11/cabinetmaking-overview.html" target="_blank"> here</a>.</b></i> <br />
<br />
The set of nightstands which I built on the show should give you a good feel for the process of building a cabinet. This is a very simple cabinetmaking project but I took my time and broke it into four videos because there were several fine points I wanted to mention.<br />
<br />
I thought about building a standard kitchen or bathroom cabinet unit but I decided to do these instead for two reasons. First, this was the only cabinet job that I happened to do while we were shooting the series. Second, this sort of non-standard, one-off cabinet is actually a more common project for a working handyman. Most of the time, it makes better financial sense for us to buy standard cabinets and install them than to make our own from scratch...unless we are doing a special cabinet to match existing built-ins. Customers who are remodeling a kitchen or bathroom are more likely to hire a general contractor or full time cabinetmaker than a handyman. That being said, the process and tools are the same for any kind of cabinet. If you can build these nightstands you will have little trouble building an entire kitchen. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH90gKkUgHAOngg5V-dT4A_-S5wZRgFICNsrI7xsXegdT5IKKYUk1qaYHfbpEtz8XEjvdw2N8IhwJkHvm5dOTJbfSAHQXdM5_S8-9sK8J_rjiAOzBi_aAQz5JujNgAi6lXn3CKmyrSRTw/s1600/Ep+11+Nightstand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH90gKkUgHAOngg5V-dT4A_-S5wZRgFICNsrI7xsXegdT5IKKYUk1qaYHfbpEtz8XEjvdw2N8IhwJkHvm5dOTJbfSAHQXdM5_S8-9sK8J_rjiAOzBi_aAQz5JujNgAi6lXn3CKmyrSRTw/s1600/Ep+11+Nightstand.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Finished Nightstands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h4>
Measured Drawings</h4>
<br />
The dimensions on the drawings are for the set of nightstands I built. If you build this project, you will probably need to tweak the measurements to fit your own bedroom.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjEavwE8cVZxsF5q_A2mdg6S_v9j6ijxewTD9ilKHF559usG_m9ausTJTaBEG71-RD5vsouqfBpVRUFh7G34ivJKaqIgUAnas7aesEL7lx2BNb4xU1ltRRLq8OivWfpon_PCIrCgXtzA/s1600/Ep+10+carcass+pieces.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjEavwE8cVZxsF5q_A2mdg6S_v9j6ijxewTD9ilKHF559usG_m9ausTJTaBEG71-RD5vsouqfBpVRUFh7G34ivJKaqIgUAnas7aesEL7lx2BNb4xU1ltRRLq8OivWfpon_PCIrCgXtzA/s1600/Ep+10+carcass+pieces.png" height="400" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carcass Pieces</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKgvP32AhszJ0c1IhriDbpdluN5vY_1Y-0e3a2xOi79ZcOAkb7E1CrjNdlV6lgPDuD7j_LkQI_KJzLDlMNfR2e-O-qaV8fCh0wNlFkEOqgI9Oie7yWoKBjBfovyBCKNA1bNnZn2FOLCM/s1600/Ep+10+drawer+pieces.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKgvP32AhszJ0c1IhriDbpdluN5vY_1Y-0e3a2xOi79ZcOAkb7E1CrjNdlV6lgPDuD7j_LkQI_KJzLDlMNfR2e-O-qaV8fCh0wNlFkEOqgI9Oie7yWoKBjBfovyBCKNA1bNnZn2FOLCM/s1600/Ep+10+drawer+pieces.png" height="400" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drawer Pieces</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8qd1iJDrvJ7_2VLEaIb7fFzFa_kQ42OY59JWvslvOF4B3KOwGGtQt3TIZpTIUAJqwBQlneNgowsXgmMEBuVlVqxlY8G5V-VVRdfRrhP_1D1EMsBDcFCQGum3_bWqAg9rNyVTq4D0b2o/s1600/Ep+10+front+detail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8qd1iJDrvJ7_2VLEaIb7fFzFa_kQ42OY59JWvslvOF4B3KOwGGtQt3TIZpTIUAJqwBQlneNgowsXgmMEBuVlVqxlY8G5V-VVRdfRrhP_1D1EMsBDcFCQGum3_bWqAg9rNyVTq4D0b2o/s1600/Ep+10+front+detail.png" height="296" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final Details</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
High resolution .pdf drawings, suitable for plotting, are available at <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2679843/Handyman%20Kevin/nightstands.pdf" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Step By Step</h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8j2-fyHfbso" width="420"></iframe>
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<ol>
<li>Cut out the panel pieces using either a table saw or a circular saw with a straight edge.</li>
<li>Cut the <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#dado" target="_blank">dados</a> in the side pieces. </li>
<li>Cut a <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#rabbet" target="_blank">rabbet</a> in the back of each side panel. On non-finish sides, the rabbet should be as wide as the thickness of your back panel. On finish sides it should be as wide as the back panel plus 1/4" for a scribe. </li>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bsSmMzmCu-8" width="420"></iframe>
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<br />
<br />
<li>Assemble the bottom shelf into the dados of the side panels. Use wood glue and small finish nails. Be sure to square everything up before the glue dries.</li>
<li>Measure the back of the cabinet and cut two nailers out of 1x stock. Attach with glue and either pocket screws or finish nails. </li>
<li>Measure the space under the bottom shelf and cut a toe piece. Attach it with glue and finish nails. </li>
<li>Measure the front of the cabinet and cut a drawer front 1/8" shorter. Set the draw front aside.</li>
<li>Measure the back for a back panel. Cut it out and set aside. </li>
<li>Sand the front of the cabinet flush. </li>
<li>Use a router to put the round-over detail around the inside edge of cabinet and on the outside corners. Be sure to mark which edges get the round-over so you don't rout the wrong edge. Also, be sure to stop the inside round-over before it hits the drawer area. </li>
<li>Install the cabinet-side half of the drawer guides. Make sure that they are square to the front face of the cabinet and lined up identically on both sides.</li>
<li>Cut the round-overs on the tops. </li>
<li>Install the tops with glue and small finish nails.</li>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/l3Oci-6GmQk" width="420"></iframe>
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<br /><br />
<li>Cut out drawer box pieces from 1/2" stock. If only 3/4" stock is available you will need to reduce its thickness either be using a stationary planer (preferred) or by resawing on a band saw or table saw.</li>
<li><a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#plow" target="_blank">Plow a groove</a> around in the fronts and sides of the drawer boxes to receive the bottom panel.</li>
<li>Cut the <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#dovetailjoint" target="_blank">dovetail joints </a>in the drawer boxes using your preferred method.</li>
<li>Glue and clamp the dovetail joints. While the glue is still wet, insert the bottom panel and rack the drawers square. Do not glue the panel.</li>
<li>Nail in the back of the drawer box. Glue is optional.</li>
<li>When the glue dries, clamp the drawer box to the workbench and flush all of the joints using a belt sander (preferred) or low-angle hand plane.</li>
<li>Install the other half of the drawer guides on the drawer boxes.</li>
<li>Test fit the drawers. Adjust hardware as needed.</li>
<li>Cut the round-over detail on the bottom of the drawer front.</li>
<br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UIH98DLWILg" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<br /><br />
<li>Completely sand the cabinet, drawer front, and drawer box starting at 100 grit and working up to at least 220 grit. </li>
<li>Install the back panel in the cabinet using small panel nails or fine pneumatic staples.</li>
<li>Prime the cabinet and drawer front using good quality oil or alcohol based primer.</li>
<li>Lightly sand the cabinet and drawer fronts. Carefully scrape out any drips or runs in the primer. </li>
<li>Attach the drawer fronts to the drawer boxes. Apply masking tape to protect the drawer boxes.</li>
<li>Paint the cabinet and drawer fronts with two coats of enamel to match the existing trim in the house.</li>
<li>Install the knob on the drawer.</li>
<li>Locate the studs in the wall where the cabinet will be installed. Put a strip of masking tape along the all an inch or two higher than the cabinet and mark stud locations for easy reference while you work.</li>
<li>Put the cabinet in place against the wall and level the top. A few scraps of plastic laminate under the cabinet are often a good way to level it. </li>
<li>Set your scribe (carpenter's compass) the the maximum distance between the wall and the cabinet and mark the material to be removed. Cut this off with a slow-moving orbital jigsaw, cleaning up with a block plane or sanding block as necessary. </li>
<li>Push the cabinet against the wall. There should be no gap wider than the thickness of a piece of typing paper.</li>
<li>Drill pilot holes and attach the cabinet to the wall with at least two heavy duty screws into the studs. 3" deck screws are fine for nightstands but use structural screws or 1/4" lag bolts for uppers or larger base cabinets. </li>
<li>Clean up the work site. </li>
<li>Touch up any scratched paint.</li>
<li>Put in the drawers. </li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-6417330422207781402014-11-19T08:00:00.000-08:002014-11-19T08:00:07.414-08:00Cabinetmaking Overview<i><b>This article is a general overview of the cabinetmaking trade. Detailed instructions for building the nightstand project are available <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/2014/11/buiding-nightstand-cabinets.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </b></i><br />
<br />
This week on the show we started our four part mini series on how to build your own cabinets. Although the project I chose as an example is a set of built-in nightstands, the process and techniques are very similar for most other types of cabinets.<br />
<br /><br />
<h4>
What is Cabinetmaking?</h4>
<br />
The first cabinetmaker I apprenticed under used to say that "cabinetmaking is the study of all the ways you can stick together a box." While he was definitely being snarky, his words do rather sum up the essence of the thing. Everything a cabinetmaker builds is basically a hollow box, be it a tiny jewelry box, a kitchen sink cabinet, or a closet unit that takes up a whole wall of an office. The sizes and use of the boxes might vary, but the tools and techniques used to construct them are basically the same. This focus on boxes (which woodworkers call casework) distinguishes cabinetmaking from other fine woodworking specialties such as chair bodging (focused on turned spindles), carving (focused on shaping solid pieces of wood), or coopering (focused on making curved things like barrels).<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Careers in Cabinetmaking</h4>
<br />
Cabinets have always been relatively expensive and have
required a fair amount of skilled labor in comparison to their materials
cost. For this reason, cabinetmaking has traditionally been one of the
higher status woodworking trades. <br />
<br />
Historically, cabinetmakers learned their trade under a master cabinetmaker. Apprenticeships typically began around the age of 10 and lasted seven years. Nowadays the typical apprenticeship has shrunk in length to about 2 years, where the system still exists at all. The shortening of apprenticeship terms probably has more to do with child labor laws than with any decrease in the amount of material an apprentice needs to learn. Most of the monotonous work that was formerly done by teenage apprentices is now done by semi-skilled factory workers or machines.<br />
<br />
Those cabinetmakers who are unable to find an apprenticeship either teach themselves (by reading my blog?) or go through degree programs. Oddly, although there are plenty of associate degree (AAS) and master's (MFA) programs in cabinetmaking, there are very few bachelor's level programs, at least in the US.<br />
<br />
No matter how they make it into the trade, most cabinetmakers spend a few years working and learning under a more experienced cabinetmaker. At the end of this period, if the shop is large enough, some of them are promoted into supervisory positions and stay. The vast majority of them, deciding that they have no more to learn and having maxed out the pay scale, leave to set up their own shops. The self-taught variety of cabinetmaker often skips to the starting his own shop stage, and proceeds to learn the trade by trial and error. I don't have any statistics but, in my experience, most of them don't make it through the first year. If you are serious about doing this for a living I seriously suggest that you find someone else to work for for a couple years. You'll be working long hours for minimum wage, but it will still be a good investment.<br />
<br /><br />
<h4>
My Own History in Cabinetmaking</h4>
<br />
In 2002 I was doing the handyman thing when I received an offer to apprentice under Howard Higham at Ridgeway Woodworking in Sweet Home, Oregon. Howard's shop only did a few cabinet jobs a year, but they tended to be complicated high-end jobs for offices and custom homes. He and I were the only two people in the shop, so I got to do a little bit of everything my first year. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Ridgeway went out of business before my apprenticeship was officially over. My "severance pay" was a contractor's table saw, a small jointer, a midi lathe, and a plunge router, all straight from the shop floor (They were Howard's back-ups; he sold his main tools.)<br />
<br />
I thought about starting my own shop then and there, but I just wasn't ready. So, in the dead of winter and flat broke, I went looking for another cabinet shop to finish my apprenticeship. I took the first offer I had, which was in the main cabinet shop at <a href="http://www.countrycoach.com/" target="_blank">Country Coach</a> in Junction City. Country Coach makes extremely expensive, semi-custom and custom motor coaches and tour buses. I spent two and a half years there, working in the assembly and detail departments, repairing damaged cabinets, and occasionally putting in a day or two at a time in the mill. <br />
<br />
I left Country Coach in 2005. I was tired of the long commute and generally unimpressed by their corporate culture. My next job was at <a href="http://www.goldenwesthomes.com/" target="_blank">Golden West Homes</a> in Albany, which was closer and a friendlier place to work. Golden West makes mobile homes and, unfortunately, their cabinets at the time were made rather cheaply. I had to rapidly learn how to make cheap materials look like "expensive" cabinets. At Golden West I started as an assembler and later took over running their counter tops shop. Actually, at some point or another I probably worked every job in their 20 person cabinet shop.<br />
<br />
The nice thing about Golden West was that they not only didn't mind me running my own cabinet jobs on the side, but they let me order materials through the company. By this point I had my own cabinet shop pretty well set up and I began moonlighting regularly. <br />
<br />
When I left Golden West, I did so intending to run my own cabinetmaking business full time. I quickly found that there were too many other small cabinet shops in town fighting for too few customers, so after a few months I headed down to California, where I ended up doing other kinds of construction. So far, I have never gotten back into the cabinet trade full time. As a handyman, however, I occasionally get to build or repair cabinets for my customers. <br /><br /><br />
<h4>
Cabinet Shop Work Flow</h4>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwj57LJL474iCYrqrs5vXrv2nUciAxpYzPjs1I-cKpOrlnBd1z-yyyLsG1G9YRmVgz5yqv0HER3bq46AtNGSmYcpry5ByBmpfES2-E-xs74SREAtW8CPbDt3mcyZPXRf3W19C23DENjU/s1600/Ep+10+workflow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwj57LJL474iCYrqrs5vXrv2nUciAxpYzPjs1I-cKpOrlnBd1z-yyyLsG1G9YRmVgz5yqv0HER3bq46AtNGSmYcpry5ByBmpfES2-E-xs74SREAtW8CPbDt3mcyZPXRf3W19C23DENjU/s400/Ep+10+workflow.png" width="343" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Cabinet Shop Workflow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The basic work flow is the same for any cabinet operation. A single cabinetmaker still needs to go thorough the same steps as a production shop with 100 employees. The difference is that in the larger shops each of these functions will be conducted by a separate department where the employees have the tools and practice to do one thing very well. Job assignment in medium size shops tend to be more fluid "Ok, today I'll cut out and detail pieces while you put 'em together."<br />
<br />
Any or all of these steps can be, and often is, outsourced to other shops so a shop can focus on the things that they do best. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Milling</h3>
When wood arrives at the loading dock it is usually rough sawn to random lengths and widths. The workers in the mill (who may think of themselves as sawyers, not cabinetmakers) use a planer to bring the boards to the right thickness, a jointer to square and true one edge, and a rip saw to rip it to standard widths which are used in the shop. In some operations the mill is also responsible for cutting out panel stock, although this job might also be assigned to the detail department.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Detail</h3>
The detailers are basically machinists who shape the parts of cabinets to look like the plans. They use a variety of hand and power tools, but especially routers and table saws. Depending on the complexity of the cabinets detail can range from being so simple that the assembly department takes care of it while they work (as it was when I was at Golden West), to being so complicated that it is a full time career path (as it was when I was at Country Coach). The detail department is usually also responsible for building face frames. I have to say that detail was usually my favorite job in the cabinet shop.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Assembly</h3>
Assemblers are responsible for actually putting the pieces together into a cabinet. In most shops an assembler can put together a complete cabinet every half hour, on average. Interestingly, cheap cabinets are only slightly easier to build than expensive ones. The skill of the detailers affects how well parts fit together, and hence how easy the assemblers job is. Thus, chewing out the detailers for mistakes is a basic part of the assembler's job.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Final Detail</h3>
Certain details, such as flush sanding pieces or rounding over corners of cabinets are easier to do after the box is mostly assembled. Larger shops will assign someone to do these full time. He usually has a low workbench, good upper body strength, a belt sander, and an assortment of routers. <br />
<br />
Final detail is often handled by the assembly department but may be a department of its own in larger shops. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Sanding</h3>
Sanding is one of the most important parts of cabinetmaking, but also one of the most boring. Still, someone needs to do it. The sanders are usually the most junior employees in the shop, and many people regard time on the sanding line as a right of passage. Each of them will typically be armed with an array of portable power sanders and they might share stationary tools like stroke sanders, drum sanders, or edge sanders.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Doors and Drawers</h3>
Most shops try to use a finite number of standard sizes and styles for their doors and drawers. This allows the D&D department to set up their machines and make batches of dozens or even hundreds of doors and drawers at the same time. The work, while somewhat repetitive, is extremely important to do well because doors and drawers are always the most visible part of the finished cabinets.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Counters</h3>
Most shops make at least some of their own counters. The tools and materials for this work are just different enough from cabinetmaking that it makes sense to separate the counters department in its own area. Counter top making is a trade in its own right, but all journeymen cabinetmakers know the basics and often spend time in the counters department at some point in their careers. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Finishing</h3>
Sawdust and wet finishes don't mix, so the finishing department usually has its own special area away from the power tools. Probably 99% of commercial finishes are applied with an airless or HVLP sprayer in a spray booth. Some small shops have one day a week when they sweep out the shop and do all their spraying. No other work is done that day, so as not to kick up any dust. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Installation</h3>
The job isn't done until the cabinet is installed in the client's house (or boat, or RV). The job also involves trim carpentry and a certain amount of on-the-fly repair work (everyone drops a cabinet eventually). Full time cabinet installers can more properly be thought of as finish carpenters, but most cabinetmakers do installs on occasion. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Cabinetmaking Specialties</h4>
<br />
Cabinetmaking as a trade is pretty similar no matter what sort of work you do. From a business point of view, however, many cabinet shops specialize in a particular kind of work. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Residential</h3>
The single largest market for cabinets is in the kitchens and bathrooms of private homes. Residential cabinet shops usually further specialize in either <i><b>custom work</b></i>, which is what it sounds like, or in <i><b>production work</b></i>, in which they mass produce relatively standardized cabinets that end up in tract houses, mobile homes, and apartment buildings. Production cabinetmaking, like most medium manufacturing, has largely gone overseas. The exceptions are certain industries like manufactured housing which have traditionally built their own cabinets in house and mostly still do.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Commercial</h3>
Commercial cabinetmaking includes not only cabinets for offices, which are quite similar to their residential counterparts, but also specialized pieces for restaurants, shops, and churches. Commercial cabinetmakers usually make more than residential cabinetmakers. However, they usually need to be more sophisticated about things like blueprints and coordination with architects and other trades.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Coach and Boat Cabinetry</h3>
The cabinets in RV's, camp trailers, van conversions, and yachts are built in much the same way as those in buildings, but they are at least an order of magnitude more complicated. Reasons why include:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Much greater use of curved surfaces and non-right angles. </li>
<li>The cabinets need to fit against the chassis and body (or hull and decks) of the vehicle, which are often curved. This means that the cabinetmaker doing the layout needs to be able to read the mechanical engineer's or naval architects drawings and pay attention to tolerances in new construction, or get really good at using scribe boards in refit work. </li>
<li>The cabinets typically need to accommodate equipment like radios, monitors, microwaves, and instrument panels. This equipment may or may not have arrived at the time you build the cabinets so, again, you need to be able to read plans.</li>
<li>Hoses wires tend to run behind or through the cabinets, so you need to leave enough access panels so that they can be worked on.</li>
<li>Weight is a consideration on the lower horsepower vehicles. This usually means that you need to find a way to make hollow-core doors and panels look expensive. </li>
<li>Most motor coaches and yachts are obscenely expensive, so the customers are picky. They have been known to send a $500,000 RV back because of one ugly knot hole on a cabinet door.</li>
</ol>
Most cabinetmakers who specialize in this sort of work come up at one of the big RV or boat factories. Those who master the specialty might move into refit and repair work at a boatyard or RV dealership or set up on their own.<br />
<br />
The most common configuration for an independent contractor is one guy with a portable shop in his van who hangs around a marina modifying the cabinetry and refinishing woodwork on yachts. This can be a steady line of work, as long as you know how to keep boat owners happy and play the word-of-mouth marketing game. Oddly, there seems to be no equivalent for land vehicles. People don't keep RVs as long as yachts and when they need to modify them, they are more likely to bring them to a big dealership. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Counter Tops</h3>
In the old days counter tops were a relatively simple area. Most cabinet shops either <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/2014/09/building-counter-tops.html" target="_blank">built their own</a> plastic laminate counters, or left a plywood top on the cabinets that a tile contractor could later cover with tile. Now that solid surface plastic, stone, and bamboo counter tops have become more popular counter tops has become a specialty all its own and it is not uncommon to find shops that do nothing but build and install counters for other cabinet shops and contractors. <br />
<br />
If I was going to start a cabinet business tomorrow I would probably specialize in counters. The reason is that the capital requirements are much less. Unlike a general cabinet shop, which needs several large stationary tools to be competitive, a counter top shop can run just fine with nothing but portable power tools. Even the delivery vehicle can be cheaper. You usually need at least a full size van to transport a cabinet package with the tools to install it but a set of counters fits in the back of a Ford Ranger (as long as you make a <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/2014/10/sawhorses.html" target="_blank">trestle</a> for the truck bed). <br />
<br />
<h3>
Furniture </h3>
You can't really talk about cabinetmaking without mentioning furniture. I should say right away though, that it is almost impossible for a cabinetmaker to break even on furniture. To make a living selling art furniture you usually need an MFA, an agent, and either grant support or a trust fund. To make a living selling mass produced furniture you usually need a factory in a poor Asian country and someone who is knowledgeable about tariffs and freight forwarding. <br />
<br />
Most of the people I know who "make furniture" for a living actually support themselves either by selling custom residential cabinets, teaching woodworking classes, or both. They build the furniture because they are artists and they need to do something creative to stay sane. <br />
<br />
Why are the economics of custom furniture so bad? Hypothetically, lets say that I still had my cabinet shop. Lets say a customer came up to me with a picture of a mission style sideboard from the <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/" target="_blank">Crate and Barrel</a> catalog and asked me to build them a "better" version. No problem. I would sit down for a few hours to sketch, then get them to approve a design (hopefully on the first pass). Then I would sit down for a few more hours to draw and dimension everything. You can't fool around on dimensions when you are using expensive wood. Then I would spend about a week ordering materials, and building and finishing the piece. Say about 50 hours total, counting design time.<br />
<br />
The problem is, the original piece the customer saw in the Crate and Barrel catalog sells for $600, and, cognitively, they already anchored on this price. I might be able to talk them up to $700, if I'm lucky. Never mind that every part of the piece is higher quality than the C&B piece. The wood probably cost me at least $150, and I also had to cover overhead and shop supplies (fasteners, glue, disposable finishing supplies, etc.) which probably cost at least another $30. This means that my gross profit (before self employment tax and federal and state income tax) is $520, or $10.40 per hour. This is less than half what I usually make on regular handyman work.<br />
<br />
The above example was for a mission style piece. The numbers get worse fast for, say, federalist or Georgian piece, with veneer work, hand carving and possibly lathe work. It's easy to spend weeks building a federalist high-boy, only to find that you just averaged less than a dollar an hour on it. <br />
<br />
This is why when most small cabinet makers build furniture they tend to keep it for themselves, or save it for a show; they don't make enough from selling it to bother. <br />
<br />
If I was going to try to make money from furniture I would focus on the design part, drawing a whole room or collection at a time. Then I would find a factory, probably in Thailand or the Philippines, to build me a container's worth at a time. But then I would still have to find a retail channel to sell it for me. There are simpler ways to make money.<br />
<br />
<h4>
The Two Major Cabinet Systems</h4>
There are really only two ways to make cabinets. Either they have a frame on the front, or they don't. This seemingly minor difference has inspired over four decades of heated debate between cabinetmakers of which system is "better". I personally prefer face frame cabinets, but I have built plenty of both and have to acknowledge that they each have their good points.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Face Frame (American)</h3>
Since the Renaissance this has been the dominant type of construction for furniture casework. In the mid 20th century, when build in cabinets became widely popular, craftsmen in the new world mostly built them using this system. The majority of existing 20th century cabinets in North America are face frame style.<br />
<br />
Face frame construction consists of a <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#carcass" target="_blank">carcass</a> made of panel stock (usually plywood) to which a 3/4" frame is nailed or <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#biscuitjointer" target="_blank">biscuited</a> in the front. The frame is always laid out and built first and dictates the geometry of the carcass. The frame also adds a fair amount of structural strength; face frame cabinets are almost always more rugged than a frameless cabinet of the same size.<br />
<br />
Door and drawer fronts for face frame are usually partially inset by cutting a 3/8" rabbet along the back edge, which results in a very nice light-tight joint but may also be fully inset (in the same plane as the face frame) or full overlay (completely outside the face frame. It's nice to have options. <br />
<br />
Creating high quality face frames requires accurate milling and cutting operations. Wood straight from the lumber yard is almost never square or straight enough. Some sort of joinery technology is required to hold the frame together. <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#pocketscrewjoinery" target="_blank">Pocket screws</a> are currently the most popular, but dowels were widely used in the past. Finally, careful sanding or hand planing is required to flush up the front of the frame where the sticking comes together. All of the above requires time and money. For this reason even cabinet shops that swear by face frame cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms often build frameless utility cabinets for closets or garages, where they won't be seen by company.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLEb9Mj_VCpQoYbCdIz3aKF3zuEGK_qGm_41ZbLBAtoRX7sxsVF6xcEHbKn-HnhSQJDo7E2Wc-CL2yLjaKxcnxSb0-b_2dOb9psqTs6bjyeNC7A0jGqWbuiLRmOzyORjKvaAQjyoAy-w/s1600/ep+10+faceframe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLEb9Mj_VCpQoYbCdIz3aKF3zuEGK_qGm_41ZbLBAtoRX7sxsVF6xcEHbKn-HnhSQJDo7E2Wc-CL2yLjaKxcnxSb0-b_2dOb9psqTs6bjyeNC7A0jGqWbuiLRmOzyORjKvaAQjyoAy-w/s320/ep+10+faceframe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Face Frame Cabinets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Frameless (European)</h3>
Frameless cabinet technology emerged from the ashes of World War II. Europe was rebuilding their bombed out cities but faced a shortage of both machine tools and hardwood lumber. They developed a cabinet system which requires no stationary power tools except a table saw and a drill press, and can be built completely of particle board or other man made lumber. In true European fashion they standardized the dimensions for cabinets so that most critical measurements are multiples 32mm. For this reason frameless cabinets are also referred to as "32 mm cabinets". All of these were noble goals, and the basic design was sound. Unfortunately, because the system does lend itself to cheap materials and low tech production, most of the truly crappy cabinetry in the world is now frameless. <br />
<br />
This doesn't mean that frameless cabinets can't be made with high quality plywood and careful joinery. In fact, many reputable custom cabinetmakers use frameless technology exclusively. <br />
<br />
Frameless cabinets first made it to the US in the 1970's, but didn't make serious inroads here until the coming of <a href="http://www.ikea.com/" target="_blank">IKEA</a> in the 1980's. At present face frame and frameless cabinets are more or less tied in popularity here. <br />
<br />
Frameless cabinets nearly always use full overlay doors and drawer fronts that cover the edges of the carcass when they are closed. Since the edges of the panels are not covered by a face frame they need to be banded by gluing on strips of <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#melamine" target="_blank">melamine</a> or veneer. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0krduU844IeyxYLtaa_uIDWz3vZAn2kN44K9TgePF79UPeP6i2yTYyFkSSLqkHmSndw-ruCuRTnTSwD-VpvUgGl4GCpaXBuBO4o6kGAefpJESiHeijghDmZdh_KJBFbmKnjI216QnaaM/s1600/Ep+10+frameless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0krduU844IeyxYLtaa_uIDWz3vZAn2kN44K9TgePF79UPeP6i2yTYyFkSSLqkHmSndw-ruCuRTnTSwD-VpvUgGl4GCpaXBuBO4o6kGAefpJESiHeijghDmZdh_KJBFbmKnjI216QnaaM/s320/Ep+10+frameless.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frameless Cabinets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h4>
Types of Cabinets</h4>
The majority of cabinets fall into a couple of standard shape profiles with more or less standard dimensions. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Uppers</h3>
An upper is any cabinet that hangs off the wall and doesn't touch the floor. The primary place uppers are encountered is in the kitchen. A "standard" upper for a room with flat 8' ceilings is 48" tall and dies into the ceiling, which makes its bottom edge about 51" above the finish floor. In rooms with higher or sloping ceilings you will need to decide whether to build extra tall uppers or to leave a space between the tops of the cabinets and the ceilings. The shelves in uppers are usually 11 1/8" deep, which leads to an overall depth from face frame to wall of about 12" (after adding the back panel and face frame). <br />
<br />
The upper over the kitchen range normally has a ventilation hood built in. Always try to get a tear sheet with dimensions and mounting instructions for the hood before you lay out the cabinet. In a pinch, though, a 30" wide opening works for most. The cabinet directly over the range hood is usually only 21" tall overall, whereas the one over a standard refrigerator is usually 24" tall.<br />
<br />
Uppers are often referred to as <i>wall</i> cabinets.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Lowers</h3>
Lowers sit on the floor and are designed to hold a counter at a convenient working height. Lowers come in different heights for kitchens and bathrooms. Normally the top of kitchen cabinets is is 34 1/2" from the floor and the overall depth of the cabinets is 24". Bathroom lowers are only 28 1/2" high because children need to be able to brush their teeth over the sink. They are often not as deep as kitchen cabinets because bathrooms are smaller than kitchens and floor space is at a premium.<br />
<br />
Lowers are sometimes referred to as <i>base</i> cabinets.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Full Height</h3>
Full height cabinets sit on the floor and are the same height as the tops of the uppers. Their depth is chosen to put the faces flush with either the uppers or the lowers. Full height cabinets are sometimes called <i>floor-to-ceiling</i> cabinets.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Inserts </h3>
Inserts are cabinets which are meant to slide into a hole framed into the wall. Because framers work to much looser tolerances than cabinetmakers, the cabinets don't always fit. Also, a finish carpenter can usually hang shelves in the hole and trim it out in less time and materials than a cabinetmaker can build a cabinet. As you might be able to tell, I don't really like inserts. The only time the sort of make sense is in some sort of assembly line situation where the cabinet shop can have the insert built as the house comes by, and the installer only needs to slide it in. However, the last time I was in this situation, at Golden West, I had to rebuild about half my inserts because people tried to pound them into holes that were too small. I don't think I've built one since I left.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Specialty (i.e. Equipment) Cabinets </h3>
Gone are the days when cabinetmakers built lovely hardwood cabinets to hold phonographs and early radios or televisions. Even today, however, most electronic equipment is safer and looks better when it is installed in a handsome cabinet. Usually these take the form of custom entertainment centers, which are a good line of work for many cabinet shops. The <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/2014/10/building-server-rack.html" target="_blank">server cabinet</a> that we made a few weeks ago is another good example. I had a friend of a friend who made a good income by building cabinets to hold metal detector equipment in the lobbies of government buildings.<br />
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The shape and size of every equipment cabinet will be dictated by the shape and size of the equipment. You also need to consider air flow, ease of connecting cables, and adequate structural support for heavy equipment.<br />
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One of the best parts about this work is that the equipment usually becomes obsolete in a few years which gives you the chance to sell the customer another cabinet. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-69810815678696753432014-11-12T08:41:00.000-08:002014-11-14T15:46:01.402-08:00Replacing an Interior Door<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
When you do handyman work for property managers, there are some jobs that seem to come up again and again. The <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/2014/11/changing-toilet-fill-valve.html" target="_blank">toilet fill valve</a> that we replaced last week is one of them. Replacing an interior door is another. Some time soon I will show you how to snake drains and patch fist-shaped holes in drywall, and you will just about be ready to set up practice as a handyman.<br />
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Hanging a door slab is super easy but, as I go into apartment units and "flipped" houses, I usually see a lot of examples of people who got it wrong: the bevel points the wrong way (or isn't there at all), the door sticks, or there isn't enough air gap at the bottom. Watch my video, and you won't have to worry about any of this.<br />
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<h4>
Tools Needed</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=circular%20saw&linkCode=ur2&qid=1414434738&rh=n%3A228013%2Cn%3A552922%2Ck%3Acircular%20saw%2Cp_n_size_browse-bin%3A387625011&rnid=468240&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=SVWKALRNW4Z7BKVJ" target="_blank"><b>Circular Saw</b></a>. I suppose you could cut the slab with a hand saw. I've done it, but it takes a miserably long time. Use a circular saw with a fine-tooth plywood blade if you have one.</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005QEVQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005QEVQ&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=DFCWJDQQEDJLXOUW" target="_blank">Router</a> with a 1/2" straight bit</b> <i>or</i> <b>a</b> <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BDG8RA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000BDG8RA&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=7ZHWDLFW4SL4ZBQI" target="_blank">butt chisel</a>. </b>The router is faster, especially if you have a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004TI3O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004TI3O&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=AQHGNOVKN2HU5VPK" target="_blank">hinge jig</a>, but a chisel will do perfectly well. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033WSK5O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0033WSK5O&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=EGEH2I65P6BTAOIK" target="_blank"><b>Portable power plane</b></a> <i>or<b> </b></i><b>bench plane. </b>Use the powered version if you have it, but a regular <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002B56CUO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002B56CUO&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=CTSDIH3WSO7OMBN3" target="_blank">#4</a> or<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004UDKW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004UDKW&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=PRRD4P6QDI2HZPZK" target="_blank"> #5</a> hand plane will work fine. </li>
<li><b>Tape Measure</b></li>
<li><b>Screw Driver</b></li>
<li><b>Hammer </b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=cordless%20drill%201%2F2&linkCode=ur2&tag=handkevi-20&url=search-alias%3Daps&linkId=DUHEUE2VE6ULPOGI" target="_blank">Electric Drill</a> w/ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EEX5UY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000EEX5UY&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=R3VNPCNCC4ZXH42Y" target="_blank">door <span id="goog_981687915"></span></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EEX5UY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000EEX5UY&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=R3VNPCNCC4ZXH42Y" target="_blank">knob drilling kit</a><span id="goog_981687916"></span>. </b>There are various kits out there and which one you use is largely personal preference. <b><br /></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002X22U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00002X22U&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=CZFDLZTNQUTOU5AK" target="_blank">Super Wonder Bar</a></b> <i>or</i><b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FC5O8U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FC5O8U&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=WTKQCNGK22MY7VOV" target="_blank">panel jack</a></b>. This is optional for lightweight doors, but almost essential for heavy solid doors. </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkdGuL5c2I1J09TdMSWI62uiz-bno2y2QaczAy17Ilm7eoJ4WJV9RtB1ffuuiIHYN66EQGWam_YXswDvQ19ORBmal9QNi6UmK8rX3dz3hQ17QIgMd0XFzxBaO1u3xAXkeAkzsMtJH9tc/s1600/Ep+9+tools.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkdGuL5c2I1J09TdMSWI62uiz-bno2y2QaczAy17Ilm7eoJ4WJV9RtB1ffuuiIHYN66EQGWam_YXswDvQ19ORBmal9QNi6UmK8rX3dz3hQ17QIgMd0XFzxBaO1u3xAXkeAkzsMtJH9tc/s1600/Ep+9+tools.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tools for Hanging Doors (Not Shown: Super Wonder Bar)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h4>
Step By Step</h4>
<ol>
<li>Measure the door opening. Buy a door slab that is at least as big as your opening. Standard door slabs are usually 80 inches high and come in width increments of 2". If you are working in a rental you should buy the cheapest one you can find since the tenants will just destroy it again.</li>
<li>Determine which end is "up" on your door slab. The bottom usually has thicker wood inside it than the top (knock on it to find out). Draw an arrow or other mark in pencil so you don't flip the slab by mistake. </li>
<li> Cut the bottom to adjust the door slab height. The height of the slab should be the same as the height of the door opening, minus enough space to easily clear any carpet, minus another inch if the unit has central heat or AC. </li>
<li>Cut the door to the correct width by cutting a 1/2 degree bevel (approximately). The width of the long side of the bevel should be about 1/6" narrower than the door opening.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzm0J1nAEqdxntHltRxUDPDicP9-necMhv-MAWvt9H39x8Zt50RFtMWDMc4IuRimC3E9D1n9xBWq4ezki9oBHl83il4REyAnJV8szwShh3onaTfg4IQW8c8uIZbuohxQoUOtX08K5G0Q/s1600/Ep+9+edge+bevel+B.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzm0J1nAEqdxntHltRxUDPDicP9-necMhv-MAWvt9H39x8Zt50RFtMWDMc4IuRimC3E9D1n9xBWq4ezki9oBHl83il4REyAnJV8szwShh3onaTfg4IQW8c8uIZbuohxQoUOtX08K5G0Q/s1600/Ep+9+edge+bevel+B.png" height="144" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bevel on Edge of Door (Not to Scale)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</li>
<li>Clean up the beveled edge with your plane. The edge should be nice and straight with no visible saw marks. At this point the maximum width of the door slab will be about 1/8" less than the width of the door opening.</li>
<li>Mark the tops of the hinge <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#gain" target="_blank">gains</a> on the door by measuring the location of the hinges in the door frame from the top of the door opening.</li>
<li>Measure the distance between the edge of the hinges and the door stop. Mark this distance plus a <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#smidge" target="_blank">smidge</a> on the door slab. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ9AyuA2WAqSilR1Ha4RXCQR6r9mxr-ln5M7mAPz_HOFUGSjdaEzavl5odgw6Mt_SsgBxtHGlAmjFRlVDe6phyNyhusDkGI3DvF5g9Nl-ZuYCVEiGhI-fYBYjiXMPZYGIoej_AOaPwLU/s1600/Ep+9+critical+dims.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ9AyuA2WAqSilR1Ha4RXCQR6r9mxr-ln5M7mAPz_HOFUGSjdaEzavl5odgw6Mt_SsgBxtHGlAmjFRlVDe6phyNyhusDkGI3DvF5g9Nl-ZuYCVEiGhI-fYBYjiXMPZYGIoej_AOaPwLU/s1600/Ep+9+critical+dims.png" height="320" width="159" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transfer These Measurements to the Door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</li>
<li>Hold your hinges against the edge of the door, lining them up with the marks you made, and trace around them in pencil.</li>
<li>Use either a router or chisel to cut the gains, making sure that the depth of the gains is the same as the thickness of your hinges. </li>
<li>Screw the hinges to the door. Use an awl or a fine drill bit to create a pilot hole so the door won't split. If you don't have a fine drill bit you can chuck a finish nail in your drill and it will work just as well. </li>
<li><i>Optional</i>: <i>Prime and paint the door.</i></li>
<li>Hang the door in the opening, using your Super Wonder Bar or panel jack to support it while you slip in the hinge pins. Make sure the door closes without binding, knocking off any high points with your plane as necessary. </li>
<li>Follow the instructions that came with your door-knob drilling jig to drill the large hole for the doorknob and the smaller hole for the latch barrel. Keep in mind that latch sets can have either a 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" backset (the distance between the edge of the door and the center line of the knob) and you need to adjust the jig accordingly.</li>
<li>Shove the latch barrel into the hole as far as it will go and mark around the latch plate in pencil.</li>
<li>Use either a chisel or router to excavate the gain for the latch plate. </li>
<li>Install the door latch and knob assembly. </li>
<li>Test the door and make any final adjustments to the hinges or latch hardware.</li>
</ol>
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<h4>
Installing Trim on a Door Opening</h4>
In ordinary maintenance work, you will rarely find yourself re-trimming a door. It is a fairly common finish carpentry task in general remodeling work, however. I plan to do some videos in the future about trim carpentry because it is a subject with many tricks and subtleties. For now, however, I will give you a quick sketch of the process.<br />
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Interior trim is made up of three different components: jambs, casing, and stops. The jambs are usually 1x boards which have been ripped to a width equal to the thickness of the walls (studs plus drywall). They form the finish opening of the door. Casing is the molding frame that goes around each side of the door like a three-sided picture frame. Stops are the moldings which go around the inside of the jambs, which the door closes against.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuKEbKSddEc5pClWIAejWWHMyEYsTzsApWRQS6WWnOi-oUteUJQdewqet9QC01MxFzj9c4ERNFNIcptVB9wta-70JrN2Ou5Gcs1bexFipjeR1WrNxIXi7t0RITkHJ2edUXPS3ayrqV3M/s1600/Ep+9+door+trim+detail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuKEbKSddEc5pClWIAejWWHMyEYsTzsApWRQS6WWnOi-oUteUJQdewqet9QC01MxFzj9c4ERNFNIcptVB9wta-70JrN2Ou5Gcs1bexFipjeR1WrNxIXi7t0RITkHJ2edUXPS3ayrqV3M/s1600/Ep+9+door+trim+detail.png" height="167" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross Section of Interior Door Trim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Every time you trim a door you have two options. 1) Buy a pre-hung door 2) Trim out and hang the door yourself. If you have a shop, of course, you can make your own pre-hung door units and bring them to the job site. I have done it both ways, and I think it basically comes down to personal preference. <br />
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<h2>
Installing a Pre-Hung Door</h2>
The jambs come preassembled with the stops installed and the door already hung. All you need to do is put the unit in the rough opening, shim the sides and top until everything is plumb and level, then drive enough 9d finish nails to make sure it stays in place. You still need to install casing, though, as described below.<br />
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<h2>
Trimming Out a Door Opening from Scratch</h2>
<ol>
<li>Cut one piece of jamb which is 1/2" shorter than the rough opening is wide. Cut two pieces of jamb which are 1" shorter than the rough opening is tall. </li>
<li>Cut hinge gains in one of the long pieces of jamb. The proper locations aren't really standardized, but these measurements should work for most interior doors:
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4KegvK8RaPva6o7zcUiiSelRIJB2YVWeKZdXzj2qNW_pl6n08S55chW_EDR1_Ndz9rUhb3qzZEl4tw6EoD0iy4Ts-Heyo_yLd1LXtc0q1RUx17nOZ2JOk6cMrBvVzV1UFx-QOjgI4K4/s1600/Ep+9+gains+on+jamb+measurements.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4KegvK8RaPva6o7zcUiiSelRIJB2YVWeKZdXzj2qNW_pl6n08S55chW_EDR1_Ndz9rUhb3qzZEl4tw6EoD0iy4Ts-Heyo_yLd1LXtc0q1RUx17nOZ2JOk6cMrBvVzV1UFx-QOjgI4K4/s1600/Ep+9+gains+on+jamb+measurements.png" height="320" width="152" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Placement of Hinge Gains on a Door Jamb</td></tr>
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</li>
<li>On the floor, assemble these three pieces into a three sided rectangle using 9d finish nails. Square up the top corners and tack scraps of wood on to hold everything in place.<br /><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wTa2T1obkKtjMM1YEHsjaLz3Y5HmVTtQQS_Tv1_VqiTnks7NoOdSQT00InJ_Q186OtAP5doCqBx_f8-bsouYa2SlmpqF8SKzOPIXMN-wcPfgbzAQMnqRuNHIylK_JG3wf0I6WlMcNhY/s1600/Ep+9+door+frame+assembly.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wTa2T1obkKtjMM1YEHsjaLz3Y5HmVTtQQS_Tv1_VqiTnks7NoOdSQT00InJ_Q186OtAP5doCqBx_f8-bsouYa2SlmpqF8SKzOPIXMN-wcPfgbzAQMnqRuNHIylK_JG3wf0I6WlMcNhY/s1600/Ep+9+door+frame+assembly.png" height="320" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preassemble Door Jambs on the Floor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</li>
<li>Place your assembled jambs in the rough opening. Put wooden shims between the jambs and the rough opening to hold the jambs plumb and level.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/O54rLLLGRJM" width="420"></iframe></div>
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</li>
<li>Once the jambs are in place, drive 9d finish nails though to shims to hold them in place.</li>
<li>Saw off the pieces of shim which are sticking out. You can also just snap them off, but they don't always break cleanly. </li>
<li>Measure the width at the top of the finish opening. Cut a piece of stop that is just a hair longer than this measurement. Bend this piece slightly to spring it into the top of the opening. The flat edge of the stopshould be the same distance from the edge of the jamb as the thickness of your door. When you have this piece positioned correctly, nail it in with finish nails. </li>
<li>Measure from the face of this top piece of casing to the floor. If there is not final flooring in place then subtract 1" from this measurement to leave room for the flooring guy to do his thing. Cut the two side pieces of stop to length and nail them in. Be extra sure that they are a uniform distance from the edge of the jambs (it helps to use a combo square set to the right distance to position them). Nail them off. </li>
<li>For generic "picture frame" style casing, start by cutting the top piece. Cut one end at 45 degrees (preferably using an electric miter saw) then mark and cut the other end. You want the bottom edge of the casing to be 1/4" from the edge of the jamb and 1/2" longer then the width of the finish opening, so as to leave a 1/4" reveal after the molding is installed. </li>
<li>Nail up the top piece of casing, being sure that the reveal (the gap between the opening an the edge of the molding) is a constant 1/4" all the way around. Again, a combo square is very helpful. </li>
<li>Make the 45 degree cuts on the ends of the vertical pieces of casing. Then return your saw to 90 degrees. Measure the distance from the top of the top casing to the floor. Subtract 1/2" if the finish floor is not in place yet. Cut the pieces to this length. </li>
<li>Nail up the vertical casings. Always start nailing up near the miter so it holds together and does not gap. Then four or five more finish nails at regular intervals, making sure your reveal stays constant. </li>
<li>Repeat steps 9-12 to case the other side of the door. </li>
<li>Hang your door as described at the start of this article.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<h2>
Cutting in a New Door</h2>
<br />
Don't do this at all unless you either: 1) Are <i>absolutely sure</i> that this is not a bearing wall. 2) Are comfortable enough with remodeling carpentry that you know how to build a false wall and properly size load bearing lintels. <br />
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This is actually a fairly common task that people ask handymen to do, and I promise I will do a video on it in the future (as soon as I find someone who needs to add a door and doesn't mind me filming myself do it). In the mean time, this <a href="http://youtu.be/zyEi968zPAE?t=27m" target="_blank">Fawlty Towers Episode</a> will give you an idea of how these things sometimes play out.<br />
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-HKAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-82177150032893964612014-11-05T07:25:00.000-08:002014-11-05T07:25:00.490-08:00Changing a Toilet Fill Valve<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XDmH3-jOsVM" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
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<br />
Working on toilets may not be glamorous, but handymen get to do it frequently. Luckily, toilet repairs fall into two categories: either it is a quick repair that you can do in a few minutes, or the toilet isn't repairable and you swap out the whole thing. The quick fix problems are much more common, and the most common of those is a bad fill valve.<br />
<br />
<h4>
How Toilets Work</h4>
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A normal residential toilet works by releasing the water in the tank into the bowl, which flows by gravity into the bowl. This displaces whatever is in the bowl already up and into the drain. For the sake of simplicity, I will leave a discussion of pressurized commercial toilets, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/smart-toilets-arrive-in-u-s-1401160563" target="_blank">Japanese smart toilets</a>, and other oddities for another day. <br />
<br />
First, let's look at the main parts. If you are near a bathroom, you may want to open the tank of a toilet up and see if you can find them all.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbMiSBK5HQ3Q0s4uXxgSiifgwxxJAQ1YFyxXkynWlOOOS-STVq8isa4falWT_hPyGmtxTIFjRoUePEQMKKc4ELwJ0MIfDgmk71QR4vOId1ORxz372rS_YkCuHZyQTdiF5KlH8GfajURQ/s1600/Ep+8+Parts+of+a+Toilet.png" height="393" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Major Parts of a Residential Toilet</td></tr>
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Things might me shaped a little differently in your toilet, but all eight of these parts should be there. Basically, when you push the flush handle (4) it pulls on the chain and raises the flapper (7). This rapidly lets water out of the toilet tank through the flush valve (8), flushing the toilet. Once the tank is mostly full, the flappers own weight causes it to fall back into the flush valve and seal the toilet again. Meanwhile, when water leaves the tank it allows the float (2) to lower, opening the fill valve (1), which allows water in from the supply (3). This water comes out of the fill valve in two places: some of the water comes out at the top of the valve, refilling the tank. The rest of it goes through the refill tube (5), to refill the bowl. The overflow tube has another important purpose; if a misadjusted float allows too much water to go into the tank the excess will go down the overflow tube instead of flooding your bathroom. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All eight of these parts are replaceable. However, the most common failure point is the fill valve because it has the most moving parts. Modern fill valves mostly use a plastic diaphragm and needle valve design, not unlike a small engine carburetor. This design tends to work perfectly until the diaphragm wears out, at which point it rapidly stops working at all. This is actually an improvement over older designs, which tended to have long annoying deaths. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The second most common failure point is the flapper. The rubber wears out and allows water to leak past, causing the toilet to run off and on all night. Because flappers only cost a few bucks it is common practice to replace them whenever you change the fill valve.</div>
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The rest of the parts take longer to wear out and mostly only need to be replaced when some idiot breaks them.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In general, in North America replacement parts for toilets interchange between the different brands. This means that you can keep a "universal" fill valve kit on the truck and know that it will work in at least 90% of your clients' toilets. These parts are available at any hardware store, or you can buy them here and support my show:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=handkevi-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B000BOCAB2&asins=B000BOCAB2&linkId=SPGR5CWNBIM767AQ&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Step by Step</h4>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Turn off the water supply to the toilet. This is usually a small valve coming out of the wall or floor.</li>
<li>Flush the toilet to empty the tank.</li>
<li>(Optional) Use a sponge or towels to soak up any remaining water in the tank.</li>
<li>Place a small bucket or wad of towels on the floor under the tank. Disconnect the supply hose, using channel locks if necessary. </li>
<li>Unscrew the plastic nut at the bottom of the fill valve assembly.</li>
<li>Unclip the refill tube from the overflow tube and lift the fill valve assembly out of the toilet tank.</li>
<li>Place the old fill valve assembly next to the new fill valve assembly. Adjust the new assembly so that its length and float height are close to that of the old assembly. </li>
<li>Put the new fill valve in place and tighten the nut. It should not be necessary to use tools to tighten it unless you have unusually weak fingers. </li>
<li>Clip the refill tube to the overflow tube so the end of the the refill tube points down the overflow tube.</li>
<li>Verify that the flushing lever arm can move freely. If there is interference then rotate the fill valve assembly.</li>
<li>(Optional) replace the flapper. It just hooks on, so you don't need tools. </li>
<li>Reattach the supply hose and turn on the water supply to refill the tank. </li>
<li>Use a piece of tissue to check for leaks.</li>
<li>Flush the toilet to make sure it works. </li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h4>
Other Toilet Repairs</h4>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You will occasionally need to replace a broken flush lever or fill valve. A flush lever attaches with a single nut, but you may need to (carefully) bend the new one to get a good flushing action.<br />
<br />
A flush valve is slightly more involved because you typically need to remove the entire tank to undo the spud nut at the bottom of the valve. I will probably do a video on this in the future. It isn't too terribly hard, just beyond the scope of this article. <br />
<br />
Sometimes, of course, the toilet itself is cracked. In this case, you will need to replace the whole thing. This isn't as hard as it sounds, as long as you are physically strong enough to straight-arm a toilet. The base of the toilet is held to the floor with two bolts. Drain the toilet, disconnect the water supply, and undo the bolts. Lift the whole toilet up and throw it away. You will need to replace the wax ring which seals the bottom of the toilet to the hub at the top of the drain pipe. The trick is to lower the toilet evenly onto the new wax ring. Otherwise, the wax deforms and gets destroyed and you need to get another one.<br />
<br />
Where things get interesting is when the drain hub itself is damaged, or when the floor has rotted away too badly to support the new toilet. Then again, anything that makes more work for a handyman is job security for me, so I shouldn't complain. <br />
<br />
-HK</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-31425640386720590302014-10-29T07:38:00.000-07:002014-10-29T07:38:00.824-07:00Building a Server Rack<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eEjEBpoPr-o" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
When it comes to electronics, whether you are talking about computers, communications, or sound, the serious gear usually comes in rack-mount cases. Often, you can pick up used gear that is a few years old for not much money. Unfortunately, the racks themselves don't get obsolete, so even the used ones are pretty expensive. This means that you may end up paying more for the rack than you did for the equipment inside it.<br />
<br />
Luckily, a real handyman can build a rack much more cheaply than he can buy one.<br />
<br />
My main computer cluster lived on cinder blocks for months before I got around to putting it in a rack. Not only was this setup hideously ugly, but the vibration from the fans resonated the blocks and translated through the floor joists to make a constant hum that drove my downstairs neighbor nuts (that was OK, he already didn't like me). I decided to build a proper rack. When I went online, though, most of the designs I found were made out of dimensional lumber and looked almost as ugly as the cinder blocks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1P5a9rBb5pR0P_1kC8wVx4NlPXPyT3ZA_5HtPyBRP7_mifW6ISr2Rmra_RU1WGoNoSd_dvQ4LBQmaiE7lLZ_FiZ2ZFqjH_3WONTeW67YkkSuZOLqULmxbbozIQmnd0kRZE7TyYXY5u1I/s1600/Ep+7+Cinder+Blocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1P5a9rBb5pR0P_1kC8wVx4NlPXPyT3ZA_5HtPyBRP7_mifW6ISr2Rmra_RU1WGoNoSd_dvQ4LBQmaiE7lLZ_FiZ2ZFqjH_3WONTeW67YkkSuZOLqULmxbbozIQmnd0kRZE7TyYXY5u1I/s1600/Ep+7+Cinder+Blocks.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cinder Block Approach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Working from a cabinetmaker's sensibilities, I designed the rack that I built this week on the show. It is structurally efficient, better looking than most of the home-made racks on YouTube, and channels the air flow from the fans through a particle filter to keep dust and hair out of the machines.
<br />
You can build a rack the size of mine for under $50. Without even counting shipping or assembly costs, this is less than half what an equivalent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003K1NFY4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003K1NFY4&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=MAFEDHD63A7UDIRU" target="_blank">store-bought rack</a> would cost. I chose the dimensions mainly to make the best use of a common furnace filter from the hardware store. You could easily make it twice as tall and use two filters, or find a smaller filter and make it lower. You could also go without the filter, but I would only recommend this if you were running your computers in a fairly clean indoor environment. Computers suck a lot of air and any dust in a room is going to end up in your fans.<br />
<br />
If you are using this for radio amps or stereo equipment you may want to adjust the width and make the cabinet a bit shallower; most amps I've seen are not nearly as deep as a server computer.
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<br />
<h4>
Measured Drawings</h4>
<br />
A high resolution .pdf file, suitable for printing, can be downloaded <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2679843/Handyman%20Kevin/server%20rack.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.
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<br />
Or, you can take dimensions off these screen shots. You may need to zoom your browser to read them:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGc9pyyKsVQX3KENP8ogVxxtmdFnec-l8uZC4T1Lw2Jg6n27Zf6MEFIvUcoA5Dm48IpvRn29fpMDAAdN0GUxIBrYuSt9gFtIo2Lc_abNn7ay87c5kbM9STsdSwySSScynjH11g_rP8cxI/s1600/Ep+7+cutout+pieces+c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGc9pyyKsVQX3KENP8ogVxxtmdFnec-l8uZC4T1Lw2Jg6n27Zf6MEFIvUcoA5Dm48IpvRn29fpMDAAdN0GUxIBrYuSt9gFtIo2Lc_abNn7ay87c5kbM9STsdSwySSScynjH11g_rP8cxI/s1600/Ep+7+cutout+pieces+c.png" height="301" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel and Frames</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk-qJEAu_E9iPtwWj2UNEnjNBRmn5or-yZYDxPN3a3x2nkTwED0LNFS72paflAdX3d0x5SB7b138zun0LdBj3r5GQaZeeqNNRw7JIP2KqWvjDGCpBJVdlXfm3NQs1USKH_pGPz4BmGPw/s1600/Ep+7+casework+detail+c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk-qJEAu_E9iPtwWj2UNEnjNBRmn5or-yZYDxPN3a3x2nkTwED0LNFS72paflAdX3d0x5SB7b138zun0LdBj3r5GQaZeeqNNRw7JIP2KqWvjDGCpBJVdlXfm3NQs1USKH_pGPz4BmGPw/s1600/Ep+7+casework+detail+c.png" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casework Construction</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwG1OETUWCiz_6m4RWPa6rKOFzC3maza2RXOiTweZQHg_4FTz38ciFPc4GGJ6a12ta6YaBB8tS2N2XvFsAeIaMAcSk1vvY2W1DmO4-nBmZ9PdIU3W2V7rw9tqtFoGVbyO15Q1wmPEvQec/s1600/Ep+7+door+detail+c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwG1OETUWCiz_6m4RWPa6rKOFzC3maza2RXOiTweZQHg_4FTz38ciFPc4GGJ6a12ta6YaBB8tS2N2XvFsAeIaMAcSk1vvY2W1DmO4-nBmZ9PdIU3W2V7rw9tqtFoGVbyO15Q1wmPEvQec/s1600/Ep+7+door+detail+c.png" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Door Construction</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h4>
Step by Step</h4>
<ol>
<li>Cut out the <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#osb" target="_blank">OSB</a> pieces, using a table saw or portable circular saw.</li>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip16aq_I1RJ8N2jMaa96U8fThPobc8Ok9dFy6ka-in24FKaOSjIXJC_cntxCO39-FWaU7M85RpUioOAvaM5G7cmGhB4zJqZm179xV7bBLEh-BCf_W5zP9Zz_s6RYVOaGRtikU3m2f9wZg/s1600/Ep+7+tablesaw+cutout.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip16aq_I1RJ8N2jMaa96U8fThPobc8Ok9dFy6ka-in24FKaOSjIXJC_cntxCO39-FWaU7M85RpUioOAvaM5G7cmGhB4zJqZm179xV7bBLEh-BCf_W5zP9Zz_s6RYVOaGRtikU3m2f9wZg/s1600/Ep+7+tablesaw+cutout.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting OSB Panels on the Table Saw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<li>Cut pieces of 2x2 <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#softwood" target="_blank">softwood</a> to go all the way around the bottom deck. It is easiest to mark the 2x2 directly from the bottom deck and cut to the mark with your saw. Attach these cleats with glue and either clenched nails or drywall screws</li>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHS32QxtGmLMsqabTQaQC1_vb4aP8ukmhS48qB0Y4_cNt3xes_OSAtWGshavxXiYmEXi_KtK2da8iDZbwNTmghNDrf6H7IhHWOArXR_Bz9dPGjJ2mESLABqQlCt_o4OIa2qYul2x7P74/s1600/Ep+7+bottom+deck+cleats+b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHS32QxtGmLMsqabTQaQC1_vb4aP8ukmhS48qB0Y4_cNt3xes_OSAtWGshavxXiYmEXi_KtK2da8iDZbwNTmghNDrf6H7IhHWOArXR_Bz9dPGjJ2mESLABqQlCt_o4OIa2qYul2x7P74/s1600/Ep+7+bottom+deck+cleats+b.png" height="249" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding Cleats to the Bottom Deck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<li>Cut out the face frame. <i>Optional: If a jointer is available then rip the pieces a little bit oversize and use the jointer to make sure the edges are perfectly square.</i> When crosscutting the face frame pieces to length you will want to use your squarest saw and, if necessary, clean them up with a disk sander or a block plane. If you are working with portable tools, you may want to build a <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#shootingboard" target="_blank">shooting board</a> to use with your hand planes.</li>
<br />
<li>Build the face frame, using your preferred joinery technique. In the video I use a pocket screw kit. Biscuits or dowels would also be a good choice if you have either a biscuit jointer or a doweling jig. If you don't have any of these three and are thinking about investing, I would recommend a pocket screw kit because it is the most affordable option and the most frequently useful under job site conditions.
<br />
<br />
You can also just drill dowel holes freehand after carefully marking and center-punching the locations. This is a very slow way to build face frames, but it does make acceptable joints.</li>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswLpIn9LLwqVAspiglCHA806SDGxAke2paIHkt06SpZGsUflesvL1843Jx9X9yDS52rSsP8_j1FgARTtTL0bUX4t5__jPIQnH9C5VwgEYyFm8L3eFkQhe1A7uUSH0_wIFxJYsMEiTlbU/s1600/Ep+7+Building+FF.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswLpIn9LLwqVAspiglCHA806SDGxAke2paIHkt06SpZGsUflesvL1843Jx9X9yDS52rSsP8_j1FgARTtTL0bUX4t5__jPIQnH9C5VwgEYyFm8L3eFkQhe1A7uUSH0_wIFxJYsMEiTlbU/s320/Ep+7+Building+FF.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building the Face Frame</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<li>Sand all of the joints flush on the front of the face frame.</li>
<br />
<li>Attach the face frame to the cleats on the bottom deck. Leave a 2 1/2 inch space between the front of the face frame and the front of the bottom deck. Attach the the frame with either pocket screws or dowels.</li>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIk8Cf51desTXilkMBlwwnzeHe_HdtcTGGglwwd7qfLO4X0FEEEzH01JxcChVQY8z6UUp69oa7Vmuha2dV_I8ha5IiAIcdbwZXneH19A-plRVukicUWTaytFx9aGYBEIqgZOqhE8wcPwM/s1600/Ep+7+Attaching+FF.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIk8Cf51desTXilkMBlwwnzeHe_HdtcTGGglwwd7qfLO4X0FEEEzH01JxcChVQY8z6UUp69oa7Vmuha2dV_I8ha5IiAIcdbwZXneH19A-plRVukicUWTaytFx9aGYBEIqgZOqhE8wcPwM/s1600/Ep+7+Attaching+FF.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attaching the Face Frame to the Bottom Deck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<li>Attach the side panels to the bottom deck and face frame, using glue and either drywall screws or 1/4" pneumatic stapler. Be extra careful not to split the face frame.</li>
<br />
<li>Attach two 1x2 cleats around the back opening of the cabinet. Use either screws or staples with glue. </li>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvqXac-Xycrfv7atUOixU6gQhKyA80mHlR2i237uCVaHf5rNOh3SygI6v_c2dXoZtFSlbFG6NgbXaWqxlR5wyDy5N61yMwxmMBvk-9eYBU1_WsGaEpwPUEypkzpiPgBE-IjB1QG5rP1s/s1600/Ep+7+Cleats+around+back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvqXac-Xycrfv7atUOixU6gQhKyA80mHlR2i237uCVaHf5rNOh3SygI6v_c2dXoZtFSlbFG6NgbXaWqxlR5wyDy5N61yMwxmMBvk-9eYBU1_WsGaEpwPUEypkzpiPgBE-IjB1QG5rP1s/s1600/Ep+7+Cleats+around+back.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleats Around the Back of the Cabinet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<li>Attach more pieces of 2x2 horizontally across the back opening, keeping each piece exactly level with the corresponding rail on the face frame. Hold each piece in with glue and a 3" deck screw.</li>
<br />
<li>Place 2x2 blocking between the face frame rails and the 2x2 rails in the back of the cabinet. Use 9d finish nails on the face frame side and common nails on the back. For larger equipment (like a 4U server or an interruptible power supply) you will want to use 2x3 or even 2x4 blocking, or add another piece down the center. Use straight pieces of wood. A bowed piece will make it hard to get your equipment in and out.</li>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJzkNuve_NRImf5qfDXnFKSDPJwcLXrRSgxdhbWGStQsk06pMDZKbN3dmckby-P1Wufuvo1z77P0T_19nfZQnKbLfteqC6pMiGsnnLTbJcuy_-hsnW3gW934GOf6pvsdgra0-YDQMYxQ/s1600/Ep+7+Internal+blocking.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJzkNuve_NRImf5qfDXnFKSDPJwcLXrRSgxdhbWGStQsk06pMDZKbN3dmckby-P1Wufuvo1z77P0T_19nfZQnKbLfteqC6pMiGsnnLTbJcuy_-hsnW3gW934GOf6pvsdgra0-YDQMYxQ/s1600/Ep+7+Internal+blocking.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blocking to Support the Equipment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<li>If, like me, you left extra space for future equipment cut a piece of cardboard or poster board that you can wedge or staple in to cover the gap in the face frame. This will keep the equipment fans from drawing air from the hot side of the rack.</li>
<br />
<li>Add a few pieces of 1x4 blocking across the top of the the cabinet. These will give you something to screw the top panel to and will make it sturdier, in case some fool decides to sit on your rack.</li>
<br />
<li>Sand everything flush at the top of the cabinet so the top panel will have an air-tight fit.</li>
<br />
<li>Attach the top panel. Use screws without glue so you can get in if you ever decide to modify the rack at a latter date.</li>
<br />
<li>Build the door frame, using the same process you used for the face frame.</li>
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<li>Cut thin cleats to hold in the filter. Getting the cleats the right thickness can be tricky, as you want to hold the filter snugly and also have a relatively tight fit with the case to minimize air bypassing the filter. You will probably want to <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#chamfer" target="_blank">chamfer</a> one edge of the cleats with a plane or on the table saw to get more clearance for opening the door. Use fine <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#brad" target="_blank">brads</a> to hold the cleats on wile the glue dries.</li>
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<li>Optionally, add a few strands of cord or wire across the cleats to hold in the filter (an old boot lace would probably work well). Mine fit tightly enough that I didn't bother with this step.</li>
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<li>Add hinges and a latch to the door. I used small strap hinges and a magnetic cabinet latch but other types would probably work. You may need to chop out pieces of the cleat to get enough space for the hardware. You can also add a knob or handle to the door, if you want.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO4rRr1yMNXj5iMgw7LfQM9B2sKImlg0FAeGTWDaXrmQcJ9nvFKIuDm7RXTZA5Fr1WKyypGbNTIpg9p5XOVxclmHa0XoxnpUwFclopAmqTrgop8U5Y-TMCZPzM76TkOr2bDqZ-XwtEV8/s1600/Ep+7+hinges+and+cleats.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO4rRr1yMNXj5iMgw7LfQM9B2sKImlg0FAeGTWDaXrmQcJ9nvFKIuDm7RXTZA5Fr1WKyypGbNTIpg9p5XOVxclmHa0XoxnpUwFclopAmqTrgop8U5Y-TMCZPzM76TkOr2bDqZ-XwtEV8/s1600/Ep+7+hinges+and+cleats.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Hinge and Door Cleats</td></tr>
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<li>Hang the door, adjusting the hinges and latch as needed.</li>
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<li>Install your equipment. You may need to plane or pare away some wood where the fit is too tight. </li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6habqIz9CFDQ-bjoi6kfB0lC7KWovmbBP7oV7S3Qfuv3KVXqrlkUN7YPRVfAXJey23OcKdMy5b-L4DvDnOqpAiyELgTsMzgs7SY147vegOPsr96B5deZ6RMPn1w-VcntcNwy8YK3r4-w/s1600/Ep+7+Installing+equipment.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6habqIz9CFDQ-bjoi6kfB0lC7KWovmbBP7oV7S3Qfuv3KVXqrlkUN7YPRVfAXJey23OcKdMy5b-L4DvDnOqpAiyELgTsMzgs7SY147vegOPsr96B5deZ6RMPn1w-VcntcNwy8YK3r4-w/s1600/Ep+7+Installing+equipment.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Installing the Equipment</td></tr>
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</ol>
Now you know how to build nice racks for electronic equipment. Hopefully, this means that the next time you see a wicked awesome tube amp or web server at the swap meet, you won't have to pass it up because you'll be able to build a place to put it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggnGYuc_ti3AhUz7Xa_yym4dAAvGoA3zAn5eRQgXRrbcRfo9C1MelT55qUACLTq1Dja3Q33HBRnaBhW-9zOfNJ-UP0ZbbpIXzJSb2OvLOrxL_WdORKPKTOe4efU2Q-86_ImRjgJYFV64/s1600/Ep+7+The+Finished+Cabinet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggnGYuc_ti3AhUz7Xa_yym4dAAvGoA3zAn5eRQgXRrbcRfo9C1MelT55qUACLTq1Dja3Q33HBRnaBhW-9zOfNJ-UP0ZbbpIXzJSb2OvLOrxL_WdORKPKTOe4efU2Q-86_ImRjgJYFV64/s1600/Ep+7+The+Finished+Cabinet.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Finished Rack Cabinet</td></tr>
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For a better looking cabinet you could easily build this using plywood and hardwood, then paint or stain it. Or, if you are into high performance applications (bitcoin mining?) it would be pretty easy to plumb this with copper water lines or peltier junctions for cooling. As designed now, though, it will should fine for a small computer cluster for an office or a research group.<br />
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-HK
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-41906510070321176012014-10-22T08:00:00.000-07:002014-10-22T08:30:28.253-07:00Dealing With Really Strong Rare Earth Magnets<div style="text-align: center;">
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In the video this week, I solved a technical problem for some librarians, building a very simple jig out of 2x4 and conduit to separate some extremely powerful magnets. At the time, I was working very intuitively...and it turned out fine. Actually, this is the only Handyman Kevin video so far that I was able to record in a single take. <br />
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I thought it would be interesting to actually look at how an engineer would deal with this problem. I once flunked out of a <a href="http://www.uidaho.edu/engr" target="_blank">pretty good engineering school</a> and I have actually spent a few years working as an engineering technician, so I definitely know enough to be dangerous. This digression does raise an interesting point, though, which I would like to emphasize. Even though we handyman types spend 99% of our careers working by intuition and rules of thumb, there does come a time when you need to stop and think about theory a bit. It can be the difference between whether that bearing wall collapses and takes the client's house (and maybe you) with it or not.<br />
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But anyway, back to magnets.<br />
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A (very cursory) look around the web indicates that <a href="http://www.apexmagnets.com/2-x-1-disc" target="_blank">magnets this size</a> have a pull force around 200 lbs. Remember, though, that the force between two magnets is twice that much. Actually, since there were three magnets in the stack, it was even more. How much more? A quick trip around the web reveals some disagreement between physicists about the exact formula. Engineers, however, seem to do well enough applying the inverse square law to magnets separated by distance. Unfortunately, I haven't been an engineer for a long time. My Googling skills are top notch, however, and a few moments later I found this <a href="https://www.kjmagnetics.com/calculator.asp" target="_blank">magnet calculator from K&J Magnetics</a>. After fiddling around a bit, I was pretty sure that the force on the holding the end magnet to our stack of three magnets was around about 240 lbs.<br />
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Fortunately, we didn't have to tear it straight off; we could slide it off sideways--shear force, in other words. One thing I did remember from engineering school, is that the static friction force between two magnets is equal to the coefficient of friction between them, times the normal force pressing them together. A little more Googeling showed that the coefficient of <a href="http://www.first4magnets.com/tech-centre-i61/frequently-asked-questions-i69" target="_blank">friction between these sort of magnets</a> is about 0.2. Therefore, the amount of shear force we needed was about 240 lbs x 0.2 = 48lbs. This was a little more than I could generate with my bare hands, mainly because there isn't a good way to get leverage. With our scissor-type separator jig, though, this was no problem.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfFti62GmhQPqyDH4zkWXE4jTSh6UGXEaBgKvLSr8ZeivBr1I5n52m7hRpIAyz4qN7Nodgk-EZXXGjjkh5Xwps1_tOLrEq4TUvA82hIoyp2UQnm13KCAlnz4HxA66PlF9ovWwAF48ynA/s1600/Ep+6+magnet+shear+force.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfFti62GmhQPqyDH4zkWXE4jTSh6UGXEaBgKvLSr8ZeivBr1I5n52m7hRpIAyz4qN7Nodgk-EZXXGjjkh5Xwps1_tOLrEq4TUvA82hIoyp2UQnm13KCAlnz4HxA66PlF9ovWwAF48ynA/s1600/Ep+6+magnet+shear+force.png" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
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The scissor jig uses leverage for a mechanical advantage, trading distance for force. The force required out at the end of the handles is only about 1/3 as much as at the magnets, or 16 lbs. Even a beat-up handyman like me can put 16 lbs on the ends of some 2x4s. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QYQ8HUKd-aI-Dja5YEl9LlZJ2xW9XBSLcz6WpSDODaRUwqv1iMrcezywu3YBwzOMpWomZc0aLkzIiEeaG_okhv_MtKaJ2S1vIN8TI8HzqpF6yCZsjzM5x6L5oaLKKcVuJZM6K-olnHY/s1600/Ep+6+Scissor+jig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QYQ8HUKd-aI-Dja5YEl9LlZJ2xW9XBSLcz6WpSDODaRUwqv1iMrcezywu3YBwzOMpWomZc0aLkzIiEeaG_okhv_MtKaJ2S1vIN8TI8HzqpF6yCZsjzM5x6L5oaLKKcVuJZM6K-olnHY/s1600/Ep+6+Scissor+jig.png" height="278" width="320" /></a></div>
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To there's your lesson for the week: engineering mechanics applied to 2x4 technology. Perhaps next time we will delve into more high tech materials. A rock, perhaps, or some bailing wire.<br />
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-HKAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-21209240983265362942014-10-15T11:07:00.000-07:002014-10-15T11:07:47.982-07:00Sawhorses<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Fe5QNEIRDdY" width="420"></iframe>
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Sawhorses are useful things. There should be at least one pair in every handyman's pickup. Pull them out, and they become your temporary work surface in a client's driveway or back yard. If you need a workbench, then throw a board over them and you're ready to go. Make some waist-high ones and clamp your miter saw to them. Better yet, make three (one a few inches taller than the others) and use the third as a support for long pieces.<br />
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Make a couple of short ones, put a piece of 2x12 across them, and you have the perfect little bench to stand on when you are hanging or finishing ceiling drywall.<br />
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Did you get stuck helping with your church's (school's/lodge's) pancake breakfast? A couple of tall sawhorses and piece of plywood make a great table, and you can still use the plywood afterwards. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trestle_table" target="_blank">Trestle tables</a> have been in use since at least the dark ages, because they are so handy to break down.<br />
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Ever drive on a freeway and see a granite counter-top or window guy's pickup? He probably has a big wooden trestle in the back that he clamps his counter tops or windows to so they won't get damaged in transit. It would be handy to know how to build one of these, if you ever need to transport a counter slab or a window. Luckily, it is constructed exactly like a sawhorse, except for a couple of extra boards nailed on for clamping surface.<br />
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Now, if you just need a couple of sawhorses, I guess you could got to your local home center and buy a couple of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029HJAZ8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0029HJAZ8&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=6GTUK5CQR43XARXA" target="_blank">plastic jobbies</a>. I guess I should come clean; I've bought them before myself. Plastic sawhorses get the job done, but they have their drawbacks. First of all, they aren't cheap. You'll pay at least twice as much as you would for the lumber and nails to build your own. Second, they only come in one size. Third, they don't weigh much, so as soon as the wind picks up, they are going to go flying. Fourth, they just aren't sturdy enough to trust your weight to. If I am going to dedicate space in my truck to sawhorses, then I want to be able to use them with a plank for scaffolding when I am painting, finishing drywall, or any other task that has me working just a couple feet too high for comfort. <br />
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The first time you make a sawhorse, it will take you at least half an hour. By the third time, you'll have that down to 15 minutes. When I make large batch of them, I can turn one out every 10 minutes without too much trouble. Building sawhorses is a valuable skill and, once you master it, you will never run out of uses for the things. <br />
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In the video I made a sawhorse the same height as my tables saw to use as an out-feed support when I cut long pieces. I have included a few critical dimensions in the sketch below. These may not be too useful to you, unless you have the same model of saw I do. Incidentally, I've been pretty happy with the Rigid saw, so you might want to consider it if you're in the market. <br />
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Most of the time, you will want to use some sort of 2x stock for the top piece and some sort of 1x stock for the legs. In practice, most of them get built out of whatever wood was left over from the last job.</div>
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I went over the general process in the video, but here it is again. I think I am slightly indebted to <a href="http://www.finehomebuilding.com/" target="_blank"><i>Fine Homebuilding Magazine</i></a> for this technique, because I believe that is where the guy who taught me learned it, back the '80s.</div>
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<ol>
<li>Cut a piece of 2x4 or 2x6 to length for the top piece. Sawhorses are usually between 2 and 3 feet long.</li>
<li>Cut the legs out of 1x4 or 1x6. Run them about 6" long at this point, so you will have plenty of room to angle the ends. </li>
<li>Mark and cut the <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#gain" target="_blank">gains</a> in the top piece. Remember that the legs splay outward in two dimensions. This step will be much easier of you set your <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002N5OA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00002N5OA&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=FE2WLRFTJ4C7T75K" target="_blank">bevel</a> to the approximate angle, mark it, and then use your <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Tools-1794469-12-Inch-Combination/dp/B005XUHIBG/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1410995632&sr=1-6&keywords=combination+square" target="_blank">combination square</a> to mark the gains. Frankly, the exact angle isn't critical, as long as you have the same angle for all the legs in a set of sawhorses.</li>
<li>Nail the legs into the gains, letting them run long at the top. Use 6d or 8d nails, and add a dab of wood glue it it's handy.</li>
<li>Use a hand saw to cut the tops of the legs level with the top of the sawhorse.</li>
<li>Nail gussets (made of 1x, OSB, or plywood) to the legs to keep them at the proper angle. It usually helps to gut out one gusset, then use it to mark the other side. </li>
<li>Cut the compound angle on the ends of the legs. If you are trying to make the sawhorses a certain height, the you want to turn the sawhorse upside down and use a straight edge to transfer the dimension. Otherwise, you can measure to an arbitrary length and use your bevel to mark. </li>
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That's all there is to it. With a little practice, you will be able to crank out as many sawhorses as you need in no time flat. At some point, you will probably even be able to do it with the camera rolling while trying to explain yourself.<br />
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-HK <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-898395548415702592014-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:002014-10-08T08:23:25.275-07:00Easy Camera Mounts<br />
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This week I showed you how to build a handy little camera mount out of a couple pieces of job site debris and a 1/4-20 machine screw. <br />
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On a "run and gun" how-to documentary like <i>Handyman Kevin</i>, finding a good way to hold the camera is an eternal challenge. I usually need both hands free to demonstrate the project, yet I often don't have another person around to operate the camera. I do have a regular tripod, which I use quite a bit. However, it is sometimes too big to fit in tight spots and I don't always remember to bring it with me. In other words, I've had to make a few of these little camera mounts.<br />
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<h4>
The Job Site Scraps Mount</h4>
Here are the steps to build it, in case you missed some of them in my video:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Find a smallish piece of 1x4 (or wider) lumber and a longer piece of 1x2 lumber.</li>
<li>On the 1x4 mark out a piece about 3 1/2" x 6" with an off-center 1 1/2" square hole in it.</li>
<li>Cut out the square hole by drilling holes in two opposite corners, then cutting along the lines with either a coping saw or jig saw. At this time, also drill a 1/4" hole for the screw that will hold the camera.</li>
<li>Cut the piece of 1x4 to width and length.</li>
<li>Cut the 1x2 piece approximately in thirds.</li>
<li>Use a knife or rasp to round the corners of one of the 1x2 pieces.</li>
<li>Use drywall screws to assemble to 1x2 pieces into some sort of sturdy base.</li>
<li>Mount the 1x4 piece to the base with two drywall screws. It should fit tightly enough to hold the camera in place with friction. If it is too loose, shim the edges of the square hold with paper or scraps of aluminum cut from a soda can.</li>
<li>Put the 1/4-20 screw through the hole in the mount and secure it in place with nuts.</li>
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This mount works surprisingly well, considering how crude it is. Not only does it hold the camera at whatever angle I want, but the base actually makes a pretty stable handle for hand-carry shots. However, I would have made one design change: If I had had them, I would have used wing nuts instead of drywall screws to hold the head in adjustment, as I did in the next mount. Not only are they easier to adjust, but they last longer. <br />
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<h4>
The F-Clamp Mount</h4>
One of the problems with the kind of videos I make is that I often need shots where I am up a ladder on an outside wall, or in a crawl space. The next camera mount works well for these because it can clamp to rafters, joists, fascias, or columns under houses.<br />
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<i>Note: I have a relatively light camera. If you use this mount with a larger video camera, you will probably want to beef it up accordingly. Also, it you have an expensive camera and are planning to hang it from the second story, think about a safety line attached to a second clamp, in case you fumble when you are undoing the clamp.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camera Mount on a Fascia</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRLqdfUioityrORy-pfE81WTO2Kjfsk4eSvlrMKQTGlCyg60UUCqtpWIp1Hkc-bXOyWD90gdjlPW3tCVdOiTnoNC-WFaL-q6_YcO6UYvLHge6JGN_k4XSphIGZpjcvkoOZ22ulS1ysRs/s1600/Ep+4+Camera+on+Joist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRLqdfUioityrORy-pfE81WTO2Kjfsk4eSvlrMKQTGlCyg60UUCqtpWIp1Hkc-bXOyWD90gdjlPW3tCVdOiTnoNC-WFaL-q6_YcO6UYvLHge6JGN_k4XSphIGZpjcvkoOZ22ulS1ysRs/s1600/Ep+4+Camera+on+Joist.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camera Mount on the Bottom of a Floor Joist</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was at home when I built this, so I had access to my main resource piles and could choose the best hardware for the job. The most important piece is an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000022459/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000022459&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=BEZEL7RAHUIOC43S" target="_blank">f-clamp</a> with a 1/4" hole drilled near one end. I suppose this is one more use I should have listed for f-clamps in last weeks blog. One nice feature is that, if I need the clamp back, I can unscrew the mount and stow it. <br />
<br />
I drilled a hole in the end of the clamp and attached two angle brackets, allowing the camera to be positioned in three axes. The connections between the angle bracket and the clamp and between the two angle brackets are made with double wing nuts on a 1/4" bolt (a short piece of all-thread would also have worked).<br />
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The screw that holds the camera is used very similarly to the one in the previous mount. The double nuts hold it at just the right depth to fully engage the tapped hole in the camera. Life will be easier if you put a dab of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I1RSNS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000I1RSNS&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=4KPRAZ4AU7SCTLHP" target="_blank">Loctite</a> on one of the nuts, so keep if from turning when you adjust the other nut.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQrU-S_BuOWBg_y-RSjJ3ksJDN9QRVOtm-XxS6ADbzAf4uMSgOUQ_N-_Ti3qwgPuLT0Qqyb_KFZH-lyqdmCTvNjHLCxMTD4XikYjRe89hJ1ficl1HcJ9wefHiJAN18pr-Wg8U8Thdbts/s1600/Ep+4+Clamp+mount+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQrU-S_BuOWBg_y-RSjJ3ksJDN9QRVOtm-XxS6ADbzAf4uMSgOUQ_N-_Ti3qwgPuLT0Qqyb_KFZH-lyqdmCTvNjHLCxMTD4XikYjRe89hJ1ficl1HcJ9wefHiJAN18pr-Wg8U8Thdbts/s1600/Ep+4+Clamp+mount+1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completed F-Clamp Mount</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kl2TLOtjTCGbmLBDvdVC_8cG8_g6cuQ7WkjAwr81NlY5-x7k0fqWev9cZYQ9nC8dEGEPcj2W-LNk3w-BEQrusGvZcl5LtBhqZhEg7zit4bkfFygi_n-Yx8B4N1IyCtSSquu4SPF_2EM/s1600/Ep+4+Clamp+Mount+Close-Up+cropped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kl2TLOtjTCGbmLBDvdVC_8cG8_g6cuQ7WkjAwr81NlY5-x7k0fqWev9cZYQ9nC8dEGEPcj2W-LNk3w-BEQrusGvZcl5LtBhqZhEg7zit4bkfFygi_n-Yx8B4N1IyCtSSquu4SPF_2EM/s1600/Ep+4+Clamp+Mount+Close-Up+cropped.JPG" height="264" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of Head Articulation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<h4>
Other Ideas</h4>
Hopefully, these two designs have shown you how easy it is to make your own camera mounts. The same basic ideas can be used to create a wide range of camera holding fixtures. You could glue a piece of 1/4" all-thread into the end of a broom stick, put a crutch tip on the other end, and you will have a very workable monopod for taking pictures on a hike or at your kid's soccer game. Or build just the head from the job site scraps mount, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=heavy%20duty%20velcro&linkCode=ur2&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aheavy%20duty%20velcro&sprefix=1%204-20%20pan%20head%20%2Caps%2C205&tag=handkevi-20&url=search-alias%3Daps&linkId=R3FCM6JRL7ETL52C%22" target="_blank">Velcro</a> it to the fender of your truck or to the nose of your skateboard, and go out to make some YouTube magic. Just try not to break your camera or your neck. <br />
<br />
With a little creativity, you could probably even make a pretty decent tripod. I'm not sure it would dollar out, given <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=camera%20tripod&linkCode=ur2&qid=1411606182&rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A502394%2Cn%3A499306%2Cn%3A499310%2Ck%3Acamera%20tripod%2Cp_36%3A1253503011&rnid=386442011&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=4JYUKIGXWJNJIM7K" target="_blank">how affordable they have gotten recently</a>, but it might be a good handyman conversation piece. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-7959637405551444492014-10-08T07:59:00.000-07:002014-10-08T08:21:47.072-07:00A Primer on Home Security<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rq1UAwnfGfs" width="560"></iframe>
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This week I showed you some simple things you can do to increase the security of a house, especially an older house. When thinking about your security situation, you might want to remember two guiding principles. You could think of them as Handyman Kevin's two laws of security:<br />
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<ol><b>
</b>
<li><b>Security is relative. If you're house is more secure than the neighbors, then the bad guys will rob the neighbors. </b></li>
<b>
</b>
<li><b>You will never be able to keep someone out who really wants in, but you can slow him down and force him to make a lot of noise doing it. </b></li>
</ol>
The first law reminds me of a saying we had when I was growing up in Montana: "You don't need to outrun the bear, you just need to outrun your buddy." Criminals are lazy by nature. That's why they make a living from crime instead of having a real job. Contrary to what you may have seen on daytime TV, they almost never bother picking locks, defusing alarm systems, or anything else that is complicated or time consuming. Given a block of houses, they almost always choose the one with the unlocked window. If all the windows are locked, they chose the one where all they have to do is break a back window or pry off a doorjamb. Given two houses, they choose the one that is less likely to have an alarm. This means that if you do a few simple upgrades, and the neighbors don't, then they will hit the neighbors instead of you.<br />
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The second law is closely related to the first. If you make it hard on criminals, then they will move on. Anyone who is willing to employee serious tools and make some noise is going to get in if they really want. Trust me, I've made openings in a lot of walls in my time. But if you create a situation where they need to use big tools or power tools, then the neighbors (or cops, if you are in a good neighborhood) are much more likely to notice that something is up. Likewise, if you make it so they need to break glass or kick in doors instead of just jimmying them open, then that is also more likely to attract attention.<br />
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So that covers the philosophical portion of the lesson. Let's look at some specific areas and what you can do.<br />
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<h4>
Entry Doors</h4>
Re-key your doors when you move in, and any time you think your keys could be in the wrong hands. The "wrong hands" includes your sketchy ex-boyfriend, the cleaning lady you fired, the teenage stepson you threw out for smoking crack, that former roommate who still owes you money... you get the idea. A locksmith can change the keying on the existing locks, but will charge you at least $100 to do it. It is often cheaper to just pick up a package of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=entry%20door%20lockset%20with%20deadbolt%202%20pack&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A228013%2Ck%3Aentry%20door%20lockset%20with%20deadbolt%202%20pack&sprefix=entry%20door%20lockset%20with%20deadbolt%202%20%2Ctools%2C249&tag=handkevi-20&url=search-alias%3Dtools&linkId=VHWWJG375WN3PGWL" target="_blank">lock sets</a> and just change them out. Generally, the only tool you need is a screwdriver. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaafK2eslh2HMzfv59NLfP1ZdElNATQ8rb8jrFYLrZhqL8Nlsc7mvZNRqDqqJQJnusDhthlR8tYc_Mk8yinoxTRhm1rRzyUc66n4I-fi_ysylA091vpmj4q5T-IP2TW81XuFyTHH7Hjg/s1600/Ep+4+Change+the+Locks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaafK2eslh2HMzfv59NLfP1ZdElNATQ8rb8jrFYLrZhqL8Nlsc7mvZNRqDqqJQJnusDhthlR8tYc_Mk8yinoxTRhm1rRzyUc66n4I-fi_ysylA091vpmj4q5T-IP2TW81XuFyTHH7Hjg/s1600/Ep+4+Change+the+Locks.png" height="229" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always Change the Locks When You Move In</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All doors to the outside of the house should be made of either solid wood or welded steel. You would be surprised at how many interior doors I have seen installed on the outside, especially by miserly landlords who don't want to pay triple digits for a door that's just going to get kicked in next time a tenant gets arrested. These interior doors are thinner than entry doors, hollow, and basically useless for security or insulation. If your doors are not exterior grade, then replacing them should be an early priority. We will talk about hanging doors in a couple weeks. <br />
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You might think about putting security screen-doors over your entry doors. These force an invader to deal with twice as many locks on their way in. Make sure that the frame holding the screen door is held in with lag bolts, not screws, and that they are long enough to go all the way through the siding into the wall studs. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiQ7MUg0Z_2R6iQKJG5EKWWnCSElIAiHhYBbJsZ3oxy7cgvD4XenRjMbL94VbSetPpro9P3PWlA405i_amiMEV8TyymzM7xWdflhydRF9eMSQA4fWm8xfYToBTIqkv_sBuz0AydF84kE/s1600/Ep+4+Security+Screen+Door.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiQ7MUg0Z_2R6iQKJG5EKWWnCSElIAiHhYBbJsZ3oxy7cgvD4XenRjMbL94VbSetPpro9P3PWlA405i_amiMEV8TyymzM7xWdflhydRF9eMSQA4fWm8xfYToBTIqkv_sBuz0AydF84kE/s1600/Ep+4+Security+Screen+Door.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Security Screen Door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The normal way that burglars break into an entry door is to use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002X22U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00002X22U&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=ZY3KEU25QWE4XUW7" target="_blank">flat bar</a> to break the door jam away from the house frame. This works because the door latch hardware is usually held on with dinky little brass screws that only go into the jamb. You can make it much harder on them by replacing the screws with sturdy 3" steel deck screws that go all the way into the studs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77F5aF63Fo3MWXDEG2hxEB1L5X1KEBBLI3NZI6fCOPwOrMauYc_OTqfB3VL3nRqy19qQwjLJii68UAq2m_XBM_X31pk6b2k80lk8sj2hjFp454VvXZefGtNhyphenhyphenmpE70Z4P8kVYHW00vWE/s1600/Ep+4+Longer+Screws.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77F5aF63Fo3MWXDEG2hxEB1L5X1KEBBLI3NZI6fCOPwOrMauYc_OTqfB3VL3nRqy19qQwjLJii68UAq2m_XBM_X31pk6b2k80lk8sj2hjFp454VvXZefGtNhyphenhyphenmpE70Z4P8kVYHW00vWE/s1600/Ep+4+Longer+Screws.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another possible failure point is the wood around the doorknob, which may break if they pry hard enough on the door. I didn't show it in the video, but you can buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=door%20knob%20reinforcer&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A228013%2Ck%3Adoor%20knob%20reinforcer&sprefix=door%20knob%20re%2Ctools%2C249&tag=handkevi-20&url=search-alias%3Dtools&linkId=4MVRPMPRXU3IHLOK" target="_blank">metal security plates</a> to reinforce this area. <br />
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The last thing that I want to mention about entry doors, is to remind you that you are only as secure as your weakest door. In most houses I go into, the front door is the sturdiest and has the best locks. This is backwards. Thieves nearly always prefer a side or back door, and they will circle your house until they find the easiest one to get through. Spend your upgrade money equally. <br />
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<h4>
Sliding Doors</h4>
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Sliding doors tend to be much more of a security risk than entry doors. The older ones, in particular, are very easy to knock off of their tracks. The aluminum frames are relatively soft and can sometimes be pried apart with a screwdriver to expose the latch. Unfortunately, other than covering the whole door with a security screen (which can get expensive) you can't do much with the basic door structure.<br />
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You can, however, give attackers less to work with by driving anti-jacking screws into the door frame. Leave enough clearance for the door to slide, but not enough for it to be lifted off its track. It's also a good idea to jam a broomstick or piece of 1/2" conduit into the track when the door is closed. That way, even if they defeat the latch, it will still be hard to open the door.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGcnbnypTqxjt5sIeLWrSWqLswdpUPlt5xnMiycs5ADIYDtyVPQJpKKeNe3c7-_Pgzi1e1fWSgQ22fu_wkVdzPu5xnx41hubQ1VJXRda00Cabc_qHunSiPyzvUhEwbRaUk_rNClXE-rE/s1600/Ep+4+Anti+Jacking+Screw.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGcnbnypTqxjt5sIeLWrSWqLswdpUPlt5xnMiycs5ADIYDtyVPQJpKKeNe3c7-_Pgzi1e1fWSgQ22fu_wkVdzPu5xnx41hubQ1VJXRda00Cabc_qHunSiPyzvUhEwbRaUk_rNClXE-rE/s1600/Ep+4+Anti+Jacking+Screw.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anti-Jacking Screw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=aluminum%20window%20security%20lock&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A228013%2Ck%3Aaluminum%20window%20security%20lock&sprefix=door%20knob%20re%2Ctools%2C249&tag=handkevi-20&url=search-alias%3Dtools&linkId=UYW7RZTZAYHF3QYB" target="_blank">Supplemental locks</a> are available which clamp onto the frames of aluminum doors and windows. I'm not sure they work any better than a broomstick, but they don't cost much and they probably help. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGUp1Hv7lAvno55SlZxc2MSH2MTWsPTiZVNdR0qvHsiWt1ld-cOfksQ-ViEb1vbsxJ-gkkmFfufHYzN6rcjRH2UUvoULG8LDjeVxlrHNTG_NMzup9mlEN0n1g_fP1UAZHTGSXiBU46OI/s1600/Ep+4+Window+Locks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGUp1Hv7lAvno55SlZxc2MSH2MTWsPTiZVNdR0qvHsiWt1ld-cOfksQ-ViEb1vbsxJ-gkkmFfufHYzN6rcjRH2UUvoULG8LDjeVxlrHNTG_NMzup9mlEN0n1g_fP1UAZHTGSXiBU46OI/s1600/Ep+4+Window+Locks.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several Types of Sliding Window Locks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<h4>
Windows</h4>
<br />
Windows seem to be a more popular access point for burglars than doors, if only because people tend to leave them open in the summer. The nuclear option would be to cover them with steel security bars. However, this is expensive, and way beyond the abilities of a handyman or DIYer. It can also cause evacuation problems in a fire, and it will enrage your neighbors because of the impact on their resale value. The exception would be if all the neighbors already have bars, in which case you should stop reading this and go buy some (see the first law, above). There are some less drastic things that you can do to harden your windows, though.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Sliding windows</b></i> are a lot like sliding doors, and the same advice applies.<br />
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<i><b>Jalousie windows</b></i>, the ones with the individual louvers that open with a crank, are just hopeless from a security point of view. Anyone with a flat blade screwdriver can pry the panes out in under 5 minutes (I know, because that's the first step I follow when I replace them). They are also ugly and not weather tight. Replace them immediately with a proper sash window. It's pretty easy, just remove the louvers and the mechanism, then screw the new window directly into the old window frame. Trim it out and caulk carefully, and you're done. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Sash windows</b></i> are my personal favorite. All you need to do is drill a small hole in the frame to accept a pin, and you can restrict them so they only open a few inches.<br />
<br />
For windows that will be left open most of the time (e.g. in a bathroom with no fan), think about making a wood or metal screen that you can install in the window. Size it so the security pin jambs the sash against the screen, for extra security. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aWWzBg-RAl7aSeQ1raP9fu4dFjwP34MB0CTuCnURJ2DIsYCbrIKtMHib8SO4GSDsf79QSQjBGv2jyJ5dDs_7O9X5ngJ5k3EPq5R-i8kQEpxc-EIKhsd93ESA6AVTy_gM-yU8EHvbELM/s1600/Ep+4+Window+Screen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aWWzBg-RAl7aSeQ1raP9fu4dFjwP34MB0CTuCnURJ2DIsYCbrIKtMHib8SO4GSDsf79QSQjBGv2jyJ5dDs_7O9X5ngJ5k3EPq5R-i8kQEpxc-EIKhsd93ESA6AVTy_gM-yU8EHvbELM/s1600/Ep+4+Window+Screen.png" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sash Window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<h4>
Lighting</h4>
<br />
From a security point of view, you just can't have too much lighting. Install motion sensor flood lights on the outside of the house. You don't want to leave any routes for people to approch the house in shadow, or any places for them to hide and ambush you when you come home. A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002N7FP/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00002N7FP&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=4ECY45KSGEQZWGRV" target="_blank">basic incandescent motion-sensor fixture</a> costs under $20. You can get an LED fixture for about three times that, but you may make the extra cost back over the years in decreased power bills. If you are lucky, you will be able to replace an existing fixture, in which case the new fixture will bolt to the same box in the wall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPRVg9lw_9XM073fMhJpN2OE4__6uwPFT9zmrQ9_G7aAt9nM9G9CLDsBADMv_6p2yJKu5shNLELLmhU_yQH67b8EVDcjDSw2n3PTyIN5aptvLwoYZNc5Q7qvYy2EQjSsX5A30w2ojUfQ/s1600/Ep+4+motion+sensor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPRVg9lw_9XM073fMhJpN2OE4__6uwPFT9zmrQ9_G7aAt9nM9G9CLDsBADMv_6p2yJKu5shNLELLmhU_yQH67b8EVDcjDSw2n3PTyIN5aptvLwoYZNc5Q7qvYy2EQjSsX5A30w2ojUfQ/s1600/Ep+4+motion+sensor.png" height="237" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motion Sensor Flood Light</td></tr>
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It isn't that hard to wire new fixtures, but it does go a little beyond the scope of this article. Just be sure to follow the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Electrical_Code" target="_blank">NEC</a> which requires, among other things, that all wiring connections occur inside a box, and that any cable that runs on the outside of the house be enclosed in a conduit. <br />
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In recent years, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=security%20motion%20lights%20solar%20powered&linkCode=ur2&tag=handkevi-20&url=search-alias%3Dtools&linkId=3LZJMQNZLTXAXITN" target="_blank">solar powered</a> lights have become a viable option. Since they charge with their own solar panels, you don't need to pull any cables. I haven't used them myself yet, but installation seems to be a simple matter of screwing them to the wall. <br />
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<h4>
Alarms and Surveillance</h4>
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I need to make an admission here: I really don't work much with alarms or surveillance systems. Low voltage wiring just isn't my thing. One of my best handyman buddies is a wiz at it, but doesn't enjoy finish carpentry. I turf most of my low voltage wiring work to him, he sends me his woodworking, and everyone is happy. <br />
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From what I've seen, though, the current generation of alarm or surveillance camera kits are relatively affordable and meant to be installed by the average weekend handyman. Look at online reviews to find a package that has worked well for other people at your skill level and price point.<br />
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I did install a two camera surveillance system to cover the entrances of the commercial loft where my handyman service used to be based. I bought it from Harbor Freight for about $70. It came with two cameras and a little black and white TV, and was useful for making sure no one was waiting to jump me as I left the building, since my windows didn't look down on the entrances. Installation was a matter of drilling two holes in the wall, screwing the cameras to the eaves, and zip-tying the cables down. It wouldn't have been that useful to foil burglars, though, because I never got around to putting a VCR on it to record and, once a bugler got in, their first priority would probably have been to wreck the VCR. Nowadays, no one has a VCR anymore and most systems record to your computer with some sort of USB interface. That works fine, unless the burglar steals the computer.<br />
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Of course the most effective electronic security systems have a live person on the other end monitoring them. If you hire such a service, they will probably also install and maintain the equipment. That sort of thing is a little beyond the financial means of a simple handyman, however.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-70799703727069949292014-10-01T07:48:00.000-07:002014-10-06T12:46:23.212-07:00The 10 Critical Hand Tools<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/F3hwWGHKBpA" width="420"></iframe>
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Imagine a person who is just getting started in the world of being handy. This person doesn't have any tools yet--or at least no decent tools. What should they buy right away? Maybe you are this person, or at least know them and want to give them advice. Alternately, imagine a guy like me, who has some fairly specialized tools. What should I put in my main tool bag, the one that I grab and toss in the truck no matter where I'm going? This week's episode is about the 10 tools that I absolutely can't live without and think every adult human should own.<br />
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Mind you, the number 10 is pretty arbitrary. I could easily have come up with the top 20, 50, or even 100. But these 10 tools fit nicely in a small tool bag, and will allow you to tackle at least 80% of the regular household repairs that you will ever encounter. If you buy these tools and master them, then buy other tools because you need them for specific projects, you will soon have a versatile, all-around tool collection.<br />
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Back when I was actually working in the trades, I would not have been ashamed to show up for work with just these 10 tools, plus a cordless drill.<br />
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<i>NOTE: Where appropriate, I have inserted a link to Amazon for each tool, where you can buy it. You certainly don't need to buy them there. However, keep in mind that a percentage of any sale on Amazon will go towards keeping Handyman Kevin "on the air". </i><br />
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<h2>
A Few Words on Cost Control</h2>
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Buying these 10 tool will cost around $150. I realize this is a big investment for many people. It would be for me; that's two or three days pay for a handyman. If you are on a tight budget, you can probably find many of these used at pawn shops, estate sales, or swap meets. A used name brand tool with a few good years left in it is always better than a cheap import tool. Also, keep in mind that tools tend to go on sale around Fathers' Day, Labor Day, and Christmas; you may want to schedule your purchase accordingly. <br />
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<h4>
Tape Measure</h4>
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If you can't measure something, then you can't mark and cut it. If you don't know what size something is, then you can't buy another one. The tape measure is critical and there is no real replacement for it. <br />
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Get a 25 foot tape. This is the size that most tradespeople carry 8 hours a day because it is big enough to measure most rooms, yet small enough to clip to your belt. Try to find one with a reasonably stiff blade that you can stick out a ways before it collapses. A bright colored case is a nice feature, since it will make it easier to find after you drop it in tall grass or a pile of scraps.<br />
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Any "name brand" tape is fine, but Stanley has dominated the market for years. I currently use one of their bright green tapes because it has nice rounded profile that fits well in the small nail pouch on my tool belt. </div>
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<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Utility Knife</h4>
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The knife is one of mankind's first and most fundamental tools. For job site work, a sturdy utility knife with replaceable blades is an absolute necessity. It is both a marking and a cutting tool. You use it instead of a pencil to mark boards when you want to make a precise cut with a handsaw or chisel; the teeth of the saw or edge of the chisel slips in and follows the knife mark. As a cutting tool, it is the appropriate way to cut drywall, carpet, linoleum, tar paper, shingles, and many other materials.<br />
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Most brands work pretty well. I personally use a Stanley with quick-change blades (below), but this is mainly because that is the style they had in the tool rooms when I worked in factories, and I got used to it. I do like that I can get to the spare blades and change them without a screwdriver, and it fits well in the knife holster of the nail bag that I use when I'm hanging drywall, which some of the funkier designs don't.<br />
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<h4>
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<h4>
Hammer</h4>
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For such a simple tool, there is a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes of hammer. However, the best all around hammer to have around has a 20 oz head, a straight rip claw, a smooth faced head, and either a fiberglass or metal handle. You might get others later, but this is the hammer that you will reach for most of the time.<br />
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The 20 oz size is a medium--light enough to drive tacks and finish nails, but heavy enough for occasional framing. At the risk of appearing sexist, I will share an observation that I've made. Women I have known nearly always buy hammers that are too light for the work they are doing. Good hammering technique uses gravity and inertia to do some of the work for you. Weight is a good thing, and a you will actually need to work harder with a lighter hammer. Men, especially young men, tend to have the opposite problem. They buy the heaviest hammer they can lift, and wear themselves out carrying it to the job site. Both men and women should start with a 20 oz hammer and buy other sizes later if they need them.<br />
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The straight rip claw is a more versatile design than the curved "claw hammer" style. While this style makes it more awkward to pull nails, it makes up for it by being much more useful for prying and digging. You can even sharpen it up and use it like a little sideways axe. When I'm framing I usually keep the claw of my hammer quite sharp. Then, when I need to let in a brace or a nailer in a wall I just cut the edges with my saw and hack out the wood between with the claw of my hammer. You wouldn't believe how fast it goes (although you'll see for yourself when I get around to doing an episode on framing). <br />
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The smooth faced head is a compromise. You bend fewer nails with the hammers that have a milled or knurled head. But you can't use them for finish work because they chew up the surface too badly. They can also damage the butts of chisels and similar tools. Your "all around" hammer should have a smooth face.<br />
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Your first hammer should also have either a fiberglass or metal haft. I actually like the action better on wooden handles, but they just aren't as durable. This is your main tool-bag hammer and it needs to be rugged enough to face whatever you run into. Also, I can tell you that less experienced workers break a lot of wooden hammer hafts, because they don't have a good understanding of the forces they generate when using the hammer to pry things. Someone like me can get years out of a wooden handled hammer because he knows how much leverage is "too much". If you are just starting out, steer clear of wooden handles. <br />
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I'm really hesitant to recommend specific brands or models. The best way to buy a hammer is to go to the store, pick a bunch of them up, and buy the one that feels the most natural to you. When I bought the hammer that I have been using for the past 6 years (which appears in several videos in this series), I went into the hardware store with $40 in my pocket. I picked up every hammer in the store, and ended up going home with the one that cost $8, because it felt the best in my hand.<br />
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However, if you do want to buy a hammer online, the three below all match the description above and seem pretty popular (going by what I've seen on job sites).<br />
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<h4>
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<h4>
Channel Lock Pliers</h4>
The generic name for these is "groove lock pliers", but everyone calls then Channel Locks, which was the first, and is still the best brand. These will be your number one tool for anything involving plumbing or pipe-fitting. Get the kind that have curved jaws (also known as V-jaws) becuase they work better on pipe. The 12" size is the handiest. <br />
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During my time in the Fire Sprinkler business, various members of Sprinkler Fitters' <a href="http://sprinklerfitters709.org/" target="_blank">Local 709</a> showed me a bewildering range of uses for this tool. Every self-respecting sprinkler fitter has a pair of 12-inch "channies" sticking out of the pocket of his overalls at all times. A few of these uses:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Turning pipe and plumbing fittings, particularly when a pipe wrench isn't available or is all the way at the bottom of the ladder</li>
<li>Lifting manhole covers</li>
<li>As a hammer to pound in pipe hangers</li>
<li>As a pair of tongs to pick up red-hot objects</li>
<li>To grab and bend metal objects</li>
<li>As a nail puller</li>
<li>To turn bolts that are bigger than our biggest wrench</li>
<li>To compress brake cylinders when changing brake pads</li>
<li>To undo the tie-downs on the truck when we forgot the leverage bar</li>
<li>Etc, ad infinum</li>
</ol>
If I was going to be stuck on a desert island with only one set of pliers, I would pick a 12" pair of Channel-Locks. <br />
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If you can, get the real Channel-Lock brand, which is made in the USA and is still the best:<br />
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If you are on a constrained budget, I have had decent luck with the Stanleys. Just be prepared for some ribbing if you work with union sprinkler fitters. <br />
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<h4>
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<h4>
Multi-Screwdriver</h4>
You can never have enough screwdrivers. You will eventually want one in every shape and size. However, to start out, get a multi-screwdriver (also known as a 6-in one screwdriver). This style has the four most popular screwdriver bits, plus a shaft that functions as two sizes of nut driver (one of which happens to be the right size for most kinds of hose clamps). I keep one in my tool belt at all times. Since they are pretty cheap, I also keep one in the glove box of my pickup, and another in a drawer in my kitchen. Most hardware stores that I've shopped in have a display of them right next to the cash register.<br />
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The one I've carried in my tool belt for the past few years is made by Stanley, and often sells for under $5, which I consider to be a pretty good deal.<br />
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<h4>
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<h4>
Adjustable Wrench</h4>
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The world is full of nuts, bolts, and other things with wrench flats on them. While the channel locks will handle some of these, you will never be able to put as much leverage on a nut without destroying it as you would with a real wrench.<br />
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If you only have one wrench, you want it to be adjustable. Even if you're like me and you own a pretty good selection of wrenches (SAE, metric, special shapes for bicycles, special shapes for plumbing, etc), you probably still find yourself fishing out an adjustable wrench on a regular basis for those sizes that you don't have.<br />
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Most people call this style a Crescent wrench because Crescent was the company that first came out with it. Prior to that, a style called a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_wrench" target="_blank">monkey wrench</a>" (invented by a guy named Charles Moncky) was the most popular. Monkey wrenches still turn up now and then, and they work fine, but the same length is both heavier and bulkier than the Crescent style, and can't fit in as tight a spot. <br />
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Anyway, the wrench you want for your tool bag is about a 10" Crecent-style adjustable wrench. You will use it to tighten and loosen all sorts of things. Later, when you have a chance, try to pick up a little bitty one (say 6") and a big one (at least 14") to keep around the shop. <br />
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This kind of wrench can also be put on the back of a screwdriver or another wrench and used for additional leverage.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using Crescent wrench as a "Cheater" with Screwdriver and Smaller Wrench</td></tr>
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An adjustable wrench is also great for bending pieces of metal. I used to use one in the bike shop to bend derailleur<b> </b>hangers when bikes weren't shifting right. I know several people who work on medieval armor who like to use them for fine adjustments on pieces of plate mail, or for closing chain mail links. <br />
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Finally, when I have to make house calls in bad neighborhoods, I often tuck one in my belt. A crescent wrench to the side of the head is a pretty good attitude adjuster, and it is less likely to get you in trouble with cops than a "real" weapon. Just keep it in plain view. Not only does it show the locals that you are prepared, but it avoids leaving you open to a concealed weapons charge. (Such nice places you get to go in the handy-business...) <br />
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<h4>
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<h4>
5-in-1 Tool </h4>
Don't ask me what the original five uses of this tool are, but I must have found at least 100 so far in my career. I really can't imagine doing any sort of painting without one close at hand. I keep one over the workbench, one in my main tool bag, one under the kitchen sink, one in...well, you get the idea. <br />
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First and foremost, it is a scraper. It works well for old paint, dried wood glue, dirt in rain gutters, old window glazing, old caulk, and many other things. The cut away part of the blade lets it get into tight corners. All of them have the end ground for scraping flat things, and many have the curved parts ground for scraping round things. If you need to scrape a floor and don't have a floor scraper (eg, because you are about to glue down carpet), you can lash one of these to a broom stick and get a lot of leverage. I've also used a 5-in-1 on the end of a stick to scrape hides when I was making rawhide. <br />
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Next, it is a light duty chisel. Mind you, it will never take as sharp an edge or be as precise as a good bench chisel, but it works fine for a lot of the sort of rough and ready "hammer it in and pry" jobsite stuff that you would never want to risk your expensive bench chisels on. I particularly like to hammer it into drywall to square off a hold I've made so it will be easier to patch.<br />
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It works as a thin prybar for removing moldings, cabinet face frames, and the like. Because it is thinner than most regular prybars, you won't need to repair as much damage afterwards.<br />
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It can work like a froe to split green wood. You can take a relatively straight billet of green wood and split it into stakes by hammering your 5-in-1 into the end. With practice, you can make stakes this way faster than you could set up a power saw to rip the wood, and stakes come in handy for all sorts of things on a job site. <br />
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The square bit on the side is made for opening cans of paint. I like it better for this use than the church key things they give you at the paint store. This part is also a good size to undo the big screw that holds the iron in a bench plane, as well as the screw that holds my camera to its tripod. <br />
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The handle is sturdy enough that you can use it to hammer paint cans closed. Some of them have a steel butt cap, and can be used to dimple a nail hole in drywall before you spackle it.<br />
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Some of them have cutouts in the blade for pulling nails, opening bottles, or changing tips on a paint sprayer.<br />
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In a pinch, you can use a 5-in-1 as a putty knife to apply spackle or wood filler. It is a little too stiff to be a good putty knife, but it will work. There are some spots that you can reach with a 5-in-1 easier than a with a putty knife. What it does works rather well for is to scrape the putty knife clean after you are done with it. <br />
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I think you get the picture. <br />
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<h4>
F-Clamp</h4>
You can never, ever have too many clamps. If I was rich, I'd probably have a whole room full of them so I would always have enough of exactly the right size and shape. The one that I usually keep in my tool bag, however, is a 12" f-style clamp, which seems to be the size I use the most.<br />
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The two obvious uses of a clamp are holding things together while they are gluing and holding things down while you work on them. It usually makes things much safer if you can find a way to clamp down a piece of work before you use a rotary tool like a circular saw or router on it, and sometimes its just nice to have another hand free.<br />
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Clamps are useful for much more than that, though. You can put them on nearly anything and they become a handle. Or (spoiler alert!) put a clamp on the bottom of a door to keep it from tipping over while you cut the hinge mortises. If you get to the point of building your own scaffolding (and you will get to that point very quickly if you work on Victorian houses), you will want to use lots of clamps to make sure that scaffold boards and safety rails stay put.<br />
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There are many jobs where you need a helper to hold the other end of something, unless you get creative and find a way to do it with a clamp. Then you just saved having to hire a laborer or cajol a friend or spouse into helping you. The definitive book on this topic is John Carroll's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561585459/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1561585459&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=JV2KVHD6RFRTIS5C" target="_blank"><i>Working Alone</i></a>. Carroll is a guy who knows his clamps. <br />
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I tend to buy the Jorgenson Pony clamps because that is the brand I got used to when I worked in cabinet shops. Bessey is also another good brand. Lately, however, I've noticed that the off-brand (i.e. Chinese) clamps are getting much better and I've been buying more of them; I would rather have plenty of "good enough" clamps than a few "pro quality" ones. That being said, the one in my tool bag is a Jorgensen heavy-duty model.<br />
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<h4>
Combination Square</h4>
This is the basic layout and measuring tool for any sort of precision work. When I was a cabinetmaker I wore out several, and most machinists and finish carpenters probably have a similar experience. <br />
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It is called a combination square because, in addition to being 45 degree and 90 degree squares, it also includes a level and the sliding blade allows it to function as a marking gauge and a depth guage, both of which are incredibly useful when you start to do actual joinery. Take it apart, and you have a small square (perfect for squaring the blades on circular saws) and a high quality ruler.<br />
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Combination squares are sometimes sold as sets with extra attachments that go on the blade. The most common are a center finding head (useful to wood turners) and a protractor head that lets the square be set at any angle. Sometimes you also see a surface gauge head, which you can use to mark things that are laid up on a surface plate. All of the above are nice, but none of them are useful enough to get in the top 10 by themselves. If it were me, I would just get a serviceable square with the standard head. <br />
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Look to spend around $15 for a square that is accurate enough for general handyman and woodworking use. Master woodworkers and machinists often fork over triple digits for a top of the line square, but they never take them on job sites where they might get knocked around. The brands below are all adequate, and I don't have a personal preference between them.<br />
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<h4>
Japanese-Style Handsaw</h4>
Even in this day of affordable electric saws, some sort of hand saw belongs in every handyman's bag. There are still plenty of cuts that you can't finish with your circular saw or reach with your jigsaw. There are still plenty of work locations where the nearest outlet is 10 feet further than your extension cord, or where you are up to your knees in water and afraid of electrocuting yourself. And, if you don't have an electric saw, then you will be using hand saws for everything.<br />
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There are two main families of saws in the world. European style saws have heavier blades and are made to cut on the push stroke. They have thicker blades and leave a wider kerf, so they bind less when you are cutting. The steel tends to be softer than Asian saws and the shape of the teeth makes it possible to sharpen them yourself (although it takes practice and specialized tools to do it right). However, the push stroke makes it harder to control the saw with precision and more likely that the back side of a cut will chip out. When using a European saw, always cut with the good or finish side of the work towards you. <br />
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European saws tend to be optimized for a particular purpose. You use a different saw for cutting with the grain than you do for cutting across it. A saw meant for cutting plastic will have the teeth shaped differently than one for cutting plaster or wood. Back in the day carpenters used to carry saw bags with five or six different kinds of saws in them. These days, with power saws available, you can get away with just carrying a smallish crosscut saw. <br />
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Asian saws cut on the pull stroke. This makes them easier to control and allows for a thinner blade that you can bend to, for example, cut something off flush with a floor. Many of the job site models have blades with crosscut teeth on one side and rip teeth on the other. The crosscut teeth are of a shape that works equally well on wood or plastic, and will cut soft metals in a pinch (although that's bad for he teeth). Typically, the blade detaches from the handle so the whole thing will fit in a tool bag.<br />
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Asian saws are not meant to be resharpened. The blades stay sharp a long time but, once they get dull, you toss them out and get a new blade for your handle. A replacement blade costs about half the price of the whole saw. The exceptions are some high end saws, for which you can mail the blade back to Japan to be sharpened by a master saw smith.<br />
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I started out using European saws, and still use them quite a bit for fine woodworking in the shop. For about a decade now, however, my tool bag saw has been of the pattern the Japanese call a Ryoba, which is made for general carpentry. Not only do I like the pull stroke, now that I've had time to get used to it, but I love that the saw packs down into a convenient package that doesn't require a super long tool bag. <br />
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A regular European style crosscut saw would also be an option, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are really used to using one. If you are starting out and don't have any bad habits, then you might as well learn on an Asian saw.<br />
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<h4>
The Top 25</h4>
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There were a lot of hand tools that almost made my top 10 list. I chose most of the ones I did because they are multi-use tools that fill more than one niche. Other tools didn't quite make it because, while I use them quite often, they only do one thing. So, for example, a 6" taping knife didn't quite make it because you will buy it the first time you work with drywall, but you won't need it before then. Still, I thought I had better list the other fifteen tools which I think would go in the Top 25.<br />
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If I was starting from scratch and trying to build a tool collection I would probably aquire the first 10, then buy the best cordless drill I could afford (with a basic set of drill and driver bits), then pick up the other 15 as I needed them for projects. <br />
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In no particular order, they are:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009CMV9D4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009CMV9D4&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=HYC5EB2L7HXBPQPD" target="_blank">Hacksaw</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004YO5M/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004YO5M&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=GPENX2TLQZDWMLO2" target="_blank">Vice Grip Pliers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004YNM8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004YNM8&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=5XJMMPZAKXN5MOF7" target="_blank">Flexible Putty Knife</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VJLMKC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VJLMKC&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=CPDDPKACNEORWVBG" target="_blank">6" Taping Knife</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002X22U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00002X22U&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=RE6UADDNQ5NAJ7MX" target="_blank">Flat bar (preferably with the bulge in the middle so it is also a floor jack)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004YYFO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004YYFO&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=T3W6XH5DDCGWQ5PY" target="_blank">Two-foot Level</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000223QX/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000223QX&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=Q3KRCEENWJKCDRWV" target="_blank">Block Plane</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VBAIM8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VBAIM8&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=LB7GCYUHPSQIOL2J" target="_blank">4-In Hand File/Rasp</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SBDC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SBDC&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=464RURAZKL7I6E7U" target="_blank">Diagonal Cutters</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001IW89C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0001IW89C&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=QXGOT3VEY5IXDH5V" target="_blank">Slip-Joint Pliers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002X2FX/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00002X2FX&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=W4AO7JB3EK7UVUHF" target="_blank">Scratch Awl</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002N5KQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00002N5KQ&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=S2PIJXU73MR3CKBQ" target="_blank">Aviation Snips</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SBDJ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SBDJ&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=CBVUJ22ALF733NLG" target="_blank">Wire Strippers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004T7R8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004T7R8&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=TY6QN7WUAZONSVPN" target="_blank">Scribe (Carpenter's Compass)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BDG8RA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000BDG8RA&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=NBKMDUJDMLIM7Y4S" target="_blank">3/4" Butt Chisel</a></li>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-4469372942806996512014-09-26T17:18:00.000-07:002014-09-26T17:18:11.922-07:00Shaker Style End TablesHere's a little bonus for those of you who actually read the blog, and don't just watch the videos. If you want to see more of these, you might want to subscribe to Creative Minority's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CreativeMinorityProductions" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, so you won't miss them. <br />
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Several years ago I lost my cabinet shop in Oregon and had to fly down to Los Angeles to get a job in commercial construction (long story, but it worked out OK). I realized that I wasn't doing much woodworking, so I developed this design and made several of them to keep in practice. The design is based on hazy memories of a table I had seen <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Abram" target="_blank">Norm Abram</a> make a few years previously on the <a href="http://www.newyankee.com/" target="_blank">New Yankee Workshop</a>. The beautiful thing about this design (as adapted by me) is that you can easily make it with nothing but hand tools and a router with a few common bits. I know, because that's all I had at the time. I still have two of these in my living room, and I always get positive comments whenever we have a dinner party. If you are just making the jump from rough job site carpentry to building real furniture, this is an excellent project to start with.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6k7CJ5G_7GKJmB0ns9WYPAfMg5k2OX0JQmmj3s2xM0ZHrAV5NPAEdgBo8G7lc6wGH-ER3hVd4_8FtGeKa4Y6FYjdyltUaVuIVDPbsjElmJqcJWl-ve8k9k9b2d7s85uQKA57SroyYZI/s1600/bonus1+shaker+table+by+garage+rotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6k7CJ5G_7GKJmB0ns9WYPAfMg5k2OX0JQmmj3s2xM0ZHrAV5NPAEdgBo8G7lc6wGH-ER3hVd4_8FtGeKa4Y6FYjdyltUaVuIVDPbsjElmJqcJWl-ve8k9k9b2d7s85uQKA57SroyYZI/s1600/bonus1+shaker+table+by+garage+rotated.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Basic Design</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcB43MXoW_L3D7AgqI3ydEtQW9GEx7r1rXE9Wr9dVZS6_jpcK6yue_GkbLgvygVpqqKrIvJHMuLAGa5Ex8zP8C2ruYTG_C3IzvIn6nHtv3sNXKqEUzDRQTM2-_y6qF2xN08aYoqLPY250/s1600/Bonus+1+drawer+detail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcB43MXoW_L3D7AgqI3ydEtQW9GEx7r1rXE9Wr9dVZS6_jpcK6yue_GkbLgvygVpqqKrIvJHMuLAGa5Ex8zP8C2ruYTG_C3IzvIn6nHtv3sNXKqEUzDRQTM2-_y6qF2xN08aYoqLPY250/s1600/Bonus+1+drawer+detail.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory Dovetail Shot</td></tr>
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Another nice thing is that, by tweaking the overall width, you can make tables of several different sizes with the same plan. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DUPaqtPlm8qy0po4NlhjYSybiQAlGu-lDAt9yqZwVtj2pgw8-oqO31mw8T09jFksOUTw2TmeK_0i2X0GMXMZbMdDOqNlIlsXlvo_RVf-IZBCNBy2HETE998ggrBk6pfw-bka1k-ChqQ/s1600/Bonus1+smaller+table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DUPaqtPlm8qy0po4NlhjYSybiQAlGu-lDAt9yqZwVtj2pgw8-oqO31mw8T09jFksOUTw2TmeK_0i2X0GMXMZbMdDOqNlIlsXlvo_RVf-IZBCNBy2HETE998ggrBk6pfw-bka1k-ChqQ/s1600/Bonus1+smaller+table.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Smaller Version Made With The Same Plans</td></tr>
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I won't give step-by-step instructions right now. For one thing, I plan to do a <i>Handyman Kevin</i> episode about these tables in the future. However, these shop drawings should be plenty accurate enough for you to build your own. If you have any questions, feel free to post in the comments.<br />
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For .pdf files, suitable for hi-res printing, click <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2679843/Handyman%20Kevin/1000%20SHAKER%20END%20TABLE.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Or, if you use AutoCad, the original .dwg file is <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2679843/Handyman%20Kevin/1000%20SHAKER%20END%20TABLE.dwg" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Otherwise, here are some pictures of the plans:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtWSgIdRglOvRgFQjs_d39cwxVFj7HKy9ZmOe7MNlmRU1nHeOsEHpfCgLk2ei94n8uxKcAs0PzSOzfvWf1owSxXqxPqwMH0TwEDEQ095cobm0hDzvy3O4F1CpJlKQ2kZ8ndnMAVfk-yw/s1600/Bonus1+shaker+end+table+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtWSgIdRglOvRgFQjs_d39cwxVFj7HKy9ZmOe7MNlmRU1nHeOsEHpfCgLk2ei94n8uxKcAs0PzSOzfvWf1owSxXqxPqwMH0TwEDEQ095cobm0hDzvy3O4F1CpJlKQ2kZ8ndnMAVfk-yw/s1600/Bonus1+shaker+end+table+1.png" height="257" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtipMTgNZ9rYYYo6AFLOxn5jQcPCz9sphYlB51kzwSFPtzYKCMPPmt_MpI5PgdHCAak11r6uBDHMffmNq4egbohLjmEs-adIfBjNnsBtzAntnPN9nanRvTzEv5zGfOzWDVLs88Ka3R3E/s1600/Bonus1+shaker+end+table+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtipMTgNZ9rYYYo6AFLOxn5jQcPCz9sphYlB51kzwSFPtzYKCMPPmt_MpI5PgdHCAak11r6uBDHMffmNq4egbohLjmEs-adIfBjNnsBtzAntnPN9nanRvTzEv5zGfOzWDVLs88Ka3R3E/s1600/Bonus1+shaker+end+table+2.png" height="258" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-57899124832954554932014-09-24T07:38:00.000-07:002014-09-24T07:38:00.232-07:00Changing a Kitchen Faucet<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hi everyone, and welcome back. This week we dive into a common household plumbing task: changing a kitchen faucet. As we say in the handyman trade, "woodworking is fun, but plumbing pays the bills."<br />
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In general, you will want to buy your new faucet before you start this project. When in doubt, follow the instructions that come with it. That's right, I actually said to follow the instructions. Seriously, though, the documentation that comes with plumbing fixtures tends to be pretty good, particularly for the major brands.<br />
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Since you will be spending much of this job lying on your back with your head in a cabinet, it pays to lay your tools out next to you where you can reach them easily. You will want to have: a small flashlight, a pair of channel locks, a Phillips screwdriver, a small scraper or putty knife, a small adjustable wrench, and a scrap of something soft to protect your back. You will probably also need a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPT5KS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NPT5KS&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=YNBZDHINSPAA3TSR" target="_blank">basin wrench</a>, which is a specialty tool (available at any hardware store) for undoing the nuts on the bottom of a faucet. A couple of old towels will also come in handy for soaking up excess water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tools Needed to Change a Faucet (Not Shown: a Small Flashlight)</td></tr>
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Another tool that is nice to have is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015BEHYS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0015BEHYS&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=C7ACMILR4V2MS2L3" target="_blank">Rigid 2006</a>, which is basically a plastic tube with wrenches at each end. One end fits supply lines and the other fits the nuts that secure a faucet. I don't actually own one, but I have borrowed them from other people on job sites and found them useful. For old, nonstandard stuff, however, you will still want the basin wrench, which will grab nearly anything. The rigid tool costs about $20, so only buy it if you are planning on changing several faucets in the next year. <br />
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The general procedure for most sinks is a follows:<br />
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<h4>
Step 1: Turn Off the Water Supply</h4>
<h4>
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The hot and cold water should come into the cabinet through either the floor or wall as a pair of small brass valves. Turn the handle all the way clockwise to turn off the water supply.<br />
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<h4>
Step 2: Detach Garbage Disposal (Optional)</h4>
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If there is a garbage disposal, and it looks like it will be in the way, you might want to temporarily remove it. To do this, undo the slip nut connecting the disposal to the drain pipe. Then insert your screwdriver into the quick release ring, and rotate it it until the disposal comes free of the sink. <i>Be sure to support the disposal as it releases so it doesn't just drop.</i> If you don't have much upper body strength, you might want to support the bottom of the disposal with a block of wood, toolbox, etc. Set the disposal aside for now.<br />
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<h4>
Step 3: Disconnect Supply Lines</h4>
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If you have enough room, use a small adjustable wrench (aka Crescent wrench) to disconnect the two hoses that supply water to the faucet. Otherwise, use your basin wrench. Some water will come out of the lines as you disconnect them, so have a towel handy to mop it up. <br />
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The basin wrench can be a little tricky to use until you get the hang of it. The main trick is to make sure the wrench end is folded in the right direction.<br />
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This is a good time to inspect the supply lines and make sure they are still good. If they look really sad, this might be a good time to swap them out. Measure them for length and replace them with braided stainless lines from the hardware store. <br />
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Tuck the lines out of the way as you go on to the next step. <br />
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<h4>
Step 4: Disconnect the Faucet</h4>
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Most faucets are held on with a couple of large plastic nuts, which you can loosen with the basin wrench. Although they are getting rare these days, you occasionally run into metal nuts. These are frequently corroded, and can be a real pain to get off. Try shooting them with some WD-40 and working on them with the basin wrench. If this doesn't work, you may need to cut them off with a hacksaw blade or cold chisel. You can also grind them off with a Dremel tool or angle grinder, but this is less than fun since the sparks go right in your face. Your should definitely wear goggles if you decide to go this route. <br />
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<h4>
Step 5: Remove the Faucet, and Clean up Underneath</h4>
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You should now be able to pull the old faucet out. If it was equipped with a sprayer, you may find that you need to cut the hose to get it out. <br />
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The space under the faucet is usually pretty disgusting, so take a minute to scrape off any old silicone and corrosion, then clean it with rags or a sponge.<br />
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<h4>
Step 6: Set the New Faucet</h4>
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While not absolutely necessary, it is a good idea to shoot a bead of silicone on the bottom of the new faucet. This helps level any irregularities in the sink surface, keeps water from leaking though, and keeps the faucet assembly from shifting over time. Butter up the faucet, set it in place, then go underneath and tighten down the nuts. Hand tight should be enough (if you have strong hands). <br />
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<h4>
Step 7 : Reattach the Supply Lines</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Screw the supply lines onto the new faucet. You will probably need the adjustable wrench or basin wrench to tighten them, but do not over-tighten. There is a little o-ring in the end of the supply line. You want to tighten the coupling enough that the o-ring squishes and seals, but not enough that it is deformed or damaged. <br />
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Turn on the supply valves.<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Step 8: Reinstall the Garbage Disposal (if you Removed it Before)</h4>
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When I was younger and stronger I had no trouble holding up a garbage disposal with one hand while I tightened it down with the other. Nowadays I usually cheat. I either cut a chunk of scrap 2x4 board to jam under the disposal and hold it or, better yet, go grab the jack out of my pickup to raise the disposal into place. <br />
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Whichever technique you choose, make sure that the rubber gasket is securely stuck to the top of the disposal, over the quick-release ring (sometimes it stays with the sink when the disposal comes away). The idea is to line up the disposal and have it pressed against the sink. Then, when you turn the ring, it will engage the little tabs and suck the disposal against the strainer assembly. You can start it by hand, but will want to use a screwdriver to tighten it the last little bit. <br />
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<h4>
Step 9: Flush the New Faucet and Check for Leaks</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Wipe down the sink and surrounding area with paper towels and a cleaning product like Simple Green. <i>Failure to clean up after yourself is the number one cause of handymen not getting called back. </i>When that is taken care of, unscrew the little aerator screen from the end of the faucet. Let it run for about 30 seconds to flush out any dust or flash inside the faucet, the reinstall the aerator.<br />
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The very last thing to do is to check for leaks. Take a dry piece of toilet or facial tissue and run it up and down everything you touch under the sink. If something is leaking, it will immediately become damp.<br />
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Don't panic if you have a leak. Usually, you just need to tighten the connection another half turn or so. If you absolutely can't get something to stop leaking, then you may need to disconnect it and wrap the threads with several turns of pipe tape, which will usually fix the problem.<br />
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<h4>
Some Final Notes</h4>
Between the video and this blog entry, you shouldn't have any trouble changing a kitchen faucet. Be aware, though, that when you are under the sink you sometimes find other things that need fixing. For example, when I changed the faucet in the video, I found that the sink drain had rusted out, and I had to change it before I put the sink back together. In the past, I've found dry rot, wiring problems, and various kinds of pest infestation that no one had noticed before because they never put their heads under the sink. I don't say this to scare you off. Far from it; these kinds of maintenance problems tend to be cheaper to fix the earlier you find them. That being said, allow yourself plenty of extra time for contingencies. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. This might mean chatting up the guy at the hardware store for advice (many of them are experts on this type of repair), or calling in a specialist if you run into something too complicated.<br />
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<b><i>Bathroom Sinks</i></b> are very similar to kitchen sinks in terms of the tools you need and the process of changing a faucet. There are two main differences, though. First, most bathroom faucets also come with the drain and stopper assembly, which you will want to change at the same time. I'm sure I will show how to change these in a later episode. For now, though, you will probably be fine if you follow the instructions.<br />
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The other main difference, is that the space inside a bathroom lavatory cabinet is usually much smaller than in a kitchen cabinet. Likewise, bathrooms themselves tend to be tighter; some half baths are smaller than a coat closet. Sometimes it can be a real contortionist act just to get to where you can undo the nuts. Actually, many bathroom lavatories (especially the kind apartment managers like to buy) have the sink and faucet installed in the cabinet shop, with the cabinet upside down on a workbench. Sometimes, as an act of last resort, I have actually disconnected the supply lines from the wall and removed the entire cabinet so I could get to the faucet. You do what you have to do but, since the cabinets don't always come out in one piece, you would definitely want to get your client to sign something before setting in with a crowbar. Voice of experience talking here. <br />
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-HK<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03290869202188009064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299626662067334751.post-77402721487332436582014-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:002014-09-17T08:03:08.760-07:00Building Counter Tops<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hello and welcome to the first ever episode of the Handyman Kevin Channel! This week, we look at how to build your own counter tops. In the video, I covered a particle board workbench with tempered hard board (Masonite). You could use a similar technique with plastic laminate (Formica) to build custom counters for your kitchen or store. Or substitute <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibre-reinforced_plastic" target="_blank">fiber reinforced plastic (FRP)</a> panels--the kind you see on the walls of commercial restrooms, and create a nearly indestructible counter. <br />
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Pre-laminated counter top slabs in boring colors and standard widths are sold in many home centers. However, once you can make your own from scratch you become free to make curves, odd angles, and multilevel counters. Plus, any sheet material that you can cut with a router becomes fair game for the surface. The <a href="https://www.formica.com/" target="_blank">Formica</a> catalog alone has hundreds of laminates in different patterns, textures, and thicknesses. Then add in all of the different types of hardboard and plastic sheet, and the combinations are nearly infinite. <br />
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Back when I worked at <a href="http://www.goldenwesthomes.com/" target="_blank">Golden West</a>, the ability to quickly make fancy custom laminate desks, tub surrounds, and shelves was one of the weapons that allowed us to dominate the manufactured home shows more years than not. True, we also did tile and granite counters, but laminate was always the most popular.<br />
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The project in our video isn't nearly that ambitions; just a flat, durable workbench top that will last for years and be easy to replace when it finally gets chewed up.<br />
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<h4>
Step 1: Build your counter slabs.</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
I don't show this part in the video, but obviously you need a substrate to which you can glue the top. By far the best choice is particle board underlayment. For something like a shelf or a bathroom counter you can get away with a single thickness of 3/4" particle board. For a work surface like a workbench or a kitchen counter, however, you want to use a double thickness with plenty of glue between. <br />
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When using a single thickness, you will usually want to build up the lip on the edge with a 3/4" x 1" wooden cleat.<br />
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Or, for a fancier and more durable edge, you could apply a hardwood molding or a tile edge.<br />
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<h4>
Step 2: Square Up the Slab</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
If your slab isn't square, the counter never will be. The normal tool used for this job is a portable <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000222XA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000222XA&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=GXY3JCPXHFRHNHRE" target="_blank">belt sander</a>. It takes practice to learn how to keep the sander square to the counter and not let it dig in. This is a good reason to build a workbench first, and wait on those custom kitchen counters until you've mastered the technique.<br />
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If you don't have a belt sander you could try an orbital sander with a course disk. It will take longer and require more care than a belt sander, however. If you are limited to hand tools you can make an effective sanding block by buying an 80 grit sanding belt and stretching it over a scrap of board with rounded ends.<br />
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<h4>
Step 3: Glue the Front Edging</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Cut strips of edging a little wider than the edge of your counter. <i>Always dry fit </i>your pieces before you put glue on them, especially if you have corners or butt joint seams. Apply contact cement to both the edge of the slab and the back of your edging. Let the glue dry until it is no longer liquid and just the barest bit tacky to the touch. Press the edging against the edge of your counter and it should immediately stick. Apply enough pressure (somewhere around 20 psi) to really activate the bond. On edging, this is almost always done either with a rubber mallet or with a claw hammer and a scrap of wood (it's hard to use a roller effectively on the edge of the counter). <br />
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<h3>
A Few Words About Contact Cement</h3>
Contact cement comes in two main styles: brush-on and spray-on. The brush on stuff is slightly cheaper and seems to hold better. You slop it on with a paintbrush and spread it with a notched trowel (check the can for what size trowel you need). The whole process gets very sticky, very fast. Spray-on contact cement is applied from either an aerosol can or some type of spray gun. The best spray-on contact cement ever is <a href="http://www.itwtacc.com/products/index.cfm?product=STA%27-PUT%20SPH" target="_blank">Sta'-Put</a>, but it seems nearly impossible to find in regular home centers or hardware stores. Try online or at RV stores. Other brands work adequately as long as you apply them evenly and use plenty of pressure. Production counter shops use a two-part adhesive system that is catalyzed as it is used and can be applied with an HVLP spray system by either humans or robots. The system works great, but is totally overkill for a do-it-yourself-er or small cabinet shop. <br />
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<h3>
Crosscutting and Seaming Edging</h3>
With thicker materials like Masonite or plastic sheet, you will want to cut them to length with a miter saw or table saw and a fine tooth blade. These tools leave nice square edges that will match up nicely, either on a scarf (straight seam) or a corner. You can also cut it with a hand saw and square the edges with a sanding block. Occasionally (if you messed up on Step 1) corner joints aren't quite at right angles. In that case you can adjust the ends of the edging with a belt sander.<br />
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Laminate is thinner and can be cut with tin snips. You can often spot the counter top guy in a cabinet shop because he has a pair of tin snips struck through the hammer loop on his tool belt. With practice and a sharp pair of snips, you can cut it quite square, to where it only needs a few swipes of the file to make it perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG6QHVYe9Z9TTS72NRCGuPY8r26MrnI-t7cS6SMRkfxoHU7__XBZffqOMY0cExIpZ9Ie4r_Pn7sALh6m8Lgqpy9Ya06MCk9Guo1hGThxfx-woO6UcDkVQHBbpmdASpeO-IWcZJmA69y8/s1600/Ep.+1+detail+edge+joints.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG6QHVYe9Z9TTS72NRCGuPY8r26MrnI-t7cS6SMRkfxoHU7__XBZffqOMY0cExIpZ9Ie4r_Pn7sALh6m8Lgqpy9Ya06MCk9Guo1hGThxfx-woO6UcDkVQHBbpmdASpeO-IWcZJmA69y8/s1600/Ep.+1+detail+edge+joints.png" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Step 4: Flush Rout the Front Edging</h4>
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Chuck a flush trim bit in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005QEVQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005QEVQ&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=I3FMPMU7U7A5U3KU" target="_blank">router</a> that is small enough to hold and control easily. Rout all the way around the edge to trim off the excess, being sure to move in a counter-clockwise direction. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVI8u40jVbiaLVJhBSFZot-J75awzSpLCs8nVwvyxkkJsQrPS3revpdpBzFteUVD7mA-Aujm3cZ_Ix5Q8eDY3ufo8cxJDwXqfIxaJfWj9x_6WSwHu1_K6ByDh0lNjj1Ov5dYShnC9rJGQ/s1600/Ep.+1+routing+front+edge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVI8u40jVbiaLVJhBSFZot-J75awzSpLCs8nVwvyxkkJsQrPS3revpdpBzFteUVD7mA-Aujm3cZ_Ix5Q8eDY3ufo8cxJDwXqfIxaJfWj9x_6WSwHu1_K6ByDh0lNjj1Ov5dYShnC9rJGQ/s1600/Ep.+1+routing+front+edge.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Step 5: Sand the Top (Laminate Only)</h4>
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Flush trim router bits are not perfect, especially if you use a cheap brand or have had them resharpened a few times. Often, the very top of the edge will be slightly <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#proud" target="_blank">proud</a> of the particle board, causing a bad glue joint later. For this reason, most people take a belt sander at this point and flush the top. Make sure that the sanding belt is always pulling the edging against the slab. If you sand the other direction it will pull the edging right off and you will need to go back two steps and start over.<br />
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I sometimes skip this step when working with thick materials like Masonite, since the glue joint problem doesn't seem as critical.<br />
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<h4>
Step 6: Protect the Edging With Tape</h4>
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The front edge might not be perfectly square, causing your router to dig in too deep. Or the bearing on the flush trim bit might seize up, scorching your edging. For these reasons, smart counter top builders pause long enough to put a strip of tape along the edging for the router bit to ride against. Duct tape works best because of its thickness, but a layer or two of masking tape will do in a pinch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HaJKcfTAXBuhrFNBQL2urbVq__i6rSIXgD-tnmFR4HM7T4HuXKKV1pm1p1P4Glt321A2iEIWFJvBoFa4-uSwgm-_eOd5HZF-JnpmuGjnuzzKhxg_HZo1MUAvdIQG9CTTB4bMCcsYmQc/s1600/Ep.+1+taping+front+edge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HaJKcfTAXBuhrFNBQL2urbVq__i6rSIXgD-tnmFR4HM7T4HuXKKV1pm1p1P4Glt321A2iEIWFJvBoFa4-uSwgm-_eOd5HZF-JnpmuGjnuzzKhxg_HZo1MUAvdIQG9CTTB4bMCcsYmQc/s1600/Ep.+1+taping+front+edge.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Step 7: Glue Sheets to the Top</h4>
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If you will be seaming any pieces, make sure to dry fit them before you apply any glue. Try to match factory edges against each other, because they are usually straighter than those you cut yourself. When there is a strong pattern printed on laminate, try to match up the pattern on the two pieces. In a seam you will often need to adjust the pieces for a good fit, using a file and/or a block plane. This takes patience and a good eye, but is absolutely necessary for a quality counter top. Many people lay out the seams so they are partially hidden by the lip of a kitchen sink or other feature. Also, it is a good idea, structurally, not to line up the laminate seams with the seams in the particle board.<br />
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If you need to cut laminate, you can use a table saw with a fine tooth blade set all the way up. This will minimize chipping. Or you could score it with a straight-edge and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8GS54O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A8GS54O&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=2CWRWUPPA3E46Z2F" target="_blank">laminate cutter</a> then break it over the edge of a table. The table saw method is faster and less likely to wreck your laminate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaYkQHri-bLd0znM4ELuxDTQCZue13V0hzE1ts74Pyfdglofis5lfuUAhezmGWQFTIVwc-IMk8wNyepfeZYBD9RJ9YTLBLCKAAD76KYtVMHCd9Oa43SQjEvTnCEO6zwOaaqPNQxI7JBo/s1600/Ep.+1+Laminate+scorer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaYkQHri-bLd0znM4ELuxDTQCZue13V0hzE1ts74Pyfdglofis5lfuUAhezmGWQFTIVwc-IMk8wNyepfeZYBD9RJ9YTLBLCKAAD76KYtVMHCd9Oa43SQjEvTnCEO6zwOaaqPNQxI7JBo/s1600/Ep.+1+Laminate+scorer.png" height="127" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laminate Cutter</td></tr>
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Pros will often lay several smaller counters next to each other so they can cover them all with a single 5'x10' piece of laminate, without having to measure and cut each piece. Just make sure they are all on a level surface and that you leave enough space between to get a router bit through.<br />
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Once you have everything fitting nice, put some bits of masking tape on the pieces with notes about what goes where and which end is which. It only takes a minute, and saves having to think about it while you are holding a big, sticky sheet of material.<br />
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Spray the tops of the counters and the undersides of your sheets with cement and give it time to dry. Don't let anyone in the shop stir up dust while this is happening, because it will get caught in your glue. Once the glue is dry you can put the sheets on the counters. <i>This is the trickiest part of the whole operation</i>. As soon as the glue on the sheet touches the glue on the particle board it will stick, and you won't be able to adjust it. A second pair of hands can be invaluable here. You can also stick scraps of 1"x stock between the counter and the sheet while you position it, then pull them out one at a time as you smooth it down. <br />
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Once all the sheets are in place, you need to pressure them down. Most people use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DDY6BC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001DDY6BC&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=RWE76AZS6PP7RV7D" target="_blank">laminate roller</a> (available in any specialty woodworking shop) for this. Personally, I prefer a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000COXP3S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000COXP3S&linkCode=as2&tag=handkevi-20&linkId=34GV27SFVYNNHVMY" target="_blank">linoleum roller</a>, which is a heavier, two handed tool that lets you apply more pressure to a wider area. You can rent these, but they don't cost much more to buy outright (between $30-$50). If you don't have a roller, you can get adequate results with a mallet or hammer and block. Be especially careful to pressure around the edges, where the sheet is most likely to hook on something and peel off. <br />
<h3>
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<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Step 8: Flush Rout the Top</h4>
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Using your flush trim bit, run the router counter-clockwise around the counter to trim off the extra material. Take care at corners to avoid snagging your edging. If you have sink cutouts or other holes in the middle, you can (carefully) punch a hole in the middle with a hammer to give your router a starting point. <br />
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Strip off the protective tape from the edge when you're done. <br />
<h3>
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<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Step 9: Bevel The Leading Edge (Laminate Only)</h4>
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With laminate counters you normally do a second pass with a special, slightly beveled bit. This breaks the corner just a bit so it isn't as sharp, and so you don't need to do as much filing later. If you don't have this bit you can use a small round-over bit, adjusted so only about 1/64" or less of cutting edge is exposed. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDnE1Mn3zKXIAzoAndjV4Td-2jaexecz2iokx6z7D30FwXqhkQQS3hwx5y7LWsR8Uk-kgA6vck4L9CbnudxGlHJdOISAsSmi18jXkHwqQXl2yNzmRnSU97cdtCKRYMdBiilB3yX3eZG0/s1600/Ep.+1+bit+set+for+laminate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDnE1Mn3zKXIAzoAndjV4Td-2jaexecz2iokx6z7D30FwXqhkQQS3hwx5y7LWsR8Uk-kgA6vck4L9CbnudxGlHJdOISAsSmi18jXkHwqQXl2yNzmRnSU97cdtCKRYMdBiilB3yX3eZG0/s1600/Ep.+1+bit+set+for+laminate.png" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Set of Router Bits for Laminate Work. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHvNALrGzCU6Q4vY0IWcbb0QxlqJ5qNNXpxhX9DDIzUwrKYOazS_Tc4Mtg4h3X_2EGMjh0yKakE7WEaF0_HAP6z6MRZGnhH4cpiy3fh3mgS4Yo9htnoYltUHA4P6aV18-ea_dNCk90yc/s1600/Ep+1+best+bits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHvNALrGzCU6Q4vY0IWcbb0QxlqJ5qNNXpxhX9DDIzUwrKYOazS_Tc4Mtg4h3X_2EGMjh0yKakE7WEaF0_HAP6z6MRZGnhH4cpiy3fh3mgS4Yo9htnoYltUHA4P6aV18-ea_dNCk90yc/s1600/Ep+1+best+bits.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flush Trim and 7 Degree Bevel are the Most Important</td></tr>
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<h4>
Step 10: File the Edge</h4>
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Edge filing rounds finish corners ever-so-slightly so they won't cut people or catch on things and allow the top to break off. Go slowly until you get the knack. Use long strokes parallel to the edge. You want to take off just enough, without over-filing and wrecking the counter. The ideal <a href="http://handymankevinvideos.blogspot.com/p/handy-glossary.html#file" target="_blank">file</a> to use is a new, sharp, flat bastard-cut, about 12" long. <br />
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Hopefully, between these notes and the video, you will now be ready to go out and make your own counters. As always, feel free to post your comments and requests for clarification. In the meantime, I'm headed out to use my new workbench. See you next week.<br />
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-HK<br />
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