For years the old lawn edgers "weed wackers" would run really good when you first purchased them and then once you let them sit for various periods of time between lawn mowing sessions, it would be hell getting them started. I've seen more weed wackers tossed across lawns in my time than homelite chainsaws. The older ones had 2 cycle motors and if you didn't have exactly the correct oil/gas mixture the weed wacker would either not start, smoke the whole place up, or the motor would bog down. I have experienced all of this first hand being starting at a young age watching my father fight these evil little machines and then also myself as I grew up mowing lawns for extra money and then of course my own.
Not only was the motor an issue on the older weed wackers but the line feed mechanism on the working of the contraption often wreaked havoc on the operator's emotion. I would venture to say that no matter what kind of weed wacker you owned back in the day, you probably had both the line feeder mechanism and/or the motor apart on it (except maybe a Stihl) before the first year of ownership was up. The older models made it pretty tough to change out the line or even replace it if it got stuck up inside the feeder mechanism causing much frustration and chewing up your clock.
The frustration caused by the old weed wackers could make a preacher swear. Ok maybe not out loud but inside. I've called these things every name in the book and have probably set the distance record for yards thrown.
Not only were the old motors an issue on the older weed wackers but the line feed mechanism on the working end of the contraption often wreaked havoc on the operator's emotions. I would venture to say that no matter what kind of weed wacker you owned back in the day, you probably had both the line feeder mechanism and/or the motor taken apart on it (except maybe a Stihl) before the first year of ownership was up. The older models made it pretty tough to change out the line or even replace it if it got stuck up inside the feeder mechanism causing much frustration and chewing up your clock. There was no youtube or internet readily available at your fingertips, you either had to figure it out or toss it.
I can't count how many times that I would wake up the next day with a very sore and stiff upper back and then at first wonder what I did to it the day before. Then it dawns on me. Oh that's right, I tried starting that damn weed wacker by pulling on the pull starter 2000 times over the course of the day yesterday. Then it lingers for the next couple days just for good measure.
It is my opinion that Troy Bilt has gone above and beyond the call of duty with their latest models and helped out us lawn warriors.
This Project Source brand overhead house light is fairly easy to put it in especially if its just a swap out for and older one. Just like in this case the existing wires and hole were already there.
The very first thing you want to make sure you do is turn off the power. Use a volt meter to verify that the power is off before you start as well just to make sure you've got the correct circuit. One thing I like to do as an added safety measure is to turn off the light switch as well. This way, if you've turned off the wrong circuit and happen to get unlucky enough to get a faulty volt meter, than you've got a third barrier from you getting shocked.
Slime brand tire sealant did the trick. No more pumping up the wheelbarrow tire every damn time you want to use it. It's available on amazon at the links above or at war mart and automotive stores.
Once you've followed the directions on the slime bottle be sure to rotate the tire around after filling it with air so as not to let the slime settle in one area of the tire. It's really quick and simple to use. Glad I did it. My only regret is waiting so long to use it.
A good idea to protect your investment is to install a screen protector. Up above is a step by step tutorial on installing one. It's a good idea to install these before you install your iPhone case. One of the major keys to success in this task is to make sure your screen is completely clean. By clean, I mean really clean. The kit comes with a wipe and adhesive strips in order to accomplish this so at a minimum use those. If you fail to completely clean the screen it will show up once you apply the screen protector itself.
After completely cleaning the screen, it's now time to apply the screen protector. There is typically an alignment template that comes with the kit so place this on the phone if you have it. Remove the outer plastic from the screen protector without touching it or letting it touch anything. Place it (adhesive side down) on the phone. Press your index finger in the center and work out any air pocket from the center towards the edges until all are removed. Remove alignment template and you are all set.
Took this old "Iron City" sledge hammer rock buster head and carved the end of an old axe handle out that had been sitting on the wall for years and made it work. It took quite a bit of hand working the wood down and fitting the metal shim up to make it work but finally got a good solid fit. Fun project and the result was a useful tool to add to the collection. Was nice to see it all come back to life.
These wet tile saws are the way to go. Once I started using one I never wanted to go back. They are pretty easy to use as well and also very clean. This tool is money well spent as it makes your life a hell of a lot easier when it comes to doing tile jobs. This video demo is on a specific brand however I have used many different kinds of wet tile saws (many of which were borrowed from friends) and loved all of them, especially after cutting tiles manually.
This tour was 600 yen to take and well worth it. It's a great activity and can easily take a couple hours especially if you stop and read much of the posted literature at many of the stations. It's like walking into a history book. They have done a very nice job of keeping this old Japanese warship up. Recommend taking this tour if in the area, you won't regret it.
Wondering what to do with those old wine corks? Well here's another idea. This one incorporates the use of an old coat hanger as well. There's a saying that necessity is the mother of invention. This shell display needed a base and I had these corks and coat hanger laying around. Drilled down the center, lengthwise, of each cork with a drill bit that was the same size at the coat hanger. Then slid each cork on the coat hanger, formed it into a circular shape, then stuck each end into the opposing cork, then super glued together.
The batteries on this model of doorbell can be located by gently prying out the upper top little panel section. It's a small battery drawer-like slide piece that comes out. I used a flathead screwdriver. You can see that there is a test button on the front of the doorbell. As can be heard in the video, when the button is pushed before the battery change out, there is a barely audible sound. Once the batteries are changed out it is obvious that the doorbell is functioning as it should when the test button is depressed again.
This quality salmon ATM was pretty cool. Having never heard of a salmon ATM before we had to go give this a try. It was super quick and easy. The salmon was delicious. There are an increasing number of them going in in Singapore. The price is reasonable for the amount of fish you get. I took this home and unthawed it. Once unthawed I cooked it up in some olive oil in the pan on the stove. Great flavor and really wasn't able to tell that it was ever frozen.
This scooter has been ridden hard and put away wet. Having been thoroughly abused, it no longer works. There's a good chance it is some kind of electrical issue as it's been utilized in a wet and humid environment. I would not purchase one of these again as it did not hold up at all. It lasted less than 3 months. Regardless, it's time to toss it out. I did attempt to single out any obvious signs of problems during it's disassembly. The purpose of taking it apart was to satisfy my curiosity of what's inside. During a slow and observant disassembly I could not locate any glaring signs of electrical problems other than a pinched wire for the LED light. The other purpose of this video is to share the experience with you.
They got me. Along with millions of others. I'm no longer unique. No longer a hold out. No longer a spectator. I'm just like the rest. I ran right off the cliff with the rest of the herd. I suppose I would call it jealously more than anything. I'm guess I'm somewhat envious of Mr. IKEA who has figured out a way to repeatedly and painfully victimize me into wasting my precious Saturday mornings and hard earned money on obtaining new items in a profound fashion.
Once being bribed and convinced of the need to uproot myself from a once pleasant weekend morning, the journey starts way too early with a couple of pushes on the i(kea)-phone in order to take a taxi (via Grab app) to the IKEA penitentiary.
Let the root canal begin.
Once arriving at the ant colony, I'm forced by the crowd down a narrow habit trail as the entrance slowly fades away behind me. This is about the time the equivalent to water boarding begins. My senses become overwhelmed at the various lights, signs, products, chatter, etc. Blood pressure increases and breathing becomes laborious as I watch my fellow prisoners, who appear to be oddly enjoying this experience, load up their wheeled loot holders. The following hour or two is just a blur and it all runs together like bad water color painting.
I now prepare myself for the displeasure of temporarily being held hostage for a few hours by mood altering display nooks littered with unavoidable reduced pricing signs that have a Pavlovian effect on a certain gender of shopper. The slow motion action of one by one removing dollar bills from my wallet starts to play over and over in my head as I start to grow weary, sauntering down the path of least resistance.
Naturally all of this activity makes you hungry. Mr. IKEA does not want hungry prisoners so he has constructed a way to extract more money from each unsuspecting inmate. After finding a temporary place to store your gatherings you must divide and conquer. One of you must go secure and eating location while the other waits in a long line for a 1/2 hour minimum to obtain the food. If you do not time this right you may find yourself with nowhere to eat as the other prisoners do not care to part with thier places at the tables. Seasoned inmates know the routine. The ratio of food sold vs. places to sit are highly offset. Mr. IKEA does not care if you have to stand and eat so as long as you get enough calories in to finish the march of shame up to the check out line.
The post-meal second round of pain begins. I start to sweat as I'm lead back into general population. It's an apprehensive aggravation type of sweat. After all, I'm spending MY time and MY money as the painfully obvious becomes inevitable. My shopping cart is getting fuller the farther I wade into the abyss of consumables. At this point I'm seemingly unable to escape this insanity. This explains why there are no windows from which to make a freedom leap.
As I continue to serve out my sentence for hours while being inundated by "on sale" signs and dimmed lighting displays that tap into one's emotional side, I now start to sympathize with my captor. It is now that I get the pleasure of waiting in a long line to exchange my hard earned cash for items in my cart.
I take a sigh of relief as I feel like the finish line is within reach. The light at the end of the tunnel is growing larger.
In hindsight, I wish my future self could time travel back to my current self, tap me on the shoulder and say, "Go to Starbucks instead", or "say you have to work", or "pretend your wallet was stolen yesterday", then miraculously find it Monday morning, or fake an injury.
After waiting in what seems to be the 10th line of the day, an Aussie mate must have seen the steam leaving my now crimson colored face, when he taps me on the shoulder and says, "Hey mate, they serve cold beer right over there".
I contemplate the desire to satisfy my thirst as I wait in the next tortuous line. The problem is, access to one cold beer comes at not only an increased price but also, yes, you guessed it, another line.
As I stand and wait (seats are taken up) for my number to come up I see zombie like people pick up their items as they are "delivered" through the double warehouse themed doors. This time they've assigned me a unique number to watch for on a big screen. Maybe this is so I don't leave feeling non-unique.
The pain infliction persists like rheumatoid arthritis.
Once all of the loot has been paid for I now get to escort two separate wheeled carts down a level to the parking area where I get to.........yup, you guessed it, wait in another fine line. This is in an effort to obtain a taxi van to cargo my items home. Once it was our turn in the taxi que, the van driver shouts and points. He assists me in loading all of our depreciating assets into the back of the van. He then says, "Woman up front, you in back". So I hopped in the back for a long bumpy ride home in stop and go traffic with no seatbelt sitting on top of something plywood-like with my butt bouncing around on it like a ping pong ball.
Once arriving home shaken and beyond words, it is my duty to make sure all of our goods get unloaded and taken up a flight of stairs from the basement parking. I take out some aggression by seeing how much I can carry up a flight of stairs. Once at the top, there's an odd feeling of destruction that makes me want to send the packed IKEA box bounding down the stairs hitting every corner on the way but I quell my desire to do so.
Finally the purchased packages have found their final pre-assembly destinations.
Now it's time to put spend a few hours putting it all together. Lucky me. Check out the videos below to see how I did it.
I consider myself a good sport and can generally endure most things. However, this experience put my good hearted nature to the test. In reflection I ask why would anyone....ever....ever.....go to IKEA!
Follow along with me in my IKEA "HUTTON" Bottle Rack Assembly DIY Instructional Tutorial Video. These racks are nice for wine, vinegar, beer, etc. The HUTTON model from IKEA is really easy to assemble and you can stack them one on top of each other as high as you want.
All you need is a cordless drill or screwdriver with the correct size Allen head (hex head) bit. I believe the kit comes with a little metal Allen wrench if you don't have one. This is a simple one person assembly. I recommend you get a nice flat surface to work from whether that be your kitchen table, work bench, or even sitting on the floor.
Here's the link to it: https://amzn.to/32aLnOD
in me during this IKEA “KNAGGLIG” Assembly Tutorial-Simple IKEA Crate Box Assembly video. As another idea, instead of buying these from IKEA, you could make some nice crates like this out of pallets.
Open the top of the printer. Then pull the front panel out. Then lift up on the portion containing the glass surface. Underneath is the printer cartridges. Slide it to the center for easier access. Simply pop each one out and swap one for one. Very easy.
This was one of the coolest animals I'd ever seen. Initially thought it was large bat having never seen or heard of one of these before. Happened to stumble upon this cool creature during an evening walk and almost passed it up. It blended in so well that it just looked like part of the tree. Tried not to trouble it too much but just enough to take some video and shoot some pictures.
Shower drains get plugged up all the time especially if you have girls in the house. One must get the fine art of unclogging drains down to a science unless you'd prefer to foot the bill for someone else to come and do it. A good DIY technician should be able to get this job done in under a half and hour depending on severity. A good pair of hemostats is very handy for this job but if you don't have hemostats, do not worry as either needle nose pliers or even tweezers will work. Ideally, the water will be drained when you are working on this but many times you'll find yourself working in standing water. In this case the water slowly drained so I could at least stand above where I was working. The trick here is to take of this problem once the drain starts draining slowly, NOT when the drain completely quits draining. So, once you have the drain plug unscrewed (turn counter clockwise to unthread), then take your extraction tool and start to slowly remove the nasty hair and whatever else is attached to it from the drain. Repeat until the drain is free of any foreign material and is like new. Test to ensure proper drainage before walking away. In most situations similar to this there is an accompanying odor that you'll notice so you may want to have some kind of small trash receptacle nearby for which to deposit your removed debris. Good luck fellow DIY Technicians.
This was a very fun welding fabrication project. Although I had a couple fire pits this one fit really well onto the back patio for use making smaller fires. My neighbor, who is an automotive mechanic, gave me an old empty coolant container. Knowing I was a welder who liked to tinker and weld junk metal together, he always brings me interesting parts to make stuff from.
I made sure it was empty by drilling a hole into the top first just to be sure there wasn't anything left in it. Using an electric corded angle grinder I cut the top off the container. There was a weld seam around it that I used as a guide or cut line. I had some 1/4" wide flatbar laying around that I bent into a circle matching the same diameter as the tank. The flatbar was very soft so I was able to bend it by hand and weld the end together. Using the same size flatcar, I cut 4 riser pieces approximately 6" long and ground the mil scale off the ends to shiny metal. This makes a better surface to weld. I then welded those risers to the bottom larger portion of the container. I then welded the circular flatbar piece to the 4 risers. This portion is in an effort to create somewhat of an access or viewing window to the flames that will live inside the tank as well as create a seat for the top lid to set upon. I had some wire mesh laying around to it seemed natural to cut out a section and wire tie it to the viewing window (access) portion of the fire pit. I would have like to weld it in place but it's too thin so I decided to use metal wire instead. I drilled holes to for which to run the wire through and secure it in place.
For the legs, I had some rebar laying around so it seemed like a good idea to use these to bring it off the ground a bit. While welding these it's important to focus your heat on the rebar as the tank wall is very thin. If you sit on the tank wall too long or apply too much heat to it, you'll blow right through the wall. I tacked them all in place first and didn't get in a hurry thereby keeping them cool before proceeding to weld more.
I had some other bent round stock laying around so it seemed like a good use for some handles to move the thing with. I cut and welded those on in the same fashion as the legs.
I went and purchased a can of high heat paint for the local hardware store and applied a couple coats. I was very happy with the results. The guitar playing is me just messing around as these videos are an excuse for me to play and use it for theme music.
The first thing I did was get them all cleaned up removing the tacks and rust from each one of them. Then I lined them up in the triangular shape that I wanted them in. I kept the it flat on the bench while I tack welded each one using my Lincoln Pro MIG 140 welding machine using inner shield wire.
This is one of Singapore most beautiful places to visit. The water is clear and the weather is hot. You can see all kinds of wildlife during this hike as well as rent kayaks if you choose. You'll need to pack a bunch of water to drink on this one. The terrain is flat and there are no bikes allowed on the trails. Put this one on the list of hikes to do.
This project was a lot of fun. We took some rubbing alcohol and soaked a toilet paper roll after putting it inside a coffee can. Instant source of heat for warmth, light, and cooking.
Three different styles of smoke alarms and how to change the batteries on them. Smoke alarms will beep if they are getting low on batteries. If you suspect they are out or low, just replace the battery. Check them often and have more than one in a each area in case one happens not to work. It's a good idea to check these once every few months. You can test them by pressing the button on the front of the smoke alarm. If it doesn't make a loud beep when you push it, then the battery is dead or the smoke alarm is bad and should be replaced immediately. It's a good idea to have a smoke alarm in each room. There is no reason not to as they are very affordable and they are proven to save lives.
A reciprocating saw is a wonderful tool and I've used them for thousands of handyman DIY construction and repair tasks over the years. This is a must-have for the power tool collection. Even though to many, it may be blatantly obvious how to change out a blade, it may not be to others or beginners. The first thing, like any other power tool blade or wheel change out operation, unplug the damn thing. I've seen a lot of injuries and almost got a few myself for being stupid or careless and not taking the simple step of unplugging the tool before changing out the blade, wheel, or bit. Once unplugged, you'll need an Allen wrench that fits the Allen head set screw in the reciprocating head. Typically these come with one but many of us lose these things. Loosen the set screw and the blade will come out. Many new models of reciprocating saws have quick disconnect style fittings on them so no wrench may be necessary depending on the model you have. Grab your fresh blade and place it back into the same position and insert it into the slot. Then tighten the Allen head set screw. You are now good to go.
If you don't have one or need a new one, here is a link on amazon to have one delivered: https://amzn.to/34AejAA
Although I shouldn't be, I was amazed that this the farm and garden place I purchased this Still axe from made good on their free axe handle replacement promise. I chose to replace it myself as they're service department had quite the backlog of equipment repairs and couldn't get to it for a week or so. I had wood that needed splitting so didn't want to wait. I brought the broken handle to them and they immediately grabbed a replacement from the back and handed it to me. Minimal questions asked.
The new one I put one here is a even more hefty than the one previously on it. I will say, this is the best axe I've ever owned and was a great present given to me.
One of the things I like about welding is it results in creation. I've made everything from metal pet beds to headache racks to horseshoe napkin holders. These are just some of the projects I've made and took pictures of. Welding is a lot of fun and using the wire feed process with inner shield wire, it's so easy.
The trick here is not to dig into the drywall. You'll need a pry bar and a thinner one is best. You run that thinner pry bar parallel with the drywall popping the tiles off. Try your best not to actually pry the tiles off as this.
It is nice to know how to remove and reinstall tailgates on trucks. I figured I'd do a demo on this one since it was available. They are fairly easy to remove which is good and bad. The good part is that you can get them off fairly quickly but the bad part is dirt bag thieves and tweezers like to steal them. There are some measures you can take to make it a little harder to steal your tailgate.
This can go on and on for months and even years if you don't do something about it. I always like to stop from the top down approach. Meaning, easiest to hardest or less invasive to most invasive in hopes to find the problem right off the bat or not as far down the line. This was a very easy fix fortunately. It appears the screen in this faucet was doing exactly what it was designed to do. There were some small plastic chips sitting just inside it which was causing it to squeal or whistle. It was readily apparent once I removed the spout's screen. If you are going to use vice grips, you may want to put some kind of barrier in between the teeth of the vice grips and the spout filter receptacle so as not to leave teeth marks in it when done. Sometime a rag or towel will do the trick.
It's very fulfilling and satisfying when you can make someone's life a little bit easier by helping them or fixing something that isn't quite working the way it should. If you have an old faucet like the one in the video you may want to consider an upgrade like one of these below.
Tired of replacing your mailbox due to punk ass vandals? After fabricating up this mailbox roll cage you won't have to do it anymore. I was able to use mainly scrap metal I had laying around for this project but it's very cheap if you purchase it at the metal store. Of course before fabricating and installing the roll cage you must install your new mailbox. See the video below on doing that.
The welder I used was a Lincoln PRO MIG 140 wire feed welding machine with innershield wire. I used some scrap metal from an old planter hold I had laying around. I used the new mail box to construct the roll cage around it it to form it as I went.
This warning is telling you that at least one of your Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensors are faulty. These sensors are located inside the tires and cannot be replaced without removing the tire from the rim. If one of them are bad, then the others are sure to follow. The batteries go bad on them and need to be replaced. Best time to do it is when you get new tires.
One thing you can do if you don't want to pay extra mark up fees is to find out what kind of TPMS sensors your vehicle takes and then order them. You should then communicate with the tire dealer/installer that you wish to install those specific sensors in your vehicle at the time of tire change out.
It's also best that you don't try to save money in just changing one of them out. You may as well get them all changed since it's likely the others will go bad before too long as they are probably all around the same age. During the last decade or so it has become law that all vehicles be equipped with TPMS sensors. These sensors are battery run so they go bad often times around the 7 to 10 year mark.
