Continuing Thread: What Are You Fix-It'ing Today?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Brian 162

Thanks Baz
That made me laugh. He's a pretty good shot
Good luck on the plumbing

Thanks, Brian. The contractor just left and got everything resolved.

Only charged me $135 so I gave him two Benjamin's and told him to keep the change. Good kid. Turns out he's the son of the owner. The owner's Dad is Hawaiian. Pretty cool. He doesn't surf but does a LOT of fishing!

[GH85Carrera]

Oh boy, more fun with sprinkler systems! Digging in dry clay is HARD. I put the shovel on the ground, and stand on it, and it goes in 1/6th of an inch. So I can slam it down with my hands and break it up some. It is like digging through very well compacted gravel.

25 years ago when I installed my sprinkler system, I was a 100% novice, but I wanted a top quality system as we plan on living here until I go out in a wheelchair to the assisted living center, or on a gurney to the morgue. I used 1 inch pipe for the laterals and 1.5 inch for the main pipe from the pump to each section. 10 sections, 99 spray heads originally. Lots less to mow, lots more to edge.

Way back then this are of the yard was covered in Bermuda grass, and I mowed it. Then my wife went to school to become a master gardener. Now, the grass is less and less, and more and more areas become flower gardens.


So explore the area to find the pipe. This entire area was once just grass to mow. Now it is all flowers, and gardeners need a compost, so in the corner is her compost pile, and the compost barrel. I dump the yard grad clipping in the barrel, and rotate the barrel, and in no time it is soil to be added to the pile.


That is the very corner of our driveway parking area for our guests to be off the streets. What you can't see in the photo is tons of bees and butterflies buzzing on the flowering plants. Also hidden is one of the sprinkler heads I had to move once before when there was a huge bush in that corner. That bush was removed, and a compost replaced it.


If you look close, to the right and down a bit is the old cap from where a head was, but I was required to move to keep the master gardener happy.


So I had to add a new head, back where it was originally as that mega bush is gone.


This is the compost barrel and the photo is just a year or so ago. The area changes constantly at the whim of the master gardener, I just dig holes for the new plants, and dig out old dead ones, or unwanted plants.

That barrel is back in place, and the new head is adding water to the zone.

Who know what changes are due next spring. She has really gotten into flowers for the butterflies, and bees. It was almost freaky last fall as the Monarchs were passing through. I was mowing the back yard, and there were just swarms of butterflies swarming. I know for certain, butterflies don't bite or sting, but swarms of them fluttering around as I am trying to mow is just freaky. Not as freaky as the bush the honey bees love the most. It was literately buzzing with hundreds of bees all over it. We found the local bee farmer, and he came over to get some cutting of the plant, and gave us a bottle of raw honey.

[oldE]

For the last year or so I have been keeping my eyes open for a pair of wheelbarrow shafts.I knew that after 25 years their time would come. Of course their time came when I was moving a load of hardwood. A quick search gave me the assurance there were two pair of replacement shafts about 35 miles away. An hour and a half later I was back with the shafts(predrilled!) and new galvanized bolts.
The predrilled holes were not drilled with my Trutemper wheelbarrow in mind. So I dowelled all but one set of holes, drilled new holes for the rest of the bolts and was finished in about an hour.
Such convenience .



Best
Les

[Baz]

Originally Posted by oldE

For the last year or so I have been keeping my eyes open for a pair of wheelbarrow shafts.I knew that after 25 years their time would come. Of course their time came when I was moving a load of hardwood. A quick search gave me the assurance there were two pair of replacement shafts about 35 miles away. An hour and a half later I was back with the shafts(predrilled!) and new galvanized bolts.
The predrilled holes were not drilled with my Trutemper wheelbarrow in mind. So I dowelled all but one set of holes, drilled new holes for the rest of the bolts and was finished in about an hour.
Such convenience .
Best
Les

Hey Big Les......by shafts, do you mean the handles...like these?

True Temper 00221400A Wood Wheelbarrow Replacement Handles, 60-Inch

[Baz]

I prune trees & palms myself, including Cabbage Palms once a year, usually targeting mid-July after the flower stalks have emerged but before fruit formation.

But I have my limitations on how high I will go.

One of my monthly accounts has 7 Cabbage Palms - every one too tall for me to tackle. So I contract that out.

These 5 shown below - plus 2 more not pictured - were just done on Friday. It's $50 per tree and that includes hauling off the debris and cleanup. It's only once a year and I pass the cost along to the owner.

Before:


After:

[oldE]

Yes, Baz. Those ones seem pricey. There used to be a guy around here who would shape them from ash. It seems he quit several years ago. I just missed scoring a set he made. I would have made them myself if I had some oak or ash on hand. The wheelbarrow is mostly used in the barn and lives outside, hence the deterioration of the wooden parts. We had a wheelbarrow with steel shafts before this one and it rusted so fast it was unbelievable.




Best
Les

[Baz]

Originally Posted by oldE

Yes, Baz. Those ones seem pricey. There used to be a guy around here who would shape them from ash. It seems he quit several years ago. I just missed scoring a set he made. I would have made them myself if I had some oak or ash on hand. The wheelbarrow is mostly used in the barn and lives outside, hence the deterioration of the wooden parts. We had a wheelbarrow with steel shafts before this one and it rusted so fast it was unbelievable.




Best
Les

OK thanks for the clarification, Big Les.

I have a nice wb in very good condition I keep out of the weather but also several others that serve as donors for parts, a couple of which could be put back into service, should I desire to.

Looks like you tried to insert a photo - but it's not showing up for some reason.....

[oldE]

Correct. It was 4.8 megs on my phone. Pelican seems to upload it but refuses to display.
If that's the biggest problem I have, I haven't got any problems.

Best
Les

[Baz]

Originally Posted by oldE

Correct. It was 4.8 megs on my phone. Pelican seems to upload it but refuses to display.
If that's the biggest problem I have, I haven't got any problems.

Best
Les

Odd that the photo didn't show up. The maximum size allowed is 5 megs, so it should have posted.

Mine usually run from 500 to 800 KB. Like these:

Before:


After:


This is a free site that will resize your pics, in case it's of interest:
https://tinypng.com/

I can do it with my Windows program, if need be. But I have my camera photo size set so they aren't too big, so don't have any issues.

Happy Monday!

[Baz]

One of my accounts has a walkway surrounded by natural vegetation which requires periodic trimming.

I've been able to do this with my Echo string trimmer but it's gotten so thick I had to go to a better method.

So I bought a brush cutter kit from HD (~$50) and it really made all the difference in the world.





Before:


After:


Before:


After:

[A930Rocket]

I’ve gone from building houses in neighborhoods for 30 years to building houses on one off lots the past year. Where I could park my truck and walk houses, I now drive 100 miles a day going between houses.

I’ve found that no matter what I do to my seat, I can’t get comfortable and throughout the day, my right knee and hip starting to hurt, because my leg is not straightahead, but I have a slight angle. If I get my leg position comfortable/correct, I can’t reach the steering wheel.

Sooo… For lack of something better, I Velcroed a piece of roll bar padding to the center console to rest my knee/leg on.
Today was a much better day. It’s not pretty, but seems to work. We will see what happens long-term.

[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by rsrguy

Back at it.

Nice RS, lookin good as usual.

Me, same ol same…..











Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[john70t]

^hellyeah
Got this cleared up over the past week or so. All gone now. Jeesh. A few minor repairs remaining.


Yesterday filled up 3 bins full of mostly grape vines overgrowing everything up the side of the house.
Butterfly bushes now free to blossom as they wish.
The Montmorancy Cherry tree might even survive being split in half.
Found poison ivy hiding everywhere in the front yard vinca and picked it out carefully from the base.

[URY914]

I'm working on replacing the 4 4x4's that support the roof on my carport. The carport is an integral part of the house. The 4x4's sit on a brick knee wall and appear to only be toe-nailed top and bottom. Not much holding it down when hurricane season whips up and the wind gets under the carport.

I'm going to use 4x6's with Simpson strong-tie connectors embedded in concrete at the bottom and at the top t-straps connecting to the perimeter beam.

I hope to get the first one replaced this weekend. More to follow with pictures.

[TimT]

I'm not sure if I should post here or in the woodworking what are you making thread..

Testing out colors and techniques on a cheese board I made from black walnut cut offs..


resin with two colors of blue



added drips and streaks of white resin.. blow it around with a hair dryer

[TimT]

[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by TimT

I'm not sure if I should post here or in the woodworking what are you making thread..

Testing out colors and techniques on a cheese board I made from black walnut cut offs..


resin with two colors of blue



added drips and streaks of white resin.. blow it around with a hair dryer

Here is just fine….. don’t think anyone here will complain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TimT]

I just picked up a large slab of elm....



4X8 truck bed..

Its about 2-1/4 thick

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

I’ve gone from building houses in neighborhoods for 30 years to building houses on one off lots the past year. Where I could park my truck and walk houses, I now drive 100 miles a day going between houses.

I’ve found that no matter what I do to my seat, I can’t get comfortable and throughout the day, my right knee and hip starting to hurt, because my leg is not straightahead, but I have a slight angle. If I get my leg position comfortable/correct, I can’t reach the steering wheel.

Sooo… For lack of something better, I Velcroed a piece of roll bar padding to the center console to rest my knee/leg on.
Today was a much better day. It’s not pretty, but seems to work. We will see what happens long-term.

I have to do that in a 986 Boxster.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by bugstrider

Me, same ol same…..

Very impressive, Trevor! As good or better than most work I've seen by contractors who do this for a living.