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

[Racerbvd]

Also still working on setting up racks in my shop and counting bicycles before I bring in the 9nes for the house, garage, warehouses, car trailers and Suburban.

[rsrguy]

We're not doing scouts anymore but the primary children's group puts on the "pineview" derby every spring now that means all my grandkids that want to get to compete. Anyway. I got a late start .... yesterday! Anyway I cut two blocks in half and made 4 new cars. In the Jr class my grand daughter took 3rd and my grandson took first.... with the nights fastest time of the night ..... any class. Our cars took the top 5 spots in the open class.12 and older.

[herr_oberst]

Pinewood Derby cars are way cooler than they were when I was a kid! The shapes have come a long long way!

[rsrguy]

Same blocks of wood as always. The shapes are glued on balsa... creative sculpting and filler work. Some outfits are cnc carving the blocks but I'm still old school.

[Evans, Marv]

My neighbor is moving & I bought his 8x20 ft. storage container from him, & he helped me move & install it. A big enough project that demonstrated I'm no spring chicken. I have to paint it, because my wife says it's ugly. Maybe she can decorate it.

[rsrguy]

Wow.... big project

[GH85Carrera]

I really did not really fix or repair anything, just used some of my antique tools to play in my garage. It is a wonderful sunny day today, and I could not stand sitting inside anymore.


This old antique first aid set is something my father in law carried with him for many years. And no, it is not obstructing the plug or touching the outlet.


When you see a tube of Mercurochrome, you know is is old. I doubt any of the bandages would be any good. I do need a large 6 inch wide roll of gauze to go in the empty spot. Right now there are some paper towels from the 70s in that spot that I removed for the photo.

The place on the wall only had one stud in the area, so the right side is a dry wall anchor. I got to use my old antique chop saw that is insane loud. I wear hearing protection when I use it. The blade does not have a brake, so it spins down slowly. Again something from my grandfather that works great. No ground plug, and very old school Black and Decker.


Then I went to get more gasoline for my lawnmower.


This is from Grandpa as well. I remember using that very can back when I was a pre-teenager. My dad used it for many years, and now it is mine.


It is from the Champlin refinery in Enid, OK that closed in the 1970s or so. About every other time I go to fill it up someone offers to buy it. Nope not for sale for any reasonable price. I have no idea whet the real value is, but it is not for sale anyway.

That was a bit of time puttering in my garage.

[oldE]

Glen, it is good to see family memories preserved in items that are used. I have some tools which belonged to my wife's great grandfather. Every time I use the old mill file I smile. I never met the man, but my MIL appreciates it when I tell her the old tools are still working.

Best
Les

[gregpark]

Was about to purchase a scoot around tool stool and remembered a milking stool I had in the garage. I don't have a cow so I fixed it and made a Barney stool out of it. Stole my wife's old Yoga cushion, shhh

[Baz]

Some good stuff there guys!

Last 2 days I spent clearing stuff out, cleaning, and re-organizing an accumulation of stuff over the past 20 years under the cantilevered side of my house.

Still more to do but took a big bite out of it and feels good.

[HobieMarty]

Well I started out today with plans to try to level or raise the corner of a small concrete pad at the side door where we take the pups out. Each time it rains it would puddle up. The grass had grown over the edges of concrete so I scraped it all back and edged it thinking it would help with the drainage, but nope, it made things worse because now it is like a bowl with the grass/yard higher up on one corner than the pad. So I was going to try something I had seen people do with expandable foam, I was going to drill some holes and spray the foam in hopes that it would raise the pad flush with the house like it is supposed to be, had the hammer drill all ready to go. After I burned through a couple of masonry drill bits I gave up and hung some outside patio lights for Brooke.
So anyone ever jacked up a small concrete pad that has settled? The pad in question only needs to be raised about an inch on one corner. I figure once the corner is brought up to where it should be, the water should drain away from the house better. I've included a picture of what I am talking about.
Anyway, here are the lights I put up instead of what I wanted to do. Lol.


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[gregpark]

Looks like your slab is maybe 7x8 or there abouts? I can't see lifting it. Short of busting it out and re- pouring maybe cap it with some nice tile or flag stone? Power wash and prime, set up strings for your slope and start your mortar and tile from the house draining away. The magic number for no ponding water is ¼" per foot slope

[Zeke]

Agree with Greg, it will crack if you lift on it. Cap it or tear it out. Only you can evaluate it but it looks nasty and poor from here. Pavers on compacted sand will always drain. And that's a good DIY project as opposed to placing concrete.

[HobieMarty]

Okay, thanks, guys. It is a 4x4 pad, just a small stoop at a side door. I plan to replace the door frame and all in a future project but wanted to address the sloping pad first. Water doesn't intrude into the house. It is just a nuisance to have a pool of water there when we have heavy rain. If I go the paver route, I think I will continue it into a path through the side yard where we take the doggies out.


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[Baz]

My neighbor seems to have finished the demo phase.

Looks like footers going in.......

[Baz]

As I said earlier....spent the w/e clearing out no longer needed/wanted materials (aka junk).

Was throwing away these salvaged Hunter brand 1" irrigation valves and it dawned on me those large SS screws might come in handy so I pulled them out this morning before adding the valve carcasses to the trash. Already salvaged the solenoids yesterday.

Then I dumped two 5 gallon buckets each of Magnesium sulfate (Epson Salts) and Manganese sulfate (TecMag) and repackaged it into smaller containers for future use. They had been in these buckets for years. Also did some Iron sulfate but didn't get any pics.

These will be used as fertilizer supplements for my plants.

[wdfifteen]

Yesterday was battery day - $1100 worth.



After keeping the tractor's old battery barely alive for a few months by keeping it on a maintainer I finally got a new battery. I'm keeping a maintainer on the new one too. I never use the tractor for hours at a time and I don't think it runs long enough for the alternator to keep the battery fully charged. The new battery is a Legend model from NAPA - $145.




Next came the golf cart batteries. I don't know how old the old ones were. When I bought the cart the guy said it needed new batteries and that was 3 years ago. I did a lot of searching around for six 8 volt batteries. Batteries plus had them for $229. My corporate discount brought that down to $206. The Interstate store had them for nearly $300 EACH! NAPA lists them at $285 and nets them out at $149, so I got the NAPA Legends (rebranded Dekas). Dekas have been good for me in the past.



Golf cart batteries corrode bad, especially as the batteries get old. I coat the terminals and cables with conducting grease before I put the nuts on.
I like to grease my nuts, so they get a good coating of conducting grease after they're tightened down.

[URY914]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I like to grease my nuts, so they get a good coating of conducting grease after they're tightened down.

I just scratch mine with no grease. I keep mine loose.

[mthomas58]

Completed my first project using my new to me Kreg Pocket Hole Jig. I've been using a biscuit joiner for years but the clamping process is time consuming and tedious. Pocket holes are quick and easy - don't know why I waited so long.

This is a new crawl space access door to replace a rotten 30 yr old one for a neighbor. Now I need to make one for our house.

[gregpark]

Nice. I trust you weren't responsible for the down spout routing?
:^)