DIY Projects

Recently my wife and I decided to replace the outdated ceramic tile in our house. The first part of the project was to actually take up the tile. So with hammer and chisel we started chipping away. We knew that most of the tile had not been laid properly and for the most part it would just pop up. This took us about 2 days. The thin set that it was laid with was a different story though.

We tried scraping the thin set up with a hand scraper. That was a back breaking job that took forever with poor results. Next I found an attachment made by Milwaukee tools that attaches to a sawzall. They make a 1 ½” and a 3” scraper blade. This is mostly meant to take up paint and lightweight glues, however, I thought I would see how well it worked on thin set. Where the thin set and tile had been laid incorrectly, the scraper blade did a good job, just popping the thin set right up. But where the thin set had actually been set correctly the blade and saw just didn’t have enough strength to get the job done.

Finally, I went to our local home improvement store and rented a small demolition tool, with a scraper blade. Within 3 hours, I had chipped up all of the thin set.

So, the moral of the story is to always use the right tools, and don’t try to use your tools for things they are not meant to do.

Using your pipe wrench turn the hose fittings counterclockwise.

Inside each of the hose fittings are little screen filters, make sure they are clean. Remove them and run clean water through the filters until they are clean.

Check to see if the pump motor is running. If it is not running, use your voltage meter to check the plug socket where it is plugged in. If there is power at the socket but the motor is not running, the motor is burned out and needs to be replaced.

If the motor is running and there is still no pressure to the sprinklers, there is a leak. It might not be a water leak. Air leaks can bleed the pressure and won’t allow the unit to function properly. Using your screwdriver, remove the screws holding the pump together. Where it comes apart there will be a main seal, and there should be a rubber gasket. Check the gasket for any rips or tears. If you find any, replace the gasket.

Secure the gasket area with Teflon paste. Coat the gasket with a heavy coating of Teflon paste. Join the two halves and screw them together. This should solve all air or water leaking problems.

Recently I was at a local recreation center and noticed that one of the card tables had its top replaced with a piece of laminate.

I spoke to the lady in charge and she said that the table top had been all ripped up and one of the volunteers took it home and cut a piece of laminate to fit. He then routed the edges and glued it down. The laminate made a perfect finish for the card table. The ladies could use it to cut material and not worry about damaging the finish and it also made a great finish to play cards on.

Have dull scissors? Not to worry, sharpening them with a Rotary Tool is a simple and easy way to sharpen them.

• Separate the scissor blades by unscrewing the screw found in the middle of the scissors.
• Place one of the blades in a bench vise with the sharp edge facing outward. Make sure you pay close attention to the shape of the blade. One side of the blade should be angled downward resulting in the sharp edge, while the other side will not be. Position the scissors so that the angled side faces upward.
• Insert the bit into the rotary tool and turn it on. (Use an aluminum oxide grinding stone # 932)
• Hold the Rotary Tool at a 10 degree angle and grind.
• Continue grinding along the length of he scissor blade at this angle until the entire edge is sharp.
• Remove the blade from the vise and insert the other blade. Sharpen the second blade just like the first.
• Reattach the blades by inserting the screw and tightening it up.

Make sure to always wear safety glasses.

To get started prepare the damaged area by removing all old texture from it. Next, sand it smooth, if any of the damaged texture remains, your new texture may not stick. Prime the damaged area

Match the texture of the area that you are patching. To get a close match, use a paint additive instead of a premixed spray-on texture. This will let you to have more control over the size and concentration of the aggregate used to get the popcorn effect. Aggregate comes in fine-, medium- or coarse-grade aggregate. Mix a small batch and paint it on a spare piece of plywood or drywall. Gradually add aggregate until you’ve matched the existing ceiling

Protect the area around your targeted area. Cover them well, because this texture technique is quite messy. Have water and rags or sponges available to quickly clean any messes that may spread beyond your protected area.

Apply the texture. You can use a roller for most areas. If the repair is close to a wall, you can use a brush or edger to get into the areas the roller can’t reach. Apply the first pass until it overlaps the existing texture.

Randomize the effect. Without dipping your roller or brush back into the texture, go back over the area in several directions, applying from the wet areas to the dry areas. This minimizes any pattern that may develop from the first application. Don’t overwork the area. You should stop after a minute or two of working.

Allow the area to dry. If the repaired area has less texture than the existing ceiling, you can add a second coat of texture. If it’s acceptable, paint the repair using the same paint used on the rest of the ceiling.

Remember to always wear goggles or safety glasses and any other appropriate safety equipment.