DIY Leak Test your House

In determining a leak in your system, the only absolute sure way for a decision to be made here, is to go straight to the source. The water service meter to your house monitors every drop that passes the gauge. When pouring a concrete slab foundation, the plumbing lines are re trenched and placed in the ground prior to the concrete pour, as time progresses there is often several things that may have to occur or end up going wrong.
A visual inspection of the outside of your residence may aide in any abnormalities IE., wet areas near the exterior perimeters, higher than usual water bills, interior mold stench, warm places beneath the flooring etc. If you are experiencing any of these common issues, then before calling a plumbing contractor and getting invoiced for the trip, a final DIY leak test can be performed.
Turn off any and all appliances, dishwasher or washing machine. Check any and all the sinks faucets to be sure they are 100% in the off position. If any toilet is running because of needed repairs, then shut off their angle stop or (supply line) and if you are not alone then tell everyone else to please wait on flushing any toilets or washing any hands.

It is now time to find your water meter, typically on or near the street or curb. In the front of the property and in the ground. If you are absolutely positive that all fixtures/machines and spigots are off then the meter should not be moving/counting or digitally calculating the city or counties water passing through it. Chances are that this has assisted you in DIY leak detection.

Master Craftsmen Gifts

The holidays are here and that means it’s time to head out into the traffic, the crowds and the long lines. If you’re anything like me then you have a long list of people to shop for and you’re probably not looking forward to it. With all the frustrations that come with holiday gift shopping it’s no wonder so many people are turning to the internet. With lower shipping rates and faster delivery times it’s finally economical and convenient to get all of our holiday shopping done from the comfort of our homes or offices.

My father can easily be called a master craftsman and boy can they be hard to shop for. At first you try to buy them excellent examples of fine woodworking but they often end up critiquing it more than appreciating it. And anything unrelated to woodworking seems to be entirely uninteresting. So this year I looked into some antique hand saws. I thought it would make a great decoration for his shop or just a nice memento of early American woodworking. Whatever he decides to do with it I know he’ll appreciate it!

Pull Saw Door Casing

In a prior post we hit on baseboards being removed as one of the first steps, true because the floor trim has to sit on top of the new materials being installed. The other trim that needs to be dealt with is the door casing and sometimes door jambs.

The new flooring must appear as if it is under the molding everywhere. The cuts at the bottom of the trim are difficult to execute, unless the right carpentry tool is on site. This awesome little gadget has been called a pullsaw. A smaller hand saw that cuts as it's pulled through the material in reference. To get this cut accurate only requires, to lay the new flooring flat in front the trim and cutting, now the flooring will slide underneath and give that professional look.

Must Have Hand Saw

To be frank about it, when we have so many great machines to save us energy do the work for us, and do it so accurately, why should we resort to using a hand saw? The truth is that many hand saws go unused, and the band saw, table saw and partly the plunge router have replaced the handsaw around our bench. However there are a few hand saws that are still needed and really cannot be replaced.

The first would be a general purpose cabinet shop saw, I have a very precious Pre- War Disston 10tpi saw that now sits gathering dust having been replaced by an ultra-sharp hard point plastic handled throwaway saw. There are lots of brands of them, Stanley make a good one, Dakota make another, there is not a lot to choose between them. They all have a Japanese tooth pattern that cannot be sharpened. So you use them, dull the blade, throw them away and buy another. I hate this but I can't say that my old pre-war saw is better except in terms of conservation of resources. And that is becoming important as my 15 year old daughter keeps reminding me.

The small tenon saw has however an important use around the bench. For a while I abandoned the European back saw pattern and recommended Japanese Hand saws. Since doing that we have gone back to recommending back saws made by Veritas, Lie Nielsen and Adrea. This is because in the past 10 years the quality of the back saw has been improved. There was a terrible time in British saw making history when once proud companies like Roberts and Lee made a very poor quality saw, I still have an expensive half tenon saw by Roberts and Lee. I bought it in the late 20th century and keep it as a reminder of how bad they were.

We recommend that students by a genuine dovetail saw. This would be a saw with teeth cut to a rip pattern. An old-fashioned dovetail saw would have 19 or 20 teeth per inch, the best we can get nowadays is something like 15 tpi. The blade will be between six and seven inches long and will have a nice handle and a well fixed heavy brass back. This small saw will be for small components and joinery of things like drawer sides. For the slightly heavier work, carcass dovetailing sawing and more general sawing you need a very similar saw called a "half tenon" saw. This is very similar to the dovetail saw, same teeth, same rip cut but a slightly longer blade maybe eight to nine inches. The dovetail saw you will set up to saw with a fine kerf, the a half tenon you will set up to have a slightly wider kerf.

Pitch in with your Home Remodel

There's nothing more stressful than having to remodel your home. In fact, more than a few couples have cited a redone kitchen or a reconstructed bathroom as the reason for numerous fights, even divorces. Knowing how stressful these projects can be, it is to the benefit of all homeowners to enter into the project with as many helpful tools as possible. To that end, before you rip out that extra wall or dismantle that countertop, make sure you seek some sound advice and make a run to the hardware store.

Even if you're not doing the bulk of the work yourself, that doesn't mean all the work needs to be done by your hired contractors and construction workers. Cut down on costs by rolling up your sleeves and performing some of the smaller tasks yourself. Even if you're not trained in construction, you can certainly handle cosmetic touchups such as painting and work that can be done with basic tools like a hammer, screwdriver and painted hand saw.

Custom Copper [collars]

Requests come in all the time when surrounded by creative individuals. And this was going to be a pricey one, commodities always fluctuate in cost and ever changing with supply and demand needs. Copper pipe is on the up-tick of late, but I put a holding 30 day quote prior to install and got a local plumbing supply company to commit to $6.12 per foot, 1-1/2″ …. 1/8″ walled copper plumbing tubing. Our usage for this copper tubing, in such, was for fence and redwood deck railing.

The spacing needed to suffice local codes and also required a rather tricky custom fastening collar attachment with like metal screws to be compatible [ no electrolysis] and endure the harsh coastal climate on the west coast. With 6×6 posts carrying all burden, sealed with an oil base primer before inserting into our posts holes, and a 2×8 rough douglas fir cap, we obtain a unique and stylish alternative to the common everyday barrier. We used a fine hand saw on some of the finish cuts for noise is often an issued in gated communities.

The custom collars had to have a base silver solder braised to an 1-1/2″ coupler and predrilled for our screws. We installed these after layout by using a Vix bit to relieve the extra stress on our fasteners and keep a clean machine like finish to the phillip’s heads. Our client became ecstatic when arriving home and seeing the finished product, while her real estate portfolio knowingly greatly improved by adding an outrageously avant-garde curb appeal.

Erecting a Garden Fence

Fencing might seem like a task suited more for professionals, but in truth it can be achieved by the average person with the right tools and a little elbow grease. You will need a post hole digger (or a shovel and a lot of elbow grease), a shovel, a wheelbarrow, a nail gun, a hand saw, a measuring tape, and a level. You will also need the supplies necessary for a wood fence, including wood posts, wood beams, wood slats, and concrete. The first step is to set the posts in concrete, which can take several days to dry. Space your post holes in specific intervals (often 6-8 feet), and then dig them out with the post hole digger (about 24 inches deep). Then place the posts in the holes and add the concrete, ensuring the posts are level.

When the concrete is dry, cut your wood beams and place them between your posts, ensuring they are level. Then begin placing the wood slats with nails from your Dewalt nail gun. Nail guns have different power and pressure levels, so be sure you're not driving in the nails too deep or not deep enough. When you're done, provided your measurements were correct, you'll have a great looking wood fence for your garden!

This Home is safe and Comfy

I love watching the show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and one of my favorite episodes was that of the house built for a deaf couple who had two kids, the youngest of which was blind and autistic. Each bedroom definitely catered to their extra-special needs, employing technology and child care expert to make the house safe and comfy for everyone.

The host's secret project was to create tool sheds for the dad, who works as a mechanic. The shed was filled with everything a mechanic and budding carpenter would need: drills, nuts and bolts, antique hand saws, everything. The father was overwhelmed, since he said it's been a long time since someone did something special for him. When their eldest boy saw his dad's tears, he knew he said thank you from his heart.

Steps to Cleaning a Hand Saw

Cleaning a hand saw isn't very difficult, although it is messy. Being prepared with the proper equipment and selecting a place with good ventilation will help make the job easier.

Next, for cleaning your hand saw, gather the following materials:

o A thin-bladed screwdriver (only needed if you are removing the handle)

o Mineral spirits

o A razor blade with a safe razor blade holder

o Silicon carbide sandpaper

o Boiled linseed oil

o Steel wool

o Paper towels

o Rags

o Paste wax

o Protective gloves

CAUTION: This is a very important safety issue. Mineral spirits, boiled linseed oil, paper towels and rags make a dangerous combination that can spontaneously combust if left unattended in a pile. Proper precautions should be taken to dispose of these items after use. Rags soaked in linseed oil should be laid out flat outdoors away from any structures to dry. When completely dry, they may be put in the trash. Store rags soaked in mineral spirits in a plastic bag away from all structures until dry before disposing of them. Do not use mineral spirits near an open flame, as the vapor can catch fire. Even the pilot light on your furnace or hot water heater may be enough to ignite the vapors. Mineral spirits can also cause nerve damage if used for a prolonged period or in a confined space. Make sure you have good ventilation and that you are not using the mineral spirits for long periods of time. If you don't feel comfortable working with these hazardous materials, you may want to hire this job out. Safety first!

Now we're ready to begin.

If you need to remove the handle, use a proper-fitting screwdriver. Be sure to place the screws somewhere secure where they won't get misplaced. If the saw is very rusty, it may take a bit of effort to pull off the handle.

Once you've removed the handle, place the saw blade on a board or other flat surface. Use the razor blade to scrape off rust, dirt, wax or other crud that has built up on the surface. Work from the handle end towards the tip of the saw. Repeat the process on the other side.

Now that any loose debris has been removed apply a small amount of mineral spirits to the saw blade. Take a small square of the silicon carbide sandpaper and apply it to the blade using the mineral spirits as a lubricant. Move the sandpaper along the length of the blade, not back and forth from the teeth to the back. When you're done, wipe off any excess spirits with paper towels. Repeat on the other side then set the blade aside to dry.

Use the razor to scrape any build-up off of the handle. Finish with steel wool. If the handle looks dry, use a rag to apply a small amount of boiled linseed oil. Make sure all surfaces are well-coated. Remove any excess oil with a clean rag. The handle should be completely dry in a couple of days.

Wipe down the dry hand saw blade with a rag to remove any residue, and apply some paste wax with a clean rag to protect the blade from future rust. Let the wax dry for ten minutes, then buff off any excess. Reassemble the handle when it has fully dried.

Choose a Blade

Saw blades play an important role in the job related to wood working.The proper type and the use of the blades also determine the level of finesse the worker can command.In all the major lumber jobs,there are four categories of blades that are used frequently in various kinds of saws.The categories are determined on the basis of the features and functions that the blades do have.

The main function of the saw blade is to cut the wood and that too in a proper manner without spoiling the effect and the texture.Therefore it is necessary that the blades should be sharp and should have a non-corrosive touch so as not to get spoiled by the different elements present.

But before you decide upon a saw blade,there are certain things which need to be considered.It is always a good idea to be choosy when you want to buy a blade.After all it is this component of the saw which is going to cut your wood and give it the required shape and size.Any individual who has some basic knowledge about the various kinds of saw blades available in the market can do a bit of research and arrive at a logical conclusion.

There is no dearth of saws and their blades in the market depending on the quality and performance preferred by the customer.There is,in fact,an abundance of blades some of which are really cheap and some fine hand saws, which fall in the costlier category.

It is generally said that the number of teeth on the blade determine the finesse and quality of the cutting work.It has been found that if the blade has more number of teeth then the results are much better as compared to the blades which have lesser number of teeth. Blades are used to cut various objects,both metallic and non-metallic.And the strength of the blade is determined by the material that it is made up of.

There are generally four types of blades which are in popular use:

Rip Blade – A rip blade really does just that – rip apart the log that is being cut.A rip blade has a lesser number of teeth but takes lesser time to cut.On the downside,it doesn’t have a very clean finish.

Cross Cut Blade – Such kind of blades are used to cut all types of woods across the grains.The blade moves and cuts in alternate moves as its teeth are located in an alternate manner.The teeth cut into one direction first and then into the other side.It gives out a finished cut while moving.

Combination Blade – It is a fine mixture of both the rip and the cross cut blade.This kind of blade is in widespread use.The blade can consist of a minimum of 24 teeth or a maximum of 80 teeth.The main premise being the number of teeth determines the quality of cut.

Carbide Tipped Blade – These kinds of blades are more toughened and durable.They have a longer life and are most useful for cutting ferrous metals like steel and aluminum.

Depending on the kind of work you are doing,proper selection of a blade is an essential.Each blade is made with a different function in mind and if we do put up a wrong blade at a wrong place,then the whole activity is going to be adversely affected.

Hand saw honing

Honing steel

Sharpening straight edges (knives, chisels, etc.) by hand can be divided into phases. First the edge is sharpened with an abrasive sharpening stone, or a succession of increasingly fine stones, which shape the blade by removing material; the finer the abrasive the finer the finish. Then the edge may be stropped by polishing the edge with a fine abrasive such as rouge or tripoli on a piece of stout leather or canvas. The edge may be steeled or honed by passing the blade against a hard metal "steel" (which may be made of ceramic) which plastically deforms and straightens the material of the blade's edge which may have been rolled over irregularly in use, but not enough to need complete resharpening. Hand saws need care to keep an edge!

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