What did you do today?

[wtnhighlander]

7 minutes ago, legenddc said:

 

My plastic shoebox for plumbing is too small. Will need to pick up a toolbox for everything at some point. 

Be careful, DIY plumbing is a worse rabbit hole than wood turning, just not as much fun! 

[legenddc]

On 2/19/2023 at 9:16 AM, wtnhighlander said:

Be careful, DIY plumbing is a worse rabbit hole than wood turning, just not as much fun! 

I hope it doesn't get to that point. I know I have 2 other repairs to do at some point. Unfortunately one is in the kitchen ceiling and my drywall skills leave a TON to be desired so that might need to be hired out.

Right now I'm stuck trying to decide if I get into the Milwaukee Packout/Dewalt Toughsystem or just get a random cheap storage box or toolbox. 

[gee-dub]

On 2/19/2023 at 6:16 AM, wtnhighlander said:

Be careful, DIY plumbing is a worse rabbit hole than wood turning, just not as much fun! 

Amen.  Of all the things I can do versus what I want to do . . . painting, drywall, and plumbing are things I hire others to do.  Finding a 20-something that drywalls all week who wants to make some cash for a side job has sped up my projects more than once.  Same goes for plumbing and paiting

[Tom King]

I don't like sheetrock ceilings anyway.  This thread shows one of my answers for sheetrock ceilings.

 

[wtnhighlander]

No matter how many fittings and parts I have accumulated during 30+ years in this house, I have yet to tackle a plumbing job that didn't require at least 1 trip to the home center. Most, by far, require 2 trips. 

[Coop]

On 2/20/2023 at 8:17 PM, wtnhighlander said:

No matter how many fittings and parts I have accumulated during 30+ years in this house, I have yet to tackle a plumbing job that didn't require at least 1 trip to the home center. Most, by far, require 2 trips. 

I agree, and same applies to electrical, etc. And I have drawers full of multiple crap that I bought extra for, just in case. 

[Tom King]

On 2/20/2023 at 9:17 PM, wtnhighlander said:

No matter how many fittings and parts I have accumulated during 30+ years in this house, I have yet to tackle a plumbing job that didn't require at least 1 trip to the home center. Most, by far, require 2 trips. 

It's the same with pro's too.  I first decided to learn how to do everything about building a house myself the first day I had a plumber to show up to work on my first spec house.  I had waited days for him to show up.  It was in 1974.  He had been there about 15 minutes, and had to go to town to get a fitting.  Town is a half hour away.

I was paying him by the hour-$20 an hour, which was good money in 1974.  After he had been back and hooked up a few pieces, he had to stop and go back to town again to get something else.

I took the next set of night classes at the Community College, and also took the Electrical on the same evenings.  10 week classes two nights a week.  By then the calendar had changed to 1975, so I got my Plumbing and Electrical licenses in 1975, and never hired another sub contractor to this day.

I have quite an accumulation of plumbing parts and fittings after all that time, but the good thing is we now have a very well equipped Ace hardware less than ten minutes away.  I can't remember many plumbing fix jobs here that I didn't need to make a trip.

I still have to go get stuff, but I never again waited for someone to show up, or paid them for traveling back and forth.

[legenddc]

I'm liking that beadboard ceiling idea Tom. I'll have to show that to my wife. There would be a few seams in our kitchen but it might look good for that lower ceiling.

I'm thankful Home Depot is only 2.5 miles away. I somehow only needed one trip to the store which I'm chalking up to beginners luck. I did have the ball valves on hand from when we first moved in and eventually paid to have out shut off valves replaced. I was pretty ticked when they just used push to connect ones. I could have done that but wanted them done right.

[Tom King]

The boards/battens cover the seams, so none show.

The renters left yesterday, and the balusters came in, so I was able to finish up this morning.

 

[legenddc]

Railings look great Tom!

I looked at Home Depot and Lowes and there seems to be a large gap in portable toolboxes. A few super cheaply made plastic ones around $25 and then nothing until you hit the ~$60 mark for the Dewalt Tough System or Milwaukee Packout. I think I'll be buying a $12-$15 plastic storage tub since they're built better than the cheap toolboxes.

[Tom King]

I have over 140 of these.  Some 23" and some 28".  I started buying them in 2012 when they were $20 and $25.  I think they're about around $45 now, but I'm still buying them as the need arises.  I tested the first one with a pressure washer, and it didn't leak.

I have a few over a hundred of them in cubbies, so I can get to the one I want without unstacking, but I need to build some more cubbies when I build a bigger shop.

They're a bit overkill for plumbing tools, since they don't really need the waterproof protection, but I have my Plumbing tools in them to go along with all the others.

They do stack on top of each other if needed.  They're sold in Lowes, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, and my first ones came from Walmart.  They're sold with Stanley, Bostitch, Dewalt, and Craftsman names on them, with the only differences the color of the seals.

They also make the 28" version in another variation with wheels on one end, and a telescopic handle on the other end, but those take up exactly the same space as the regular 28" ones.  I have my heavy boxes, like "Pulling", on the bottom row of the cubbies so I can just roll them out.  The floor of the cubbies is 1/4" plywood so they can roll right in and out.

https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-023001W-23-Inch-Structural-Toolbox/dp/B002RT823E/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2ABG772SYVZ2&keywords=structural%2Bfoam%2Btoolbox&qid=1677090872&sprefix=structual%2Bfoam%2Btoolbox%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-2&th=1

[legenddc]

Thanks Tom. I have one similar to those for my Kreg jig. I don't think I paid more than $15 for it from Sears but it does lack the waterproofing. The ones I've seen in the stores look about as sturdy as my kid's mini-tool sets.

Zoro has the Dewalt version for $33 if you need any more: https://www.zoro.com/dewalt-23w-black-portable-tool-box-matte-dwst23001/i/G7719540/

[Tom King]

I catch the Dewalts on sale occasionally in Tractor Supply, and the Craftsman's in Lowes.  Home Depot had the large ones on wheels for 39.95 for several years.  I pulled one out of the back of those shelves not long ago still at that price.  I filled up four new large ones with HVAC stuff some months ago, and have several empties in waiting.

It's nice that I can pull out what I need when a job comes up that I only do every several years, like standing seam roofing, and everything I need is organized right there.

I just need more storage room, and to build more cubbies.  I bought a small vinyl cutter a half dozen years ago to put professional looking labels on them, but it's way down the to-do list, and I don't even have anywhere clear enough to set it up.  It would probably take a couple of days to change the labels on them.

These cubbies that the others are stacked on top of are 7' tall.

And when they get dirty, I can just hose them off.

Picture of what I started with when I realized I needed the cubbies.

 

 

 

[Mark J]

I have one of the wheeled versions of that tool box.  Great for when I take my tools to a class.

[treeslayer]

33” of snow so far this year, most melted, then last night an ice storm with 1/4” of ice or more, some limbs down but not bad, hopefully we’ll get out today at some point but temperatures are not going to be above freezing for a few days 

[Tom King]

The opposite here.  Starting out this morning at 68 degrees.  I'm going to have to wear shorts today, or I will get overheated wearing long pants to get any work done.  Looks like we won't have any more days below freezing during February.  I think we've had one so far. 

I think the horses are going to be grazing Bermuda grass before the end of the month.  Pastures are already starting to look a little greenish.

[Tom King]

Rebuilt a Woodford freezeproof yard hydrant this afternoon with a $23 kit from Amazon.  We need a couple more, and we had some that either had never been used for 42 years, or saw little use.  They were on a waterline that had been disconnected for decades.

The seals were bonded to the metal, and I had to use the tractor to pull it apart.  I was able to push out the remnants of the stopper stuck in the valve at the bottom with an Oak dowel without scarring the walls or seat of the valve.

The seal at the top was also bonded, but I was able to pick it out without damage too.

I polished up the valve cylinders and seats, greased all the moving parts, and this first one now works better than a new one.

This first one is a W34 that I thought I might have to discard.  The handle wouldn't move.  The other one is a Y34 that operates, so that one shouldn't be too bad.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008B6H28S?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Looks like the price went up a lot since I ordered that a couple of weeks ago.

If it hadn't been a Woodford, it would have gone on the scrap metal pile.

Plumbing wire brush is just cleaning up the threads.  It didn't touch the seal cylinder.

 

[legenddc]

Wednesday I got a text from my neighbor asking if I could make him a drawer front for their new kitchen he's putting in with Ikea cabinets. I managed to get it done for him with some scrap cherry after I screwed up on some scrap poplar. It’s the one right beneath the microwave.

This morning my son knocked another picture frame off the wall going up the stairs. Unfortunately it was one that I made and it didn't survive the 12 step tumble. I'll try to re-glue it but it wasn't the best to begin with. Cranking out some new picture frames (with splines!) is moving up on my list of things to do.

[legenddc]

Picked up one of the toolboxes suggested for only $15 just 1.5 miles away. Fits everything with room to spare. Maybe one day I’ll organize it some. 

[wtnhighlander]

I spent almost 6 hours, trying to get a DIY plumbing repair right in one shot. Took photos, measurements, made a sketch. Naturally, the home center didn't have one critical fitting, so I had to redesign on the fly, to use a different one. Got home, and carefully cut everything to fit. Only 30% of what I bought "just in case" went unused. Dry fit went smoothly:

Replaced all the drain, between the sinks and the trap. I even marked each connection so I could the angles back during glue up.

But glue complicates things. If I hadn't added the flexible tail pieces, it wouldn't have gone together, but finally it did. After letting the cement set, we started a "wet test". The new drains wrre all good, but the stinking garbage disposal chose that exact moment to start leaking through the motor. Arrgh! Yet another job that required TWO trips to the store...

[Coop]

Now that’s one complicated looking project and under the sink to boot! And after you close the cabinet doors and no one will ever know where those 6 hours were spent. 

[Mark J]

When people come over make sure you open the cabinet and brag  .

[legenddc]

Is this now plumbingtalkonline?!?

I’m confused looking at that picture. Do you have 3 sinks?

[Mark J]

16 minutes ago, legenddc said:

Do you have 3 sinks?

That is a thing.  Left and Right wash sinks and a small prep sink & disposal in the middle.

[wtnhighlander]

29 minutes ago, legenddc said:

Is this now plumbingtalkonline?!?

I’m confused looking at that picture. Do you have 3 sinks?

Yep, just like Mark said. Early 1990s vintage. Very handy, until you have to go 'behind the scenes'.

I thought I was in good shape, watching my weight, exercising daily, etc... but my late 50s body did NOT like being contorted into the shapes needed for that job. Ten minutes, cross-legged in the floor, and I could barely walk!

Getting older is almost as bad as plumbing.