General Upgrades & Ideas

[Bo Diddley]

Nice work!

[Pelado]

Nice work!

Thanks (assuming you're directing that comment to me)!

[Bo Diddley]

Thanks (assuming you're directing that comment to me)!

I understand the confusion. I often sit and mumble to myself.

[Pelado]

I understand the confusion. I often sit and mumble to myself.

My understanding is that talking to yourself is completely normal. When you start answering yourself, that's when you have a problem.

[Bo Diddley]

My understanding is that talking to yourself is completely normal. When you start answering yourself, that's when you have a problem.

[Moliere]

Looks really nice! I love the detailed process write up.

[Pelado]

I've finished the leveling on the last slab, but only completed the mortise on one side before my daughter requested help packing for her Girls Camp trip tomorrow morning.

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This slab is thicker than the last slab, so I had to use taller rails than the 2x4s and 2x3s I used on the last slab. I tried a few different arrangements of 2x4s and 2x3s combined before switching to 2x4s and a couple of levels. After removing enough material, I was able to use just the 2x4s as the rails while routing out the mortise.

As I was showing the router sled setup to my wife the other day, she asked about where I'd procured the mat upon which the slab was resting. I answered with a suspicious-sounding "Why do you ask?"

It took her a few seconds to register that it is her yoga mat. I wanted something that would keep the slab in place without damaging the epoxy surface. Her yoga mat fit the bill, and I didn't feel too bad using it since she hadn't touched the mat for at least a couple of years.

If I'm going to do much more of this, I'll need to get a more powerful router and more purposeful router bits. The compact trim router can do the job, but each pass takes a while to complete since it's just a 1/2" diameter bit with a 1/4" shank. Additionally, each pass has to be relatively shallow so as not to bog down the machine.

[Moliere]

Umm, are you going to finish the story by telling us your wife’s reaction?

[Pelado]

Umm, are you going to finish the story by telling us your wife’s reaction?

I suppose.

She was not pleased, but in a playful way. Then she started scheming to get a yoga mat upgrade since this mat obviously can no longer be used for yoga or similar activities.

[Pelado]

A couple of the benches still had a fair amount of damaged/rotted material on one side that I determined still needed to be removed. I had been hoping that the epoxy would fill it in but it wasn't really working. That damaged material also produced a potential hazard in picking up those benches, and I want to avoid slivers and other inconveniences. So I took those slabs back out for another date with the angle grinder with flap disk. After I got them mostly smoothed out, I took them back in to the garage, vacuumed them off, lightly sanded them by hand with 220 grit paper, and then cleaned them with a moist rag and then with rubbing alcohol.

I was thinking to apply the polyurethane last night, but I was just not up for it. So I got up somewhat early this morning and sprayed them with poly using an airless HVLP handheld sprayer I picked up on special for $40 at Harbor Freight. It worked pretty well - so much better and faster than brushing it on. It dried quickly and I sprayed them again.

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The second coat also dried quickly, but I left it alone for a while before coming back to it and "sanding" the finish by hand with a brown paper bag. As I was doing that, I realized I'd forgotten to "sand" between polyurethane coats. Hopefully that doesn't become a problem.

After sanding, I buffed the flat surfaces by hand with a microfiber towel.

The benches are now surrounding the fire pit.

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[Bo Diddley]

Very cool, P-lad.

[Lost Student]

Very cool fire, P-lad.

FIFY

edit: I guess I can't paste in the fire emoji

[Pelado]

Very cool, P-lad.

FIFY

edit: I guess I can't paste in the fire emoji

Gracias. We were planning to use the benches to roast hot dogs and marshmallows on the 4th, but I was too busy barfing. I'm feeling better today, but still not 100%.

[BigPiney]

My wife wants a new garage door. She wanted that last year too. I suck.

So, this has been a long time coming, but I finally got a new garage door. The only one had started ripping in some panels years ago.

Finally ordered one months ago and because I am super cheap, pledged to do it all myself.

I removed the old one, had winding bars and prayed to not kill myself as I unwound the spring. 1 spring was already broken, so that was easy.

I installed the new door and track, but when I got to winding the new springs, even though it seemed balanced it just wouldn't work. So in desperation and frustration I texted a local guy last night to come finish up. 2 hours later he had put in some shims on the track and installed the opener. It works and just in time for my wife's birthday today. The guy was $350 cash, but worth it since he drove from an hour away, and the door actually works.

I was so close, but in the end it best to call in a professional.

[Copelius]

So, this has been a long time coming, but I finally got a new garage door. The only one had started ripping in some panels years ago.

Finally ordered one months ago and because I am super cheap, pledged to do it all myself.

I removed the old one, had winding bars and prayed to not kill myself as I unwound the spring. 1 spring was already broken, so that was easy.

I installed the new door and track, but when I got to winding the new springs, even though it seemed balanced it just wouldn't work. So in desperation and frustration I texted a local guy last night to come finish up. 2 hours later he had put in some shims on the track and installed the opener. It works and just in time for my wife's birthday today. The guy was $350 cash, but worth it since he drove from an hour away, and the door actually works.

I was so close, but in the end it best to call in a professional.

I am going to steal that story for when people talk about using online wills and trusts.