For those of you overseas, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%28shopping%29
We started out sharing an omelette at the Swinging Doors, our favorite pub: they had 50 dollar gift cards for 25 if you showed up at 7 for breakfast. So we’re getting 100.00 worth of dining out for 50.00.
We then went to Lowe’s, where we decided half price on big saws which mean accurate cuts for our home repair projects is a good thing. They were sold out of the 69.00 table saws, but honored the price via a desk order; so we got that; we were able to pick up a mitre saw for the same price (cuts at angles better than a table saw). And with that we can do the basement flooring ourselves, and redo a number of hated rubber baseboards, not to mention putting actual framing molding on the door we installed this summer. We also were able to replace our Dremel, which had gotten wet and rusted beyond electronic safety, for 30.00. And with that we can do a lot of little projects.
Doing some of the things we do with a little hand-held finishing saw is challenging on the one hand and not as accurate or as safe as a table saw with proper guides. So figuring our fingers are precious, we got equipment that can do a job in a proper way. [Yes, we do know about knotholes, boards bucking, wet wood, hidden nails and other surprises. We usually don’t work with re-used wood; and if we do, we’re really careful. Our dads taught us from way back, with homemade saw guides, etc, and no protective shields, so we know about careful!]
Anyway, we decided this would be worth it.
Have you considered a chop saw, which is more or less a big circular saw on a swiveling arm? You can set it to do anything from a 90 degree cut to a cut as shallow as 30 degrees. It will also cut boards up to 8″ wide, and makes short work of even 4x4s. I found it invaluable in cutting baseboard molding for DH’s shop floor. Wood laminate flooring from Costco rocks, but you need at least one square wall to make it work! Baseboard molding covered a multitude of sins.
I kind of lust after a chop saw but OSGuy has one which he will kindly lend us (with him) for a job big enough, and they’re the upper end of 300.00. The two 69.00 saws we got will about finish off our available work space on the wonderful garage work bench. I got a scroll saw for 50.00 at a garage sale; and these two new saws, a Skilsaw, jigsaw, a belt sander, cordless drill and a router, so we’re about good for the sort of thing that we do. WE figure that we save much more than the cost of the tools. And it also means if anything goes wrong, we fix it. Both of us grew up with dads who built sheds, houses, fences, and barns, and we just have this gut instinct to grab a saw or wrench and go for a repair. We don’t tend to work on cars, but small machines, and minor and fairly major wiring and plumbing, yes. We aren’t afraid of house wiring; and I’ve been an aquarium fancier since I was six, so water, pumps, and pipes do not daunt me. It’s nice to know how everything’s put together. Our one exception is going to be bathroom tile. We could do it. We just tell ourselves that that something that can possibly leak into inconvenient and mysterious places is a learning curve we’re otherwise too busy to fuss with.
I stayed home and hit Amazon.com. I have the deal where I get free shipping on certain items. Hard to beat shopping from a recliner with a laprobe on, a kitty asleep between my knees, another asleep on my chest, and a carafe of hot tea to hand. Besides I had to work this morning, it was raining, and I’m allergic to crowds.
Very glad you two got the saws and other parts at a bargain, and the good meals. I envy you being mechanically handy. Nice to know your presents are taken care of, something you both can enjoy for years.
No shopping, but perhaps next week. In all that’s been going on, I am not sure if a used pb got here or not. Looking forward to it, so I hope it is simply temporarily spatio-temporally, ah, transposed. 😉
I was asked if I thought I could deliver the memorial poem I’d written, and I think I can get through it OK. I’ve spoken and sung before groups before, but we’ll see if I’m up to it tomorrow. If not, the minister will, and she liked the poem a lot.
My cousin and his wife and two teenage kids came from Oklahoma. I didn’t think they’d all get to come. Somehow, I’d missed that both are now in high school. Only two more years and the older, daughter, will be in college and the younger, son, will be nearly there. The shy, quiet son is finally outgrowing some of that, good to see. The daughter, shy is not a problem. Both are fine teens and about to be very fine young adults. (Nooo, I’m not a bit partial.) But very glad to see good teens with a good upbringing and good education flourishing. (Nooo, I’m not a bit partial, nope….)
OOOOOHHH!!! You were brave to go out to shop. It sounds like your experiences were not the insanity that occurred in some areas. Sounds like you knew what you wanted/needed and went for it. 😉
BCS….thinking of you, how nice that you get to see family.
All I could think of as I read the post was that my friend Cindy wants a t-shirt that says “Woman with her own power tools”
You to also deserve such shirts.
Me I stayed home, cleaned the remains of the turkey and watched anime (Durarara!).
Made me think of the cable installer who came to hook up the satellite dish — all her tools had pink plastic handgrips so her male co-workers wouldn’t borrow them. You need “Toolbelt Diva” tee shirts. I notice the latest incarnation of Mike Holmes’ (Holmes on Homes)TV show has several women in the crew.
I ventured out to Lowe’s on Wednesday and bought a new washing machine after checking that the impressions I had gotten on my on-line research were indeed favorable. The price was for Wednesday through the weekend so I figured I got the Black Friday price. It helps that Lowe’s offers an additional ten percent discount for military ID holders on top of that. (hint to any of your readers). The machine isn’t in stock so I arranged for a delivery in a couple of weeks. This is the first time I can remember not buying a washer with a broken machine waiting at home (too expensive to repair; not good enough to care). I must say I really like getting a sale price on the machine I wanted rather than taking what was available for delivery in short order. ReadyGuy and I finished our Christmas shopping for son and daughter and his parents, and the washer was his big gift to me. Now I just have to find something for him. A set of tires for his car, just doesn’t quite meet my personal gift criteria for “personally relevant, and long term” as I know he is already thinking about trading the car for a new vehicle so he doesn’t enter retirement with a car about to go out of warranty…. I told him I’d buy him a Volkswagen, but I don’t think he wants to give up the Porsche. Oh the woes of a car fanatic’s spouse!
We thought Walmart too scary: in one area, I think in the south, security tased some guy that got out of hand, and in, I think, California, a woman shopper used pepper spray to clear the people in front of her so she could reach what she was after.
She has surrendered to police.
You have to wonder what goes through people’s heads. Did this seem like a good plan at the time? Did she imagine a scenario in which this was going to work well for her?
I swear, I do plausible aliens and have no trouble conceiving of an alien mindset with a few detours—but some of my own species do occasionally bewilder me.
The short answer is—some people are unfortunately without an ‘off’ switch for an idea once their adrenaline gets up. I personally think people above the age of 5 who do lack an off switch should not be allowed television, movies, phones, car keys, computers, phones, guns, grenades, knives, or metal scissors. In mediaeval villages, you just knew you didn’t want to agitate Gurtha. Now Gurtha drives and has pepper spray.
It’s tempting to say such humans haven’t evolved, but I think that might disrespect some fine simians.
Can’t understand some people’s thought processes (or unbelievable emotional outbursts) at times.
Some things *are* understandable. Others, what led to *that*? …And occasionally, I’d rather not know.
I am truly thankful there are good, kind, caring people out there. It’s rare enough to be remarkable, and worth keeping in touch.
I’m not sure what it is that makes other species occasionally more understandable than our own human species, but that ability to make that leap (to another human or to another “alien” creature) is very much needed.
Have you noticed a change in the way people drive in recent years? Speeding. Cutting corners. Inappropriate (ineffectual!) passing. A “Get the hell out of my way, I’ve got someplace to be!” attitude? Only instant gratification will do. Civility, q.v. Congress, has become something of a rarity.
Is it being a conservative old fuddy-duddy to wish for the good old days, if’n the “good old days” was the “Peace and Love” Sixties?
I can’t stop laughing . . . even though it is unfortunately true.
Our local Best Buy electronics store made the local television news out of Tucson. We’re 75 miles from Tucson. They stated that more than 700 people were in line when the store opened at 5 am. What they didn’t mention was that the number is close to 2% of the local area’s population. No numbers were posted for the WalMart, KMart, Home Depot, Lowe’s or PetsMart. Today (Saturday) is being promoted as “Buy Local” day, encouraging people to shop in their locally owned stores (not chains) and buy locally produced items if possible. The only things in this area that are locally produced are objets d’art with a rustic feel. Since my personal taste runs to contemporary and Japanese, “it just ain’t happenin’.” The last thing I need is another chatchki that needs to be dusted. Maybe the Quilter’s Guild will have someplace mats, or table runners that aren’t too obnoxious. I still have to plan my trips carefully, as the cyborg knee still requires some pampering so as not to ache half way through my outings. I still can’t go to every aisle in Lowe’s or walk around our forty-store Mall without taking pain meds at the end of the trip. Support your local merchants if you can!
I am a firm believer in power tools! Being able to fix things without having to give up a day of work waiting for repair persons in invaluable…and you get the satisfaction of a job well done. As I get older, I also appreciate the electrically powered tools. I have a battery powered drill but it gets really heavy and just doesn’t have the oomph of the electrical one! My brother was amazed at my tool collection when he came to help me re-roof the house this summer – but he did make me buy a better quality circular saw given the amount of cuts needed for the OSB. And it’s wonderful not having to worry about the roof leaking and knowing the roof has adequate support and that the next replacement will not be on my watch.
Yes, you have to be careful but my dad, too, taught me well.
But Christmas gifts that anticipate lots of work ahead?? You are brave!
Well, beats tackling a job where I started, with a fragment of broken hacksaw blade wrapped in old rag to protect my hand (age 6) as I worked to make a hobby horse. My dad took pity on me and gave me access to some of his tools; then he gave me my own pocket knife, my own screwdriver, and a hammer, and he told me I could use the hacksaw or coping saw, but not if I broke blades. So I didn’t.
Power tools came later. And using the table saw not until I was nearly adult. But I do appreciate his caution: I never injured myself. Got whacked in the forehead when a board bucked only once, and not too badly, because I saw it coming. 😉 Dad’s maxim was, re the heavy tools: wear your goggles, always know which way you’re going to jump back if it ever ‘splodes, and make sure you’ve got enough clear floor to do that: nevah-evah work with some obstacle behind your foot. There were times I did jump, but never that I hurt myself.
I pay attention to that.
Recently, the worst things that happened were losing my balance on the step ladder, and deciding that jumping rather than falling gave me the best chance of a controlled landing (it worked). That and trying to strip insulation off the wire to redo the 3-way switch, and gouging my finger a good one. The a/c replacement was a lot of hoisting, heaving and cussing (measure twice, cut once does not work when the listed dimensions on the box aren’t the same as the actual unit; we had to rebuild the supports and overhead opening) but the new one is in place and functional!
Perhaps fifteen or so years ago now, I helped my dad tile a floor, the grout and ceramic tiles much like you’d use for a bathroom or kitchen floor, wall, or sink. I am going to get a book on tiling, to refresh my memory, since I was only helping out. But it impressed me as simple: Get and mix up the grout/putty or tile cement, spread this with a toothed spatula-like tool in a layer like icing or frosting a cake or buttering toast. Lay down tiles from one edge across to the opposite edge and press to seat and express bubbles. Be certain there’s just a bit of room, the typically seen amount, between each tile, and that it’s even and squares up. Continue laying down tiles until done. Quickly wipe up any strayed grout so it doesn’t set up on the tiles. Wipe down with a damp or wet cloth so you don’t leave a sheen of grout, but instead have a clean, shiny tile surface. Let set up for 24 to 48 hours. I’m not great with handyman or mechanical projects, but that seems doable, even to me. I think you and Jane would ace it, no problems, with only a bit of experience. Maybe try a sample area first, with some old tiles on a board or cement surface? The floor we did had been stripped to the bare cement and washed so it was clean and smooth, ready for the tile. I am not sure, but I think my parents did the tile floors themselves, in the house I grew up in. I know they finished (stained and varnished) cabinetry and furniture in that house themselves. My dad grew up a farmer and my mom liked crafts and was a professional artist, so they made a good team on things. I wish I’d inherited more natural skill on that. — I want to practice on a piece I can afford to mess up or redo, to learn how to refinish a couple of pieces of good furniture.
Tile really ain’t that hard, but it requires meticulosity 😉 Back in ’03 I got determined and did a hallway/utility room/half bath downstairs with my Dad’s help, just to get dialed in, then did two full baths upstairs, with shower enclosures, all by my lonesome. There are a few things I’d do a bit differently if I was about to begin again (NB: if you’re gonna swap out the tub, do it BEFORE the tile work!), but it all still stands the “tub test”–I can lie back in the suds, 8 years later, and still enjoy looking at the results.
Maybe what’s needed is a “fan workday” or three at CJ’s house…
Whaddya say, y’all?
Just wait until you get a compressor. My girl friend now can’t imagine life without one. In fact she wants me to pipe the house for air.
Phil Brown
Why sweep when you can just put a nozzle on the compressor and blow everything into one convenient corner? 😉
Lol! Where I need that, is the old driveway/patio in the back yard.
Lol—if’n people who really know tile wanted to show up we’d feed them endless pizza and chili size. 😉
If this were a floor, I’d be inclined to try it, but this is a wall in the tub enclosure, and involves natural stone tile, if we get the one we’d like to have, a mix of large and small tile, in shades of white. Plus we need to replace the wallboard, which totally dissolved behind the tile. We know to get that concrete wallboard, and that doesn’t scare us; but making these heavy stone 12x tiles stay put while we organize the grouting—and also making sure it’s waterproof—that’s scary.
I presume you’re talking about three walls, two corner junctions. The thing to fear in any house is that the walls and corners are not plumb and true. That’s what costs tile setters their hair. Generally one can bet money with some confidence they’re not!
Waterproofing is easy. Use a membrane over the backer board and under the tile. Use spacers for the grout lines until the medium set dries.
Phil Brown
There is a special type of backerboard you use too, not standard drywall. I believe it is called either blue board or green board but do not take my word/name for it.
To familiarize yourself with techniques and concepts, whether or not you do it yourself, I suggest my favorite magazine: Fine Homebuilding. They have a number of articles through the years on bathroom wall tiling and plenty of tiling in general. I’ve been reading it since the early ’90’s and subscribing to it (well, actually, my uncle gets me a subscription as a gift) not because I do any form of construction but because I love to mentally design homes in my mind to fall asleep at night unless I come up with a really cool design where the plumbing all stacks well, sight and air flow lines work, etc.: then I lie awake for hours playing with house design in my mind. Fine Homebuilding is fine fantasy reading for me with this lovely undercurrent of reality. It should be available at a decent library. I also just saw they will release a CD in a few weeks with all 30 years of issues up through this December but don’t know the price. If not outrageous, I may pick it up so that I can free up my distinctly finite bookcase space for some of the books piled about the house. (I’m not allowed to subscribe to National Geographic because of its cumulative shelf-space challenges too).
The cement board is Hardibacker, the water resistant sheetrock used to be green now it’s purple…I don’t know why. I just deliver it I don’t do the skilled labor part. My dad could do anything but the handyman gene skipped me so when I need help I have to call my son.
Go power tools. I really enjoy using the power saws and it’s about the only bit of DIY that I do enjoy. OtherHalf is very keen on the Dremmel, extremely useful for all those little fiddly jobs that take ages by hand but are normally too small/intricate to get a powered tool to.
My Dremel was indispensable when I started finding bits of trim that were termite-riddled and needed to be replaced. I used it to zip around the parts that needed to be cut out, and behead the nails that couldn’t easily be pounded in or extracted. Diamond cutting wheels FTW.
We haven’t used our Dremel near enough. I think I would like it if I got to using it. I always wanted to work in wood—and then turned out allergic to wood, even without touching it. Especially oak. Once sealed it’s ok, no problem: but raw wood, especially freshly cut—bad news.
Speaking of gifts . . .
Russ got me an end of NaNo/Early Christmas present that will be here early next week:
http://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Weather-WS-1080-Wireless-Logging/dp/B003E7H5HW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_asp_rSfoC.0CP38WM_tt
Is that cool or what? I may not be able to get it set up right away becasue we think the base will have to go on top of the house next door. Russ will be here at the end of December, though, so if the weather doesn’t look bad, maybe then.
I can’t wait!
Oh and NaNo? Over 200,000 words. I had fun!
Neat—and useful, too.
I wish I had 200,00 words!
I love weather-related stuff. You’d think Russ knew me or something, right? (grin)
The 200k is in the form of two short first draft novels (my first drafts are often short — just kind of expanded outlines, really), one novella and one short story related to the last novel. So it’s not like they’re good 200k words, but they are good basic stories, including the first draft of Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper which is going to be just fun to work with now. (I’m actually at 202k, and it will go up a bit more still.)
Writing makes me happy.