Do it yourself

Quote: Face

So you end up like the one above. Pull the wires away from each other and the splice pops straight up, .

Thats what happened to my lamp/fuse fiasco. I wired
a plug onto the cord years ago and it came undone
and shorted out eventually. A proud moment..

Quote: Face

Quote: petroglyph

Quote: Face

That image appears to be a "mirror" image. The connection appears to have recently been encased in a "wire nut", which twist to the right. I don't usually see the conductors wrapped cc.

Probably, but it's the closest I could find that sort of showed what I meant.

Many people, myself totally included, cross the wires like the beginning of the Western Union, but just twist them up around the "ends" of the wire instead of around the "line" of the wire. So you end up like the one above. Pull the wires away from each other and the splice pops straight up, perpendicular to the way the line is lying. Which, if you're trying to get a good seal with tapes and shrink tubes, is garbage.

The WU will lie flat in line with the wire. Now your seals and tubes and tape should go on much smoother and give the perfect seal.

No argument from me. I just thought I noticed something which had nothing to do with the connection but the photo. I have no clue if it is true, just shooting the stuff with da boys.

It is amazing how much info about fixing things is available on youtube.

Quote: Face

To a point lol. I get what you're saying, but I can't help but argue. Some of the stuff I use makes Harbor Freight look like a Swiss watch. Just god awful. It's always a joy when I can dip into my really old stuff, much of which was handed down from my great grandpa. I just today used a drill bit that ain't been honed since The War, and it went through that poplar leg like a light sabre.

Sounds more like you are agreeing than arguing. You know your craft and didn't need the newest bestest from THD to do it. I like using old stuff as well, I have not one but two of those classic B&D circular saws that I think ever guy in the USA used to own as hand-me downs. Some other stuff as well, though I have to go thru it as I stock those shelves because some of my grandfather's and other stuff is just near falling apart.

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Do you ever! But I've found, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, that whatever irritation you find doing things "Marco Solo" is given back to you two-fold in pride when you're done and can say "I did that whole thing all by myself" =)

No correction, you are right. And nicer to work when you can quietly learn from your mistake than discuss it with someone else. Just that the some of the job was a tad tough alone. OTOH as I said, I see now that two jigs would have made the job so much smoother. If I ever get a "contract" to build more for someone I will make such jigs and really look cool! Now all I need to do is find a lonely nurse or school teacher who needs shelves in a basement.......

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Went to Lowe's today just (JUST!) to get some $2 gliders to finish off the table. Left with the gliders... and a belt sander.

I won't need it again for ten years. But when I need it, I freaking need it =)

You are getting me started. The belt sander I can borrow. But I keep thinking about taking the pallet I have lying around and get a few more and make a new coffee table (mine has kind of had it) or desk in the new "bar height" style for my office nook. Then that gets me to thinking if I could make some kitchen cabinet door "facelifters" in a rustic style from pallet wood for either sale or if I buy a house to remodel.

That would require a planer, too silly to buy but the local Tech Shop might have it. I could spend all day there. But while there I would see all the other cool stuff and make more ideas. I think that place even has a 3D printer.

Face, thank you.

That was basically my thoughts. I was planning the liquid electrical tape followed by regular electric tape and then three seperate shrink tubes. I was also considering casing it in acrylic but that seemed like a pain in the butt. Besides, I am a gambler.

Is there a way to check for live current in the pool using common tools, (e.g., the "free" Harbor Freight Tools amp meter)? It could save someone a trip to the ER.

Quote: AZDuffman

You are getting me started. The belt sander I can borrow. But I keep thinking about taking the pallet I have lying around and get a few more and make a new coffee table (mine has kind of had it) or desk in the new "bar height" style for my office nook. Then that gets me to thinking if I could make some kitchen cabinet door "facelifters" in a rustic style from pallet wood for either sale or if I buy a house to remodel.

That would require a planer, too silly to buy but the local Tech Shop might have it. I could spend all day there. But while there I would see all the other cool stuff and make more ideas. I think that place even has a 3D printer.

It's sort of viewed as a "girl thing", but man... Pinterest. It's not a true DIY in that it rarely if ever provides schematics, blueprints, or directions. Mostly, it's just a showcase for finished products (AFAIK). But to get mental juices flowing, it is a veritable treasure trove of ideas. If you have a bit of skill and the mind to look and mentally pull the pieces apart to see how it's made, you will never want for another idea again. The amount of furniture you can make out of pallets alone boggles the mind, and I certainly plan on acquiring a set eventually. Some of it would even look right in a modern home with hard surfaces, but if you're a little more country, you could live in a castle of pallet furniture that looks like thousand dollar hand crafted pieces yet cost you under $100. Check it out if you haven't. You'll drive yourself batty with ideas =)

Quote: DRich

Face, thank you.

That was basically my thoughts. I was planning the liquid electrical tape followed by regular electric tape and then three seperate shrink tubes. I was also considering casing it in acrylic but that seemed like a pain in the butt. Besides, I am a gambler.

Don't thank me until the kids make it back out. Or, if you used the in-law substitution, I guess I can't go wrong and will accept the thanks with pleasure ;)

Just know that I would never trust a shrink tube to be waterproof, especially on a wire that flexes, as yours will when you remove and replace the light. Use them, surely. They will help. But between the liquid tape and actual tape, I'd put the shrink tube on the list as the least effective and reliable at keeping water out. Of course, I've never used the waterproof variety. But anything that changes with heat usually changes in composition and gets kind of hard. If your wire flexes and the tube doesn't, water goes in.

Quote: Face

It's sort of viewed as a "girl thing", but man... Pinterest. It's not a true DIY in that it rarely if ever provides schematics, blueprints, or directions. Mostly, it's just a showcase for finished products (AFAIK). But to get mental juices flowing, it is a veritable treasure trove of ideas. If you have a bit of skill and the mind to look and mentally pull the pieces apart to see how it's made, you will never want for another idea again. The amount of furniture you can make out of pallets alone boggles the mind, and I certainly plan on acquiring a set eventually. Some of it would even look right in a modern home with hard surfaces, but if you're a little more country, you could live in a castle of pallet furniture that looks like thousand dollar hand crafted pieces yet cost you under $100. Check it out if you haven't. You'll drive yourself batty with ideas =)

I have room to maneuver, someone emailed me and said they saw the shelves online and because I did it alone I will be getting an upgraded man card!

Being serious, haven't seen that site but saw some other pallet sites. Batty yes. Was going to just make a planter but I may have more than enough of those from the lath I ripped down when I gutted the kitchen and bathroom in the house. The desk idea I got from IKEA when I saw a "high" desk there. A small trend in office work seems to be get you sitting high like you are at a bar. I have a nice enough desk now, but it is not working great with how computers changed since the people who gave it to me bought it.

It would be nice if I could eventually make and sell some pallet stuff. Not a ton, but a deuce and a half a month would make me very happy. Gotta find some enviroyuppies.

Another crazy part of this phase in my life is I actually looked at and when I replace the car will again look at pickup trucks! Had one once because I got it cheap, actually made a profit when I sold her. Please oh please let Ford bring the Ranger back.

This table is made from pallets.

Quote: Evenbob

This table is made from pallets.

Exactly what I was thinking! I'd have to learn to keep the legs square, the rest I could figure out.

Even stuff like this. You don't even have to disassemble the pallet for the wood. Just use the pallet as it, sand it smooth, and toss a cushion on it. Boom. Done. Perfect for patio or pool side and wouldn't cost you but $20.



As far as the legs, my table came out way better than I first thought. My 3/8" off or whatever I thought it was was because the basement floor was heaved. I brought it upstairs onto my level kitchen floor, and even using raw wood over a span of 6', it was off by just 1/16". Barely wobbled. Those $2 gliders trimmed it right up.

Plus it's raw wood. If It's off a bit, just sand it down. Off a lot, just trim a bit. It gives it character =)