Weekend warrior & DIY home project pictures thread!

[Jon]

^ Exactly. It's like you need your own hardware store worth of parts to make sure you have the right part(s) for when something goes wrong.

And repairing and replacing is harder to do than building from scratch.
Why do you think I'm outside working on the lean-to/shed today versus crawling under the house running new AC lines.

[Crankshaft]

Ok so this is What i managed to get done today

This is what $217 worth of plumbing supplies look like
IMG_20170806_103901 by Jesus Gonzalez, on Flickr

This first elbow is to replace the 50ft 44 year old galvanized pipe above, instead of wasting time cutting the pipe i simply cut the PEX and added a new connection to the new piece
IMG_20170806_121130 by Jesus Gonzalez, on Flickr

In this picture you can see the "replacement piping" below in white which is only one pipe
IMG_20170806_120551 by Jesus Gonzalez, on Flickr

this whole webbing is where the work happens as i cannot replace the piping in the walls without removing the remodeled bathroom walls.
IMG_20170806_115712 by Jesus Gonzalez, on Flickr

I cut the first T section and replaced with PEX using stainless steel clamps on a brass fitting because i could not for my life find poly ones in 5 stores.
IMG_20170806_180331 by Jesus Gonzalez, on Flickr

Pex all the way to the wall piping
IMG_20170806_180335 by Jesus Gonzalez, on Flickr

All the way accross the attic to the piping leading to the garage, as you can see i have 1 main line to change.
IMG_20170806_180609 by Jesus Gonzalez, on Flickr

It was hot as balls up there today, we had to take 5 minute breaks every 30 minutes with me almost passing out once trying to blow the water out of the pipes(yes i know). My arms are itching up a storm due to the fiberglass, but on a positive note i got to spend the day with my pops and we watched Pale Rider afterwards, which is one of our favorites(Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson fans here).

[Jon]

Great job Jesus!
$200 worth of plumbing... yikes. A good portion of that is in the damn fittings and connectors, right? I'm just glad you took the time to take pictures to show off your handy work.

[Crankshaft]

It was $48 for 100ft of PEX, $60 for the crimp tool and the rest was nothing BUT the cost of fittings as them mother lovers are like $3 a piece or $9 for a pack of 5. Thanks Jon, I have had to learn how to do things in the last 3 years I have owned my home, god knows most of us barely get by without all the nonsense that breaks. I wish I had taken pictures of my fiberglass door install to show how to reinforce the door using 5 or 6 inch screws instead of the regular ones; I used them on the frame and hinges maybe not to stop break-ins but rather to at least slow them down.

[H311RA151N]

Nice thread. I oversee a crew of 6 who preform these tasks and others like it only in a slightly different setting. Some nice work here guys.

foamypirate, you have some real skills. I wish I could find someone as talented as you for my department.

[Jon]

Stuff I did this weekend...

Got the soffit material installed on the lean-to to stop wasps and yellow jackets from making homes in all the wonderful crevasses. And got most of the trim up too.


Also got the rolled roofing up, but did that last weekend.



And finally got around to working on the AC.
Line set inlet/outlet before (giant ass hole).


And after (inset sleeve with foam):

[cp[mike]]

Did some work on the house this weekend.

My water heater blew and flooded the hallway, so i installed a new one, this time including a new drip tray and a drain line. Added a doorstop (to keep the door from hitting the new control knob) and a fire extinguisher on the wall. Included one of those flow-stopping safety valves on the gas line, too.

This was my first time soldering copper pipes in many (10+?) years, and im pretty proud of the result! I replaced everything from the wall stubouts forward with a new shutoff valve, with no leaks or obnoxious solder drips. Just finished insulating all of the lines and valves that stick out.

The old one rusted out somewhere near the top of the tank, and the drain valve at the bottom was corroded shut. So the old heater weighed 400+ lbs still full as I carted it out on a hand truck, leaving it on the front yard to drain. That was the worst part!

[Jon]

Great job Mike! Looks like you hired a pro for the solder joints.
I looked at the pictures first and was wondering what that little white thing was on the line Good idea, will look into one when I replace ours.


Also reminded me I need to post the pictures of the AC install, had to fix a lot more than I wanted because of the asshat of an electrician that was hired to install the first unit...

[sonikaccord]

So...do you guys have an air compressor for this work? or just electric/power tools?

I was considering getting a compressor so I can start tackling some house projects

[Crankshaft]

So...do you guys have an air compressor for this work? or just electric/power tools?

I was considering getting a compressor so I can start tackling some house projects

A pancake or stacked compressor is perfect for braid nail guns and trim installation, maybe even nail guns given they have adequate flow. For bigger projects I would look at a bigger compressor, I have two impact guns that my small compressor will not operate well so I will be getting a 50gallon as soon as $$$ is right. For wood work I would say a mitter saw and circular saw are absolutely basic with a table saw being optional if you can swing the money. A quality angle grinder with quality blades are a life saver. Electric Sanders work well and whatever you do get a commercial grade drill as the cheaper ones are a waste of money.

[cp[mike]]

A pancake or stacked compressor is perfect for braid nail guns and trim installation, maybe even nail guns given they have adequate flow. For bigger projects I would look at a bigger compressor, I have two impact guns that my small compressor will not operate well so I will be getting a 50gallon as soon as $$$ is right. For wood work I would say a mitter saw and circular saw are absolutely basic with a table saw being optional if you can swing the money. A quality angle grinder with quality blades are a life saver. Electric Sanders work well and whatever you do get a commercial grade drill as the cheaper ones are a waste of money.

I ended up getting a 50gal tank when it was on sale through Sears, knowing it could come in handy for anything like nail guns, sanders, etc, but most importantly it runs all of my GARAGE TOOLS.

Personally I use electric for most other stuff. Circular saw, Miter saw, and I would recommend a small handheld Jig saw. Cheap electric angle grinder from HFT.

Great job Mike! Looks like you hired a pro for the solder joints.
I looked at the pictures first and was wondering what that little white thing was on the line Good idea, will look into one when I replace ours.

Thanks!
That white thing on the line is actually the paper label. The safety valve is attached to the shutoff ball valve, it's a small flow restrictor valve that if the gas line is broken loose and allowed to flow freely, the valve will snap shut. A small bit of safety to help cover the flexible gas line.

Also reminded me I need to post the pictures of the AC install, had to fix a lot more than I wanted because of the asshat of an electrician that was hired to install the first unit...

Do people find that this is common? I constantly hear stories about "not exactly what I would have done" and "I had to fix this and that" from people who hired out labor. This is why I like to do things myself when it comes to my own property. You know the old saying, If you want it done right.............

[Jon]

Mike, I thought the tag was one of those in-line deadweight safety valves.
It's common enough that I am finding things wrong that were done during the construction of the house... so yeah if you didn't build it yourself, there are probably hidden issues.


For an air compressor, I have a rolling Rolair that I've modified with a Manhattan tank to increase it's capacity, you can see it in the first picture I posted. It's able to run all of my nailguns (pin, brad, finish, siding, framing, and coil roof) with ease.
And like Mike and Jesus said, if you're planning on using a lot of shop tools, such as die grinder, impact tools, etc., then a high capacity (50gal+), high CFM (15+) compressor is the way to go.
Each style has it's purpose and usefulness. Never a bad idea to have both.


As for powertools, I'll tell you that I am a bit of a snob. I've had and used a lot of different power tools over the years and certain brands for certain tools are just better. For instance, Japanese made Hitachi framing nailers honestly can't be beat for performance and reliability.
For starting out, a power mitersaw is a must (unless you want to cut everything by hand using a miter box), a good 18 or 16 gauge nailer (for trim and light nailing), and a jigsaw. Those are enough to do most everything you'd want.

I keep collecting more and more tools because I'm constantly fixing or building something. Some get used more than others, but when you need that ONE specialty tool, it's really nice to know you have it.

[Crankshaft]

I have found myself buying more and more Dewalt items, my Mitter saw is a 70's model Dewalt that I purchased for $40 because of advise from an old timer and I love that thing; blades are also important when it comes to cutting, I also found the Dewalt 3 pack to be an unbeatable bargain for the quality they offer. I think only my sander is Makita, Porter Cable twin stack compressor and Craftsman hand tools because I grew up on them. My HF drill could not make holes on the bed of my truck when I tried to use it for that purpose, at that moment I decided I need I needed something more so I went with the tried and true models from local HD. Start slow though, you will find yourself collecting stuff and before you know it you will be thousands in but will get every single penny back when you need them; my $160 strut compressor has done 3 sets by now

[toycar]

I prefer bosche tools, you get what you pay for.

Worm drive saws are better in the circular saw conversation. I have a couple, but the rigid worm drive pwns my dewalt, ryobi or skill brand circular. My bigfoot circular is awesome but is primarily for cutting larger wood. Itll cut a 4x4 clean in one pass.

I run a pancake style compressor for home stuff. My 6 gallon bostich has worked out great for years. Easily enough power for a flooring gun or framing nailer. I use passload for the most part.


Air tools in the shop need way more flow.


Hitachi does make nice stuff. For entry level beginner low price tools, i think ryobis +1 line is alright. The battery finish nailer works nice, the battery impact was able to turn off my axle nuts and crank bolt.

For levels i only use empire. Very, very accurate. To the thousandth instead of the hundreth

Grinders are a dime a dozen. I have a Few and they all work about the same.

[sonikaccord]

I'm already invested in Ingersoll Rand power tools. Very nice, very easy to repair and easy to find deals on the Bay. I'm upset that they don't make jigsaws, palm sanders, etc. in their cordless line. A pneumatic die grinder would be nice to have, but I really don't need a large compressor for one tool.

It looks like a pancake is the best way to go!