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Steps to a cleaner Hand-Saw
Cleaning a hand saw isn’t very difficult, although it is messy. Being prepared with the proper equipment and selecting a place with good ventilation will help make the job easier.
All and any of your power tools need care as well, let’s get started on hand saws for now.
Next, for cleaning your hand saw, gather the following materials:
o A thin-bladed screwdriver (only needed if you are removing the handle)
o Mineral spirits
o A razor blade with a safe razor blade holder
o Silicon carbide sandpaper
o Boiled linseed oil
o Steel wool
o Paper towels
o Rags
o Paste wax
o Protective gloves
CAUTION: This is a very important safety issue. Mineral spirits, boiled linseed oil, paper towels and rags make a dangerous combination that can spontaneously combust if left unattended in a pile. Proper precautions should be taken to dispose of these items after use. Rags soaked in linseed oil should be laid out flat outdoors away from any structures to dry. When completely dry, they may be put in the trash. Store rags soaked in mineral spirits in a plastic bag away from all structures until dry before disposing of them. Do not use mineral spirits near an open flame, as the vapor can catch fire. Even the pilot light on your furnace or hot water heater may be enough to ignite the vapors. Mineral spirits can also cause nerve damage if used for a prolonged period or in a confined space. Make sure you have good ventilation and that you are not using the mineral spirits for long periods of time. If you don’t feel comfortable working with these hazardous materials, you may want to hire this job out. Safety first!
Now we’re ready to begin.
If you need to remove the handle, use a proper-fitting screwdriver. Be sure to place the screws somewhere secure where they won’t get misplaced. If the saw is very rusty, it may take a bit of effort to pull off the handle.
Once you’ve removed the handle, place the saw blade on a board or other flat surface. Use the razor blade to scrape off rust, dirt, wax or other crud that has built up on the surface. Work from the handle end towards the tip of the saw. Repeat the process on the other side.
Now that any loose debris has been removed apply a small amount of mineral spirits to the saw blade. Take a small square of the silicon carbide sandpaper and apply it to the blade using the mineral spirits as a lubricant. Move the sandpaper along the length of the blade, not back and forth from the teeth to the back. When you’re done, wipe off any excess spirits with paper towels. Repeat on the other side then set the blade aside to dry.
Use the razor to scrape any build-up off of the handle. Finish with steel wool. If the handle looks dry, use a rag to apply a small amount of boiled linseed oil. Make sure all surfaces are well-coated. Remove any excess oil with a clean rag. The handle should be completely dry in a couple of days.
Wipe down the dry hand saw blade with a rag to remove any residue, and apply some paste wax with a clean rag to protect the blade from future rust. Let the wax dry for ten minutes, then buff off any excess. Reassemble the handle when it has fully dried.
Hand Saw “teeth”
A hand saw is one of the more basic tools, so you may not have given much thought to the proper way to use one. However, like other hand and power tools, using proper form and technique with a hand saw is important for your safety as well as achieving your desired result.
First and foremost, reading the documentation packaged with the saw is advised. All hand saws are not the same, so following the recommendations from the manufacturer will help you both use the saw properly and protect yourself. Hand saws come in different types that are designed for various purposes, so be sure you are using the right kind of saw for the task at hand. For instance, some saws are designed to cut with the grain, while others are designed for cutting against the grain.
Ensure your saw blade is sharp and clean before you begin. The first step to using a hand saw - determining exactly where the cut will be made - begins before you pick up the saw. Create a line to guide your cut, double checking that your measurements and angles are correct. Also ensure that the surface to be cut is stable.
Start sawing slightly to the outside of the line to account for the width of the blade. Hold the saw such that your wrist, shoulder and the handle of the saw are lined up, and you are not sawing at an angle that feels unnatural. Professionals generally advise holding a hand saw with all of the fingers except the pointer, which should be straight and pointed in the direction of the cut. But, be sure to check the documentation to ensure that you are holding the saw according to recommendations. Remember that cutting should be done on the down stroke. Apply pressure to the saw as you push downward on the cut, but release pressure as you pull the saw back toward yourself. Getting into a steady rhythm as you saw will help you achieve the cleanest cut.
If you are inexperienced with hand saws, you may want to practice cutting on a scrap piece of wood before you move on to the real cut. It bears repeating that all saws are not the same, so be sure to read the documentation outlining the proper use of your fine hand saw.
Bath Tub Fixtures (WHY)
After a long day, one of the things you would be craving for is a warm long bath. A great bath tub can become your best friend at the end of the day. Many people upgrade their tubs with bath tub faucets to make it more delightful to use. Increasing the value of their largest investment, Real Estate. Nowadays, bath tub faucets come in all shapes and sizes so you have countless of options to choose from.
One of the newest things in this industry today is the touch faucet innovation. Some of the touch faucet brands in the market today are Delta and Kohler. The Delta 980T - SSSD is equipped with the latest Touch 20 technology and is one of the leading products in the market. The price of Delta touch sensor faucet in Amazon is $348. Listed at the original price of $585, you would be able to save around $40 when you purchase it in Amazon. It has a Pilar design which was inspired by technology and nature combined. It also features a Magnatite spray head to secure tight fit. Additionally, this product also boasts its Diamond Seal technology which utilizes an electronic valve along with a diamond coating, making it more durable and guaranteed to last a lifetime.
If you want a Zen-styled bathroom, a faucet Asian waterfall nickel sink would be the best way to go. You can find one in Amazon, like the model SV15, which is an oriental inspired bathroom sink and faucet that sells for $425. This product has marble sink which is handcrafted and a brushed nickel faucet finish. The sink is about 1″ thick and colored black and grey. The product includes a pop up drain and a limited lifetime warranty. Bath tub faucets with an Asian design will also go along well with a Zen inspired bathroom. Vintage themes are also popular. You can add vintage glass fixtures for bathroom or look for modern floor mount bathtub faucets if you want a contemporary, modern look.
For a modern styled bathroom, most people choose ceiling mount tub fillers or custom ceiling tub faucets with a contemporary sleek modern finish. This is one of the most unique kinds of bath tub faucets ever thought of. A bath faucet from ceiling mounts is a great statement of modern style. You can find the Kohler K922 CP ceiling mount bath filler at Amazon for $323.86. The product has a solid brass construction and a polished chrome finish for more durability and resistance to tarnish and corrosion. It has a 2 centimeter orifice and weighs about 5.6 lbs. This product can be used for dual purposes. Aside from filling your tub, it can also be used as a shower. The minimalist style is also the modern style so if you want this kind of bathroom, don’t overdo decorations and fixtures. Look for fittings that possess simplicity and clean finishes.
Bath tub faucets, no matter what design, should complement and match the overall look of your bathroom. Before buying a faucet that interests you, think about the kind of look you want to achieve first. Compare the different styles that you want and canvas on some of the things you need to buy. Remember, you don’t have to spend too much and hire a contractor or decorator for this. Just have in mind the right idea, and the great products to go along with it.
setting PreCast Concrete
Many variation of precast tiles can all be installed anywhere such as tile, precast fire place mantels or precast exterior window and door accents. Precast concrete steps or stairs, for instance are applied such as ceramic tile with thin set adhesives and grout. A masonry diamond grinder or skilsaw blade can cut with ease and prefit into place as a dry run.
Remove any loose or broken surface concrete or stucco to allow your precast concrete to bond as if its all one piece. After window was in place we also added some expanded wire for holding the grout and creating a bond reinforcement that wont crack. These precast stones need to be supported while the thin set dries for 24 hours. This is another fantastic way to accent the exterior finish for a better resale future value return on your investments.
Heating a Tile Floor
Tile over tile means exactly what it says, but in this case you’re going to sandwich a layer of radiant heating mats between the old and the new tile. Tile over tile is an easy way to avoid the mess associated with tearing up the old bathroom floor, but requires thorough planning.
Deflection:
Before you install a radiant heat mat over the old bathroom tile and install new tile over the mat, you should check the floor for deflection. This is the maximum amount the floor can move under the anticipated load (you). Ceramic tile is hard and will break or dislodge if the surface bends under the load. Here’s a simple test:
Stand in the middle of the bathroom floor and jump up and down. If the floor moves it has a deflection problem and is not a good candidate for tile over tile installation until you reinforce the sub-floor.
Avoid That Sinking Feeling:
Since you’re tiling over tile, you must plan in advance to avoid making the vanity, toilet and tub look like they’re “sinking” into the new floor.
Fortunately, many of the new radiant heating mats are no thicker than the depth of the mortar you would ordinarily apply for most tile installations. Combine this with a tile thickness of ¼ inch and the maximum elevation above the old floor would be only ½ inch.
One way to keep the bathroom fixtures from looking swallowed up by the new floor is to remove and reinstall the baseboard. Better yet, why not buy new baseboard tile to complement the new floor?
The raised height of the new floor will also require you to adjust the length of the door(s) and possibly install a new threshold.
Preparation:
Remove or re-attach broken tile pieces. If you remove them, wait until the floor has been sanded and thoroughly vacuumed before you fill the spaces with mortar.
If any of the tiles have checks wider than 1/8”, you should consider a crack isolation membrane. This membrane is a roll on product that you apply to the old tile. The membrane allows the new floor to move independently of the old.
Next, sand the old tile so the mortar has a good bonding surface. A belt sander would ensure a consistent bonding surface.
Please make sure you wear a face mask and safety glasses while sanding. The tiles may have been fired with toxic lead glaze.
After sanding, vacuum the tile and wipe down with an all purpose cleaner. Pay special attention to the areas untouched by the sander.
Installation:
Roll out the mats prefabricated to your specifications by the manufacturer. Some radiant systems, like Quickmat, are self-adhesive and require no mortar to secure them to the old tile floor.
If you’re re-tiling the only bathroom, keep a board and some scrap 2 x 4’s handy to protect the mats when the bathroom is being used.
Throughout the installation process, use a digital ohm meter to check the resistance of the heating mats. This will help you monitor the mats for short circuits.
Have your electrician connect the heating mats to the power source and install the thermostat. Depending on the local electrical inspection procedures, you might have to wait until the job is inspected before you start laying tile.
Trowel out the mortar over the mats. Some manufacturers recommend latex- modified or epoxy-modified mortar and grout instead of water-based multi-purpose adhesives. Mortar beds thicker than 3/8 inch should work fine for most systems; they just take slightly longer to heat up.
Since you won’t be covering the entire floor with heating mats, make sure the mortar applied over open areas, (under the toilet) is level with the mortar covered mats.
Don’t bang the trowel on the mat or heating wire to remove excess mortar from the trowel. This could sever the heating wire.
At this point, you would lay the tile. If you have no experience tiling, practice on your neighbor’s bathroom floor.
Fire It Up!
Your new radiant heated bathroom floor looks beautiful and you can’t wait to get warm feet. Go ahead, but only for 10 minutes. Don’t put the system into full operation until the mortar is fully cured. This can take up to four weeks. See why thorough planning is so important?
Is Cash King?
* The 4 market cycles that all free market economies
go through, how to recognize when we are moving into a new
cycle, and most importantly, how to get rich in the cycle we
are in and the coming cycle.
* Discover the 3 real estate niches, and learn how to utilize
all 3 niches to create long term wealth in real estate
* Long term wealth in real estate is not made flipping every
house you short sale. It is made owning real estate. And
owning real estate is simple and easy when you have the right
systems in place and learn how to do it. In fact, it is easier
than flipping a house to an end buyer.
* Why he believes Cash is not king, Cash Flow is. And he will
prove it to you.
* Learn how to safely and quickly remarket properties for
above market and have the buyer not even blink an eye… You’ll
even learn how to make the buyer completely ecstatic with the
deal and take care of the house like an owner would.
All this is possible in the real world once you understand how to leverage your tools for growth and nail down any future chances of getting an education in the market of a life time…….
diy crown moulding
Crown moulding is one of the lowest cost additions you can make to a home that has possibly the greatest impact and highest return on investment. The addition of decorative moulding enables you to transform any ordinary living space bringing it a new life, charm and elegance. The installation of crown moulding can certainly be a do it yourself type of improvement. However, if you’ve decided to take on your own crown moulding installation project there are some guides you should follow to make your job run smoother and avoid material waste.
First, find out what you need for materials.
You will need to determine what type of moulding and how much of it you will need to buy. You will need to measure and mark your walls for the best estimate on materials. Measure each individual wall and round up to the next foot. If any of your walls measure within a few inches of a length of moulding always buy the next size up just to be on the safe side.
Second - create a plan of attack.
We will be installing each piece of moulding in an ordered sequence, so we should do a quick sketch of the room, top view, as if we were looking down to see which wall we start with. Let’s make this a bit easier and start with the wall opposite the door and then number each wall going counterclockwise.
Let’s also set up our guides for installation on the walls. Hold a piece of moulding at each inside and outside corner to mark the position of the bottom edge. Use a chalk line stretched between the two opposite ends to mark the wall for your installation line. Also, locate and mark the position of studs and joists just below the installation line.
Third - install the first length.
Measure your starting wall and cut the first piece of moulding square at both ends using a miter saw. Then align the piece of moulding with your installation line and begin nailing 8d finish nails working from the center out. Make sure that your nails are centered in the moulding between top and bottom.
Fourth - cutting an inside corner joint.
For inside cuts we use a coped cut to ensure that the face of the moulding joins properly. Place the moulding on the saw with the ceiling edge against the table and the bottom edge against the saw fence. Make sure that the saw is set to a 45 degree angle. If you are coping a left side corner swing the saw to the left and right for the right side. You are doing it correctly if the long edge of the moulding is on the back.
To make sure that we will have a joint that fits tightly we will now cope the inside corner joint. Mark the face of the moulding with a pen on the very edge of the miter cut. Set your coping saw at a 5 degree angle and use the pen marked edge as your guide. Hold the piece in place on the wall to make sure your fit is tight.
Note: Before moving to the next step check to see what type of cut the other end of your moulding needs. If it is another inside corner take a measurement from the top edge of the number 1 piece that you have already installed to this corner. Mark the length of this measurement on your coped moulding and use your miter saw to make a square cut. You can now nail up that piece of moulding.
Fifth - cutting an outside corner joint.
To determine the length of your moulding piece if it ends on an outside corner cut two scrap pieces of moulding at opposite 45 degree angles. Join these pieces together and hold them in place at your outside corner. We can now take a measurement from the top edge of your installed starting piece to the edge of the corner piece you are holding in place. Use that length to cut your coped piece of moulding.
Sixth - The installation process
If the opposite end of your next piece of moulding ends on an inside that does not require a coped end, repeat the measuring and cutting you just did in order to but the outside corner joining end. Then measure and cut the opposite end to but the squared end against the wall. If the opposite end of your next piece of moulding does end in a corner that requires a coped cut repeat step four and complete your outside corner.
Lastly, you will work your way around the room in this same way. Cope your inside corners and miter your outside corners. Check your measurements and make your cuts. If you run into problems like excessively uneven walls, ceilings or ceiling heights due to your house settling or shifting consult a professional to avoid any unnecessary cost and aggravation.
DIY Xypex systems
The best is here and now, we use Xypex to waterproof from the positive or negative sides of block walls that have been painted and their products work like nothing else on the market. Read further that even the President agrees with this newer waterproofing method, who knows how much he may know about building and construction methods? But we know here at My-diy that its works, over and over ……….
Remarks by President Obama concerning:
“NEW CONCRETE MATERIALS THAT LAST LONGER AND ARE WATERPROOFED FROM THE INSIDE OUT...”
At a press conference on July 2nd, 2009 in the Rose Garden of The White House, President Obama, after meeting with CEOs from a number of “innovative energy companies”, spoke about a new clean energy economy and the importance of encouraging these companies’ efforts.
Based on his discussions with these CEOs, President Obama cited energy saving examples such as LED lighting and solar energy innovation. Most importantly, from our point of view, he also included comments about new concrete materials:
“New concrete materials that last longer and are waterproofed from the inside out, and that can mean that bridges and roads and buildings can last 20 or 30 years longer than using conventional concrete.”
His comment indeed represents support for integral concrete waterproofing as an alternative to traditional membrane or barrier systems, a challenge and opportunity that has been the very basis of the concept, design and development of Xypex crystalline technology. Xypex has, without doubt, led the way with integral concrete waterproofing in North America and, although The President did not endorse any particular product, we are very pleased that he is so clearly drawing attention to our type of technology and innovation.
D’Arcy Mainwaring
President
DIy flooring plwood
Throughout the USA building codes vary and new technology has changed with the times as much as green technology taking over in many facets. Flooring plywood remains fairly consistent though, 5/8″ sturdy floor tongue and groove plywood has been manufactured and used predominately with an adhesive and fasteners that create a silent floor sound covering used in second story home construction as well as mezzanine commercial truss construction. Standard 4×8 sheeting cdx, c grade ply laminated over and sandwiched between typically 5 ply fabrication with an exterior glue, [x is for exterior]. 3/4″ plywood can be used as well because structural engineers give tables noting minimum requirements. 
Often flooring plywood for an exterior deck for instance, that has a coated surface, could call for 1-1/8″ tongue and groove plywood, that is essentially unbendable and has superior strength and sound resonating abilities when applicable. Budgeting your costs and understanding the options on any home improvement project, will get you further down the planning and orchestrating road faster and more efficiently.
DIY Converting under Stair’s to Storage
In our busy lives of living, we all tend to accumulate too much stuff. Therefore storage is always a premium, and storing seasonal items or momentos or whatever we tend to deem, savable things, there is typically not enough usable space to go around. But in most instances under our staircases there is several extra square feet of area to convert into usable space.
![staircase [bookcase] storage](http://www.my-diy-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/thumbnail-21.jpg "staircase [bookcase] storage")
Be creative and succeed in utilizing the space that otherwise tends to go unused, storing and organizing cubicles make more cent’s than anything for the cost involed per the square foot price you will spend on your annual property taxes. A set of full height pullouts that will hide as well as allow easy access of almost any items you can dream of. The return on investment can prove to be advantageous too.
Many builders know how their clients are constantly asking about cabinet storage, well here is the DIY warrior’s greatest tool. The ability to think outside of the box!! And diy your way into the new rich lifestyle of real estate investing that has you thinking away instead of rotting away in front of the boob tube……