Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT Nick's Two-Car Detached Vdub Garage

[nicholam77]

Let me know if you figure out how to remedy this. Mine looks identical.

Some of it usually fills in and greens up a bit. Sometimes I rake out some of the dead stuff and overseed. But beyond that I don't do anything to take care of it, like de-thatch, aerate, fertilize, or put chemicals. I assume it's just the price I pay for having an untreated lawn with minimal effort put into it.

---

I have some small projects going on in the background, but I'm really on the grind at work for the next few months, so it's looking like no big projects for a bit.

Hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day Weekend. I was at least able to get to Wisconsin for a few days.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Some of it usually fills in and greens up a bit. Sometimes I rake out some of the dead stuff and overseed. But beyond that I don't do anything to take care of it, like de-thatch, aerate, fertilize, or put chemicals. I assume it's just the price I pay for having an untreated lawn with minimal effort put into it.

Have you tried Dutch clover? It's resistant and persistent.

 

[jonshonda]

Some of it usually fills in and greens up a bit. Sometimes I rake out some of the dead stuff and overseed. But beyond that I don't do anything to take care of it, like de-thatch, aerate, fertilize, or put chemicals. I assume it's just the price I pay for having an untreated lawn with minimal effort put into it.

At one time in my life I had a nice yard...and then lot's of other things consumed the time and money spent on maintaining the lawn. Now finding the time just to mow it is difficult some weeks.

We've got two female yellow labs who help to ensure that the grass is never healthy, an abundance of oak trees that help to ensure the moss is always present and are constantly dropping sticks, and a couple hundred feet of dry stacked stone retaining wall that needs rebuilding and is the home for many a weed/creature.

 

[nicholam77]

It's been a long couple of weeks juggling work and home life.



But I do have some random updates to share.

We had a spell of terrible air quality from the Canadian wildfires (I guess this just happens every summer now?)



So I figured it was a good time to burn some scrap wood



I got the maple stump ground the rest of the way and tried again with grass seed.



@kaymccampbell from what I can tell we do have Dutch clover (unintentionally), and it's going to be a race between that and the grass to see who takes over and becomes champion.

After agonizing for a year about a rug to replace our IKEA rug in the basement (I literally looked at hundreds of rugs), my wife said she wanted to get the same one in our living room but a different color.

And I actually like it a lot. Sometimes I need someone to make a decision for me or it will never get done.

Old (always felt this was a bit of an assault on the eyeballs)



New



I've gotten back in the habit of buying coffee on my way to work as I've been in-office much more this year. Iced latte's are my thing, and in the cities here it costs a pretty penny. I'm embarrassed to even say.

We have an espresso machine at home, and even a separate grinder because my wife likes decaf beans in the main machine. But I've never been able to get the pressure right using the separate grinder. Well I finally read the instruction manual and figured out how to make a coarse adjustment on the burr itself, and now everything is right.




I figure the savings will allow me an extra Blu-ray or two a month, and still come out on top.

I had to work through a weekend, and of course our upstairs bathroom sink stopped draining and the usual plastic poker didn't do the trick. So I carved out a few hours to replace the trap.

Turns out I had installed an illegal S-trap when we first moved in, because the vanity shelf wouldn't accommodate the geometry of a P-trap. Current me wouldn't have done that, but I guess old me did didn't care.



Sorry if you are eating breakfast while reading this.



Pretty much solid sludge the whole way through.

So I bought a new P-trap kit and cut a hole in the vanity to make it work.




What a minute, that doesn't look great. Even though it's literally inside a cabinet and will be blocked from view by other totes and whatnot, I can do better.




There we go!

I cleaned out the wall drain a bit, too, and she's free flowin'!



This is getting long so I will save a few more things for the next post...

 

[bdbecker]

Lol... I guess we're sink buddies now! (I had to replace the drain basket on my kitchen sink last week.)

Regarding the rug, Wife struggles with making decisions like that as well. Paint colors, rugs, lamps... she gets so frustrated trying to find just the right thing. Now she gives me an idea of what she wants and tells me to pick something out. She seems content with the choices I've made so far. The paint scheme for the house is still the funniest one to me... I spent less than a minute picking out the colors and she absolutely loved how that turned out.

 

[sawduststeve]

Have you tried Dutch clover? It's resistant and persistent.

Nick, it’s a trap don’t fall for it, before you know it you’ll be mowing the stuff twice a week
No man has time for that.

 

[patlun]

That old rug have some charm, perfect for my old aunt. The new one is tasteful and looks nice with the furniture.

What a minute, that doesn't look great. Even though it's literally inside a cabinet and will be blocked from view by other totes and whatnot, I can do better.

Lol! How did we cope before 3D-printers?

 

[nicholam77]

Lol... I guess we're sink buddies now! (I had to replace the drain basket on my kitchen sink last week.)

I saw that... I am glad it didn't turn into a 3-tripper for me but I feel like that's often how plumbing projects often go

Regarding the rug, Wife struggles with making decisions like that as well. Paint colors, rugs, lamps... she gets so frustrated trying to find just the right thing. Now she gives me an idea of what she wants and tells me to pick something out. She seems content with the choices I've made so far. The paint scheme for the house is still the funniest one to me... I spent less than a minute picking out the colors and she absolutely loved how that turned out.

I empathize with your wife, haha. I cannot make snap decisions, and prefer to research things to death and mull over, usually for months. Blessing and a curse I guess. On one hand I'm much more likely to be happy with the thing and feel good about the money spent, but it takes more effort for sure.

Nick, it’s a trap don’t fall for it, before you know it you’ll be mowing the stuff twice a week
No man has time for that.

That old rug have some charm, perfect for my old aunt. The new one is tasteful and looks nice with the furniture.

Thanks, Patrik. The new rug is from Linie Design, Denmark, maybe you have heard of them. Not many of their rugs are easily available in the U.S. but I love their stuff. This is one of their more affordable options but it is a great rug, well-wearing, easy to vacuum, wool/cotton so no smell, lies flat, and fairly comfortable under foot.

Lol! How did we cope before 3D-printers?

I really do not know

 

[bdbecker]

...I cannot make snap decisions, and prefer to research things to death and mull over, usually for months. Blessing and a curse I guess. On one hand I'm much more likely to be happy with the thing and feel good about the money spent, but it takes more effort for sure...

I am the same way for the most part, at least when it comes to big decisions. The house color scheme was literally years in the making. I'd make mental notes as I'd be driving around town about what looked good and what didn't. When it came time to finally pick out the colors, I knew what I wanted well before I walked into the store.

One thing that I've gotten a lot better about is trusting my gut. If there is any doubt, there is no doubt - you either like something or you don't. You can eliminate a lot of options quickly if you stick to that. Sure, you can look around to see if there is something you like more, but more often than not I usually end up back at the first or second choice. The harder part is when you can't find something you like.

 

[nicholam77]

Back to the basement project for a minute. Yes, still the basement.

If you'll recall I left off trying to rebuild this little closet in the office side.



The next thing to do was make a door.

First, I had to clean as my FSD (Flat Surface Disease) had gotten out of control.





Between organizational chaos and other parts of the garage deteriorating, I am feeling the need for a tune up.

Insulation is falling down.



Baseboard is delaminating.



And the floor is so, so dirty.

I'm thinking I need to do an overhaul, finally paint the walls white, install a ceiling, and redo the insulation properly, replace the door, etc etc. Don't have the time or energy but it's on the list.

---

Anyways, once I got set up, I cut some 3/4" MDF to a door shape. Which for my opening involved some tapering. Fortunately the track saw excels at that.



I used some shims and marked based on the opening to get the fit.



For hinges I'm using Blum soft close. And this jig from FastCap to set the locations:



It has two indexing pins on the back that place the drill guides at the proper 37mm setback.



And then those same indexing pins fit in the holes you just drilled, and the protruding arm gives you a centerline to mark the hinge cup center on the door. (Holding the door up to it, not pictured).



And then consult my Blum overlay table and drill the hinge cups with 5mm setback for the full overlay hinges I got.




Then I screw the hinge plates in. Fun thing I got to do was order the hinge plates twice, because the first time I got them for #6 wood screws, not 6mm Euro screws. I had no idea there were options. For some reason I thought all Euro hinges would use the 5mm Euro System Holes.



Added this Blum 625 TBI PZ 2x100 driver to my order. Because it was cheap. And using a regular #2 Philips on these POZI drive screws probably would have ended in catastrophe. /s

And then the hinge cups.



I've always eyeballed the centers with a scratch awl, but I really should pick up a set of vix bits. I've done hinges and drawer slides enough times where it would be useful.

And it turned out ok.





Couldn't get a good picture but the door protrudes past the finished drywall a tiny bit in places. The wall is not flat I guess. Also, I set back the pine board that the hinges are mounted to by the door material thickness (3/4") assuming the door would lay flat. I feel like there's a *little* extra depth when closed, that I should have accounted for. As in mounted the pine board deeper and then used the hinge adjustments to flush it up.

Oh well, it's 'good enough'. I'm more interested in completion than perfection at the moment.

Now to take it off, paint it, and apply the baseboard.

 

[bdbecker]

Nice work on the door!

Not sure what your truss spacing is, but these might help with the insulation...

https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/insulation/insulation-accessories/robinson-tech-insulation-support-wire/1611761/p-1444421533522-c-5776.htm?exp=false

 

[Xti04]

I didnt realize until my recent Ikea island project the Blum makes all of Ikeas hinges. We were so happy with how all our stuff had turned out initially with our kitchen that we used Ikea again for our island project. When I was installing the doors on the island cabinets, I realized the hinges had been upgraded from our old cabinets which had external soft closers that clipped onto the hinge. Was worried initially that I had forgotten to pick up the soft closers, but was happy when I shut the door and it slowed down and closed perfectly.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

The door looks nice and clean with everything else.

I love Blum hardware. Unfortunately, you can't buy direct, but I live 20min away from the plant here in North Carolina.

 

[nicholam77]

Nice work on the door!

Not sure what your truss spacing is, but these might help with the insulation...

https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/insulation/insulation-accessories/robinson-tech-insulation-support-wire/1611761/p-1444421533522-c-5776.htm?exp=false

Thanks! And thanks for the link on the insulation supports. Didn't know those existed.

I don't have ridge or soffit vents so I think I'm not supposed to put the insulation up against the roof, but it would be a lot more work to drop it down and close off the 'ceiling'.

I didnt realize until my recent Ikea island project the Blum makes all of Ikeas hinges.

Interesting, I didn't know that either

The door looks nice and clean with everything else.

I love Blum hardware. Unfortunately, you can't buy direct, but I live 20min away from the plant here in North Carolina.

Thanks! I love Blum hardware, too. Sometimes their documentation makes my head spin, but at least it exists! Yeah that is too bad you can't just order it at the plant!

 

[nicholam77]

Sadly not much to report here. Work has been nuts this summer.



And it's been very rainy and stormy.



Which has been good for the gardens, but a bit of a bummer for getting outside since we're already halfway through June.

@kaymccampbell the clover is winning.



It turns out my little 3d printed shed experiment to hold my snow roof rake has failed.



The hooks that hold the rake itself (heaviest) got droopy and sagged and the rake fell down.

It does get super hot in the shed, like 90-100° F probably on a hot day. I like the storage idea so I may try to print some stronger ones, or *maybe* branch out beyond PLA. But unlikely since I don't want to spend $20+ plastic roll for a few little hooks.

Is it weird that I found a small black piece of plastic under the living room couch and immediately knew it belonged to my son's 911 GT3 RS hotwheels that's been missing for a year? The headlights are still smashed out but at least it's got the wing back, it's not a GT car without the giant wing!



He brought it with him to a local car show, which had a real GT3 RS, but that was not as cool because it's not lime green.



I've been continuing the Blu-Ray / movie collecting spree.





I'm up to 48 Blu-rays and 24 4k Blu-rays. I am now out of room in my TV console, so I may need to consider making some sort of storage cabinet.

Yesterday I had the kids help wash my car. First wash since a few months maybe?




The wheels got a couple shades lighter after washing off all the brake dust.



I tried to teach them the importance of not letting the wash mitts touch the ground, but here we are, 5min later, and my son is washing... literally the ground.




Being the crazed MFT workbench fanatic that I am, I ordered one of these bad boys from TrackTubes:

Should be out for delivery today. I don't have a vacuum pump, though, so not sure how immediately useful it will be.

I know it's not very substantive project-wise, but that's all I've got for now. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

One retired wash mitt, but at least it created a great picture and memory. The BBS are sparkling.

 

[Aladinsane07]

Did you make it through the storms / tornadoes unscathed? My neighbors lost a 100+ year old oak.

I could print those hooks at work and have them shipped over to you if you'd like. We have a couple printers dedicated to ultra high temp materials for weld fixturing and the like.

 

[bdbecker]

...I don't have ridge or soffit vents so I think I'm not supposed to put the insulation up against the roof, but it would be a lot more work to drop it down and close off the 'ceiling'...

Correct... condensation becomes an issue. However, if you install something like this these between the deck and insulation, you should be good. Basically a 'cathedral ceiling' approach where you maintain 1" gap between the deck and insulation.

ADO Products Durovent® 22" x 48" Polystyrene Attic Vent Chute

The Durovent® attic ventilation system helps keep air flowing in your attic. The ventilation system can be cut to fit most joist spaces and provides you with an economical way to meet energy code requirements for attic air flow. Install the system between rafters to provide an air channel...

www.menards.com

You can't get the same R-value as enclosing the ceiling and putting in nice thick batts, but it'd get you by for now.

Lol... my son has that same green GT3 RS Hot Wheels car. His is in a little better shape though.

EDIT:
There may be some venting that is needed with the cathedral ceiling approach, so do your homework if you decide to pursue it. I only briefly looked into it when I was researching how to insulate my garage. You are kind of in a gray area since your space is completely unconditioned and you are just using it to take the edge off.

 

[loganb]

Being the crazed MFT workbench fanatic that I am, I ordered one of these bad boys from TrackTubes:

Should be out for delivery today. I don't have a vacuum pump, though, so not sure how immediately useful it will be.

Good thing you do have an air compressor....

Infinity Tools Venturi Vacuum System

Turn your air compressor into a suction machine for vacuum applications

infinitytools.com

I've got the same venturi kit...still in box....oops!

I saw that MFT adapter and thought it was smart...encouraged me to maybe take a couple more steps on my thought on vacuum clamping....eventually

 

[Psiber]

I've been continuing the Blu-Ray / movie collecting spree.

Criterion collection 50% off through 7/27, just sayin.

 

[nicholam77]

One retired wash mitt, but at least it created a great picture and memory. The BBS are sparkling.

Yeah I gave him an old one on purpose, almost like I knew it would happen

Did you make it through the storms / tornadoes unscathed? My neighbors lost a 100+ year old oak.

Yeah, not much damage here, just a few small branches here and there. Too bad about the oak, always sad to lose a mature tree in the city. My zombie brain barely registered the tornado siren at 1am.

I could print those hooks at work and have them shipped over to you if you'd like. We have a couple printers dedicated to ultra high temp materials for weld fixturing and the like.

Sure! I'll send you a PM

Correct... condensation becomes an issue. However, if you install something like this these between the deck and insulation, you should be good. Basically a 'cathedral ceiling' approach where you maintain 1" gap between the deck and insulation.

ADO Products Durovent® 22" x 48" Polystyrene Attic Vent Chute

The Durovent® attic ventilation system helps keep air flowing in your attic. The ventilation system can be cut to fit most joist spaces and provides you with an economical way to meet energy code requirements for attic air flow. Install the system between rafters to provide an air channel...

www.menards.com

You can't get the same R-value as enclosing the ceiling and putting in nice thick batts, but it'd get you by for now.

Lol... my son has that same green GT3 RS Hot Wheels car. His is in a little better shape though.

EDIT:
There may be some venting that is needed with the cathedral ceiling approach, so do your homework if you decide to pursue it. I only briefly looked into it when I was researching how to insulate my garage. You are kind of in a gray area since your space is completely unconditioned and you are just using it to take the edge off.

Wow, I'm learning about all kinds of new products haha. Yeah, I was wondering how that would work with no vents, but honestly just spacing it off the roof an inch or two with the channel might help. I have noticed condensation. It's probably why they are falling down. Maybe if I leave an open area at the top of the gable and at the top of the wall, and use the channels. Like you said it's just to take the edge off, not expecting miracles but I have found it does help a bit.

Good thing you do have an air compressor....

Infinity Tools Venturi Vacuum System

Turn your air compressor into a suction machine for vacuum applications

infinitytools.com

I've got the same venturi kit...still in box....oops!

I saw that MFT adapter and thought it was smart...encouraged me to maybe take a couple more steps on my thought on vacuum clamping....eventually

Interesting option. Would you recommend that over a dedicated vacuum pump? I see I could get an oil-less 2-stage vacuum pump that's pretty compact for around the same money. I was thinking of mounting the pump on the back side of the MFT, hoping for something light and small vs the compressor which is probably to heavy to go in the MFT.

FYI I received the Vacu Dog and it seems like a nice piece of hardware.

Criterion collection 50% off through 7/27, just sayin.

I know... not even joking — I was browsing the sale just 20min ago. I will say even at 50% off, Criterion prices are a bit steep for me unless I really like the movie and it has true rewatch value. Most of my 4K pickups haven't breached $17-18. I appreciate what Criterion is and the quality they bring, and their library, but I feel like I need to figure out what I'm really doing here before going off the deep end. Personally I don't think 200 movies is ridiculous for a *complete* home collection, and even at Criterion 50% off that would be $5,000. Which seems absurd. I don't know if I'll ever get to that number, but I'm starting to feel the need to be more judicious about my pickups, or that most of them have to be under that $25 price point. Especially since I haven't actually watched that many of the ones I've purchased so far. Between streaming services (my wife even got me the Criterion streaming service for a year for my birthday), current releases in theaters, and limited time on my hands, sometimes I wonder if this whole thing is a fool's errand and I should stick to my original parameters of only rebuilding my childhood movies and obscure picks that can't be found on streaming.

That being said I am taking a good hard look at Criterion's The Princess Bride and No Country For Old Men 4K's.

Are you grabbing anything?

 

[Aladinsane07]

Sure! I'll send you a PM

Sounds good. Let me know

Interesting option. Would you recommend that over a dedicated vacuum pump? I see I could get an oil-less 2-stage vacuum pump that's pretty compact for around the same money. I was thinking of mounting the pump on the back side of the MFT, hoping for something light and small vs the compressor which is probably to heavy to go in the MFT.

I've used these venturi vacuums before and they're pretty neat. Does your Vacu Dog state a required vacuum level? Usually the limiting factor for these is the overall inHg they can provide. If not, there's tons available on Amazon for ~$10 that might be worth a shot, even just to have one less piece of equipment to store.

 

[nicholam77]

I've used these venturi vacuums before and they're pretty neat. Does your Vacu Dog state a required vacuum level? Usually the limiting factor for these is the overall inHg they can provide. If not, there's tons available on Amazon for ~$10 that might be worth a shot, even just to have one less piece of equipment to store.

It just says around 2 CFM, no idea how that relates to inHg. I still kind of like the idea of a dedicated pump mounted to the MFT cart, but if there's Venturi options for only 10 bucks I'll probably try that first. Any idea of those can be used with the foot pedal switch? That would be ideal but I can make compromises if the price is good. This is more an experiment than a necessity at this phase.

 

[kaymccampbell]

It just says around 2 CFM, no idea how that relates to inHg. I still kind of like the idea of a dedicated pump mounted to the MFT cart, but if there's Venturi options for only 10 bucks I'll probably try that first. Any idea of those can be used with the foot pedal switch? That would be ideal but I can make compromises if the price is good. This is more an experiment than a necessity at this phase.

You can use an air pedal to turn it on n off. If you're ambitious, you can strip the venturi down to it's bare bones and just put it right on the air pedal. Either way, you'll need a hose or two.

 

[loganb]

Any idea of those can be used with the foot pedal switch? That would be ideal but I can make compromises if the price is good. This is more an experiment than a necessity at this phase.

I've got this sitting on my bench right now...



I don't want to carbon date the dust...but Amazon says I ordered this guy:

Amazon.com: Oumefar Vacuum Generator Pneumatic Exhaust Air Ejector CV-15HS Vacuum Ejector Air Fitting Vacuum Suction Cup Pneumatic Exhaust Vacuum Generator : Industrial & Scientific

Buy Oumefar Vacuum Generator Pneumatic Exhaust Air Ejector CV-15HS Vacuum Ejector Air Fitting Vacuum Suction Cup Pneumatic Exhaust Vacuum Generator: Pneumatic Accessories - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

a.co

August of '23....glad I do a better job of using up groceries then I do project parts in the garage. I'm sure the foot pedal was around the same time

I have the grid/top for this printing right now:

Vacuum Clamp (fits Festool MFT) by Crafty Sven | Download free STL model | Printables.com

simple print suction clamp that requires compressor or vacuum pump to run | Download free 3D printable STL models

www.printables.com

Will try and get the base going before I head to work tomorrow....so in theory I could maybe play with it tomorrow night....theory is frequently limited to the lab and not applicable to real life though

The linked clamp pad shouldn't have a problem working, we used a very similar configuration at work on CNC pods to hold parts there. It's bigger then what I'm thinking I probably need and would like to be able to actually "embed" a couple of clamp pads into the top to be able to hold smaller parts easier. Spring loaded ball valves on the top side so it only "opens" for vacuum flow when a part is on the top....basically this setup:

Podz™ Vacuum Clamping Jigs for Benchtop Use

Podz are simple vacuum jigs designed to affordably clamp projects to your bench top using the power of your vacuum press.

www.veneersupplies.com

Just maybe smaller....or maybe I just buy it and use it as is and move on....but HDPE or UHMW are both very easy to work with and profile/cut/drill with tools we already own....oh the decisions

 

[Psiber]

Are you grabbing anything?

Just two, as you said they are pricey, I usually only buy during 50% off or used. Both in 4k, Brazil and 3&4 Musketeers. Brazil seems to be love it or hate it, it's one of my top ten and I had been anxiously awaiting this release. The Musketeer movies I have fond memories of from childhood in the 70s, haven't seen them since, but sounded like fun and the casts are amazing, plus my younger wife hasn't seen them.

I will probably pick up some 4k's during Amazon Prime days, there's usually something worth while.

 

[loganb]

I've got this sitting on my bench right now...



I don't want to carbon date the dust...but Amazon says I ordered this guy:

Amazon.com: Oumefar Vacuum Generator Pneumatic Exhaust Air Ejector CV-15HS Vacuum Ejector Air Fitting Vacuum Suction Cup Pneumatic Exhaust Vacuum Generator : Industrial & Scientific

Buy Oumefar Vacuum Generator Pneumatic Exhaust Air Ejector CV-15HS Vacuum Ejector Air Fitting Vacuum Suction Cup Pneumatic Exhaust Vacuum Generator: Pneumatic Accessories - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

a.co

August of '23....glad I do a better job of using up groceries then I do project parts in the garage. I'm sure the foot pedal was around the same time

I have the grid/top for this printing right now:

Vacuum Clamp (fits Festool MFT) by Crafty Sven | Download free STL model | Printables.com

simple print suction clamp that requires compressor or vacuum pump to run | Download free 3D printable STL models

www.printables.com

Will try and get the base going before I head to work tomorrow....so in theory I could maybe play with it tomorrow night....theory is frequently limited to the lab and not applicable to real life though

The linked clamp pad shouldn't have a problem working, we used a very similar configuration at work on CNC pods to hold parts there. It's bigger then what I'm thinking I probably need and would like to be able to actually "embed" a couple of clamp pads into the top to be able to hold smaller parts easier. Spring loaded ball valves on the top side so it only "opens" for vacuum flow when a part is on the top....basically this setup:

Podz™ Vacuum Clamping Jigs for Benchtop Use

Podz are simple vacuum jigs designed to affordably clamp projects to your bench top using the power of your vacuum press.

www.veneersupplies.com

Just maybe smaller....or maybe I just buy it and use it as is and move on....but HDPE or UHMW are both very easy to work with and profile/cut/drill with tools we already own....oh the decisions

Well that experiment didn't take much effort to establish a direction

Longer summary coming and a better head to head hopefully toward the end of the weekend...but I ordered a single stage vacuum pump in place of the venturi compressed air vacuum generator. Also ordered some HDPE to serve as the base pads, gasket material and a couple of quarter turn valves and maybe get something assembled over the likely too short and too infrequent long weekend naps punctuated by the ironic detonation of Chinese made Zippity Doo Dah's, Whistling Bungholes and fake Cherry Bombs to celebrate America

 

[nicholam77]

I don't want to carbon date the dust...but Amazon says I ordered this guy:

Amazon.com: Oumefar Vacuum Generator Pneumatic Exhaust Air Ejector CV-15HS Vacuum Ejector Air Fitting Vacuum Suction Cup Pneumatic Exhaust Vacuum Generator : Industrial & Scientific

Buy Oumefar Vacuum Generator Pneumatic Exhaust Air Ejector CV-15HS Vacuum Ejector Air Fitting Vacuum Suction Cup Pneumatic Exhaust Vacuum Generator: Pneumatic Accessories - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

a.co

August of '23....glad I do a better job of using up groceries then I do project parts in the garage. I'm sure the foot pedal was around the same time

I have the grid/top for this printing right now:

Vacuum Clamp (fits Festool MFT) by Crafty Sven | Download free STL model | Printables.com

simple print suction clamp that requires compressor or vacuum pump to run | Download free 3D printable STL models

www.printables.com

Will try and get the base going before I head to work tomorrow....so in theory I could maybe play with it tomorrow night....theory is frequently limited to the lab and not applicable to real life though

The linked clamp pad shouldn't have a problem working, we used a very similar configuration at work on CNC pods to hold parts there. It's bigger then what I'm thinking I probably need and would like to be able to actually "embed" a couple of clamp pads into the top to be able to hold smaller parts easier. Spring loaded ball valves on the top side so it only "opens" for vacuum flow when a part is on the top....basically this setup:

Podz™ Vacuum Clamping Jigs for Benchtop Use

Podz are simple vacuum jigs designed to affordably clamp projects to your bench top using the power of your vacuum press.

www.veneersupplies.com

Just maybe smaller....or maybe I just buy it and use it as is and move on....but HDPE or UHMW are both very easy to work with and profile/cut/drill with tools we already own....oh the decisions

Ha, nice. That 3d-printed base looks great, although I agree it could be on the large side for smaller parts. I thought the Vacu Dog product was unique how you can just leave it in the MFT or move it around, sits flush, can hold small or large parts. Flat to the table though... but I could make a raised base for it similar to the 3d printed one you linked as well.

Thanks for the links and please let me know what your end result / conclusion is! I haven't done anything on it yet.

Well that experiment didn't take much effort to establish a direction

Longer summary coming and a better head to head hopefully toward the end of the weekend...but I ordered a single stage vacuum pump in place of the venturi compressed air vacuum generator. Also ordered some HDPE to serve as the base pads, gasket material and a couple of quarter turn valves and maybe get something assembled over the likely too short and too infrequent long weekend naps punctuated by the ironic detonation of Chinese made Zippity Doo Dah's, Whistling Bungholes and fake Cherry Bombs to celebrate America

Interesting, curious which pump you got and why that over the venturi gizmo?

Just two, as you said they are pricey, I usually only buy during 50% off or used. Both in 4k, Brazil and 3&4 Musketeers. Brazil seems to be love it or hate it, it's one of my top ten and I had been anxiously awaiting this release. The Musketeer movies I have fond memories of from childhood in the 70s, haven't seen them since, but sounded like fun and the casts are amazing, plus my younger wife hasn't seen them.

I will probably pick up some 4k's during Amazon Prime days, there's usually something worth while.

Nice! Been a long time since I've seen either of those. Good memories of 3 Musketeers, but can't remember if Brazil was a love it or hate for me haha.

There were a handful I wanted from Criterion, but most of all The Princess Bride which went out of stock while I was waffling.

So I revenge purchased these on Prime Day



And I don't care what anyone says, I love Mission Impossible II.

But then Princess Bride came back in stock on the Amazon matchy-matchy sale a week later, so I ordered that, too.



Oopsie poopsie! More than I planned on, and would have rather given the money to Barnes & Noble but oh well.

 

[fouckhest]

Event Horizon! love that movie

 

[nicholam77]

Event Horizon! love that movie

Yeah, I'm looking forward to rewatching in 4K with Dolby Vision. Might save it for an October Halloween / Horror spree.

I just watched Danny Boyle's 'Sunshine' for the first time last night... a bit different than Event Horizon but you might like it if you like deep space / spaceship / sci-fi with a horror element.

---

So let's see what's been going on. Work still very busy but I've made it to the movie theater a few times late at night. Always think the theater parking ramp looks neat so I snapped a pic.



Over the 4th of July I took the kids solo to Wisconsin since my wife worked the holiday. I sent her this pic (and I'm sure she was SHOCKED!) that I could fit everything we need for 2 days in the bottom half of a Golf hatch.



I say this sarcastically because normally when we all go in her CX-5 it gets packed to the roof so I can't see out the back with what I can only assume is most of Costco.

And in the Golf, the iPad wedges suspended nicely between the seats so the iPad zombies can do their thing.



It's not often I take this car on long drives, so I'm always surprised at the highway mileage it gets. Not bad for an almost 10-yr old turbo with a tune.



Back at home the garage raspberries have been producing.




And I finally got around to installing the replacement snow rake hangers @Aladinsane07 kindly printed for me. Thanks, Evan!






In the garage I've been puttering away at some small things. Mostly cleaning up. Like this pile of 2x4's with nails I can't even remember what they are from.





Getting rid of wood is tricky around here, but I try to burn the non-plywood, and cut the plywood to smaller strips to put in the trash bin.

Replaced the filters on my dust mask, for the first time ever.



Added these nifty 3d-printed hangers that use paracord to organize a little:




I usually prevent myself from doing stuff like this, because I get stressed out about the layout, putting it in the right spot, drilling holes in the wall, etc. But neither the air hose or the extension cord has ever had a home, so I'm trying to embrace functionality on some things for now and figure out aesthetics later.

I also hung a metal sign I picked up from a brewery near my house. Rep the neighborhood a little I guess. It wouldn't lay flat so I drilled a few more mounting holes.





Ever since cutting the office closet door, I've had this half-sheet of MDF laid up against the wall for my car door to bang on every time I get in or out. So I finally trimmed it a bit and put in on the Craftsman bench for now.



And lastly I did a brief consideration of a battery charging wall with a piece of laminated particle board. Wanting to use up scraps especially larger pieces like that I just am not well-equipped to store for eternity.



So yeah, lot's of tiny things, but after 3-4 cleaning sessions I sort of have things back in order for whatever comes next.

 

[Trapps]

Empty parking garages sure do make for good photos!

I remember road trips with munchkins. Surprisingly similar to road trips with 80 something parents…

I always applaud organization. Looks great, Nick!

 

[nicholam77]

I always applaud organization. Looks great, Nick!

Thanks! Baby steps.

---

I've always used tennis balls on fishing line for parking in the garage.

I think they've been knocked down 3 or 4 times and snapped the fishing line. In fact my parking ball had been snapped off again for about a month now.

While I had the paracord out for the cord hangers the other day, I re-hung it with paracord.




Nautical eyes might notice the bowline.

Hopefully it won't snap off now.

However... just like whack-a-mole, as soon as I fixed mine, my wife's tennis ball was on the ceiling hook (where I hang them when working in the garage) and apparently without it one time she drove straight into my MFT

No major damage, but her car pushed the bottom portion backwards a few inches and it ripped off the little indexing nubs that align the feet top piece.




It sheered the plywood and pulled out of the brads on two of them.

So I took the top off and made repairs.



I'm just glad it didn't do any major damage because the MFT table is my holy grail.

With that fixed and things relatively cleaned up, I started refinishing the 2nd twin bed for my son. (if you'll recall I did one earlier in the thread for my daughter), now my son is getting old enough. It will look like this:



Starting on the side rails.




Basically sanding the orange 90's off of it and finishing in clear coat. Not the best sander for the job but it's all I have.



I have a ways to go sanding, but here's my question. Typically my go to finish is General Finishes High Performance water-based poly, brushed on with foam brush. It's my Frank's Red Hot, I put that $h!T on everything. BUT... the headboards in particular are a major PITA to brush 3 coats. So I was considering using spray lacquer. Rattle can, not fancy spray setup.

I'm after a durable clear coat that's easy to apply. Or maybe there's something else that can be wiped on? Has anyone used spray lacquers in a can and is it a good or bad idea? Any brand recommendations?

 

[legenddc]

Thanks! Baby steps.

---

I've always used tennis balls on fishing line for parking in the garage.

I think they've been knocked down 3 or 4 times and snapped the fishing line. In fact my parking ball had been snapped off again for about a month now.

While I had the paracord out for the cord hangers the other day, I re-hung it with paracord.




Nautical eyes might notice the bowline.

Hopefully it won't snap off now.

However... just like whack-a-mole, as soon as I fixed mine, my wife's tennis ball was on the ceiling hook (where I hang them when working in the garage) and apparently without it one time she drove straight into my MFT

No major damage, but her car pushed the bottom portion backwards a few inches and it ripped off the little indexing nubs that align the feet top piece.




It sheered the plywood and pulled out of the brads on two of them.

So I took the top off and made repairs.



I'm just glad it didn't do any major damage because the MFT table is my holy grail.

With that fixed and things relatively cleaned up, I started refinishing the 2nd twin bed for my son. (if you'll recall I did one earlier in the thread for my daughter), now my son is getting old enough. It will look like this:



Starting on the side rails.




Basically sanding the orange 90's off of it and finishing in clear coat. Not the best sander for the job but it's all I have.



I have a ways to go sanding, but here's my question. Typically my go to finish is General Finishes High Performance water-based poly, brushed on with foam brush. It's my Frank's Red Hot, I put that $h!T on everything. BUT... the headboards in particular are a major PITA to brush 3 coats. So I was considering using spray lacquer. Rattle can, not fancy spray setup.

I'm after a durable clear coat that's easy to apply. Or maybe there's something else that can be wiped on? Has anyone used spray lacquers in a can and is it a good or bad idea? Any brand recommendations?

Looks like you're making good progress despite work and summer schedules. Might be worth trying a hard wax oil like Rubio. If I remember correctly you used it before?

I showed my wife the picture of your rug and she really liked it, until she looked up the price... I'll let her decide and get back to building the cabinets.

 

[Krfjkm]

Check out Odie’s Oil— good stuff but expensive

 

[sawduststeve]

Hiya Nick
I’ve always had good results with
Osmo hard wax oil.

Steve

 

[Xti04]

I used lacquer for all my stair treads, bathroom vanity tops and handrails in my house when I built them. I bought the quart of roll on lacquer and sprayed it with an old Sata air gun I found in a box of scrap metal. It turned out perfect. You could grab a 15 dollar sprayer from harbor freight and lacquer goes on great. Easy to work with and easy to touch up. I love using it. I would say go for it.

 

[Aladinsane07]

And I finally got around to installing the replacement snow rake hangers @Aladinsane07 kindly printed for me. Thanks, Evan!

Happy to help

 

[nicholam77]

Looks like you're making good progress despite work and summer schedules. Might be worth trying a hard wax oil like Rubio. If I remember correctly you used it before?

I bought a small jar to test on my veneered night stands (white oak). I wasn't crazy about the way it made the grain look on that, but this wood might be different.

Tbh I forgot about hard wax oils, that is a good idea. More like a wipe on finish. I just hate brushing the General Finishes.

I showed my wife the picture of your rug and she really liked it, until she looked up the price... I'll let her decide and get back to building the cabinets.

It's a great rug. They have lot's of colors. Because it's a Danish product, some sites that ship to the U.S. don't have all the color options. I searched around for a deal and got my 2nd one from Nordic Nest, which was $374 w/free shipping. I just checked and now see it's jumped up. They have sales sometimes. As with anything if you're a deal hunter like me you might need to be patient and search around. If you can find it sub-$500, imo that's not a bad price for a 6'x9' handwoven quality rug in natural materials (wool + cotton). If you're looking for larger size than that, yeah it can get pricey. Also, oddly enough, different colors seemed to be different prices sometimes for me... so might wanna pay attention to that, too.

Check out Odie’s Oil— good stuff but expensive

Hiya Nick
I’ve always had good results with
Osmo hard wax oil.

Steve

Thanks, guys, as mentioned above for some reason I forgot about hard wax oils. I guess since I've never really used them. I know Odie's, Rubio, and Osmo are all popular... not sure if it really makes a difference but I will check them out and maybe do a test.

I used lacquer for all my stair treads, bathroom vanity tops and handrails in my house when I built them. I bought the quart of roll on lacquer and sprayed it with an old Sata air gun I found in a box of scrap metal. It turned out perfect. You could grab a 15 dollar sprayer from harbor freight and lacquer goes on great. Easy to work with and easy to touch up. I love using it. I would say go for it.

Nice! My dad has an old sprayer I could use, and by old I mean from the 80's that he used to spray (paint) a kitchen. I was thinking spray can because I don't really have a great place to spray, but I'll keep this in mind and maybe watch some videos.

 

[zanyad]

Always think the theater parking ramp looks neat so I snapped a pic.

Looking good!

Added these nifty 3d-printed hangers that use paracord

Neato! Do you have a link to the model?

I usually prevent myself from doing stuff like this, because I get stressed out about the layout, putting it in the right spot, drilling holes in the wall, etc. But neither the air hose or the extension cord has ever had a home, so I'm trying to embrace functionality on some things for now and figure out aesthetics later.

Same-same. I am often reluctant to plunge in and instead overanalyze placement, etc. I even have problems putting stickers on my boxes, water bottles, laptop, etc.

 

[nicholam77]

Neato! Do you have a link to the model?

Sure thing, it was this one

I even have problems putting stickers on my boxes, water bottles, laptop, etc.

Sounds familiar

With the garage, I know those cord holders aren't in the best or permanent spot, but I also know that I have moved almost nothing in the whole 10 yrs since I started customizing the place. I'm still working away at a '1st pass' at tool organization + efficiency... of course my brain wants to get it right the first time, but realistically if I ever get to the point someday where I need to move or do things differently, it's pretty easy to patch a few screw holes. Trying not to let perfect be the enemy of good and all that.