What did you do "IN" your garage today?

[Hooked]

Did you notice the snow on the ground? Bet there is some ice at times too...

Maybe you missed the 'smiley face'. I live in SE Texas where we MIGHT see snow every 20 years or so.

 

[Beelzeboss]

I managed to get my exhaust manifold crossover partially tacked together

 

[NUTTSGT]

Wrapped the wife's Christmas presents and tested out the new cabinet for computer work surfing GJ.


I'll also toss this picture up because I know one of you guys will pick this out of the other picture. Here's a picture of the screen. Notice the second to last thread that is lined out ? That is what we see as Mods for a deleted thread. If a spam thread like that was to be permanently deleted, it would be completely gone.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Started fabricating some brackets to put a soft cab on my tractor for winter. It used to be on my Wheelhorse when I used a snowblower on that, and turns out it'll fit my tractor perfectly, just needed to make some different brackets. The wind started picking up so I had to pack everything back in the garage, but I can hopefully finish it tomorrow.

 

[Outlawmws]

Wrapped the wife's Christmas presents

Did that a few days ago, yesterday I put on tags and ribbon. (I was informed bows are banished this year as both cats think bows are cool cat toys... So we wind up with piles of ribbon anyway!

Otherwise I'm still ducking heavy stuff, but the back is better the last three days than the past month or more!

I did move alder leaves from a bank of them piled against the screen room 8 ft slider, and used them as mulch in the rest of the back yard, as soon as we get past this next rain squall, I need to do a follow up pass with Roundup back there... but its super manageable! Better back and I'd just pull most of them.

 

[gearhead1960]

Little maintenance on the dryer.....as it was starting to lose it's drying capacity. That usually means it's time to clean the lint trap. This is a 15+- year old gas Maytag that likes to build up the lint to the point where it stops drying the clothes like it should. First order of business was to lift the top and pull off the front panel....


That gives access to the lint trap and the collecting point for the lint build-up....


and of course the squirrel cage fan has build-up too...

Can't forget to clean the poop shoot...

...forgot to get an after for that one, but here's the main lint collector areas clean.....

and..

...works like new! More efficient and no longer a fire hazard....win, win!

 

[Outlawmws]

...works like new! More efficient and no longer a fire hazard....win, win!

Been there done that -always have to sit down and figure out how the hell the effing front panel comes off though..

 

[LeeG]

I continued my never ending quest for better organization In the shop.


Previously, these has lived on a magnetic rail, which worked, but was harder to tell if something wasn’t put away. I also worked on making storage boxes for my Tormek grinder and upholstery cleaner. I’ll finish them tomorrow.

Lee

 

[gearhead1960]

Been there done that -always have to sit down and figure out how the hell the effing front panel comes off though..

Yeah, it took me a few minutes to remember also....

 

[Skyman]

Headset bearings on an old workhorse.

 

[NUTTSGT]

...works like new! More efficient and no longer a fire hazard....win, win!

I hope you're not using the cheap plastic vent duct work. That is the real fire hazard.

 

[Burt Shaver]

Little maintenance on the dryer.....as it was starting to lose it's drying capacity. That usually means it's time to clean the lint trap. This is a 15+- year old gas Maytag that likes to build up the lint to the point where it stops drying the clothes like it should. First order of business was to lift the top and pull off the front panel....


That gives access to the lint trap and the collecting point for the lint build-up....


and of course the squirrel cage fan has build-up too...

Can't forget to clean the poop shoot...

...forgot to get an after for that one, but here's the main lint collector areas clean.....

and..

...works like new! More efficient and no longer a fire hazard....win, win!

Have you cleaned the duct work for the dryer?

 

[Burt Shaver]

Have you cleaned the duct work for the dryer?

This customer complained that there dryer was taking a long time to dry, the dryer vent du ting was plugged

 

[Prospecter]

I continued my never ending quest for better organization In the shop.


Previously, these has lived on a magnetic rail, which worked, but was harder to tell if something wasn’t put away. I also worked on making storage boxes for my Tormek grinder and upholstery cleaner. I’ll finish them tomorrow.

Lee

What do you keep in your compressed air sprayers?

 

[LeeG]

What do you keep in your compressed air sprayers?

Acetone, Brakleen, mineral spirits, and WD-40.

 

[Prospecter]

Acetone, Brakleen, mineral spirits, and WD-40.

Thanks. I have Acetone in my one canister, and WD-40 in a trigger spray oil can.

 

[gearhead1960]

I hope you're not using the cheap plastic vent duct work. That is the real fire hazard.

No, house is old enough to have metal venting.....

 

[gearhead1960]

This customer complained that there dryer was taking a long time to dry, the dryer vent du ting was plugged

Yeah, after I cleaned the dryer, I blew out the exhaust pipe with my Milwaukee leaf blower....should be good and clear!

 

[Old Man Roger]

Yeah, after I cleaned the dryer, I blew out the exhaust pipe with my Milwaukee leaf blower....should be good and clear!

I once bought a house built in the early 80’s that apparently never had the dryer duct cleaned. I sealed up the leaf blower and vent with a towel and made it snow outside..lol I should have had my girl record it, my whole roof and driveway were covered in lint.lol

 

[bmwrd0]

Now that the rain has stopped, and the ground has had a chance to recover, I am going through the basement and getting rid of anything water damaged. Not much of an issue, mostly old boxes that need to be recycled, but I am sure that some stuff will need to be given a bleach treatment to kill any mold that could arise.

Then meeting my old hunting partner for beers this afternoon.

 

[LeeG]

Thanks. I have Acetone in my one canister, and WD-40 in a trigger spray oil can.

I'll give a good dose of WD-40 to steel in my outdoor (covered) metal rack to keep surface rust down, otherwise I don't use it much. I use a lot of acetone and mineral spirits.

 

[PhantomEB]

Chipmunk ain’t gonna know what to do with that much room next week in the CrewCab. Completely cleared it out and built out my essentials crate to put everything that was on the floor of the back seat or in cubby holes Nicely organized in the box of the truck. Sure am making this truck my ultimate road trip truck. Got my Crutchfield cart loaded up with JL audio Speakers for the door and dash. Need to talk to Rattle_Snake about amps when I get ready to order up Subs.

 

[rd65]

Set some presets on the shop's new receiver. Pulled the cover off the old. Will check it out to see if there is anything I can do with it. Won't be today. I slept funny last night and my left shoulder and neck is on fire. Needed help getting dressed. Methocarbamol and heating pad will hopefully get things under control.

 

[niget2002]

Built a better faucet cover. The puppy has been pulling them off of this faucet and destroying them in the yard.

If he gets this one off, he'll have to destroy the faucet.

$0 cost.

I spray foamed the inside of the paint can.

 

[Beerhippie]

Built a better faucet cover. The puppy has been pulling them off of this faucet and destroying them in the yard.

If he gets this one off, he'll have to destroy the faucet.

$0 cost.

I spray foamed the inside of the paint can.

Isn't that a frost-free bib?

 

[niget2002]

Isn't that a frost-free bib?

Technically, but it's also old and I don't fully trust it.

I had a frost free freeze at another house and leaked constantly until I replaced it.

 

[larry4406]

Built a better faucet cover. The puppy has been pulling them off of this faucet and destroying them in the yard.

If he gets this one off, he'll have to destroy the faucet.

$0 cost.

I spray foamed the inside of the paint can.

Isn't that a frost-free bib?

Technically, but it's also old and I don't fully trust it.

I had a frost free freeze at another house and leaked constantly until I replaced it.

I think I would have used a ziplock bag zip tied close to the faucet before foaming the can so removal is easy.

 

[Jacko264]

Why not use a elastic bungee with hooks on loop it and fasten it in the bottom of the tin then hook the hooks onto the tap you may have to adjust the length of the elastic.
I did something similar to hold a loft door up
G

 

[Outlawmws]

Why not use a elastic bungee with hooks on loop it and fasten it in the bottom of the tin then hook the hooks onto the tap you may have to adjust the length of the elastic.
I did something similar to hold a loft door up
G

I'm guessing this:

The puppy has been pulling them off of this faucet and destroying them in the yard.

If he gets this one off, he'll have to destroy the faucet.

 

[413dan]

I am in the north east where the roads get salted usually somewhere beginning around November until about March, which leads to much more rust than I appreciate when doing any sort of maintenance on my family's vehicles. Today I was going to do an oil change when I looked at the filter and saw the mileage written on it (something I do when replacing them is write the current mileage) and said to myself, self, you forgot you changed this a couple months ago. At that time forgot to change my window sticker indicating when I need to do so again but this step saved me as it's only been about 1k miles. Pulled the dip stick and it was still clean and at the appropriate level. I changed the window sticker to coincide with the mileage from the filter so I know when it's due next.
While I had the vehicle on the lift I rotated the tires for the season, putting the newer pair with better tread in the rear and checked the brakes. On the front right my girl had one completely frozen caliper slide pin. I guess I found the slight squeak culprit that would only come out every now and then when lightly pressing the brakes at parking lot speeds approaching stop. Off to Napa for parts I went and made it with just minutes to spare to close. The counter guy appreciated I had their parts numbers already on a sticky note as I looked them up prior to going. He locked the door while I was in there to ensure no more customers for the day and directed the other guy not to answer the phone when it rang.
About 30 bucks in parts and I should be good to go tomorrow. It's dark now here in the north east so I'll finish tomorrow morning when I can see everything better again. Fun fun fun! Pads and rotors still looked good, however next full brake service when I do pads and rotors again I may change the full calipers too. This time I opted for more of a rebuild with new caliper slide bolts, new slide boots and brake hardware. I'll clean it up with wire brushes and a wire wheel, grease things and take her for a spin.



So, GJ, what did you do in the garage today?

 

[niget2002]

I think I would have used a ziplock bag zip tied close to the faucet before foaming the can so removal is easy.

The foam isn't filling the bucket completely. More of just a foam shell around the inside of the can. The leftover void will be filled with old rags.

Why not use a elastic bungee with hooks on loop it and fasten it in the bottom of the tin then hook the hooks onto the tap you may have to adjust the length of the elastic.
I did something similar to hold a loft door up
G

Maybe? I had the time, materials, and tools, so I went straight to the nuclear option. Plus it gave me a chance to play with the mill.

 

[DGersic]

Getting ready for Christmas dinner, needed to get my smoker out of the shed. I hurriedly put it in there before the snow storms hit, but now that’s almost melted away.

To get to the smoker, I had to pull out the new to me snowblower that my neighbor gifted me, again right before the snow storms when I had no time to deal with it. It was her husband’s, he died a while back, so it has been sitting.

Pulled both in to the garage. Checked the oil, full and looked clean. Checked the (stale?) gas, half a tank, smelled ok. Aired up the tyres.



Plugged it in, primed it, hit the starter, and it fired up and runs fine. So I guess i have another snowblower now. Poured some Sea Foam in the tank and moved it back in to the garage.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Finished up yesterday's project. Welded up the brackets and mounted the soft cab on the tractor. Fit better than expected, just had to cut a few inches off the rear legs. Glad to get some more use out of it since I no longer snowblow with the Wheelhorse, and it cost me $0.

Ready for more snow now, not that I want any more.

 

[SMOKEYBEAR]

Wrapped up my hammer re-handle project. Re-handled 5 total.

Consolidated all my Dremel stuff into a mini tool box as suggested in the "Show me your mini tool box" thread. Stopped by Lowes for one, only odd colors, so I passed. Picked up a red one from Walmart, used a handle off a cheap Ace screwdriver for a knob. It's not very organized, but it is all in one location.

 

[GrayFlattop]

Getting ready for Christmas dinner, needed to get my smoker out of the shed. I hurriedly put it in there before the snow storms hit, but now that’s almost melted away.

To get to the smoker, I had to pull out the new to me snowblower that my neighbor gifted me, again right before the snow storms when I had no time to deal with it. It was her husband’s, he died a while back, so it has been sitting.

Pulled both in to the garage. Checked the oil, full and looked clean. Checked the (stale?) gas, half a tank, smelled ok. Aired up the tyres.



Plugged it in, primed it, hit the starter, and it fired up and runs fine. So I guess i have another snowblower now. Poured some Sea Foam in the tank and moved it back in to the garage.

I’ve had that same Toro for ages. It’s a magnificent machine, always starts. I’ve never done a thing to it other than an oil change and fresh gas each season.

I do plan on upgrading to a LED headlight, but I just never got around to it.

 

[GrayFlattop]

Back in the woodshop, I spent some time organizing some of the lumber racks. A few weeks ago, I put up new racks from Bezos that now hold a bunch of trim that was mixed in with heavier stock. I was also searching for some hard Maple that I thought I had. No such luck.

I also had the pleasure of removing a mummified mouse carcass that was discovered under a seldom-used piece of machinery.

Lots of cleaning left to do…

 

[Outlawmws]

Not a lot, went to a Flea and wrapped some of that plunder, as well as a couple other things I had accumulated in the work room for Xmas, added 2 more presents under the tree, and preped for the stocking fill in 5 days.

Crashed and burned with a pressure headache (Rain came in - but the alder also started its opening salvo of green crud I'm very allergic to so some sneezing and sniffling with that) I woke with less pressure but very groggy, but put stuff away for the "guests tomorrow" cleanup...

 

[LeeG]

Finished up the last 2 storage boxes I wanted to get done. Both were made with side of 1/2” Baltic birch. The one with the heavier load, I used the same for the top and bottom. The lighter capacity one, I used cheap 1/4” ply. I build the boxes with all 6 sides glued up, then cut the top off with the table saw.



I use basic **** hinges and these adjustable over center latches, and cheap fold down handles. This 2nd box, I was about finished, and found I’d made it 1/2” short. A piece of poplar fixed it good enough.



Someday I’ll get around to painting these, and that little error will fade away.

Lee

 

[KFBR392]

You know that thing where you buy a cheap running turd on marketplace and you end up completely tearing it apart and rewiring it even though all you were gonna do was change the transmission pan gasket? Well that’s where I’m at. The entire electrical wiring system was dryrotted out and a fire hazard.

I went with Painless due to them having the best cost to quality ratio and I recognized the name. It was like $260 for a universal harness. The factory service manual and Haynes manual are mandatory. It’s like deciphering code with the enigma machine: I have a Painless wire in one color, an OEM wire in another color, connecting to another OEM wire of a different color via a wiring harness, and every circuit is connected to different parts of the electrical systems on different pages in each manual, and sometimes the Haynes shows the wiring in a more easy to understand way than the service manual, and vice versa. It’s a lot of page flipping, a lot of attention to detail, a lot of double and triple checking wiring, etc.

I understand why people get scared off by wiring. It’s a big job and easy to screw up. But I’m trying to do it well and keeping it as tidy as possible. No hacky shortcuts, no electrical tape, no quick splices or twist caps. All crimped connections, woven sheathing, cloth wrap, and using as many of the OEM connectors/pigtails as possible. There will be no rats nests, just clean runs. I want this to only ever need to be done once and never again.

I thought this would be a weekend job. I am now on week 3 of doing this almost every single day for a minimum of a few hours each time. It can be a weekend job if you hack it and cut corners, doing everything easily and poorly. That’s usually how you see wiring done and I hate that. I will not burden myself or anyone else with nightmare wiring. It’s unethical, unsafe, and annoying.

 

[Outlawmws]

Got back to the last 2 putz house and getting some light inside them. we got some LED "light balls" about 1/2" or less in diameter, and I taped a couple of those on to some string so I can easily retrieve them without having to try and shake them out. Not ideal, but works for now (company coming tomorrow) These last a couple of days, so calling it good enough for now.

I still have a ways to go for window & door repair on these two as well...

Those elves are as old as the houses. I can't remember an Xmas without them. my kids "re-branded" them as "Dads Creepy elves" on the box they store in... I've never found any like them, or info on them, and I spent some time on google and Eprey a few years back looking.

Still fighting the camera, so pics without flash and with and without some added mostly indirect light I did use a mono-pod stick to help steady the camera but they still ****: