Recent content by ClayW

UPDATE: If anyone cares.... I have a rain gutter downspout that feeds into a 4" pipe from two corners of the house. The previous owner installed it and drains to the edge of the property. The pipe was clogged. I dug it up along the leaking basement wall to find that it was cracked. Just...

What's better: Liquid rubber or hydraulic cement? I have some water penetration in my basement after heavy rains and I believe that I have traced it to a poured wall on one side. The footer is about 37" below grade, so I plan on digging it out to waterproof it. After some quick research, I...

What is the best tool and method for drilling a clean 3/4" hole through brick? I would think that a big hammer drill would do it, but I feel like that would make an irregular, chipped up hole. Maybe a diamond hole saw? Thanks in advance.

Post your drywall tips here. I imagine that plenty of guys will eventually tackle some drywall, at least for a small repair or two in their garage or elsewhere. On some level, we all end up reinventing the wheel, so it might be nice to have a thread with some tips. For beginners (like me)...

What I want to do: Wire 6 of these dimmable recessed LED lights in my basement to a single dimmer switch. Why I am confused: How do I wire the input to the little transformers? Does each connection need to be in a junction box? Or can I solder and shrink-tube extensions for the wiring and run...

I need some help to design and build a simple, cheap door operator for a screened porch door. The Problem: I have a screened-in porch with a screen door at the bottom of a short flight of steps. When exiting, the handle is awkwardly low and we often have stuff in our hands. When entering, we're...

What is making my Used Makita 2708 Table Saw So Loud? I bought a Makita 2708 saw off Craigslist recently. I works but it is LOUD. Like, wear-ear-protection loud. I have a line on where to order replacement parts, but I'd like to know where to start. Any ideas on what part might be worn and...

Wow. Check out this old homemade table saw. http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/tls/3514237063.html

Sold Sold

That seems right. There is no cutting/stripping edge and the leverage is set up for compressing fittings really tightly. The BELL SYSTEMS" stamping should have given me a clue!

I picked these up at a garage sale and I have no idea what they are. They seem to function as some sort of crimping device, but for what I am not sure. Any ideas?

UPDATE: Got it removed and patched for $350. We dented two section of the Duratech chimney, but saved everything else. I really hope that someone buys it: This would be a nice project to be done with before next winter! For Sale Posting HERE

Thanks for all the advice! I removed the interior section last night. I used a reciprocating saw to cut the nails that held the mount to the joists, then just twisted and removed the two sections that were under the roof. I'll cap it loosely for now, since it only enters an uninsulated attic...

I just removed a wood-burning stove from my house (for sale HERE) and I need to remove the chimney. My current contractor thinks that the job is worth almost $1000, just to remove the chimney and patch the hole, even though I'm supplying the shingles. So, I figure that I could probably remove it...

For Sale: 1977 Vermont Castings Vigilant Wood Stove in DC Area $750 UPDATE: If sold to a member of this forum, I'll throw in all of the stuff that we removed from the chimney, which includes 3 good 24" sections of 6" Duratech stainless steel chimney, the stay rods and clamp, the flashing base...