Recent content by DblDog

i had various large oil stains on my driveway…who doesn’t? My neighbor observed: ‘You needs some enzymes to take care of that!’ So he had this… (don’t remember it being covered in HS chemistry, thinking BS!) A dry powder. Wet slab, dust and work in with broom. It’s not a bullet train, but...

Here are more pics of my 574..the tag after removing some paint... After looking at it again, the condition is not as good as I had hoped...probably used as much for an anvil as a vise...

Rock Island 574 Great info here! Here’s my 574...left in basement by previous home owner. While I don’t have much use for it, it does have a nice patina and would look good in my shop/office. So a couple of questions: 1. What information would be on the metal tag on the static side? This...

Mild steel has a tensile strength of about 50ksi. A 3/8” diameter rod has a cross sectional area of 0.14 square inches, so it could support, before failing, about 7,000 pounds! A threaded rod would probably be a little less, but still, that’s 3.5 tons. With a safety factor of 3, the rod could...

How is the ceiling framed? Trusses at 24" oc? If the framing is 'flexible' chances are a large flat plane of gyp bd will likely develope cracks over time. You don't say why you don't want an expansion joint. You might consider reveal lines which break up the surface plane into smaller...

Hurricane Harvey and impending Irma and Jose storms are going to have a major effect on the building industry in coming months...the recovery effort is going draw contractors nationally and will increase the demand for materials. I think construction costs are going to be rising...

Looking at that skinny pipe column and the base plate, missing a few anchor bolts, this solution to shoring the ceiling/attic was an afterthought at best... Free standing columns are designed using a slenderness ratio, which is quotient of the length of the column and the radius of gyration...

Pending LX's review, check out amesweb.info, they have a quick calculator for simple spans with a concentrated load. LX's comment regarding deflection is correct...if the chain fall is on a trolley, meaning it could slide from one support to the opposite side, too much deflection under load...

Had to take a class on the mechanics of concrete and this topic came up. I looked up 'laitence' and it most likely explains what happened...after finish troweling of the slab, a uniform 'layer' of fines and cement formed on the surface. When your daughter rode her bicycle on the slab, she...

We all seem to have an experience or two with tempered glass. I think Sonic should use the tempered glass for a workbench top. We'll all learn from it...Sonic-Boom or Sonic Doom?

If it might be a problem again, maybe a sub-sub-contractor, you may talk with the city manager, an ask if there are any conditions that pertain to the contractors who work in that area, most jurisdictions regulate construction activity...like not firing up a compressor at 6 am. The contractors...

I had a similar top...scraped it with a 6" wide putty knife. Pulled it in the direction of the grain. Re-sharpened it often with a file, holding it vertical to the file surface. Produced a very smooth surface and removed most of the gunk. Then liberal coat of lacquer thinner and continued...

Check these out: www.fastenmaster.com/products/headlok Also checkout 'Timberlock' These are structural screws with load ratings similar to small plate style(Simpson) connectors. They are used for truss/rafter to plate and other connections. Your pergola shouldn't require heavy duty...

The floor area and ceiling height should be taken into account. A standard two car garage with a 9' flat ceiling, no windows and walls lined with stuff will look confined in dark colors. Larger spaces, high ceilings with a blank wall or two will take darker colors better. A white car against...

As an architect, it is interesting to read this post. With all due respect, this garage addition will mostly not win a place for the architect in Architectural Digest. Ask a potential architect/designer to give you a fixed fee for everything you want to address. Get two or three bids, then at...