Recent content by michaelg

I finished restoring this recently. Unfortunately it doesn't work after being rewired...I assume some of the 60 year old electrical components are bad but I don't have enough expertise to take it any further.

Thanks everyone for your responses! Do you think this was an official tool at Esso stations, part of a diagnostic tool set or maybe a promotional item?

Hello forum members! Does anyone have any information on this old Esso "Motor-Rator" timing light I recently found at a yard sale. I'm not finding anything like it in my searches. Its missing the AC lead but other than that it appears to be complete. My goal is to restore it to working condition...

I'm interested in this discussion as well. I have an old home with a hip roof and a huge walk-up attic. One day I would like to finish it and I was thinking of using spray foam directly against the roof sheathing without an air channel. I've read conflicting opinions about this approach...some...

Gentlemen, I am considering the Liftmaster 8500 jackshaft door opener after reading the stellar reviews on this forum. In doing my research I also looked up the manufacturers requirements and noticed that the opener is made for doors with drums between 4" and 6". Looking at my door the drums...

Pete, I'm glad you enjoyed my thread. Hopefully I will have some time to post some updated pictures soon. In my siutation I didn't have to use any bolts to attach the new course of block to the exisiting foundation, which was also block. I did however fill in the blocks with mortar to make...

A couple more...

64dragnwagon, Here are several photos of the inside of our house. My wife and I love old houses too and one of the great features of ours is the woodwork. The house has oak floors, baseboards and trim throughout and it is all original, although some has been refinished. The house is a form...

Thanks everyone for the positive comments...I am glad to hear that I am on the right track with this renovation! I will try to post some more pictures of the garage and house soon. To answer your questions let me try to explain a bit more about the floor and the back of the garage. I wish I...

Next I finished framing the garage door opening.

At this point in the renovation it is was time for a new concrete floor so I got a bunch of bids, picked one and forged ahead. The contractor removed most of the old concrete floor, put down a vapor barrier, wire mesh and 6" of 4500 psi fiber mesh concrete. He quoted me for 4" of concrete but...

I also built a storage area in the ceiling over the garage door. I added some cross bracing I made from old 2x4's left over from the demo and put a few sheets of osb on top.

During the entire process of building up the foundation and removing the rotten wood I used a 2 ton come-a-long to keep the garage from leaning even more. After I got the new sill plates installed I used it to slowly winch the garage back into square. I left the come-a-long in place until all...

Thanks Fergus! Your thread here was a huge help when I got to straightening out my garage's lean.

Once I had the new block in place I installed new pressure treated sill plates and bolted them in. On the left side of the garage you can see where the rain water is channeled around the side of the garage by a cement trough. This is the original drain channel from 1919. In the last picture you...