[BlindHandyMan] Renovating Your Kitchen
Hi Renovating Your Kitchen Your kitchen is probably the most used room in your house. Poor layout, inadequate lighting, cramped spaces, outdated fixtures and old cabinetry are common complaints of homeowners. Before you decide to go ahead with a kitchen renovation, it is important to clearly identify the features you want in your new kitchen. Just as important is a thorough pre-renovation inspection to identify any existing problems. Renovating Your Kitchen Common Situations Kitchen renovations are high on the list of the most common home renovations. A renovation can be as simple as installing new flooring or be a major undertaking that includes enlarging the space and replacing all fixtures and finishes. Homeowners consider kitchen renovations for many reasons including: . Size and design - the existing kitchen may be too small or poorly laid out. . Fixtures and appliances - The fixtures and appliances may be worn out, inefficient or outdated. . Cabinets and countertops - cabinet finishes, hardware or countertops may be outdated, need repair or replacement. . Structural problems-there may be problems that require structural changes or repairs. . Moisture - the floor, walls or finishes may be unsightly or damaged due to moisture problems. . Plumbing and electrical - many older kitchens don't have enough electrical outlets and circuits. Older plumbing and plumbing fixtures may include lead or galvanized steel piping. . Heating and ventilation - older kitchens often have inadequate ventilation or heating systems. The area may be poorly insulated and have a high degree of air leakage, two factors that lead to high energy consumption. . Finishes - older finishes may be unattractive or not durable enough to withstand the daily wear and tear. Healthy Housing Renovating is an ideal time to make your house healthier for you, the community and the environment. When assessing your renovation project, be sure to consider the five essentials of Healthy Housing. House as a System A house is much more than just four walls and a roof - it's an interactive system made up of many components including the basic structure, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the external environment and the occupants. Each component influences the performance of the entire system. A renovation provides an opportunity to improve how your house performs. Kitchen renovations often include changes to HVAC equipment that can improve indoor air quality and moisture management in the house. Be careful if choosing large volume exhaust fans because they can cause combustion heating equipment to backdraft. Structural changes may give you a chance to improve air tightness and insulation, resulting in increased occupant comfort and house durability. Avoid Surprises Once you start a renovation, there's no turning back. Your life is disrupted and any unexpected problems will lead to higher costs and delays in finishing the project. Thorough planning will help you to develop a realistic understanding of the work to be done and the costs involved. Here are some of the likely situations that people encounter. However, every situation is unique and you may need to hire a qualified professional to do a thorough investigation, find the problems and suggest the best solutions. Size and design Ask Yourself . How much workspace do you need? Is an eating area in the kitchen important? . What are the traffic patterns? . Is there adequate storage space? . Does the kitchen meet the needs of everyone in the household including anyone with special needs, extended family and guests? Consider your options... . Plan thoroughly before you start. Sometimes a simple reorganization of the space will solve many of the shortcomings of older kitchens. . Consider an addition or adding space from adjoining areas to meet your space and function requirements. . Use a professional designer to help you design a plan to best meet your existing and future needs. ... and if you dont . You will have to live with the results even if they don't meet your needs. . A poor layout will seriously detract from your enjoyment of the renovation. . The layout may not be flexible enough to meet existing or future demands for space, storage and anyone with special needs such as wheelchair accessibility. Fixtures and appliances Ask Yourself . Do the existing fixtures and appliances have years of useful life left? . Do you like the style and features of your appliances? Are they energy efficient? . Is there adequate general and task lighting? Consider your options... . Replace or repair worn out appliances or fixtures. . Familiarize yourself with available products and options. . Choose efficient fixtures that will reduce water and electricity consumption. New kitchen appliances carry an EnerGuide label identifying their energy efficiency rating. . Update lighting so that it provides the brightness that you need. Compac
[BlindHandyMan] Renovating your Bathroom
Hi Renovating your bathroom is a great way to add value to your home - both for your family's daily living and for future resale. Before you decide to go ahead with a renovation, it's critical to have a good idea of any underlying problems that could cause unwelcome and costly surprises. Taking time to find problems before you start your renovation will save you money, protect the indoor air quality and preserve the durability and structure of your home. Renovating Your Bathroom Common Situations A bathroom renovation is one of the most common home improvement projects. Bathroom renovations come in all types and sizes-from a simple update of the flooring, to enlarging the room and replacing all fixtures and finishes. Your project is unique, but your reasons for renovating will probably fall into these common categories. . Size and design - The room may be small or poorly designed. . Fixtures - The fixtures may be outdated, small, hard-to-clean, leaky, cracked or inefficient. . Structural - There may be problems that require structural changes or repairs. . Moisture - Excessive bathroom moisture may have deteriorated the bathroom surfaces, affected the indoor air quality or jeopardized the structure of your house. . Plumbing and electrical - If your house is 30-40 years old, the plumbing and electrical services may be outdated and need upgrading. Houses built prior to 1950 often have lead piping that may pose a health hazard. . Heating and ventilation - Bathrooms are often cold because of poor insulation or poor heat delivery. Ventilation is often inadequate, non-existent or causing secondary problems that need to be fixed. Healthy Housing Renovating is an ideal time to make your house healthier for you, the community and the environment. When assessing your renovation project, be sure to consider the five essentials of Healthy Housing. House as a System A house is much more than just four walls and a roof-it's an interactive system made up of many components including the basic structure, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the external environment; and the occupants. Each component influences the performance of the entire system. A renovation provides an opportunity to improve how your house performs. Bathroom renovations often include changes to HVAC equipment that can improve moisture management in the house. Structural changes may improve air sealing and insulation, resulting in increased occupant comfort and house durability. Avoid Surprises Before you start renovating, you'll want to think about your bathroom, your needs and your budget. Look carefully for signs of deterioration and the possible causes. This will save you money and also help you to be better informed if you're dealing with contractors. Reflecting on your project will also help you to decide whether you need the services of a professional. Being unsure of what needs to be done, recognizing that the job is very complicated, or that you don't have the time or energy to do the work, are good reasons to hire a professional renovator. Size and design Ask yourself ... . What aspects of the current bathroom need to be changed? . Is the layout convenient? Is there enough storage? . Does the bathroom meet the needs of everyone in the household, including anyone with special needs, extended family and guests? Consider your options... . Choose a design option that meets your existing and future needs. This may be a simple renovation to replace fixtures or a complex project to change the layout, enlarge the bathroom or add an extra bathroom. ... and if you don't . The layout may not be flexible enough to meet existing or future needs for space and storage. . Also, the layout may not be suitable for anyone with special needs such as wheelchair accessibility. table end Fixtures Ask yourself ... . Are the fixtures or seals damaged, cracked or leaky? . Is the styling outdated? . Are fixtures water and energy efficient? . Is there often condensation on the toilet tank? Consider your options... . Replace or repair damaged, cracked, leaky fixtures or seals. . Choose fixtures that enhance the appearance of your bathroom while conserving water and energy. . Install an insulated toilet tank to keep the tank surface warmer. ... and if you don't . Plumbing leaks will continue to cause damage to finishes, the house structure and will promote mold growth. . Outdated fixtures usually mean higher energy and resource costs. New toilets can save more than 70% of water per flush. Low-flow showerheads can save 60% on water usage. Compact fluorescent light fixtures are four times more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs. . Cold toilet tanks are prone to condensation that leads to moisture problems. list end Structural Ask yourself ... . Which walls are load bearing? Will they need to be cut or removed as part of the renovation? . Are there any cracks, slopes or bulges that might
RE: [BlindHandyMan] Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
AFCIs sound like a good idea, but I've noticed that you cannot run things like power saws on them. I guess the arc detected in the motor is too much. Breeze David Burzese HRIS Project Director Administrative Computing and Information Services Carnegie Mellon Phone: 412-268-3862 You make a living by what you get You make a life by what you give To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
Interesting, very interesting. Does this hold true for drills also? The post on the arc fault interrupter was informative, but it still lacks the meat of how the thing works. The fancy electronic circuit senses the arcing. I wonder if this is still new enough they are attempting to keep information secret for patent reasons. Or is it too complicated for lay people to understand? Ron - Original Message - From: "Breeze" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 7:38 AM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter > AFCIs sound like a good idea, but I've noticed that you cannot run things > like power saws on them. I guess the arc detected in the motor is too > much. > > Breeze > > David Burzese > HRIS Project Director > Administrative Computing and Information Services > Carnegie Mellon > Phone: 412-268-3862 > > You make a living by what you get > You make a life by what you give > > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > Visit the new archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.5/403 - Release Date: 7/28/06 > > To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
drills and shop vacs work. The saw I wanted to use was a mittersaw, maybe the high rev motor arcs more. Breeze David Burzese HRIS Project Director Administrative Computing and Information Services Carnegie Mellon Phone: 412-268-3862 You make a living by what you get You make a life by what you give On Mon, 31 Jul 2006, R & S Enterprises wrote: > Interesting, very interesting. Does this hold true for drills also? The > post on the arc fault interrupter was informative, but it still lacks the > meat of how the thing works. The fancy electronic circuit senses the > arcing. I wonder if this is still new enough they are attempting to keep > information secret for patent reasons. Or is it too complicated for lay > people to understand? > Ron > - Original Message - > From: "Breeze" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: > Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 7:38 AM > Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter > > >> AFCIs sound like a good idea, but I've noticed that you cannot run things >> like power saws on them. I guess the arc detected in the motor is too >> much. >> >> Breeze >> >> David Burzese >> HRIS Project Director >> Administrative Computing and Information Services >> Carnegie Mellon >> Phone: 412-268-3862 >> >> You make a living by what you get >> You make a life by what you give >> >> >> >> >> To listen to the show archives go to link >> http://acbradio.org/handyman.html >> or >> ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >> http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. >> http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml >> >> Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From > Various List Members At The Following Address: >> http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ >> Visit the new archives page at the following address >> http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ >> For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Yahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.5/403 - Release Date: 7/28/06 >> >> > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following Address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > Visit the new archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list > just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
RE: [BlindHandyMan] Preventing Radio Frequency Interference From Whacking Out Appliances
Ray I have a lamp that is plugged into one of those gadgets that turns it into a touch lamp. I have also a set of two way cobra radios and a cordless phone that are plugged into an out let that is about ten feet away The lamp some times will come on by its self. Could the two be related? To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
RE: [BlindHandyMan] Preventing Radio Frequency Interference From Whacking Out Appliances
Hi Robert I think I saw an article on this subject but it will have to wait until I get home this afternoon before I can find it, if I can I will post . Ray -Original Message- From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Robert J. Moore Sent: Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:10 To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Preventing Radio Frequency Interference >From Whacking Out Appliances Ray I have a lamp that is plugged into one of those gadgets that turns it into a touch lamp. I have also a set of two way cobra radios and a cordless phone that are plugged into an out let that is about ten feet away The lamp some times will come on by its self. Could the two be related? To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links ** This message and its attachments may contain legally privileged or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the information contained in it. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and delete the e-mail. Any content of this message and its attachments which does not relate to the official business of Eraring Energy must be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by Eraring Energy. No warranty is made that the e-mail or attachment(s) are free from computer virus or other defect. ** To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[BlindHandyMan] Cleaning Hardwood Floors
Hello, What are some good suggestions to clean hard wood floors with out stripping the finish? Just to let you know that we have two pets that are not house broken yet. Thanks for your help. Steve & Shannon Today I marry my best friend. The one I laugh with, live for, love.. October 11, 2003 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Preventing Radio Frequency Interference From Whack
robert, touch lamp adapters are notorious for both producing radio frequency interference and being susceptable to same. there are various schemes to detect the "touch" but most involve sensative circuits that can be bothered by close radio frequency stuff. I'd doubt the cordless phone would set the lamp off because cordless phones, or the legal ones that is, are relatively low power. The two way radios, if they are the so-called "family radio service' are also pretty low power,. If the Cobras are "CB" citizens band, then they're supposed to put out 5 watts and it is just slightly more likely they might turn on the lamp. About all that might be worth trying on the lamp is to get one of the ferite chokes that Radio shack sells for reducing interference on telephone lines and wind cord from the lamp through it. However any interference from or too the lamp adapter is more likely carried through the air than through the power lines. If you get unexpected noise on the cordless or the radios, suspect the lamp and unplug it to see if the noise goes away. It's unlikely you'll fix the touch lamp since they use many different kinds of sensor circuits, but see if you can correlate the undesired turn onn with use of the phone or radios. tom Fowle Net-Tamer V 1.13 Beta - Registered To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[BlindHandyMan] Touch Lamp Interference Problems
Hi Robert This is the article I was looking for Touch lamp problems Personally, I think touch lamps are one of the dumber uses of technology to appear on this planet but that is just my opinion :-). These are susceptible to damage from voltage surges or just plain old random failures. In addition, the current surge that often results at the instant an incandescent bulb burns out (the bright flash) may blow the thyristor in the electronics module. If the lamp is stuck on, the thyristor is probably shorted. The specific part can be replaced but to be sure it is bad, some testing will be needed and it is probably soldered in place. However, if you have repaired an ordinary lamp, you will be able to replace the entire module fairly easily. If the lamp is stuck off, there could be a bad connection or bad bulb, or the electronics module is defective. Again, replacement is straightforward. Erratic problems could be due to bad connections, dried up electrolytic capacitors (especially if the electronics module is near the hot bulb), or even external E/M interference (e.g., a dimmer or vacuum cleaner on the same circuit). Some problems are of the following type: "I have 2 touch lamps in the bed room and they are both plugged in to the same receptacle. Every once in a while the lamps come on by themselves for no apparent reason. Even more strange is that every so often just one lamp turns on by itself." (From: Tim Moore ([EMAIL PROTECTED])). These use a MOSFET type circuit to switch the lamps on and off. The circuit is attached to the metal in the lamp base. When you touch it the impedance changes ever so minutely but enough to change the MOSFET from off to on and visa versa. My wife could never get our lamps to switch, she often had to blow on her hand first to get it moist so it would make better contact. Here is part of the problem. It takes a certain amount of signal from the lamp base to switch the circuit. Electronic parts all have acceptable ranges of operation and when put into identical circuits they sometimes perform differently. One circuit might need a good hard touch while the other might need only a slight touch. Power surges would often switch one of my lamps, although it didn't happen often. A strong radio signal could do it too. The bottom line is that these lamps are not rocket science and can't be counted on as 100% reliable. Sorry, that's the truth. You give up a little to get the convenience of just having to touch them. I ended up removing mine - an electrical storm wiped one out and wiped the other out a few years later. Touch lamps and RF interference While many people swear by touch lamps, nearly as many swear at them since in addition to frequent failures (bulb burn-outs killing the triac, for example), they can also be tempermental, cycling through their brightness settings and/or turning on or off due to static electricity, power line transients causing RFI, and stray pickup from the local ham rig. (Portions from: John Evans - N0HJ ([EMAIL PROTECTED])). Here is a fix my buddy, Ed, a fellow ham radio operator, has come up with to solve this problem. As usual it took 8 months and 10 minutes to fix. Two parts: 1/4 watt, 1k Ohm resistor and 2.5 mH 1/2 watt size molded coil. Connect in-line with the touch wire. I send 2 or more watts from my rig. My son works the CB. You'll find it on when you get home. So the darn thing is an oscillator which changes frequency when you touch it. The circuit does the rest. By adding the resistor/inductor pair, its sensitivity is reduced and the problem disappears. One more thing: (Most important!), you won't hear interference FROM the oscillator in the lamp anymore on your radio. And don't open up the module inside the lamp base, you are wasting your time there, and adding more work to glue the module back together. Just Choke off the sense wire with the resistor and 2.5 mH choke. You'll be fine. ** This message and its attachments may contain legally privileged or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the information contained in it. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and delete the e-mail. Any content of this message and its attachments which does not relate to the official business of Eraring Energy must be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by Eraring Energy. No warranty is made that the e-mail or attachment(s) are free from computer virus or other defect. ** [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Po
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Re: Priming Your Mower to Much , Does It Do Any Harm
on my hedge trimmer and my string trimmer the primer bubble is removable and replaceable by removing four screws. Careful, there is a little thin plastic membrane with a couple of slits in it which I think perform the function of a check valve. Have a look and see, you may be able to purchase the part and instal it yourself if you know the make and model of the mower. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. - Original Message - From: "Ray Boyce" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 3:04 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Re: Priming Your Mower to Much , Does It Do Any Harm > Hi > No it is not an option , get your mower repair dealer to replace it. > Any leaking fuel is a potential fire hazard. > Also with the primer acting correctly your mower will start easier. > I have had both my mower and whipper snipper serviced by a mower service > centre before Summer this year and now they are easier to start and run > perfectly. > - Original Message - > From: "Girltech" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: > Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 3:02 AM > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Re: Priming Your Mower to Much , Does It Do Any > Harm > > >> Is there a way to fix the primer bulb if it is cracked. I left my mower >> sitting out all winter because I can't lug it up and down the >> stairs to the basement without slushing gas down my leg. Well, now my >> primer is cracked and every time I push it I get gas on >> my finger. I know nothing about the makeup of a lawn mower or small >> engines. I don't see anyway to get the primer off. A friend suggested I >> try putting a small piece of duct tape on it. Is this a viable option? >> Thanks. >> >> Vicki >> >> >> >> To listen to the show archives go to link >> http://acbradio.org/handyman.html >> or >> ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >> http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. >> http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml >> >> Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From >> Various List Members At The Following Address: >> http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman >> For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >> list just send a blank message to: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Yahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.1/389 - Release Date: 7/14/2006 >> >> > > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From > Various List Members At The Following Address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.1/389 - Release Date: 14/07/2006 > > To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [BlindHandyMan] The deck.
Is it really necessary to move the electric meter? There may be a rule about the height of the meter from the nearest horizontal imposed by your utility however if it is just a question of the conduit then simply break your ledger board at the conduit and continue it past the conduit. You are likely using a to by ten with joist hangers anyway. You could attach a 2 by 6 immediately above the basement wall to fur out the brick and then attach your 2 by 10 to or through that. With that additional thickness you may be able to bridge the electrical conduit and not even have to stagger a joist spacing. Rather than flushing out the pointing in the brick work why not cut a little out just above the ledger and insert flashing or just a drip cap to shed water away? Another possibility would be to insert a couple of thick washers between the ledger board and the masonry so as to maintain a bit of spacing from the bricks since some of the structure will be sitting on the shoulder of the basement concrete. There are many ways to achieve what you want without busting up the concrete. That is a long and dirty and miserable job. If ever the deck is no longer wanted, removing the deck it will leave an unsightly mess. As for your steps, they remain within the parameters of comfort. If I recall, the magic number is about 17, that is, the combined rise and run should be around 17 inches. If the tread is too small a foot doesn't stay on it well. Depending on the design it can be useful to make the tread out of a couple of pieces of lumber like 2 by 4 separated by spacers one at each end and one in the middle so as to leave a crack to speed drainage and thereby reduce slippery surfaces including ice, just a thought. Just now I am on vacation and having trouble sending from this wireless connection for some reason. I don't know when this and other messages will get out. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. - Original Message - From: "Dan Rossi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 7:42 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] The deck. >I have been dragging my feet on the deck project but here is the latest. > > I called a 1-800 number to have my property marked for utilities. It is a > free service and all the utility companies inform you if there is a > conflict on where you want to dig. Well, they are idiots and marked the > utilities coming into the courtyard but not those actually on my property. > Doesn't make a difference though as my neighbor explained where all the > utilities are anyway. they all come up through the center of the > courtyard and then branch out to the left and right to connect up with the > front of the homes. Since I am building on the side of my house, none of > the utilities run under that part of the property. > > Yesterday we went down town and visited with the building inspectors > office. It went a lot smoother than I expected. I thought there would be > all kinds of questions about my design but the only comment, and it was > just a note on the plan, was that I used a 10 inch run and 7.5 inch rise > on my steps and he pointed out that 9.25 by 8.25 was typical. > > It did cost a lot more than I was expecting though. About 260 bucks. > Part of that is because I over estimated the cost of building the deck and > part of the registration fee is based on cost. had I known that, I would > have claimed to build the thing for 20 bucks. *GRIN* > > I had planned on digging the post holes by hand since I figured a power > auger would be too heavy to haul up the stairs. I checked out power > augers at Home Depot and the two-man jobby weighs about 80 pounds and the > 12 inch auger weighs another 50 pounds. That is doable for two people to > carry up the steps in two trips without killing ourselves. So I guess > I'll give the power auger a try. > > There are a couple of issues I have to deal with before hanging the ledger > board though. The electric meter is mounted right where I want to hang > the ledger, so I have to get an electrician to move the damn thing. > > I need to flush the mortar joints where the ledger board will go. Right > now the mortar between the bricks is inset and I would rather not have > cavities behind the ledger where water might collect. > > the big problem is that my foundation wall sticks out slightly from the > brickwork above it. In order for me to have a step down from the house to > the deck, I need to move the ledger board so that part of it is on the > brickwork and part of it is on the foundation wall. The foundation wall > is pretty lumpy and so my options appear to be: > > Make the deck level with the floor of the house. Problem there is snow > and water issues at the door. > > Build the deck free standing two inches away from the house and four > inches lower and then just run the deck boards right up to the brick. > Probl
Re: [BlindHandyMan] Possible Project: Navigating Bios with Jaws
Hi Victor, I have seen this discussed on other lists on different occasions over the years with never a solution. My suggestion which has never been taken up is to write an application which sets the values directly into the CMOS. Now this would be BIOS dependent, that is to say, Phoenix or what ever and you need some technical information. There are specific memory locations where BIOS information is stored. Many of the settings were bit values, set or cleared according to their function. Some are lost when just peeking them. The thing is to set up a series of list boxes or even a Web interface so when you hit OK the memory locations are written to. You would have to reboot the computer to have the values take effect but each and every value should be settable. Admittedly you will require some more technical information. There are however downloadable BIOS updates so, it has to be possible. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. - Original Message - From: "Victor Gouveia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 7:06 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Possible Project: Navigating Bios with Jaws > Actually, Bill, it would have to be Jaws i'll be using when, not if, when, > this project comes to fruition, as Jaws is the most familiar to me. > > The reason, as I said in my original message, that this message thread is > appearing on both lists is because I belong to both lists, so I wanted to > cover as much area as I could trying to get as much help as I can. > > Another fact is that one part of the project will be on the software side > of things, and the other will be on the hardware side of things, and yet a > third component will be the testing phase of the project, which is why I > sent the same message to a third list, which you'll see below, and since > each list has it's own qualifications for what is on topic, I covered all > the topics without overtly hitting the wrong list. > > Does that answer your question? > > In point of fact, if you belonged to the Blind Like Me list, you'd have > seen it there too, so count yourself lucky you weren't triple banged, as I > like to call it. > > Victor Gouveia > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From > Various List Members At The Following Address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.1/389 - Release Date: 14/07/2006 > > To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [BlindHandyMan] My aching shoulders.
I tried to answer this a couple of weeks ago but for some reason i could not send messages from my account at a remote location. I'll have to get on to my service provider to find out why, in the mean time I couldn't write to them either. Someone has already suggested suspending the demolission drill from ropes or a sling from overhead which can work well but I am wondering why you are not boring the hole from the outside? Much less dust and debris in the house. There is a bit of a trick to punching through with one of those. They work best with a bit of a diagonal approach. You batter a bit away then chip out the edges then a little more at the bottom and then again the edges and so on.My observation of street crews is that it seems to work best to have a big jiggling belly leaning over one of those machines. I had a small one here a few years ago to punch a hole 40 inches wide through a poured wall to create a doorway through from my old basement into the new one. This was a little easier in some ways because I was able to chip down from the top in parallel lines. I thought I would then be able to just bust out the middle with my 10 pound sledge but the wall was full of steel, old bed frames and pipe and within that width I removed 48 old horse shoes all intertwined. I kept having to stop and saw through these bits of steel where they passed through the cut I was making. It took me all of three days to knock out the doorway in rough before taking the electric chisel back to the rental agency, I trued it up a bunch with a hand chisel and four lb. mallet after that. There were a number of stones too, from about golf ball to baseball size which, once marked adequately broke off pretty well. It was the damn steel though, I had hoped I would be able to break out fairly big chunks and wrestle them out but big chunks became way too large to handle held together by all that steel. A four inch core bit would be the best way to go but I am guessing event the rent on that would be very high. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. - Original Message - From: "Dan Rossi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 9:17 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] My aching shoulders. > As part of the great deck plan, I have to move the exhaust vent for my > dryer. It currently goes up over the sill plate and through the > band-board and bricks just at the top of the foundation wall. However, > since the ledger board for the deck will completely cover that area, I > need to move the dryer vent lower down, through the foundation wall. > > The wall is supposedly, three core block with a molded stone face on the > outside. > > First, I pulled out the current dryer vent, chiseled out the pieces of > brick, cleaned out the old mortar, and found two whole matching bricks to > seal the hole up. I didn't have mortar on hand so just plugged the hole > up for now. since I've never done any brick work before, I've managed to > procrastinate finishing that part of the job for now. > > Then I went into the basement and chucked up a half inch masonry bit into > my hammer drill. I marked out the 4.25 inch circle in the middle of > one of the blocks and started drilling a hole at the 12:00 position. > After the three plus inches of drill bit didn't hit a void, I broke out > the shiny new ten inch bit I purchased. After a half our of on and off > drilling, to let the bit cool down here and there, I had plunged that > sucker right up to the chuck and had still not punched through. > > I put the shorter bit back in and drilled holes at the 9:00 and 3:00 > positions and still no void in the block. I resigned myself to break out > the chisels and hammer. Since I didn't have chisels or a small sledge, it > was out to Lowes for us. Some large quantity of money later I was the > proud owner of a rather hefty bag of mortar, a couple of trowels, a > striking tool for the tricky mortar joints, two rather large and heavy > chisels, and a three pound, short-handeled mallet. > > After disconnecting the dryer gas line so I could move it out of the way, > I started in on the wall with sledge and chisel. A couple of hours later, > and about an inch into the wall I decided this was not going to work. I > have now borrowed a rather impressive looking demolition drill from my > future brother-in-law. The damn box nearly pulled my arm out of the > socket when I went to pick it up. Hell, the chisels and 12 inch long, one > inch diameter bit he had in the case weigh almost as much as my little > hammer drill. > > Later this week I may go out to Lowes and see if I can rent a core bit and > just plow through the wall in one fell swoop. If not, it will be a lot of > drilling and chiseling through what appears to be 12 inches of solid > block. SHEESH! > > -- > Blue skies. > Dan Rossi > Carnegie Mellon University
[BlindHandyMan] Building a trailor
I was thinking about building a trailor out of an old pick up truck. preferably a quarter ton so we could pull it behind the S10. I think I can probably get a junk pick up with a good frame and preferably no motor so I would not have to deal with pulling the motor since I do not have a charry picker and do not want to rent one. Since I don't have cutting or welding experiance or equiptment I will have to have a friend bend and weld the frame and weld on the hitch for me. Other wise I plan to do all of the disassembly my self. Has any one here ever done this before? and my second question is simply, Have I completely lost my mind? To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
