The current COVID lockdown has left many, myself included, with lots of time and not enough things to keep busy. Long since gone are the days when politicians promised a mere two weeks of restrictions to flatten the curve. The restrictions endure, and left at loose ends, I persist in my rage against the machine. My wife frets rightly, that I spend too much time online and not enough in the real world living. So through fits and starts, and like many other households, we were left to cast about the house for projects to pass the time and sharpen skills.
As that Curve turned to Fall talks commenced on renovating the basement. The changing the carpet for tile was first thing discussed but that was quickly nixed because of the cost. Eventually a fresh of coat on the walls was agreed upon, though after that was done the room still did not look complete. The doors colour stood out and quickly became the target to replace. Hollow and with no character, we both thought solid wood doors would look better. Being a skinflint it was hard to part with the money to buy them new, plus tax, for me.
Maybe some could be found to fix and refinish on the cheap. And with that in mind it was back online write a bit, to the local buy and sell, looking for old doors for free. Thinking it that bit a lark, what was written was quickly forgotten. And yet week later came a response. Five doors were available and all I need to do was drive to nearby farm in my truck. Once there, pleasantries exchanged and a new friend made, I loaded my truck and made my way. Back in my shop I got to work on the doors the best way I could with a chemical stripper.
It worked but was a real mess as can been seen in video above. While most of the paint comes off some is still left behind and with it the problem of lead. It was time to re-evaluate process. Which got me to wondering why lead was put in paint in first place. Turns out that there is a long history of lead in paint. The lead white on the doors has been produced since the 4th century BC and the dangers of lead paint have been known for quite some time. As early as 1886, German health laws prohibited women and children from working in factories processing lead paint and lead sugar. Ben Franklin even wrote a letter warning to a friend 1786 about the hazards of lead with facts that he considered well-established. My concerns that the dust would end up contaminating my shop would seem valid. Having stripped the first door the best I could I then sealed it with the lead with a thick of primer. Sanding it as best I could the door was cut to size and then painted.
This first door finished in primer did look pretty good.
Not bad but still could be better! Besides the price of stripper ran contrary to spirit of project and it was decided to buy a heat gun. So off it was to Canadian Tire. Back home again I got to work stripping the next door. It turns out the heat gun is the cats meow when it comes to doing this type of thing. And after some experimenting with technique to be used I got to work. As one can see in video below the process is much more effective in removing the lead from the wood. In my caution I did open all the doors on the shop so that I wouldn’t be breathing any poisonous fumes and got to work.
I am still not done with project.
Some weeks ago I posted my first video to Rumble. At the time I was thinking that putting content up like that might have some value and help expand the ecosystem of that site. My thought was that to rival youtube folks are going there will need other things besides Qanon conspiracies. Admin has asked me to submit an article or two about current project. Would it be worthwhile? I was at first not sure…. and then I read Admin’s Strange Game, Parts 1 and 2 . It all then made sense
There may come a day when being handy with a saw and a can of paint might translate into a meal or two for my wife, my family and my friends. It is still middle innings in this enterprise. Those doors once finished will cost me just time and a bit of paint. In the bigger picture, do-it-yourself home improvements, does intersect with the spirit of TBP. Flying in formation with the zeitgeist of this place, I am starving the beast with my non-compliance with paying taxes for my time. And as with Gandhi when he encouraged the workers in the Gujarat cotton mills to strike in an effort to starve the beast,
I encourage everyone here to try a DIY project as well, as a silent way to rage against the machine.
Moar to follow.
Lead was a very useful additive to paint, making it flow wonderfully. My wife’s father was an old school sign painter in Methuen, Mass. He used “One Shot”, still good paint but without the lead. Anyway,she had a sign project to do, and we still had a number of colors of that paint in tomato paste cans. skimmed them off, they still worked great after 30 years.
Me too. Pinstripers like it.
and red lead is still the best undercoat for rust prevention.
Plus it is delicious.
I once did kitchen cabinets … removing the doors, shelves and hardware, stripping, cleaning, painting, sanding, more painting, more sanding, putting it all back ….. all I’m saying it’s not “just time”, it’s a LOT of time …. at least it was for me.
Your door looks freakin’ awesome.
I think you wrote an article about that project a few years ago.
I think I beat you up on the range / stove location next to the wall.
LMFAO. You DID beat me up! You said;
“I noticed the clock also and I also noticed the against ” Fire Code” and ” Common fucking sense code” gas range so close to the wall. 18 inches minimum from wall with a gas range is the ideal setup. Stucky if you reside in Mexico, don’t worry about the the above mentioned codes or common sense suggestions. Great job on the painting!!!!!”
Here is the article … just in case someone is thinking of painting their cabinets. (Don’t mean to hijack your article, RiNS!)
.
You are going to love Stucky. The next project the boss wants done is painting perfectly good solid oak kitchen cabinets a frost white. And yeah I’ll probably be using a brush.
You are a BRAVE soul!!
If I could do it over, would I use a brush?“NO!!!”
Are you a perfectionist? If, yes, do NOT use a brush. Get yourself a paint sprayer.
Yes, the cabinets turned out quite nice. BUT … in the right light, and looking at it at the right angle … you could see the brush strokes. I hated that … cuz I am a perfectionist.
Did I mention it’s a LOT of work? I think with a sprayer you don’t even need to sand!
If you do use a brush, please let me know when you start the project. I will pray for you fervently. You’ll need it. lol
i sanded my solid golden oak cabinets down and gel stained them to a nice Old Masters Asian mahogany. cool stuff gel stain!
i must say they turned out very nice but it was like 5 steps with every damn door and drawer face and frame and outside edges…felt never ending.
all the wood in my (rather small) house is just sanded and oiled , with a roughly 50-50 mix of _raw_ linseed oil and real turpentine (the stuff made from pine trees, not petroleum). oil brushed on liberally, repeated every few days til it felt it didnt want any more. Took a month and a half to really dry, but it is completely free of weird chemicals and looks great.
Not moisture proof and not for sun or uv exposed areas though. On the exterior wood ive so far kept it looking pretty much the same as when the wood was cut, with religious re-application of tung oil (again about half cut with real pine turpentine) at least once a year during very dry warm weather. tung oil does block moisture, so i only ever use it on the _outside_ side of any wood- the inside gets linseed oil, as any moisture that inevitably will be present has a way back out. the modern mentality of moisture barriers ends up trapping it and creating mold problems.
likewise the only paint in the house is on the iron or steel hardware or a balcony railing (which i made of steel bar stock). All the walls have nothing but plain whitewash (slaked lime, the real thing) and likewise breathe, no moisture trapped anywhere it cannot escape.
this is an old uninsulated stone building, inside walls are lime-cement mortar plastered right on the stone. Some stones have cracks or a grain that almost sucks water in, and in a heavy rain theyll just about pipe water into the inside of the wall. nothing to really do about that short of jackhammering those stones out of the wall and replacing them.. but when the walls can breathe, its also not really a problem.
the old ways, simple ways, tend to be the best over the long run.
So you just triggered something I’ve been meaning to explore: Crawl space encapsulation. I’m not sold on its efficacy. Seems to me it makes more sense to remediate the source of the moisture and whatever RH that remains, keep your crawl space classically vented. And install a vapor barrier to mitigate wicking.
We removed a shitty deck that was clearly not to code on the back side of our fixer upper. A nice hand demo that I loaded into my wife’s Honda Odyssey in sections, LOL. Found a dead animal carcass under there that added to the pleasure.
That mitigated about 80% of the moisture issues alone. They had the thing not even 6″ off the ground in some spots and it was in an area with shade, and they had disabled (!) the only down spout in that area.
I could write a SERIES of articles on everything we did to reverse and replace/repair what the previous owners did. Worse, it’s twice as expensive to reverse a faulty project/construction. It would have been better if they had just left things as is instead of doubling down on the stupid.
I was an electrical apprentice into it for three years before I couldn’t do it anymore. But like anyone in a trade the amount of stupid some people do is mind numbing.
I’m all for DIY projects but for smeg sakes so a little research and reading, video’s whatever, before doing something you’ve not done before. Not directed at you AoC but to the general public.
As an example, we’ve done reno’s where we removed extension cord(cabtire) that was used to wire bedrooms and kitchens. I could give a long list of ‘interesting’ stuff people do.
Oh, I could write volumes on the things we’ve replaced. Gutters with no slope, undersized, clogged. Removed down spouts in places they were critical. An addition with a foundation about 6″ down, stair step cracks everywhere, 4″ CMU turned on their sides, and pulling the house down > 2″ in maybe 10 years. Crawl space with no vapor barrier, failing (and falling) ductwork, washed away driveway due to no water mitigation, shed sliding down the hill, etc. I could go on.
I fixed as much as I could on my own but I wasn’t formally trained in structural engineering. I could detect the load issues and draw it up but to actually pull the walls out? NFW. At least we got a reinforced root cellar out of it. Just had to go down another 4.5′. Told them to use 12″ CMU, every other cell poured and reinforced with #4 rebar. It’s as solid as a school building.
Some people shouldn’t be allowed near a hammer.
PREACH IT!
Stucky – OMG – helluva job on your cabinets!
I use a little bit different process than you did, but you can’t argue with results, and those are awesome.
Wow, thanks. That’s a helluva compliment coming from someone with 40 years painting experience.
(My dad was a Master Painter in Austria … which takes several years of apprenticeship … and then painted professionally here in ‘Murica for about 20 years. I greatly admire what you do.)
So, let me ask you …. is it possible to paint with a brush without seeing brush strokes under the right lighting and angles?
NOTHING I did got rid of them … although they were very very faint and impossible to see under normal lighting. Still, the stuff I read on the internet insisted that brush painting can be done without seeing the strokes. In your expert opinion, is it possible?
TIA
It is possible. take the doors off, lay them flat and use enough paint to settle in the brush strokes you will find they look amazing . I finished two kitchens using that method.
Hey Stuck . . . first off, I need to requalify the 40 years experience. That was sort of a joke, in that when I was seven/eight/nine, I did prep work (scraping, wire-brushing, sanding, cleaning) and my actual painting was restricted to brushing/rolling foundations and block/masonry. Later I got to paint windows, but mostly, I did the menial (and, in some cases, important) mind-numbing tasks, but my old man recognized that I had a pretty good eye for detail so he let me run with it. Then, in the mid 90’s I started working part time with a remodeling/painting company, then full-time with a builder, where we did 75 percent of the builds, minus foundations, sheetrock, roofing. Painting was fill-in work. Anyway, all that is to say, I really have about 25 years REAL experience, although those first three were crucial; my Dad was a good teacher in that he stressed the importance of each step and how, if you screw it up . . . you get sued.
Anyway, to answer your question re brush-strokes: Yes and no. WEATHER plays a huge role in painting. Anytime the humidity is high (above 60 percent), dry times increase. due to the vapor pressure of the air. Water vapor will interfere with solvent vapor and slow the evaporation rate. When brushing, high humidity works in your favor, because longer set-times allow for strokes to settle out. BUT, longer set-times allow dust and airborne debris to accrue (such as gnats/mosquitoes, which LOVE solvent-based paint, because, to them, it smells alive.) Regardless, expect to apply two coats and to have to scuff-sand between, because a dying mosquito will drag itself all over the face of your cabinet door before it croaks. Otherwise, here’s where we get into differing processes. With glossier paints, I use boiled linseed oil instead of floetrol. Used floetrol a couple times early on and always had trouble with touch-ups, because it LOWERS the sheen. Any “spot” touch-ups were always glossier, so I found myself putting a third coat on material that was pretty slick because the spots stood out, which ate up a lot of time. BLO (is that a phallic reference?) RAISES the sheen and the dryers in it actually decrease dry time. So I would have the paint store add white to my trim paint, usually four ounces, to which I would add 4-8 ounces of BLO and 2 ounces naphtha (no more, unless you’re spraying), to decrease dry time. [With alkyds/modified alkyds (most oil paints), the faster it dries the higher the sheen.] AND I added +/- a quarter teaspoon of liquid silicone (needle lubricant) per gallon of paint. In automotive painting, liquid silicone is used as an anti-fisheye, and it is actually a contaminant, but when added to paint, it hinders the paint from reacting with silicone/oil that might have found itself on the primer coat (in a body shop, usually spray lubricants such as wd-40 or Liquid Wrench.), but in residential/commercial, the silicone REALLY helps with leveling – i.e., helping brush-strokes to lay out flat. Also, the brush is more important than people realize. In your article, you mention china bristle. Black China bristles are stiffer than white china (both are from pigs), and Ox hair is finer still and more available than badger bristle, which is even finer (but I have never owned one, because I never found one in a supply house when I needed a new brush. A friend of mine owned a couple of badger bristle – she did faux finishes – and they are incredibly soft, but I have never used one). Anyway, I used white china brushes until I discovered ox hair, but they have become so hard to find that I’m back to using whites again. Like you mentioned, Purdy makes a fine brush, but Wooster was my source for ox hair, and they make a really good two inch angled-sash brush with a “stubby” handle that is my go-to for delicate detail work . Put all that together with some technique – that intangible, inexplicable, learned ability – and brush strokes virtually disappear, to the point that people are surprised, even incredulous, to learn that “it was done by hand”.
All that said, most of the oil that I do, I spray. There are some exotic oils (acetone, naphtha, or xylene-based) that dry in minutes BUT to even attempt to brush with those coatings ruins the paint job and the brush. (And to use those in an existing home is dangerous; xylene fumes are deadly and incredibly flammable.)
Anyway, I hope you understand what I mean by “Yes and no” now. There are a LOT of variables, but like you pointed out, as a rule, the slicker the primecoat, the slicker the finish. And, as you understand from having done it, it’s nigh impossible to BS any of it.
I might have some questions neibo, if that is okay, when I get around to painting the cupboards. My Mom has a compressor and paint gun. Not sure if I am making moar problems than I’m solving going route but seeing as Stucky has already put himself on duty to pray for me maybe we can lighten his load.
I could use a roller as well. What would you use?
For the cupboards? The SHORTEST nap you can find; usually they are called “velour” rollers and have about a 1/8 inch nap. They leave very little texture, but if you overwork the paint, sometimes they will bubble.
Not recommending this globalist behemoth to purchase from but the product is one I have used many times and been happy with, and the picture gives you an idea how small the pads are (4 inch) and how short the fabric is.
Another option is this, a foam and velour combo pad:
BUT the foam holds a lot of paint, and, to use that paint, you really have to apply a lot of pressure, which sort of makes delicate work harder than it should be. Also, “hot” solvents can cause the foam and velour to separate from each other, which results in shedding. So it’s “do-able” but I avoid it unless velour pads are not available.
For walls/ceilings, I use these:
Any decent paint store (and Lowe’s) should have these in stock in the smaller 9 inch variant, also available in a shorter nap, but this is what I use. The “pick-up” is incredible (holds a lot of paint), the texture it leaves mimics lambskin, and clean-up is easier than anything else I’ve used. With latex paints, they last a long time and, for the most part, the fabric does not de-laminate from the pad. BUT they are fuzzy and do shed initially. To counter that, you can wash it before first use, or wrap ’em with tape and when you remove the tape, it takes a lot of the fuzz with it.
And, no, obviously I HATE questions (sarc); all I ask is that you be open to the answer, because it may run counter to what “they” say on those house-flipping shows, where it’s always “simple” (and anybody who does framing/sheetrock/plumbing, etc., will tell you the same).
Next week, I have an exterior job, painting brick. Three day window (if the weather channel’s crystal ball holds true), and I think I will take my camera with me. Might be a good one to set-up the tripod and do a how-to of my own . . . .
The video thing is a great idea! And not to worry that your suggestions will go unheeded. My painting skills are definitely first grade. And when I say first grade I mean elementary school grade. Not to worry those house flipping shows, don’t watch and won’t follow their advice The flippers make everything seem way too easy. Worse still, their intent is for everyone to get on board the debt train by follow them on their road to riches. The contrivances in their script don’t live in the real world and run counter to what I am trying to do.
Live a simpler life, making moar while I reduce.
Great info about the rollers, thanks! Still wondering what you think about paint sprayers. I realize there is a knack, shall I say, to being good with a gun. Might be good practice for real thing…
Stucky thought that gun woulda been better for his project. What are your thoughts?
Some brands of all in one primer paint are top shelf…Sherwin Williams is one. and @ Stucky, you always need to sand.
Yo Stuck,
Not to hijack Rob’s thread here, but one of my offspring gave me a book over the holidays and I just finished it this afternoon.
I took my time with it because I’ve been busy with other stuff, but…, although I’m not sure exactly why…, you came to mind as I read it.
Perhaps it was because of the loved ones you recently lost or the ensuing heartfelt tributes you posted. Regardless, I found the book to be poignantly pertinent on grief, love, decency, grumpiness, life, and ripples in the pond. It was also quite humorous throughout.
It’s a strange little novel, and I don’t know if you would like it, but I thought I would throw it out there anyway for your consideration:
“A Man Called Ove” by Fredrick Backman
Hack away my friend, hack away. This post was intended to be a bit moar light hearted than what has been on tap of late. I care not where this thread goes as long as the ripples in the pond can come my way.
RiNS, have you checked Steve Wallis camping channel yet?
Canadian Tire reference in this video.
BTW, the doors look awesome, nice job on the refinish.
Yeah, I certainly want to see you freeloading around my nice, small, Albertan town…🙄
In our area in the south okanagan we have the obligatory liberal french canukians come hang out stealth camping near the grocery stores and in the parks smoking weed and collecting welfare. Traditions are hard to overcome.
This guy does it for a hobby now but I think at one time he did it for real.
His channel is pretty funny. This video put him under the radar with Uhaul.
I have friends that travel the world always send me artistic pictures of doors and entryways. They do so now intentionally because I noticed how it seemed to have been an unconscious theme throughout their photos. After I brought it to their attention as being symbolic of their passages, it’s now become a “thing” with them.
I suppose Aldous Huxley and Jim Morrison were onto something, no? Or more like on something, maybe 😉
Ripples in the pond, indeed
The Doors are still in my Top Five. Their best tunes were the more obscure ones. Pretty much ALL of Soft Parade is divine.
Did some quick searching …
Found this article — “5 Reasons You Should Read Fredrik Backman’s “A Man Called Ove”
It sounds like a fantastic book. I’m gonna check with my local library … they have access to dozens of other libraries. If no luck, I’ll buy it, for sure.
From the book: ““What did they know about waking up on a Tuesday and no longer having a purpose?” I do believe my mother will enjoy this book also!
Thanks for thinking of me.
.
https://www.thoughtco.com/a-man-called-ove-4138369
It’s a movie, also! Swedish with English subtitles. Funny trailer.
https://youtu.be/g0Xh5Ryxmmk
Tom Hanks is also producing and starring his own Ove movie. Sandra Bullock will co-star. Release date some time in 2022.
👍 lol I just found out there was a movie this afternoon when I was searching for a photo of the book to post in my above comment.
Personally, I always keep my expectations low so as to not be disappointed. And, in so doing, this one kept sneaking up on me
Since I hate Tom Hanks, I’d prefer the Swedish version.
Uncola
You say to Stucky:
”although I’m not sure exactly why…, you came to mind as I read it.”
Having read the book a few years ago, I would say you are spot on.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Good job Rin,hanging old doors in new openings can be interesting.I use a router and a jig but with care/sharp chisels and a lot of patience can be done,after first checking your door openings square and plumb,on a old home may not be and thus will need to adjust door and final cuts for that.Cutting door lengths/widths a whole nother category,you have any ?’s be glad answer as have done this for decades.Good job on going with solids,I really like em but remember when finally hung top and middle hinge will want to replace at least one screw with a long one to catch framing and prevent future droop due to weight,again,modern framing or old balloon may make this a bit tricky.
It is a bit tricky and I had to think about how I’d fix it for a while. I did come up with a hack of sorts that I am using to cut the doors. The house I live in now is fairly new and as such the door openings are fairly square and true. The doors from farmhouse, as you know from experience, were sized to fit and like you say are only liberally square. I still might have a few questions. Will let you know.
So far what I have done is screw a 2×4 to side to be cut that is parallel to the opposite side before running it all thru the table saw. If that isn’t done then any anything lopped off still has original shape and probably would not fit well in the new space. If that makes any sense….
It would probably make a good video.
One thing is for sure. I am not a carpenter, but thanks to Rumble I play one on TV.
Eh,can cut me doors thru me (large one)table saw,otherwise,just use a long/clamped straight edge with a finish blade in circular.I would say before cutting doors to length,besides adding air gap on interior doors check floor for level and adjust as necc.
Did old doors have hardware and you filled in or were they blank(nice find if so!).
I hope not needed but if ya’s need to recut a freshly painted door first use painters tape on all four sides and then mark cut line,will help stop splintering chipping while cutting,now stop wasting time here and get your ass back to work!
Well the doors are wider and taller than the space they are going in so I am cutting them to fit in both x and y before painting. The straight edge is one of the things I worked out in process of getting the bottom square. If you look at first video the bottom of door was particularly outta plumb. Using the circular saw with a straight edge as guide really did the trick.
As for the hardware they came with knobs and hinges that I couldn’t use. So I had to fill in the holes with some wood and smooth it over with some poly filla. I will need to re-drill for new knob and re-chisel edge for the hinges. Seeing as I’m painting them the bit of body work being done will not matter as all the sins will end up covered up.
Basically I am starting with a blank door.
Cool,will say a router and jig a easy way to do hinges but the chisel and patience will work.I would get a vicks bit for starting new hinge pilot holes for screws,but,that’s just me.For hinges when chiseling I first follow outer pattern with a utility knife,again,will help stop splintering ect.You go over a bit no crime in filling a error,as you said,paint grade,do though with hinge installed for best fit/look.
I will say you have a reveal on any side that bothers you a belt sander used gently works wonders to create even reveal,which of course as wood and seasons change will also change to a degree,tis the beauty of wood!
These are just some of my tricks and your needs may vary,excepting you live in Canada which I am permanently barred from(long story)and have no desire to curl would if local give a hand,been awhile since I have hung solid blanks.
God dang it, this is my type of post right here. RiNS, when I was young and dumb, I had a summer job that involved historic preservation at a Civil War battlefield. What that really meant was we needed to strip some of the buildings down bare because the full-time maintenance crew didn’t wanna strip the lead paint.
We used this shit called Peel Away wearing Body Diapers in a summer with a heat index of 110F. One of the guys called in sick the next day with sun poisoning and we believed him! Another one of the college pukes accidentally got it all over his side and it looked like someone burned him down to the muscle. We didn’t have no stinking heat guns, but it would have been appreciated. Although not sure how useful it would have been on those ladders to the second story exterior.
‘Although not sure how useful it would have been on those ladders to the second story exterior.’
Just use a butane torch…heat it till the paint bubbles a bit, and it scrapes off like butter.
OSHA..? I don’t need no steenking OSCHA.
annuit coeptis novus ordo seclorum <——====
The heat gun is gold. I recently took off the old tint from the car windows and the first window took 4 hours. The next day I used the heat gun and removed the other 4 in 2 hours. I saved myself a couple hundred bucks.
OSHA reg is “do not exceed 700º F.” when you use a heat gun when stripping.
They require a 4 hr re-certification class every 5 yrs. Lead also prevents flaking.
Old oil-based paint was at least 50% linseed oil. When combined with lead, mold didn’t have a chance.
I still am a bit concerned about the lead. The trick is to heat the paint just enough so that it doesn’t start to bubble and the paint as shown in video just lifts away. I wouldn’t do this inside a house. There is a need for good ventilation. As for the gun it will never get certification. I only paid 44 bucks for it and likely won’t last five anyways.
If it makes you feel any better, we were all invincible young pukes back then and chose to breathe in the lead paint when we did the initial sanding, rather than wear a Face Diaper in that sweltering summer heat. I thought at the time that both of them were equally as deadly. It was a terrible summer.
If I had been doing it for years on end I may have been more worried. But one summer, or one project, RiNS? I really wouldn’t sweat it man.
Heck, I’d hate to guess how many paint chips and toxic crayons I ate as a child !!!!
(nope, didn’t vote for Biden)
Matt,has a nice metallic sweet taste to it!
Ask me how I know!
I don’t worry about lead paint because I’m already retarded.
Breathing lead dust or fumes causes impotence.
Is that a Conan the barbarian to an adam shiff thing??
unless you have a habit of chewing on the doors, the lead aint going anywhere.
Lamont,I also am due tor “lead re-certification next year,I asked during class but they do not cover lead in regards to tools of freedom!
Ha! If you’re anywhere near Greenville SC, take their class. GVL Tech is the Godfather of Such. BTW, at the request of Roger Milliken back in the mid-70s, they wrote what would become the OSHA Sec.1911 Guidelines on Asbestos.
Hopefully, all the TBPers that can will move to SC or TX (if you can handle power outages). Admin, we’d love you in Chucktown or Beaufort (much more affordable & where The Beeg Chill and The Great Santini were filmed). You’d have to be close to town. Where we live way out it’s 5-15 mbps and satellite, losing connection for 5-10 mins during heavy rain.
And so begins “Strange Games III,” or an open thread on what I am doing to starve the beast. I’m disconnecting from news and sports and am feeling better already. It’s amazing to see where your interests wander to, once the previous entertainments are given up.
There may come a day, sooner than expected, when basic skills are going to be in demand or even be a source of income in tough times.
My injuries kicked me out of a stable job decades ago and about 7 years ago kicked me out completely. I had some basic woodworking tools and picked up more along the way dirt cheap. Couldn’t afford the cost of plywood so furniture building was out plus not a lot of market for furniture in my area.
Had access to pallets, especially pallets from eastern US, Malaysia, Thailand etc… oak and exotic woods. Started building cigar box guitars and people actually bought them, to my surprise. I offer my shop to anyone who wishes to use it, they just have to supply their own materials. I have a couple neighbours using it and making a few dollars as well. The CBG’s I sell pays for the materials I need and puts a few gallons of gas in the trucks tank. If the power goes out… I’ll fall back on the hand tools.
Its awesome to see people DIY instead of hiring out everything or toss’n buy new. Far more satifying as well… cheers
Learned something new today, thank you. Had to read out the Wiki page on CBGs to my Mum. What a list of names who play a CBG, fiddle even a ukulele. This post and your comment are why we enjoy TBP so much.
Great post, RINS. My Dad and I refinished his grandmother’s old oak table many years ago. It had been painted black and had white lead rubbed into the grain. We used a chemical stripper that would burn your skin if even the tiniest of droplets got on you and the VOC fumes were horrendous. The claw feet were the worst things we stripped as we had to use stiff brushes and you were guaranteed to splatter that danged stuff everywhere.
After we had removed all the paint, he rubbed it with linseed oil and then a couple coats of polyurethane. My sister inherited it and it still looks good, almost 60 years after the refinishing job.
It is always satisfying to finish a DIY project.
Nice job TN!
I feel though a need to also mention nice job dating yourself!
James, I was just a lad and enjoyed working with my Dad. He was a electrician by trade, but truly a jack of all trades. I only wish I had spent more time learning from him rather than playing, but I still learned a lot. Even today when I finish a project, I wish he was around to see my handiwork.
No worries,he does.
the best parts of this post, IMHO:
1. Freebie or very cheap home improvement items finding their way to those who can use them successfully
is WAY better than assuming old, unwanted items are junk, and need to go into a landfill.
One problem is, hanging onto too much of that kind of stuff can quickly build to ‘hoarder’ status.
{“It’s still good. Somebody might be able to use this, so I ain’t throwing it away.”}
The magic solution is to bridge those who have something of use with those who need it.
Craigslist is good for this.
In my neck of the woods, we have Habitat for Humanity stores that are resale shops for most home improvement
materials. Nothing free, but some things can be found on the cheap.
But, like any resale shops, the idiots who price things are sometimes out of their mind.
Want to get rid of stuff? Price it accordingly. Like, say, 10-20% the cost of new.
2. The second part of this post is the value of turning away from the negativity that threatens to engulf us, and finding worthwhile projects to redirect focus and energy toward. Once complete, the satisfaction of a job well done is a great healing balm, besides saving one’s mental health and their relationships possibly.
All gloom and no work or play makes Johnny a crabby sonofabitch that nobody wants to be around.
Good Job, Rob.
Wonderful post and I agree. Not to mention the fact that our grandpappys used some high quality materials. RiNS got me to thinking about taking on another project, but I do believe my wife would kill me if I didn’t finish up the other few I’ve already started. Kinda hard to finish anything in this global warming as I fall on my ass just taking water to the coop.
One of the many downsides to this scamdemic is that our local second hand, run by the handicap society here, was shut down.
When I went to the landfill with some stumps etc there were probably four or five items of furniture from coaches, desks, chests of drawers, you name it. Unfortunately the landfill will not allow people to take stuff home and most of the furniture made is cheap crappy chip or particle board. But I have seen nice solid tables that I’d love to snag.
I used to find some really good finds at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Most of the stuff now has been picked over. I did pick up a couple of blank 24″ hollow core doors that I used to build a nice cabinet for my garage and some really cheap 6″ X 24″ wood look ceramic tile that I used to cover the stem wall. My garage now looks like a den with overhead doors.
I use a product called “Citristrip”.
Works great.
So how much does 1/4″ AR500 plate for it cost?
Need it on the “back side” of the door when the real Rumble starts?
I work in a shop that sells structural steel. Our best plate for that is something called Hardox450. Being hardplate it is immune to standard drill bits. Not sure how it does with lead but methinks it would work fairly well and would be pretty close to AR500.
It can be had for about 2 bucks a pound, maybe less.
Great thread.
In the past three days half a dozen different people have been up to the farm to work on a bunch of different things, half of them readers of this blog. We slaughtered another hog, butchered it and turned it into sausage, cured the hams and bellies to smoke next week, rolled up half a dozen lamb pancettas, pickled root vegetables, made crocks of sauerkraut and kimchi, began the setup for sugaring season, boxed and mailed out syrup, restored a discarded bakers rack that had been tossed out by the local grocery store to better than new condition, finished getting the last of the rust of the South Bend six burner, flat grill, dual oven gas stove- a cast off from the Girl Scouts camp that they let us have just to get rid of it- and worked on plans to turn the space above the big, red barn into housing for visitors. We all had a great time talking while we worked, everyone left with some food and some new skills under their belt and we put up enough food to feed a dozen people for a month.
This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Whatever you think is going wrong in the world is a chance to do something different, something better. This is our do-over after having been born into a corrupt and dying empire, let it do whatever it is going to do as it sputters out of energy, but focus on what we can do if we believe in something else.
Unplug from it, realize that 99% of your worries and concerns are never going to change your world as much as 1% of your focused energy will if put to good use.
Their world is a sad and empty imitation of a genuine life of real work, loving family, good friends and a purpose.
And my Grandfather always said that lead was what kept the pigment attached to the wood. Modern paint just peels off of raw wood, but lead integrates with it, sinks in and holds it forever. I have no idea if that’s true, but I still trust his wisdom where it comes to home maintenance.
To this day they still use lead paint on bridges,why…….,because it works!
Nowhere in America is lead paint put on bridges.
Hmmmm….,have a bud that paints(part of a huge crew) the Bourne and Sagamore bridge,they used”lead” in the paint,there are legal workarounds.
HSF – GREAT POST . . . I agree that whatever the system does, OUR efforts MATTER now like never before.
I started painting with my old man, in the summers, when I was seven. Did it for three years. Thirteen years later, I got my first business license at 23, as a painter. I’m 47 now, and while I spend half of my professional life as a carpenter (my first love, not, as with painting, what I was “forced” to do) I spend the other half smearing paint and am probably the only painter my age who has +/- 40 years experience (haha). Anyway, you touch on something that is THE BANE of my existence:
There are a few oil-based paints that will soak into new wood, but they all dry too brittle to be used outside; even urethane fortified paints (more flexible than standard alkyds/modified alkyds) will crack in a few years due to flex/swell that exterior surfaces experience due to humidity/heat/cold/hard freezing, etc. For interior work, they do just fine and will last a long time BUT for the best results, I prefer an alcohol based primer because they are thin and dry FAST. And I shoot multiple coats because the first coat pretty much disappears into the wood and will look “white-washed” rather than primed. The second/third coat starts to build, hardens the grain (so it sands easily), and because of the ethanol base, everybody in the house gets a buzz. Kidding, not kidding. I always use a respirator because it WILL make you feel drunk, then sick, then give an awful headache. But for exterior work, (specifically fascia) what I have found that works REALLY well on bare wood is WATER. On the south/western sides of a house, which take the brunt of the summer heat, before I prime, I get the wood wet the evening before, as close to sundown as possible, so that the water does not just evaporate off but soaks in. This opens the grain. The next a.m., I try to get on site early, around sunrise. Modern primers, latex/acrylic latex are engineered to dry quickly in order to be top-coated as soon as possible. But drying quickly is WHY the paint is easy to remove, because it does not penetrate. So, when the temp is lower and the sun is indirect is the best time to smear that first coat (and yes, I prefer to brush exterior work because it allows better penetration, fewer air bubbles, and, well, because the process itself is quite “zen” IMO). Anyway, and as soon as I get around the south/west sides of the house with that first coat, I go back to my starting point and apply a second coat. As the sun warms the surface, the grain opens further, and a second coat – always in white, because white reflects more of the sun’s light/heat and extends the dry time – will fill in any pinholes that might open due to the sun. Of course, if the house is 30 x 60, then I’m starting the second coat by 8: 00 and am finished before 9:30 or so, and I understand that not everybody can turn-and-burn like that, but the premise applies. After that, I work on the north side, then the east, by which time the sun, hopefully, is overhead so that I’m working on a warm surface that’s no longer in direct sunlight. After sanding, I apply color in the same pattern, south early, then west, followed by north and east. Direct sunlight is the enemy of wet paint; the longer it has to set, the longer it will last.
Wow, sorry to give a dissertation . . .
Great description IMHO. But after that summer, I swore off painting and stripping for the rest of my life. That’s the one thing I’ll never help my wife with. Something about the lead paint removal and summer heat stuck with me. I wonder why…
Neb,thanks for painting ideas,those tricks new to me.
That said,next home if mine will again be dark cedar shingles unless direct/all day brutal sun.,they will outlast me.
Yeah, I’ve done that a few times, too, haha!
That was very interesting information.
Beautifully said, and a wonderfully positive way to approach this mess we are living in. Words to live by, thank you.
RiNS, thanks for taking the time to post and share your perspective.
When the GST was introduced back in the 90’s I decided to do more purchasing in the used marketplace and a lot less in stores. These new consumption taxes, on top of high income taxes, forced me to consider this approach a lot more seriously. Over the years, it really paid off.
I’ve done many such projects, cheaping out on costs but getting great return on home improvement “sweat equity” that the government can’t tax. As a fellow Canadian I’m sure you fully understand this tax problem we have up here.
Fast forward to today, I have a lot of DIY projects under my belt using a lot of used material, some of it inexpensive and a lot of it totally free of cost. Being a “jack of all trades” with a civil engineering degree helped with the know how, but in every case I strived to make sure that the Turds on the Hill and at Queens Park extorted as little of my money as possible. I just put my mind to it, and I got to work hoarding, planning and building.
I just finished installing a “freecycle” bathroom in my basement for under $400. A lot of the material was obtained free, including door, doorframe and sill, drywall, fan, ptex, bathtub and even some of the tiles.
Two summers ago I installed a cedar deck with privacy lattice and perimeter planting bed using almost nothing but free material, including the deck, footiings, lumber, drainage pipe and electrical conduit, wiring, etc. Total cost was under $400 for a 240 square foot cedar deck, and most of that was for the stain. Last summer it was an outdoor kitchen with a pergola, a kitchen island of blue mountain granite stone with a granite countertop and stainless steel sink, granite stone cladding fire pit and fountain all with a patio stone surround. About another 240 square feet, and everything either freecycle or used except for the gravel, sand and stain. Cost was less than a grand – including the gravel, sand, wood stain, and a perfect condition hardly used 2 year old gas BBQ.
I find most of my material on websites such as Freecycle-dot-org, Trashnothing dot com, Kijiji dot ca, etc. Not only have I scored a lot of great stuff, big and little, but I’ve also met a lot of great people and had fun doing it.
It takes time, effort, and tenacity to go so far against the grain of our “disposable” society, but in these uncertain times its good to know, and good to prove to yourself, that by being resourceful, creative and handy good things can happen.
I’d post pics if anyone was interested to see them.
yeah, man.
Like the cowardly lion said.
“Put ’em up. Put ’em uuuupp!”
I would love to see your outdoor kitchen. I built a pergola the first summer of my retirement and have been thinking about the outdoor kitchen.
I’m trying to post links to the rollup webpage but I’m having problems. RiNS did me the courtesy of posting a few pics below but the rollup page tells more of the build story. Maybe Admin can help me since the reply posts keep disappearing.
I’d love to see some pics Orangutan, others here, I am certain, would too! This project has been a bit of an eye opener for me. There is so much stuff being thrown out. These doors would have been buried in a landfill by now if I had not put that ad on Kijiji. Whatta shame that would have been, eh!
Those doors are likely original to house and in any case well over a hundred years old. Though they will never be perfect even after I finish with them, methinks the man who built the doors a long, long time ago, is smiling down at me for preserving the stories embedded in held in them.
I’d be interested.
I would like to see what you’ve done with your outdoor kitchen and fire pit.
I’d love to see pix, they sound like great projects!
So, Is there an easy way to post a few pics without relying on a 3rd party hosting site?
you can send them to me and I can post them..
[email protected]
That’s a generous offer, thanks, pics on the way – I’m assuming your e-mail address is missing the “l” in “protonmail”?
Apparently, no. And I want to see the pics too.
Great work, Rob! Kinda like the adage that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, any DYI project you finish with all your digits is a good project!
I dun’t underthtand all the wurryin bout led paant. Lead ith yer fwiend, guud fer yu, nd I thnort some ever chanth I git.
Am curious – did you spray that first coat of primer or brush/roll it? Either way, it looked pretty slick before you removed it.
Have been painting for years but refinishing? I have used scrapers/sanders/chemical and non-chemical strippers, even the heat gun technique and . . . you have more patience than I do.
I look forward to any projects posted here,while pics nice different tricks is what I am always in the market for.As a wood guy becoming a carpenter after decades doing it realize how little I really know and how much have to learn.
I also find for detail scraping though needs to be cleaned frequently brass wire brushes get off finish in tight spots without harming wood whether using heat/chems ect.
Have used those too, and I agree, for certain things, they are awesome. And, for metal splinters, nothing else comes close!
This joint is a COMMUNITY of fine and talented people. We learn from each other … and we ENJOY it.
A fine and decent man shares his knowledge … and you mock that?? WTF is wrong with you??
How about you take your ignorant ass somewhere more to your liking … you fucken Anon coward.
That really was dumbfuckery, Anon. I actually DO wish everybody would post their fooking DIY projects so I can learn some of this shit. Like at least 1x a week would be awesome.
Great video, RiNS. That heat gun really did the trick.
I redid a cabinet that my grandfather built, which was painted with milk paint. I tried a paint remover, but like you, I found it extremely messy. I ended up just using a sander to remove the paint and bring it back to the bare wood and then re-stained it.
I’m looking forward to your next home-project videos. By the way, you have a very nice, soothing voice.
Those doors look awesome. Rage against the machine….
Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me….
Good job, RINS. I’m currently deeply immersed in what I refer to as The Renovation From Hell. Trying to make a delapidated old trailer house look like a real house. I sure am glad my dad taught me creative swearing. Would have never made it through this project without it.
I feel your pain. I’m in the process of figuring out what I want to do to restore this ‘dilapidated old trailer house’ that I live in. One great plus is that I tore down a 20 x 50 house a couple of years ago and have a huge amount of reclaimed wood. Most is stored in an old lean-to shed, but there’s so much that I still have two wagons loaded with it. All construction grade from back in the 60s, when Hines Lumber Co. was the only game in town. Massive piles of assorted 2″ – about half tongue and groove – and something like 40 12′ 4×6 rafters and floor beams. And a surprise under layer of wall plywood that time never touched.
I’ve been contemplating for a while now just how I should go about this. There’s been a wealth of inspiration and insight from a lot of these TBPers.
TS – Here is what I posted for On The Beach. since you already have a bunch of the lumber, you might consider using the trailer frame as the basis for your house. 4X6 rafters would be really nice, if you could leave them exposed.
Exactly what I’m thinking. It’s a 20 x 50 dbl wide, 1965. Plus an extension out the west side, concrete slab maybe 8′ out, 28′ feet along one side with three 6′ openings, 2 with rails and one with wide steps to ground level. Put the wood stove in there. And a 16′ wide carport on the other side, about 20′ long. A small sitting porch on the front facing the lane. I’m thinking a 2’foot riser down the middle , for the 28′, with the rafters exposed on that side down through the extension. That would give space for windows on the east-facing riser for light and air flow.
I’m thinking of pulling the old fatigued metal roof off – it comes right off as one chunk if the screws/nails are taken off of the sides and replacing it. The rafters are – get this – 2 x 3s, as are the wall studs. Also, pull the inside wall panels off and, leaving the old studs in place, adding on 2 x 4s to strengthen, and replace the old crappy insulation. Replace the outer panels, maybe; I might be able to salvage them they’re pretty good metal panels.
You get what I’m thinking. 🙂
I know a guy who bought a trailer at the lake and took off the roof, walls and flooring, then built a really nice cabin around the frame of the trailer. All he really wanted the trailer for was the rough in plumbing.
Edited to add, this is OHMama. Accidentally posted as Anon.
We just got done with our daughter’s bedroom and spent the day today ripping up the upstairs hall. Might as well turn fiat into fixups while it still has value, LOL!
Fantastic job on the door! Not only does it look great, but I love the starve the beast philosophy behind it too.
I was halfway thru your article , thinking dumbass, use a heat gun , and you did. Bravo!
When I was a kid, I worked with a paint contractor who used propane torches to strip old lead paint off 100+ year old houses. The old lead paint, once heated , came off with little effort. How we managed not to burn down any old houses could have only been God looking out for crazy kids with propane touches or maybe it was the home owners he was looking out for. Regardless, it was a miracle that we turned none to ashes, because all the clapboards were made from heart pine which is full of what we call fat lighter resin which is highly flammable.
Good job.
BTW, if you can build a cabinet door, you can build a house door. I’ll bet you have plenty of straight grained Douglas fir up there which makes the task X10 easier than trying to build with unstable Southern yellow pine, but somehow old Southern carpenters with no power tools managed build pine doors that lasted more than a century. Pine doors are double the weight of Fir too which makes them a lot harder to hang.
Ha. This comment disappeared from my view, so later on I made another similar comment. Then my IP was banned again before I could see if it posted. Now using the Tor browser I see both. Apparently some algorithm has run amok.
Been happening to several folks, including me.
I now have a word document I keep open all day. I type my responses in there … and then just ctrl-c and ctrl-v (you do know how to do that, right? … lol) to TBP. Works like a charm.
Yes, but my comments are off the cuff which I don’t keep Word open for . Maybe I will start.
Well, I surely don’t do that for short comments either. But, anything over, say, 50 words, I sure as hell do.
yeah, as i started reading this, when you got to using a chemical stripper i wanted to shout out loud, stop! use heat for this!
brings back memories of using a heating iron, basically a single loop heating element with a handle on one end and a curved reflector panel on one side, and a putty knife, to strip paint 30-some years ago.. even better than a heat gun blowing air and funny smells all over and making a ton of noise.. of course it still smelled funny and if you didnt keep moving it could burn, but dead simple (and that heating element was mondo powerful compared to the coil in most heat guns)
probably prohibited now for being a tool that actually got s**t done.
About halfway thru, I was thinking , get a heat gun dumbass and then you did. Bravo!
Once upon a time, when I was a kid, I worked for a do- it -all contractor who regularly took jobs repainting old 100+year houses, mostly two story with decades of lead paint build-up and of course, we “burnt'” the paint off, but instead of heat guns, we used propane torches. Considering the old clapboards were turpentine resin impregnated heart pine , it’s a true miracle we didn’t turn any of the old family homes into embers and ashes. Hardened turpentine resin packed pine, also known a fat lighter is highly flammable and even though we had a few catch -up, we never any we couldn’t put out.
I don’t blame you for wanting solid doors over the cheap and cheap looking hollow masonite doors most run and gun contractors stick in houses just to close the deal. In the trades, we used to call that, striking pay dirt….just enough to meet the prerequisites and codes for being called a house. Did you ever think about building your own ? It’s not rocket science. If you can build a cabinet door, you can build a house door and with hand tools . A couple of hand planes, scrubbing and smoothing, a shoulder plane, mortising chisel, a back saw and you are in business. And, if you have a line on some straight grained Douglas Fir, all the better.
Check out this guy, who does everything with hand tools, for inspiration.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHkYrJ2Fbe7pBjEZvkFzi3A
I am posting these pictures for Orangutan
I am in awe to be honest. Methinks Orangutan needs to write short synopsis of how all this was done. Bravo Sir!
Pretty impressive
Thanks RiNS ! There is a link to the “rollup” with a lot more photos of the build, and on each photo is a short description of what was being done. . The hardest part was the “stop-start” nature of the design and build process, since the design was 100% in flux depending on what material I could actually find. That last pic is actually a working fountain using the last of the granite stone and a pump that was lying around.
Link:
https://rolls.bublup.com/view/b4b8e723-88da-4a77-bd00-5143f48183b0
VERY nicely done, Orangutan.
Thanks!
That last link should take you to a page with a lot more photos of the actual process and a brief description for each pic.
Holy shit.
Out standing… very impressed…
Wow.
Nice work Orang,especially scraping materials together out of otherwise trash piles and putting them to excellent use.
I would say we need a article like this once every couple of months,get some project ideas/tricks of the trades/what we can reuse ect.
That is very nice indeed!
Rob, this was a great post but since I’m the picture taker of hard work accomplished, I thought I would wait to comment and show you how I get all my home improvement projects accomplished.
I stand at the bottom of the ladder and nag. Occasionally, I take pictures.
Sometimes, I help. Nick doubled the size of the back porch this summer. It made a tremendous difference.