The DIY thread

[Dazed and Confused]

Re: Re:

It has to be some "big" stuff perhaps, otherwise pretty much everything gets done the DIY way around here. Got a couple of things going at the moment. Change of the faucet in the bathroom. Its currently dripping and I've had enough. All the parts have been bought and now I just need a kick in the butt. The second project is more interesting and involves some construction work on the holiday home. It involves an outside door and window, but things turned a bit complicated as I found some decay in the woodwork in an exposed corner when I took all the stuff apart. Anyway that part has almost been fixed and now its time for the window and door. There are a few other thing lined up, like fixing the wooden floor in a room, but this need a pot of cash. Maybe next year. Washer and disher needs to be replaced too. August I think.

Faucet replacements are pretty easy, I've done several of them myself. I am now giving you a kick in the butt to get yours done!

The other carpentry stuff, though, that's much too advanced for me. (I may have done some resurfacing/refinishing on some wood cabinets in the past, but actually having to rebuild something like that I think takes some advanced skill.) Good for you if you have that skill!

I like carpentry, so that makes learning a bit easier. Plumbing otoh....

 

[Tricycle Rider]

DIY beauty tips for the really, really cheap people (such as me), and this is probably more for the two or three other ladies in this joint...

I cannot justify paying a beautician a small fortune to color my hair, or to bleach my "Eastern European" mustache, so I just do it myself with some cheap hair dye and with some creme hair bleach.

As long as you read the product instructions (which nobody likes to do), I'm pretty sure your hair won't fall out, and you won't burn yourself with the cream bleach. (Though, after so many years of coloring my hair with cheap dye it may have turned slightly curly, which I actually like because now I don't have to get perms.)

Don't be afraid, lads, I swear I will look so much more human after I get all these chemicals off me!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Right, so my DIY project for today (and for the next several days, or even weeks), involves some very amateur auto body work on the old '67 VW Bug...

What used to be a sunroof (it's a long story as to why it no longer is) now leaks when it's raining, so have to do some sanding, building up, more sanding, sealing, and then finally painting.

Wouldn't recommend doing this unless you know what you're doing, but, the state my car is in currently I can't possibly do it any more harm.

 

[JayKosta]

Try to not remove any metal - it's very difficult to build 'missing pieces'.
I'd use a good epoxy (e.g. JB Weld, or PC-7) to strengthen rusted bits after minor sanding.
A 'paste epoxy' might be best because it can be formed to hold a shape.

for sealing, perhaps an 'aquarium silicone caulk'.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Do you think I could chuck in some gardening in this thread, or should I open a new one?

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re:

Try to not remove any metal - it's very difficult to build 'missing pieces'.
I'd use a good epoxy (e.g. JB Weld, or PC-7) to strengthen rusted bits after minor sanding.
A 'paste epoxy' might be best because it can be formed to hold a shape.

for sealing, perhaps an 'aquarium silicone caulk'.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

I've got a whole bunch of "Bondo" auto body repair stuff, will let you know how it goes. (I know I definitely don't want to go through any metal with the sander and create more holes!)

Thanks for the tips, nonetheless!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re:

Do you think I could chuck in some gardening in this thread, or should I open a new one?

I think gardening tips would be great in this thread - every summer I grow some tomatoes, but my real passion have become roses. (They're not that hard to grow, but still, I get a thrill each time they blossom.)

So yeah, go for it!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re: Gardening stuff - there was that one time back in the '60s when I tried to grow a lilac bush...

Just kidding, this was actually very recent (about 4 or 5 years ago) when I had planted that lilac bush, and finally this year it had rewarded me with a couple of blossoms.

Don't know what I had done right or had done wrong, but I was so happy too see that lilac finally blossom.

So if you guys have a tip on how to grow/prosper a lilac properly I'm all ears.

 

[jmdirt]

Has anybody tried the DYI headlight restoration kits? The headlights on my '06 Toyota are really oxidized.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Automotive-Headlight-Restoration-Kits/zgbs/automotive/2687788011

 

[jmdirt]

Re:

Do you think I could chuck in some gardening in this thread, or should I open a new one?

Yes, gardening and composting DIY.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re:

Has anybody tried the DYI headlight restoration kits? The headlights on my '06 Toyota are really oxidized.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Automotive-Headlight-Restoration-Kits/zgbs/automotive/2687788011

Never tried to restore a headlight, but I would read the Amazon customer reviews (and find some Youtube vids on how to do it)...

Customer reviews can be really sketchy, some people just rave about the products and give them 5 stars (they're probably getting paid for it), others hate them. So I usually just go for the 2 or 3-star reviews, they tend to be more balanced. Also, read the "questions answered" parts, those can be very useful as well.

More than anything, read the product instructions/manuals (which nobody likes to do), I think a lot of times the reason why products don't work as they should is because the consumers fail to understand on how to use/install them properly.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re: roof restoration on the '67 Bug...

This is what it looked like after I had sanded down the worst parts, the leaks came from what used to be a sunroof.

This is what it looks like now after I had applied some "Bondo" auto body repair filler (being I'm somewhat anal retentive I just Bondoed nearly the whole damn thing)...

Once the Bondo cures fully (24 hours - don't think I can wait that long! ) it'll still need lots of sanding to even things out. And while I do have one of those electric rotor sanders I won't use it because I have a very poor feel for it, so I'll just do the sanding manually by hand. (Oooof, am not looking forward to it!)

 

[JayKosta]

Re:

Has anybody tried the DYI headlight restoration kits?
...

------------
Yes, the headlight covers can be 'restored' to remove the darkening and surface dullness.

I use a metal polish product called 'Never Dull' on the headlight covers on my 2001 Honda.
You can probably buy it at an automotive parts supply store - or some other mild abrasive metal polish would also work.
I tried an inexpensive product that was sold as being for headlights, and it also worked - but not any better than the Never Dull. I do the polishing 'by hand',but I imagine that a motorized polisher would also work - if you're careful .....

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Oh man, I's done *** that Bug's roof up! (Got tired of sanding the body filler, so just went ahead and spray-painted the heck out it. [With gloss paint, no less, which means every nook and cranny shows.])

The roof is functional now in that it probably won't leak once it rains, but I just hate the way it looks. (Being I'm somewhat anal retentive I want for it to be/look perfect!) So I'll have to do it all over again once the paint is sand-able.

On a brighter note - does anyone know the name of this plant? I ask because I don't know/remember, one of my clients gave me a starter a while back.

Technically it's an indoor houseplant, but it does so well outside in the summer that I just keep it outside. (And I must shamefully admit that my plants are on steroids [Miracle-Grow], but one thing I at least won't use is that really toxic shite called Round-Up.)

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Flex-Seal (as advertised on TV) - have any of you guys used it? Does it actually work as advertised, should I bother with it?

(I've got a can of it here, don't know whether I should use it on my Bug's roof. [Once it's been sanded, Bondoed, and painted properly, that is. )

 

[JayKosta]

Re:

...
I at least won't use is that really toxic shite called Round-Up.)

----------------------
For a less toxic small area vegetation 'kill all' I use plain table salt for things such as weeds in driveway cracks, etc.
Dig out the existing weeds as best you can, and then pour plain cheap salt on the crack and give a slight watering to get the salt to soak in (but don't rinse it away!).
I wouldn't use salt on weeds intermixed with other plants that you want to keep, but for driveway / sidewalk cracks it works pretty well.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re: Re:

----------------------
For a less toxic small area vegetation 'kill all' I use plain table salt for things such as weeds in driveway cracks, etc.
Dig out the existing weeds as best you can, and then pour plain cheap salt on the crack and give a slight watering to get the salt to soak in (but don't rinse it away!).
I wouldn't use salt on weeds intermixed with other plants that you want to keep, but for driveway / sidewalk cracks it works pretty well.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

Should it be iodized, non-iodized, sea, Kosher, or non-Kosher table salt? (Just kidding, I crack myself up!)

I'll give it a go on the weed in the "safe" areas, sounds like a reasonable alternative to Round-Up.

Thanks for the tip, Jay Kosta!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Right, so providing the material isn't too stretchy you can probably put your own torn clothes back together with a simple sewing machine. (I like a really simple Singer, your mileage may vary.)

 

[jmdirt]

So I tried Wipe New Headlight Restore on my 10 year old, oxi-glazed headlights. My goal was to get a little more light out ahead of me at night. The nice side benefit is, as my wife put it, 'it makes the front of the truck look so much nicer'. Before: couldn't even see the bulb, after: the bulb is very clearly visible. It exceeded my expectation for appearance. I don't know if they look quite 'new', but close. I'll have to wait until the next time I drive at night to check that improvement, and obviously I won't know about durability until ?

It took about 15 minutes per lens to wet sand 10 years of oxidation off/out. Hint: use a squirt bottle to keep the lens wet and the oxi flowing away.
The sealing wipe step takes about 10 seconds per lens.

http://www.wipenew.com/wipe-new-headlights/

 

[jmdirt]

Re:

DIY beauty tips for the really, really cheap people (such as me), and this is probably more for the two or three other ladies in this joint...

I cannot justify paying a beautician a small fortune to color my hair, or to bleach my "Eastern European" mustache, so I just do it myself with some cheap hair dye and with some creme hair bleach.

As long as you read the product instructions (which nobody likes to do), I'm pretty sure your hair won't fall out, and you won't burn yourself with the cream bleach. (Though, after so many years of coloring my hair with cheap dye it may have turned slightly curly, which I actually like because now I don't have to get perms.)

Don't be afraid, lads, I swear I will look so much more human after I get all these chemicals off me!

Hey, we've never gotten proof of this!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re: Re:

Hey, we've never gotten proof of this!

Sorry, jmdirt, while I was trying to look somewhat human my dad coaxed me into cleaning his kayak.

Usually this is something you can do yourself with a sponge and some "Soft Scrub", but this may also be an excellent time to observe what kind of shape your hull is in. (As in, if the scratches are too deep you may be looking into getting yourself a new kayak. Which I'm sure my dad would love, not so sure my mom would be cool with it, though.)

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re:

So I tried Wipe New Headlight Restore on my 10 year old, oxi-glazed headlights. My goal was to get a little more light out ahead of me at night. The nice side benefit is, as my wife put it, 'it makes the front of the truck look so much nicer'. Before: couldn't even see the bulb, after: the bulb is very clearly visible. It exceeded my expectation for appearance. I don't know if they look quite 'new', but close. I'll have to wait until the next time I drive at night to check that improvement, and obviously I won't know about durability until ?

It took about 15 minutes per lens to wet sand 10 years of oxidation off/out. Hint: use a squirt bottle to keep the lens wet and the oxi flowing away.
The sealing wipe step takes about 10 seconds per lens.

http://www.wipenew.com/wipe-new-headlights/

Sorry if I may have ignored this at first... glad to hear this product had seemed to work for you and your headlights.

Do you think this would also work on some very old plastic rear lights? (I know I'm supposed to read the reviews of the product, but I would rather trust you and your judgment of the product.)

 

[JayKosta]

Re: Re:

The headlight refurbishing products work by removing a thin layer of the 'plastic' that has become dull or frosted by exposure to sunlight, and hitting 'grit' in the air when driving at highway speed. Removal of the thin exterior layer exposes the clear underlayer which allows more light to shine thru it.

If the rear light are old and faded, then the color change might go all the way thru the plastic, and just removing the thin exterior layer might not be of any benefit.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[jmdirt]

Re: Re:

So I tried Wipe New Headlight Restore on my 10 year old, oxi-glazed headlights. My goal was to get a little more light out ahead of me at night. The nice side benefit is, as my wife put it, 'it makes the front of the truck look so much nicer'. Before: couldn't even see the bulb, after: the bulb is very clearly visible. It exceeded my expectation for appearance. I don't know if they look quite 'new', but close. I'll have to wait until the next time I drive at night to check that improvement, and obviously I won't know about durability until ?

It took about 15 minutes per lens to wet sand 10 years of oxidation off/out. Hint: use a squirt bottle to keep the lens wet and the oxi flowing away.
The sealing wipe step takes about 10 seconds per lens.

http://www.wipenew.com/wipe-new-headlights/

Sorry if I may have ignored this at first... glad to hear this product had seemed to work for you and your headlights.

Do you think this would also work on some very old plastic rear lights? (I know I'm supposed to read the reviews of the product, but I would rather trust you and your judgment of the product.)

I think that jay may be correct, but you could wet sand a little bit to test it. If they are just oxidized, this kit should work just fine. There was one guy on youtube who used it on his tail lights, but they looked pretty good to start with.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re: Re:

[quote="jmdirt"

I think that jay may be correct, but you could wet sand a little bit to test it. If they are just oxidized, this kit should work just fine. There was one guy on youtube who used it on his tail lights, but they looked pretty good to start with.

I might try to wet sand a small spot then and see if it does anything, the tail lights belong to the '67 Bug. (Can't really make them much worse... well, if there's a way I'm sure I'll find it. Ha!) Speaking of Bug...

I have to say that ultra fine automotive sandpaper just rocks, now that I have actually used it. (Re-sanded the roof, Bondoed it, sanded some more, I'm much happier with the results now.)

Anyhoo, thanks jmdirt and Jay Kosta for the tips, I love this thread!