The DIY thread

Page 12 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Some recliners have a removable back which might make it easier to work on. Mine has latches on both sides of the back on the left and right - they're covered by a flap of fabric. After the latches are opened, the back can be pulled straight up. Reverse to reinstall.

Jay
 
Re:

JayKosta said:
Some recliners have a removable back which might make it easier to work on. Mine has latches on both sides of the back on the left and right - they're covered by a flap of fabric. After the latches are opened, the back can be pulled straight up. Reverse to reinstall.

Jay
I see what you're saying, thanks for the tip, Jay!

For this particular fix what I really should have done is remove the whole recliner mechanism and take it apart, but seeing as I was too lazy for that I just flipped the chair upside down and chose to stab myself instead.

On a side note - one can actually purchase and replace a whole recliner mechanism for about $200 and not have to deal with any kind of DIY, but where is the fun in that?
 
My not-yet-attempted recliner project is to make arm covers to hide the worn and frayed 'piping' on the top front of both arms. I can usually re-sew a button without too much blood loss, but that's the peak of my sewing skill level ...

Jay
 
Re:

JayKosta said:
My not-yet-attempted recliner project is to make arm covers to hide the worn and frayed 'piping' on the top front of both arms. I can usually re-sew a button without too much blood loss, but that's the peak of my sewing skill level ...

Jay
Could you take a picture of this, pretty please, Jay?

I might be able to help you, but only if I see what exactly is going on.
 
Here's a photo of the recliner arm - the fabric on both arms where I hold them are obviously worn and the fabric covering the piping is completely gone.

Recliner_arm_compressed.jpg


The wear area is about 8 inches down the front and about 1 foot rearward from the front. We'd just buy another recliner, but my wife is very sensitive to 'new furniture' smells - we had this one in a spare bedroom for about 2 years before bringing it into the living room! The fabric on this recliner wore-out fairly quickly. The previous one with 'Herculon' fabric only succumbed to the cat's claws ...

Cutting and sewing the 2 pieces (front of the P shape, and the rectangular cover) probably isn't too difficult, but I think the exposed edges would have to be finished or bound so they don't ravel.

Jay
 
Re:

JayKosta said:
Here's a photo of the recliner arm - the fabric on both arms where I hold them are obviously worn and the fabric covering the piping is completely gone.

Recliner_arm_compressed.jpg


The wear area is about 8 inches down the front and about 1 foot rearward from the front. We'd just buy another recliner, but my wife is very sensitive to 'new furniture' smells - we had this one in a spare bedroom for about 2 years before bringing it into the living room! The fabric on this recliner wore-out fairly quickly. The previous one with 'Herculon' fabric only succumbed to the cat's claws ...

Cutting and sewing the 2 pieces (front of the P shape, and the rectangular cover) probably isn't too difficult, but I think the exposed edges would have to be finished or bound so they don't ravel.

Jay
Have you looked into fabric slip covers for recliners? I'm not sure how well they fit and if you're particular about the look (they're supposed to be mostly "universal" and come in a variety of colors and fabrics), that would probably be the easiest option. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Slipcover-Protector-Great-Bay-Home/dp/B0777SZD9J/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1525435509&sr=8-8&keywords=recliner+chair+covers

I would just go with the slip cover, you could also always have the chair professionally re-upholstered, but that would probably get a bit pricey.

This recliner stuff is so funny, have you seen the Frasier episode where Frasier's dad desperately never wants to get rid of his ugly old lazyboy even though it doesn't go with any of Frasier's fancy new furniture? This is kinda like that.

I'm still waiting on the recliner tube, btw., according to postal tracking it's coming all the way from Georgia and its last stop was in Chattanooga. It always amazes me where things come from when you order them from Amazon, one time I ordered a cheapy sweater that came all the way from the UK. (I don't really care where things come from as long as I get free shipping!)
 
Re:

JayKosta said:
Thanks, I'll do some more web browsing to see if I can find something ready-made.

Jay
My first thought would have been some fabric table placement mats you could just throw on top of the arm rests, but they wouldn't really cover the front part of the rests.

Sewing something together... I'm sure I could probably fashion something out of fabric, but it probably wouldn't look very nice.
 
Magnificent news!

The recliner tube has arrived, it's nearly identical to the broken one. It was fairly easy to install, I didn't hurt myself this time because the bolts went on the inside of the frame rather than the outside like the emergency wood screws, the latter was the only way I could attach them.

recliner-tube11525613201.jpg


I also lubed the metal joints with some cooking spray (hate the smell of WD40), so the chair no longer squeaks. Many more happy years of reclining, dog!

recliner11525613228.jpg



On to some gardening projects now...

This year I'm trying to grow everything from seed, including tomatoes. The seedlings germinated okay in a window "hothouse" , but am not sure how well they will do in the soil. (This year I'm actually trying to pay a bit more attention to soil pH.)

Just for *** and giggles I also bought this urban tomato barrel, think I will buy a tomato plant as a backup in case my seedlings all succumb to my poor tomato-growing skills. The barrel is actually pretty cool, I would imagine anyone who lives in an apartment with a sunny balcony could use it.

barrel1525613250.jpg
 
Re:

Tricycle Rider said:
... I also lubed the metal joints with some cooking spray (hate the smell of WD40), ...
------------------
Congratulations on the chair repair, and good luck with the gardening.

For no-smell oiling, I use drugstore Mineral Oil - just use Q-tip to apply.

Louise (wife) mentioned that instead of trying to pre-cut the end piece for the arm cover, it would be better to use straight pins to attach 2 pieces using the chair arm as the model. And then sew along the pin line and trim the excess.

It's MY chair and MY wear marks, so I feel that it's my responsibility to attempt the sewing ...

Jay
 
Re: Re:

JayKosta said:
Tricycle Rider said:
... I also lubed the metal joints with some cooking spray (hate the smell of WD40), ...
------------------
Congratulations on the chair repair, and good luck with the gardening.

For no-smell oiling, I use drugstore Mineral Oil - just use Q-tip to apply.

Louise (wife) mentioned that instead of trying to pre-cut the end piece for the arm cover, it would be better to use straight pins to attach 2 pieces using the chair arm as the model. And then sew along the pin line and trim the excess.

It's MY chair and MY wear marks, so I feel that it's my responsibility to attempt the sewing ...

Jay
I found a whole bunch of youtube vids on upholstering a recliner or sofa, it's not necessarily rocket science, but it depends on how good you are with a sewing machine and how much time and patience you have. (One video was made by some guy who's been a professional upholsterer for 40+ years, I completely skipped over that one because I knew he would make it look too easy. Ha!)

Good luck with your recliner project, there are definitely tips and tricks on the webs for any kind of a DIY.

Speaking of which...

Update on my gardening endeavors (cause the Giro hasn't been much fun to watch these past three stages)...

Instead of trying to grow another tomato in my urban barrel I've decided to try to grow potatoes - I've never done it before, but it's supposed to be really easy. (Yeah, right.)

Also, I'm trying to save a rhododendron from dying, it has rusty leaves and am not sure why. It could be disease, poor nutrition, or other plants simply overtaking the rhodie's space, hell if I knew.

Anyhoo, while researching the problem on the webs I ran into this product, I'm just larfing my ass off. I had no idea such a product even existed - god bless the internet.

http://wormhouse.eu/products/plant-food-oh-***%E2%84%A2/tomato
 
The update you've all been dying for, here's what I've done with my cross-stitch project.

Instead of doing the whole damn thing I'll just do only a third of it, it'll be a scene of an alley, a streetlight, a bike leaning against the streetlight (actually I'm starting to suspect it's a moped, the handlebars are all wrong and the frame seems a bit too fat, I'll probably have to make some alterations), and lots and lots of cobbles.
alley1527793244.jpg


It'll probably still take me a couple of years to finish it, but at least this is doable. (I don't even want to get into how long it took me to finish the sky... manufacturer failed to give me a certain shade of thread, by the time I noticed I had to undo a whole bunch and do it over with the right shade. Undoing some stitching is even worse than the actual embroidering, it's best to not even think about it.)

wheels1527793298.jpg



How's your recliner project coming along, Jay?
 
Re: Re:

Tricycle Rider said:
... Also, I'm trying to save a rhododendron from dying, it has rusty leaves and am not sure why. It could be disease, poor nutrition, or other plants simply overtaking the rhodie's space, hell if I knew. ...
------------------------------
I think that rhods do best in a slightly acid soil. Have you used any lime or other products that would decrease the soil acidity? Around here it is common to use lime on grass lawns, but Louise instructed that I not apply any within the area closer than the outer leaves of our rhods.

Jay
 
Re: Re:

JayKosta said:
Tricycle Rider said:
... Also, I'm trying to save a rhododendron from dying, it has rusty leaves and am not sure why. It could be disease, poor nutrition, or other plants simply overtaking the rhodie's space, hell if I knew. ...
------------------------------
I think that rhods do best in a slightly acid soil. Have you used any lime or other products that would decrease the soil acidity? Around here it is common to use lime on grass lawns, but Louise instructed that I not apply any within the area closer than the outer leaves of our rhods.

Jay
I actually dug up and replanted the rhodie in a huge planter and added some fertilizer specifically for rhodies, the plant has made a magnificent recovery.

Think it was just extremely poor soil surrounding the rhodie, an ivy might have drained all the nutrients out of the ground. So despite the trauma of being transplanted the rhodie is a much happier plant now, it has already sprung some new, healthy growth.

You're definitely right, rhodies and azaleas like an acidic soil, plus very specific nutrients. I just used this stuff...

https://jet.com/product/Expert-Gardener-Azalea-Camellia-and-Rhododendron-Plant-Food-10-8-8-10-Pounds/287d9259f5904777858a3afdf718462c?jcmp=pla:ggl:nj_roc_gen_patio_garden_a3:patio_garden_landscaping_lawn_care_fertilizers_soils_a3:na:pLA_1062493836_51686002043_pla-307198162993_c:na:na:na:2PLA15&pid=kenshoo_int&c=1062493836&is_retargeting=true&clickid=6161fd91-70db-4537-891b-32076eb951b9&kclid=6161fd91-70db-4537-891b-32076eb951b9&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt-7zqe-w2wIVAf5kCh2bewAnEAQYAiABEgJuXfD_BwE
 
Latest update on the rhodie (cause I know you guys have just been dying for it)...

Here you can see both the old and new growth, the old growth is just pitiful. Don't know how I would go about pruning it out, have never tried to prune a rhodie before.
rhoadie1528382328.jpg


On a similar note...

I bought a rose earlier this spring, it's called the "Dolly Parton". (I suppose it's supposed to become very voluptuous, and it's supposed to smell really nice.)

Think I might have messed up the planting in that I let it sit in full sun, right now it's looking rather dead-like. Maybe something will grow out next spring, the suspense is just killing me!

dolly-parton1528382500.jpg
 
There's absolutely no question that I had lost the very last of my marbles working on my cross-stitch project, but just to take a break from all the insanity here's another DIY project that I'm sure you've all been dying for - garden gnome restoration!

Okay, we all know that garden gnomes are the very definition of kitsch, however, I kinda like this little guy. He's about as least kitschy as you can get these days, judging from what I had seen around in the stores. So instead of buying some of those uber-kitsch gnomes I just wanted to paint him up a bit... these are apparently some sort of acrylic paints, hopefully they will last at least through the next rainy season.

Before:

gnomeI1528440157.jpg


After:

gnomeII1528440201.jpg


Will keep you all posted on how the paint holds up, worry not.
 
Re: Re:

JayKosta said:
Tricycle Rider said:
... Okay, we all know that garden gnomes are the very definition of kitsch, ...
-----------
I think he looks great!

Jay
Thank you, Jay! Have you decided how you'll fix up your recliner?

Think I'll give the gnome a spraying with a clear protective topcoat, btw., just so the paint holds up a bit longer. Speaking of paint...

I'm just now exploring on what happens when you mix primary colors, I needed a brown for the gnome's basket. So the interwebs tells me mix green with red and what you get is a - voila - brown!

I'm just so giddy about this I could practically crap myself! :D

gnomeIII1528565623.jpg
 
Btw., if any of you should wonder about all this cross-stitch and painting stuff, and why bother to go through all the frustration...

It's simply excellent exercise for hand-eye coordination, and sometimes some math may be involved.

So that's why you do it, especially those of us who are getting up there in age. :)
 
Re: Re:

Tricycle Rider said:
... Jay! Have you decided how you'll fix up your recliner? ...
---------
I haven't attempted the recliner arm covers yet - it's very low priority, especially since Louise isn't bothered by it! I've got lots of other DIY items that need done first.

Jay
 
My cheapness knows no bounds, a couple of days ago my big flat-screen TV went out. Seeing as I never throw anything out I still had a smaller one laying around, it didn't have a mounting bracket or stand or whatchama call it. So being the TV had a couple of small grooves on the bottom I just stuck a couple of pencils in them and secured them with duct tape, they're acting as a fulcrum type of thingy. (It's working out quite nicely, saved myself $15. :D)

tv-stand1529793625.jpg


Btw., this TV has only one HDMI input, only just now did I learn there are HDMI cable splitters and switches available that save you from having to constantly plug and unplug various devices. God bless those computer geeks who invented this!
 
Sep 25, 2009
7,527
1
0
just s side note for all diy-selfer...

i found that 'ask amazon' was an invaluable resource in many my diy projects. the knowledge base of millions of customers combined with the amazon system of notifications and keeping everyone merit-based is truly amazing. i quite frequently shop there and apart from a natural question of how a prospective item might fit or measure, i as often ask the questions of a technical nature...

for instance, i am building now an electric scooter for my nephew and to put the thing right one needs to properly fit and size several electrical and mechanical components. having zero experience, i simply asked if a particular battery will work with a particular motor. 2 answers arrived within 1h: one from a vendor and 1 from a customer.

saved myself a tonne of time researching and possibly having my sister's kid an accident.
 
Re: Re:

JayKosta said:
Tricycle Rider said:
... I just stuck a couple of pencils in them and secured them with duct tape, ...
--------------------
just be real careful to not bump the TV or it might tip over. Especially if there is a need to reach or even move around near the TV.

Jay
Indeed - the TV is standing on a whole pyramid of fat books, which is a precarious situation in itself. But the way the pencils are stuck in and the piece of wood (same one I used on the broken recliner :lol: ) they are propped on makes the whole creation pretty stable. It's all about weight and counterweight, and being the TV is in a corner against the wall I have minimal physical contact with it.

I would have re-used the mount from the busted big flat-screen TV, but unfortunately it wouldn't work with the smaller one. So, in the interest of reaching ultimate cheapness you just do the best you can with what's at hand.

I am still mesmerized by this HDMI cable switch I had bought, btw., it'll make my TV viewing so much more pleasant.