What’d you work on today?

[Shovelrick]

Well my favorite plumbing hardware store has closed its doors for good, Palmer Hardware was a great place for old plumbing parts & supplies, now I’ll get to see if anyone at Home Depot has a clue about 80+ yr old plumbing lol

 

[cheveslakr]

I was in HD the other day with 3 things on my list, found the cut washers, expensive but oh well, the uni-strut was non existent and 3 attendants I asked had no clue what I was talking about, they called for a helper in the tool dept, looking for port-band blades......waited 5 minutes or so and they only had the mini versions and the "helper" had no clue what a porta band was, to him it was a band saw. Okay, I just gave up, chucked the box of washers in the air and walked out empty handed. Went to my local old school hardware store where at least 5 competent workers are roaming the isles and found everything......had to ask why I do this to myself??? Sad to see your store close. The point of my post is to reinforce the support we need to show for the stores we appreciate and who appreciate us.
HD used to hire former workers in various fields, plumbers, electricians or whatever, not anymore.

 

[Shovelrick]

I asked 2 guys in the HD plumbing dept about parts to repair my faucet, 1 guy stuttered very bad and said Try Lowes other didn’t say a word, I looked around anyway and found the rubber flat washers I needed to stop the drip, I should’ve thought to go to my local Ace since I have a $5 coupon that expires this month, oh well drip fixed anyway, and I replaced a 90 day whole house water filter while I had the water off it was due

 

[Nashville Cat]

I was in HD the other day with 3 things on my list, found the cut washers, expensive but oh well, the uni-strut was non existent and 3 attendants I asked had no clue what I was talking about, they called for a helper in the tool dept, looking for port-band blades......waited 5 minutes or so and they only had the mini versions and the "helper" had no clue what a porta band was, to him it was a band saw. Okay, I just gave up, chucked the box of washers in the air and walked out empty handed. Went to my local old school hardware store where at least 5 competent workers are roaming the isles and found everything......had to ask why I do this to myself??? Sad to see your store close. The point of my post is to reinforce the support we need to show for the stores we appreciate and who appreciate us.
HD used to hire former workers in various fields, plumbers, electricians or whatever, not anymore.

My local HD used to have a master plumber working in that dept. I found out they were paying him $17/hr and I figured he'd be gone before too long.
I was right.
There is hope because they are starting to put the locations of every part on their "app" you can install on your phone.
So if you can figure out what they call the part you are looking for, you can find it.

 

[Shovelrick]

My local HD used to have a master plumber working in that dept. I found out they were paying him $17/hr and I figured he'd be gone before too long.
I was right.
There is hope because they are starting to put the locations of every part on their "app" you can install on your phone.
So if you can figure out what they call the part you are looking for, you can find it.

I was hoping for an old time plumber to say “ Don’t forget to do…) you know when you’re doing something that seems like a common repair but you don’t do it every day and working on old stuff things can go bad easy, guy at HD did say to just put a new complete faucet on but I can’t get a pipe wrench on any part of the pipe, to tight to wall, I didn’t want to bother my plumber friend for this but I would’ve if I didn’t get it fixed, they use to hire semi retired contractors and put them in certain depts but guess that’s Racist or not Equally Distributing work or some shit

 

[Nashville Cat]

I was hoping for an old time plumber to say “ Don’t forget to do…) you know when you’re doing something that seems like a common repair but you don’t do it every day and working on old stuff things can go bad easy,

I know you already know this but.......thank God for youtube DIY videos !

 

[77cruiser]

Snowblowed for the first time this winter. Not that I really want snow but I'd kind of not want my septic system to freeze.

 

[Richard150MPH]

Dry run assembly on some of the Lotus engine parts to learn where they go and ensure I have all good hardware.
Also some painting of parts because I cannot assemble ugly pieces.

But what may be of more interest here is my effort to prepare the Weber intake for port matching.
It is an old "CB Performance" intake.
At each set of ports the divider is not centered, a casting error.
I've been trying to find an Inglese manifold to replace it but $2K or more is just impossible for me.
So on with the repairs.
I have to add material to one side of each divider.
I cleaned and then roughed up the surface that has to be built up.
I am using Permatex High Temp Epoxy which is supposed to be good for up to 500º
To start I placed a doubled sheet of wax paper on my granite surface plate, then clamped the manifold against it.
After mixing per directions I used a wet butter knife to press the epoxy against the wall of the divider.
I also smoothed the top surface. I have much more material than I will need but do not want to have to apply epoxy a second time.
Once this has cured I will do the other side.

 

[kmakar]

Dry run assembly on some of the Lotus engine parts to learn where they go and ensure I have all good hardware.
Also some painting of parts because I cannot assemble ugly pieces.

But what may be of more interest here is my effort to prepare the Weber intake for port matching.
It is an old "CB Performance" intake.
At each set of ports the divider is not centered, a casting error.
I've been trying to find an Inglese manifold to replace it but $2K or more is just impossible for me.
So on with the repairs.
I have to add material to one side of each divider.
I cleaned and then roughed up the surface that has to be built up.
I am using Permatex High Temp Epoxy which is supposed to be good for up to 500º
To start I placed a doubled sheet of wax paper on my granite surface plate, then clamped the manifold against it.
After mixing per directions I used a wet butter knife to press the epoxy against the wall of the divider.
I also smoothed the top surface. I have much more material than I will need but do not want to have to apply epoxy a second time.
Once this has cured I will do the other side.

I'm curious as to what you did to ensure a strong bond to eliminate the possibility of the epoxy loosening from the divider over time. Did you grind or sand the mating surface?

 

[Richard150MPH]

"I cleaned and then roughed up the surface that has to be built up."
It probably helps that the repair area will be clamped between the head and block after assembly.

 

[Shovelrick]

Using gaskets to port match or actual heads?

 

[Richard150MPH]

Gaskets as much as possible.
Dividers on the manifold were off about 1/8", maybe a little less.
Still enough to cause a nasty step in the intake.
The good news is that this manifold is simple to work with since the actual runners bolt on top.

 

[Shovelrick]

Small ac repair, low voltage fuse in air handler blew, traced it to bad contactor in the outdoor unit and replaced the capacitor that read 29 mfd when new was 35 so more than the 5-6% spec min, this is where I bid relocating 80ish outdoor units 2 yrs ago, I was roughly $100 on each unit higher well now they’ve been through 4-5 ac contractors, are suing 3 and suing 1 Gen cont and its not finished and new balconies staircases are at a stand still, I moved the low voltage conn inside the unit instead of leaving it outside, like the Uneven line cover heights lol

 

[kmakar]

Small ac repair, low voltage fuse in air handler blew, traced it to bad contactor in the outdoor unit and replaced the capacitor that read 29 mfd when new was 35 so more than the 5-6% spec min, this is where I bid relocating 80ish outdoor units 2 yrs ago, I was roughly $100 on each unit higher well now they’ve been through 4-5 ac contractors, are suing 3 and suing 1 Gen cont and its not finished and new balconies staircases are at a stand still, I moved the low voltage conn inside the unit instead of leaving it outside, like the Uneven line cover heights lol

Like the saying goes, save a buck, get fucked. Saving money isn't always the smart move. Go with experience.

My partner and I built a restaurant for a client as his father had used us before for his business, he was happy, asked us to expand it, we did, then wanted to expand it again and said our price was too high and could we lower it, and I told him we were already giving him a discount for repeat work. He hired another company and 1/3 into the expansion they screwed up so bad and the owner called me up to meet him, so I did. He showed me their work (which was really sub par) and asked me to fix it because he fired them already. In the most serious face I could muster, I told him we could, but now it was going to cost him $20k more than the original price I quoted him because we had so much to fix before we could move forward with the expansion. He hemmed and hawed, called his father to ask his advice, hung up the phone and said whatever it costs make it right. My partner asked him in a nice way why he changed his mind and the client said his father told him that it always pays to work with reputable contractors because they get the job done right the first time. We laughed out loud and told him we'd be back in 3 weeks to fix it and expand it. He wasn't happy but wasn't hiring anyone else.

 

[Shovelrick]

Like the saying goes, save a buck, get fucked. Saving money isn't always the smart move. Go with experience.

My partner and I built a restaurant for a client as his father had used us before for his business, he was happy, asked us to expand it, we did, then wanted to expand it again and said our price was too high and could we lower it, and I told him we were already giving him a discount for repeat work. He hired another company and 1/3 into the expansion they screwed up so bad and the owner called me up to meet him, so I did. He showed me their work (which was really sub par) and asked me to fix it because he fired them already. In the most serious face I could muster, I told him we could, but now it was going to cost him $20k more than the original price I quoted him because we had so much to fix before we could move forward with the expansion. He hemmed and hawed, called his father to ask his advice, hung up the phone and said whatever it costs make it right. My partner asked him in a nice way why he changed his mind and the client said his father told him that it always pays to work with reputable contractors because they get the job done right the first time. We laughed out loud and told him we'd be back in 3 weeks to fix it and expand it. He wasn't happy but wasn't hiring anyone else.

I was at this condo complex Bermuda Bay Beach & Racket Club this past summer installing a new system and the owner was laughing about the other Yahoo ac guys out there, then when I met the inspector I asked what was going on there and he's the one that told me about numerous companies doing Sub Par work that was getting Red Tagged, condo unit (B Bay) I was at today was an ABNB lady came from ChiTown on a working vaca and was Pissed the place was so screwed up with construction going on, she said she rented it in June and was told const. would be finished by Jan 1

 

[Richard150MPH]

Replacing wallpaper in an old Airstream.
Also picked up Hylomar sealant and another set of checking springs to replace the set I "put away".

 

[Chevelle_Nut]

Replacing wallpaper in an old Airstream.
Also picked up Hylomar sealant and another set of checking springs to replace the set I "put away".

An Airstream project would be fun to do.

 

[Richard150MPH]

Actually, working around all the curves is a PITA.
Also disappointed to learn that much of the construction quality does not measure up to the shiny exterior.

 

[JohnC]

Is it your project? Any interest in telling us about it? I’d be curious.

 

[Richard150MPH]

No not mine and glad of it.
Airstream parts are insanely overpriced and there are no alternatives for many items.
Examples would be the $50.00 shoulder bolt for the folding step, $1,800 dollar door latch assembly.
They are incredibly flimsy, mostly very thin aluminum pop-riveted together.
If you need to remove something minor you may be looking at complete disassembly of whatever is on the other side in order to drill out the pop rivets.
What is not flimsy aluminum will be custom molded plastic that cracks with age.
My El Camino with a topper will be better for travel!