/handyman/ - Handyman

Sharpies and other permanent markers and can removed from many non-porous surfaces with gasoline. If you're using on your car, make sure you clean the gasoline off the car thoroughly because the gasoline can cause the paint to bubble up if left there for too long.

Adding a small amount of thinner to oil-based paint helps the paint dry faster in between coats. It also helps the paint "flow out" smoother and easier, as oil paint is often very thick, especially when compared to more common water-based materials. And sometimes, thinning your oil-based materials is required if you're using an airless sprayer or HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure). And since oil-based paints can take up to a day to dry depending on different factors (such as temperature and humidity), any decrease in dry time is very helpful. Be sure not to use too much thinner, or you will ruin the bonding qualities of the paint's binders, as well as diminish the color and sheen. For brushing and rolling, a good rule of thumb for thinning is when the material reaches roughly the consistency of chocolate milk, (you know, slightly thicker than plain milk). Now, you really only want to thin your base coats of paint. Do not thin the final coat, because you want the surface coat to retain it's maximum sheen, the right color, and the general toughness/durability/longevity of the paint. Thinning the final coat will reduce all of these qualities. Furthermore, unless you're spraying it, you generally don't want to thin primers. You want primers to retain as much bonding and covering properties as possible. By thinning your primer, you reduce it's effectiveness. Bonding and adhesion are the reasons we use primers, so avoid anything that reduces these qualities.

When taping sheetrock, do not use plaster on the first coat. Use "straight" joint compound, that is, compound with no plaster-of-paris in it. Many people use plaster on the first coat because it dries faster, but they are unaware of the long-term consequences of it. There are three main reasons you do not use plaster to tape sheetrock. 1) Plaster needs to be exposed to the open air to dry properly. When you apply the tape, the plaster sits underneath the tape and inside the joint, or seam, between the two boards of sheetrock. This plaster is not exposed to the air, and is far more likely to crack and cause bubbling in the tape. 2) Plaster is not as good an adhesive as straight compound. It is a strong, protective material, but is a poor adhering material. It will not hold the tape to the wall as long as straight compound will. It simply is not as "sticky" as compound ("sticky" is not proper terminology, but I'm trying to word all of this in a way that even a layman can understand; reader-friendly). 3) Plaster does not shrink nearly as much as compound. When compound dries, it shrinks. This shrinking, coupled with compound's adhesive properties, pulls the tape in close to the wall. This results in a tighter seam between the sheetrock and the tape. This will leave smoother joints, which means a smoother wall in general, and it increases the lifespan of the tape. The tape will generally take longer to start peeling off the wall (which is inevitable, because nothing lasts forever. But it could mean the difference between the tape peeling in 10 years, or 20 years). After the tape has been applied, feel free to use plaster in your compound for the subsequent coats. These coats will dry faster and will generally be tougher than straight compound.

When cutting wood with any type of saw, always account for the width of the blade. If the blade is 1/8", add a 1/16 (or half the blade width) to all your measurements. This way, when you bring the saw down on the precise center of your measurement line, you will not be shaving off the width of the blade (for instance, if you're cutting three pieces of baseboard, and you do not account for blade width, you will have undercut each piece by 1/16 and you will find that you are 3/16 short in total. This can really add up when installing baseboard around an entire room). You could do it the "easy" way and remember to line the blade up outside the measurement line. But this will almost certainly lead to an undercut or overcut, and it is always better to just add the blade width and not try to eyeball it. But either way, always bear in mind that the blade itself has it's own width, and that width will effect your cuts if you don't account for it. You'd be surprised how often this comes up in DIY carpentry. Someone believes they've measured and cut everything properly, then they get to the end of the wall and the final piece of wood is a 1/4" off.

For cheap, but high quality work boots, buy Timberlands from Foot Locker. Timberland offers lifetime guarantees through FL for $10. When you buy your first pair of boots from FL, pay the extra $10 for the lifetime guarantee. When it's time for a new pair of boots, simply return the boots to Timberland along with your receipt and guarantee from FL, and they will replace the boots for free. So you basically get two pairs of boots for the price of one+$10. After the second pair of boots, go back to FL and repeat the process. Basically, every other pair of boots you buy will only cost you $10.

Try not to buy specialized tools at Home Depot or Lowe's. (I'll be using paint brushes for this example, but the same principles apply to most specialty tools). Quality paint brushes made by Purdy, Wooster and others are all handmade. So naturally, not all paint brushes are the same. Some are just plain better quality. Purdy and Wooster et al sells their highest quality brushes to specialty stores. Dedicated paint stores such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, MAB, etc buy the best brushes at a higher price. Large general stores such as Home Depot buy the sub-par brushes. That's why a brush at Home Depot is usually several dollars cheaper than one from a specialty store. But the brush you get at Home Depot or Lowe's will fall apart faster because it's just not built as well. The taper, or angle, of the brush might not be precise. Or the ferrule, or metal "grip", may not be attached correctly, which will lead to a wobbly brush or the bristles falling out and/or bending in every direction. As with paint itself, it's often better to pay a couple extra dollars for a superior product that will last longer and create a better finished product. And this applies to most specialty tools at large stores. Even with power tools; Home Depot and others buy cheaper versions of quality tools. Where a direct-from-manufacturer Black & Decker power drill may use metal clips and brackets on the inside, a cheaper version of the same drill may replace those metal parts with cheaper plastic ones, and they'll break sooner under heavy use. Large stores are not your friend when it comes to quality specialty tools. There's a reason they are cheaper than their smaller competitors.

I can continue if anybody wants, and hopefully there's some people out there who want to add to the thread.

And once again, all questions are welcome. I can't promise that I'll be able to answer them, but hopefully someone on this board can help you out.

>>48
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