DIY Renos

Oh yeah, one more excellent site for building stairs:

http://www.coffmanstairs.com/installer/stair-building-guide/

Seems its no longer downloadable, but I have the 14 chapters in PDF format.

Well written and lots of pics. Here's Chapter 1 (310KB)
View attachment Stair Building Guide1.pdf

Why all this stuff on stairs? Well, I know that Quebec has some of the best stair builders in the country, but they don't live here. The locals here know how to charge big-time, and they usually buy out the parts from stair parts websites. A 42 inch wide stair is considered 'Custom' and that means huge bucks that I can use on my other projects and the car. Like about $5,000 for the 2 new stairs (basement and upstairs), not counting the engineer's stamped drawings or extra beams. Materials are about $500 for both stairs. We keep the rest.

 

I posted some other excellent Stair building free book links in this thread on page 3, but I figured that maybe only the guys who followed this reno thread might be interested in those, so I'm cross-linking to that thread, here:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16607&page=3

I hit a small bump in this project. Router bits, so I went looking for options. Since I'm making my own Stringer templates, I need to get this resolved. The template has to made for the router bit and the collet in the router. I've got some nice bits for ordinary cabinetwork, but since I have to make 2 sets of stairs, with a total of almost 30 treads and 28 risers, meaning over 100 big, deep and wide mortises, I figured I should get some better 1/2" shaft bits. Carbide bits for this start at $60! High Speed Steel bits are under $14 each! Once I'm done, I doubt that I'll be using it much more, so why spend more than I need?

My research found this authouritative thread, comparing both:
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Sharpness_of_High_Speed_Steel_Versus_Carbide.html

And LeeValley Tools have this article on which countries make the best HSS bits. Guess what? Made in the USA!
http://www.leevalley.com/en/shopping/TechInfo.aspx?type=a&p=44347

If I used them a lot, in mortising jobs, then I'd probably go Carbide, which I do for furniture projects, but not for about 300 feet of mortising work. Not worth the big bucks, unless you're a contractor.

Since HSS bits are getting harder to find, I looked for sharpening tips, and got both the Lee Valley version, from their tips, in that same article. And Lee Valley is right here in town!

... and a whole bunch more from this site! Wow!
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/free-woodworking-tips.aspx

Check out the DIY Table Saw Slider project. My old one is dying, so this one got me at the right time!
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/aslidingtableforyourtablesaw.aspx

 

Couple more interesting websites.

My neighbour Karlo, down the street, is a packrat and hoarder. So much so, that he bought the vacant property nextdoor, built an artsy fence on the back half, and hoarded even more stuff! Hard to believe he's an Arts graduate, but he does make some unusual art objects with it.

Anyway, he gave me a tour through the 'Yard' and I spotted a carpenter's vise. A huge one, with a 1-3/4" diameter threaded shaft by about 18 inches long. Not rotted or rusted or anything. That thing must've cost a bundle PLUS. It's mine, if I want it. The rub is that you need a huge workbench to mount that on, and my workshop can't handle that. So I went hunting on the web. This looks more my size, but look at the vise system - pipe clamps operated with foot levers! Slick!

http://www.angelfire.com/music2/construct/bnchthmb.html

And then I found an old, old pair of books published by Popular Mechanics for boys! Well both of them have several woodworking workbench projects, built with some really ingenious alternatives to screw-type vises!

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/index.html

Volume 1:
The Boy Mechanic - 700 Things for Boys to do!
http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popu...Mechanic-700-Things-for-Boys-to-Do/index.html

Amateur Wokbench? I've seen woodworking sites sell the plans for this one for $16, to cabinetmakers!
http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popu...r-Boys-to-Do/A-Workbench-For-The-Amateur.html


Check out the elliptical vises in this one! Really neat. Just use the Search tool in your browser for 'Vise' or 'bench'.

Volume 2:
The Boy Mechanic - 1000 Things for Boys to do!
http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popu...echanic-1000-Things-for-Boys-to-Do/index.html

And there's a home mechanic's Table-top workbench?
http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popu...o-Do/Workbench-Equipment-for-a-Table-Top.html

 

Homemade Wingnuts! Really! I've got a bucket full of old taps and this article shows how to convert old taps into useful wingnuts. Since I use a lot of jigs in my woodworking projects, this tip will save me a bundle in thumbturns and knobs!
http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popu...Things-for-Boys-to-Do/Homemade-Wing-Nuts.html

This book '...1000 things...' is from the late 1940s, just like me! Kinda like cruising in a time-machine!

The other one '... 700 things...' is from 1913. Now we're at Warp Speed!

 

Cast Iron Tub and Sink Refinishing

My neighbour sent his old tub to a professional enamelling shop to refinish it for just over $1,000. 2 years later, they had to redo it. 4 years after that, it needs another complete redo. Since then, there've been a couple kits that gained DIY popularity. Both get good reviews - up to 10 years with a minimum of 5 years without major issues.

The first one (and the one I'll use) is a 2-part epoxy 'paint' - no serious mask required, and costs $36 for the paint (enough to do 2 coats on the tub, the bathroom sink, and/or a toilet (we have another sink to redo instead). A Prep Kit (TSP and applicatot for $10, an Epoxy thinner (1/2 quart ($10) and a 'fish-eye' chemical additive ($5)... Total about $60.
http://www.swingpaints.com/8100_8199us_can.htm

Sold in Canada at RONA, and in the USA, at Lowes or ACE.

The other is a premixed 2-part Polyurethane Epoxy type and it needs the special mask - read the MSDS - makes acetone sound like baby milk. It can also be sprayed and is offered in spray cans. Its called Tough As Tiles.

http://orders.homaxproducts.com/Browse-Homax-Products/Homax-Products-Tub-Sink-Tile-Refinishing

Here's the DIY Videos:
http://orders.homaxproducts.com/Video-Library

Can't find it locally - I think its one of the excluded chemicals that us Canadians can't import.

I'll take pics, but they both emphasize that the surface prep is the key to a quality, permanent finish.

 

At the house we were renting out in the country when we first arrived here in Oregon, somebody attempted to 'paint' the tub, but it obviously wasn't a good job. You could peel off big sections of it. I seem to recall my dad tried this when they had a rental property for a short while back in the late 60's. That didn't work either.

What's the recommended preparation method? I would think that you would have to get through the porcelain finish to make any new applied finish 'stick' . Media blasting?

 

I'm finding it od to hear all the bad about re-painting tubs. My dad had the tub and sink done when I put a new toilet in for him. He hired out, some guys came over masked the crap out of the bathroom, sprayed, left a exhaust fan in for 48 hours...... ???, 6-8 years later it still looked great when he sold the house.

Make me kinda leary... our kitchen has a painted sink and now 10+ years later it's needing a repaint. Our plans were to put a stainless sink in but can't unless we change counter tops (ain't gona happen this year, or next) Our sink is a old one, od ball in a wierd middle size. We can only get a sink thats to small for the hole, or too big for the counter.

 

They both say to start with TSP (Trisodium Phospate), and '000' Steel Wool, and to do that THREE TIMES. However, I read a forum, where one guy used the TSP and 3M's Brown Sanding cloth, because the steel wool would roll up and curl, causing slight grooves. The other thing, is to merely etch the porcelain, not sand through, and use one of those enamel touch up bottles to fill chipped out areas, before you apply their product.

Then I found this forum thread on repairing rusty areas (ours only has rust at overflow hole), with better info on repairing the rusty/chipped areas (2nd or third page):

http://www.houserepairtalk.com/f45/cast-iron-bath-tub-has-rust-hole-around-drain-4512/

For sure, you need to use a rust remover, before you even use the chip patching stuff (those little appliance paint chip 'paints').

The Klenk's Prep kit has TSP and one small chunk of the scrub pad. I bought a milk container sized carton of TSP and a sheet of the 3M sanding pad. The HOMAX Video is well detailed on the prep process, as are their PDFs.

10 years is pretty good, when you think that car paint is lucky to stay 'eye-popping' for 3 or 4 years, without daily dishsoap, shampoo, and cleaning.

Mine are disconnected and moveable (2 sinks and the tub), so I'll have good access all around. The Homax video even talks about masking off the room, if you can't disconnect and remove.

And then... I found this site on cast iron tubs. Wow! Big money!
http://www.vintagetub.com/

Taps, drains, the works!

 

Well, the last 3-4 years..... I wouldn't call our sink "eye popping"..... still looks good, looks even better if you leave a plate or 2 in it when company comes over

 

The Miracle Filler

I've used this product for filling floor sheathing and other rough wood for about 10 years. Just finished the first 1 lb can, after 10 years. I don't get why more stores don't offer it. Once it dries, you can drill, route, machine it! You can stain it, tint it, use it for sculptures or fixing some elaborate would ornament. Amazing stuff.

The 1 pound can is about $5. the larger 4 pound can is $14, around here in central Canada. Its in powder form. You just mix up what you need with water, and only enough for a 10 minute run, or you can use vinegar to slow it's curing time about 5 minutes more.

Durham's Water Putty website:

http://www.waterputty.com/

I'm using it to fill knot holes and seams in my underlay sheathing. Far better than drywall filler or self-levelling cement - it won't break up into powder after a few years. I've used it to restore door frames - even fill old hinge mortises. Rock solid stuff.

Only one place in the whole city has it, a small family-owned hardware store. You'd think the artist supply and woodworking dealers would too, but sadly, not so.

 

Does sound intersting, but not sure about it on the Wet Coast for a couple reasons....

• Precautions

<
Your satisfaction is important to us. That’s why we want to also tell you about certain usage precautions.

Total drying time depends on size of amount of DURHAM’S used, humidity, and temperature. DURHAM’S Putty will withstand weather if kept painted, but paint will peel from damp Water Putty.


Moreover, DURHAM’S will absorb moisture, as from underneath a porch, deck floors, and from condensation within walls. Thus, an extremely humid environment such as a plaster shower or bathtub enclosure will prevent DURHAM’S from completely drying and adhering to the surrounding material.

For repair jobs, DURHAM’S Water Putty fills voids like holes, cracks, and the like. Just fill the void completely until the putty bounces back. After the putty has set up, remove the excess. It adheres to the sides of the hole for permanence. That means DURHAM’S isn’t designed to be spread in thin layers over large, smooth surfaces. For example, if a wooden door panel is weathered, replace it or sand it down. A thin layer of DURHAM’S spread over the panel will look great — but it may pop off with the first good slam of the door. Remember, DURHAM’S is meant to fill voids.
Where there is movement, expansion, or contraction — as between floor boards — Putty may become loose. DURHAM’S is not intended for load-bearing repairs. Finally, DURHAM’S Putty expands slightly as it dries so it will “stick and stay put.” This expansion, however, may also cause Putty to “pop” from a smooth concave surface.


DURHAM’S is to be mixed with water. If you add a great deal of powder or liquid paints, hardness and performance may be compromised. Complete coloring and staining precautions can be found under “How To Color Your Art Objects.” Return to top.

 

Rust Stain Remover in the Medicine Cabinet!

I just finished refinishing the outside of the cast iron tub - sanded old primer and old paint smooth, then two coats of gloss white Rustoleum.

Had to do the clawfeet differently though. They were rusty at the base, so I did the old vinegar and salt soaking trick, which also took off the factory primer (thick galvanized etching primer - replaced with Rustoleum Galvanized Etching primer spray can - two coats. Then taped off the outside edges and sprayed the inside with a Krylon's plastic (and metal) white paint - easier to wipe clean because its a harder finish than Rustoleum. The wife wanted the feet in a silver gloss finish, so I sprayed the outside of the clawfeet with Duplicolor Chrome - 3 coats. They came out fine.

The Rustoleum isn't fully cured for up to 7 days. It's been 48 hours, so far, but I can work on the rusty chips at the overflow and drain holes, with clear epoxy, once I get the rust stains off. So I did a little reading...

Funny how some websites have commonsense names.

This one: http://www.finishing.com/ has an excellent FAQ and uses Google Search for stuff in all the forum threads!

So I searched for bathtub rust:
http://www.finishing.com/343/18.shtml

Someone posted a crosslink to another about using Hydrogen Peroxide:
http://www.finishing.com/82/29.shtml

Tada!!!

Since I have to fill the chipped out areas with 2-part clear epoxy, whatever I use to clean the rust can't leave a residue that would prevent the epoxy from binding to the cast iron, so I'll use the vinegar/salt trick on a wet sponge then epoxy the cavities and sand them level with the porcelain finish, and carry on with the epoxy refinishing kit. I already did two TSP/Fine Sanding passes (and I've got the sore arms to prove it). I'll do the third pass, after the epoxy repairs on the tub and the sink.

The drying times are the PITA. 10 hours per coat on the Rustoleum, 24 hours on the galvanized primer (luckily you can do two coats within an hour of each other on this primer.) and the Krylon is chip-proof (clawfeet) in 6 hours. So I have to do it in stages.

We've been watching some old westerns to get some tips on bucket-bathing... That adventure doesn't sit too well with the SWMBO!! (Actually, we've got some good neighbours.)

 

Tedy, that Wet Coast humidity is a deterrent for that Durham filler. I'm mainly using it for the floor patching, where old plumbing and wiring holes came through, and wherever there were serious dents in the old sheathing (piano wheels, clawfoot tub, etc.). I prepped the new bathroom's sheathing with it, over 2 weeks ago, and I have to use the belt sander with 80 grit to sand it flush. The old floor is almost 2-1/2" thick so it was easy enough to fill the old holes, and make sure that it bonded to them. I noticed that whereever the old holes were, there was usually a cobweb on the basement side of the floor (spiders love moving air:confused. Anyway, there's a lot fewer of them now (spiders and holes).

 

No self-respecting cat would dare risk coming onto my property. He'd be chinese food!