What non automotive projects and repairs are you doing?

[Krons]

Bicycle rebuild today. Youngest is at university so keeping their good bicycle at home and sending up one of our old ones of my oldest kid. New grips, tubes/tires, front derailleur and it’ll work as a great backup when the 05 XC90 with 192k miles has issues lol. Hopefully this one isn’t stolen!

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[foggydogg]

Fabricated a cross brace for a lifting eye overhead in the shop building...
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...using found objects.

Wrestled it into place, installed some verticles to stiffen the bottom chord of the trusses.

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With luck I can start hanging the steel ceiling sheet goods, after doing a bit of electrical reroute.

[volvolugnut]

Then you’ll have a smart mower!

The battery has responded to charging/conditioning but is not strong. If I precharge, it will start the Kohler engine for the mower. The truck will not have to share a battery for a while yet.

Smart/Deere mower works on. Second mow down of bamboo was last weekend.

I installed a set of brush cutter blades on one of my Echo weed trimmers last year. These will cut bamboo if the stalks are immature. I use this between trees and on slopes the mower can't handle.

volvolugnut

[abscate]

Finding my way around the new house. HVAC, minor drain clog, burned 100 amp circuit , not too bad.

I did miss this class in NEC 601

If you run out of materials on a wiring job, you can omit a box pass through, wiring to outlet, and strain relief with a Hack-fire connection …

[volvolugnut]

Perfect! Includes dryer lint with spontaneous combustion feature.
volvolugnut

[xHeart]

For many years, July 4th was start of outdoor projects for me here in Midwest; this season is downpour and flash flooding -- nature's corrective action perhaps.

Our 5000 sq/ft lawn is looking great after several years of care -- soil work, leveling, edging, re-seeding, weed controls, etc -- very satisfying.

The 20 years old Homelite HydroSurge pressure washer is back on, and working. The prewash soap and sprayer is now a separated line with 3/8 shutoff valve and auxiliary hose -- it is a no-drips/no-leaks entertainment. I say, an upgrade with new hose, extension, gun, nozzles, fittings, and pressure washer broom for our patio. I just couldn't let go this all steel Briggs & Stratton made product.

[volvolugnut]

In the last couple weeks I have returned to another ongoing project of 'pointing up' the mortar of the brick veneer of my house. I have been working on this project for three years off and on. I may have several more years at this pace. I also need to replace many cracked and crumbly bricks. I first need to source matching bricks for replacement.
I have learned brick comes in many sizes, textures, colors and finishes. Getting a good match on 40 year old bricks may require staining the bricks to match existing color.
volvolugnut

[BlackBart]

The old tuck-point. I helped restore a Milwaukee Road RR station that had been carved up over the years by Burlington Northern. Big garage door holes cut in it, etc. the brick didn’t come from here, it came out on a train from the midwest. Hard hard iron spot tan orange brick. Our regional clay is soft. How am I going to match this with modern brick?

The contractor found an old bone yard in Great Falls MT with piles of almost identical brick from who knows when. The size was a hair off so they had to fudge the mortar joints, but they zippered it in to the openings and restored the old window openings and it’s really hard to see where. Very satisfying to ride by now - the rail bed is a bike trail now.

[BlackBart]

I buzzed three big hedges on a ladder and was baked. 90 here today. Ice cold shower and drank a half gallon of water!

Just glad I don’t live in Phoenix.....117 this afternoon. How do people survive that?

[volvolugnut]

The old tuck-point. I helped restore a Milwaukee Road RR station that had been carved up over the years by Burlington Northern. Big garage door holes cut in it, etc. the brick didn’t come from here, it came out on a train from the midwest. Hard hard iron spot tan orange brick. Our regional clay is soft. How am I going to match this with modern brick?

The contractor found an old bone yard in Great Falls MT with piles of almost identical brick from who knows when. The size was a hair off so they had to fudge the mortar joints, but they zippered it in to the openings and restored the old window openings and it’s really hard to see where. Very satisfying to ride by now - the rail bed is a bike trail now.

That is a cool story. Working on my brick has made me more watchful of other brick work.
Close observation today suggests my brick is orange red clay with white, tan and black stain applied originally by Acme brick. I am beginning to see how the original color was applied and how I may be able to match it. I don't want to paint the brick. Then I would lose the maintenance free feature of brick.
volvolugnut