A Relaxing Labor Day Project: Underground Electrical

So the pool's a swamp again, despite battling with all the modern chemical weaponry at my disposal. It's time to throw in the towel. We give up. It's either a dump truck full of fill-dirt or we scratch together enough money to replace all of our pool's mechanical equipment. Since a dump truck won't fit into the back yard (and I'm out voted 3 to 1), we're replacing the pool equipment, next Saturday. It's a spendy proposition. Do you hear the sound of our kitchen remodel disappearing? Those new, energy-efficient windows slipping from our grasp?

Even though I'd proclaimed it a no-project weekend, I started excavating the slab the equipment is sitting on. I thought I'd be nice and hopefully avoid the cost creep of having a pool tech digging at $80 / hour before dropping down a new slab. I dug it out pretty quickly.

One of the many leaks dribbling away.

Done!

Of course, it wouldn't be a ripping good DIY Guy project experience if it ended as neatly as that, would it? Nope. Remember Murphy's Law, my friends. I noticed this little gem of awesomeness:

The electrical feed conduit is rusted completely through. This is the entry point for a 240 volt pump circuit and a 120 volt light and receptacle circuit, sitting next to 10,000 gallons of highly-conductive pool water where we run around barefoot and soaking wet. Professional electricians would call this condition, "not so good". I let a few choice expletives loose under my breath. I'd have to dig out the rigid conduit 90 degree elbow and replace it, maybe a couple fittings too. Skip the nap, but still, I'd be lighting the BBQ in no time.

"Don't you call me a mindless philosopher, you overweight glob of grease!"

More expletives. There's no 90 degree elbow to unscrew. It's a full 10 foot stick of rigid metal, threaded
conduit, wrapped in corrosion preventing rubber tape. Awesome. Guess what else?!!! There's cement covering it too. Oh, joyous day!! But that's not all; there's a thunderstorm bearing down on me. Sweeeeeeeeeeeet, now this is a holiday, my friends!!! So much for BBQ, it's going to be a carryout pizza night.

I managed to beat through the concrete with my sawed-off sledge hammer and scratch down to the conduit to a coupling using a mini-spade, on my hands and knees. My full size shovel is a flat-blade, not at suited for trenching. I was pretty miserable in the heat.

With the pipe out of the way, I pulled the nasty wire out; it would need to be replaced. The mess of junction boxes also needs to be replaced while I have it all torn apart. They're full of DE filter powder and rusted parts and the switch and plug are junk, all evidence of full water penetration. It's time for a shopping list and a trip to Home Depot.

The conduit on the left and the gounding box on top are brass, and in perfect condition.

The thunderstorm blew in while I was in the store. Luckily, it moved through fast and didn't flood my trench. It simply introduced more delightful humidity. I brought home more than $ 120.00 of assorted loot to straighten out this rat's nest. It sure doesn't look like much stuff when I dump the bags.

Can you tell the new from the old?

I re-jiggered the boxes a bit to neaten the installation and switched to PVC conduit to save cash, time, and corrosion. When it was time to pull wire through the conduit, I grabbed Jack to help by feed it, avoiding damage to the jacket, while I tugged the Fish Tape. Gracie lubed the wire with liquid dish soap to keep it sliding smoothly.

100 degrees and humid after the storm. It's not quite as fun as it sounds.

Gracie and her dinosaurs helped further, by recreating the excavation of the Tanis Map Room from Raiders of the Lost Ark. That mini spade is perfect for her diminutive stature.  

I put all the wiring back exactly the way it was before. I recommend you don't mess around with electrical near a pool if you're not really comfortable with it. Seriously, hire an electrician. There's a whole section of code devoted to it.

It's cleaned up, safe and fresh looking. The new junction box actually has a gasket and does not have the optional big drywall screws driven through it (as can be viewed with amazement in the second photo from the top). I installed a switched cover for the pool light rather than the flip-door style cover.

I filled in the trench with clean dirt, ensuring no rocks were anywhere near the PVC conduit. I soaked it down with the hose every few inches of dirt cover  and compacted it. I don't want this caving in beneath the big paving stones later.

I'll clean up the area and leave it nice and accessible for the pool tech on Saturday.  We are so ready to have this old, sucking money pit of a system replaced so I can spend my weekends doing productive projects (and actually swimming!), rather than repeatedly fighting the endless, loosing battle of the putrid swamp of Dagobah. Yep, I'm really ready for this crap to end.

Generally, you don't see pools this color outside St Patrick's Day

I'm off to the pool store to stock up on some more chemical weapons.

Installing a water heater shut-off switch

Last time, I mentioned I couldn't quite get to a water heater maintenance program without doing some repairs first. I figure step number one is to bring the electrical up to snuff. I decided to install a disconnect switch by the unit, so I don't have to trudge to the outdoor electrical panel every time I want to shut the unit off.

Before I could get going on this part, I had to replace the breaker. My predecessors had installed two, single pole breakers, rather than one double-pole 30 amp breaker. Not cool my friends.

AZ DIY Guy's Scary Warning - Electrical Edition: Don't mess with electrical, unless you know what you are doing. 120 volts of household current can kill you just as dead as much higher voltages, it just lets you suffer longer, and folks can still recognize you in your casket. Plus, electrical issues can do a heck of a job burning your house right to the ground. When in doubt, get a professional electrician. If you do the This project is a snap for someone who's trained; it shouldn't cost too much. Even if you know what you are doing, I recommend you work it like it's live, even if it's not. Research legal requirements in your area before making changes to your electrical system. Finally, don't take my word for this stuff, I might be some random idiot on the internet.

No. Not cool at all. Those are separate breakers. I picked up a breaker at Home Depot for about 13 bucks. It was an easy swap; just a matter of turning off the main breaker for a minute while I slipped the two originals, popped the new one in, and re landed the wires.

Of course it couldn't go perfectly. I noticed, for the first time that this particular circuit's wiring was aluminum. I hate that I have aluminum wiring. More on that later.

Cool. Very cool indeed. 

I turned off the new 2 pole circuit breaker and moved inside to open up the junction box to find,... a gob of black electrical tape, discolored wire, and nicked insulation (clockwise below). Not good signs.

Since I don't trust ANYTHING  in this place, I like to do a quick check to see if the circuit is still live. Especially if there's some sketchy-looking wiring where I'm about to stick my fingers. Idiots could have easily landed one of the hot wires to the wrong breaker; it could light me up. No thanks. It's time to reach the Bat Belt for my trusty non-contact voltage tester.

.

.

Apparently, It's pretty serious.

Ahhhhh,... sweet silence. The circuit is dead.

This is scary. The wire nut inside the tape glob is completely destroyed. Worse yet, where is the rest of it? There were no fragments or pieces of more than half of it, not in the tape, not in the junction box. To me, this means some mental giant actually knew this was busted and wrapped it in electrical tape, rather than simply installing a new wire nut. This could burn a house down to save the effort of installing a cheap wire nut. Jackassery! I think it's especially unsafe in that it's aluminum to copper wire junction.

That's an identical, complete wire nut on the right. 

Back over to the workbench, I set up to prefabricate the switch assembly. Here's the stuff:

1. Diet Coke Lime The lime is important. I can't find the reference exactly, but it's in the National Electrical code somewhere,...promise.

2. Square Box Extension Ring. This will extend the in-wall box allowing for more room to fit the switch and wiring.

3. 4 In. Exposed Work 1 Toggle Switch Cover

4. 30 Amp, 2 pole switch I chose Leviton's extra heavy-duty spec-grade.

5. Anti-Oxidant CompoundThis gunk is required when you tie copper to aluminum wiring.

6. Screws: 8/32's to screw the window box, and one ground screw to ground it. (... to rule them all!)

7. Wire Nuts ..you know,...to nut wire.

I clipped the ears off the switch, so it would fit nicely behind the plate.

I pulled the existing 6/32 mounting screws out of the switch, since they're not needed here. Next, I stripped some new #10 copper wire and installed it behind all 4 termination screws, the line side (the "home run" to the breaker) on the black screws, load side (to the heater) on the brass.

No, the WD-40 and the big ol' bottle of blowin' bubbles are not necessary.

I like to put a wrap of electrical tape around the device, leaving a folded, courtesy tab for easy removal later.

Pop the cover on with the two short 6/32's (included with the cover) and we're ready to install. 

The extension ring installs on the wall, screwed to the back box in the wall.

The stripped, bare copper and aluminum wires got a good bit of the anti-oxidization goop. Man! I wish we didn't have that aluminum wiring. At least it's only on a few circuits in the house.

All wired up and sealed in place. I slipped on a 90 degree flex connector, pulled fresh new wire to the heater, terminated it, and sealed everything up.

Flip the breaker and power it up. We should be in business, just in time for the next laundry cycle. Now I can shut the whole thing off whenever I'm finally able to drain it for maintenance.

Look good?

To check the voltage, I popped off the front cover, peeled out a piece of insulation, and exposed the internal wiring terminations for the the heating element. Careful, careful,.. 120 volts from both of the hot conductors to ground and 240 between them. Done!

240,...243.7, whatever it takes.

Next time kiddies, it's on to plumbing. I have to repair or replace that corroded, seized shut-off valve. I'll have to do some research on that one. 

Before servicing the water heater...

A friend of mine told me about struggles with black water coming from all the taps in her house. It appears that it may be a water softener issue, but her heater is half-full of gross sediment. In discussing the water heater as a possibility, it really woke me up to my own lack of maintenance.

I found that water heaters should be drained and  flushed as much as  twice a year?!!!  and the sacrificial  anode rod replaced as much as annually?!!!  Lovely. We're on year 7 and I've never touched the thing; heck I've never even looked at the water heater, even though I pass it entering and leaving the garage. There was a receipt on top, showing that it was purchased at Home Depot 2001. I bet it's never been drained or had the anode replaced in all this time.

What a great opportunity for a blog post on water heater servicing right? Drain it and check the rod, piece of cake. Let's do it this weekend kiddies!!!

Nope. Because of this stuff I need to deal with first.

1) Electrical: As I understand it, code requires an electrical disconnect: 

A) within sight,... or

B) capable of being locked in the open position (power off) position.

Our electrical panel is outside, as is common here in Arizona. Technically, we may be ok, since the breaker can be locked out (if I buy a lockout kit). It's fuzzy, the locking means is supposed to be there even if it's not locked. Either way, I don't like it. Electrical code is minimum. I want better in my own home, so I'm going to install a switch.

Just to spice things up a bit, I just found another little Inheritance from my DIY Predecessors. Instead of the 2 pole, 30 amp breaker, they installed two 1 pole 30 amp breakers. Not cool, IMHO. The two pair in the yellow circle should look like the three in the blue below. It's not safe to turn off or trip half a 240 volt circuit, both should turn off together.

Alas, this fine, Shakespearean  penmanship is not mine to claim.

2) Water: To drain the water heater I need to turn off the cold water coming into the tank. It's handy that there is a valve here. Of course this particular valve isn't handy at all. It's completely frozen, crusty with corrosion. AWESOME!! I'm going to look into replacing the parts so I don't have to cut into the pipe and mess with soldering ect. I'll just have see if that's a possibility. (I checked Home Depot; they don't sell the kit, but they referred me to Ace Hardware).

Crust is good on apple pie, not on plumbing. - AZ DIY Guy

3) Dissimilar metal corrosion: This steel fitting tied to copper on the cold water feed is corroding. Eventually, I suspect we could suffer a breakdown here, probably timed for 5 minutes after we depart for a long vacation. There's nothing like spewing water left unchecked for a week.

I'm not quite sure what to do here yet. I'll start researching it.

I suppose I'll start with the electrical. Hopefully, I don't discover anything else shocking. Check in next time as I head towards eventually getting on a regular maintenance program.

PS - Do I at least get points for making it through the whole post without calling it a Hot water heater?

_____________________________

Update: I crossed step number one off the list and repaired the electrical portion. Yes, I found some scary stuff in the process. Check it out! Installing a Water Heater Shut-Off Switch

Moving through another door

Despite the kids going back to school, some crazy weeks at work, the still oppressive summer heat, I managed to regain forward momentum on the interior door replacement project. It's getting to be routine now: purchase, plane to size, paint, rout hinge mortises, hang the door, drill and chisel for the door hardware and install the handle / latch assembly. Not a pro, but I'm getting better at it. (Here's where I started)

This time it was Jack's bedroom that got completed. His door had sat, half-painted for four months or so, while I tackled other pressing projects (see the index, April through July). I do get off-track.

I pulled his (young) man-cave door, complete with HAZ-MAT warning and an electrician's lockout tag-out tag out off it's hinges.

I've also started monkeying with the new DSLR camera and tripod, so "action shots" of yours truly are possible. Although, seeing my mug isn't much of an improvement, I can finally show some better photos than the ol' camera phone, and share some updates to my methods.

I've started using Bench Dog - Bench Cookie Work Grippers to keep from scratching a fresh door with the old one, when I'm transferring hinge measurements. mmmmm coooooookies!

Cooooooooookies!!!

I like to transfer marks directly by using a little pocket combination square rather than a tape measure or ruler. It's fast and accurate, less chance for me to screw up when there's no tolerance for error on door hinges. A slight miscalculation from my melon-head and the door won't fit in the original location.

You'll also notice I like to wear free t-shirts. It's an important step to keep Sweetie from killing me for wrecking, yet another, nice work shirt in the garage. I just thought I'd lob that out there for Jeff over at Home Repair Tutor, who has been known to DIY in a shirt and tie.

Yes,.... that's the mighty, still not finished, organizer project under there. I'm not proud.

I zapped the hinge mortises out. The Ryobi template is still doing awesome, several doors in.

I'm still using the Irwin door lock installation kit that I've had since door #1. I'll do a review at some point, but honestly the jury is still out. It's not blown me away like the two cool Ryobi products I've tried, but it's done the trick,... mostly. Yeah,..mostly good.

I recently shared I tried and reviewed a new tool to cut the mortise for the latch plate. Read my post about the Ryobi Door Latch Installation Kit if you want all the juicy details. It sped up the process and gave me better results than my previous method.

Then a quick bit of door latch installation action (with an insulated screw-driver for some reason).

Then, a hiccup. The latch plate mortise in the doorjamb was simply too worn out to hold screws. It's obvious this particular doorway had experienced some violence, sometime in its existence, before our loving family took possession. At some point, the wood had been blown out, obviously kicked in by Genghis Khan's marauding Mongolian hordes. There had been feeble repairs.

I employed the old 1-2-3 wood glue and toothpicks approach to fill the void. Here's how it's done. Warning, it's isn't pretty, but if you want to know how the soup is made, read on.

Step 1: Slop some glue on toothpicks. Make sure to open the box in such a way that you spill them all over the floor as I have, otherwise the technique won't work. If you're wearing nice clothes to work in (ahem, Jeff), a damp paper towel is nice to have on hand.

Step 2: Jam a three or so gluey 'picks in the hole and savagely snap them off. There's no need for ceremony here. We're cleaning up after barbarians. Note: The spattered glue on my hands is a controlled exercise, just an educational illustration of one possible outcome, if you get overzealous in the glue application. It would never happen to me in real life. I'm sacrificing for you, dear reader.

  

Step 3: Run the screws in. Pro tip: I like to turn my screws in clockwise, otherwise known in the scientific circles as "righty-tighty". Do it your own direction, I'm just sharing what works for me. Again, I used the insulated #2 Phillips tip screwdriver because, well.... I don't know.

I'm going  to come back and touch up all the door frames at the end of the project. I'll fix that damage. For now, we've got this end of the hall way 100% done!! Except the ugly light fixture,... those old hideous linen closet doors and hardware,.... the paint,...the baseboards,... and the chips in the drywall corner. Yep, besides that stuff, 100%!!!

Before and After: Family Room

I pulled our old, nearly-dead (mostly dead?) computer from the closet this week and managed to extract all our old files from the hard drive. I was pleased to find a few grainy photos of the family room from when we first moved in. I'd described the look of the original "built-in" shelves in the first of the Great Family Room Remodel posts, but didn't know I had the photo's show them.

Late 2005: The prior owner's stuff, as they were departing.

While the photo's quality stinks, reality wasn't much better. My best guess is that this is a time warp back to the 1980's, television, massive audio speakers and all.

These built-in bookcases were created in five sections from 2" x 10 3/4" boards (2 x 12?) and a plywood backing. They were actually fairly well constructed. They were stained dark, with no protective finish. With the thick shelves and dark color, the unit appeared too heavy for the small room. It really gave it a basement cave-like feel. 

We moved into the house and just and lobbed our stuff up there. 

Early 2006: the dusty television years.

It's hard to believe this 6 year old, Alien Bounty Hunter is now a teenager.

We spruced up the shelves in 2006 with molding, bead board panels, and crisp, white paint. I built a custom TV stand soon after. In about 2008, we installed french doors. There the room sat for years, with its horribly, stained, way too low (7' 5") drop ceiling and the ceiling fan finial that hung 3/8" below the peak of my melon-shaped head.

The remodel finally happened. We loaded our beat up old furniture back into the room. Recently, we replaced the old sectional couch and added some accessory tables (IKEA). Finally, a proper reveal with the new ceiling is worth while. Compare the distance from the top of the bookcase to the ceiling; we went from 7' 5" to 8' 1", an 8 inch gain! I can't even hit my head on the ceiling fan when I jump. It only took 7 years!!!

It's a bit busy, but it's our main hangout.

The kid infestation is still in full bloom.

I used a lightweight foam crown molding to cap off the book cases.

The french doors got capped off with the same dentil molding. We used Jeld Wen doors with the built in shades from Home Depot.

Buy Online, Pick Up in Store. Now available at a Home Depot Near You! .

I actually started the AZ DIY Guy's Projects blog with the remodel. You can see it unfold in seven exciting installments here, starting with my first post ever.  Things did not go entirely smoothly, but it's done. It's the project that was featured in the Bankrate.com article (Yahoo finance and Fox Business).

In case you mist it: Installing a cooling mist system

Most of the year, it's simply a paradise here in the desert southwest. However, in the apocalyptic heat of a Phoenix summer, we find ourselves dashing from air conditioned office, to air conditioned car, to air conditioned home. We do it quickly here, so we can get to our Popsicle stashes before we go into heatstroke. During these oppressive summer months in the desert, the temp rarely dips below 100°. One of the things we miss, huddled in our icy, electricity guzzling castles, is our outdoor living.

Luckily, our super-dry climate lends itself very nicely to evaporative cooling (and swimming pools!). Most restaurants with outdoor patios and amusement park lines employ a misting system to keep folks cool in the summer. Water flows through tubing and is forced through very small nozzles, vaporizing and cooling the area as much as 20 -35° F (11 - 20° C) in seconds.

We decided to install a low cost plastic tube misting system on the back patio. Perhaps if we like it, I'll upgrade to a sturdier PVC or copper tubing system in the future. Right out of the box, it was an easy install. I just uncoiled the tubing with the nozzle receivers already factory installed at regular intervals.

I attached it with the included nail-in clips. They were similar to the little white clips you normally see cable-tv wiring, only in a delightful, tube-matching tan.

Sweetness strikes again!

I screwed it to the hose and squirted the lines clean before installing the brass and steel nozzles. I installed some blank plugs in the end close to the house to keep the mist off the structure. One nozzle was an "auto drain valve" that was installed in the lowest point so that the water drains from the lines when the pressure is off.

Yep, that's some nasty corrugated fiberglass stuff.

I installed a handy 4 way metal hose connector w/ shut off valves at the rear faucet (one for pool filling, one for the garden hose, one for the mister system, and one for filling squirt-guns etc for pool-related combat).

I threaded the calcium filter in line with a new 6' garden hose and connected it to the system. A quick flip of the valve and sweet cooling water blasted out of the nozzles, curtaining the entire porch in a very-fine mist. It dissipated well before reaching the ground.

I know,... I know... I often take the extra, sometimes necessary step in my projects. I admit, you don't actually have to fire up a Weber Charcoal Grill when you test your own misting system. It's just how I roll folks, no shortcuts here.

I've seen fire and I've seen rain...

It really worked well. On a 109° day, the temperature dropped dramatically, or at least it sure felt like it did. Even though our patio living area is out of shape, desperately needing renovation, it's an enjoyable space in the heat of the afternoon. There's nothing like burning some meat on the grill, with a frosty beverage in hand, in the comfort of your own back yard (...in the shadow of a pointy-spiked, 20 foot tall saguaro cactus (?))

Just so I can avoid the inevitable requests,... and the begging,...and the whining,... here's the money shot. I know it's the key project detail you really stayed to see.

They like their 'dogs blackened. Don't blame the grill master!

We've been enjoying the cooling mist into the evening, several nights a week, reclaiming the night from the heat.

I don't know if this system will work where you live. I suspect that in the humidity of a Houston, Atlanta, or Orlando climate, it would not feel quite as refreshing to add more moisture to your air. I'd bet nice Popsicle will do the trick though. 

What do you think? Will a misting system make summers more enjoyable at your house?

For the sake of updating,... and stuff

I'm missing a solid post today, for several reasons. For one, I'm back to working on the interior door replacement project. I can only share the same repetitive stuff with you so much before boredom causes you to bounce your head off the keyboard.

Time to make the donuts...

I actually do have a post on the back patio misting / cooling system, but the photo's are just plain crummy and I missed a few. I have to re-shoot.

I have fiddled around with the site a bit, adding some favorite story links in the right margin for new visitors.

I've also launched a new side project. I thought I'd chronicle my adventures in learning photography. After a long saving's program, I've finally pulled the trigger and ordered a fancy new DSLR camera. Check out my little side project, AZ DIY Guy's Photography Adventures.

http://azdiyguyphoto.blogspot.com/

I'm not only looking forward to a new camera because I'm a gadget hound with an artistic desire to capture images. It will also help improve blog photos, long hampered by exclusive camera phone use. A tripod and remote will improve my action shots and get me in the frame more often. The kids are growing fast; I'll capture more of that while I still can. Finally, Arizona is full of awesome nature, just waiting to be captured.... or maybe I'm just a gadget hound. Yep that's it.

We'll see what happens with the photography blog. I don't know how far I'll go with it and how much I'll let it cross over here or onto the Facebook page (Please stop by and give it a "like". There's a whole lot more content there that doesn't show up here). Surely, it my inner geek, stupid humor, and style will flow there as well. It's not my focus; this Project's blog is where it's at for me. 

Well it's off to Jury duty, a 15th wedding anniversary with my beautiful bride, and two Meet the Teacher nights this week,... plus, maybe a last coat of paint on this door? Have a great week my friends!

______________________________________

If you stopped by for some hardcore, rock star DIY awesomeness, and found this drivel instead, check out my last post, it's a hot beast: Installing an Oscillating Ceiling Fan (It's hot up here)

Installing an Oscillating Ceiling Fan / Fishing Wires (It's hot up here)

Jack's room is a den of tween, man-cave awesomeness. It's his fortress against the world, or at least against the constant onslaught of a pestering little sister. He spends a lot of time in there. To maximize space we'd gotten him a loft bed from IKEA, with a built in desk.

Problem: the blades of his ceiling fan spun right through the sleeping area. I told him to scoot over against the wall and not roll around much, but Sweetie convinced me Child Protective Services would have an issue with my solution. So, I removed the fan and installed a simple light fixture. Unfortunately, during the hottest summer nights, it's been warm for him, up by the ceiling. A floor fan just doesn't cut it.

The lens is missing as a result of an unfortunate incident with a N-Force Vendetta Sword

We saw an oscillating ceiling fan on display at Home Depot and decided it would be perfect for him. We'd direct it at his bed and get him some much needed air flow. What a cool idea! I've installed plenty of ceiling fans over the years, this was an odd one, but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes,...right? (Remember Murphy's Law?)

With the power off, I took down the old fixture. I capped off the wires and installed the mounting bracket that came with the fan.  I'd forgotten about the ceiling damage from the old fan that was hidden behind the larger fixture. 

Again, please excuse the shabby cell phone pictures folks. I'm still working on a replacement for the camera. 

Jack got some tool time in with the assembly of the fan. 

I popped the fan onto the bracket and prepared to make the electrical connections. 

See the black AND  blue wires?

I say "prepared", because that's as far as I got. Why? because I was an over confident putz. In my steely-eyed, experienced-fan-installer confidence, I hadn't even glanced at the instructions. I hadn't paid any attention whatsoever to the fact that this fan had two wires, one to control the fan, the other to control the oscillating. The existing house wiring only had one wire. Moooooron.

I've used awesome add-on electronic solutions in the past to solve this single-switched wire problem when using a fan / light combo, but this unit comes with its own control switch. It requires two wires. I need to install another wire from the switch box to the fan. You know what that means,... in Phoenix,... in the summertime,... in the afternoon...

Attic work. I hate attic work.

It was easy to find the ceiling box quickly (It's hot up here.), and trace the cable to where it dropped down the wall, towards the switch (It's hot up here). I needed to replace that section of 2 conductor cable with 3 conductor cable (It's hot up here). I gave it a gentle tug (It's hot up here) and figured that it felt loose enough to pull out, no staples (It's hot up here). I scurried back down into the sweet cooling embrace of air-conditioned space.

I popped into the switch box, below the Empire poster. Anyone know where I got this poster,... a loooooong time ago?

Fishing attempt #1: (By using the word "attempt", and numbering it, savvy readers will recognize that  I'm about to introduce a failure). I tied attached the new cable to the old one and wrapped it with electrical tape in a long tapered head. I had Jack gently feed it into the wall, while I pulled from above (It's hot up here).

Nothing. We made it an inch. I stopped pulling when I felt initial, heavy resistance (It's hot up here). There's no point in skinning the wire up due to a staple. Fail.

Fishing attempt #2:  I broke out the ol' fish sticks. No, not this variety, but a set of Klein Glow Rods. These are great for getting through hard to reach areas. I've had tremendous luck in the past.

I poked around for a bit but could not access the proper spot from above (It's hot up here) or below. There was a duct immediately above the switch, blocking the wall cavity. The existing cable entered through a hole at an odd angle. FAIL

Fishing attempt #3: A fish tape?. Nahhhh... The last thing I want to mess with in the attic (It's hot up here) is a coiled mess of fish tape in all that god-awful insulation. Didn't even try. FAIL

Fishing attempt #4: In walls without insulation, I've had good luck with weight on a string. I Mac Gyver'd this feat of modern engineering with a string line and some 1/4" nuts.

W.W.M.G.D. = What would Mac Gyver do?

Then it was a matter of drilling through the top plate. I used a large extension and a 3/4" spade bit, at an angle to penetrate below the duct work (It's hot up here).

Here's my rig.

Hmmm... AZ DIY Guy, It doesn't look to miserable in the picture.

This is one of those times where a good cordless drill is a must. Stringing an extension cord through the itchy attic mess (It's hot up here) would be another exercise in misery. I like a bigger 1/2" chuck drill too.

I dropped the weighted string down the hole (It's hot up here) and landed it directly on the top of the switch box, first try!!!. Success!!! I clambered back down (into air conditioned sweetness) and fished the string out with the hook on the fish stick. 

Back up top (It's hot up here), with Jack feeding from below, I slowly pulled the string with the new cable attached.  I managed to get it plenty clear of the hole, when it got hung up on something. There was no way I was going to tug on it and strip the wire in the wall. I cut my losses and stopped. I'll splice it in the attic (It's hot up here).

I did not want to spend one more second than necessary in a 140 degree attic (It's hot up here), so I prefabricated my splice box down in the workshop. 

Back in the foul darkness (It's hot up here). I screwed the box down, clamped the cable, made the splices, installed a few staples and stuffed the cable into the fan box. 

It's hot up here: In case I hadn't mentioned it. It was a bit toasty, especially in my long sleeve shirt and jeans. I forgot my dust mask on that last ascent into hell.

Crazy from the heat.

Seriously folks, attics are no place for dilly-dallying in the summer, not to mention in Phoenix on a 106 degree day. I took good breaks in the cool, stayed hydrated, and kept my visits to less than 10 minutes. It still sucked, but I got it done and managed to avoid a heat stroke and fall through the ceiling. I don't recommend it. 

Back on earth, I had a nice fresh piece of 12/3 w/ ground NMC ("Romex") to work with. 

The included switch went in easy. It has a speed selector and an oscillate switch. The other toggle switch now controls a switched receptacle to control a floor lamp, for lighting. We now had no ceiling light fixture. My exciting post on installing a switched split receptacle can be enjoyed here. 

Installing the fan the rest of the way was pretty standard stuff. No problem at all. 

It looks great and works well. It cools nicely at the desk below. BUT, dang-it, it won't oscillate high enough to blow into the bed. It's a total miss. I couldn't rotate it until I powered it up to learn that it wouldn't go 90 degrees to the ceiling; it goes about 45 degrees. 

The other issue is that there's some wobble in the entire fixture as it oscillates. I'm going to have to brace it up tighter. I'm not comfortable with all the movement on just two 8/32 screws holding it up. I also don't like the direction to periodically tighten the screws. It seems they'd solve that in the design.

I may see if I can safely disassemble it and slip a couple gear teeth to get the thing to shoot sideways. Either way, Jack's enjoying it while he Minecrafts his summer vacation away.

Enjoy the cool breeze my friends.

Installing drip edge, or maybe not...

I'm really trying to wrap up the work on the front of the house. All that's left is replacing the drip edge that was removed when our predecessors built the dreaded tunnel of doom . I'd also torn off a good amount when I replaced the rotted facia boards.

Drip edge is a sheet metal flashing strip that slides under the roofing and over the top edge of the facia. It has a slight kick at the tip that kicks water off, away from the wood to keep water from ruining it. Here's a good look at the old stuff I'd removed a few weeks back when I tore out the facia.

You may have noticed, my normal practice is to attack a project in a frenzy like a shark on the scent of blood until about 90% complete. This is normally where my eye wanders and I leave the project, moving on to the next. I don't recommend this, and I don't have any good excuse; I'm just letting you know my style.

The problem is that this time it's obvious. not only is there a bright white metal strip missing on part of our roof line, but there's the issue of the remaining shingles not being fastened very well. I'd pulled nails and staples in my demolition. Our area suffered a pretty strong storm last week that uprooted trees and ripped up roofs, even clay tile shingles. We were mostly spared, but there was a little issue with loose edge shingles.

I got up early this morning, to beat the heat but couldn't really fire up the air compressor to nail it without waking the neighborhood. 

At least I could get to the quiet work of measuring, cutting, and dry fitting the edge. This stuff is hazardous. Just touching it, you can feel it really wants you to slide your bare hand along the edge, just once, so it can rip your tender flesh open. It wants to taste blood. I denied myself a trip to urgent care for stitches and slipped on some gloves. 

I took a quick tour around the rest of the house to see how the existing drip edge was installed around corners and peaks. It's pretty easy with a pair of tin snips. Here's an outside corner.

I slipped it into place, under the shingles, overlapping the next piece of edging. In some parts of the country, there's additional steps, such as getting it under the underlayment to prevent ice damming. Nothing we need to worry about here in Phoenix.

Heck, it almost never rains anyway.*

There were a few missing shingle parts from the storm. Luckily, I still have a scrap pile I can find some pieces to scavenge and cut here and there. 

In one case, I happened to find the exact missing puzzle piece laying over by the neighbor's yard. I tucked him back in under his blanket, nice and cozy. I'll come back and fasten it later, when I nail in the edge. 

I got the garage dry fitted and started wrapping around to the front, where the tunnel had been. 

The trouble is, I had cut through two layers of shingles in the middle of the roof face to remove the section over the tunnel. The old roof buried below was sticking out too far. I'd have to trim it back, flush with the facia somehow. I tried a razor knife, but that was ridiculously difficult. I ended up using my oscillating multi tool, even though I only had a wood / plastic blade on hand. It did really good when cutting from below,...

for a while. 

Yep. I destroyed the blade in a few short minutes.

I guess it's a trip to the hardware sto...."Boom!,... BOOOM!,... BOOOOOM! ....BOOOOOOOOOM...."

Someone to the south of us was evidently doing a reenactment of the cannonade, preceding the last charge in the battle of Gettysburg, early Sunday morning, no less. 

Ahhhhhh,... crud.

Normally, I'm accustomed to seeing a bright blue beautiful sky over there. A couple more flashes and deep rolling booms re-awakened my long dormant Michigan weather sense. 

"Fuuuuuuuuudgggggggge....." - Ralphie Parker

Everything was painstakingly dry fit into place. Shingles and edge would be blown to kingdom come in a storm. It looked like it was going to be a doozy. After a moment of cursing and staring stupidly to the south, I dropped what I was doing and fired up the compressor. I had originally intended to simply tack the edge into place with staples before nailing it with roofing nails and adhesive. I didn't even buy the nails yet. I grabbed the 18GA Stapler , scurried up the ladder, and started rapidly banging away. An adjustment to the depth wheel and it was sinking staples through shingles and edge easily, with the occasional spark from hitting granules. 

It looked like the storm might just pass to the west. I got the garage face nearly fastened when a big boom from behind startled the absolute crap out of me. It was coming my way after all. 

The stapler kept its cool and said, "Bang-ity, bang! bang! bang! bang!" getting me nearly to the end for the garage facia before the initial drops, preceding a cold sheet of rain hit me in the back.

* Heck, it almost never rains anyway. 

Idiot.

So much for that. How are your morning plans working out?

______________________________________________

PS - A PORTER-CABLE 3-Tool Combo Kit is one of the very best tool investments I've made for renovation projects and woodworking. It's small and portable. I use mine with its included guns, as well as a big 2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Framing Nailer, filling tires and pool toys, and blowing stuff off with a blast of compressed air. - John

Wiring a split, switched receptacle.

As I redo a room, I like to replace the yellowed, paint-clogged outlets with fresh, crisp new ones. Personally, I like the clean look of the Decora or decorator style devices. They're smooth and don't have all the nooks and crannies to collect dirt.

I wonder if there's a prize in this box? I think that's what Prises Contactos means.

In working on Jack's room I decided to make one of his plugs switchable so that he could control a lamp with his wall switch. Being the crafty man about town that I am, I decided I wanted to switch only half of the device, leaving one plug constantly hot. Why switch the whole thing when there's only one lamp? It would mean loosing an opportunity for permanent power at that location. How would today's modern lad power his army of electronic devices?

To split a receptacle, there's an easy trick. There's a little bridge between the terminal screws on the "hot" ("un-grounded conductor") side of the device. The "hot" side has brass color screw terminals and is on the side that has the smaller, vertical slot on the face.
.

Pro tip: Don't stick a sharp pencil, such as this one, in your eye

This bridge is a jumper that lets the current flow from one feeding wire attached to either of the screws or rear, push-in connectors to both of the outlets on the face. Break the bridge and the current won't flow between the top and bottom outlets. It can be done with needle nose pliers and some serious wiggling, or with some diagonal cutting pliers.

Snipped!

I leave the bridge intact on the neutral side ("grounded conductor" or "common") with the silver screw terminals.

Ready to start? You know the drill...

Circuit breaker = OFF!!!!

Since my predecessors were thoughtful enough (for once!!)  to leave me an extra wire (conductor), I was able to wire this up the most efficient way, no wall fishing expedition.

horrid, low-light cell phone shot.

Here's my quick sketch of how it get's wired up:

Please excuse the crudity of this model. 
I didn't have time to build it to scale or paint it.

- Dr. Emmett L. "Doc" Brown

Split receptacle with 3 wire + ground cable

In this example, the black and red are actually tied together, to the same circuit (hot) at the first junction box. The switch breaks the red's current. The black travels unbroken The white, neutral travels with them, but simply terminates at the receptacle. The green "ground" (grounding conductor) simply hits the green screws (and metal boxes if applicable). The green shown here is usually found as a bare, un-insulated  copper wire. Keep it away from the side screws when inserting the device back into the box.

I was very lucky in that there was an extra wire from the switch to the outlet that I wanted to control. There was a second dummy switch  at the door. I guess the 1979 electricians had pre-wired for it, but the original buyer didn't want to pay the up charge. But, there's another way, if there's no third wire. It requires that the feeding (line) side hits the receptacle first. It's a little harder to follow.

Split receptacle with 2 wire + ground cable

Confusing eh? This is a perfect example of why I don't ever trust color. There's current on one of those white wires. Cross them up and you've created a direct short. Turn on the circuit breaker, flip the switch, and the breaker will trip (hopefully).

The black feeds half the receptacle and ties directly to the white conductor headed to the switch. The switch-leg comes back on the black wire when the switch is active. Switches don't use a neutral. The re-tasked white wire should be marked with black tape to signal it's change to a "Hot" conductor. The receptacle still does get a neutral in order to work properly and a ground for safety.

It's a common practice to install the switched plug "upside-down" compared to the rest of the room, ground prong side up. It's easily recognizable.

Look like a pro tip: vertically line up your plate mounting screws. Don't leave it looking like a cross-eyed orangutan installed it. 

Upside-down you're turning me... - Diana Ross (apparent electrician)

There's so many variations of wiring methods that can be found in a house. Receptacles are often daisy-chained together, so it's hard to get a direct line between the intended plug and the switch without switching more than the one you want. Of course, it's easier to switch an entire receptacle, because there's no third wire needed. I'll share how to fish new cables down walls in a future post.

_________________________________________

AZ DIY Guy's Standard Scary Warning - Electrical Edition: Don't mess with electrical, unless you know what you are doing. 120 volts of household current can kill you just as dead as much higher voltages, it just lets you suffer longer, and folks can recognize you in your casket. Plus, electrical issues can do a heck of a job burning your house right to the ground. When in doubt, get a professional electrician. If you do the prep work, this project is a snap for someone who's trained; it shouldn't cost too much. Even if you know what you are doing, I recommend you work it like it's live, even if it's not. Research legal requirements in your area before making changes to your electrical system. Don't take my word for this stuff, I might be an idiot. 

SOURCE: Decora style devices on Amazon.com: Plugs / Switches

UPDATE!! I'm honored to have this story chosen to be featured an Bob Vila's website as part of the "Bob Vila Nation" of contributors from the blogging community. Please check it out and give me a vote by the hammer image.

Mounting a new address plaque

As we touched up the front of the house (tunnel demo, facia, window sill, lighting, flower bed), it has become painfully obvious that the old address plaque is in dreadful shape. Mr. Sun has toasted it. One more summer will probably do it in completely.

Wait,... What's up with the address number?*

An address sign is the house's "Hello" to the world,... or at least to visitors, Amazon.com deliveries, and, God forbid, 911 responders. In our neighborhood, emergency responders have done really well locating targets without using address signs. They've easily located night time emergencies due to the flames engulfing the structures.

This inexpensive plaque was one of the first things I had added when we moved in. It was a basic wooden plaque I painted and screwed on metal numbers. Cheap, easy, and effective. Besides the cracking paint and degrading wood, the newly installed light fixtures had a spacial conflict and wouldn't go up until I removed it.

Ok, ... DIY Guy, ... what the heck does that say?*

So here it's sat for weeks, knee-high to a grasshopper. It's hardly welcoming, barely visible beside vehicles and behind the huge mailbox and palm tree.

It's so sad and lonely down there.

Finally, the new one we'd ordered online arrived! Sweetie purchased a Whitehall 16"x 9" San Diego Carved Stone wall plaque from PatioSigns.com. This is 100% acrylic; hopefully, it will weather much better than the wood one. It seems like its made out of the counter top material. It's a nice look. The decorative border line and custom numbers are routed, rather than stuck on. The mounting screw holes are countersunk and there is a nice decorative ogee edge around the plaque. After finding an online coupon, she purchased it for $90.25, delivered. It's a custom piece, you get to pick colors and numbers. I feel it was pretty good turnaround, showing up on our doorstep in three weeks.

I measured the mounting hole locations and lined it up where we wanted it. I adjusted height to make sure the holes would land on a brick. I didn't want to hit weak mortar and have it blow out on me.

Well, isn't  this is an unflattering, weak-chinned angle.

If you've drilled in brick before with a standard drill, you know what pain it is, even with a fresh masonry bit. A hammer drill makes it downright pleasurable (other than the noise). If you're going to buy a high-end cordless anyway, it's not too much more to get the hammer option. This is my DeWalt 18-Volt XRP in action. It's an older NiCad battery style from my cordless set but is still widely available. Newer, Lithium-Ion versions versions are smaller, lighter, and run longer.

Watch how much quicker a hammer drill works. I start here with normal drilling, then switch to hammer mode (both in the highest speed setting (3)). 

Tap in some plastic masonry anchors,...

Official Klein Klein anchor tapping tool

   ...screw it in,..

Official Klein Insulated plaque screwdriver

... and "Hello" 

Simple.

* So how do you write about an address plaque without actually sharing your address with the entire connected world? Do it the same way Spielberg creates dinosaurs, with modern technology. A little digital sleight of hand and the numbers are switched. Geeks - do you recognize the language? What's it say? (Hint: It's not Klingon)

SketchUp: Modeling my miter saw workbench

After years of being slightly aware of SketchUp, the free 3D CAD modeling software developed by Google, (now owned by Trimble), I decided it was time to give it a whirl. I was motivated by the excellent Google SketchUp Tips and Resources post on HomeFixated.com and followed the link to download the program. After watching a few of the tutorial videos, I felt reasonably confident in using the software; I dove headfirst into the deep-end of high-tech design wizardry.

It's easier than it looks!

It's fun to see it modeled, and clean in 3D, with the real workhorse stabled in my workshop. The story on building the real one can be found here: Building a Miter Saw Bench - Economical but Beefy!

Apparently, I like to do things completely bass-ackwards. I built this project first in the real world, many-many months before introducing it to the digital realms.  I had done a quick and simple pencil and paper sketch in my Moleskine Classic Notebook , before jumping right into sawing lumber, and screwing screws with the Kreg Jig, redesigning and adjusting my half-baked plan as I built.

This bad-ass bench has been in real-word, front-line combat, supporting the mighty DeWalt 12-Inch Slide Compound Miter Saw in its sawdust-spraying missions for quite a while.

Right before the maiden voyage.

You can see the general assembly in the photo above. The difference is, with the 3D model, I can do the Tony Stark design move, exploding and spinning it to show you the structure. 

This is exactly how Iron Man was designed. Exactly.

Plus, the whole thing can be disassembled in mere moments to a virtual lumberyard of precision-cut and stacked loveliness. Enjoy the parts list in its gleaming, three-dimensional-ness:

Because parts is parts

PARTS LIST:

1. Vertical Structure: 10 ea. 2x4's (1.5" x 3.75" actual) x 29 1/4" long
2. Bins: 4 ea. I actually built these for another project from 1/2" plywood and a 1/4" bottom. I used a dovetail jig, but it's not necessary for simple tool bins. 10.5" wide x 6.5" high x 16.25" long.
3. Swivel Castors: 4 ea. I bought these 3" heavy-duty, locking swivel castors at Harbor Freight
4. Bin Rack - back stop: 4 ea. - pine 0.5" x 1" x 14.25" (made from planed pallet wood)
5. Bin Rack - rails: 8 ea. pine 0.5" x 1" x 21" (made from planed pallet wood)
6. Top and Bottom Depth Structure: 10 ea. 2x4's (1.5" x 3.75" actual) x 21" long
7. Base blocks: 4 ea. 2x4's (1.5" x 3.75" actual) x 3.75" long -  for mounting the castors
8. Top and Bottom cover: 2 ea. 1/2" plywood 24" x 96" (8 feet)
9. Top and Bottom Width Structure:  4 ea. 2x4's (1.5" x 3.75" actual) x 96" (8 feet) long
10. Work surface Center: 3/4" White thermally-fused melamine coated particle board 24" x 24"
11. Work Surface Right: 3/4" White thermally-fused melamine coated particle board 24" x 23"
12. Work Surface Center: 3/4" White thermally-fused melamine coated particle board 24" x 42"
13. Two Drawer File Cabinet: (not shown above)

What do you think? SketchUp or actually sketch it up? 

No, it's not a Leonardo da Vinci original, but I see how you might think so.

Personally, I'm leaning towards starting my next project with SketchUp and finding my mistakes earlier. I'll still use the beloved Moleskine notebook though. 

Download and enjoy my 3D model free* from Trimble's Warehouse here: Economical Miter Saw Workbench.

* All rights reserved - AZ DIY Guy's Projects: . I hereby give license to individuals to build this bench for their own use. My design, plans, images, and model and may not be used for profit without my express permission. This means you Ted's Woodworking Plans. 

If you build a version of my Economical Miter Saw Workbench, please send me some pics and a description. I'd love to feature your project here.

Rubber Biscuit! - Creating a flower bed from recycled materials

As part of my insane one-day blitz of completing as many projects I could fit, I tackled the new planting bed at our front entrance. I managed to get into it early, before the peak heat of the 4th hottest day ever in Phoenix . It was still a miserably hot experience.

We planted the flowers a couple weeks ago , so today was a border and mulch install day. We wanted a free form, curved bed, to contrast the sharp edges of the house and walkway. I used a string line to lay out a few shapes, until I found one that Sweetie liked. I measured the string to get an accurate length to put on the shopping list.

A clever string quote goes here.

We looked at our options and decided on something a little different. EcoBorder  ("Your best landscape Edge for a greener planet") is a flexible, molded edging. It comes in 4' sections with all needed hardware and is available in a variety of colors. Home Depot had red at one store, red at another, but they carry black, gray, and green on their website. We chose dark brown.

I find myself choosing "green" products more and more often when given the choice. This edging is made from crumb rubber, recycled tires. I'd certainly rather tires beautify our yard rather than spend a millennium in a landfill.

I started at the house, where I wanted the edging to butt up at an angle. It was extremely easy to cut with a hack saw. (I know, I know, a hacksaw?!!! Right, I'll break out a power tool later, I promise)

"Wear gloves" it says, vs steel-belted radial bits perhaps?

The sections coupling together with hard plastic pins. They have scalloped ridges, that should help them from backing out. The gap between sections mirrors molded groves equally spaced throughout the piece. I found it best to coupling a few pieces together before making exact, final placement. 

The instructions recommend driving stakes in the ends first. They also state the task requires a "household hammer". Huh? For a tool junkie, that's just gibberish!  There are a lot of hammers in my household; what am I supposed to use?,  ball-peen? sledge, framer's, electrician's, what?!!!.

Moving on, completely free-wheeling without concise, hammer guidance from the manufacturer, I selected Sweetness from my arsenal. Sweetness is my favorite beating stick, a Klein 808-20 Heavy-Duty Straight-Claw Hammer, a common favored sidearm of electricians, ohhhhhh yeahhhhh...

Once I had the sections roughly in place, I started pounding in stakes like Van Helsing. 

Isn't Sweetness  radiant in the sun?

I merrily staked three sections down, moving along at a rapid pace. This is hard-packed desert soil, not easy to penetrate, even with a shovel. I was happy with my progress,..then, I ran into trouble. I started hitting rocks. The plastic stakes did pretty good, but in the rough, rocky terrain, I snapped the button head off a couple and broke two of them clean in half. One breaking made Sweetness bounce into my knuckle. I may have let an expletive fly on that last one. Sorry neighbors. 

Looking for another solution, I soaked the ground down, no help. I didn't want to drive an old drill bit into the earth, because I knew there was a 3/4" electrical conduit and who knows what else buried below. Burrowing into a subterranean  electrical line is what professional electricians refer to as, "not a good idea". Finally, I Mac Gyvered it by chucking a long bit extension into my drill  backwards (Yayyyy! Power tool!). This put a blunt tip on the end. I set the drill on hammer-mode and slowly let it loose on the hard packed soil, while letting the hose dribble over the hole. 

Drill baby drill!!!

It worked. I had to move the routing a couple times when I hit rocks too big to drill past, but it was close enough, I was able to pound the final stakes. I suspect that a nice, soft grass lawn would allow these stakes to go in easily, compared to the Martian landscape of our front lawn.

One last display of the finest hacksaws-man-ship I could muster, and the border was complete!

The most important, and most used tool of the day is on the left: Gatorade

On to mulching, I found this Vigoro Rubber Mulch at Home Depot. Again, they have red and dark brown, but you can order many more colors on the their website. The dark, chocolaty brown matched the new border very well. I decided against tasting it, to review true chocolaty-ness for you. It was my loss perhaps, but the possibility of left over steel-belted-radial on my tongue, gave me pause.

I'd like to see someone drop this pallet off a building. Would it bounce?

Again, this is from recycled tires. But this time, it's shredded and colored, not crumbles, formed in shape. A close examination will actually show the occasional tire tread pattern. I chose it again for the "green" / recycled aspect, but I also liked the fact that there I wouldn't be laying out a buffet of of munchable wood right where I had found subterranean wood-eating insects feasting on our front porch overhang. The manufacturer states about this rubber mulch:

• Does not attract insects

• Saves time and money by eliminating annual mulching

• Prevents weeds

• 12 year color guarantee 

Sold!!!!!!

View fullsize

I bought 5 bags,...

View fullsize

... but needed 10 total.

Five bags installed, I'm on my way to Home Depot, again.

It was easy to work with, but odd. Dropping a handful on the sidewalk resulted in bouncing, ricocheting rubber. Weird, weird behavior for yard-work material.

What do you want for nothing? A rubber biscuit?!!

                                                            - Elwood Blues, Blues Brother

It was crazy hot by the time I finished. I think it turned out  looking pretty good though. I feel good about using the recycled material, especially since its low maintenance. 

Keeping in theme, I'm going to let Elwood take it from here, as only he can. You ever heard of a ricochet biscuit? 

rubber biscuit by Elwood Blues

Bow bow bow!

"You will go to the Dagobah system"

Obi-Wan Kenobi: [voice comes from out of nowhere] Luke. Luke!
Luke Skywalker: [weakly] Ben?
Kenobi: You will go to the Dagobah system.
Skywalker: The Dagobah system?
Kenobi: There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me.

- Star Wars, Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back

You know how some things sound really great, but when you take the plunge, not so much? I'm talking about convertibles, pet boa constrictors, joining the French Foreign Legion, and, of course, swimming pools. Visions of sparkling summer recreation can quickly turn into the reality of a green, swampy pit of wallet-sucking, time-stealing forced labor for survival misery. The planet Dagobah.

BUT, access to a swimming pool, in Phoenix, is pretty much compulsory. It's like having a snowmobile in Northern Michigan.  It's mid-June, and I still haven't gotten our pool operational. The weather would have allowed for swimming in April, but it's been a constant battle with the pool to get it habitable. It's an old pool, in need of a serous top to bottom retrofit, but it's cool, wet, and does the job, usually.

At least someone is swimming.

It's not quite as bad as the turtle pond above, but we have had it turn nearly this color when our Baracuda Vac sucked up a rock and I didn't catch it for a couple weeks. Yoda would have been quite comfortable, spending his years of exile in our backyard.

I'd already torn the filter apart and cleaned it twice this year. This time, it was blowing D.E. (diatamatious earth) filter-aid powder back into the pool. In the morning, it was easy to see that yellow slime mold was taking root again. Basically, the filter cycling dirty muck right back into the pool.

Even our house guest, Bella thinks it's horrid

Our Hayward DE3620 Pro-Grid 36-Square-Foot D.E. Pool Filter
takes 8 screens that look like fish skeletons covered with sail canvas. Locally, they cost 30 - 40 bucks (EACH!!!). I try not to replace them unless I absolutely have to, one at a time. Since Sweetie and the kids are bugging me and summer in the desert is in full (heat of hell-fire) blast, I bit the bullet and ordered a full set. Luckily, Amazon had a full replacement grid set, with good reviews, for $103 plus, it's eligible for Prime (free two day delivery). Scooooore!!!

Out of the box they look just as good as anything I've found locally. I let the pressure out of the filter and zapped the retaining ring off with my beloved impact driver.

You may want to have your children leave the room for this next photo. Brace yourself. I'm unleashing serious horribleness upon you, dear reader... You cannot un-see this...

Remember the way to kill a zombie?

AAAGHHHH!!!! That, my friends is slimy yellow mustard algae at it's finest. Believe it or not, I've seen worse. 

A single 37" centered bolt holds this contraption together. I managed to get it apart and remove the screens, getting just enough of this putrid green slime on me to make my stomach lurch, but I managed to keep my breakfast down with Herculean effort. Some screens were obviously damaged, with broken "bones", holes, and bits of yard debris inside, far too big to normally get that far in the system.

A month ago, the system had lost it's prime when the vac hose came undone and water was not flowing through at all for a whole day. The basket that normally catches debris, right before the filter, actually melted. When I had opened the housing, steam came out; the water was nearly boiling. The melted basket had allowed flotsam and jetsam to flow past, into the filter. I had thought the screens were ok, but if I had done this operation then, and we'd already be swimming.

After cleaning up the manifold, it was easy to pop the new screens into place. There's a slot on each that keeps them oriented in the right direction. The only thing to watch out for is placing one short narrower screen in the right spot, near the big inlet tube.

Screw the whole thing back together, and it's a single unit. It's so much easier to handle without the dry-heave inducing weight of that godawful slime-impregnated filter powder and fetid water.

Reversing steps, it's easy to put the whole thing back together. I just add the step of whacking merrily on the retaining ring with a rubber mallet as I tighten it, to ensure even seating. I fired up the system, loaded fresh DE powder through the skimmer and got the Barracuda prowling the depths again, greedily devouring it's prey. Clear water began discharging back into the pool. Hooray!!

Next, I turned my attention to the fallen, the wounded screens. 

I hosed them down, from a distance, and surveyed the damage. Three of them were completely wrecked. One, with a fingertip sized hole, was probably the biggest offender in causing the issues. Two others were significantly broken inside. I stomped them into submission, crushing them into broken carcasses of shattered bones, to fit in the trash can. It felt good.

I saved the rest. two look really good, the other three are serviceable in a pinch. I'll stick them in the shed for future emergencies. I cleaned the area up, loaded some liquid and tablet chlorine let the system run all day, and night....

Good night, sweet desert oasis

... and now, it's tomorrow! Holy sparking sunshine and blue water!!!!

Bella approves, but the Barracuda lurking below makes her nervous

I hereby proclaim: We shall swim again this day! Sorry Yoda. 

This one's for Jef, who loved it as a kid and played it endlessly:

MP-3: Yoda, by "Weird Al" Yankovic -Album:  Dare To Be Stupid

Fixing it up, again

At some point in the ongoing adventures of home ownership and remodeling projects, I think everyone finds themselves at the point where they are re-remodeling or fixing stuff they were already proud to have called finished.

Upon study, it's my hypothesis that this natural phenomenon, normally brought on my age or changing tastes, is greatly accelerated by the presence (infestation) of the pint-sized interlopers commonly referred to as "children".

One of my early (pre-azdiyguy.com) projects in this house was the remodel of our guest bathroom. Along with new cabinetry, the train-rack towel rack, vanity top, paint and pluming fixtures, we'd installed wainscoting. I'd made it from a 1/4" x 4' x 8' particle board panel with a beaded finish and trimmed it out with wide base molding and chair rail.

I think a cannon exploded right about here.

Now two years later, next to the bathtub where a deluge from countless water-gushing naval engagements had been fought by our little pirates, the panels have become damaged.

Evidently, I didn't seal them up well enough when I painted them. The decorative grooves had let splashed water into the fiberboard, and it has swelled horribly. 

Ohhhhhh,..... the horror!

Luckily, in the dryer than dry climate of the Sonoran desert, the panels were bone dry. The swollen spots were not spongy at all; they were left hard nodules of ugliness. It took just a few minutes of sanding with my sweet DeWalt random orbit sander and some 220 grit sandpaper to get all the swelling knocked down and the panel smooth again.

Sand-tastick

Unfortunately, the worst area was swollen so thickly that sanding it had completely taken out the groves (beading?). That would certainly look stupid if I simply painted it. I tried to cut new grooves with a razor knife and a straight edge, chisels, and even sandpaper folded over a thin piece of plastic. Nothing worked well enough for me to really dig in with confidence.

Staring slack-jawed at my garage tool cabinet, I finally remembered my oscillating, multi-tool. It's an inexpensive Harbor Freight version, but its served me admirably well on two projects already. Sure enough, plunge cutting and giving it a slight wiggle scored the new lines in mere seconds. The grooves on the existing panels are already a little rustic, so the hand-held cut matched up just fine.

I finished it up with some fresh caulk and a coat of KILZ primer. I taped the whole panel off with my favorite painting buddy, Frog Tape, and painted it a fresh, glossy white. I think I sealed it up pretty good.

Fixed. Repaired. Re-remodeled. It looks nice against the new door I think. Hopefully, our youngest is at an age that we can keep the raging geysers of Poseidon's oceanic tempest under control.

How about you? You get tired of fixing up stuff you've already fixed?

Replacing exterior lighting fixtures

Even though I'm currently on a big home / yard maintenance and repair binge, I occasionally have to get back into the fun tools and do some upgrade / renovation work, or I'll go mad. I interrupted the yard work for a bit this weekend to replace our exterior fixtures.

I know, I know,... there's still primer on the front. I'll get back to painting,... honest!

There's two on the garage face, one by the front door, and one on the side of the garage. They were beat up,  mismatched and ugly. Sweetie and I headed over to The Home Depot to pick out some replacements. We wanted something dark, to offer a little contrast with our light beige and brick home. We picked out the
Waterton Wall-Mount Ridge Bronze Lantern by Hampton Bay. It's so dark, it looks black.

The original brass fixture at the front door had been hidden behind the crazy entry way tunnel that I'd just torn down. Now, it just looked really bad next to the black screen / security door we'r repainted.

With the circuit off, I loosened a couple hand-tight nuts and removed the fixture from the wall. There were only two wires to remove from the wire nuts. Not good. The ground wire was unused, which could lead to an electrified metal fixture, in the event of a short. Typical crap left by our DIY predecessors.

There were two black wires (hot) and two whites (neutral) in the junction box, each tied together. This means that the "hot" current carrying conductor goes somewhere else, in addition to the switch that controls it. In this case, it feeds an exterior GFCI convenience receptacle below. Therefore, the receptacle, is controlled by the same switch that controls the light (really convenient for Christmas / Halloween light decorations).

I tied the new fixture wires into the existing wire joints. 

Scary warning: Don't mess with electrical, unless you know what you are doing. 120 volts of household current can kill you just as dead as much higher voltages, it just lets you suffer longer, and folks can recognize you in your casket. Plus, electrical issues can do a heck of a job burning your house right to the ground. Get a professional electrician. If you do the prep work, this project is a snap for someone who's trained; it shouldn't cost too much. Even if you know what you are doing, I recommend you work it like it's live, even if it's not. 

Tip#1: When I am wiring a smaller wire to a larger one, I stick the smaller one slightly beyond the larger wire and hold it tight when twisting on the wire nut. Note how I'm only touching the insulation, not the copper. Also, see how I have my knuckle on the metal (grounded) box. In the unlikely event that somehow the circuit is (or becomes) live, despite my precautions, current would go through my fingers only, not through my chest / heart.

Tip#2: Make the connections in this order GROUND (normally bare copper or green), NEUTRAL / "COMMON" (normally white), HOT (normally black or red). Don't trust the colors, because there are situations where the white and black can be reversed, in switching, and there are regional differences in wiring practices. Electricity is color-blind.

I always give a quick tug on the wires to make sure they're locked in tight.

Next, I install the mounting bracket. This one is pretty neat. It's fully adjustable from a vertical to horizontal screw holes. I laid a torpedo level on it to make sure the counting screws were level, and tightened it down. It's a little awkward working with the fixture tucked under one arm to keep it from hanging from the wires, but it's light and can be done. 

Tip# 3: Whenever I'm wiring to a screw, like this ground screw, I always wrap the wire clockwise around the screw. This way, as the screw is tightened, it pulls the wire tight against it, rather than pushing it away. I also give it a little tug to make sure it's on there good and tight. 

I slipped the new fixture up on the mounting screws and added the mounting nuts. What I found to be typical  of all four fixtures was that the mounting screws were ¹/₄" too long. The nuts wouldn't tighten the fixture to the wall.

I had to pull it down and remove the mounting gadget. Luckily, my wire strippers have a built in screw cutter. I threaded the 8/32 screw into the hole, and gave them a quick squeeze, "SNAP!" = shorter. Unscrew it from the strippers and put the whole thing back together. Back in business!

Moving to the garage face, I pulled down another fixture. Lovely. No junction box, nothing sealing the fixture to the wall to keep water out, no attached ground wire (stuffed back in the wall), and only black electrical tape wrapped around the wire nuts. Dang these hack-job / drunken meat heads that preceded me!

I mounted the bracket, attached the ground wires, and used silicone filled wire nuts, facing tip upwards. I put a bead of silicone caulk on the top of the fixture and filled the mortar-joint groove with silicone so water would not get in from above. It's much better than what was there. 

Gracie was fascinated by the hundreds of insect carcasses left behind following their unsuccessful attempts to eat flaming hot light bulbs over the last many years. I piled the beat up fixtures on the bulk-waste pile out by the curb. someone actually snagged them within a few minutes. I'm glad they won't end up in a land fill.

Bugzzzzzzz

I replaced the incandescent lamps and a couple compact florescent with new Cree 9-Watt (60W) Daylight LED Light Bulbs  from Home Depot. These should last a looooooong while, save money, and don't' have the hazardous disposal issues that CFL's have. 

Done! They all work perfectly and look much better.

I don't think I can avoid painting for much longer.

We have the garage lights on a Programmable Timer Switch with Astronomical Clock that keeps them on at night and off during the day. We've kept them on all night ever since someone tried to help themselves to my last truck hammering a massive screwdriver into my passenger door lock. Bastards.

We think it looks much better. Not bad for a couple hours easy work eh? I had to take the address plaque off to fit this new light. It's time for a new one anyway. The DIY wooden one was looking rough.

I can't get the camera phone to take a decent shot of a nighttime view, but you can see these lamps really throw down some light. I hope they don't divert air traffic to land in the drive way.

What do you think?

 

Bulk time again! Still outside in the heat.

Plans are destined to be broken. I'm still far from completing the interior door replacement project started back in February and intended to finish in March. One thing after another just keeps getting in the way.

Now, it's time for quarterly bulk waste pick-up. I can't leave the yard work another three months or the HOA will nail us with a nasty-gram. This happened once when we first moved in, with no bulk pickup anytime near. The trees went a little wild, so we hired a landscape crew with a giant truck and a chipper to haul it all away. 800 bucks my friends; I've been DIY'ing it ever since.

So it's outside again, in the hottest temperatures so far this year. We have mesquite trees that grow like weeds on steroids, dragging on the roof in no time. I started trimming from the peak of the roof like King Kong with a pole saw, just after 7:00 am, when it was "cool" in the high 80's.

"Not dead yet"

I'd given this particular tree up for dead last year. I cut it back to the largest branches that I could get through with my saw. There wasn't a trace of green left. Then,...it burst back to life, overnight it seemed.

Following the cut, a massive clean-up begins. I have to drag this jungle of green out to the curb...

Welcome to the jungle, no fun and games

... and line it up for processing like a slaughterhouse. 

It took big-ass clippers, an aggressive-bladed reciprocating saw, and gallons of frosty, refreshing beverages to work through four loads of this.

Next, it was onto the palms. These bee-infested Q-tips of doom had to be cut back before they got out of control.

At least I can still catch them from a ten foot ladder with a pole saw. Some of the neighborhood trees are 40-50 feet, and require a professional to scale up and trim them. They're neat looking, but useless trees. At best they throw a 5 foot blotch of shade in the neighbor's yard, two doors down.

You have to cut these saw-toothed death-fronds when they're still green and cut easily. I have refined a talent at getting them to drop just right where they manage to fly directly at me, leaving nice, bright red scratches on my arms, legs, and neck so that I have to go back to work looking like I have spent time in a burlap sack fighting a pissed off alley cat. Of course, this is not a good comparison, because cat scratches probably wouldn't welt up quite so badly from an allergic reaction.

Finally, I ended up with a massive beaver-dam of waste, waiting to be picked up by our heroic cadre of the Phoenix waste collection services. 

Cropped high and tight

At least this particular project is done for a few months. Now I can get back on track with the door project,... well, after I finish painting the facia and the front of the house,... and installing drip edge, and fixing the pool filter. Evidently, I'm supposed to spend June in Phoenix outside, lovely. 

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot: Meet the new twins!

I finally got to break in a new pair of Red Wings. I bought the same style I'd had to retire recently. I really like the 8683 Men's Hiker Boot. These are much better on the old aching dogs than shoes for this sort of work. Fare thee well old pair, gone but not forgotten.

Beloved  Red Wing work boots

(original pair)

2003 - 2013

A walk in the park

Completely Sidetracked

I got out early to beat the heat. The task was to finish priming the new facia boards and to sand and prime the house where I'd removed the entry lattice / tunnel. Settle in for a long one folks, because when I came to a fork in the road, I did not stay on the direct path.

Initially, I made good time on the facia boards using a 4" roller, planning to fall back and cut in the edges with a brush after I got the affected front of the house sanded and primed. It was just a small strip that needed painting, only 2 to 4 inches wide, but...The lattice wall had attached to the house front atop a big slab of a sill under the front window. This sill /slab / trim could use a good sanding. Just a bit off task, maybe, but it would only take a few minutes. 

To say there was a bit of dried-up, caulk would be an understatement. I started removing clumps of it with a chisel and a utility knife. I think half the wall was constructed from caulk. I now recognize I had really started veering off track at this point.

It was particularly lovely to discover there were three chunks of wood, apparently glued in with caulk, to fill the voids where the sill (bottom) didn't reach the jamb (side). The sill wood was split and rotted. Maybe some more appropriate filler was needed. Still just a little sidetracked.

 The trim slab wasn't even against the house. I gave it a test wiggle. Uh ohhh.

Ohhhh,...it's coming right the heck off. Mayday! Mayday! The original plan is in a nose dive!

Some interesting archaeological revelations (while I'm completely ignoring today's plan):

• This big piece of wood was held on with nails from inside the house, through the exterior T-111 siding material, I guess before drywall went in. Most the nails were very loose. I'm no expert, but this seems stupid.
• Apparently the house was originally a light, 1979 aqua blue.
• The house must have been vacant for a significant time in its history. That weedy looking stuff is some sort of grass that must have grown up, behind the trim piece. It appeared to have grown completely behind and around it and stuck out the top. There were traces of the weed sticking through the massive caulk plug under the window. It had been cut flush with the bottom and with the face of the window trim.
• The original front faucet was roughed in where this trim piece went. I found a hole that I could stick my finger through and feel the plumbing, with couplings and elbows leading to the current location.
• Some late 70's carpenter had scrawled "3 x 10" here in pencil. The board was 10 feet long, 10" high, and a full 3" thick. Not something you could probably find at your local home center these days.

I know should have been working on the facia, but... I loaded the random orbital random orbit sander with some toothy 60 grit and started sanding. I clipped most of the nails with my lineman pliers and pushed them back in the wall. A few were clipped through the edge of a stud and were at odd angles. I didn't' want to pound them back into the house and cause mystery damage inside the wall, so I broke out the Dremel, loaded a cut-off wheel, and let some sparks fly.

We decided to replace the big slab sill with a 2x10. A quick trip to Home Depot was in order. Gracie accompanied me on my quick trip,... on the first Saturday of the month,... to Home Depot. Are you aware of what happens at Home Depot on the first Saturday of the Month, in the lumber section?

Pandemonium. Pint-sized side-tracking on a colossal scale. That's what. No way I could keep my little girl away from this:

Building a lawn mower pencil holder

Finally, back to the fort, I engaged the big ol' clamp in spreading mode to use it as a jack. This is getting pretty interesting. Wasn't there something else I should be doing?

Forgoing the whole "cram scraps in the hole and caulk it in" approach, I wanted to cut the board to fit. I used a rafter square to transfer the end location of the cut. The critical step here was to utilize a neon pink pencil. Otherwise, obviously, the whole project would have failed. Take it from me, all serious craftsman have a neon pink pencil readily at hand.

A quick scribing of the measurement with a compass by setting it to the gap on the side and transferring it to the mid section.

Then I ripped the length of the mid section with a cordless circular saw and cut the ends with a reciprocating saw. Paintbrush? What paintbrush? DEWALT power tools will always win that battle.

It took a little adjustment with the planer to fit snug. I jacked it up, and shot it in place with the framing nailer, into the studs. I created some vertical trim boards to replace the missing ones below the sill out of recycled pallet wood I had stored in the garage.





At this point, I really committed to my sidetracked approach. I heroically continued to not sand and prime as planned. The heat had worn me down enough. I cleaned up, went inside, and planned my next step. By "planned", I mean I ate a slice of cold pizza and fell asleep on the couch.

Now cooled down, I returned to the battle to meet the morning's first objectives,... in the afternoon. Darn that evil, side-tracking front window project. Only pride kept me out there in the blast furnace of the peak heat of a Phoenix afternoon at the record heat of 111 degrees. I'm so glad I waited.

Finally, back on track, and suffering in the horrors of the afternoon sun, I got it all primed.

Including that dreadful, side-tracking project that tacked hours onto the day.

  

You ever let a side-tracking project take you down the rabbit hole?

Get a damn truck first!

I listed a couch on Craigslist this weekend. It was a well used couch, offered at a cheap price, just to get rid of it.

Seems like a decent deal. 

Public service announcement:

Dearest  potential buyers, when you would like to purchase large items from people on Craigslist... get a truck before you call, please.

via GIPHY

This is a big IKEA L-shaped EKTORP sectional couch rigged up with the pop-out bed, ottoman, and a storage drawer. We'd finally replaced it, since it was out of scale with the remodeled living room, with its higher ceiling and we wanted more layout flexibility. The removable cover was fairly worn and soiled from countless disasters involving the raising of a 5 year old and representative specimens of the milk, orange juice, Cheese-it and Fruit Loop food groups. The night before listing it, I took it apart and assembled the new couches.

Size-wise, this is what I consider "big"

This is a used but decent couch. The bones were in great shape, but the cover was shot. IKEA still sells covers of all colors and fabrics, but we thought it was time to replace the whole thing, rather than just a cover. I listed it on Craigslist at 9:30 am for $50.  New, this beast goes for over $1,000 as equipped, but I wanted it out quick.

By 9:34 am,  I'd already received my third inquiry. Everyone wanted it. I had to start a waiting list, just in case, while the first caller was "on their way". I lugged the massive slabs of couch scattered around the house out to the garage and put it together.  Easy sale!

What followed was a full day of delay tactics, schenanigans, and no-shows. My phone rang and received texts constantly. Someone actually showed up,... in a bright red Honda Fit.  

via GIPHY

What?!!! The thing was the size of a pregnant roller-skate. They couldn't even fit half the cushions.

All day, it was a lack of hauling vehicle that kept people from showing up. The stories though...

"My dad will be home on Friday"

"I called my cousin, but he isn't calling me back"

"I'm trying to find a truck"

"My mom is coming over with her van"

"I'm on my way,... when I borrow a truck"

"Nooooooooooooo.... truuuuuuuuuk....".

I felt the day slipping away. Surely one of these peanut-heads would soon to get their hands on something with four wheels and a cargo bay or bed at some point, right?.. right? 

Could someone even come up with a mid-sized vehicle that they could stuff into and lash on top? A Honda Element perhaps? A station wagon with a roof rack even? I offered local delivery for $30 (two trips in my truck), but apparently that was too steep. Heck, Home Depot will rent you a truck for $19.00.

Dear readers, if you were seeking and answering ads for a couch, wouldn't you be ready with a couch-capable vehicle? Of course you would, because you are bright, well-read people.

Finally, at 3:30 pm, working my way down the list to a dude who'd been waiting patiently for a few hours (while I dealt with a rabble of truck-less (friendless?) nincompoops). He showed up promptly, slapped fifty bucks in my hand, and loaded up a mini-van and a mini-pickup, before departing happily with his soft cushioned prize. That's how it's done folks, the man was clearly a genius.

If people want to buy my original Kindle, or a Palm Pilot, they can show up on a unicycle for all I care, but if they're shopping for a deal on a COUCH, get a damn truck first!