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Zapatta

Zapatta

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Soygen said:
What's this hot mud business? I'm going to need to do some drywall repairs and I'd like to get it done in as short a time as possible.

Got final approval on the permits today, so kitchen project is a go. Demo planned for 9/3. Wish me luck.
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Shop SHEETROCK Brand Easy Sand 18-lb Lightweight Drywall Joint Compound at Lowes.com

Don't use it straight, it sands like cement if you do. Take regular mud, add water to make a runny milkshake consistency. Add in the dry powder and mix well. You can use hot water to speed it up even more. Make sure you drag it VERY tight, even 50/50 with regular mud it doesnt sand well. Good for first big fills. Bang that on, let kick, and run second coat regular mud over.

Buy 20 minute not 45

Work in small batches, buy a real stainless drywall pan, they are $20, dont use those plastic garbage ones.
 
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Zapatta

Zapatta

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Also when you buy new drywall blades, take some 220_320 sandpaper and dress the edges, factory edges are rough and can tear and scratch the face paper and paper tape.

If you are using hot mud and keep washing out in the same bucket, you can use that wash water to mix mud and it keeps getting "hotter"
 
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Mrs. Gravy

Mrs. Gravy

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Critter troubles...yes, I live in a wooded area, yes, I live near farms so a certain amount is to be expected. That being said I am up to my ass in possum trouble. The last one that came into my garage was dispatched with a three pound sledgehammer...by me and it took me forever to kill the fucker. (Because the 8 lb. hammer was down in the back shed and not in the garage). I really don't want to re-live that and I haven't had enough practice with my shotgun to chance using it. BB will not kill it I don't think.
It is currently curled up in an exterior corner of my house - in the back near my faucet. I tried poking at it to get it to leave but it didn't give a shit...I am also afraid it will just come back.
(My dog is great with moles, but a possum will tear up his 17 (thinks he is 70) pounds ass.)
If I use a trap, I will probably catch a skunk or a raccoon and I really don't want to deal with either of those.

Suggestions?
 
Dandai

Dandai

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I read that during warms seasons up to half the body weight of a possum is fleas/parasites...

If you don't mind the presence of critters in some places but do mind in other places, trapping the places you don't want them makes them easier to relocate to a safer location for shotgun discharging. If that doesn't sound appealing to you then there's all sorts of rednecks on youtube that love spreading their redneck wisdom. Good luck!
 
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Mrs. Gravy

Mrs. Gravy

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Dandai said:
I read that during warms seasons up to half the body weight of a possum is fleas/parasites...

If you don't mind the presence of critters in some places but do mind in other places, trapping the places you don't want them makes them easier to relocate to a safer location for shotgun discharging. If that doesn't sound appealing to you then there's all sorts of rednecks on youtube that love spreading their redneck wisdom. Good luck!
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I have plenty of rednecks in my family to consult. B-I-L told me to poke it and that it would leave. I did; it did but probably just down the hill to the burn pile...hmmm- fire!
 
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Zapatta

Zapatta

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Mrs. Gravy said:
The last one that came into my garage was dispatched with a three pound sledgehammer...by me and it took me forever to kill the fucker. (Because the 8 lb. hammer was down in the back shed and not in the garage).
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143b9f28ed81172817fe046693e8e89855d4a35809b5d0c22a3b38f439fa3275.jpg
 
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Zapatta

Zapatta

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I have no possum experience, but I have spooked feral pigs away with a rifle shot or firecrackers, pigs are smart, remember shit and they steer clear for months after getting scared off. My dogs want to desperately to go after pigs, but I would need another 3 dogs and a big sharp knife to down one here. A 2 on 1 fight, would end with me spending a couple hours sewing the pups back together with dental floss. Even a small feral pig is no joke.
 
Mrs. Gravy

Mrs. Gravy

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Zapatta said:
I have no possum experience, but I have spooked feral pigs away with a rifle shot or firecrackers, pigs are smart, remember shit and they steer clear for months after getting scared off. My dogs want to desperately to go after pigs, but I would need another 3 dogs and a big sharp knife to down one here. A 2 on 1 fight, would end with me spending a couple hours sewing the pups back together with dental floss. Even a small feral pig is no joke.
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Feral pigs are a problem in several parts of this state - two counties south of me there are established populations (thanks to the MU extension office for that info) but not even isolated sightings have been reported here thank goodness. I am familiar with what a domestic sow hog can do if her litter is threatened; I can't imagine what a feral one could do.

I have a couple of possum versus dog stories but both are basically me using whatever is nearby to separate dog from possum (he's old and half toothless now since he has left two teeth in two different possums). I do this because a. I like the little turd dog and b. I do not want the veterinarian bill associated with possum biting my dog. The garage incident occurred after I had been shoveling snow for about two hours and truly was a very funny story. I can tell it well but it does not do it justice to type it as it is much better with body language. The other just involved a tomato stake and garden hose.
In the 14 or so years we (now just I) have lived here, we have had squirrels, birds, snakes and a possum in some section of the house. There are usually pretty funny stories with each because I did most of the ridding of the beasts and I am a goofball. G was pretty amused. I grew up in a rural setting and he in mostly suburban ones so it was more in my wheelhouse.
 
Zapatta

Zapatta

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Able to touch your forehead to your knees and will wield a sledge to kill varmints. Gravy was a very blessed man.
 
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Mrs. Gravy

Mrs. Gravy

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Zapatta said:
Able to touch your forehead to your knees and will wield a sledge to kill varmints. Gravy was a very blessed man.
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I like to think that I was the lucky one. He was quite bendy for a big man and among the many talents he possessed, he was a musician. I found that men such as he who played brass instruments, knew how to use their tongues and hold their breath exceptionally well. Something to be said for "band geeks".



Back to the theme - I am going to set a live trap back behind the shed; the dog can't get to it and if I trap a skunk, I am going to have a friend take care of that! (I will buy them beer, of course.)
 
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Gilgamel

Gilgamel

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Alright home improvement bros, someone help me brainstorm.

I own an older house(1950s) with a smallish kitchen/dining area. Directly off that kitchen is the new addition master bedroom, which is basically like a big, high ceiling studio apartment. It's huge(500 square feet if you don't include the wrap around walk in closet or bath room). I basically live my life in that room entirely and the rest of the house is storage. Recently I moved all my workout equipment out of the bedroom and into a spare room(mainly since it is carpeted and I don't want to mess up my new floor with weights), so now I've got this entire wall and open space to do something with. What I'd like to do is get rid of my rinky dink dining room table and somehow put in a bar or some other long seating area along the wall. Here's a picture of the space:
4F5vHrd.jpg


I plan on moving in the next 5 years and turning this into a rental property or reselling so I don't want to go too out there, but I definitely want to do something cool with the space for now. Any ideas?
 
Borzak

Borzak

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If you do much drywall or tile work I have a one word answer.

Mexicans.

Seriously. You can't do the shit for yourself cheaper and they apparently are good at it from the womb. That's assuming they are not all in Baton Rouge doing it now.

Everything else but roofing I'll do myself, for tile and sheetrock cheaper to hire Mexicans than the stuff to do it nearly.
 
Oblio

Oblio

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After 2 years of living here and losing power more times in those 2 years than the previous 38 of my life, I have finally decided to buy a Generator. Costco looks like they have the best deals, like this
Honeywell 20KW Automatic Standby Generator with 200a Transfer Switch.

I am assuming a 20KW will allow me to run all the important items plus have some lights on, phones charging etc.

Any thoughts or advice?
 
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P

Picasso3

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Cooling is a big deal i think. Make sure you have room for airflow. 20kw should be plenty, there are calcs. I would size accurately/modestly. They are expensive to run.
 
Oblio

Oblio

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Air flow should not be an issue with the spot I have picked out. Regarding the expense to run I have no doubt it will cost a pretty penny, however after being without power for 8 days straight last winter I will gladly pay an extra couple hundred on my Gas Bill to avoid that bullshit again.
 
Zapatta

Zapatta

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Oblio said:
Air flow should not be an issue with the spot I have picked out. Regarding the expense to run I have no doubt it will cost a pretty penny, however after being without power for 8 days straight last winter I will gladly pay an extra couple hundred on my Gas Bill to avoid that bullshit again.
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You gonna pay an electrician to set up your breaker box to accept the generactor, or are gonna run a bunch a cords to the appliances? Setting up the box to plug in a genny is expensive.

I have had bad experiences with off brand generators, I only buy Hondas now. Also cheap generators can really fucking loud. Hear one run at peak before buying it.
 
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