Home Improvement

iannis

Musty Nester
31,351
17,656
I bought the cheap ass electric chainsaw from harbor freight and used it in the most horrifically not meant for that use - use when digging up 400ish sq feet of "1980's xeroscaping" in the back corner of my backyard - tearing through underground roots 1-4 inch thick and cutting out to scoop out oak tree shoots 4-6ft tall fuckers - its chain / teeth are completely shot now - the only cutting it does is by virtue of friction lol.

Read up on how to sharpen them and was like - I will just buy a new chain lol - if I had some big real GOOD saw and chain then sure, but this piddly pos - newp.

I didn't realize that you could sharpen them. I've always just bought a new chain. And by always I mean twice.

Don't do a whole lot of chainsawing.
 

Siliconemelons

Avatar of War Slayer
10,848
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Lol watch a YouTube vid on chainsaw sharpening - sccrreewwww that! But I am sure it's for "real" chainsaws, wood milling etc.

My cheap ass harbor freight electric- yeah, just toss and buy a new one.

Few K lumber saw with hundred or so $ chain, yeah learn to sharpen ;)
 

lurkingdirk

AssHat Taint
<Medals Crew>
41,120
175,352
Sharpening a chain is super easy with very little practice. You can also buy guides to fit on your file so your angle is right. It's seriously worth figuring out.
 

Dandai

<WoW Guild Officer>
<Gold Donor>
5,907
4,483
Seconded. It took me a little practice, but I can do the whole chain (both sides) in less than 5 minutes now. You'll want a vice or it will take longer and be much more of a pain in the ass.
 

Siliconemelons

Avatar of War Slayer
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Okay that guy was much simpler and straight forward than the vid I watched, with angel guides and grinding the front part to be just higher or shorter than the back part and you need these 15 specific tools bla bla bla.

Buy file that's the proper size, file X times, done.. Okay yeah- that's simple.
 

Gravel

Mr. Poopybutthole
36,420
115,796
So when we bought our house, there was I believe a single smoke detector. The inspector made them install a bunch more (required by law). Well, within like the first 6 months one of them (bedroom) malfunctioned so I just disabled it and never replaced it.

Looking at it, apparently California requires you to use either hard wired ones, or a 10 year sealed unit. We've got the 10 year ones.

My question is, can I install a hard wired detector on an existing circuit? For instance, there isn't one in the main living area (open space living/kitchen). I'd like to add one and just toss it on whatever circuit is closest in the ceiling. Ditto on replacing the one in the bedroom.

And also, does anyone have any recommendations for smoke detectors? Amazon is just filled with reviews about false alarms. Seems like the quality control on them is absolutely shit regardless of manufacturer. I've basically written off the 10 year sealed ones as worthless, which is why I'm asking about hard wired. I want photoelectric and not ionization.
 

lurkingdirk

AssHat Taint
<Medals Crew>
41,120
175,352
Each county has different laws about what you need to do with independent breakers and smoke detectors. Check your local ordinances. That's the best I can do.

Or, snake power from the nearest source, make it easy, and be fine. Those units won't draw enough to have any impact on the existing circuit.
 

Oldbased

> Than U
27,727
65,177
So when we bought our house, there was I believe a single smoke detector. The inspector made them install a bunch more (required by law). Well, within like the first 6 months one of them (bedroom) malfunctioned so I just disabled it and never replaced it.

Looking at it, apparently California requires you to use either hard wired ones, or a 10 year sealed unit. We've got the 10 year ones.

My question is, can I install a hard wired detector on an existing circuit? For instance, there isn't one in the main living area (open space living/kitchen). I'd like to add one and just toss it on whatever circuit is closest in the ceiling. Ditto on replacing the one in the bedroom.

And also, does anyone have any recommendations for smoke detectors? Amazon is just filled with reviews about false alarms. Seems like the quality control on them is absolutely shit regardless of manufacturer. I've basically written off the 10 year sealed ones as worthless, which is why I'm asking about hard wired. I want photoelectric and not ionization.
I've had some luck with the WIRELESS connected smoke detectors. I've had wired systems go haywire in both new construction and remodeling due to voltage and grounding issues and it is a real pain in the ass to find out on that circuit where it is screwing up as often times it is not constant, but to answer your question, if you have an existing wired system and need to add another connected device the cheapest solution if wire access is not available is to replace all the wired system with ones you can and then add in wireless connected ones in places you cannot. Here in KY at least that satisfies codes with most inspectors even in places like sorority houses and whatnot.
If that isn't clear, what I mean is Kiddie and some other brands make systems now that can do both be hardwired and wireless and the wireless ones will talk to the other wired ones so if one goes off they all do. Just make sure you replace with ones that are compatible for that purpose.
 

Ritley

Karazhan Raider
15,720
34,246
IMG_8446.JPG
Made a table. Really wasn't all that hard (at least for a basic farmhouse style one) but hadn't done one before so I used the cheap Home Depot shit. Of course everything they had was basically saturated with water so by the time it dried out everything was decently warped. Screw it though, spent like $70-80 in materials so I'll get over it. Might move this to the back yard or something and try again with better wood sometime.
 
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ToeMissile

Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
<Gold Donor>
2,730
1,665
So, steel toed boots, gloves, glasses, and hard hat. And don't be an idiot.

Never had a reason to own a chainsaw growing up. We lived in the typical suburbs with very few trees. Now I live on 4 acres and previous owners were idiots that planted everything. Chainsaw will help remove some of that. Don't need cherry trees if the birds just eat them all.

If the trees are mature and in good shape you may be able to sell them live.
 

Deathwing

<Bronze Donator>
16,410
7,408
It was just one tree, an old silver maple. No idea how to go about selling them, but I doubt someone would show up just to harvest one tree. And they already cut the tree down, I just have to deal with the wood(we have a fire pit, we like burning shit).

The chainsaw was just a nice thing for cutting down other nuisance trees on the property when needed. Younger cherry and apple trees that never produce fruit, a couple dead trees.

But after researching it some more, going to either buy a splitting axe or a maul and a wedge(or two).
 

lurkingdirk

AssHat Taint
<Medals Crew>
41,120
175,352
So I hate paying anyone to do anything on my property, I want to do it myself. I have a tree hanging partially over the house. It evidently got hit by lightning, and is now not only dead, but completely petrified. I've had five companies out, prices ranged at the high end to $3,000, and I actually got someone to do it for $1,100. They are insured, and pay workman's comp, so it should be good.

The shitty part is, it's an 80 foot tree, about 4 foot diameter at the base, and because it's petrified, it's going in the landfill. No use as wood. No way to even burn it. Just a great big waste of an old growth tree. Le sigh.

That said, now I have full sun gardens in front of the house, so I can do the rose garden I've always wanted to. Favourite varieties of roses everyone?
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
60,781
134,120
Where do you guys put your wall safes? i've been renting, so i've always just put my big block safe on the closet floor (bolted) under a pile of clothes, with a home in a few months i'll put in a wall safe. (i know a determined will get into anything, etc...)

I think it's best to NOT have a wall safe in the master bedroom, as thats the most likely place any thief will look for a safe (maybe even just install one and put a few pieces of jewlery and cash to deter/satiate thief from looking further)

I'm thinking either in the basement and recessing it behind an unpowered breaker panel (i'll add the switches and wires coming out of it for dramatic effect), i've seen two break boxes in homes b4, so it shouldn't be wierd

or

placing it in the guest/kids room
 

Soygen

The Dirty Dozen For the Price of One
<Nazi Janitors>
28,326
43,170
In the goddamn master-bedroom in the fucking floor in the goddamn fucking floor safe!

 

Oldbased

> Than U
27,727
65,177
Where do you guys put your wall safes? i've been renting, so i've always just put my big block safe on the closet floor (bolted) under a pile of clothes, with a home in a few months i'll put in a wall safe. (i know a determined will get into anything, etc...)

I think it's best to NOT have a wall safe in the master bedroom, as thats the most likely place any thief will look for a safe (maybe even just install one and put a few pieces of jewlery and cash to deter/satiate thief from looking further)

I'm thinking either in the basement and recessing it behind an unpowered breaker panel (i'll add the switches and wires coming out of it for dramatic effect), i've seen two break boxes in homes b4, so it shouldn't be wierd

or

placing it in the guest/kids room
Take a good 20x30 mirror with thick trim and install hinges with a magnetic disk on the other side. About $10 in hardware and mount over a wall safe. Totally hidden, thieves won't usually steal mirrors and it will look like it is not hiding anything. If you really want to add some security mount several magnets on the other side so that it takes a bit of effort to swing out from wall. Have hidden panel boxes the same way before.
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
60,781
134,120
Take a good 20x30 mirror with thick trim and install hinges with a magnetic disk on the other side. About $10 in hardware and mount over a wall safe. Totally hidden, thieves won't usually steal mirrors and it will look like it is not hiding anything. If you really want to add some security mount several magnets on the other side so that it takes a bit of effort to swing out from wall. Have hidden panel boxes the same way before.
aren't like hanging mirrors and paintings the first things a thief tosses going into a room, looking for a safe?