Author Topic: General Chatter  (Read 229382 times)

Corndog

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17025
  • Oo-da-lolly, Oo-da-lolly, golly what a day!
    • Corndog Chats
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #680 on: November 04, 2011, 03:33:53 PM »
Who lives in Columbus, Ohio and wants to go to movies with me? I'm growing tired of going by myself.
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

ses

  • Administrator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 14979
    • Sarah's Kitchen Adventures
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #681 on: November 04, 2011, 03:53:31 PM »
I think I am going to see Take Shelter at the Esquire tomorrow, too bad you still aren't in Cincy  :(
"It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart"

http://sarahskitchenadventures.blogspot.com/

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #682 on: November 04, 2011, 04:52:43 PM »
3 months worth of weekends and about 6-7k worth of tools and materials = buddy's finished basement









This was a great project and it turned out very well. I wish I had some before pictures but basically it was like any other basement; concrete floor, concrete walls, and a cieling full wires and duct work. Now it's 450 sq feet of whatever he wants it to be, and an isolated utility room. It was satisfying to do a top to bottom project like this because you experience a little bit of everything. Some things I knew how to do from past projects and other things I only knew how to do in theory. As long as your not in a hurry though you can do anything.

Most useful tool:

This dinky little impact driver was the surprise hit of the project. The only reason my buddy had it was because it the homebuilder threw it in as a promotional item or something. For it's size it packed a wallop and would easily get through most days without needing a battery swap. It saw use during every stage of the project and never came up short. It'll sink a 3 inch screw and keep on going if you want it to. As hard as we were on it it never showed any sign of wear. The only time we switched to a standard drill was if we needed the adjustable chuck, otherwise it was Makita all the way.

Most difficult stage:
Drywalling. Not hard to do, but hard to do well. We knew it would  be, and it was. I consider myself fairly handy and even still it took a long time to get what I would call satisfactory results. It's an ugly stage of the project and so you want to get through it quickly. That's the problem. When you think your done and it looks good, do more. More mud, more sanding. You can be sure that once you get the paint on any flaws will stand out 10x more. Mad props to pros who do this.

Easiest stage:
Surprisingly, electrical. At the outset it seemed like the biggest wildcard aspect of the project (because neither of us had done it before) but it turned out to be incredibly simple. We ran 4 new circuits, modified 2, and never had any problems. Bought this book at home depot and it told us everything we needed to know.


We've passed all the inspections and everything is to code or better. It feels good. My DIY bug is satisfied for a while. Next project, reno the condo when I move in.

oneaprilday

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 13746
  • "What we see and what we seem are but a dream."
    • A Journal of Film
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #683 on: November 04, 2011, 04:57:17 PM »
Wow, beautiful! 

Uri would agree with you, btw, about drywalling - he loathes it - and when he was small-time contracting, it was the one part of the job he could do on his own but eventually decided it just wasn't worth the pain and subbed it out.  He used that Wiring 1-2-3 book, too. :)
« Last Edit: November 04, 2011, 04:59:03 PM by oneaprilday »

Sam the Cinema Snob

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26795
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #684 on: November 04, 2011, 04:59:15 PM »
I wish you were my buddy.  ;)

Great work. Looks very sharp.

Luckily, I've never had to drywall, but I've come to have an extreme hatred of working with sheet rock. The dust it generates is the most vile stuff I can imagine. I can't think of anything I hate more.

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #685 on: November 04, 2011, 05:20:27 PM »
Thanks!

Uri would agree with you, btw, about drywalling - he loathes it - and when he was small-time contracting, it was the one part of the job he could do on his own but eventually decided it just wasn't worth the pain and subbed it out.
That seems like a smart move. The folks who are good at it are just SO fast and do good work... and they don't seem to mind doing it. Win win. :) It'd be the last thing I'd want to do exclusively though.

Luckily, I've never had to drywall, but I've come to have an extreme hatred of working with sheet rock. The dust it generates is the most vile stuff I can imagine. I can't think of anything I hate more.

I'm with you there, awful stuff. We isolated the basement from the rest of the house as best we could and always had all the windows open downstairs whenever we were sanding. I think our biggest breakthrough though came when instead of buying a good filter for the shop vac we did the opposite, we removed all the filters, attached a long exhaust tube to the casister and basically vented all the dust directly out into the atmosphere. ;D Luckily he lives in a windy neighbourhood so it didn't all just settle on his lawn but instead dispersed harmlessly. You've just gotta remember to give the vac a thorough clean out with your air-compressor afterwards or you'll get a nasty surprise next time you turn it on!

Corndog

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17025
  • Oo-da-lolly, Oo-da-lolly, golly what a day!
    • Corndog Chats
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #686 on: November 04, 2011, 06:05:50 PM »
I think I am going to see Take Shelter at the Esquire tomorrow, too bad you still aren't in Cincy  :(

Very true, and funny story, I think I am heading out to see Take Shelter at th Drexel tonight in Columbus. Double  :( :(
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

jim brown

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1751
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #687 on: November 04, 2011, 06:17:53 PM »
Beautiful work, smirnoff.  Truly.

At this stage in my life, between the 3 kids and 2 dogs, cleaning the bathroom qualifies as home improvement.   :P
Kevin: Yes, why does there have to be evil?

Supreme Being: I think it has something to do with free will.

-------------------------------------------------------

Verna: I suppose you think you raised hell.

Tom: Sister, when I've raised hell you'll know it.

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #688 on: November 04, 2011, 07:17:50 PM »
Here's hoping it doesn't take you three months to do it! :)

jim brown

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1751
Re: General Chatter
« Reply #689 on: November 04, 2011, 08:08:46 PM »
Here's hoping it doesn't take you three months to do it! :)

Let's just say it's a work in progress.   :(
Kevin: Yes, why does there have to be evil?

Supreme Being: I think it has something to do with free will.

-------------------------------------------------------

Verna: I suppose you think you raised hell.

Tom: Sister, when I've raised hell you'll know it.