My neighbor Dave came over after 6 hours of work and showed me the dust lines going the wrong way, which explained why every board looked like it had scratches instead of a smooth finish.
The motor seized up while I was trying to finish a paint job on a bookshelf, so now I'm looking at a $400 upgrade to a quiet oil-lubed model from Home Depot, anyone got a recommendation for a brand that won't die on me again?
I needed a sturdy workbench for my garage but lumber prices were crazy around here, so I grabbed a beat-up solid core door from a Habitat ReStore for $40. Painted the top with some garage floor epoxy I had left over and it's flat as a pancake, no warping at all. Has anyone else tried using old doors or other weird stuff for workbench tops?
Started keeping a log of every DIY thing I finished. Got to number 50 last weekend when I built a simple bookshelf. Who else keeps count or am I just weird about tracking stuff?
Slapped one coat of primer on dark green walls, then two coats of off-white paint. The green still bleeds through in spots, and now I'm looking at a third coat of paint because I was impatient. Anyone else deal with coverage issues from skimping on prep work?
Went by Main Street Hardware yesterday and saw they'd been replaced by a vape shop... been going there since I was a kid buying nails for tree forts with my dad. Mr. Chen always remembered what hinge you needed even if you couldn't describe it right. The new place has everything in plastic bins and the kid at the counter didn't know what a miter box was. Anyone else got a local spot that just quietly disappeared on you?
Last weekend I stripped and sanded my front porch railing, but I skipped the tack cloth step before priming. Three days later the paint is bubbling up in spots near the hinges. I'm debating between sanding just those areas and touching up versus stripping the whole thing again and starting over. Has anyone dealt with spot peeling after a refinish and had the touch up actually hold up long term?
My friend Dave said skip the square and level, that it would come out fine. Now one side sits 2 inches higher and the whole thing wobbles on the patio. Has anyone else had a supposedly easy DIY tip completely backfire on them?
Snapped three bits trying to hang shelves in my garage last Saturday before I gave in and grabbed a pilot bit set. Now I'm wondering how many other basic tips I've been blowing off - anyone else stubbornly skip advice they heard from a stranger?
I put down a full coat of that pricey semi-transparent stain last May. Looked great through June, but by September it was already peeling in spots. Turns out I didn't prep the wood right, I just hosed it off and brushed it on. Now I gotta strip everything and start over this spring. Anybody got a go-to cleaner or stripper that actually works for old pressure treated pine?
For years I was happy with lumpy walls because I didn't know any better. Then I watched a guy at a Habitat for Humanity build in Phoenix use a 12 inch knife and box sander on a ceiling joint. My finish still isn't perfect but the texture is way smoother and I get done faster now. Anyone else upgrade their mudding tools and see a big difference?
He saw me grabbing Romex and asked what my project was. I said running a new circuit for a workshop. He told me he's seen too many diyers undersize their wire. Said he got a call 10 years ago from a guy in Portland whose 14-gauge wire melted inside a wall. Made me rethink my whole plan. I swapped to 12-gauge after that conversation. Anyone else get project advice from strangers that made you change course?
I had to pick between a $40 Harbor Freight brad nailer and a $200 Dewalt for my basement trim work last weekend. Figured I'd save cash since it's just a one-time job, you know? After about 50 nails the thing started jamming every third shot and the depth adjustment stopped working. Should've just borrowed my neighbor's Dewalt, now I'm stuck with a pile of half-finished baseboards. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way?
Neighbor Bob spent 20 minutes showing me how he feathers mud on a small patch near his kitchen window. He said 'stop trying to make it perfect on the first pass, just let three thin coats do the work.' I tried his method on a 4 inch hole in my laundry room and it came out flat. Has anyone else learned more from one real person than all the tutorials combined?
I went with MDF because it was $30 cheaper for the whole project but after 6 months in the humidity it started sagging in the middle, anyone else deal with materials warping on them?
He told me to skip the primer and just do two thick coats of mud, said it would save time. Now I've got bubbles everywhere and I'm on hour 8 of sanding what should have been a 2 hour job. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from the aisle helpers at Lowes?
Was cleaning the patio pavers and suddenly heard a grinding noise followed by water spraying everywhere from the pump housing. Anyone had luck rebuilding one of these CAT pumps or is it just cheaper to buy a whole new unit?
Was putting up a shelving unit in my garage and couldn't figure out why the holes kept coming out too loose. My neighbor walked over and pointed out I was using a wood spade bit instead of a masonry bit and I felt like an idiot. Has anyone else gone that long doing something the dumb way without realizing it?
My garage is overflowing and I desperately need a shed. I don't want to deal with hauling a massive kit from a local store in my small SUV. Any recommendations for reliable online shed companies?