When Caulking Joints

It's not uncommon, even for professionals to have to caulk some joints in the trim they've installed. (Tho in some parts of the country, this job is left up to the painters ...)

Any way, whoever ends up doing it would be well advised to use a damp cloath or sponge to wipe the excess off right away instead of relying on just wiping it with your fingers.

You'll be able to get a much smoother finish and can "blend" the caulk better into the surrounding areas.
Happy Caulking!
Brian

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Privacy Policy

Last updated - August 28,2012

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More About Li-Ion Batteries

 

How long does a Li-Ion battery last?

Most cells in Li-Ion battery packs are set to be fully charged to 4.20V/cell and typically lasts  300–500 cycles. If they are only charged to  4.10V/cell, the life can be prolonged to 600–1,000 cycles.

 IF you used it fully every day and had to recharge it every day - that would mean it would last between 8 months and 1.37 years.

A couple I looked at recently are guarantied for 18 months...

I own a cheap compact unit from Black & Decker that I keep on the charger all the time (something you're not supposed to do - instructions say not to leave it on the charger for more than 30 days without use.) and it's still going strong after about 3 years. (I hardly ever use it, - just around the house)

Some batteries in industrial instruments are date-stamped, indicating the life expectancy, but most quality packs will last considerably longer than what the stamp indicates.

Most packs last three to five years.

What About Charging Li-Ion? 

This type of rechargeable battery does not have or develop a memory as people are often led to believe.

A Li-ion battery does not need periodic full discharge cycles to prolong life like the NiMh battery does.

A battery dwelling above 30°C (86°F) is considered elevated temperature and will reduce the life expentancy.

Even more stressful is leaving a battery in a hot car, especially if exposed to the sun.

Li-ion does not need to be fully charged, as is the case with lead acid, nor is it desirable to do so. In fact, it is better not to fully charge, because high voltages stresses the battery.

Li-ion should not remain at the high-voltage ceiling of 4.20V/cell for an extended time. When fully charged, remove the battery and allow to voltage to revert to a more natural level.

Li-ion should never be discharged too low, and there are several safeguards to prevent this from happening. The equipment cuts off when the battery discharges to about 3.0V/cell, stopping the current flow.

To prevent a battery from falling asleep, apply a partial charge before a long storage period.

Not fully charging a Li-Ion battery to it's full voltage threshold, prolongs battery life but reduces the runtime. Since the consumer market promotes maximum runtime, most chargers go for maximum capacity rather than extended service life.

Check before you buy, some newer Li-Ion batteries can be recharged in 30 minutes!

In a nutshell.. 

The use of Li-Ion batteries is actually very young and is an intermediate step and still evolving with a few minor problems, like not running  or charging in very cold weather, stopping for no reason...then recharging back to full capacity in a couple of minutes, etc.

For those who occasionally use their tools, it may be best just to settle for Ni-Cad powered tools as they are harder to damage than other types and will endure deep discharges for longer periods. The Ni-Cad battery is excellent for long-term storage, and in most cases stored fully discharged. A Lithium-Ion battery, in comparison, will be permanently damaged if stored in discharged state.

For active DIY ers and professionals that use their tools on a daily basis, the Lithium-Ion battery is currently the best choice, since it has more life cycles and will provide your cordless tool with the maximum power it needs. It charges fairly quickly to keep you working for a long time before it will run out of power.

If you need more info - check out what wikipedia has to say..

Which Battery Type Is Best?

Rechargeable batteries come in 3 major types.

By knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of cordless tool battery, you can more effectively purchase tools that best fit your needs.

Below is a list of the different common types of rechargable batteries that are used in battery powered tools.

         

          Nickel Cadmium -  Ni-Cd:

Found commonly in household batteries such as AA, AAA, 9v, etc.

The "Ni-Cd" is the mother of all batteries typically used for a cordless power tool.

Pros:

• This type of battery holds a charge longer than other types, but, they don't typically have the voltage that is needed to power todays tools and electronic devices as well as it's predecessor, the NiMh battery did.
• NiCd batteries are less expensive then other alternatives and these batteries have proven to be fairly well suited for cold weather .
• Usually charged with very high currents so a fast charge does little or no damage to the battery.
• Has more life cycles than Ni-MH (400-1000x).
• Does well in cold temperatures (less than 20F).

Cons:

• Has high self-discharge rate.
• Suffer from ‘memory effect.
• Must be discharged before stored.
• They are also larger and heavier then the next generation of Ni-Mh batteries 

 Nickel Metal Hidride  - Ni-Mh

Also found in common household batteries just as the NiCd batteries, 
They produce a much higher  voltage output for electronics with the trade off of having a quicker power drainage.

These batteries were originally introduced as a more environmentally friendly and powerful battery option.. 

Pros:

• 2X the capacity to equivalent size Ni-Cad.
• Better run time and lighter than Ni-Cad.

Cons:

• The design of the NiMh battery leads to greater internal resistance and it's associated heat generation.
• This heat generation is why chargers for the Ni-Mh batteries include fans to keep the batteries from overheating.
• Heat causes the Ni-Mi batteries to survive less re-charges and thus offer a shorter life cycle.
• The higher amperage, lower weight and smaller size of the typical NiMh battery is offset by its shorter life cycle and thus higher cost. (500x)
• The Ni-Mh batteries don't do as well in cold weather either as the Ni-Cd batteries, so the Ni-Cd batteries are usually chosen when expected to be used in cold climates. 
• Cannot be rapid charged without shortening lifespan. 
• Because it has the highest self-discharge rate, it should be charged before storing.

 Lithium Ion - Li-ion:

This is the newest battery that is promising to overshadow the use of all that have come before.

Unfortunately, they have a more complex make-up so  they  don't come in standard household sizes like the AA & AAA type batteries.

These batteries are used in all battery operated hand tools as well as laptops, cell phones, iPods, iPhones, etc.  These batteries have a long lasting energy drain and don't discharge as quickly while sitting idle.  

  

Pros:

• Lightest weight of the 3 major types.
• Excellant run time.
• Lower self-discharge rate.
• Maintain the longest runtime at the lowest temperatures.
• Highest number of recharge cycles.
• Li-ion batteries do not need to be fully discharged and recharged like the Ni-Mh and Nm-Hd
• Some newer Li-Ion batteries can be recharged in 30 minutes!

          

            Cons:

• Longer re-charge times to allow for rebalancing cell to cell differentials and more sophisticated battery chargers.
• Highest Cost
• Longest recharge time.
• May not do as well in cold weather as Ni-Cad.

In a nutshell.. 

The use of Li-Ion batteries is actually very young and is an intermediate step and still evolving with a few minor problems, like not running  or charging in very cold weather, stopping for no reason...then recharging back to full capacity in a couple of minutes, etc.

For those who occasionally use their tools, it may be best just to settle for Ni-Cad powered tools as they are harder to damage than other types and will endure deep discharges for longer periods. The Ni-Cad battery is excellent for long-term storage, and in most cases stored fully discharged. A Lithium-Ion battery, in comparison, will be permanently damaged if stored in discharged state.

For active DIY ers and professionals that use their tools on a daily basis, the Lithium-Ion battery is currently the best choice, since it has more life cycles and will provide your cordless tool with the maximum power it needs. It charges fairly quickly to keep you working for a long time before it will run out of power.

  

Make A Self Sticking Hook Stick

  Ever hang one of those hooks with the adhesive on the back?

I think we all have...Anyway.. often times they just don't stick! Right?

Part of the reason may be that the mounting surface is too rough, or the adhesive has dried out some.

So here's what you do... Drill a small hole on an angle through the hook and put a small finish nail, or the like, thru the hole into your mounting surface.

 

You must drill the hole in on an angle!! - Here's why..

The pressure placed on the hook, from whatever is hanging on it, is in basically 2 directions, -  out and down.

When the outward pressure is applied, the nail will have to travel "upward" in order to come out of the hole. This is very tough for a nail to do when most all the other pressure is "downward". (This is why picture hooks have an angle built into them.)

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

You Don't Need A Drill Bit To Drill A Hole….

Sometimes you need to drill a hole in order to be able to get a nail to go thru something without splitting it.

All you need to do is use that nail, or one like it, as a drill bit. You just  place the nail into your drill like you would a regular drill bit and start drilling.

You have to be able to get the larger part of the nail up in behind the jaws (chuck) of the drill so it is straight and won't wobble., but this is usually no problem.

This technique works especially well with finish nails and. believe it or not,this works in oak wood (Hard) as well as softer woods. (I don't suppose it will work in metal tho..) It's also cheaper than breaking drill bits all the time. (Course they don't last as long, but then, they are practically free.) 

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Use Your Fingers As A Saw Guide

When your trying to make a "rip" cut with a circular saw, it's sometimes hard to keep the dang thing straight.

You CAN just use the guide marks on the front of the saw base, but the vibration form the saw and your line of site can make it hard to hold it steady on the line.

They usually provide a guide with each saw that you can manually attach each time you need it. The problem is, very often you're also making crosscut cuts as well as rips in the same project and it's a pain to have to put the guide on and off each time you need it.

So, here's what you do...

Start by getting your cut started and make sure the guide mark on the from of the saw and the blade are making the cut where you want it.

CAREFULLY  grasp the side of the saw base with your thumb and index fingers, close to the front of the base,so they hold the saw firmly and let your other fingers slide along the edge of the piece of wood (or whatever you're cutting). You'll have to arrange your fingers differently for each cut, depending on how far from the edge of the work you're making your cut.

In the image above, my index finger is beside the saw and on top of the piece I'm cutting and my middle finger is sliding along the edge of the piece. If you can imagine..if I were to tip my hand to the left, I could make the rip a little narrower. If I put middle finger on top of the workpiece, beside my index finger, and use my ring finger as the guide, it would make the rip wider.

In this image, I'm at the end of the board and I ran out of material to use as a guide..In these cases, remove your fingers from the saw and just place them ON the work piece like a clamp, and let the saw slide along beside them. If you don't do this, you'll probably end up making your cut crooked on the end.

Since you won't have a free hand to hold the work-piece, you'll want to plan on clamping the piece in place with a clamp.

There are of course, many types of clamps. Your budget and personal tastes will help you decide which one to use.

If you workpiece is narrow, you'll need to start with the clamp at the far end and then move it back to the beginning when you get close to the end of the cut.

Some people will think this is too dangerous or risky, but I've been doing it all my life. Not sure were I learned it, either my father or another carpenter. Anyway - I do it all the time...it works!

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Repairing A Step

Almost everyone up North has a wood deck...Almost all these decks have steps. Wood steps are the step of choice most times, even for small entryways because they are easy to build and the cheapest way to go.

This is a case where the steps were built with 2 treads as a way to get into the house.

Sometimes it is enough to just nail thru the stringer into the tread. As you can see, the top tread is holding up well, but, if you look closely, you can see that the bottom tread is slanting downward.

My guess is that because the bottom tread is so close to the ground, people were skipping the top tread and sort of jumping down onto the bottom one when they were exiting and that put extra strain on that tread?

If your building for yourself, you can concider all the possibilities of how much strain will be put on a tread, and build it however you want, but if your gonna build for someone else, you might want to make things a little more sturdy.

Here's a few ways to improve;

• Use stringers that are cut out so the treads rest ON the stringer.
• Install cleats (1x2 or 1x3) nailed or screwed and glued the each stringer, directly under each tread to relieve some pressure from the fasteners that are applied thru the stringer. 
• Install risers under each tread.

Here's what I did to repair the situation.

 Since it is outdoors and right on the ground, a PT 2x4 fit perfectly under the tread and it sets right on the ground.

Without that 2x4, the stringers were sinking into the ground and would of eventually pulled away from the wall too.

There was actually concrete under here too, so I really got lucky that the 2x4 fit perfectly without having to rip it to size.

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Keep the rim clean on your paint can.

Here's a tip for anyone who expects to pour paint from a paint can...

Take a screwdriver (or other pretty sharp object) and punch holes around the top of the rim so paint, that normally gets trapped in the rim, can drip back down INTO the can instead of just laying in the rim. This will make it much easier to clean the lip so the lid doesn't get "glued" to the can when you close it.

( You only need to punch the holes around 1/2 of the can - the side your gonna pour from.)


Happy Painting!

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Hiding A Tear in Vinyl Flooring

The just never know when you're gonna need to improvise...

I recently was asked what to do about some ugly rips / tears in a piece of vinyl flooring.

Luckily, it ran close to an existing piece of carpet trim so I was able to hide it quite nicely.

Don't want to guess how the rips appeared...
The first pic shows the rips nicely, but is a little out of focus.

This pic shows the original carpet trim that was used. (The rip is there but can't be seen.)

I ended up using trim that was designed for use with laminate floors.

It fit nicely over the old trim so I didn't have to remove it and it hid the ugly rip we wanted to hide.

 A few tips for those who may ever use this type of trim..

• In order to get nice mitered corners - it cuts nicely with a small chop-saw with a carbide blade.
• When you measure, make sure you allow for the width of the piece it will but up to.
• When you drill the holes for the fasteners, ream them out just a little. (Be careful not to break the drill bit, like I did - twice..)
• If you get the hole too big, you can put some adheasive caulk in the hole first before you install the fasteners..Then you'll need to plan on putting some weight ontop of the trim piece untill the caulking dries.
• MAKE SURE  the holes are deep enough for the fastener to go all the way down in.
• Insert the fasteners into the slots in the back of the trim BEFORE you put them into the drilled holes. (The heads of the fasteners are square and if they twist going into the drilled holes, you'l have a really hard time getting them lined up to go into the slot in the trim.
• You'll need to be sure to push STRAIT DOWN on the fasteners, (Have the pressure directly over each one as you do it.) They are flexible and like to bend the wrong way..

And The Finished Product!

 

What would you have done? Enter your comments below!

Welcome

I've been in the home building and repair business most of my life, so I'll have a lot of experiance to fall back on when posting to this home fixit tips blog.

In fact, anyone I ever worked for always concidered me their "right hand man".

 I am still active in the home repair business, so the home fixit tips I post will be first hand and to the point.

Very often, I get into situations that most DIY ers don't know how to handle.   As I write about these situations, I hope to be able to help guide DIY ers thru some otherwise rough times.

As the blog grows, you'll want o use the "Labels" bar on the left and the "Archives" links on the right to find articles that interest you.

 Please feel free to make comments and ask questions, after each post.

I'm here to help...

Happy Repairing!

Brian