Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with diy

How hard is a DIY water heater installation going to be?

nohaybanda — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:53:21 -0800

Have any of you replaced your water heater yourself? Have any of you attempted to do so and failed, only to hire someone else to do it? Are any of you plumbers with opinions about a non-plumber's likelihood of success? Any thoughts on cost of professional installation vs. costs to purchase the necessary equipment? As you can probably surmise from my question, I'm both stubborn and cheap and my water heater is leaking. Right now I am diverting the leak via a drain in the floor, but I need to replace it as soon as possible. I really, really do not want to pay for installation. I do not have that sort of money on hand and would prefer it being done sooner than later. That being said, I do not want to kill myself by playing amateur electrician. I understand some minor electrical work is needed.

I have been looking at some step-by-step installation instructions on various sites, and they make it look quite easy (because they are professionals, I suppose). As stated above, do any of you have experience with a DIY water heater replacement?

I'm planning to purchase a 30-gallon electrical model (this is what my house currently uses, so why not?). I've heard good things about "on demand" or "tankless" water heaters, but I have also heard that the only good ones are gas-operated. Any thoughts on this as well?

I've also seen portable, gas-powered portable water heaters that seem to be popular amongst camping enthusiasts and those living off the grid -- any idea how I could rig one of those up for indoor use?

Sorry this is so all over the place. I would get a great deal of personal pride from being able to complete this job myself (my husband is available to help, too -- I realize this could be a two-person job.)

Is a California LLC the right way to go for a film production company?

drjimmy11 — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:47:21 -0800

I'm going to be producing a low-budget feature film, and hopefully more in the future. I'm considering setting up a company via LegalZoom or similar and just want to know if there are any "gotcha"s before I start. It will obviously be a small company, with the only principal being me, and no employees except freelancers hired to work on the films(s). My main goal is just to protect myself from personal liability in the event of a lawsuit, though I also think maybe it might help us in being able to hire interns for course credit. And I'm sure there are other reasons which I'm not thinking of.

I was considering going through a lawyer, but the referral I got flaked, so I figured this might be something I could do myself. I just want to make sure:

a) LLC is the logical choice for this sort of company

and

b) there are not any issues I'm missing. I am aware of, and prepared to pay, the $800 minimum tax per year charged by the state.

and

c) Legalzoom is a good resource to do this myself.

Thanks!

Is it possible to fix this camera?

villafoyager — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:32:40 -0800

Can I find a replacement part for this Canon A2000 or repair it some other way? I have a point-and-shoot camera (Canon PowerShot A2000 IS) that's a few years old and it still works fine except for one problem. There battery door can't perfectly shut because the piece of plastic that was the latch chipped away (hard to see, but here, its the little nub that's sticking out) when I dropped it. So when the battery door closes its sits loose enough that the contacts aren't completely touching (see here), and so the camera doesn't turn on. The MacGyver solution has been some tape, but (a) this doesn't last and (b) has to be re-applied every time the batteries are replaced.

I'd like to actually fix it for real. So I think I need a replacement for the front half of the body, since that is where the latch is. Haven't had much luck searching for the part or a store that might carry it.

Any ideas where I can find this part? Or alternatively, any suggestions for creative (cheap) ways to fix it that's better than tape? It would need to be able to hold the door to the body pretty snugly.

How do I become a Wizard?

justalisteningman — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:39:52 -0800

How do I become a Wizard? (for party planning purposes, as opposed to real magical ones). So, I want to throw a party in a month or so.

I want everyone (who wants to) to dress up as a wizard.

In my ideal, I want people to have fake long white beards, wizard staffs, wizard hats, wizard cloaks and wizard pipes.

However, crafts are very...difficult for me. I need help.

For this, I turn to you.

I have a beard. What's the best way to turn it into a white/gray wizard's beard?

For those without beards: what's the cheapest way to get or make a beard?

How do I make a wizard cloak? On the cheap?

How do I find or make a wizard hat? On the cheap?

I've got the staff part down. I'm going to a park nearby and finding one. Others will be advised to do the same or make their own.

Of course, this is open to interpretation. Aside from the questions above, I want to ask: what would you do to become an awesome wizard if you had a month to prepare?

And from a larger party planning perspective: What drinks would you prepare? What decorations would you put up? What music would you play? In general, how would you make a wizard party? I'm thinking of having some brew-happy friends make something specific for the party. What recipes or recipe names would you suggest?

As part of the party, I want to raise money for a non-profit I used to work for a couple years ago.

The money would go to a $2000 business loan for a farmer in rural Africa. I was actually friends with this farmer when I was there (he was one of the most boss farmers in the region btw, for how much capital he had) On the day I left, he gave me a magic plant, and told me to wash my face over it 3 times a day, and it would carry my prayers up to heaven for me. Part of me want to incorporate this very specific memory into the party in some way. I would also like suggestions as to how to do this, or if this is a weird idea, a suggestion to not do it.

Even if that idea is weird, or if you have a better one, do you have an idea to couch the raising of money for this into the broader wizard theme?

Bonus points for creativity, cheapness, incorporation, and helping people make something for themselves. I want ( and I would like others) to put a lot of thought, effort, and enthusiasm into this.

What interesting use can I make of two old handheld radios?

bangitliketmac — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:15:36 -0800

I have two old Radio Shack handheld radios. They were purchased in the US, originally for communication on the ski slopes. On the back, there is a number "09A06" and it also says CAT NO 21-1936. I was about to throw them away, but would rather repurpose them for something. I live in a large metropolitan area, in an apartment. I am good at programming and am comfortable using something like an Arduino, Rasberry Pi, BeagleBone, etc. What interesting hack can I use these for?

Build-it-yourself wood hot tub - crazy?

Protocols of the Elders of Sockpuppetry — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:20:07 -0800

Build-it-yourself wood hot tub - good weekend project for an amateur, or more difficult than that? I spent some time in a wood hot tub up in redwood country last month and found it unexpectedly delightful. I loved how much deeper it was than your usual plastic or in-ground spas, and I liked the submerged bench as well. I have been wondering what it would take to have one like it at my house.

Googling around I found a place that'll ship me quartersawn cedar wood and all the hardware for $6000 and they say that's an easy weekend to put it together. (Apparently the good old-growth straightgrained redwood is prohibitively expensive nowadays, or so this website says - not sure I buy that.)

That seems like a lot of money to me. Would it be crazy to buy some lumber and a tablesaw and try to DIY this? I am fairly competent with tools, but I'm not a carpenter - have helped friends put their decks together - and I don't know that I'd particularly enjoy doing it, apart from saving money. I'm also not a cooper - a redwood hottub is basically half a barrel, as far as I can tell - and I have no idea how it works to make these watertight.

Would this be a normal request to make of someone who puts together redwood decks, that they come and build me a hot tub?

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

JewelryFilter: Help me fix my necklace!

luciddream928 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:07:39 -0800

I have a silver (silver colored, not sure what it's made of, but it tarnishes) necklace that had been stuffed in a round box in storage, for quite a few months. I'd like to fix it. Images are here.

About a year ago I received a hanging necklace organizer as a present. My hope was that over time, the necklace would flatten out as it hung up, but it has not. As you can see in the first picture, it's not a typical chain - it is a flat style, meant to look round when it's worn. It's lovely and has sentimental value, so I'd really like to keep it. Anyone have a similar necklace or know of anything that might work?

Ideas I've had, both of which would probably damage it:
Ironing it in between light pieces of cotton
Putting it in the dishwasher to heat it

Going to the jeweler = dinero = last resort.

Looking for Stainless Steel 20lb Adapter Cable

gzimmer — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:26:01 -0800

I have a Weber Q120 grill which I love to use, but it works off those little green camping type propane tanks, so it'll go through them quickly. I bought the Weber brand 20lb adapter but it's just a rubber hose and apparently tastes delicious to my local squirrels as it was quickly chewed straight through. Unfortunately, the only stainless hose suggested has been discontinued. Can anyone find a suitable replacement online or will I have to fabricate my own? What would I need?

Also, the original adapter cable had a issue with regulators where it would often trigger fuel leak protection and vastly slow down the flowrate (read the reviews, it's a pain to deal with). Is there anyway I might avoid this with a custom cable?

someone there is who does not love her wall

headnsouth — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:07:30 -0800

How can I make my river-rock-covered fireplace less ugly? My house has an extraordinarily ugly wall covered in river rock that surrounds the fireplace, includes a bumpy uneven hearth, and extends right and left to the corners of the room. It looks a lot like this fireplace* but more brown than grey. My room is bigger and there are windows above the stone at right & left.

This is so unattractive and sloppy looking to me. It's not rustic stacked stone, it's random shapes forced into thick mortar and it looks very unnatural and unsteady to me (it is sturdy though). Also the hearth doesn't have the same slate top as in the picture, it's bumpy and uneven (so I can't even put candlesticks or anything else on it, they tilt). It's our favorite room in the house, we're in here all the time and this huge ugly wall of stone is cold and heavy looking.

Any ideas for cosmetic solutions? Also on how to make the hearth usable? I can't afford to tear it down and redo the wall. No built-in shelves on the sides due to the windows. I have no problem painting the rock, slathering stucco or something over it, drawing emoticons on each rock, etc. The fireplace is gas with a sealed chimney if that makes a difference.

Open to any ideas, bonus for those with images (most images I've found are of tidy stacked flat stone or brick, or of projects that actually want the ugly river rock that I'm trying to get rid of).

*My apologies to the blog owner that I linked to, but that before/after just looks like an ugly stone fireplace that's now clean.

Help me live with less stuff while increasing my self-sufficiency.

racingjs — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:09:42 -0800

Over the past few years, I have successfully simplified my life by getting rid of a lot of stuff. Now my new goal is to increase my self-sufficiency, but I’m finding that my previous efforts of uncluttering have made me more dependent on outside resources and services. How should I balance simplicity and self-sufficiency? For example: Starting a garden would require shovels, shears and trowels. I would probably need a sewing machine to start repairing and crafting clothes.

Help me help my coffee table, Furniture Repainting Edition.

Devika — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:59:09 -0800

I found this coffee table on Craigslist for $15. While structurally it's pretty sound, the previous owners painted it; it looks like they may have just spray painted the poor thing without a drop of primer or sealant, because the top is chipping (see photos). Not ever one to leave passable alone, I decided that I had to repaint it. I've read as many furniture painting tutorials as I could get my hands on - the best seemed to be DIY on the Cheap, Young House Love, Centsational Girl, and Mouse House - and I still have a few questions for you guys. First off, my vision for the thing - I want it to look rather like a peacock feather (think Whistler's Peacock Room, but in coffee table form). I bought a stencil that I plan to use on the table top and bottom board. I want the lines between the shapes to be gold, the quatrefoils to be teal, and the star-like shapes to be green. As for the sides and legs, I'm still soliciting opinions on that. I think I want the five small pieces of wood on the sides to be gold, with the rest being some combination of teal and green. I think possibly the legs gold, the drawer green, and the rest teal.

Now, to accomplish said vision. The main question I have is about the gold paint. I was considering using gold spray paint, but I only have about 7.5 inches of clearance between the board on the bottom and the underside of the table. Will I be able to spray paint the bottom board if I angle the can, or should I just use a non-spray paint?

Second question, which primer should I use? Kilz or Zinsser Cover Stain? I'll use spray primer if you guys think it's feasible to reach the bottom board with spray paint.

Third question, about how much paint will I need? I want to buy all of my supplies from Home Depot, and I don't think I'll need a ton of paint for a 22-inch by 38-inch coffee table. I was thinking two sample pots each of the teal and green at 8 oz. should have me covered, as I'm mostly using those colors for stenciling. I'm going to be using the most gold, as it's my base color. If I do use gold spray paint, how many cans (at 11 oz.) will I need to get even coats on the table top, bottom board, legs, and side pieces?

Finally, I'd like to solicit any general advice you guys have for this project. I'm an absolute beginner at this stuff, so any tips and tricks would be much appreciated. I plan on sanding it down thoroughly beforehand and finishing off with Miniwax Polycrilic in Satin. I don't plan on sanding between paint layers, though, partly because I've got the added complication of stenciling.

I'll be sure to post pictures of the finished product for you guys!

Which approach to sous vide?

Admiral Haddock — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:54:42 -0800

I’ve gotten a bee in my bonnet about sous vide cooking, but I’m not sure whether I want to build from scratch, buy an integrated PID with a SSR (Dorkfood, Auber) and a crockpot, or an integrated solution like the Sidekic. I’m not in the market for more pricy options (Sous Vide Supreme and above)—unless the other alternatives really don’t cut it (especially with eggs, which apparently are a little fickle, but would be something I’d love to cook this way). What’s been your experience with these alternatives? DIY would be fun, but despite being handy, I don’t know that I would want to build from scratch if not in a kit—I don’t know that I (or my SO) would be comfortable leaving a DIY solution on for 72 hours straight.

PID w/SSR, like the Dorkfood and Auber, hooked up to a crockpot seems workable, but blogs (e.g., Wirecutter) suggest there can be temp variations that lead to inconsistent results. I suppose I could address that with a high temp pump in the crockpot as a circulator.

Sidekic seems like a great idea, but the design doesn’t grab me (can’t use a lid, and water level needs monitoring).

I know a bunch of you have been sous vide cooking—which route do you suggest?

Bonus: I was thinking of the FoodSaver V3240 as a vacuum sealer; is there another model you'd recommend?

Afternoon projects

LSK — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:55:58 -0800

I'm looking for afternoon projects that: a) can be done with a friend b) require no skill in advance c) produce something worthwhile, whether it's useful or merely impressive d) cost under $100 for parts e) are something I wouldn't consider on my own Suggestions?

Fixing a DDR pad: irritating flex cable edition.

curious nu — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:30:23 -0800

It looks thusly. My issue is that, despite the fact that it was originally barely taped down at all, I am unable to successfully, reliably reattach it using the same method. ("it" in this case being the printed black strips on the left). I am reasonably sure that lack-of-contact is my problem, because if I physically hold the cable to the board, it will reliably work when I push a button. Best I can do is that sometimes, after putting it all back together for the Nth time, one button will work. Maybe other buttons on its side will work, maybe not. Maybe it'll work for a few presses and then quit. The cable looks fine, the board contacts look fine, no amount of scotch tape is helping me out here. How do I affix these suckers but good?

On the cheap and during the weekend...DIY home decor!

Kitteh — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:48:20 -0800

Aside from a few major professional-only renovations for our house, what we can do to make our home the way we would like? (Bonus points for simplicity!) Inspired by my copy of The Bust Guide to Life and things like this, I would like to find fairly simple but really cool ways to spruce up our house.

We've got some big renovations planned for the future--new front windows, renovated kitchen, new deck, renovated guest bathroom--but what is some neat things we can do now? My husband is pretty decent with woodworking and basic construction; I'm fairly eager to learn to how to make and do new things.

I'm specifically thinking in terms of decoration and storage. Our house is old and fairly cozy. (For example, we have a tiny bedroom and a tinier closet.)

What cool things have you done to your homes you would recommend?

How to remove imprint from glass bottle?

long haired child — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:57:50 -0800

I buy bottles of strauss organic whipping cream, it comes it little glass bottles and looks like this: pic 1, pic 2. As you can see, on the glass bottle there is a flat black imprint with some lettering and a logo. Is there any way to safely remove that imprint? I have something in mind I'd like to reuse my bottles for and I'd prefer them not to have that imprint. Thanks!

Which instant photo printing set-up is best for my wedding?

thewestinggame — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:58:40 -0800

Which instant photo printing set-up will be the least hassle for my wedding guests to use unsupervised? I have caught on to the wedding photobooth trend but can't shell out $800+ to rent one. It seems like one would be easy enough to set up on my own. The few hiccups are that some non-tech savvy people will be using it and that some tech know-it-alls will be using it. So the system needs to be simple enough for everyone and simple enough to not invite modifications.

For taking photos, we can choose from a MacbookPro, Macbook Air, fancy Canon DSLR, or P&S Panasonic Lumix. The photograph subjects will have a clicker to open the shutter.
For printing photos, I am considering the Canon Selphy CP900 (after some confusing research) and know that I don't want an all-in-one faxmachineprinterscannersommelierpapershredder.

The set-up I have in mind is a stand with camera & printer in front of a printed background. Guests take a picture, print it, and then affix it to the guestbook with a message.

Hardwood tumescence: flooring issues and seasonal RH changes.

rub scupper cult — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:43:39 -0800

I have plans install a hardwood floor during a time of year when my house will be at its driest. Before I nail down these boards, I want to allow for seasonal changes in relative humidity so that the floor doesn't swell up and self-destruct come summer. On the other hand, I want to minimize gaps. How can I best guesstimate summer conditions, specifically indoor relative humidity? Further details: I live in Anchorage Alaska. We've been experiencing late winter conditions, and indoors it's as dry as it's ever going to be (25% RH). The government tells me to expect summer outdoors relative humidity to range, roughly, between 60% (mornings) and 80% (afternoons) during the three or four months of the year when I will not be running heat or a/c. Should I space my boards and plan expansion gaps assuming a maximum mean 70% RH, indoors?

Of course every home is different, but my house, a ranch with a crawl space, seems very dry up top and down below (I've only lived here a few months). The house is NOT very airtight judging by past heating bills. Can I reasonably expect indoors conditions to track outdoor seasonal changes? Or should I just forget about it and install a good dehumidifier and set it to 50% RH?

It may be also be relevant to mention that I've perhaps unwisely accepted delivery of 1400 sq. ft. of 3 1/4 in. flat-sawn hickory. Hickory, I've learned, has a high expansion coefficient.

What's the easy way to get 12V power and ground to test some car parts?

iknowizbirfmark — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:10:42 -0800

I've got some car parts I'm selling on eBay, and I need to hook them up to power in order to check a few things and make sure that they work. The items I need to test are mostly gauges and electronics and won't take much power at all. I don't want to mess around with my vehicle's wiring to hook these up. What is the easiest and cheapest way to get 12V power and ground like I would from a car? Is there an easy way to connect the right wires to a cigarette lighter adapter in a car, or can I get something that I can plug in to AC to convert to DC power with the right wiring?

Cheese please!

aniola — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:47:11 -0800

I LOVE the powdered cheese of mac 'n cheese. I don't need the whole box, and I know how to make tasty homemade mac 'n cheese. I just want to duplicate the powdered cheese with real home ingredients. Imitation Annie's, if you will. I have dry milk already. I am guessing this would be a key ingredient? I also have annatto. Educated guesses are welcome to apply. Please and thank you!

Looking for cool electronics building kits

Admiral Haddock — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:43:51 -0800

I've been building guitar pedal kits from buildyourownclone, and it's been great fun. I'm running out of pedals I want to make for myself, and am looking for other projects, like this stereo tube amp, and maybe this sous vide. Can you recommend more electronics projects (preferably kits, so I don't have to scrounge for parts) that are cool and look good at the end? I'm not particularly computer minded, so I'm not really looking for arduino-based kits--I'm not really looking to program anything. I like soldering.

Evilmadscientist has some cool looking kits.

Any others? Has anyone out there built a stereo tube amp? Is there another kit you'd recommend? How about a sous vide kit, or alternate project I should look at?

In addition to having all the bits and bobs, I prefer kits because I don't have a real workspace, so I'm not in a position to hack a lot together--and I do want something that looks good when I'm done.

So, for instance, this alternative tube amp kit, shown mounted on a piece of wood, is less appealing than paying (significantly!) more for the other kit which comes with a nice looking enclosure.

(I also definitely don't want to electrocute myself or burn the house down, so well documented kits from reputable sellers are highly preferred!)

Electric smoker shorting out (?)

rossination — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 08:13:47 -0800

The electric smoker that I was so excited about last week doesn't work! After I plug it in, it runs for about 5 minutes before tripping the GFCI outlet that I had it plugged into. I did have it on a 10 foot long extension cord (no electrical outlets on my back porch). I assume this means there is a short somewhere?
I have two questions:

1) Is it possible to fix this, or am I better off trying to find a replacement electrical smoker element? It looks like those are going to be about $50, which pushes this into the "maybe not worth it" territory for me.

2) Since the various Good Eats DIY smokers are powered by electric hotplates, could I just remove the burned out electrical element and shove a hot plate in there?

I have a Meco smoker, which is very similar to this Brinkman model. The element looks like this.

DIY Waterproof Toymaking

Doleful Creature — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:09:23 -0800

I want to make a floating castle for my kids to play with in the bath. How can I do this? My two young children have some plastic "army men" that they play with in the bathtub, except that they're actually knights instead of the green soldiers (same size, though).

I would love to make for them a waterproof-ish castle on a floating base that they could play with in the bathtub, and which could also serve as a housing for all the little plastic knights errant.

The design will be fairly simple: 4 castle walls on top of some kind of base. And it needs to float, so I imagine the base actually needs to be a hull, probably about 10 - 12 inches in diameter.

I have access to some really really nice woodworking tools, but I'm not really sure about making wood toys for the bath. Sounds like a bad idea. Is there another material I could use? Soumething lightweight, floaty and waterproof? I'm thinking some kind of plastic but don't know anything about working with plastic.

Can I do this for less than $100 USD?

Can you collect meteorite dust in your backyard? How?

Sleeper — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:10:08 -0800

I've been told recently that collecting micrometeorites is as easy, basically, as placing a clean surface outside and picking through the debris you collect because thousands of tons of space dust and debris fall to Earth every day. That can't be all there is to it, can it? How do you know whether you're looking at Earth dust or space dust? After the recent flyby of 2012DA14 and the coincidental meteorite strike in Russia, I've become interested in meteorites. I've read a little about astronomy and I've talked to the guy who runs the local observatory. He says it's possible to collect meteorite dust in your own backyard.

According to him and according to some of the things I read, you basically just put something like a cookie sheet outside for a week or three to catch any crud that lands in it. Then you run a magnet through it and carefully examine with a microscope the bits of dust and whatnot for things that look like this.

But the astronomer I talked to also said that most space debris is not metallic, so I conclude the magnet would be useless for most of what you'd catch. Also, how the heck could you tell whether you were looking at dust and debris from the Earth or from beyond?

Does this method really work?

Looking for "useful" sites such as Instructables, Lifehacker, CoolTools

cinemafiend — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:40:13 -0800

I am preparing a blog post for my library's in which I am going to review several websites that I consider "useful" for our patrons in improving the quality of their lives or help them keep a little more money in their pocketbooks. I am going to give fairly in-depth descriptions of perhaps a half a dozen useful websites - mostly sites that I use such as Lifehacker, Instructables, CoolTools, YouTube (for instructional videos), and - of course - AskMetaFilter. (I will likely link to several interesting questions from askmefi - including this one.)

Are there any other sites that you can recommend that are in a similar vein to those listed above? I attempted a preliminary search of askmefi before posting this question, and could not find a similar question posted within the past year or so.

I just need one or two more good sites - no need to write-up a description! Any suggestions will be welcome.