Once upon a time, there was no such thing as IKEA. Furniture didn't come in boxes and it wasn't made out of painted particle board. It meant that a table or a book shelf wasn't a cheap afterthought: furniture was valuable property that could easily cost a fortune. But this also meant that the pieces being built were built to last. These days' pricey designers still provide sturdy furniture, but as far as making long-lasting pieces yourself, there's little point to looking farther than Amish furniture when getting the right idea.

The Amish are not interested in so-called improvements. Amish furniture builders shy away from electricity-driven drills and saws. What this means is that their workmanship is the historical standard. Chances are the rare antique desks and chairs you've encountered in your life were made the same way the Amish make their pieces.

Does that mean in order for you to construct furniture your great-great grandchildren will see, you have to say goodbye to the power tools? Not necessarily. What you should be doing is studying the structure of Amish furniture. Understand the way in which the individual pieces were cut and fit into place, know what wood is used for what kind of piece, and at least appreciate the effort that goes into the construction when power tools are taken out of the equation.

There might be a reason why for one section of assembly power tools should be avoided. In the event of internal splintering this could be paramount in preventing long-term damage to an otherwise well-built piece of furniture. Studying Amish furniture construction can enable the craftsman who uses modern tools to realize when old tricks work best.

Many self-made wood pieces made by today's self-taught craftsman are based on modern designs and modern plans. This contributes to the cycle of replaceable furniture. Many designs call for cost-saving and effort-reduction. This cuts decades and even centuries off the life of a piece you construct yourself.

Have you ever looked at an antique piece and wondered about its story and its origins? One day you could be the anonymous builder on the other end of that musing. Or imagine being able to provide your future descendants with a dinner table years after you're long gone.

Building furniture wasn't always about the here and now. It was about investing time and effort into something that will turn into a family legacy. The Amish are one of the few cultures in which you can still observe the way in which people have been building such furniture for centuries. It's a good place to start when considering building pieces that will last for centuries to come.

Photo Credits: MikeNeilson

Originally posted 2011-07-26 17:22:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Stain is something that is really easy to apply when you follow the direction and when you are using all of the right tools and equipment in the process. The instructions in this article pertain specifically to the application of a solvent based stain, rather than a water based stain or an aniline dye. You should always make sure that you test the process out using scrap wood before you use the stain on the real product.

Materials:

• Stain Product
• White Cotton Cloth
• Brush
• Sand Paper
• Latex Gloves

Step #1 - The first thing that you are going to want to do is to make sure to properly prepare the surface that you want to stain. This may include a final sand and a final seal. Some woods are prone to what is known as blotching, these need to be sealed. These woods include cherry, pine, sometimes maple, and any other woods that have irregular grain pattern. Some sealers that you might use are generic sanding sealer or a spit coat of shellac. You should sand these sealers after applying them.

Step #2 - You are going to want to make sure that you are properly stirring the stain before you begin to use it. If you do not stir the stain properly before you begin to use it, then the pigment that is responsible for doing the staining is going to remain all at the bottom of the can, meaning that what you apply to the wood will not pick up the stain. When you scrape the very bottom of the can using your stir stick, it should come out completely clean.

Step #3 - Now you are going to want to put your latex gloves on, and you are going to want to pick up either a brush or a rag. Dip your applicator in the stain, and then immediately begin to wipe the stain onto the desired surface. You are going to want to make sure that you cover the entire surface as thoroughly as you possibly can. Do not let your latex gloves touch the surface of the wood because it could potentially wipe the stain away.

Step #4 - Finally, you are going to want to wipe all of the excess stain away from the piece. The amount of time that you are going to want to wait while the stain is applied is going to depend on just how deep you would like for the finished coloring to be. You should check the container of the stain product in order to receive further instructions on this process. Obviously, trying the process out on some scrap wood will give you good idea of how long you will need to leave the stain on.

Photo Credits: ninahale

Originally posted 2009-12-21 03:19:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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There are a number of different reasons why you might find yourself needing to repair a gate. Troubleshooting what is actually going on with the gate is typically going to let you know what needs to be done in order to repair the problem. If you have a sagging gate, then the culprit may be loose hinges, wobbly posts or a gate frame that is out of square. Sometimes gates begin to stick as they retain moisture, allowing the gate to have alignment problems and this will cause the gate's hinges to become loosened. Once the moisture is gone, the gate will be left sagging. Many metal gates end up sagging because their posts have become wobbly or because the pins holding the gate into the post have become bent.

Check the Stability of the Posts

The first step is to check the post stability for whatever post is supporting the gate as well as the ones that are simply nearby. You should make sure that they are plumb and free of any wobbling. The fence posts may begin to wobble with time if made using untreated wood, or if the post setting has been allowed to become unstable.

Often, all you will have to do to fix your problems with the gate is to repair your posts. Wobbly posts can be secured using splints or stakes, but this is only going to work if the post is still in a suitable condition. You can drive the stakes into the ground on both sides of the post. Choose stakes pre-treated with a preservative in order to prevent any rotting. Secure everything together using bolts that run from the stake to the post and into the other stake.

If the posts are not in good condition any longer, then you are going to need to replace them. This repair is one that takes significantly more work as the posts will have to be disassembled and reassembled to repair or replace the part of the fence that is giving you issues. Remove the problem posts and reinstall new posts, ensuring that you are using good that has been pressure treated or a cedar or redwood variety.

Check the Hinge Quality

If your posts are not wobbling then the problem may be with your hinges. Check your hinges to determine whether or not they are loose, old, bent or simply too light-weight for the gate that you are using. Replacing your hinges is a relatively simple procedure. You may also be able to fix the problem you are facing simply by replacing the screws that attach your posts and your gate together.

Worn hinges can be replaced with larger hinges. Make sure that you use brand new holes to suit the screws. You can make strap hinges stronger by bending their tips around the corners of the posts.

Photo Credits: 96dpi

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Originally posted 2009-10-22 03:57:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Asbestos - This is a type of magnesium silicate that was used in a variety of different construction products because it was stable as well as fire resistant. Exposure to asbestos through the inhalation of loose fibers has been associated with a number of different forms of lung cancer or lung disease.

Asphalt - This is a bituminous type of water that is often employed in a variety of different roofing materials because of the fact that it is capable of waterproofing.

Backfill - This is soil or a type of gravel that is used in order to fill in a wall or a foundation.

Backflow - This is a reverse flow of liquid such as water into a water supply pipe, which is caused when there is negative pressure in the pipes.

Ballcock - This is a valve for a toilet tank water supply that is controlled with the help of a float ball.

Baluster - This is one out of a series of supporting elements included in making a handrail work.

Base Sheet - This is the bottom layer of a built up roofing design.

Batter Boards - These are designed to be temporary structures responsible for holding strings so that the corners of a building can be located and properly squared.

Beam - This is a horizontal frame that is designed to carry a load in a roof or to span an open space.

Bitumen - This is a term that is commonly applied to a variety of mixtures of hydrocarbons that are naturally occurring, but excluding coal. Asphalt is an example of a bitumen substance.

Blue Print - This is a method of copying that is used most commonly for architectural of CAD drawings. It is typically used in order to describe how a structure is going to be built based on preliminary drawings of the construction method. Blue prints may include designing, estimating, planning and permit securing information on them.

Board and Batten - This is a method of applying siding where the joints between the boards are covered up using strips of narrow wood.

Board Foot - One board foot is a piece of wood that measures one inch thick and twelve inches square.

Bonding Strip - This is a thin metal strip that can be found inside armored cable or BX cable, and the purpose of this strip is to back up the cable's primary ground.

Bridging - This term describes when wood blocks are installed in an X pattern to stabilize floor joists and to position the joists properly.

Butt Joint - This is what you have when two lumber pieces are fitted together at the ends.

Bundle - This is a package full of shingles.

Butt Edge - This is the shingle tab's lower edge.

BX Cable - This is also known as an armored cable, and is a metallic cable that contains wiring for A/C. This wire is typically used whenever the wiring would be exposed otherwise.

Photo Credits: Trebosc

Originally posted 2009-11-19 03:48:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Toilet stains are unattractive and can strike any toilet, especially in a hard water area. Just the water sitting in the bowl can cause these rust-like toilet stains that may make you want to replace your toilet. Fortunately, there are ways to clean those stains and avoid having to replace an old bowl.

The temptation may be to buy the most industrial bathroom cleaning product you can find, and scrub like mad with the toilet brush. You can use all these products and scrub all you like, and hard water stains are going to hang on. Bleach, Comet, ammonia, scrubbing foaming sprays, tablets and any number of solutions generally won't make a dent in hard water stains. (Remember to never combine bleach and ammonia. The combination releases a toxic gas that can be lethal.)

The only way to really get those hard water stains out is to get all of the water out of the bowl. You can turn the water off to the toilet and flush until it's empty, pour a bucket of water quickly down the bowl, or try to push the water down through the trap by using a plunger or toilet brush to force it out. It doesn't matter which method you use as long as the water is gone and you can get at the hard water toilet stains.

Now that the water's gone, you can use a scrubbing cleanser and a scrubbing sponge to work at them by hand. While the idea of scrubbing toilet stains by hand isn't very appealing, it's really the only way to thoroughly remove hard water stains. Wear gloves and make sure the room is well-ventilated. Alternately, you can use baking soda as a natural scrub. Use this step just to get the loosest hard water toilet stains off that wouldn't come loose with a toilet brush.

If you have some time and can arrange not to need to use the toilet for a while, you can soak some paper towels or disposable cloths in a citrus-type cleaner, heavy duty bathroom cleaner or even vinegar. Lay them over the stains, and add more fluid as necessary over a few hours to keep them moist. This will dissolve at least some of the stain and let you scrub it away easier. The more hours you keep the stains damp with cleanser or vinegar that's undiluted by water, the more will come off.

After this step, you'll need a pumice stone. Wet the stone and use it to scrub the stains. The pumice is harder than the hard water toilet stains, but it's slightly softer than the porcelain. You can scrub as hard as you need to and you won't scratch or damage the porcelain. And you will need to scrub hard, because hard water stains are some of the toughest around. If you've followed the other steps, only the hardest stain will remain, so plan to spend some time and elbow grease.

Keep the stone wet and scrub until the toilet stains are gone. The same method of cleaning can be used inside the tank, if you wish.

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Photo Credits: drcorneilus

Originally posted 2009-09-15 06:01:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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