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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

it's probably just because i don't have super dark floors (they're not light, but they're not as dark as what tsy posted either), so i don't know how hard they are to keep clean. but i LOVE really dark hardwoods. i think they look so unbelievably beautiful.
 
I love the look of dark hardwoods, but something like this is my dream flooring:

traditional-wood-flooring.jpg


wide planks, lots of grain.
 
I realized yesterday there is no peep hole in the door at my new place, and no window in or right next to the door. I should probably get one put in. Shouldn't be too expensive, but it's another thing that I need a drill for if I am going to do it by myself.
 
Anyone else have bad luck with cordless drills? I swear it always seemed like my battery was dying very quickly or it wouldn't be charged when I needed it etc. I bought a corded drill and have a 100 ft extension cord and have not looked back. I love this thing.
 
i doubt i've had my drill long enough to really have issues with it, but i love that it's cordless. i don't have to think about anything. just grab the drill and it's ready. it came with two batteries though, so at least one is always charged.

though if you had said electric hedge clippers, i would have agreed. the gas ones won't last long enough to do ANYTHING at my house. the ones with a cord work way better for us.
 
Anyone else have bad luck with cordless drills? I swear it always seemed like my battery was dying very quickly or it wouldn't be charged when I needed it etc. I bought a corded drill and have a 100 ft extension cord and have not looked back. I love this thing.

I learned this trick with our mobile FD radios, and its worked ever since on every rechargeable battery I use. Each battery is designed to withstand a certain number of charge cycles before they start to lose power retention. Typically that is a thousand charges or so. A lot of people just leave the battery plugged up all the time, but that will cause them to eventually lose charge. The battery will constantly be charging itself full and then switching off, only to charge it again some more later on that day. Once the battery is charged take it off and use it. Once it goes completely dead, charge it again. If you use it for only 10-15 minutes, dont put it back on the charger. Using it until its completely dead will decrease the number of charge cycles, making them last longer. If you are doing a big job, and have two batteries, put one on the charger when you start using the first one. By the time your first battery is dead, the 2nd should be charged enough to finish the job.
 
Anyone else have bad luck with cordless drills? I swear it always seemed like my battery was dying very quickly or it wouldn't be charged when I needed it etc. I bought a corded drill and have a 100 ft extension cord and have not looked back. I love this thing.

Our cordless drill holds up pretty nicely but we also have an electric one for when shit gets real. That's what we used to bore holes in our living room studs to run our speaker wire and HDMI cables through, as well as cutting holes in drywall.
 
I learned this trick with our mobile FD radios, and its worked ever since on every rechargeable battery I use. Each battery is designed to withstand a certain number of charge cycles before they start to lose power retention. Typically that is a thousand charges or so. A lot of people just leave the battery plugged up all the time, but that will cause them to eventually lose charge. The battery will constantly be charging itself full and then switching off, only to charge it again some more later on that day. Once the battery is charged take it off and use it. Once it goes completely dead, charge it again. If you use it for only 10-15 minutes, dont put it back on the charger. Using it until its completely dead will decrease the number of charge cycles, making them last longer. If you are doing a big job, and have two batteries, put one on the charger when you start using the first one. By the time your first battery is dead, the 2nd should be charged enough to finish the job.

tl;dr, Fuck cordless drills is what I say.
 
lol. Basically, dont throw them on the charger after you use them each time and they'll last longer.

I've got a cordless for small jobs, but I've got a corded DeWalt for regular jobs, and a heavy duty Milwaukee for big jobs.
 
Lithium ion cordless tools aren't bad, they don't lose charge over time the way the old style batteries do.
 
Yeah I burned through a few cordless drills over the years until I got a lithium ion Ryobi that has held up pretty well for the last 3 or 4. I've got a corded Dewalt for when I need more power, and then once in a while for the big jobs I break out "the beast", which is a JC Penny-branded corded drill from the 60s that my dad bought when he was in college. The thing pours smoke out the vents and smells like a forest fire when it gets struggling (plus the cord is held together by electrical tape), but nothing can stop it. The reason I use it is because, unlike most new drills, it has an old-school keyed chuck that won't slip no matter how much the bit binds. I can go through a solid 6x6 post with a 1/2" bit in one stroke with that, just backing out to remove the wood refuse. But the smoke and smell make me only use it for special occasions.
 
The reason I use it is because, unlike most new drills, it has an old-school keyed chuck that won't slip no matter how much the bit binds. I can go through a solid 6x6 post with a 1/2" bit in one stroke with that, just backing out to remove the wood refuse. But the smoke and smell make me only use it for special occasions.

I love those tough old ones. My dad and grandfather both had an old black and gray Craftsman drill that I used all the time growing up. I cant tell you how many times that thing either popped me in the chin or almost broke my wrist when it caught. One of these guys:
 
I love those tough old ones. My dad and grandfather both had an old black and gray Craftsman drill that I used all the time growing up. I cant tell you how many times that thing either popped me in the chin or almost broke my wrist when it caught. One of these guys:

yep, my favorite drill is an ooold milwaukee like that.
 
I love those tough old ones. My dad and grandfather both had an old black and gray Craftsman drill that I used all the time growing up. I cant tell you how many times that thing either popped me in the chin or almost broke my wrist when it caught. One of these guys:


that's a pretty old bitch
 
dhtoy's and my home improvement list is getting kind of long. on the to do list (not in order of importance nor timing):

-rip up all upstairs carpeting (which is just two bedrooms) and refinish the hardwood floors underneath
-remove a couple of rotting doors/frames and replace them
-replace a couple of rotting window frames
-tear out and replace kitchen cabinets

and then SOMETHING needs to happen in our backyard area. my house is ranch-style with basement, so i have a back porch that comes off of my dining area, but there are no steps down to the yard from there (which is unbelievably dumb. an idiot designed the porch). even if there were though, the backyard area needs some serious work. not like landscaping, but like with a patio built or something. but it needs so much work that i don't even know where to start with that.
 
dhtoy's and my home improvement list is getting kind of long. on the to do list (not in order of importance nor timing):

-rip up all upstairs carpeting (which is just two bedrooms) and refinish the hardwood floors underneath
-remove a couple of rotting doors/frames and replace them
-replace a couple of rotting window frames
-tear out and replace kitchen cabinets

and then SOMETHING needs to happen in our backyard area. my house is ranch-style with basement, so i have a back porch that comes off of my dining area, but there are no steps down to the yard from there (which is unbelievably dumb. an idiot designed the porch). even if there were though, the backyard area needs some serious work. not like landscaping, but like with a patio built or something. but it needs so much work that i don't even know where to start with that.

take a picture and let us design it for you!
 
take a picture and let us design it for you!

i can do that! weather is gross today. but this weekend i'll try :)

oh, and added to the list, dhtoy now wants to paint my house. mine's brick but unpainted. he wants to paint it a similar color to the houses on either side of me.
 
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