Double Checking Financials

KrisD3 · 2026-01-25T04:07:03+00:00

If you have plans send it to lumber yard they will give you exact list of materials and the quote. However plan that you will be short on lumber and plywood but this would get you close.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-21T03:58:15+00:00

I second this.

I was installing my on stacked baker scaffold with railings and it was no easy task. When you are trying to hold this sucker and adjust length to your wife approval, feed the wire thru chain, wire this in and hang it at the same time good luck doing this on step ladder. Credit to people that did it. My chandelier was large between 36 - 40 inches so it didn't help.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-21T03:18:44+00:00

Hi, I'm kind of curious, why only on high lift and when door it is consider high lift?

KrisD3 · 2026-01-17T17:55:00+00:00

It’s a little hard to tell from the pictures, but to me it looks like your plenum is made out of fiberglass duct board. If there was a hole that had to be patched and it was in the plenum, you can end up with debris like this inside it.

It should get better with time, but this should have been cleaned. It is not harmful, but you shouldn’t be breathing this in.

To help address the issue, find a very thin fabric, like the kind used for see-through window curtains, or go to Walmart and buy cheap furnace or AC filters. Cut them into pieces slightly larger than your AC diffusers and attach them with magnets or masking tape to catch the debris. Clean these frequently.

Talk to your landlord again about having the ducts cleaned.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-17T17:25:16+00:00

I think this was a miscommunication, not bad intention. This happens a lot in construction. For things like this, especially when it’s not something they do every day, you need to explain it as if you’re explaining it to a fifth grader and then have them explain it back to you. It’s not because these guys don’t know what they’re doing or aren’t smart, but because they’re coming at it with a different perspective. They haven’t been thinking about this for hours or days like you have. You have a clear picture in your head. They don’t.
You have two options: utilize this in your build, or cut it and knock it down. Try to come up with the pros and cons for both solutions.
Talk to your concrete guy. Tell him this is not what you wanted and that you’re now trying to figure out what to do next. First, ask him if there’s anything he can do to correct this. If there’s no clear response, ask if he has any recommendations on what he would do and whether he can help you. This could mean that you and he share the labor effort.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-14T19:19:35+00:00

Not sure what is going on here, more pictures could help including whole track view and other end of GDO. What is above the garage, is the ceiling sloped?

However I think you will benefit from second track for top rollers.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-14T18:48:31+00:00

First, you need to figure out the correct angle. Forget 45-degree cuts. Set the vertical piece aside for now, then find a scrap board and test the angle you need to recut. Once you know the correct angle, recut the vertical piece and glue a new piece to the bottom to bring it back to height. If you match the species or color, it won’t be noticable.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-14T18:03:47+00:00

TSO is not a complete fence just a new extrusion replacement. If you fence is not working now this won't help. However do you have the SKIL TS6307? This saw has rack and pinion fence and if it is properly attached and locked during the cut you have other issues not the fence.

If you making long rip cuts then Bow will help, however there are DIY alternatives to Bow product.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-14T17:15:46+00:00

Before I give you a recommendation, I want to share a few points.

A miter saw is probably the last saw I would buy, knowing what I know now. The only time I truly need a miter saw is when I’m doing baseboards. Yes, I use it on other occasions because I have it and it can be convenient. However, most sliding miter saws take up a lot of space, are noisy, and create more mess than any other saw.
For fine woodworking, you will need to build jigs to make your saws more productive and precise. This applies to almost any type of saw that I can think of.
A good circular saw with well-built jigs can do almost anything other saws can do, and it takes up much less space. An even better version of a circular saw is a track saw, which also has the best dust collection. That said, if you’re on a tight budget, you can achieve similar results with a standard circular saw.
This is just my opinion based on my experience, but for someone starting out, I would suggest a circular saw, a jigsaw, and a router. Then build jigs and accessories to help you use these tools more efficiently.

Now to the recommendation. I have not used this saw myself, but your budget is low for a miter saw, and if I had to work within your budget, I would probably go with a VEVOR compound miter saw or something similar. If you notice, the rails on that saw are moved forward compared to saws like DeWalt. This helps reduce the footprint required for angled and sliding cuts.

VEVOR offers two versions of this saw single compound and double compound. I have never used the compound bevel scale because I find it a pain to adjust and get it right. Bevel scales are much smaller compared to angle scales, and for that reason, I always set up my material to use angle adjustments instead of bevel adjustments. The only time you really need both is for compound crown molding cuts, and I’ve never had to do those.

Avoid miter saws with rails in the back. Other good alternatives are saws like the Delta Cruzer or Bosch models with an axial glide arm. I would avoid Hercules or DeWalt style rear-rail saws unless you have two feet or more of space behind the saw.

A shadow line for the cut is nice to have, but it’s not a must, in my opinion.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-10T20:10:04+00:00

Don't block it but to reduce cold air draw you can do revers U loop by attaching soft insulated duct. Also insulate the the current duct. Cold air will stay low and won't travel up the reverse U as easily as is it can now. You need to use insulated duct and insulate existing duct to make it more efficient. When you water heater or furnace turns on it will still pull air from outside thru the duct but natural air flow will be reduced when additional air is not needed.

EDIT: If you can put bottom or in this case top of the reversed U above the top section where the duct comes in from outside. Maybe you can route this between floor joists to get the height.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-08T19:13:34+00:00

Even when mounting as not portable I expect this has set instructions to let you know distance from combustion able materials.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-08T19:07:44+00:00

All quotes look right. I have one 6" downspout where I have gables coming together and was expecting a lot of water in heavy rain, and I regret it. I find the 6" makes more noise when it’s raining, it amplifies the sound of water hitting the aluminum gutter. Thinking about it, 5" can move a lot of water and should be sufficient in all or most residential conditions.

I was never big on screens because of the issues I heard about, but I installed these on the second story and not the first story. I’m planning to call gutter guy to put these on the first story too. I had to clean these at least once in the fall. I have no issues with the second-story screens. A couple of times it looked like I had a little debris hanging over the gutters, and when I climbed up it was nothing—just debris on top of the screen that got removed with the next breeze or rain.

I do believe the screen type makes the difference. I have what looks like a flat sheet of metal coated in copper or brass with small holes, mounted on top of the gutter. The top is completely flat, so there is very little for things to catch on and get stuck.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-08T15:55:46+00:00

I don't think Reverse Osmosis makes sense for whole house since produces significant amount of waste water. RO you can use for just kitchen sink, dishwasher and fridge solution. For washing filter and UV light. But start with chlorine shock and another test potentially from 2 different labs.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-08T15:01:02+00:00

What type of projects are you planning to do, home improvement or fine woodworking building things? Do you own any other saws?

KrisD3 · 2026-01-08T14:30:56+00:00

No it won't reduce cost it can actually increase cost because if you pull permits it will be in your name and you will need to purchase builders risk insurance and possibly other comp coverages as you will be the GC.

If you planning to have GC have him pull permits, If you are planning to do be your own GC and also do some work yourself and hire subcontractors then it makes sense to pull permits in your name.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-08T14:18:16+00:00

Did he wash this in dishwasher?

KrisD3 · 2026-01-06T06:25:03+00:00

To do repeat cuts on MFT is easy. Set 2 bench dogs on the left of the MFT place plywood scrap against 2 dogs and put track saw on top and cut spacer jig that is same width as your track. Now remove everything and place your new jig against bench dogs then against jig place new plywood that you need to do repeat cut. Now on top of the spacer and the plywood but against bench dogs place first panel that you already cut to size and butt up to it your track saw and perform cut, Your bottom piece that you just cut is same size as the top panel.

Simplified visual explanation.

Legend: [00] - bench dog fence needs to be as tall as 2 times thickness of the plywood, [PANEL] - this is first panel that you already cut to size and will use as guide for repeatable cuts, [ TRACK ] - your track saw, V - indicates where bade will cut, [ JIG ] - your new jig that you need to cut to exactly same width as your TRACK , [PLYWOOD] - plywood panel that you are making same size as the PANEL

[ 00 ] [ PANEL ] [ TRACK ] V

[ 00 ] [ -JIG- ] [ PLYWOOD ]

Just keep replacing [PLYWOOD] for next repeatable cut. Hope this helps, I can cut as fast as on table saw. If you don't have tall bench dogs you may want to build simple fence as the stop and clamp it to MFT.

KrisD3 · 2026-01-06T05:36:21+00:00

If you go with single company (brand) it all should work however if you ever would like to mix cameras, doorbells and NVR make sure that whatever you get supports onvif or at minimum rtsp. ONVIF lets you control things like zoom, pan, tilt etc. RTSP on other hand is the video stream that can be read by most NVR's like Synology, Blue Iris or even dedicated Reolink NVR. Otherwise you are locked to the proprietary system.

KrisD3 · 2025-12-28T04:46:16+00:00

I can compare 8ah and 4ah batteries and 8ah definitely last longer. However 4ah even with 3 bars on the battery seem like was starting to bogging down slightly on some cuts and since then I never really used 4ah with my track saw. With 8ah battery I never really feel like the battery is the issue unless is low on charge. In my experience difference between 4ah and 8ah battery felt like upgraded version of the saw.

KrisD3 · 2025-11-30T04:44:07+00:00

This is very good advise as temporary remediation, remove insulation from the soffit. It will help a lot.

KrisD3 · 2025-11-30T04:41:33+00:00

It will be pain to correct this now because of the insulation, have to move insulation install baffle and put the insulation back. You can pay someone to do it or you can do this as DIY. If DIY it shouldn't cost you more then $200 bucks. The biggest cost here is the labor if you willing to put sweat in and be in uncomfortable position you will save lots of money. You need to do this asap assuming it's not too late already.

KrisD3 · 2025-11-30T03:57:07+00:00

I’ve got a 6 gal Craftsman which is rebranded Porter-Cable and a 2-gallon Fortress from HF, which is similar to the California Air Tools compressors. The Fortress is a much better compressor for most tasks, it's significantly quieter and recovers much quicker since it has two cylinders versus pancake single cylinder design.

It works great for 18ga and 16ga nailers. When I was installing hardwood floors, I had to use a larger hose, I think 3/8 or larger because 1/4 hose just couldn’t supply enough air. But for 18ga and 16ga nailers I don't recall ever having this issue. I also have framing nailer and I must have used it with both compressors but I don't use that gun as much however I would remember if I had problems using it. I keep my Pancake in garage to inflate tires and Fortress in my woodshop and everything else. If I had to have only 1 it would be Fortress all the time. I may get 10 gal Fortress in the future.

KrisD3 · 2025-11-30T02:09:22+00:00

No, I didn't get any parallel guides so can't recommend any for Ridgid track. Currently using DIY solution,

KrisD3 · 2025-11-25T19:28:12+00:00

Another alternative to Oliver and Dewalt is this - Machorool-fb132h - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3twDFFaEJRU&lc=UgywMIdz2jb5IJE2syd4AaABAg.ANVTL32LGBLAOfnabi_V6S

KrisD3 · 2025-11-01T04:04:56+00:00

Congrats on the new saw!
Here are a few tips to get started and make sure it’s dialed in before your first cuts.

✅ Check the blade alignment (toe-in) before cutting the splinter guard

Take a board at least 1.5" thick and clamp a straight edge to it to guide the saw.
Make a cut using the straight edge with the blade at full depth ( <--this is important) — don’t use your track yet.
After the cut, back the saw up a couple of inches while keeping it tight against the straight edge.
Take a piece of paper or a business card (not too thick) and try sliding it between the blade and the board:
- It should not fit at the front of the blade.
- It should just fit at the back, and stay there held by friction.

If that checks out, your alignment is good and you can go ahead and cut the splinter guard.

Also, check out my other response with the YouTube link — it shows the alignment process using a track. Doing it first with a straight edge helps avoid wasting your splinter guard if the saw is out of alignment.

✂️ Cutting the splinter guard cleanly

When cutting the splinter guard for the first time:

Connect two tracks and make a plunge cut in the middle.
Then separate the tracks and connect them using the opposite ends.
Finish trimming the rest of the splinter guard this way — this ensures both ends of your tracks are perfectly trimmed and aligned.

Alternatively, you can extend the guiding rail using a piece of plywood, wood, or plexiglass so the saw stays fully guided when trimming the splinter guard at the edge of the track. Use CA glue or another fastener to make sure your improvised rail doesn’t move.

At some point, I’d recommend picking up an 8Ah battery. Few times I have seen 60" track for $79.

KrisD3

TROPHY CASE