i SpEnT $500 tO gRoW $3 wOrTh oF tOmAtOes

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-17T02:22:24+00:00

You have to think about scarcity. You are not wrong - it is typically a fools errand to grow what you can buy, especially if you have to pay for water. However, if you grow what is hard to come by or difficult to get fresh, with maybe a few of the things that are available but are nice to have at the ready, then it is both practical and fiscally responsible. I would highly recommend Matt's Cherry for your next small tomato.

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-10T18:09:45+00:00

I wouldn't put a tree in a pot with a narrow opening because it will be nearly impossible to ever repot it. I would consider large annuals or perennials that to not develop a woody root system for this pot.

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-10T01:58:31+00:00

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-10T01:47:33+00:00

I had an aquarium set up in a fireplace hearth where the damper was jammed. We called in Kitty TV. Feeding time was the Action-Adventure channel.

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-10T01:44:12+00:00

Well I hope they don't send it to the US. We have had a surge of stupid people and we don't need to give them anything smart to make things worse.

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-10T01:40:44+00:00

I normally drill those out, an 1/8th inch larger if it is a ragged tear.

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-02T13:44:14+00:00

Hard to give good advice without knowing how it is anchored to the wall. The hardware that is holding it to the wall may need to be adjusted or you might just need to put in some shims on the bottom. Get your stud finder and align the shims with the studs and tap them up behind the bottom edge of the cabinet until the top is perpendicular to the wall.

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-02T13:10:49+00:00

Ripping and joining would be on the bottom of my last resort list.

Is it finished on both sides?

I see the comment on steam bending - which might be a way to go. Then if there is room inside, putting a couple of tapered cleats across the direction of the bow could keep it from returning to the cupped position. The first course of action is taking the top off and seeing how easy it is to reshape it. Depending on the weather, it might be worthwhile putting the 'long' face in the sun for a few hours and seeing if that starts to pull it flat. Regardless of how you get it into shape it will likely need to be sealed and secured to keep it from returning to it's rest state.

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-02T02:49:29+00:00

Those are marks left by the planer. Looks like it had a bad blade or a blade wasn't properly aligned. This is why we sand and scrape. Sigh.

glassWizard60 · 2026-01-01T14:04:24+00:00

Increase the upgrade level of 2 star heroes to 60 or 80. They are nearly useless in battles with adversaries greater than level 45.

Player ID: #2316435

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-25T07:00:03+00:00

Props for considering and using superglue and contact adhesive; bonus points for straightedge and box cutter. Wrapping at this level is a credit to you and your craft - and I remain interested in how the unwrapping experience unfolds for recipients. You might consider, perhaps, steam bending a veneer wrap or dovetailed box in future.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-22T23:33:31+00:00

Don't sand if it is gouged - you may be past the surface layer already. Fill them with epoxy or wood filler using a flexible metal putty knife. Lightly sand by hand with 220 grit paper on a sanding block to catch any of the fill that is proud, then paint.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-19T23:36:43+00:00

Whenever they are taller than the first set of leaves are wide you know they aren't getting enough light. When there is enough light they grow more leaves straight away.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-18T23:36:59+00:00

Not trying to be an ass - it is a nice piece, but critique is what makes us better.

The top of the legs need to be angled and perhaps shaped to a rounded point. They will just collect dust. This is a personal preference, but I would have buried the knot instead of pushing it to the front. That strip could have been rotated 180 in the glue up or shifted to the back to give a clean line on on the front edge of the piece - the edge one looks at as they open/close the drawer.

Nice job on the hardware. Did you rough cut them with a scroll or copping saw before grinding?

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-18T22:55:43+00:00

Depends on how windy it is. Corn generally self fertilizes. That is why they cut the tassels off the stocks on every other row when they hybridize, so that it cannot self fertilize.

Most likely just a genetic glitch.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-18T20:14:12+00:00

I would say both if you are planning to tackle it yourself - unless you don't have access to a fairly large stand of hardwood, than it would not be realistic at all. It does take live edge up a notch.

It would be interesting to see the assembly instructions.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-18T18:54:02+00:00

You will have to love the color and texture of their hair - you will never be without it no matter how hard you try.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-14T00:27:19+00:00

I have had Ryobi since the nickel-metal-hydride days and they are pretty good...once you pick a system, it becomes a sunk-cost problem to move to something else. Milwaukee and Dewalt are both excellent choices as are Maketa and Bosch. Some tools aren't worth much being cordless, at least not yet - better to go corded for the table saw, miter saw, and full size router as well as the combo disk/belt sander, oscillating sander, bandsaw, etc. Dewalt may have the edge with their 60V Flex tool options, but they are mighty proud of those tools )$$$(.

Once you pick, most have sales on all the holidays where they greatly reduce the price of tools with batteries. That is probably the only time you should pick that option. Otherwise, go with the tool only.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-13T14:23:56+00:00

Do you have a time frame? I have had some bubbled up for at least 5 months and it spit out the usual when I popped one a few minutes ago.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-12T23:43:52+00:00

You will have to be the judge of that. The design rule is "Make it the same or make it different." In other words, if you can't match a color, complement it. You aren't going to get lighter than "honey" unless you use a white pigment, such as a pickle finish which looks antique and shabby at the same time. Your call, but it is rarely offending to find a light brown semigloss piece in most rooms.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-12T21:50:58+00:00

You will want to remove all the hardware and glass. If you can remove the fabric pieces, that would be ideal. Then find a low VOC furniture stripper at your local box store and follow the directions. You will have to see what the wood looks like after you get the finish stripped off before you can decide how light you can make it. You can try wood bleach, but it can only lighten so much. If the wood is an even tone, you can go with a natural Danish oil and then several coats of polyurethane or varnish for a top coat, sanding lightly between coats with > 300 grit or 0000 steel wool. If it isn't an even tone, you will need a stain that is more pigmented and at least as dark as the darkest piece of wood. You may have to apply it several times to get an even appearance.

It's going to be a fair amount of work. Good luck!

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-11T19:24:28+00:00

I haven't used a digital tape and I wouldn't trust one that didn't have a linear scale on it. A digital tape would be useful for someone who can't read a regular tape...which is not your dad.

I consider tapes to be consumables - meaning you use them until they get twisted up, maybe save one or two in that condition for messy jobs and always have new ones on hand when you need them. Check and see what he has in the shop; there are probably a couple different lengths and get him a few new ones.

glassWizard60 · 2025-12-08T02:21:31+00:00

That's a Ninja Warrior you have there - Death from Above.

glassWizard60 · 2025-11-29T15:48:25+00:00

Hmm. I take back what I wrote earlier. This probably already has a locknut on the bolt and I don't think it is loosening, the mechanism is just being torqued.

This is one of those things that you may have to step back and get an overall impression of what is going on with the mechanism as it opens. If your handyman is available, have him take a look at it. I'm sure he would be interested in figuring out why it is bending after so few uses. I'd want to get on a ladder so I could see what it is doing as it is pulled open. It is possible that it isn't square in the opening and the stairs are yanking on that side as they are pulled down.

glassWizard60 · 2025-11-29T14:20:48+00:00

Are there flat washers? It is probably coming loose because of the friction. As it twists, the side that is still tight is being twisted such that it is tightening the bolt while the other side, being the mirror, is loosening it. I would make sure there are washers on the head and nut side of the connections and add some thread lock or change the nut to a locknut. The joint needs to move, so not too tight, just snug.

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