JMG

Never use an impact to install lug bolts or nuts on your car, unless specifically designed for the correct torque and application. I use one to remove them most times, but I always spin them back on without using an impact and them use a torque wrench to set them to spec. I have a T handle for half inch sockets that works well for this. Nothing worse than galling the threads on a stud or stretching a bolt by over tightening it. They tend to break at the worst possible moments when damaged like this.

Days like these last few have been great for finding all of the little cracks in the outer walls that need to be sealed. I went through several cans of foam chasing the worst violators and have found that I need to add new weather strips to all of the doors. I need to find an affordable thermal imager this year.

I made a resolution not to make any resolutions... Which means I started out failing my resolution by even making it in the first place. Heh... Good luck this year, and may the Schwartz be with you.

Only Estwing I have currently is a drywall hammer that has stood up to much abuse over the years. Not a fan of any of the other metal shaft types though, and have several hickory handle Stiletto hammers in my kit that I prefer these days. I used to have several Estwing dead blow hammers, but they all cracked and fell apart after over ten years of hard use. Also have a drawer full of older hammers that almost never see any use these days, some left over from my time with a framing crew early in my construction days. If I were still working on a framing crew, I might be willing to try out some of these new hammers, but thirty plus years ago the only hammers that that stayed in the kit for use every day, and swinging all day long, had wood handles. Fiber and steel handle units were just too punishing to use continuously, and the old habits keep me using wood handles to this day. I have two old Stanley finish hammers, from back then, that started out as fiber handles, and got chopped off in favor of sixteen inch hickory handles, that I still use today. The fiber handles they started out with were just awkward in balance, and rough to use all day long, but changing to the wood handle turned them into my most used light hammers for most of my construction career. I am just not using hammers enough on a regular basis these days to change the old habits, let alone wear out the ones I have.

Rough time of year for issues like that. Wish a speedy return for him.

Words are never enough to express the sense of loss...

Looks like we will be getting the SDS Max here soon... https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XRH07ZKU Really curious as to what price point this one is going to land at.

Makita finally added the nine inch paddle switch grinder to the site, along with the kit version as well. Acme Tool has had the unit up for sale for awhile. Looks like a monster... XAG13Z1 https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XAG13Z1

For those who do not visit the main page much. Dan and Eric are having a 20% off sale on TIA gear for the holiday season. http://toolsinaction.com/merry-christmas-early-20-off-tia-gear/ Git yer gear on...

I have three Dewalt battery platforms, along with Makita, Milwaukee, Fein, Metabo, and one lone old Bosch NiCad battery tool that sits on the shelf because I haven't found the time to rebuild it's batteries. I also have a cordless Dremel tool that has stood the test of time, mostly because it only sees limited use. I have an EGO mower too, as at the time I was looking for a cordless option, it was the best available. Purchase what you need for any particular project you have in mind. You can always sell the tool at a later date if it does not work out for you, or your favorite platform eventually makes a competing model, and consider any loss in value as rent, or cost of education. Having the right tool for the job right now is a solid advantage over just making due without while waiting for your brand to maybe produce what you need.

My personal favorite, at the moment, is the Makita cordless router, but that might change when I use one of the other new tools I bought this year...

This five year old glove sits on my counter as a constant reminder to not forget... Trim saw bounced out of a cut, and without proper gloves, I might not have the use of that finger today. People who rag on you for using safety equipment are idiots. It is their right to not use gloves if they want, but the old saw about borrowed time applies. I do not always use gloves for every bit of work I do, but handling chemicals without protection is a pet peeve of mine, and I will go out of my way to make sure that gloves are available for working with them in those instances. Outside of that, it depends on exactly what I am doing and the level of Murphy perceived.

Find someone who does continuous gutter and see if they could fold you a piece to fit?

Tools are an investment for your time. The only reasons I have to not buy a particular tool, are if I can see no future use for it, the design is poor, or there is no way that it could ever return its value to me in my lifetime. I work off of the principal that if you need to use an item, in your personal or professional projects more than once, you should purchase it over renting one. I have many tools that fit the description of "Do you ever use that thing?". I take care of my tools, my investment in my time, and have many that have seen heavy use but still look as though they have seen much less. I do not use tools on a daily basis as much as I used to, but I refuse to hire someone else if it is at all possible to complete something on my own. I have simply found it almost impossible to be satisfied with the finish product of anyone around me, or available to hire locally. I am not a good customer to work for, as my critique is brutal, and people love to have their work complemented, even if it is unworthy. Tools help me achieve more than what I am normally capable of and they can sit on a shelf for years for all I care, without use, and wait for that one opportunity to help pay for themselves again. The only real limiting factor, and the only real reason for turning loose of any of my collection, is storage space or existing work space. Turning loose of any tool is also balanced against the thought of future use, replacement, or upgrades. Moving the entire kit several times, has adjusted my attitudes and taught me the importance of cost of transport versus keeping "stationary" items, and selling them off in preparation for a move. It is one of the few times I am willing to divest myself of something that has paid its way. Do I collect tools? Yes, and I could give a rats arse about what someone else thinks when it comes to if they look like they have not been used. I moderate my collecting urge to what I feel will be useful, but in the end, I still have an addiction to having the ability (the tools) to complete as much as I can on my own.

I am going to drink too much, pass out, and watch football through the backsides of my eyelids...

Tools Plus is offering 10% off of select Milwaukee products; coupon code: RED10 Valid Nov. 20 -23 https://www.tools-plus.com/milwaukee-pre-black-friday-email-exclusive.html?utm_source=Tools+Plus+Online+Subscribers&utm_campaign=0f7369278f-Milwaukee-10-Off-Black-Friday-11-20-17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e25f93d1d3-0f7369278f-67538789

http://www.waterproofingwaterdamage.com/tile-deck-waterproofing/deck-waterproofing-flashings.html <-- a group of pictures showing flashing around a deck area. One field of thought is that there should have been an extension of that flashing out under the tile about three to four inches and over the top of the waterproof membrane that should be under the tile on the deck. If you were remove the first row of tile and then apply a coat of redguard or some other sealant rated for exterior use, then set a proper flashing, before resetting some tile, you might have a chance of limiting the water intrusion. The half-arse approach would be to add a section of flashing over the top of the existing tile while applying liberal amounts of sealant on it's underside. You are left with a sharp edge over the tile though, along with the exposed metal, that could be damaged by foot traffic over time. Sealants alone in the joint at the wall, will never seal properly for any length of time. An example of full treatment, and a different flashing style. https://tiledoctor.com/how-to-tile/pools-and-decks/ One more example (shows sealant both under and over the flashing): https://centralcoastwaterproofing.com/2010/07/06/mer-kote-tile-deck-waterproofing/

Had enough rain today to prove that the caps on the old storm tiles have helped, but did not fix the water infiltration problem into that idiot damaged pipe. I have been attempting to work up the courage to open up the wall where the drain was cut off, and today's rain has shown that I am going to have to definitely repair and reconnect that pipe to the drain system. There is still a large amount of water filtering into that pipe from somewhere, and there are no obvious sources on the outside of the building, for the amount I am seeing and hearing. In fact, the pad that I poured earlier this year directs any water that hits it away from the corner nearest the broken drain. Overall, I have slowed the amount of water entering into the basement enough to be able to identify the main problem areas remaining on the outside of the house, and those items will need to move to the top of the list sometime next spring. Some back fill along one side of the house, a storm drain pipe out towards the street, and new gutters, with a different flow to drain point, should correct a majority of the remaining issues. Never ending battle... End of life on the roofing is fast approaching too.

Yes, and supporting the top of the wall section is most definitely the easiest option. A true cantilever, in your case, probably would have required a combination of steel plates bolted to the bottom of some 2x material and then screwing the 2x down to the top of the other joists. Your last picture here has given me a better idea of your situation. You probably would have only needed two supports under the two vertical members in the wall. The rest of the wall doesn't look to be causing any real stress on the joists.

You may need to run supports up to the top of the window wall, if the windows themselves will hang without problems. Otherwise approach it one joist at a time. Support the inside edge of the wall using a cantilever approach, fix your flashing, and then slide the outside joist into place, support it and add the inner joist after removing the cantilevers. Just make sure the first joist is laying flat, nearly in place, prior to installing the cantilevers. The cantilevers will need to be undercut to allow clearance to rotate the outer joist into place.

Pulled this off of a BBC page. Too funny in my book. Person who took the pic did an excellent job of framing it... http://www.bbc.com/news/42032629

Customer service can be both good and bad at the locations of businesses, simply depending on who is working the current shift. Many times at the box stores, the available manager is the determining factor. The closest Home Depot to me (30 minutes away) can be a hit or miss depending on the staff. One of their managers is a real dick, and it is like pestering your parents when you were a kid and always getting the answer NO, just because. But there is another manager at that same store that will just bend over backwards, and go the extra mile to make sure you are happy before you leave the store. Some companies seem to have strict guidelines, and others seem like they could give a rats arse, once they get your money. Have to agree that KC is on top of their game with customer satisfaction.

If joists are supported by wall structure below, then sectioning them with overlapping joints, at supporting studs should work. But if they are only supported at both ends, then full replacement would be in order. It is difficult to tell from your picture how they are actually supported. If you pull them completely, and support the structure with temporary supports, it might be easier to fix the flashing issue. I have made repairs to existing problems in the past using truss plates and through bolting overlapping beams, but at the time there was no other alternative, and no planned inspections either (customers directive).

Looking at this pic, the blade just does not look like it is a 12" blade to me. Battery in pic is approx. 4 1/2" in length. If it were sitting next to the blade it would be easier to compare. It is a prototype, and everything about it could be subject to change, including labels.