Projects/Home Improvement Thread

[koonja]

Ask him if he'll use a harder wood like oak or maple and then just pay him the difference in his materials. Pine might be fine for you and your supposed wife. But I would be careful if you somehow impregnate her and have little koons running around la casa de Koon.

Depends on the type of pine. White pine is soft and is what is used for general construction. Yellow pine is much harder. Ask what type he's using. If he's cheap, it's probably because he's using white pine. Five coats of poly will help but won't totally prevent indentations. Like RackEm said, if you're looking for something to last a long time, have him quote with a harder wood. It will be worth the extra money.

I've emailed to ask. It sounded like he's exclusively used this wood before, so if it’s a white pine, I may ask him to purchase a harder wood and pay the difference. My one concern then is, will the end result look quite a bit different on a maple/oak/yellow pine? I don’t think he’ll be able to give me a heads up on how different it’ll look since he’s only used this one type.

 

[koonja]

So it's called "white wood".

 

[Rack Em]

So it's called "white wood".

That's a cheaper, soft wood like white pine.

 

[koonja]

That's a cheaper, soft wood like white pine.

Appreciate it.

So I should ask for Yellow pine and pay the difference? If he's used to working with white pine, should I be concerned about how different the end look will be if he does everything the same, but uses yellow?

 

[ulukinatme]

I say go with the pine, since you have a kid due soon. If this guy is cheap, then you can afford to buy a new set once the kids are all grown up and won't be terrorizing your furniture. God help you if you have a ginger like mine. Nothing is safe...nothing is sacred.

 

[GowerND11]

I say go with the pine, since you have a kid due soon. If this guy is cheap, then you can afford to buy a new set once the kids are all grown up and won't be terrorizing your furniture. God help you if you have a ginger like mine. Nothing is safe...nothing is sacred.

This is a good point. If it's cheap, but looks nice, get it, let the kids beat it up some while their young. You'll get use out of it. Once they're grown, get the nicer set and you won't worry about that getting (too) damaged.

 

[Rack Em]

Appreciate it.

So I should ask for Yellow pine and pay the difference? If he's used to working with white pine, should I be concerned about how different the end look will be if he does everything the same, but uses yellow?

I just assume you know a lot about soft wood............

 

[ND87]

Any wood workers/kitchen table people on here?

We are looking for a dining room table, and found this guy locally who makes them. We really like the white legged ones he puts together with the dark walnut stain if you flip through the pics. If we go through him, we’ll save ~$1,000 on our dining room table set.

Anyway – I went to visit him yesterday and see the table he has in progress, and it checks out. As beautiful in person as they are in pics. However, he uses pine, which is a soft wood. And I heard this can leave indents, especially if say, you write with a pen on a single sheet of paper on the table. For what it's worth, he puts 5 coats of poly on it, so not sure if that helps prevent the indenting or not.

How big of an issue is this? Any experience with soft wood table? Worth the deal?

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/fuo/d/farmhouse-dining-room-table/6458065317.html

Does it come with spoons?

 

[ACamp1900]

I will say this, for my new man cave I was planning on getting a table about 3 feet by four 4 that adjusted in height to 42 or so inches down to standard 20-whatever for my electric football...

I thought this would be fairly easy to find and I guess I was pretty naive there. Much harder finding a table that is close to what I have in mind than I thought it would be.

 

[koonja]

I will say this, for my new man cave I was planning on getting a table about 3 feet by four 4 that adjusted in height to 42 or so inches down to standard 20-whatever for my electric football...

I thought this would be fairly easy to find and I guess I was pretty naive there. Much harder finding a table that is close to what I have in mind than I thought it would be.

Have the guy who's building my dining table build it. Really cheap and should last at least 10 months from the sounds of it.

 

[dshans]

God help you if you have a ginger like mine. Nothing is safe...nothing is sacred.

My "ginger" son, now 30 was eerily, freakishly fastidious. I most certainly appreciated it.

On his 2nd birthday we held a party. We installed him in his high chair and placed a piece of cake heavily coated with chocolate icing. I cranked up the camcorder.

He failed the typical kid schtick test by not grabbing a handful and smearing it all over his face. We had to do it for him to achieve the desired and expected "magic moment."

When he was a tad older friends of mine were amazed when he meticulously opened a roll of Life Savers™ he'd been given (while I was playing volleyball) and then toddled over to deposit the scraps of packaging he'd removed in a garbage can.

Yes, he could be stubborn as hell. Yes, he could give you an icy stare that made you shiver. But, he was a neatnik and well behaved ...

Until he was a teen.

 

[NDRock]

Appreciate it.

So I should ask for Yellow pine and pay the difference? If he's used to working with white pine, should I be concerned about how different the end look will be if he does everything the same, but uses yellow?

I do some woodworking myself. The pine will dent pretty easily but will have lots of character. That is in right now. In fact, I’m building a table right now which I’m using 100 year old oak, tongue and groove for the top. Came out of a rail car and will look awesome once it’s refinished (if you like that look).

Anyway, I’d be more “concerned” with how he is joining the wood. Is he just using pocket hole screws everywhere or traditional mortise and tenon. Or something else. Just more for you to think about.

 

[Irish YJ]

I will say this, for my new man cave I was planning on getting a table about 3 feet by four 4 that adjusted in height to 42 or so inches down to standard 20-whatever for my electric football...

I thought this would be fairly easy to find and I guess I was pretty naive there. Much harder finding a table that is close to what I have in mind than I thought it would be.

google "adjustable desk base"

several options if you want to DIY. Not really DIY... just buy the base and add the top. one of my neighbors made a standing desk. he bought the electric base and went to a granite shop and bought a cheap remnant. I think all in he had a bad ass adjustable table for around 300 or 350. I think he got the base from Amazon or Walmart. I'm not sure the height range, but it went from sitting desk to standing desk quick and quiet.

 

[BGIF]

My "ginger" son, now 30 was eerily, freakishly fastidious. I most certainly appreciated it.

On his 2nd birthday we held a party. We installed him in his high chair and placed a piece of cake heavily coated with chocolate icing. I cranked up the camcorder.

He failed the typical kid schtick test by not grabbing a handful and smearing it all over his face. We had to do it for him to achieve the desired and expected "magic moment."

When he was a tad older friends of mine were amazed when he meticulously opened a roll of Life Savers™ he'd been given (while I was playing volleyball) and then toddled over to deposit the scraps of packaging he'd removed in a garbage can.

Yes, he could be stubborn as hell. Yes, he could give you an icy stare that made you shiver. But, he was a neatnik and well behaved ...

Until he was a teen.

Then dad's genes kicked in.

 

[Irish#1]

Here's my man cave at work. Just installed a 44" TV for my third monitor. I have a lot of meetings in my office and staff always complained about seeing my monitor. About 100 ND pics rotate in the background when nothing is pulled up on it.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I do some woodworking myself. The pine will dent pretty easily but will have lots of character. That is in right now. In fact, I’m building a table right now which I’m using 100 year old oak, tongue and groove for the top. Came out of a rail car and will look awesome once it’s refinished (if you like that look).

Anyway, I’d be more “concerned” with how he is joining the wood. Is he just using pocket hole screws everywhere or traditional mortise and tenon. Or something else. Just more for you to think about.

Lol, he's definitely not using mortise and tenon for that price unless of course he likes running a charity and not a business.

I wouldn't use white wood for any furniture ever. It's okay to frame in a non-load bearing wall but that's about it. It's a soft/shitty wood that dents very easily. The poly will only protect for a while until it starts to wear off (and it won't totally prevent indentation).

Ask him to use something harder, SYP is better but still not great and it won't take stain as evenly (loads of sap). If he has the ability to use oak/maple/ash, I'd ask him to do that. It'll add to the price but should withstand abuse.

That brings us back to what NDRock said, find out how he connects the various members and make sure it's safe.

 

[ACamp1900]

google "adjustable desk base"

several options if you want to DIY. Not really DIY... just buy the base and add the top. one of my neighbors made a standing desk. he bought the electric base and went to a granite shop and bought a cheap remnant. I think all in he had a bad ass adjustable table for around 300 or 350. I think he got the base from Amazon or Walmart. I'm not sure the height range, but it went from sitting desk to standing desk quick and quiet.

Thanks, I guess I should have added I am being stubborn in not wanting to spend hundreds of dollars on what amounts to a hobby table. I may have to though...

 

[dshans]

Then dad's genes kicked in.

Well, he IS short, red-headed. needs glasses, has a pale complexion, likes beer, and is smart as hell. He does have a fuller beard, though.

Habits are a whole 'nother matter.

 

[Irish YJ]

Thanks, I guess I should have added I am being stubborn in not wanting to spend hundreds of dollars on what amounts to a hobby table. I may have to though...

I just checked the electric motor adjustable bases... 199 bucks. 3x4 remnant you can get for less than 100 if the timing is right. If you're not picky and don't need the electric, find a used office furniture place near you. last summer i saw a few adjustable height tables/desks for under 200 when i was looking for media carts. you may not find the exact top size, but they're out there.

 

[dshans]

Then dad's genes kicked in.

Well, he does have red hair (I was a strawberry before becoming surfer blonde after moving from Long Island to FL @ age 6) There's also red hair on his mother's side. He's short (5'8"), needs glasses and is smart as hell. He likes beer. He doesn't "do" wine or coffee, which baffles both of us. But what the hell .. he's his own man. He has a fuller beard than I do – with thanks to his mother's side of the gene pool.

Habits in regard to neatness and housekeeping are a whole 'nother matter.

He's a lot like his mother in that regard, thank goodness!

 

[NOLAIrish]

I've emailed to ask. It sounded like he's exclusively used this wood before, so if it’s a white pine, I may ask him to purchase a harder wood and pay the difference. My one concern then is, will the end result look quite a bit different on a maple/oak/yellow pine? I don’t think he’ll be able to give me a heads up on how different it’ll look since he’s only used this one type.

Honestly, it looks like he's using red maple or black walnut stains on several of those. The first two with white legs both look like red maple or possibly a cherry+brown stain. If he's staining them anyway, the only real difference you're going to notice between white pine and a harder wood is the figure. If you want it to look like a farmhouse table and use a hardwood, I'd pick oak or maple.

The poly will help the tabletop stand up to abuse, but poly doesn't last forever and it's more for scratches and small dings rather than being hard and brittle. 5-6 coats is about typical; it's not ultra-hardwearing or anything, but it should last for a few years and poly is really easy to refresh with a very light sanding and a few new coats.

My bigger concern from using soft wood would be the legs and joints. As was mentioned earlier, it looks like the tables are constructed pretty simply (i.e. screws and glue), which along with softer wood will make them a little more prone to splitting and coming apart. The good news is they're also pretty easy to repair if anything does happen.

On balance, I wouldn't worry much. By the time a soft wood table starts breaking down, you're probably going to want to upgrade to something finer anyway.

 

[Rack Em]

I'm going to thrown down grass in the backyard this spring. There is existing grass (don't know what kind) but it's spotty and doesn't cover the yard. I'm looking into tall fescue because 1) the yard gets full sun, 2) large dog who likes to play, and 3) I don't want to water it constantly. We live in USDA zone 6B for what it's worth. The yard is probably 2500sqft, so it's not huge.

Any suggestions on what's a good brand of grass and where to buy it?

 

[koonja]

I'm going to thrown down grass in the backyard this spring. There is existing grass (don't know what kind) but it's spotty and doesn't cover the yard. I'm looking into tall fescue because 1) the yard gets full sun, 2) large dog who likes to play, and 3) I don't want to water it constantly. We live in USDA zone 6B for what it's worth. The yard is probably 2500sqft, so it's not huge.

Any suggestions on what's a good brand of grass and where to buy it?

Don't know what type of seed you need since we live in different parts of the country, but don't half-ass it and just throw seed down. You need to till it up (rent a tiller from Home Depot for $100 bucks), and then seed it.

Had a very similar situation. Spotty backyard in the city due to dogs ripping it up, little sunlight due to large tree. Tried it the quick and easy way and got almost nothing. Tilled it and planted, kept the dogs off obviously, and it came through in about 5 weeks looks really nice.

 

[Rack Em]

Don't know what type of seed you need since we live in different parts of the country, but don't half-ass it and just throw seed down. You need to till it up (rent a tiller from Home Depot for $100 bucks), and then seed it.

Had a very similar situation. Spotty backyard in the city due to dogs ripping it up, little sunlight due to large tree. Tried it the quick and easy way and got almost nothing. Tilled it and planted, kept the dogs off obviously, and it came through in about 5 weeks looks really nice.

Good to know. Thanks, man.

Where did you buy your seed? Can I buy the Pennington/Scott's stuff at Lowes or is it really worth it to pay more and buy it online through a grass seed company?

 

[koonja]

Good to know. Thanks, man.

Where did you buy your seed? Can I buy the Pennington/Scott's stuff at Lowes or is it really worth it to pay more and buy it online through a grass seed company?

I can't tell you exactly what type, but it was Scott's-something or another. I just asked the home depot guy what he suggested.

Not sure how many square feet an acre typically is, but my backyard was like .2 acres, and it took an afternoon to till.

FWIW - this is the tiller I rented. In my area, it's $48 per day.

I did not put down any fertilizer and it worked out for me, but it's probably best you do I'm sure.

https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Mantis-XP-Tiller/7566-12-02/index.html

 

[NDRock]

Good to know. Thanks, man.

Where did you buy your seed? Can I buy the Pennington/Scott's stuff at Lowes or is it really worth it to pay more and buy it online through a grass seed company?

I would look for a COOP or seed/fertilizer place near you. They should be very knowledgeable about your area and what works best. The one I go to by me will also mix a batch of seed they recommend (something like 75% fescue, 15% bluegrass, 10% rye). I much prefer bermuda for my area but that's another discussion.

 

[Irish#1]

Underlayment down, ceiling textured and painted. Tile arrived Friday. Time to get serious.

 

[Irish#1]

Good to know. Thanks, man.

Where did you buy your seed? Can I buy the Pennington/Scott's stuff at Lowes or is it really worth it to pay more and buy it online through a grass seed company?

Aren't you in the Cincy area? Perennial ryegrass is a little better suited for your area then the types of fescue. I would do a mix like Koon said, but would up the bluegrass to around 30%. Also, get some bags of top soil to put on top of the seed.

NDRock has a good thought. They sell in bulk so you can get the right amount and they can mix it for you. If you don't have something nearby, I have always had better results with Scott's over Pennington or any other brand.

 

[RDU Irish]

Good to know. Thanks, man.

Where did you buy your seed? Can I buy the Pennington/Scott's stuff at Lowes or is it really worth it to pay more and buy it online through a grass seed company?

Before you get that tiller - make sure the yard wasn't previously sodded with material that had mesh in it. Will wrap up in the tiller and make you want to kill yourself after about 10 minutes.

Another route is to aerate the piss out of it and overseed. Fescue/bluegrass do not spread like bermuda so reseeding seems to be essential for us. We also once had a yard that invariably would find a big rock not far under surface where there were persistent patches. Builder sold off the topsoil and sodded over clay/rock - complete disaster trying to grow grass in Wisconsin on that. In NC - Bermuda would be tolerant to that situation (also uses the least water) - needs tons of sun though.

 

[RDU Irish]

Aren't you in the Cincy area? Perennial ryegrass is a little better suited for your area then the types of fescue. I would do a mix like Koon said, but would up the bluegrass to around 30%. Also, get some bags of top soil to put on top of the seed.

NDRock has a good thought. They sell in bulk so you can get the right amount and they can mix it for you. If you don't have something nearby, I have always had better results with Scott's over Pennington or any other brand.

Yeah - that part of the world I would up the Bluegrass component too.