My Next Diy Project

Discussion in 'Home Improvement' started by Von Jones, Mar 4, 2016.

  1. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Before chemical lawn fertilizers were a thing, they actually marketed grass seed with a percentage of Dutch clover seed. It is the small white-flowered clover that fixes nitrogen and feeds the grass as all clovers do. As weeds go, it is pretty innocuous.
     
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  2. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    My most recent destructive home improvement project was switching out the door handle from a standard one to one that locks. I bought a kit at the flea market for $7 got home and was at it for three days straight. :oops: Chiseling, hammering, even used my multi-tool. The door knob was okay but the latch on the frame wouldn't keep door shut when locked. So I went to Youtube I found out it wasn't lining up. As suggested I used toothpaste on the bottom of the thing-a-ma-jig and it was way off. So I removed the old hardware and started the demo to put on the new piece. Well, that didn't work. I just didn't understand what I was doing wrong so I read the instructions again. I had followed them correctly. On the third day I emptied the bag of the remaining items and found a piece that I thought just might work. After I dug out longer screws I tested it and by golly it worked. Now I just have to put some wood filler in to make it look pretty. :rolleyes:
     
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  3. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    And she's baaaaaaaaack!! So good to see you, Von.
     
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  4. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Sounds like you finally got it solved @Von Jones. I have been dreading hanging an exterior door on our entryway. The door I got must weigh a hundred pounds, and I can hardly move the thing. I am hoping one of our sons stops by to help out (or do it for me;)).
     
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  5. Tony Nathanson

    Tony Nathanson Very Well-Known Member
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    Re Mosquitoes: They love me. After a few miserable summers, scratching & bleeding, I did some research. Some of it was interesting.
    First of all, those big mosquitoes you see flying around & sitting on your wall are male mosquitoes. They don't bite because they live on nectar.
    Only female mosquitoes bite & they are tiny; you won't usually see them. And you won't feel them bite because they apply a topical anesthetic from their saliva. They also inject a blood thinner to prevent clotting during their meal. That anesthetic & blood thinner are what causes the swelling & itching by triggering your immune system; it's a type of allergic reaction.

    I first bought the "Off" spray repellent & also tried a few other repellents. They don't work because the ingredient that works (DEET) is in very small concentrations. I'd get at least 10 bites after using them.
    After more research, I got "Repel 100" and "Ben's" 100. They are 100% DEET. Not one bite all summer. DEET interferes wth the receptors on mosquitoes' antennae that detect Carbon Dioxide and Lactic Acid - both present in humans. That prevents mosquitoes from locating you. When first applied, DEET smells strange, but the smell goes away in a few minutes. The 100% DEET is effective fpr 10-12 hours. When I've missed a spot, that's where I get bit. Last week, I went out for a walk, then remembered I forgot to eat (not good, since I'm diabetic). I washed my hands, ate a couple of apples, then went back out. I got two bites on each hand. When I washed the DEET off, they knew where to bite. Ain't mosquitoes smart?
    I don't spray it on; I spray it in my hands & smear it on me. That keeps it out of my eyes & mouth.
     
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  6. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    If you stay in one place, Thermacell devices work great. If you start one, it will remove all mosquitoes within a 15-foot radius in a bout 10 minutes and it will stay mosquito-free as long as the device is running. I first discovered these when canoeing on the Yukon River. Literal hoards of the buggers all around...except where I was eating lunch. A lot of people joined me to eat lunch.
     
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