Random stuff you have repaired.

[BillM]

I finished up the small deck for my above ground pool and I was really happy with how it turned out but I am having problem with the deck boards curling up. I went with regular pressure treated lumber and just finished it with thompsons water seal. I like the bare wood look but should I have stained it or painted it and that would have prevented the curling or warping? The framing of the deck is fine but should I have used a different wood?

If you don't want wood that's painted or sealed to curl you need to paint/seal ALL the surfaces. Keeps different areas from absorbing or losing moisture. That's what causes the curl.

 

[JMD]

If you don't want wood that's painted or sealed to curl you need to paint/seal ALL the surfaces. Keeps different areas from absorbing or losing moisture. That's what causes the curl.

that might be exactly where I went wrong. I only sealed the facing surfaces, ****. I guess I'll replace those this fall and seal every surface. thanks for the advice.

 

[HiredHand]

I think the wood will also tend to curl with the direction of the growth rings. Flipping those boards over may prevent some of the cupping.

 

[BillM]

I think the wood will also tend to curl with the direction of the growth rings. Flipping those boards over may prevent some of the cupping.

For fine woodworking, I understand they alternate one up, one down. That's the arcs of growth rings. I'm at best a rough carpenter. Very rough.

 

[Adhdferret]

This was a dump truck I recently inspected for a DOT an SC. The tilt pins for the dump bed were about to fall out.

 

[Adhdferret]

First one is an 80T crane that needed new glass in the cab, and lots of suspension work.

Second is a 125ft terrex bucket truck that needed A LOT

Third is a 50T crane that needed electrical work, and someone got a strap in the rotation that offset the deflection.

Last is a 120ft bucket that needed new dog bones on the extension and bolts in the outriggers.

 

[Profreedomokie]

I replaced the blades on our ZTR mower . I think I got all the goodie out of them.

 

[SlugSlinger]

The jackwagon that I hired and paid to pour the concrete didn’t install rebar like I had requested. The weight of the pergola I built broke the concrete and it had been settling for the past couple of years.

It’s a 7’x3’x4” section. I busted out the old concrete, dug a footer below the pergola leg, drilled and installed rebar into the sections on each end and the footer, then hand mixed 800 lbs of concrete to replace the original that had failed.

It’s not done. I still need to finish it and let it cure for a week or so. Then install new lead anchors and reattach the pergola leg with the brackets I fabbed up.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Over the summer I bought a used 3-point post hole digger. We're setting a bunch of fence posts and running about 600' of fence. So, let's use the auger! Nope. The slip collar on the PTO attach collar worked fine. But the ball detents weren't retracting and it was completely corroded up so I couldn't get the PTO shaft in there. I took it apart, WD-40'd the hell out of it, let it sit overnight, cleaned all the rust off, and fidgeted with the detent balls until they freed up. Cleaned it all as best as I could with a wire brush and some steel wool, put it back together and it worked like a champ.

I've never taken something like that apart and fixed it. Best part was the brownie points I scored with the wife. That and I smelled like WD-40 all day. Bonus...

 

[mrhite65]

I fixed my wife's Instapot! The digital screen was working, but it wasn't getting hot. I figured I'd take the bottom off to check the heating unit in it. I don't know how, but the solder on the wires wasn't connecting very well. I got out my soldering gun and redid the wires and now it works just fine!