High Street Headache

November 19, 2010

Fitting A New Door : The Basics Explained

Filed under: Home — Tags: , , , , , — Mark Walters @ 9:43 am

There are some household jobs that anyone can do without calling in the handyman, such as fitting a new door. Here are a few tips to help you along. The first thing you need to do is decide what type of door you need to fit – internal or external is the most obvious decision. Then you can decide between flush, smooth wood or a paneled door, as well as if a lightweight one will do the job or if a sturdier door is what you’re after.

Once you’ve decided what type of door you need, then buy one as close to the size you need as you can. Retailers sell the most common door sizes so you may be good to go with an off-the-shelf model, but often a bit of measuring and trimming is required. Measure the frame length and width, then mark these on your new door. Allow for 5mm clearance at the bottom and 3mm on the other sides. Then, remove the existing door from the frame ready for the new one.

Once you’ve got your measurements marked, it’s time to trim off the excess. Small amounts of spare wood (as a rule, less than 5mm) can be removed used an electric or hand planer to ensure you don’t take off too much. For anything more than that use a circular saw, but make sure you don’t cut off more than 15mm from any edge or it will weaken the door. In this case, you should investigate buying a different size instead. Also, keep your trimmings equal so it stays even.

When you’ve trimmed your door to the required size, check it fits into the existing frame. Get someone to help you slot it into the space and wedge it into place at the bottom. When you’re sure it’s okay, if necessary, you should fit new hinges to the door frame (your old ones might be fine, though). Fit them into the hinge recesses provided. Then slot the door back into the frame and wedge it in place with timber supports.

Keeping the door wedged into place, use a pencil to mark the positions of the hinges onto the edge of the door. Then use a chisel to remove any waste wood so that, when you fix the door to the frame, the hinges are flush with the edge of the door. Using a 3mm wood bit, make holes in the edge of the door to attach the hinges. Screw in a couple of hinges so you can check the swing of the door and, when you’re happy, fix in the remaining hinges.

Next : Door Knobs Or Door Handles

July 25, 2010

The Future For Precision Engineering

Filed under: Hobbies — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Erin McCarty @ 7:53 am

Precision engineering has taken some giant hits in the last thirty years, but in spite of all the battering it has received from countless sources, it is still one of the most imperative industries the country has to supply.

The last few decades saw the decimation and decline of some areas of engineering in this country and large, vital firms have vanished from the map. The work holes that these closures have left have been extremely tough for communities to get over, but as folk find alternative sources of revenues, the engineering abilities and info that are lost can’t ever be recovered.

There are still enough companies working in this crucial sector to keep the country as one of the enormous players in the worldwide engineering market. Indeed, thanks to the heavy pressure that it’s been under, the industry has become much more competitive and streamlined than it ever has been before.

Firms have had to become much more inventive to survive, and any precision engineering company that remains profit-making must be lean and mean in everything it does. All facets of the business must be as competitive as feasible. Makers must conscientiously consider how it’s possible to get the best out of each available resource, including labor, machinery, and floor-space.

Pliability and versatility become much more urgent, and where during the past one engineer might expect to work on the same machine every day for years doing the same job, these days he’d have to be skillful in a number of disciplines. Training and re-training across the working life has become normal, and with the price of land becoming so high, engineering workshops have to totally limit the amount of floor-space they use. Costs have to be trimmed as close to the bone as practicable, lead times become shorter and shorter, and consequently quality has improved significantly.

Discover what more you can discover about CNC Stepper that you can find at the CNC Tool resource.

September 17, 2009

Have Your Own Successful Container Garden With Garden Pots

Filed under: Hobbies — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — David Haines @ 8:13 am

With some basic gardening skills, you can ensure a successful container garden. Starting with the containers themselves, make sure that any garden pots made from porous materials (such as terracotta or wood) are sealed on the inside with a quality water sealant. Otherwise, the pots will soak up much of the water meant for your plants.

Water

It is just as important not to over water as it is not to underwater. Most garden pots will have a saucer or bowl underneath to catch any extra water and keep it from rotting your patio or deck. The best way to water your container garden is by filling the saucers up with water. This helps you avoid over watering and the water from spilling over the top of the saucer. The water will seep up through the hole in the bottom of the pot feeding the roots of your plants.

You can also choose to water your plants on the top surface. If so, make sure to fill it a little at a time (about a cup or so) and keep an eye on how much water ends up in the saucer. Its best not to overfill the saucer. Your plants will always welcome a fresh spray of water from a hand sprayer. If you have really hard water from your sink, use bottled or rain water so calcium won’t build up on the leaves.

Nourishment For Your Plants

Because garden pots are generally small, nutrients don’t last much more than five or six weeks in most potting soils. Vital nutrients in the soil will need to be replenished with plant food. It usually comes in either a granular form or a liquid form. For really low maintenance, it is recommended that you use slow-release granules since they last a long time and they keep a steady supply of food going to the plants.

Controlling Insects

The two main types of insecticides are Systemic and Contact. Systemic works by pouring the insecticide onto the soil. It is then absorbed through the root system then up through the plant. This works best for pests under the soil and for leaf eating bugs as they ingest the poison.

The next type of insecticide is the contact type which is sprayed directly onto the insects. It should work rather quickly but you might have to repeat the application after a few days depending on the amount of infestation is going on.

With sufficient monitoring and loving care, you are sure to have a thriving container garden with satisfying results.

David Haines has been working in gardens since his early childhood and has always been interested in educating others on garden pot and landscaping techniques. If you would like to know more about container gardening, visit AllGardenPots.com

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