Not something that happens every day. A commercial bathroom panel completely detached from the wall!
Pretty large hole from the original anchor bracket screws!
No worries, a hole big enough to run a plywood cleat from stud to stud should? be a secure and permanent attachment.
A brand new shiny wall bracket attached with security screws……
And voila! Mission accomplished! Just another day at the office!
Once upon a time the little cabinet locks from the hardware store came with a complete assortment of stock bar latches for any type of installation- file/furniture/cash box. Nowadays not so much. The good news- I just needed a shorter bar length when I replaced the old lock. Just another day at the “office”. Handcrafted small batch replacement repair complete with field expedient part fabrication.
After photograph – existing posts fitted with caps and new contemporary balustrade
Freshening up an existing entry way need not be a major production. Blend existing posts
with new handrails; add decorative caps and bingo! A more up-to-date appearance!
Before photograph- vintage 1980 entry handrail
After photograph- modern replacement balustrade attached to original posts.
For another example of balustrade work from the archives CLICK LINK HERE
The location has changed from downtown Raleigh to new facilities at Box 5381, Raleigh NC 27650 (yeah these boxes are a little crowded) but the work continues, the hope endures, the dream will never die!
A new addition to my unique collection of doodads, whatnots, and thingamajigs. Behold a dedicated tool made from leftover scraps for those of us who need to fidget with ridiculously fussy door latches. No more scraped knuckles or finger muscle cramps. Just stand back and quickly twist the latch to lock or unlock !
Made from genuine American copper pipe, steel bolt, epoxy and authentic American Spruce. You know you need one!
Other doodads, whatnots and thingamajigs can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE and HERE.
A unique way to accent ordinary vinyl shutters using overlay wrap hinges!
The hinge is deliberately visible to provide an accent and in most cases works as designed even if deliberately installed in an off label fashion.
Hinge installed here on vinyl shutter with wooden cleat attached.
Too expensive to replace a customized cabinet and counter top? Drop a new porcelain overlay sink into the existing hole.
The dog days of August ended with a flurry of faucet and sink replacements, a somewhat truculent toilet flush valve and even a little cosmetic medicine cabinet and baseboard work! Good cool air conditioned indoor work! Just a few simple changes can make a big difference in the feel of a bathroom.
Rusty vintage 1920’s medicine cabinet dominating the wall over the sink? Remove the poor thing and hang a framed mirror in the same spot.
An old timey surprise! Used razor blades from the medicine cabinet razor slot piled up in the rough vintage plaster wall!!
Sometimes a basic faucet replacement is all you need to freshen up an otherwise usable lavatory sink and countertop. But there could still be complications!
This time not so much! The rusty bolt sheared apart as soon as the wrench tried to twist the nut! Whew! For an example of a rusty faucet gone wild CLICK THIS LINK HERE
In other news, apparently there are some “Universal Toilet Replacement Valves” that are not so “Universal”.
This particular design is too large for the crowded low flow water saving tank. If the flap cannot close the water will just keep running down the drain.
Other work in this particular bathroom included an FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) overlay panel to dress up the battered plywood surface on the base cabinet and fresh baseboard to create a clean line with the existing floor tile.
Little changes for a big difference in appearance and overall “feel”!
Most of us have, at sometime in our lives, longed for a soda can with a screw top cap.
“Why, oh why, can we not sip our sweet bubbly sugar water in a delicate, discrete, civilized, ladylike manner instead of guzzling all 12 ounces down in a single gulp?” we screamed into the dark incomprehensible void.
(Okay, I NEVER asked THAT question, but I know people who have!)
Long no longer intrepid dipsomaniacal imbiber of exotic elixirs, your salvation has come!
The restless minds at the downtown Raleigh Skunkwerks have come up with a solution available to anyone in possession of a 6.1 oz (174g) plastic bottle of Meta-mucil. In just a few easy steps you too can have a REUSABLE plastic screw top cap for the beverage of your choice!
Step #1
CAREFULLY cut off the top 1/3 of an empty plastic Meta-mucil bottle to make a small cup.
Step #2
Put the 1/3 top cup piece with the CAP ATTACHED into a pan and fill JUST THE CAP & SHELL CUP SECTION with heated teapot water. Let the hot water soften up the filled plastic cup for about a minute. CAREFULLY rattle the pan to empty the hot water from the cup and CAREFULLY pick out the EMPTY plastic cup piece.
Step #3
Quickly remove the cap from the softened cup shell and forcefully press the cup shell piece onto an UNOPENED/SEALED beverage can. The soft plastic will expand to fit the can sides.
Step #4
Be sure the shell section is firmly pushed all the way down to the top of the beverage can rim.
The plastic shell is easily and quickly cooled off with a stream of cold faucet water.
With the pop top open any unconsumed beverage can be easily transported with the screw top cap attached.
When the beverage is completely consumed the plastic shell is easily removed by gently crushing the can so the two parts no longer fit together.
For a perfect fit of the two parts on a NEW can a repeat of the original installation process may be helpful. Eventually the shell (with cap removed) should slide tight and waterproof onto UNOPENED/SEALED beverage cans time after time with little effort. (Remember the cup shell must be installed on UNOPENED/SEALED beverage cans BEFORE drinking from the can.)
Annnd, there are even other style bottles available that work as well! (600 mg Calcium Supplement Bottle)
A small job, but an important one. This is an interior cottage door jamb which has seen better days.
The new, special order brass latch plate will camouflage most of the more egregious dings and scrapes of yesteryear. With proper hand chisel work all is well.
Of course, a sharp chisel helps to do the work on this vintage door jamb. (CLICK LINK HERE)
Remember this? (Click LINK HERE)
Me Too! Seems like only yesterday, but actually 2 years of various projects have passed into the archives!
For some reason big dogs need to have doggie hatches installed in steel doors.
The only difference with this year’s new adventure was to encapsulate the old tiny doggie door in the cut out for the new BIG doggie door.
And, as with the previous installation, a custom shop made template was an invaluable guide for the oscillating multi-tool.
If you have a big doggie door hatch problem, give me a call. I have experience.
(919) 834-4833
The Corona Chronicles-like everyone else -work here at Handyman Headquarters in downtown
Raleigh sputtered along in 3/4 or even 1/4 time during the dreary Spring Incarceration of 2020.
Long hours alone surrounded by sawdust and powertools punctuated by explorations of
Buckminster Fuller’s Geodesic Dome for the Cabin Fever Crowd (CLICK LINK)
and, of course, the ever popular Gatorade Snaptop Canister made from 2 recycled Gatorade plastic bottles.(CLICK LINK)
Howsomeever, there were and continue to be JOBSHOP PROJECTS!
Similar to jobshop projects from the recent past
(CLICK LINK)(CLICK LINK) (CLICK LINK) (CLICK LINK)(CLICK LINK)(CLICK LINK)(CLICK LINK)
some part of this custom bathroom vanity lay on the work bench through most of March, April and May.
Big pieces of lumber and plywood cut into small pieces of lumber and plywood (Step 1)
Said small pieces of lumber and plywood reassembled into other larger pieces of lumber and plywood. (Step 2)
Hardware and fixtures assembled and installed! (Step 3)
Finally, the completely assembled unit at the jobsite!
Kattermann's Handyman Blog 