DirecTV SWiM Switch Installation

Check out my recent DirecTV Splitter installation by clicking here:   DirecTV SWiM Splitter Install

Upgrading the Master Bath

Kohler Fluence Bypass Door - Matte Nickle.

 I don't do shower curtains.   The only exception was A) College Living B) directly after I moved into this house.   Both were a fleeting experience that I will not miss.

Above is the installation result of my toils on last Friday evening.   I had ordered this particular door setup from HomeDepot.com, but in the two weeks it took for the freight company to get the door from Maryland (distribution center) to South Lyon, it got shattered.  I ended up picking this one up at Lowes, paying a few more dollars, but got the product in one piece.  If I can digress for a moment, the whole HomeDepot.com experience was a complete failure.  I've resolved NEVER to order another item from them due to their use of NonStopDelivery.com freight services (also a huge joke) and poor RMA policies.  I'd list all the negatives, but that's not really the point of the post.

The installation was quite straight forward:   6 holes drilled, some silicone caulking, and a few basic tools and I was in business.   I was let down a bit by the fit and finish of the door trim at the bottom, which is installed at the factory using very similar silicone to the stuff you need to install and seal the wall jambs.    I ended up having to scrape extra silicone adhesive off both of the large door panels which the factory had smeared all over during the initial assembly.   This was probably the most time consuming step in the whole install.

So far, I'm loving the extra space that comes with not having a vinyl shower curtain sticking to your leg while you shower.   If only the big-ass glass panes cleaned themselves.

My Lawn is Dead

Backyard, Post 4th of July Heat.

Backyard/Sideyard, Post 4th of July Heat.

I certainly don't have a green thumb, but the sod that I bought last year is officially looking the roughest it has since it was installed.    Let's get a little run down here:  1) The back yard (seen in picture 1) has been brown before -- but I was able to resuscitate it with a ton of watering.    2) We left town for 4 days and I do not have a sprinkler system.

Normally, I wouldn't be concerned about leaving for an extended weekend -- but it just so happens this was one of the hottest, dryest weekends we've had in a while.   Obviously, when I came home, I knew I was in trouble.

This is the Day 1 picture set of my dead lawn.    I'll post progress pictures as I go along-- Right now, I've over-seeded all the brown parts and have been watering in 30 minute increments 2-3 times a day.   The weather hasn't cooperated (no rain), but at least the temperature is dropped.

Who's got the odds on this turning green again?   Or is it a lost cause?

Harbor Freight Trailer Build

The Toy-Hauler... Harbor Freight's Folding 4x8 Utility Trailer.

Sunken wheel chock for the motorcycle, folds away for towing other goodies.

Painted the 23/32 Plywood Deck with Valspar's Non-Skid Porch Paint.   

Pre-Mixed with silica for a non-skid surface.

Disclaimer: It's pretty much been ages since I've posted on here.   Mostly because work situations have changed, the house really is pretty much physically complete, and my money is at it's end.    So, with little lack of 'play-time' funds I've been laying low and paying the mortgage.

This July 4th, we decided that we were going to do a motorcycle tour of the Northern part of Michigan and I was pretty much dead set on trailering my bike up to our starting point so I could carry all the extra gear-- and my girlfriend (Amanda) as well.   We're all packed with tents and airbeds -- which will come up in a chase vehicle - and this trailer was the project that really needed finishing before we left on the trip.

Based on my quick searches, this was one of the few cost effective alternatives as a motorcycle trailer.   The run down is as follows:

• 265 for the Harbor Freight Folding Utility Trailer (4x8 size, 12" Wheels).
• 23 for the 23/32 Plywood
• 22 for the Valspar Non-Skid Paint
• 10 for a mis-mixed can of Dutch Boy Exterior Latex Paint in 'poop-brown' color off the clearance rack
• 15 for various hardware
• 38 for the hide-a-way motorcycle chock
• Way too many hours of my life reading the poorly written chinese instruction manual.
• Oh, and don't forget Secretary of States piece of the pie:  75.00 for a trailer plate.

Total Cost: 450.00 (approx).

All-in-all the assembly experience was about what I expected.   Every time I thought I had finished the trailer, I'd test the folding mechanism, or check the bed, and something else would need adjusting.   If I spent my whole weekend working on it, I could probably have assembled it -- sans paint.   In reality, the project ended up eating up 4 weeks of my life (working on and  off).  While I consider myself quite mechanically capable,  being lazy and putting off painting, or problems with alignment of the folding beds fasteners, or something else would always keep me from just finishing the project.   In retrospect, the 250 dollar trailer (while admittedly still quite cheap) would not be my first choice of trailering solutions.

So, this weekend I'll be pulling it for the first time with my new motorcycle perched on back.  Here's hoping the wheels don't fall off.

New Faucet Installation - Touch 2o Technology

The 'contractor-grade' faucet - which was leaking and poorly installed.

Original faucet removed, hard-water stains cleaned from the granite.

Faucet stem installed.

Finished installation with the control handle and the spigot installed.

Wide-angle of the final product.

Last weekend, after living in the new house for about 6 months-- the faucet started squeaking and grinding as we turned it back and forth between sinks.   On Sunday evening, the grinding sound finally caused the bolt holding the main faucet stem to become so loose that it was floating around in the installation hole.   I figured that if I didn't fix it, one of the two of us (Amanda or Myself) was going to give it a jerk and it was going to pull loose of the water connections below.   After I unloaded the ridiculous amount of spray-cleaner and dish washing detergent from the cupboard beneath, I climbed in to survey the scene.

What I found didn't necessarily surprise me, but it was a little disappointing considering the house is only 6 months old.    The main faucet stem had been dripping on the compressed board in the cabinet causing some mild bubbling of the finish.   Fortunately, it wasn't caused by the actual water running, it was caused by water sitting on top of the granite slab -- a product of a poorly installed rubber gasket at the base of the faucet.   I swear, whoever installed it must have done it in about 6 minutes.    Nevertheless, I removed the whole assembly and went to work fixing the problem.

On Monday, I began to think about the whole situation and decided that I was going to take this as an opportunity to A) change the fixture over to match the rest of the appliances (stainless steel) and B) try out the new 'Touch to Activate' faucet available from Delta.   I had lusted after this back when I was first choosing things for the kitchen, but at that time the budget was tight and I couldn't afford the luxury.   Tuesday afternoon, I ordered the Delta Pilar Stainless Steel Touch 2O faucet and had it over-nighted by FedEx.   The above pictures are the results of my first attempt at plumbing... So far, no leaks and it works great.   The touch to activate feature is really cool-- and it appeals to my geeky sensibilities.   Amanda thinks its cool too, so far she's giggled everytime she's used it.

Now the downside:  I have to change the batteries for my kitchen faucet occasionally.   I've already got an idea brewing for a permanently powered alternative!

Finished Product: SV650 Slip-On Project

The results of the Slip-On exhaust installation videos.

This is what it looks like with a little dirt on it...

Final installation 'Sound' video.

Anyone need a DIY Cable Show Host??