Hi!

I'm trying to drill a hole through a brick wall, but for some reason it won't go deep enough, I've already broken 2 different drill bits trying.

I'm trying to put up a shelf, and on one side I was able to drill the holes just fine, but on the other side they won't go through deep enough, but I also can't see anything metal or anything in the way. I've tried to space the holes out on this side (by at least 15cm), and still the hole doesn't get deep enough. I've even tried to put some water in the hole, as I've seen people suggesting this helps to cool the drill bit. I'm also keeping the drill straight, and using the same technique I did on the other side.

I'm at a loss for what I'm doing wrong, or what could be causing this. There's no pipes running on this wall, so the only thing that it could be would be metal, but I can't see any metal, and I previously had a mirror in this wall (but way higher and more to the left), and I remember hitting a metal but it was visible, and this time there's nothing.

Any tips on what I should do? If I can't drill a hole, would it be stupid to use those glues on one side only?

Edit: Thank you for all the replies! I was finally able to do it, it's not perfect but it's secure. It took a bit of patience but the biggest advice I could give is don't force the drill (and use the correct drill bit), it should work for you, you don't need to force it, just take small breaks and clean off the dust with a brush in between drilling!

I have a bathroom that gets too foggy during showers; moisture collects on walls and drips form. Is my roof vent too heavy? Can I vent to the unconditioned attic?

( Edit: it has become quickly apparent that people don’t like the idea of venting it into the attic )

My exhaust seems to move a good amount of air. I tested this by going into my attic with the fan on and disconnected the hose from the roof vent.

My system includes a fan with a flap in the box to a 4” flex hose that goes to a roof vent. The roof vent also has a flap also. I think the roof vent flap is too heavy for my exhaust fan. Some air is removed but I can tell there is back pressure because I can see turbulence in front of the fan instead of just sucking.

Is it ok to vent into my attic? Any other ideas?

I'm working on a stage design using concrete form tubes. They'll be cut to different lengths and hanging from the ceiling. I'll need around 25 forms of 8", 12", and 16" diameters. I'm looking to find a cheaper place to purchase than the large box stores, where I'd be paying around $450. Any insight on other sources, online or otherwise, would be greatly appreciated!

Here’s the video of me trying out the working hot water and broken cold water faucet handles. https://imgur.com/a/RiNYCka

I have no clue how to remove the faucet handle cap to check inside. I do not know the model name for this type of sink faucet, so Googling does not help.

Hey ya'll.

Typically, I'd ask my dad for DIY advice, so I've never had to post here before. However, the whole reason I'm doing this bronze memorial plaque is for my dad who suddenly past away earlier this year.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out the best way to mount my dad's plaque that will stand the test of time on a plastic + steel picnic table out underneath an oak tree. I'm working with a cast bronze company to create the plaque, and they suggested a solid mount (with anchors) or wood mount (with wood screws). The wood mount would be easiest, but I feel like over 20+ years the mount may come loose. So I'm considering throwing the woodscrew hardware away and getting some stainless steel bolts that will fit the mounting holes, then use some type of loctite on the underside of the table around the nuts.

Is this the best method?
I was also considering using the wood screws, dousing them in some sort of adhesive, put additional adhesive on the backplate of the bronze plaque, and then screw into the table.

Any advice is super appreciated. Thank you so much <3 We're placing this table in the parking lot of a place that was very special to my dad and our family as a donation to the Army Corps who maintain the recreational land we enjoyed.

This is my first time installing engineered hardwood flooring. I've read the installation instructions, talked to the store I bought it at, and even emailed the manufacturer, but I haven't gotten a clear response on whether a glue assist is needed when nailing down 8.5" wide engineered hardwood over an underlayment.

The instructions say "for boards wider than 5 inches, a glue assist is recommended". These boards are 8.5" wide, which of course passes that requirement. But what does a glue assist do if you are using an underlayment? The glue isn't going to penetrate the underlayment, so you'll be gluing it to a "loose" layer?

The guy at the flooring store told me not to bother with glue and to just nail it down, which is what I was planning to do, but I want to make sure I'm not about to make a huge mistake since most recommendations online use the 5" guideline for glue assist.

Other details that might be helpful:

- OSB subfloor

- Engineered Hardwood dimensions: 5/8" thick x 8.5" wide x random lengths. 4mm wear layer.

- Aquabar underlayment

- 15.5 gauge staples for nail down

Thanks in advance! I have a feeling I'm probably over thinking this, but figure a quick question to to reddit could save me from installing my entire floor incorrectly.

Hi,

Looking for some advice, need to put a shower curtains in my bathroom and the bathroom has upvc wall panels.

If i use tension pole rods, is the safe to use will damage/crush the upvc panels? I don't want to drill into.

Looking for simple solution

Thanks

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Hi everyone, I'll get straight to the point: I have a huge problem with Asian stink bugs in my attic.

I've already sealed every single hole, crack, and possible entry point I could find, but they still keep getting inside. I constantly find them in the attic.

Has anyone dealt with the same problem and actually found a permanent solution?

What I really want to understand is how they're still getting in despite me sealing all the visible openings, and what I can do to stop them from getting inside once and for all.

Any advice, personal experience, effective methods, or things I should check would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello! I had a little home project that ive been working on, replace a retaining wall and install some pavers. Im having some issues with drainage coming through the wall and the drainage bringing muddy water through the wall onto the pavers. When it dries up it just looks like the pavers are very dirty. I suspect I missed something behind the wall to prevent this? Behind the wall I put drainage stone onto the concrete base of the wall and back filled with dirt.

Any help is very much appreciated!

https://imgur.com/7cwgIxF

https://imgur.com/a/DAuy3OY

https://imgur.com/a/BCOPioJ

https://imgur.com/a/HVtPSJu

I spent a lot of non-refundable money on motorized blinds for a French door. I know nothing about doors but inspected it and saw the wood grain, and knocked on it to verify it wasn't hollow. Figured it was solid wood, bought the blinds. I drilled 2 tiny pilot holes, and found the drilled door material is solid white, no wood. There's 1/8" resistance before the drill can move through the door like butter. Did some door research-

I believe I have a fiberglass exterior, foam filled door.

The blinds are going on, one way or another. Yep, I paid $500 for these things and would put bolts straight through it to a brace on the outside before I give up the blinds.

The door isn't used. It's essentially a double-window. It's blocked by a couch and not easily accessible, which is why I chose motorized blinds. I would prefer to install the blinds directly onto the door where I originally planned.

Too attach the blinds, I have a few ideas but am open to hearing others:

• Using the top rail inside the door with the original wood screws (how can I be sure it's there and wide enough?). The bracket needs 1" of solid wood.
• Getting horizontal metal rectangular braces to extend the mount point of the blinds 4" outward to the outer edges of the door, reaching the stiles
• Removing small sections of trim above the door and using wood screws to mount it there
  • This will look weird but they should have enough length
• Using jack nuts and installing the blinds where was originally planned, directly onto the thin fiberglass exterior

Im putting up a shelf onto my wall. The shelf is going to go slightly above/near a power outlet and I dont know where I should drill.

The wall is covered with gyprock and is made of brick, so I don't know where the wire is chased (but i assume it is straight up), nor do i know where the mortar between the bricks are. I have used a studfinder but it is too unreliable because the wires seem to be a touch too deep behind the gyprock.

How do I go about doing this without hitting any wires? My first thought was to turn off the power and do a small drill slowly until i feel a change in material, and see if I hit anything. help is appreciated

I recently came around to taking down the coal/charcoal stalls from the early 1900s. This is what is left on the walls behind each stall. How do I clean these walls up?

https://imgur.com/a/cNFVuEP

I have a tv mounted on my wall using this mount: https://a.co/d/01moo81J

I'm trying to figure out a good way to hide the cord and still leave enough slack in it so that we can adjust the position of the TV, because we will be adjusting the position of the tv very frequently. I don't have any preference for either going in the wall or some sort of cord hiding system along the wall, as long as there's not just a big old wire hanging down the side of the bedroom wall.

Thanks!

I live in a tiny house and have limited space around it, but just laid a 5ft x 9ft set of concrete pavers. I’d love to create a cozy little outdoor space. Looking for creative ideas! I’ve got a small propane fire pit, and some twinkle lights. Any ideas for some kind of cover on a limited budget that still looks elegant, warm and inviting? Thanks!

Has anyone gone from having a lot of tools much much less or even none? I have gathered a lot of tools since leaving my parents home for various projects, woodworking tools, car repair tools, some metal working tools, painting and decorating, plumbing etc etc. I was glad to have them when I needed them and for sure I saved money through having them but I don't have many projects anymore or time for projects.

I am considering getting rid of a lot of my tools, I don't have a workshop or garage so my tools live in the apartment or in the small basement. I would keep the basics for small fixes at home and basic car repairs.

Has anyone gone through a serious cull? Did you regret it?

What did you focus on first? For example I bought a 100€ hydraulic press for a wheel bearing change but I seriously hope I won't need to use this anytime soon.

I had some plywood (Sandeply 3/4") cut at Home Depot yesterday and the pieces smell so strongly of vinegar that I had to take them out of the house. Research indicates that the smell is likely from the adhesives. My question is, will this smell ever go away and, if so, how long should it take? The pieces are in the garage now and the garage smells terrible. I was planning on using the pieces to build a shelf in a bedroom but now I'm concerned.

I’m trying to build a manual lift for a 32” TV that hides behind a wood cabinet. It needs to move vertically about 16”. Pull it up to watch, then lower it completely behind the cabinet.

The lift/mount will attach to the back of the cabinet. The tricky part is that the TV screen faces forward. I believe this is called a reverse mount. so it needs to sit about 3–4” forward of the lift mechanism so the screen can safely pass in front of it when lowered.

Any ideas for a simple DIY mechanism? not looking for motorized.

To satisfy the product search requirement, tradtional mounting systems I’ve found have TV facing away from the surface you’re mounting on. I want reverse mount, which exists in limited capacity, but I’m specifically unable to find a mountable rear mounted lift mechanism

When using a silicone caulking gun in the bathroom, I'm really not getting how the tip should be oriented and why you would cut a 45deg angle. If you make a straight cut, then you press the nozzle into the corner so that both wall and floor (or wall and wall) are being touched, then shoot the silicone and pull (or push, seems to be varying opinions on this). But if you cut a 45deg angle in the tip, how do you orient it now? See 3 images below.

1. Straight cut, 45 angle into the corner to touch both wall and floor.
2. 45deg cut, some angle into the corner so the tip touches both wall and floor
3. 45deg cut, but with the opening wedged into the corner. And then you pull the gun in the direction of the opening. And the angled cut helps smooth the silicone as you go?
4. 45deg cut, but with the opening wedged into the corner. And then you pull the gun in the direction opposite the opening. But then why have the angle...

Thanks for any clarification! I've googled and youtubed and am just very confused about what I think should be straightforward, but I'm just not getting.

The house we live in is over 100 years old (built in 1920). It uses plaster + lath with drywall installed over that. When they installed the drywall they just nailed it to the plaster without looking for studs so the nail don't line up with the studs. So the magnet trick doesn't work.

When they added power they just plopped the boxes in the middle and they are attached to the floor sideways instead of a stud. I cant see a stud from the box with a flashlight. Stud finders are completely useless in this situation and just say there is stud and power everywhere.

I've tried measuring every amount of inches from the corners I could see mentioned on google and still no luck hitting wood.

I tried drilling a hole and poking around with a metal wire but the insulation has the consistency of tightly crumpled up paper and that doesn't get me anywhere.

I also tried drilling every half inch for a few feet and everything felt hollow behind. Nothing I've seen listed on Google has helped so far.

Is there anything else I can try that I might have missed?

I've got a bathroom fan I'm installing in my new detached garage, it's rough framed with no drywall or siding yet. The room is 6x3 and has a toilet, small wall heater, fan, light and door.

Here's a couple of pics - the bathroom is under my stairs to the 2nd floor.

My question is - should I go through the 2x8 that is 8" away from the outlet or should I go above it and slope the duct up?

My wall penetration has like a 10" straight metal duct on it, so I only have 8 inches to bridge between the fan outlet and the vent duct.

Should I just slope it upwards over those 8 inches and go over that 2x8 or should I put a hole in the 2x8?

I'm thinking put it above. I suppose I could cut the duct on the back of the vent to get a gentler slope up from the fan if I cut the duct vent flush or so with the 2x8...

Please let me know if this isn’t the right subreddit for this.

Where I live, it is very common for Peugeot 206 sunroof glass panels to be stolen. Thieves can apparently just pry them up with a tool and remove the panel in well under 15s. [video]

People often install simple anti-theft bars that prevent the sunroof from opening, but I'd like to design something that keeps the original functionality. [picture]

Since my own sunroof was stolen, I've been thinking about designing and manufacturing a system myself. The basic requirements are:

• The sunroof must remain fully functional.
• The system should be visible from outside, so a thief can immediately see that the glass is secured.
• It should provide real mechanical resistance, rather than being something that can simply be bent or removed quickly with a pry bar.
• Ideally, the glass itself shouldn't be the structural element resisting the attack. I'm thinking more along the lines of a "cage" or retaining structure around the glass. Even if someone manages to release the glass from its original mounting, it should remain trapped and attached to the vehicle.
• Preferably, the system could be released from inside the car. It doesn't necessarily need to be lockable/engageable from inside; being able to release it from inside would already be useful.
• The system shouldn't interfere with the glass when the sunroof opens.

The difficult part is the last one.

The 206 sunroof glass first has to move upward a few millimeters and then slide rearward [video]. So there isn't simply a single direction of movement that I can leave clear.

My initial idea was something like two transverse straps crossing over the roof with a small clearance above the glass. These would be connected to another perpendicular retaining piece, somewhat like a hook, which would catch the glass from behind [something like this but making shorter the back one]. The retaining piece would somehow pivot or lift out of the way when the sunroof needs to open. [some skteches of my ideas]

The problem is that I haven't found a mechanism that seems mechanically sound: it needs to leave enough clearance for the glass to rise and slide back, but at the same time it shouldn't be possible for someone outside the car to simply force the mechanism upward or sideways

I've also seen a solution where a metal bar is mechanically attached directly to the glass, with an internal locking mechanism that prevents it from being removed.

I don't really like this approach because it still makes the glass itself part of the load-bearing security system. [some pictures] In many attempted thefts, the glass ends up shattering when someone applies enough force to pry it out.

I'm particularly interested in suggestions for mechanisms that could accomplish this and that could realistically be fabricated from steel or aluminum.

I can provide what would help.

What kind of mechanism would you use for this?

Hey everyone, I know this is ambitious and there will probably be people telling me not to do it, but I’m pretty fixed on this goal. I have a wrecked 2018 Camry and want to build a custom body kit for it. I currently have basically no 3D modeling/CAD skills, but I want to learn and give myself around 2 years to complete it.
Design

I’ve tried using YouTube tutorials to 3D model my own car design using Camry sizing, but I kept running into problems with getting the geometry to match from different views.
After researching orthographic modeling and trying different approaches, I decided it would probably be easier to create the shape physically first rather than trying to model everything from scratch.

I’ve also used Vizcom to visualize my own sketches and ideas. Those images are mainly inspiration rather than something I expect to manufacture directly from.

Clay model

My plan is to make a realistic scaled-down physical model of my design, using the Camry’s dimensions as the basis.
I’ll sculpt the body using clay and modify areas such as the fenders, hood, and front face so the new bodywork transitions cleanly into the OEM parts I’m keeping, especially the doors.

3D scan

Once I’m happy with the clay model, I plan to 3D scan it.
Ideally I’d scan one side and mirror it from the centerline because the design will be symmetrical. This should also help reduce errors from manually sculpting both sides.
Turning the scan into panels

This is where I’m completely lost.

I know how to take the 3D scan and turn it into a usable 3D model. What I don’t know is how to take that finished 3D model and turn it into separate body panels.
For example, I eventually want the hood, fenders, front face, etc. to be separate pieces.
I’m also not sure how to create the inside structure of those panels.

Obviously the panels can’t just be a thin exterior shell. They need some kind of internal structure for mounting and strength.

So I’m trying to understand how you take the finished exterior model, split it into individual panels, and then create the internal structure behind those panels.

Manufacturing

My rough idea is to eventually 3D print molds, with each panel being separately created as a mold.
Then I would use those molds to make the actual panels from something like fiberglass and epoxy.

So the rough process in my head is:

My design
scaled physical model
clay sculpting
3D scan
3D model
turn model into panels
create internal structure
create molds
make the actual panels.

I’m sure there are things I’m misunderstanding about this process, which is why I’m asking.

My question

Is my plan of how I’m gonna make the body kit good?

How do I take a 3D model of my finished design and turn it into separate body panels, and then design the internal structure of those panels?

That’s really the part I’m trying to learn.
I’m not asking someone to make the parts for me. I just want to understand the proper workflow so I can learn how to do it myself.

I need to install a fence but the area I need it placed is a little tricky. I live in a rowhome and there's a rusty chain link type fence between me and my neighbor. It sits on a 6" high x 6" wide concrete curb because her yard is higher than mine. We have a concrete walk right beside the curb. I'm thinking I can lag a post base to the walk and curb to set the posts. But will that work? It'll be a wood fence, 6', individual planks - not the home depot panels. She won't allow us to replace the metal fence because she doesn't want to see the "ugly side" of the wood fence. The only way to avoid that is to have the guys in her yard to install it. Not happening.