~wjc

Changes since 2016-03-28T14:40:49

2016-03-28T14:40:49Z

home

Past entries

2015-11-01 TR6 Project update 2015-09-18 bathroom remodel 2015-08-21 kitchen table 2015-01-12 overwintering 2014-11-24 the wheel build 2014-11-13 fuck cancer, and this one in particular 2014-10-27 a commuter bike 2014.10.22 LED light 2014.10.16 TC Club Meetup report 2014.10.14 vinyl shopping 2014.10.10 update 2014.10.8 tilde crash 2014.10.6 The kitchen project 2014.10.3 An intro

2016-03-19 A fix for rattling old doorknobs

Some cool tilde user sites

RSS feed

Changes since 2016-03-19T23:39:23

2016-03-19T23:39:23Z

2015-03-19 A fix for rattling old doorknobs

My house was built in 1909, and has the vast majority of delightful and quirky details that were originally installed. Like the barely cemented-over cistern in the basement, and the lighted push-button switch in the kitchen that turns on the indicator light but doesn't seem to do anything else, and all of the original door knobs, rattling on their little square spindles.

It's not a huge thing, having rattly door knobs, but when you're trying to make your way to the bathroom quietly in the middle of the night it's nicer if they're quiet. Tightening them doesn't really help, because the spindles are just a bit too long, and the square holes on the knobs are worn just a bit, and that's what makes them feel loose, not loose screws.

I fixed them with 2 changes, taking up some slack in both areas. First, I bought some nylon washers with a 3/8" inner diameter and used those behind the knobs. They're about 1/8" thick, and fit within the escutcheon plate, so they're hidden when installed but take up slack from the slightly too-long spindle (or the slightly shrunken 100-year-old maple door). They're a snug fit on the spindle, but not stressed enough to worry about them breaking.

The second fix was for the knob itself. It fits fairly loosely on the square spindle, so i wrapped the end with a few layers of PTFE plumbing tape. It's not tight, but takes up enough space to make it feel better. Between the 2 changes and some fresh lube in the lock mechanism, the doors feel much smoother and tighter, for about 10 minutes work per door.

Changes since 2016-01-28T20:16:06

2016-01-28T20:16:06Z

2015-11-01 TR6 Project update

Our TR6 went into winter storage today. A bit of a shame, since we'll be back in the upper 60s for a couple more days, but prudent, because we also had our first snow flurries of the year last week.

At 130 miles, today's trip was actually the longest one the car has made this year. Since we just got it running again this spring, it's also the longest trip it's done in at least 15 years. It drove great, no problems other than a slightly dragging brake caliper, but we were already planning to pull those for rebuilding this winter. We've probably put about 350 miles on it this year total.

This is a fairly complete list of the work we did on it this year:

new clutch hydraulics

new rear brakes, new servo, rebuilt master cylinder

replaced all coolant hoses

cleaned, repaired, repainted fuel tank

new fuel pump

replaced engine thrust bearing

rebuilt rocker assembly

new bushings in throttle linkage

partial front suspension rebuild, new front shocks

cleaned carburetors (twice)

relined window channels on both doors

converted to modern spin-on oil filter

full tuneup, new plugs and wires

lots of miscellaneous cleaning, lubing, and adjusting different areas

List of work planned for this winter and next year:

Finish front suspension rebuild

new bushings in rear suspension

convert rear shocks back to original-style levers

new tires

new exhaust

After next year, hopefully the major mechanical systems should be solid and we can move on to more cosmetic things, like refinishing the dashboard and guages, new body seals, maybe carpeting. Mostly more driving though, lots more driving time.

I'm really happy with the progress we've made and how well it's running, having started with a mostly unknown quantity last December. I'm going to miss driving it the next few months, and heading to the garage evenings for tinkering time. It's been a really fun year with that car.

Changes since 2015-09-19T01:17:31

2015-09-19T01:17:31Z

2015-09-18 bathroom remodel

My next project this summer has been an unexpected bathroom remodeling, done over the past week. My only bathroom in the house.

I've had a small but persistent leak into the basement from the 2nd floor bathroom for a few months, but kept pushing it off because it never seemed too bad, just a few drips. Then a couple of weeks ago i happened to be in the basement when someone was draining the bathtub and it wasn't quite a stream, but fast enough dripping that it was obviously a problem that needed fixing.

This is the bathroom before, mostly, after removing the toilet and a wall cabinet. I loved the original maple floors in there, but after 100 years there were a couple of areas of dry rot, and the toilet always rocked because the wood beneath it was shrunken from repeatedly being wet.

With the fixtures out i opened up the floor to find the problem. The sink connection was always a little hinkey, and i assumed the problem was the sink drain connection into the tub line, but that was fine.

The real culprit was the drum trap at the left side. The cleanout cap was corroded on a couldn't be removed, so i still don't know if it was leaking or just overflowing. Either way, it's getting replaced with a modern PVC and p-trap system. Happily, since it's an old and drafty house i didn't find any evidence of mold or mildew in the floor or wall, just the wet plank under the trap.

The (presumably original 1909) lead bend was interesting, and had a cool sticker underneath it. The less cool part was how the flange was built into the pipe, so it gave no support to the toilet once the wood floor gave up. It also meant a lot of monkeying around to find a combination of PVC pipe and flange that would work in that space and while aiming for the same finished floor height.

I'll spare the details of the rest of the interim steps, but suffice it to say that it can get complicated connecting new and old plumbing parts. Shout out to Gopher Plumbing, who helped figure out the correct connection between a clawfoot bathtub and modern PVC drain trap connection (those tubs uniquely have 1 3/8" pipe). Gopher Plumbing

I knew i'd use tile, and have always loved the classic look of small hex. Budget precluded spending almost $700 on the marble version, but this 1" porcelain looks pretty great with black grout. Here's the finished floor, just waiting for the grout to set so i can start reinstalling fixtures.

It was 3 full days (one with my brother helping), and 3 evenings of work to get to this, with about a day and a half of work remaining to paint and replace all the trim and install everything. We had 6 mornings without a bathroom, and i've rarely been happier to live across the street from a coffee shop.

Changes since 2015-09-18T14:34:19

2015-09-18T14:34:19Z

2015-08-21 kitchen table

My major projects for the summer have been to build a new kitchen table for my mom, and continued work on the TR6 that began over the winter.

The table was a christmas gift, she's talked about replacing her old table since beginning her kitchen modeling project last year, and also a project i wanted to try building. We went back and forth early in the spring with design ideas and settled on a small 3'x3' top with a 2'x3' leaf at one end.

Her older table was always a bit large, so she wanted something small but that could also accommodate craft and sewing projects, so the one-ended drop leaf was a good solution. It has folding legs under the leaf so she can easily expand or collapse it herself, no need to store a leaf separately, and the table was meant to be against a wall anyway.

It's all solid maple, with most of the wood coming from my very good friend Mike, who happened to have several nice pieces left over from other projects, and donated it to the table. He also has a small planer, so we were able to get everything uniform thickness. I bought the leg stock separately, also in hard maple.

I've never glued up a panel like this before, and it went well, but i'm glad i started with the leaf, as i learned a lot about clamping and alignment before tackling the main top. I also learned that scraping tops is cool, and much, much easier when the glue joints are really really even from the start.

Here's the final table, finished with a medium gel stain and a tough oil urethane finish, full size with leaf up.

And here it is in more typical daily use, leaf down, enough room for the newspaper, breakfast and coffee.

Changes since 2015-01-27T03:17:58

2015-01-27T03:17:58Z

2015-01-12 overwintering

As happens, i got wrapped up in writing a script to automate pages here, blog style, and it's a good idea, but i just didn't finish it, and time spent writing that took away from writing time, as too often happens. So bollocks to the script for now, and let's not leave this on a cancerous note. I'm fine, minus a little skin, and trying to wrap up some project loose ends.

The bike project got finished, but just as the cold was coming on, so it hasn't been on the road more than a couple of miles; an initial road test, and one grocery run in the cold that left me with a blinding headache. I don't think the headache was the bike's fault. So that pristine, lovely bike is going to sit until we thaw in the spring, but in my limited riding i'm still quite happy with it. I'll eventually post some pictures of the final setup. I'm particularly looking forward to building another LED headlight to go with the neat dyno hub i put on it.

The next project is already in the hopper though, and i'm so excited to get started:

This is a 1969 Triumph TR6 that has been in the family for at least 30 years or more, but has been sitting in a cousin's garage for the past 10 years. My brother had it shipped to us in MN, and we're going to get it back on the road. Not a full restoration (we're too time- and money-poor for that right now), but at least safe and roadworthy and stable until it can get more attention.

I recognize the irony of a middle-aged guy (which my brother and i both are, admittedly) getting a little red sports car. It's a ridiculous stereotype. If it's any help, this isn't driven by the need to regain youth or attract the young ladies, but really just as a fun project - the car is a blast to drive, and we both love working on classic cars. It's also a way to honor our dad, who had the car for 10 years or so, tinkering with it and driving it occassionally with our stepmom to see the sunset on the Oregon coast. He died a year ago this month, so fixing and driving a car that he also put some blood and sweat into is as connected as we can be with him now. I can't wait to get it back on the road.