Newspaper Page Text
Home & Garden
Sunday, October 14,1984
Fall colors brighten home
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Churns and brooms make attractive combination
Brilliant leaves, flowers, pumpkins bring outside inside
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Pair of dressed-up brooms become eye-catcher
Tub spout, drain removal creates no big problem
Fear of the unknown is often a problem. Sometimes,
however, the things that we worry about turn out to be
simple to solve maybe as simple as our first question
today.
Q: After trying a few simple do-it-yourself tasks, I’m
inspired to go on to more complicated projects. I was
considering remodeling the bathroom. As I considered, I
realised the first two things I’d have to do both were
things I couldn’t figure out In replacing the old bathtub,
bow would I remove the spout so the tab could come
away from the wall, and how would I unhook the drain?
A: In most cases, the spout is attached to a threaded
pipe, called a nipple, that sticks out from the wall. The
spout is threaded inside, and to remove it you need to
turn counterclockwise. Same models have a hole cm the
underside of the spout so you can insert a rod to turn
with. If there’s no such hole, insert a rod into the spout
opening at an angle so you get the leverage to rotate the
spout.
That sounds very simple. Often the threads have been
subjected to such a buildup of mineral deposits that the
spout is almost welded in place. You have to exercise
patience. Use a spray lubricant with a plastic extension
for the nozzle and spray up into the spout. If you can
squirt vinegar into the spout, it may help dissolve the
mineral deposits. Healthy taps with a rubber mallet
while turning may break it loose. The thing you want to
try to avoid is twisting the nipple before the threads let
go. Heat sometimes helps.
The drain opening also is easy. Often, however, there’ll
also be a strainer to remove. Some must be pried out;
others are held in place with a screw. Still others are
threaded and require turning counterclockwise to
remove. The drain also needs to be turned
counterclockwise to come out. Insert the handles of a
pair of pliers into the opening and into the crosspiece
With die pliers jammed in there, put a rod or tire iron
through die handle and turn the drain right on out.
You will also need to remove the overflow piate and lift
out the stopper mechanism. In many cases, you’ll also
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By Chuck Thompson
Th« Sunday News
Brisk winds herald the
approach of cooler
temperatures as they brush
against your cheeks.
Sunsets, with their bright rays of
red and gold, come earlier each day
and the smell of fallen leaves brings
to mind thoughts of harvest,
pumpkins and Thanksgiving meals.
All around, the trees display bright
shades of red, orange and yellow,
signaling the arrival of fall.
'Fall is more than a season. Like
spring, it's a time when nature shows
us its best colors.
So, why not take advantage of what
nature has to offer and bring a little
bit of fall into your home?
Its rich colors will not only brighten
up your rooms, but give them a fresh,
new look.
Decorating with fall colors can also
help you enjoy the season indoors,
when the weather becomes too cool to
prevent a casual walk outside.
In addition, changing a few
decorations around your home
doesn’t have to be expensive.
Items like old fashioned brooms,
for example, can be altered to reflect
the season, according to Vivian
Martin, manager of Cumming
Flower and Gifts.
The brooms are made by tying
pieces of straw together with wire.
Afterwards, a cloth band is
wrapped around the broom in a
circular manner and fastened with
staples. Then, flowers and a bow are
added to complete the broom.
Mrs. Martin says the flowers are
sometimes changed to reflect the
season.
And, it’s here that savings can be
At
Ktff Carrell
have to gain access to the pipe connections to disconnect
them. If there’s not an access panel on the back of the
wall, you’ll have to cut into the wall to do this. Good luck.
Q: What is die best kind of wood to use for the inner
walls of a home-built sauna?
A: Redwood is one of the most popular woods, even
among the pros, but I’ve seen units made of cedar and
even from white pine. A very important consideration is
to be sure the wood is seasoned. The extreme heat will
cause sap and pitch in green lumber to seep out.
Q: My paint job looked great but something bled
through. I asked the paint store for help and they got a
paint specialist from the factory to inspect it. He said
that what I had was blue stain in the wood and the fault
for the failure was mine and not that of the paint. I do
remember some discoloration on some places where the
old paint was completely removed. Nobody else I have
talked to has ever heard of blue stain. Is there such a
tiling? If so, what causes it?
A: There is such a thing. It’s caused by a fungus that is
activated by an excess of moisture. It doesn’t rot or
decay wood but leaves it a bluish black. This
discoloration can come through paint. You can bleach it
out of the bare wood with liquid laundry bleach, which
also should kill the fungus. However, it can come back if
the source of moisture is still there. Your paint job might
seal out die moisture at that point but the moisture may
travel through the wood fibers from its source, which
could be from other wood or from the ground.
Forsyth County News
Wreaths are attractive welcome next to front doors
realized. A minor change can result
in a new decoration.
Mrs. Martin says old fashioned
brooms can be used in most any room
of the house, and are sometimes used
in outdoor fall decorations.
Her favorite setting for old
fashioned brooms is the fireplace,
where adding a pumpkin, Indian com
and some com shocks tied together
contributes to the fall mood.
Wreaths made of straw or cuttings
from grape vines are another fall
decoration which can be changed by
altering the flowers.
In addition, items like novelty
pumpkins and colorful oak leaves can
be used in lieu of flowers to create an
even greater fall mood.
Scarecrows made of com shucks
and other natural materials can also
be used for fall decorating, but; like
pumpkins and Indian com, they’re
not really suited for other seasons.
The scarecrows are mounted on a
flat piece of wood attached to a small
branch or tree limb, which serves as
legs.
The body, made of dyed burlap
stuffed with a material like cotton, is
attached to the top of the branch or
limb, and a styrofoam ball is used to
make the head.
Afterwards, clothes and a hat are
made of dyed burlap and attached so
that the wooden base of the figure is
not visible.
Hair, hands and feet are then made
from shredded com shucks.
The scarecrow, wreath and broom
are all examples of what can be done
using materials found outdoors, and;
according to Mrs. Martin, there’s “no
way to beat what nature does.”
Making use of God’s handiwork
outside our homes, she says, results
in beautiful decorations inside.
Q: What do the initials AWG mean in connection with
wires?
A: The letters stand for American Wire Gauge. This is
the gauge commonly used in the United States for copper
and aluminum wires used for electricity. The gauge is
the size of the wires. AWG is also used as the gauge for
sheets of copper, aluminum and brass.
When you get into other metals for wire or sheets of
metal, there are more gauge designations and I would
confuse both you and me if I tried to go beyond AWG.
A ball of twine is a standard item for almost every
workshop and there are almost as many clever ways to
handle a ball of twine as there are uses for string. If you
don’t have a holder of some sort, one of the easiest to use
is a 2-liter plastic soft-drink bottle. Just cut the bottom
off, turn the bottle upside down and attach it to the wall.
Then the ball of twine goes into the bottle with the end
coming out through the spout. Hang the bottle high
enough so you can pull down to extract the string. It’s a
handy string dispenser and also gets rid of another
plastic item.
Dear Al: Among items found in an old desk I inherited
was a date stamp. Rather than toss it, I took it into my
shop. I use it to date all compounds I buy. Some things
have a limited shelf life and this helps me get rid of them
after they are no longer good or to use them up before
they expire. When I have duplications of materials, the
date lets me use the older stuff first. I think it’s a good
idea. E.L.B.
Dear Super Handyman: Sometimes you need to mask
along a curved or intricately designed surface. If the
masking tape you have isn’t wide enough to cut out the
desired shape, use my idea. I make a template from a
piece of paper. Then I cut the masking piece from a
bumper sticker. I cut this out and then peel the backing
and stick it in place. During the current political
campaigns, I have picked up a few extra bumper stickers
just so I’ll have these wider masking tape pieces when
needed. R.A.
This idea gets my vote.
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Scarecrow features natural items like corn shucks \
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Brooms can be used to brighten those dull corners
A SUPER HINT lf you are ever driving a nail and hit
a knot, you’ll often do better to remove the nail and pick
another spot. However, if the nail must go there, try
tapping it on through the knot rather than playing King
Kong. The nail usually goes on through without your
ending up bending it.
Dear Al: Your suggestion of using a chalk line to get
wallpaper panels plumb is good except that the blue
chalk can bleed through and show up along the seam. I
use a damp line instead of chalk. Wet the cord and when
you snap the line, the water leaves a very visible line on
most surfaces. Then you can slide the wallpaper panel up
to the line and get the same result. Try it. N.D.E.
I did try it. It does leave a line but you lose the line after
you touch it with the paper, or at least I did. I think it
might be good for some concrete floor applications.
Dear Al: Recently I helped a neighbor do some major
repairs on his car. When we finished, he introduced me to
a hand cleaner that he made and it did an excellent job of
cleaning away the grease and grime. He had mixed a cup
of yellow commeal, a cup of powdered soap and a half
cup of baking soda. He just put the dry ingredients into a
jar and shook it. Then he pours a small amount onto wet
hands and works it over the surfaces. He rinses and
finishes with a regular hand soap and the result was
hands that were clean enough to go out to dinner.
W.G.L.
SHOP TALK The Shopsmith people, not content with
just being in the multi-purpose power tool business, have
come out with a new chisel that cuts square corners. It is
ideal for mortising as well as other shop and carpentry
applications. You just hold the self-aligning tool in place
and strike it several times with your hammer. You’ll cut
the perfect square comer every time. It has a quick
spring action that the manufacturer says will help make
the chisel last. It’s called the Comer Chisel and unless
there’s a Shopsmith store nearby, you’ll have to order
from the home office at 750 Center Drive, Vandalia, Ohio
45377.
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