The DIY thread - DIYourself

serviceguy said:
I've got my first chainsaw, 20" Poulan Pro. I was super excited to try it over the weekend but it ended up being an epic fail. I could not start the damn thing. Tried everything as per manual, had a chainsaw 'expert' trying to start it but nothing. Gas is OK and as per specs (50:1), spark is good and motor is not flooded, brake is off and bar and chain oil it topped. It does have compression but it doesn't even tries to start...any advice before I empty the tanks and try and return it?
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if you had an expert try to no avail, it sounds bunk. but... does it have a decompression valve? make sure you press it before trying to start if you haven't already.
 
MadisonDan said:
Gutter guards.
So hot on Saturday......

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I gotta say, these were super easy to install. All the lower roofline gutters are done. Don't think my 24 ft ladder will reach the uppers though.
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have the same ones at home but paid someone to install as I have some high areas (3 stories) and don't like heights. They did a bad job by not snapping it into the gutters tightly, called them originally to redo them earlier this year and again see some are curling up due to a lazy install. Drives me nuts each time I look at the gutters.

Did you cut about a 1/2 inch of each channel so they can overlap? otherwise this type of guard tends to collapse after a few years of weather and elements.
 
serviceguy said:
I've got my first chainsaw, 20" Poulan Pro. I was super excited to try it over the weekend but it ended up being an epic fail. I could not start the damn thing. Tried everything as per manual, had a chainsaw 'expert' trying to start it but nothing. Gas is OK and as per specs (50:1), spark is good and motor is not flooded, brake is off and bar and chain oil it topped. It does have compression but it doesn't even tries to start...any advice before I empty the tanks and try and return it?
Click to expand...

Drain the tank, polish it up, return it, and spring for a STIHL. I worked for a tree guy for 5 years, these things got dropped out of trees and still cut afterward.
 
serviceguy said:
I've got my first chainsaw, 20" Poulan Pro. I was super excited to try it over the weekend but it ended up being an epic fail. I could not start the damn thing. Tried everything as per manual, had a chainsaw 'expert' trying to start it but nothing. Gas is OK and as per specs (50:1), spark is good and motor is not flooded, brake is off and bar and chain oil it topped. It does have compression but it doesn't even tries to start...any advice before I empty the tanks and try and return it?
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i have a pouland pro - runs fine. it isn't a stihl, nor does it cost anywhere close. you could buy a 14 stihl, and a 20" bar/chain for it to save some $$.

anyway, i had trouble with my on/off switch. there was no spark - flipped it back and forth a couple times, finally got it to kick.
so check for spark, and you should smell a little gas with the plug out.

also, make sure the low speed/idle adjustment screws aren't turned all the way in -
 
Wall mounted a 49" IPhone
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No WiFi yet, so I only got mirroring at this point. And when you photo it, this is what you get.
Mirroring is on point. 4-mfing-k.

In other news:
Wife DIY fails-
She was doing some gardening. I come around the corner of the house to find her having made spaghetti out of 100' of well coiled garden hose.
Hose privileges suspended. (Too tired and frustrated to think to take a pic- just "Let me help you...")

Find her opening a paint sample with a chisel when she couldn't find a screwdriver. Again, Let me help you...
Yeah, chisel privileges suspended too.
 
JDurk said:
My wife's chisel privileges are suspended for the exact same reason. All chisels have been hidden.
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i have some old, junk chisels that get used for everything from paint cans to nail pullers.
am i setting a bad example?
 
Thanks for the feedback. Called customer support, they gave me a couple of authorized service locations. The closer to Ringwood was Hamburg, got there, they could not get it to start. I returned it to HD and got another one, no question asked. I would have loved to get a stihl but I could hardly sell the purchase of a $199 chainsaw, that would have prompted a fat NO from the boss . I haven't tried it yet because of the move to Ringwood has finally happened, 4 months and counting past due on a 3 weeks renovation...I am excited to test the new chainsaw on Saturday.
 
When you get done stacking half a cord of wood and realize maybe you should have put something under the rack's feet so they don't sink into the earth...
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Fuck it.
That looks a lot like it's next week's problem.
Tarp it, grab a beer.
 
That sucks. This reminds somewhat, of a similar issue I had. I had dug a trench from the house to pool filter/pump for buried electrical. Trench was probably 2' deep and 1 foot wide. Electrician due next day. It poured for hours that night. Next morning, look outside and the sand filter for the pool is tipped over in the trench. That thing ways a shit-ton with sand in it. Let's say it was a slow problem to resolve and it was definitely "today's problem".

jmanic said:
When you get done stacking half a cord of wood and realize maybe you should have put something under the rack's feet so they don't sink into the earth...
View attachment 58115
Fuck it.
That looks a lot like it's next week's problem.
Tarp it, grab a beer.
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For like 2 weeks now I've been de-weeding my trees. Bought an electric comealong and one of vines was able to max out the motor. I tied my saturn to the weed and took a hole shot down my lawn and it snapped a foot thick cedar tree i was using as a directional. Amazing how strong those vines are, they are super light and feel like balsa.
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The renovation left us with a lot of varnished beams that once belonged to the upstairs rail (it was barely reaching over our knees and thus it had to go, was replaced with a custom built steel railing which gave us back a lot of room as well) and tons of knotty pine tong&groove panels from the kitchen / dining / stairs areas. The varnish prevents us from burning it (also the lack of a functioning fireplace / wood burning stove may be an issue, but it's in the making).

I may be able to use some of the tong&groove for the garage loft floor (a couple of rows were missing for some reason), but that is about it.

Is there any possible use for it? Right now is just piled up in the garage wasting valuable space or next to the garage where I really don't like it (insects, rotting etc.). I can't bring myself to get rid of it (it would cost too) but don't have any idea what to do with it either...
 
serviceguy said:
The renovation left us with a lot of varnished beams that once belonged to the upstairs rail (it was barely reaching over our knees and thus it had to go, was replaced with a custom built steel railing which gave us back a lot of room as well) and tons of knotty pine tong&groove panels from the kitchen / dining / stairs areas. The varnish prevents us from burning it (also the lack of a functioning fireplace / wood burning stove may be an issue, but it's in the making).

I may be able to use some of the tong&groove for the garage loft floor (a couple of rows were missing for some reason), but that is about it.

Is there any possible use for it? Right now is just piled up in the garage wasting valuable space or next to the garage where I really don't like it (insects, rotting etc.). I can't bring myself to get rid of it (it would cost too) but don't have any idea what to do with it either...
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someone will come and pick-up the old wood. Throw it on the local free-cycle list, or CL.

backyard fire works too.
 
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