There doesn't seem to be a place here to ask questions.  Probably it's there
but I missed it.  Anyway, here is an item for asking questions.

130 responses total.

Not so coincidentally, I happen to have a question to ask.
Our tub/shower is getting some mildew/mold problems.  We've seen a product
called Clean Shower which is supposed, by regular application, to
fix & prevent such, fairly gently.  On looking more closely, we find that it
says it is not to be used on polystyrene.  Our shower unit was in the house
when we bought it, and is *some* kind of plastic, but we don't know what.
Can anyone tell us how to tell whether it's polystyrene?

Polystyrene is what styrofoam is mad of as I recall.  Test it in a small
area to be sure.  (I suspect that your shower unit is made of fiberglass
but they might have used polystyrene in the resin, though I really doubt
it.)

Polystyrene is very soluble in many solvents, of the nail polish remover 
kind. I doubt any built in appliance would use polystyrene. I would expect
that a thermoset resin would be used.

I'm in the process of buying my first house (closing and posession is 
scheduled for 25-NOV-1998) so I'll probably have lots of DIY questions for
the ever-knowledgeable grexers.

Anywho, I have a question about extension ladders.  It it acceptable to 
lean one against a gutter or would that put too much pressure on the gutter
(and damage it) when you step on the ladder?

Also, I'm a fairly light person plus I won't have anyone around to help with
things like this.  Should I weigh the ladder down a bit to keep it from
tipping?  Or is that not an issue as long as it is positioned properly?

I lean my extension ladder against the gutter. Set the ladder at the
correct angle (noted on its side). I presume the gutters are aluminum?
Mine bend a little but do not take a 'set' when the ladder is against
them. One can get a gadget that attaches to the ladder, which holds the
ladder off the gutter (and also provides more stability). You might
look into that if it seems your gutters are too flimsy.

Your gutters should bear the load just fine if they aren't rusted through.
I usually try to set my ladder so that one of the gutter nails is between
the rungs.  I use an electric leaf blower to clean out my gutters and to
clean off the roof since I have a shallow pitch.  Works great and is a lot
easier on the shingles than a rake or broom.  (Don't laugh.  My house is
sheltered by lots of trees and my roof collects so many leaves that they
can significantly shorten the life of the shingles due to their moisture
retention.)

It might be safer if you drive something into the ground at the foot of the
ladder so that it cannot slip away from the house.

There is much less danger of that on soil than the ladder slipping sideways
because one leg sinks further into the soil than the other. 

Thanks for all of the hints.  I knew you folks would be able to help :-)

Re#7&8: I wasn't clear in my first response, but I am more concerned about
slipping sideways than tipping away from the house.  So if I have the
ladder on concrete and don't overextend my reach, I should be OK?  The
area of concern right now is adjacent to the driveway, so I'll be over
concrete.  I should probably check all of them, though (Like Klaus alluded
to, I'm planning on cleaning out the gutters.)

I should have mentioned that I am using a 24 foot ladder nearly fully
extended to clean (and secure) gutters on my house. I go up and down
*very carefully*, and make sure the footing is solid and secure, and
don't reach left or right too far. I don't think I'd take a leaf blower
up, but clean the gutter by hand, moving the ladder as needed (when I'm
on the ground.. ).

The danger of being over concrete is that falling would be much worse.

I seem to be becoming very uncomfortable with high ladders.  I used to love
them.

And I have tried to climb upon my roof from my ladder, but my "gut"
won't let me, though if it were at ground level it would be no challenge
at all. To think I used to be a rock climber (but then, I had a belay
to stop a fall -makes a difference in one's outlook).

Maybe we need a "ladder fear" item?  ;)

I'm only afraid on ladders when the stability of the ladder is an issue.  If
the ladder is bolted down, I can do almost anything w/o fear.  So when I do
tree work with the 32' ladder, I use rock climbing equipment to secure the
ladder (rope, carabiners, etc) to the tree, and sometimes a climbing harness
to secure myself if I need extensive use of my hands.

If your going to buy a ladder, stay away from the residential (cheap)
ones.  I've had more close calls from those things!  They twist out
from under you and are too bouncy.  I always go for at least a class
II.  Often, my first trip up an extension ladder is with a piece of
rope that I use to tie the top of the ladder to whatever.  Especially
when I'm doing tree work.  You can tie a rung of the ladder to one of
the gutter nails if you are afraid of the ladder sliding away to one
side.  The important thing is to feel as comfortable as possible when
doing work off a ladder.  Panic does not make for good outcomes when
high in the air!  With time, you will probably get more comfortable
working off a ladder and not bother with lashing it to everything in
sight.  The important thing is to be at ease when going up. Take your
time and DON'T PANIC!  (A roofer once told me that the most ladder
related accidents happen during the transition from ladder to roof or
roof to ladder.  That is why the pros always have the shingles
delivered to the roof top.)

Would a rubber mat under the bottom of the ladder help stabilize it?

#15:  only if it were resilient enough not to tear.

If you have a lot of off the ground work to do, consider getting (renting?)
a second ladder and a pair of braces which hook onto the rungs and provide
for a plank/platform to be placed between them.  That way you get a scaffold
type work area on which you can move back and forth without climbing down and
moving the ladder.  That's great for gutter work, painting, siding or other
things such as replacing a window (or knocking a hole to create one).

What is the quickest way to dry an electrostatic furnace filter after it's
been cleaned?  I was able to get the surfaces dry but the inside still seem
to be wet.  And since it's winter, I don't want to be without a furnace for
too long.

Put it in the furnace. If it sparks, turn it off until it dries in the
airstream, and then turn it on again. 

Hmmm.  I think I'll stick to a non-lint towel and air-drying.  I've been told
not to replace it until it's dry.  Fortunately it didn't take that long to
dry so I was only without heat for a few hours, so it wasn't a problem.

I think they mean not to replace it and turn it on, until it is dry. However
the air stream would have dried it just fine. Perhaps your precipitator
does not have an on/off switch?

I use to install the one my parents had while it was still wet and let the
furnace fan dry it out too.  It even had a timer, that would reset every
time one opened the access door, that would keep it off for an hours
worth of furnace run time before it would apply the hight voltage.

   the hood-release cable on my 1983 saab has either broken or become
disconnected.  does anyone know an alternate method of hood-opening?

The hood wouldn't open on my truck at one point.  I forget the problem -- it
may have been one of rust, but anyhow, pulling on the hood release did
nothing.  Arthurp got it open by reaching through the grill with a screwdriver
and pushing on the thing that the hood release cable connects to.

   a friend came over last sunday to help.  by listening to where the
noise from the cable release was coming from and applying a few
judicious thumps in areas where i had not already thumped, he got the
hood open.  now the hood seems to work just fine.  thanks, scg.

don't forget to lubricate, lubricate, lubricate...to avoid this happening
again   ;-)

   once it was open, i liberally wd-40'd the mechanism that grabs the
peg on the hood and holds it closed.

WD-40 is a penetrating oil.  It will all evaporate within a week.  Use
a 10 to 20 weight motor oil instead.  Be sure to get some of that oil
down the cable that runs to your hood release too.

In other words, WD-40 is NOT a lubricant.

I need a mount for a marine antenna, which requires a 1"-14 threaded
rod or tube. These are very expensive from marine suppliers. Does
anything else have this thread/size that I could adapt? 

How about a threaded pipe fitting?  I also think Stadium Hardware has
nuts that size.  You could drill and tap one of the faces on the nut
for a side mount or on the bottom for a bottom mount.  You could also
find someone with a lathe.  (Mine won't be set up for a while yet...)

Pipe fittings do not use that thread. The antenna base is female. 
I can get a 1-14 die from Sears, but then need 1 inch stock. I have
considered turning down a PVC pipe fitting to 1" and then threading
that. (The net cost would be about the same as buying the marine
fitting - but then I'd have a 1-14 die too). My lathe is a wood turning
lathe, however, and does not have a 3 or 4-jaw chuck large enough to hold
a PVC pipe fitting - only a 1/2" chuck (though I could make an adapter
to hold the fitting with that....sigh....more rigs and jigs....). 
Do you need any 1-14 thread to pipe PVC fittings...I could make several
if I make one. 

Woops.  Stadium Hardware also has some large dia. threaded rod.  I bought
some 7/8" and they had it up to 1 1/4".  I can cut an external thread
with the lathe at work (They don't have the tool for cutting internal
threads.)

Stadium Hardware also has some 1-14 bolts...this rig is going to be
carried on my back, however, so I'm going with plastic. I'll remember
that offer if I get defeated.

I am looking for fuel tankage for the minimum possible cost per gallon of
capacity. Recommendations?

What kind of fuel do you want to store?  Used 55 gallon drums, used fuel
oil tanks are free to cheap. (Is theis a Y2K preparedness item?)

Sort of. Just run of the mill gasoline, which I'd use anyways. New drums I've
found for around 36 cents a gallon of capacity. Where would one find used
ones?

I'd put a wanted ad in the the Freebies (Ann Arbor area.) or whatever is
the cheapest in your local paper.  Cursing the dumpsters around your local
industrial park may also turn up something.

Cursing the dumpsters?

Heh.

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