DIY Archives

Home » DIY » Page 12

How to stain pine to look like oak

Dave Farquhar DIY November 16, 2020September 10, 2023

Can you stain pine wood to look like oak? You can, but it takes some patience and the right materials to get consistent results you’re likely to be happy with. Practice helps too. Here’s how to stain pine to look like oak.

This trick can be helpful if you want to attempt a DIY project like a picture ledge, but want it to match other furniture in the room. And it also applies to other finishes, not just oak.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

dfarq.homeip.net

My plank wood ceiling

Dave Farquhar DIY November 3, 2020May 9, 2024

I have a combination home office/man cave that I work out of. It’s a basement room the previous owner never finished. I fixed some mistakes and adapted it to my own needs. One thing it always lacked was a ceiling. After weighing my options, I decided to use wood planks. Call it rustic. Call it cheapo. Or whatever else you want. Rustic planks are in now, and for a do-it-yourselfer, planks offer a compelling option.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

GFCI vs AFCI

Dave Farquhar DIY October 29, 2020October 11, 2020

GFCI and AFCI are both safety measures, but they are distinct and not interchangeable. Let’s compare and contract GFCI vs AFCI so you can be sure you’re getting the right thing.

If you don’t know, buying combination GFCI/AFCI outlets or breakers is an option, and it’s not a bad idea. But if you can’t afford the higher price for a combo unit, or want to maximize convenience, knowing GFCI vs AFCI is important so you get the right safety feature for your application.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

How to mount a power strip

Dave Farquhar DIY October 28, 2020October 11, 2020

Power strips are a necessity when you don’t have enough outlets, but they can be unwieldy. One way to get them to stay where you want is to mount them to your wall, desk, workbench, or entertainment center to keep them out of the way. Here’s how to mount a power strip.

I used this trick to mount a power strip to my train table, my desk for my work computer, and to a monitor stand I made for one of my retro computers. It works well. This allows me to keep it where I want it, whether that means completely in reach in the case of a workbench, or out of sight but very easy to reach, in the case of my retro computer monitor stand.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

DIY wood crate shelves

Dave Farquhar DIY October 26, 2020November 25, 2020

I needed some shelves for my office. Most of the ready made shelves I could find wouldn’t fit in the space I had. So I made some myself using cheap wooden crates. Here’s how I make DIY wood crate shelves that are attractive, functional, and reasonably durable.

You can buy three wooden crates for $36 and they will make a shelf that’s equivalent to a $40 particle board shelf in terms of storage space. But the crates give you more options in terms of versatility, both in the way they look and the way they work. And while I wouldn’t call them super strong, they’re at least as durable as particle board.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

What to look for in a surge protector

Dave Farquhar DIY October 21, 2020October 31, 2020

Surge protectors cost a lot less now than they did when I was a kid. That’s probably a good thing. But buying one today is no less confusing than it was in 1985. Here’s what to look for in a surge protector, so you’re getting the protection you think you are, and without sacrificing convenience.

A good surge protector offers an indicator light that tells you it’s working, enough plugs to be useful to you, and at least 1,000 joules of protection. Be sure to look for at least those three things.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Can you paint drywall without texture?

Dave Farquhar DIY October 14, 2020December 6, 2020

Can you paint drywall without texture? Absolutely you can. I think it’s easier to paint without texture, as long as you prime it first. But texture can save you time in the long run.

There’s no reason you have to texture drywall. Texture is for making the wall look more traditional or to cover flaws, not to make the paint work better.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Surge protector vs power strip

Dave Farquhar DIY October 12, 2020April 19, 2023

My home office doubles as the home for most of my retro computers. That means at any given time I have up to five computers set up in there. These means I need lots of power strips. Or is it surge protectors I need? Let’s look at the question of surge protector vs power strip, because there really is a difference. And that difference can cost you money. Sometimes a lot of money.

A power strip just extends your outlet so you can plug more stuff into it. A surge protector lets you plug in more stuff, but it also provides protection for what you plug into it, though the amount of protection varies.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

How to keep paint rollers from drying out

Dave Farquhar DIY October 6, 2020September 10, 2023

It’s inevitable. You’re painting, and you reach a point where you have to let the paint dry, or you’re just out of time for the day. And cleaning your paint roller and tray is a pain. It makes the painting go much faster than using a brush, but it takes a lot longer to clean, too. Here’s how to save time and paint, cut down on how many times you have to clean the roller, and keep paint rollers from drying out until the end of the project.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

How to keep paint from drying out

Dave Farquhar DIY October 1, 2020September 13, 2020

Paint is expensive. And no matter how well you plan, it always seems like you have a significant part of a gallon left over at the end of a project. How do you keep paint from drying out so you’ll have it for touch-ups, or your next project? Here’s a trick an old-timer taught me.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net