PVC Archives - The Silicon Underground

Why to avoid a flexible p-trap

Dave Farquhar — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 11:00:42 +0000

I guess it was inevitable that someone would make a flexible p-trap out of expandable, accordion-style pipe. I’ve written about that stuff before, and you definitely don’t want your p trap to be made of it. The argument for them usually

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My garbage disposal adventure

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 13:02:57 +0000

Changing a worn-out garbage disposal can be a 10-minute job–assuming you anticipate everything, use the same brand as the old one, you know what you’re doing, and the person who installed the old one was at least as competent as

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Why accordion-style flexible drain pipe is against code

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 11:00:54 +0000

From time to time I see accordion-style flexible drain pipe (also sometimes called flexible waste pipe) in use, much like the one below. St. Louis County inspectors take an exceptionally dim view of these, and I always wondered what the

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How to light the underside of your train table

Dave Farquhar — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 11:00:00 +0000

There are few things worse than fumbling around in the dark under a train layout. So I mounted a ceiling-mount light socket underneath my train table to create a work light so that I could see when I’m working on

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Install an outlet for an above range microwave

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:00:30 +0000

We have a house with an above range microwave, but no nearby outlet to plug it into. The previous owners simply ran an extension cord. While I’m not 100% positive this is illegal to do in my locality, the safety

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Don’t build a drill press out of PVC pipe

Dave Farquhar — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 11:00:18 +0000

This past weekend, Lifehacker posted instructions for building a makeshift drill press out of PVC pipe. Although the finished contraption looks kind of cool, it’s not something you want to build yourself. My drill press cost me $40. It’s far

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Just say no to black boxes

Dave Farquhar — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:29:47 +0000

When the PS3 was released, one of its advertised features was that you could install Linux on it and use it as a Linux computer. I doubt many people did it, but it was a useful feature for those who

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Initiation into guyhood

Dave Farquhar — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:38:19 +0000

I took my youngest son (approximately 4 months) to the hardware store with me today. First trip to the hardware store with Dad. Dad, you see, did something dumb. While using spray foam to seal up some gaps in the

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Getting domesticated (or at least more handy)

Dave Farquhar — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:45:47 +0000

I go back to work tomorrow. I wish I could take at least another day or two off, but something came up and they need me Monday.

I spent some time tackling little projects around the house. Watching This Old House for the last six months or so is paying off.

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