DIY: Do-It-Yourself Projects.

If you ever wanted to see some neat effects on photos, use Fireworks by Macromedia. Macromedia was later bought by Adobe which has a LARGE collection of software for image effects. First, start the application.
Then, click File > Import to file (get a photo). Click the Filter tab at the top of the page and start making changes to the photo. Keep an original of the photo. In fact, make several copies and add different filters to each, naming them according to the type of filter used, and put details in a text document so that you can do it again. For examples, look at these photos.

A few weeks ago, both the kitchen and bathroom sink cabinets had water outside of them. On inspection, we found out that both metal U-trap pipes has corroded on the bottom and were brittle to the touch. Neither me nor my mother knew anything about plumbing, so I tried to fix it as best I could with waterproof tape that I had just gotten from the store. Guess what? It didn't work. HA. HA. It might be funny now, but it sure wasn't then. Well, I realized that I would have to get replacement pipes, so I looked up the problem in the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) books that I have and found the name for the piece, what it does, why it does it, and ideas for repair and goodly maintenance of my new found household repair treasure.

I got a U-trap, called so because it keeps noxious sewer gases that are harmful from entering your home via the drainage pipes by keeping just a little bit of water in the pipe which is why it will ultimately eat through the metal in time, and installed it.
It works. These are some tips which should help you get organized on this job in case you have to do it yourself.

First, get a plumbing wrench. The inches given on the wrench refer to the handle at end PLUS the full length when the jaws are opened fully. This can be misleading. So, be sure how much space your elbows have to maneuver under your sink. Second, a flashlight is a must. Try for a really bright light that doesn't look brown and keep good powered up batteries in it and spares to use to replace them along with spare bulbs if you can find them. Since flashlights are real cheap, it should be easy to find a couple for a few dollars. Third, putty or clay is a good investment just in case there are little leaks. You need some material for patching up leaks. There are a number of compounds or tapes on the market. Our problem was simply old pipes.

There are more things on this subject that I will add to this blog. For now, just look at the above and if you have your own ideas please email me at doray4@mybluelight.com.