Cuts
So as it turned out, I didn't wind up cutting myself after all when I changed out the jigsaw blade.
The next day, I actually used the jigsaw. That's when I cut myself.
It was no big deal though. And it's for a good cause. Charlie is making a mess, and it's time to remedy that. (Actually, the corner is an issue from several months ago and a behavior that's already been fixed. The overturned food bowl, however, happens every. single. day.)
One problem at a time though. I'm trying out a few things and will have more updates on Charlie's new dog stand next week. More to come!
The next day, I actually used the jigsaw. That's when I cut myself.
It was no big deal though. And it's for a good cause. Charlie is making a mess, and it's time to remedy that. (Actually, the corner is an issue from several months ago and a behavior that's already been fixed. The overturned food bowl, however, happens every. single. day.)
One problem at a time though. I'm trying out a few things and will have more updates on Charlie's new dog stand next week. More to come!
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How To Change A Jigsaw Blade
Over the weekend, I found myself in need of my jigsaw. Problem though was that the blade had seen better days.
It was time to change out the blade, but I'd never done it before. Would it be difficult? Are there actually different blade types? Or worse yet - would I figure it out before I cut my hand open?
As it turns out, changing out the blade of a jigsaw is actually very simple. For this tutorial, I’m basically assuming that all jigsaws are assembled exactly like mine. While that may not be the case, I’m not really great at writing hypothetical tutorials for tools I don’t own. So this is what I’ve got. And just in case it needs to be said, please always use proper safety precautions when doing things like this. Unplug it!
It was time to change out the blade, but I'd never done it before. Would it be difficult? Are there actually different blade types? Or worse yet - would I figure it out before I cut my hand open?
As it turns out, changing out the blade of a jigsaw is actually very simple. For this tutorial, I’m basically assuming that all jigsaws are assembled exactly like mine. While that may not be the case, I’m not really great at writing hypothetical tutorials for tools I don’t own. So this is what I’ve got. And just in case it needs to be said, please always use proper safety precautions when doing things like this. Unplug it!
1. Take it off. Depending on the one you have (see above),
your jigsaw will probably have some basic components. If one of them is not a blade, I suggest you
put down the hairdryer and go get your jigsaw.
In addition to the blade, you’ll probably have some sort of guide on the
bottom and a small thingie (technical term) that holds the blade in place. These components should be attached to the
tool either by regular screws or using an Allen wrench. It is likely that if your jigsaw was made in
the last thousand years, you’ll also have some type of cover screwed in place
to protect wayward fingers/eyeballs from the blade/flying splinters. The point is: you’ll have to find some way to get to the
blade, so all of the items that cover it will have to be removed.
2. Take off even more
(optional). I found that the screws
holding the blade in place (the “thingie” mentioned above) were stuck on pretty
tightly, so to get more leverage with my Allen wrench, I took off the guide on
the bottom. I wasn’t prepared for it to
be constructed of three pieces, so I also wound up having to crawl across the garage
floor searching for a missing component.
This entire step (including almost losing pieces) is entirely optional.
3. Loosen up. The component that attaches the old blade was
held by two screws, so instead of removing it altogether, I merely loosened it
up to slip the old blade out.
Clearly, the blade was due for replacing.
4. Three steps forward
and two steps back. Now that you
have the old blade exposed, you can take it with you to the hardware store to
find a blade that looks just like it. As
it turns out, there are two main types of blades that may fit your jigsaw,
called T-shanks and U-shanks. I wound up doing the longer version of this by first
guessing what type of shanks I needed and then getting it wrong, thus having to
return to the store and exchange the package for the right blade type (based on
there being simply more U-shank blade options than T-shanks, I guessed –
incorrectly – that my cheap jigsaw is probably of the more common variety. When I later researched the difference
between the two blades, I learned that T-shanks are becoming more popular now
because they are easier to change. Go
fig.).
It is also important to note that while T or U-shank shapes
are basically it for attaching the blade to the rest of the tool, the blades
themselves can be specialized for wood, fast-cutting, metal, PVC pipe, and so
on. Choose whatever blows your dress up;
I chose a variety pack.
5. Humpty Dumpty is for
suckers. When you know you have the
right blade type, slip the end into the thingie and tighten the screws to hold
the blade in place. An optional step is
to screw it in backwards (with the blade facing inward) and then unscrew, turn,
and screw it back in again. This is
entirely up to you and how much time you feel like wasting. Then, just as you unscrewed everything, put
everything back together again.
Okay, so this tutorial was more about how not to change out a jigsaw blade than a
proper tutorial. But if you skip step 2,
part of 4, and assume that things need to be put back where they were
originally, this entire process should take you no more than ten minutes. Then you can move on to the reason you needed
the jigsaw in the first place. More on
that coming in tomorrow’s post (anyone want to guess that it’s for the same
reason I used it last time?). Happy
Wednesday!
___________________________________________________________
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Bedroom Art Shopping
My master bedroom could really use some artwork.
I have one wall full of windows, one half-covered by the bed, and another one that is completely bare. I've been considering for a while to make a gallery wall for this room too (in addition to the one I plan for the hallway), but I have been thinking lately that the area above the bed is the most in need of something special.
Here are just a few of the canvases that have caught my eye:
Of course, I'm thinking of trying my own hand at it rather than buying a piece of art. With a 50% off coupon for Hobby Lobby (like they have just about every other week), I'm thinking I could get this accomplished for under $30 (which beats most of the price tags you'll see at the above links). I haven't even decided on style (modern?) or color (yellow?) yet, but what I know for sure is that it has to be big. Has any art caught your attention lately? Feel free to share.
Psst: Yesterday's post launched later than planned, but it was also about finding inspiration. If you need to catch up, see that post here.
I have one wall full of windows, one half-covered by the bed, and another one that is completely bare. I've been considering for a while to make a gallery wall for this room too (in addition to the one I plan for the hallway), but I have been thinking lately that the area above the bed is the most in need of something special.
When I saw the below photo on Pinterest, I realized that a large piece of art might really look great above the bed. The bedroom simply needs more color.
Of course, I'm thinking of trying my own hand at it rather than buying a piece of art. With a 50% off coupon for Hobby Lobby (like they have just about every other week), I'm thinking I could get this accomplished for under $30 (which beats most of the price tags you'll see at the above links). I haven't even decided on style (modern?) or color (yellow?) yet, but what I know for sure is that it has to be big. Has any art caught your attention lately? Feel free to share.
Psst: Yesterday's post launched later than planned, but it was also about finding inspiration. If you need to catch up, see that post here.
___________________________________________________________
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My Image Inspiration
Back
in December, I shared with you a new color quiz from Glidden Paint on MyColortopia.com. Today, I thought it would
be fun to take another look at the site for a new feature they have
added called My Image
Inspiration.
You may not know this about me, but I have had my real estate license since college. I haven't done a lot with it (hence why I have a full-time job in another field), but it's come in handy both when I was shopping for a home myself (knowing the ins and outs of the process certainly eased my nervousness and expectations) and when friends have shopped for theirs. The extra (and often unexpected) influx of cash really helped when it came time to start on the remodel for the Ugg-Duck, too.
All too often when I've shown a house, I've heard things like "Ew, what an ugly paint color!" and "Which house did you like best? The one with the tile, or the one with toothpaste-colored walls?" Lesson learned: paint colors leave a lasting impression on the feel of not only a room, but an entire house. And why wouldn't it? The color of your walls covers a lot more square footage than a table, so it only seems reasonable that it be one of the top ways to define a space. But given the options (and there are thousands of them), how do you choose? What can you do to make sure that the blue you're choosing is "soothing" and not "childish"?
In my experience (both in choosing the wrong color and the right one... eventually), the best way to go about choosing a paint color is by taking inspiration from your surroundings. Instead of looking at six swatches of virtually the same color (which let's face it, can often change depending on the light source or color they are held up next to), taking a favorite photo or fabric swatch and deriving the color from it is much more effective. For example, I took the below photo from the mums I planted back in 2010:
The
My Image Inspiration tool allows you to upload a picture of something
you like and think would work for your space—whether it’s a piece of art,
furniture, fabric—anything really. You’ll get a selection of color
palettes to browse through, print, share and paint. If I plug the
mum photo into the tool, here's what the results look like:
Just like that, I have a yellow that is sunny and not glaring. And instead of just selecting a color out of the tool with a magic wand (like you'd do in Photoshop), the colors selected are actual paint colors. It basically takes the guesswork out of the color game.
But let's try a color palette that I use more often in the Ugg-Duck:
gray. Gray can be an especially difficult color to use since blue- or
purple-grays tend to look purple
and not gray.
But by using a photograph (one I took in Germany back in 2010 - a picture I'd like to call Scary Ass Cherub), I have a palette that is much more of a stone gray - because that's exactly where I got it from.
If you’re having an especially difficult time finding the right color, try using a photograph and the tool to point you in the right
direction. Struggling to find the right color and you have no image? There's an inspiration gallery. You may not need it for every
room, but it sure is nice to have when you get stuck. Go ahead and give it a try. Were you happy with the results? Did you discover colors that you didn’t
realize were in the photo to begin with?
Feel free to share your results in the comments below.
Disclaimer: I have partnered with Glidden/Akzo Nobel Paints to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
You may not know this about me, but I have had my real estate license since college. I haven't done a lot with it (hence why I have a full-time job in another field), but it's come in handy both when I was shopping for a home myself (knowing the ins and outs of the process certainly eased my nervousness and expectations) and when friends have shopped for theirs. The extra (and often unexpected) influx of cash really helped when it came time to start on the remodel for the Ugg-Duck, too.
All too often when I've shown a house, I've heard things like "Ew, what an ugly paint color!" and "Which house did you like best? The one with the tile, or the one with toothpaste-colored walls?" Lesson learned: paint colors leave a lasting impression on the feel of not only a room, but an entire house. And why wouldn't it? The color of your walls covers a lot more square footage than a table, so it only seems reasonable that it be one of the top ways to define a space. But given the options (and there are thousands of them), how do you choose? What can you do to make sure that the blue you're choosing is "soothing" and not "childish"?
In my experience (both in choosing the wrong color and the right one... eventually), the best way to go about choosing a paint color is by taking inspiration from your surroundings. Instead of looking at six swatches of virtually the same color (which let's face it, can often change depending on the light source or color they are held up next to), taking a favorite photo or fabric swatch and deriving the color from it is much more effective. For example, I took the below photo from the mums I planted back in 2010:
Just like that, I have a yellow that is sunny and not glaring. And instead of just selecting a color out of the tool with a magic wand (like you'd do in Photoshop), the colors selected are actual paint colors. It basically takes the guesswork out of the color game.
If you’re having an especially difficult time finding the right color, try using a photograph and the
Disclaimer: I have partnered with Glidden/Akzo Nobel Paints to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
___________________________________________________________
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Saturday Stimuli: Pink Berry
So what if Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter? I'm thinking pink.
How about you? Are you ready for winter to end?
Psst: If you would like an invite to Pinterest, just email me and I'll send one out.
Psst: If you would like an invite to Pinterest, just email me and I'll send one out.
___________________________________________________________
If you liked this post, click the image below to subscribe. You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter!
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