Monday, February 28, 2011

DIY Wooden Fence Post Caps

Are you looking for ways to preserve the beauty and quality of your wooden fence? The right answer to that is investing on wooden fence post caps. Such items are not expensive and in fact, you can find ones priced below $7! All you have to do is shop around for the best deal online and in no time, you can start with the purchases. Regardless of the construction of the fences, you can find the ideal material that matches it perfectly. For instance, the wrought iron and galvanized tops will not match with wood. Stick with wood caps and you're sure to create a stunning fence.

The backyard can change tremendously when you add post caps to the plain posts or stakes. The round tops are great but if you're willing to try other designs, you're free to do so. Fences are important and people have different reasons for installing them. Some people invest in fences for security or safety while others get them for privacy, durability, and aesthetics. Did you know that it is also possible to make your own post caps at home?

For this, you will need lumber, tall board, clamps, table saw, scraps of wood, sandpaper, paint or stain, and wood adhesive. You will have to cut the lumber into different sections that forms a square. These squares will make up the post caps. Using a saw, you can cut the lumber while tilting it for about 15 degrees. It's up to you whether you want to achieve a shallow or steep point of the cap. Just use your imagination and creativity. On top of the square, you can place a ball-like piece of wood and glue or screw it. You can still use other designs if you want just in case you have any preferences.

To smooth the surfaces of the post caps, you can use sandpaper. When it's done, you can now apply paint or just stain the cap. The caps can be glued on the fence posts or you can attach those using finishing nails. You don't have to create your own post caps if you don't have enough skills. There are ready made products being sold in the market at a reasonable price. Shop around in advance so that you can already decide which ones will suit your needs and your budget. Make the final purchase and schedule for the installation of the caps.

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Face Painting Ideas Kids Love

You're going to need some good face painting ideas if you want the kids to have the best possible time.  Don't worry, though.  It isn't hard to come up with winning ideas that will work even for those who are just learning how to face paint.  Let's look at some great ways to come up with easy face painting designs.

If you have a knack for coming up with your own drawings and have a little bit of time, you can generate a great set of face painting designs that will be the hit of any party.  Just think about what the kids you'll be seeing are really into.  Take a moment to consider popular television shows, toys and books, for instance.  These will undoubtedly spur your imagination. 

You don't need to be a great artist to pull this off, either.  I saw a face painter scoring big points with kids at one event by doing Harry Potter-inspired paintings.  No, she wasn't carefully free-handing wizards and monsters.  Instead, she was doing simple, fun related designs like magic wands and wizard caps.  They were easy to paint and the kids loved them.

Another great idea is to think about sports teams the kids follow and the mascots that represent their schools.  If you can do a fast football helmet featuring the logo of the most popular local team, you can rest assured that you'll be a hit with the kids.  If you can do a passable rendition of a school mascot, it will probably be one of the event's most popular designs.

Not everyone has the skills or time to come up with their own face painting ideas, though.  That's okay.  Face painting is supposed to be fun, not a struggle.  You can pick up hundreds of great face painting ideas from watching others or by returning to the very resources you used to learn the basic face painting.  Most of the better instructional guides for beginning face painters include dozens of simple and effective designs that you can use very effectively.

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Cottage Style Home Decorating: 10 Tips for a Cozy Cottage Style Home Office

Would you rather have a comfortable cottage style home office instead of one with an industrial blue chair and metal filing cabinets? My 10 tips will get you started.

1. Bright White. Paint your old brown wooden desk and wooden chair white with a satin finish paint. It will brighten up your room immediately and the satin finish will be more durable and easy to clean than flat paint.

2. Charming Chair. Buy a twin sheet and pillowcase in your favorite cottage style print. Put the pillowcase over the back of any regular office style chair (the kind without arms). Fold the sheet in a square and place it on the seat. Both can easily be removed for washing.

3. Creative Containers. Look through your kitchen cabinets to find any pretty containers to hold pens, highlighters, scissors, stamps, etc. Mugs and small pitchers work well.

4. Rug Regard. Purchase a colorful cotton rug to spruce up the floor and add happy color.

5. Pretty Paint. Paint your walls your favorite color. Color is important for productivity as well as calm.

6. File Faux. Consider whitewashing your wooden filing cabinets using ½ paint and ½ water and applying with a soft rag. Metal filing cabinets can be taken to a body shop and spray painted a pleasing color.

7. Art Smart. Hang some of your favorite art in your office for enjoyment. Frame old greeting cards or your children's artwork for a quick dollarwise solution. Frame your certificates in favorite frames.

8. Screen It. Hide your copier, fax, and other office equipment behind a white shuttered screen when not in use.

9. Lamp Luster. Buy an inexpensive floral lampshade for an old lamp you already have.

10. Flower Finesse. Buy fresh flowers for your home office to add cheer and happiness while you work. I bought a sweet bouquet at the grocery store today for just $4.99.
-cont'd-

Put on your thinking cap and you'll be sure to come up with your own creative ideas for creating a warm and inviting cottage style home office for yourself that you'll want to spend time in every day.

C 2006 Kathryn Bechen Designs. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Best Car Spray Painting Techniques and the Use of Spray Guns

When you are spray painting, don't be timid. You can bet you are going to get some runs and if you don't wet the panel adequately then its going to show like a dry look with a lot of pitting pattern. If the run happens to be during the clear coat application you can usually repair that once it cures. You will be able to sand out the run and recoat the panel. Don't fall into the trap of cover-up. Meaning you load on more material to try to cover up the mistake. It just does not work.

If you follow the instructions, at least your application problems won't be as a result of not enough flash time. What happens in this case is as the application is curing the solvents in the material evaporate. If you add another coat before this has fully taken place then the material is going to flow. Do yourself a favor and always add for a little extra curing time. You can save yourself a lot of work and headaches by doing this. If the car isn't exposed to, even drying time such as what happens in cross flow spray booths then the colder side tends to run.

Finally, you get the perfect application and then a fly comes along and lands in your material. Don't panic. Use a pair of tweezers carefully to remove it. Hopefully there will just be a slight imperfection that you will able to sand then polish. Worst comes to worst you will end up respraying the panel.

Some common questions when it comes to spray painting techniques are as follows.

Is the wide pattern technique the best?
If you are using the clear materials, you can use the wide patter, but pay attention to what you are doing. You could end up with some really obvious bad patterns. The perfect spray pattern has to be perfectly even from top to bottom. The other thing you need to consider and will have to contend with is the over spray that occurs when the gun is wide open.

I have a HVLP spray gun Can I use any technique I want?
You cannot use a regular technique with this spray gun because its give out 10 psi at the cap as opposed to the 50psi in the conventional guns. This means the distance will not be as great with the HVLP gun that means you must be closer to the paint surface. For the convention guns, the standard distance is 8inches whereas with the HVLP it should be between two to four inches.

Will I be able to get as much speed with the HVLP?
Standard guns efficiency for transfer is about 25-30% whereas with the HVLP it's about 65%. So needless to say, the gun excels in this department. You have to remember though that the closer you are spraying to the target surface the faster your stroke. As you extend your distance, you can reduce your stroke. With the HVLP, your target distance is 2-4 inches.

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