Ideas from Ed | Lawrence County Partners for Preservation

Ideas from Ed: Tips on Bits (Volume 7, Issue 10)

Dec 14 min read

Ideas from Ed: Tips on Bits (Volume 7, Issue 10)

I’d been thinking about writing this article for quite some time, but something recently triggered me to do it now. A friend asked to...

3 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Mortar Combat (Volume 7, Issue 9)

edwardpetrus

Oct 314 min read

Ideas from Ed: Mortar Combat (Volume 7, Issue 9)

If you have an older brick house, you likely have some areas where the mortar between the bricks needs some attention. If you have a LOT...

10 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Mo' flo' (Volume 7, Issue 8)

edwardpetrus

Sep 302 min read

Ideas from Ed: Mo' flo' (Volume 7, Issue 8)

…or more correctly, more flow! One thing I absolutely hate about hot water tanks is that they typically come with an all-plastic drain...

6 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Hanging Out (Volume 7, Issue 7)

edwardpetrus

Aug 193 min read

Ideas from Ed: Hanging Out (Volume 7, Issue 7)

In a perfect world, repairs would be made in a neat, workmanlike manner, even if the site of said repairs was such that no one would ever...

6 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Anode Corrode (Volume 7, issue 6)

edwardpetrus

Jul 313 min read

Ideas from Ed: Anode Corrode (Volume 7, issue 6)

Water heaters of all sorts and sizes last longer if protected from corrosion, including rust. An anode rod is a section of sacrificial...

14 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: A Bedtime Story (Volume 7, issue 5)

edwardpetrus

Jun 304 min read

Ideas from Ed: A Bedtime Story (Volume 7, issue 5)

I “kind of” remember when I was just a little kid that my cousin Sonny and I were jumping on Aunt Helen’s bed and having all sorts of...

6 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Finding accord (actually, a cord!) (Volume 7, Issue 4)

edwardpetrus

May 315 min read

Ideas from Ed: Finding accord (actually, a cord!) (Volume 7, Issue 4)

Sooner or later, every homeowner faces the task of replacing the electrical cord on a tool, appliance, or other powered device. It...

9 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Fixture fix (Volume 7, Issue 3)

edwardpetrus

Apr 303 min read

Ideas from Ed: Fixture fix (Volume 7, Issue 3)

It wasn’t all that long ago that I tore down a suspended ceiling and fluorescent lighting in a very old house, and this is what greeted...

12 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: What the hex? (Volume 7 issue 2)

edwardpetrus

Mar 314 min read

Ideas from Ed: What the hex? (Volume 7 issue 2)

I doubt if any of you will need to do exactly what I did this month, but this was a fast and fun project that “just needed doing.” I’m...

12 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Your CHAIRiot awaits! (Vol. 7, Issue 1)

edwardpetrus

Jan 13 min read

Ideas from Ed: Your CHAIRiot awaits! (Vol. 7, Issue 1)

It sure seems like I’ve been doing a lot of repairs to chairs lately. I guess that’s because they tend to be moved, stacked, rocked, and...

10 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Inzies or Outzies (Vol. 6, Issue 12)

edwardpetrus

Dec 1, 20232 min read

Ideas from Ed: Inzies or Outzies (Vol. 6, Issue 12)

Most plumbing projects today, especially those done by do-it-yourselfers, involve the use of PEX tubing for water supplies. It is so...

8 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Baseless lamps (Vol. 6, Issue 11)

edwardpetrus

Oct 31, 20232 min read

Ideas from Ed: Baseless lamps (Vol. 6, Issue 11)

Here’s a very quick and simple project I was asked to do. These lamps belong to a neighbor, who keeps them on a table on her porch. ...

13 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Arbor Day (Part 2 of 2) (Volume 6, Issue 10)

edwardpetrus

Sep 30, 20233 min read

Ideas from Ed: Arbor Day (Part 2 of 2) (Volume 6, Issue 10)

If you haven’t had a chance to read last month’s column about my arbor project, you might want to before delving into this month’s...

8 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Arbor Day (Part 1 of 2) (Volume 6, Issue 9)

edwardpetrus

Aug 31, 20234 min read

Ideas from Ed: Arbor Day (Part 1 of 2) (Volume 6, Issue 9)

When our house was built (1926-1927), there was a very small back porch. It was something like 5 feet by 5 feet – just enough to stand...

10 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: No math for good measure (Volume 6, Issue 8)

edwardpetrus

Jul 31, 20234 min read

Ideas from Ed: No math for good measure (Volume 6, Issue 8)

It seems like I’ve been doing a lot of construction and woodworking lately, so some of my “Ideas” columns are based on tools that I use,...

4 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Chair scare (Volume 6, Issue 7)

edwardpetrus

Jun 30, 20233 min read

Ideas from Ed: Chair scare (Volume 6, Issue 7)

My son Brian is a comedian. He told me “Dad, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that I nearly fell over when a leg on the...

21 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: The reel deal (Volume 6, Issue 6)

edwardpetrus

May 31, 20233 min read

Ideas from Ed: The reel deal (Volume 6, Issue 6)

If you’re old enough to know what this is, you’re probably no “spring chicken!” It’s a reel for wrapping up a rope clothesline! (If you...

8 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Spool table (Part 2) (Volume 6, Issue 5)

edwardpetrus

Apr 30, 20235 min read

Ideas from Ed: Spool table (Part 2) (Volume 6, Issue 5)

Welcome back to my project to save an old folding bassinet from the dump! The plan involved converting it into a small table. If you...

4 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Spool table (Part 1) (Volume 6, Issue 4)

edwardpetrus

Mar 31, 20235 min read

Ideas from Ed: Spool table (Part 1) (Volume 6, Issue 4)

I’ve never done a multi-part “Ideas” column until now. This one deserves the extra work because I wanted to show all the little steps...

11 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Puttin' on a happy (re)face (Volume 6, Issue 3)

edwardpetrus

Mar 1, 20234 min read

Ideas from Ed: Puttin' on a happy (re)face (Volume 6, Issue 3)

Trends in woodwork, especially in kitchens, seem to come and go. When we bought our built-in-1926 house (1981), the non-original kitchen...

7 views0 comments

Ideas from Ed: Blog2