Projects

NewAge Products Pro 3.0 Series Storage Cabinet 10-piece Set (Review and Installation)

Projects, Reviews, The Workshop, Tools /
newage pro series storage cabinet

NewAge Products manufactures various items from outdoor kitchen sets to garage storage solutions. In this article, I’ll cover their Pro 3.0 Series 10-Piece Storage Cabinet. From deliver to installation. Damage Upon Arrival Things definitely didn’t start out well. Unfortunately, multiple cabinets had sustained some damage. I promptly contacted NewAge, and they did send replacement doors and some touchup paint. The outer boxes didn’t appear to be too concerning, but once I got things opened up their were certainly some concerns. Cabinet Damage This was the most concerning damage, one of the “locker cabinets” had a large scratch and was dented. An overhead cabinet door had badly bent aluminum trim, but I was able to easily bend this back into position. Several Scuffed Pieces There was quite a bit of scuff marks inside the cabinets, one worse than the others. Styrofoam packaging was broken on this one and the inner contents were fairly loose inside because of it. For the most part, the scuff marks were able to be wiped off. It didn’t look like anything to worry about, but there was visible damage once opened in various areas. I thought this was an odd choice for shipping the lighting that is used for under the overhead storage shelves. At least they made it in one piece. They were fully shrinked wrap (which I removed before this photo) after being taped to the boxes. Assembly and Install The main cabinets are extremely heavy. It will definitely help to have at least 2 adults to moves these into position. Installing NewAge Storage Cabinets in a Pole Building Since I was installing my cabinets in my shop that’s a pole building, there aren’t many vertical support beams. The builders installed a 2×6 about halfway up the wall which provides additional support. It also established how far back I could install the walls. For mounting surface of the overhead cabinets, I installed a 4×6 beam (see photo below). Once installation location was determined, I placed the first cabinet. From there, I began installing the first overhead cabinet. This can be done with one person if you have something to support the cabinet (see 2×4’s below). However, a second set of hands would make things go eaiser. Continuing along installing the remaining overhead cabinets and using a step platform (and cabinets) for temporary support while installing. Installing the Benchtop Surface Installing the Lighting The included lighting uses adhesive magnets to install below the overhead cabinets. The light is quite warm, I prefer a cool white for lighting and have since replaced this lighting. Pegboard Installation NewAge does offer a pegboard that fits into the opening below the overhead storage and above the benchtop surface. However, I prefer the the steel pegboards from Wall Control. Overall Perception Other than the damage, a very solid product. A few packaging improvements, possibly QA before boxing, and also additional care by the courier will substantially improve the customer experience. It’s very frustrating to receive a product with this amount of damage.

NewAge Products Pro 3.0 Series Storage Cabinet 10-piece Set (Review and Installation) Read More »

How to Install a Bi-Fold Door

Projects, The Cabin /
how to install a bi-fold door

In this post we’ll go through the steps to install a bi-fold door. The installation time took me around 20 minutes. Everything is fairly straight forward, however this is the first bi-fold door I’ve ever installed and it did have to figure out a couple things along the way. I’ll provide some of these lessons learned that weren’t included in the instructions. Particularly with the pivots and hinges. This particular door is by Frameport, and unlike some other designs, this one has several size options, 13 to be exact. I opted for the 6-Panel style. However, louvered designs as well as others are also available. Follow along as we go through the installation process. Required Tools for Installing a Bi-Fold Door The tools for installation were fairly basic and minimal, here’s what I used: Unboxing the Bi-Fold Door After a string of wet or damaged deliveries of larger items recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find this door was delivered free of damage. Bi-Fold Door Hardware Here’s the included hardware: The hardware packs are attached quite secure to the doors, just pull up on the plastic near the arrow to remove. Step 1 Mark Position of Track The instructions that came with the door mention marking the center of your top jamb on each side of the opening and center point. I had mine offset, as I didn’t want the doors recessed that far into the jamb. So, for my particular install, the track was only about an inch from the outer walkway. Step 2 Insert Plastic Guide For the second step, you’ll insert the plastic guide into the track. Note, this guide will be positioned on the side of the doorway that is NOT hinged. As stated in the instructions, make sure the scooped surface of the guide is facing up towards the solid, flat side of the track before mounting. Step 3 Mount the Track Using the previous marked lines in Step 1, you’ll now mount the track using the three flat-top screws. Note: You’ll use position the upper hinge slide bracket (the one with the black set screw) to the side you plan to have the outside of the door hinge. The plastic glide is for the non-hinged door edge. Step 4 Mounting the Bottom Bracket Next step is to install the bottom bracket. I had tile in this area, but if you have carpet you may need to push the bracket down into the carpet so it doesn’t sit too high. I also opted not to drill into the tile to get a screw at the end. The two screws into the door jamb seem to be enough so far. Step 5 Knurled Hinge Pin For this step, you need to thread the knurled hinge pivot all the way into the plastic sleeve. Once you’ve done that, you’ll tap it into place with a mallet (or hammer). The directions called for hammer, I opted to use a mallet. Note: Be sure to thread the knurled pivot all the way in, otherwise when you go to hammer it into the door the plastic sleeve could become damaged. After installing the knurled hinge pivot, the instructions mention back the metal pin out from the sleeve approximately 1/4″. My door opening must be a bit tighter (possibly from the tile). I ended up having keep mine fully threaded. Your results may vary. Then, insert the top two plastic pivots and lightly tap them into position to fully seat. Step 6 Install the Door You’ll now push upright to align and insert upper the plastic pivots into the sliding hinge guide and track guide in the top track. More than likely you’ll have to angle the door to get them into position, then seat the bottom knurled pivot into the serrated slot of the bottom bracket. Step 7 Square Up the Door Now, it’s time square up the door and make final adjustments. Be sure to loosen the set screw on the upper sliding hinge bracket and move it to the necessary position within the track. Once in position, re-tighten the set screw. Test opening and closing the doors to make sure everything operates smoothly. The doors should have equal spacing on all sides. Step 8 Adjust for Height If you need to adjust the height of your bi-fold doors, lift the door from the floor bracket. You’ll rotate the bottom pivot clockwise to raise, or counter-clockwise to lower it. Step 9 Install the Pull Handle For this step, you need to drill a 3/16″ hole in the center of the guide door. Use the long screw from the backside to attach the knob. Finishing Options The instructions do show a few finishing options to hide the metal upper track. I’ll likely add a piece of cedar wood later, but for now, it’s functional. Staining the Bi-Fold Doors I don’t plan to stain our door, but that could change. The majority of the walls in our cabin are a knotty pine that have darkened over the years from UV exposure from the sun. If anyone is considering this same brand of door, there are specific instructions that come with it regarding painting or staining. Notably, the top and bottom edge surfaces are factory-sealed with two coats of UV cured protection. This means they’ll likely needed to sanded if you plan to paint them. They also will not absorb stain. So, if you plan on painting or staining, just be sure to read the instruction that come with your door. Summary All in all quite pleased with this bi-fold door. The lines don’t match up with the trim along the wall, so I’ll see if that bothers me over time. Definitely going to have to wait for the door to darken from UV exposure, as it certainly stands out right now. Otherwise, I may have to consider staining it, possibly a similar color as our exterior doors. The installation was fairly straight forward and easy, so big plus there! It

How to Install a Bi-Fold Door Read More »

Custom Wood Wall Plates for Nest Thermostats

Projects, The Cabin /

After we bought our cabin, I wanted to make sure to install a smart thermostat. This would allow me to control the temperature setting from anywhere with the app on my phone. If we’re heading over to the cabin in the winter, I can pre-heat the cabin so it’s warmed up before we get there. I don’t know mind the cleaner installation of no wall plate at all (this is what I did at our house), but what you do if there’s a large hole? You could use the plastic wall plate that comes with it, but it didn’t quite feel right with the wood panel walls of the cabin. That’s when I started searching for other options, and found a few on Etsy. On our house there was about a 1/2″ hole in the drywall for the wires going to the thermostat. At our cabin however, we had a slightly large cutout (enough for a 1-gang outlet if I remember right). This is a photo of the Nest backplate mounted over the electrical box. I proceeded installing the thermostat with the included wall plate, but it certainly felt off to me. Certainly felt as though it stuck out like a sore them against the wood paneling, but also with the beige switch and outlet covers below. I’ll likely look at swapping those switch and outlets for something else later, possibly going with a wood wall plate for those as well. So, after a quick search I came across this wooden Nest wall plate on Etsy. This particular seller has different options including the painted design, but I opted for the mountains. It seemed quite fitting for our cabin. Unfortunately the screws that came with it were a bit too short, and I had to pick up some longer ones at the local hardware store. A fairly quick install though, and I think this looks quite a bit better than the plastic wall plate.

Custom Wood Wall Plates for Nest Thermostats Read More »

How to Build a Hidden Door Pool Cue Rack

Projects, The Cabin, Wood Projects /

This is another in-progress project I’m working on for the cabin. With the scrap wood left over from the Murphy bed cabinet I had enough to build a door. There’s a few kits available on the market for hidden doors, and specifically hidden doors with pool cue racks, but one’s I came across started out at $1200 USD and were made of particle board. With no particle board currently in the cabin, I didn’t want to start adding any. I’m still a novice with furniture woodworking, so I called upon my brother-in-law to give me a hand over at his shop. Some of our rough sketch work to figure out what we were trying to build. Definitely don’t try to follow our chicken-scratch. Planning out for your own build certainly advised though, measure twice, cut once. Building the Main Box of the Hidden Door Some photos as we built the initial box structure of the door, I’ll add more descriptions later. Several clamps keep everything in place for the glue to dry. In this photo, you see multiple sections for the back panel. I may have been able to get one single piece from the Murphy bed scrap wood cut differently, oh well. This ended up with 3 pieces. The upper shelf was positioned to hide the gap at the top. We also placed a trim piece to hide the lower section. Shelves for the Hidden Door Pool Cue Rack Originally we intended to have the barrel staves go flush to the edge of the door, however, re-thought our decision on this. The overall intent is to make the door as inconspicuous as possible and will have some fixed out trim. Based on this, the edge of the door will be hidden when closed. After spending a good amount of time figuring out how to notch the staves to fit flush, the idea was scratched. This image also shows a couple pool cues we used to determine rough placement of the shelves. I didn’t snap a photo, but we had shelves cut to width and traced the contour once the staves were cut to size. A fairly quick cut on the bandsaw, one last dry fit, and the shelves were ready to be drilled. Drilling the Shelves Forstner bits were used to drill the holes for the shelves. The lower shelf was drilled to a depth of 3/8″ an inch using the depth gauge on the drill press. The upper shelf was drilled all the way through. Routing the Edges A router was used to give a softer edge to the holes, a bit of a chamfered edge. Barrel Stave Biscuit Joints Here’s an image of a biscuit joint. Glue should be strong enough to hold the barrel staves in place, but I will also have screws from the door sides also holding them into place. The screws will be countersunk and plugged. Here’s the “lower shelf” where the pool cues will rest. Using a Forstner bit always lives a detent in the middle, but I plan to glue in some felt pieces later. Dry Fit Before Final Assembly of the Shelves A quick dry fit before the shelves were screwed into place (from the side and back). The barrel staves will be stained and final assembly later. Primary Structure Complete Here’s the end of our second day of work. The door was now ready to haul over to the cabin. I brought it back over to my house in our enclosed trailer. The door, along with the Murphy bed cabinet plywood will be hauled over to the cabin soon. I’m planning to use five standard door hinges. If they don’t work, I’ll look at other hinge options. At the Cabin and Hinged I was surprised, but I was actually able to fit the hidden door, all but two pieces of the Murphy bed cabinet, laminate flooring, and a handful of other items into our Tesla Model X. Didn’t have to wait on my dad or neighbor to help haul it over in their truck after all. Here’s the initial install: Hinges for the Pool Cue Hidden Door Rack There are some “specialty” hinges for hidden doors. Some of the ones I saw didn’t seem they would give the right pivot point I was looking for. I ended up installing a total of 5 standard door hinges. The package stated 2 hinges were rated for up to 100 pounds, 3 hinges could handle 150 pounds. I’m sure this door is quite a bit lighter than 150 pounds, but figured I’d go with 5 hinges just to help prevent any sagging. Re-Trimming the Doorway I pulled the cedar trim and had to cut and/or re-position several pieces. I also cut down a wider piece for the top trim that would keep the original trim location at the top, but also was now tall enough to cover the top of the door. Notice the light color of the knotty pine where the trim used to be. The previous owner had several pictures and other items on the wall. Where these were located showed varying color depending on how long they were there for. He had mentioned give it a couple years and it will darken. Wood Plugs My brother-in-law made some wood plugs from some scrap wood from the same plywood. They have a slight taper and with a bit of wood glue, will permanently hide counter-sunk screws. I used a Japanese flush cut trim handsaw for this. As the name implies, it gives a nice, flush cut. More on this tool later. What’s Next? I still have some sanding and staining on the door itself to finish up. Most of this work likely won’t happen until the spring when the weather starts to warm up. I’ll also work on a compartment for the bottom to store additional pool table items like the brush and extra chalk. The door is also going to require some shimming, I have some gaps on

How to Build a Hidden Door Pool Cue Rack Read More »

How to Build a Barrel Stave Pool Cue Rack

Projects, The Cabin, Wood Projects /

This is another in-progress project that I have underway. This post will be updated as I continue the project. Here’s a dry fit of what I’m building: A temporary screw to hold the triangle that will most likely be replaced with a wood dowel setup. Also using the bottom mount of a pool cue rack for the ping pong balls. Drilling the Ping Pong Paddle Holes After measuring the placement for the ping pong paddles, it was time to use a Forstner bit in the drill press. The largest Forstner bit I had was 1-3/8″, this hole was just large enough for the paddles we have, but probably would have otherwise gone up to at 1-1/2″ for some extra clearance. Initial Assembly Applying a Stain Here’s an initial coat of stain. I used a “dark walnut” varathane. More to Come I still need to add a “shelf” for pool cue chalk and conceal the screws. That’s all for now though!

How to Build a Barrel Stave Pool Cue Rack Read More »

How to Build and Install a Murphy Bed Kit

Projects, The Cabin, Wood Projects /

I recently purchased a Rockler I-Semble Murphy bed kit. This kit comes with all of the hardware needed to build a Murphy wall bed, minus the wood to build the cabinet. It also comes with dimensions for the plywood cuts to build the cabinet. I took advantage of using the cutting service at our local home improvement store rather than leaving with full sheets of plywood to have to cut myself. The associate let me know the upper headboard is below the minimum cut size. More than likely, I could have had it cut off first. Instead, I left with just one piece that still needed to be cut. With the left over “scrap” plywood, I had enough to build a hidden door. More to come on this build as well. Rockler I-Semble Murphy Bed Kits The I-Semble Murphy Bed Hardware Kits are available for vertical and horizontal configuration. They offer kits for twin, full, and queen size beds. Based on the room I’ll be installing our Murphy bed in, vertical was the only option for us. We also opted for the queen size. The Hardware Here’s everything that comes with the kit (minus the packs of bolts, nuts, and screws). Again, you have to purchase your own plywood for the cabinet. It also does not include #8 x 2″ screws, dowels, or wood glue. Also not listed in the instructions was an 8mm Allen wrench, more on that later. Tools Required (Not Included) Per the instructions (the copy I received was last revised December 2018), these are the required tools that are not included: Drill Saw Circular Saw or Table Saw Stud Finder Tape Measure Pencil 3/8″ Nut Driver or Socket Wrench I lightly used an impact driver for the bed frame Phillips Screwdriver Doweling Jig Drill Bits 13/64″, 5/16″, 3/16″, 5/32″, 3/8″, and 27/64″ #8 Countersink Bit 8mm Allen Wrench This was not listed in the instructions Quality Control Issue When I picked up the Long Center Frame Support, I could hear something rattling inside. I certainly didn’t want to have this sound occur every time the bed was raised or lowered, so I tried getting whatever it was out. I assumed it was either a piece of welding wiring or a piece of metal that was punched out. With a flashlight looking inside of one of the holes, it appeared to be a round piece of metal. It also sounded as though there were multiple. I tried getting it out through the center hole, but it wasn’t going to be easy. Next, I double-checked the instructions to confirm the center hole on the end bracket wasn’t used for anything, which it wasn’t. I then drilled a larger hole into the bracket to make getting these pieces out much easier. After widening the hole, these pieces came out fairly easily. I assume a stamping machine was used to punch the holes out on this piece and it wasn’t fully cleared when the end brackets were welded on. With that out of the way, it was time to start assembling the bed frame. Murphy Bed Frame Assembly Following the I-Semble instructions, everything is fairly straight forward. There are several bolts, nuts, and washers however, so it can be a bit time consuming. I laid out all the parts and began assembly. To speed things up, I did use an impact driver, but made sure not to apply any torque and used a socket and ratchet to get everything “hand tight”. Here’s the frame fully assembled: Slat Assembly I missed this at first, but there are actually two different slat caps. The double slat caps are intended to be used on the middle. I used them on the outside as well and ended up having to use a flat screwdriver to pry them back up and re-do the slats I had already completed. Per the instructions, you want to leave Row 8 and Row 20 open. This is to allow room to later install other pieces. Also, on queen size beds you’ll leave Row 11 open as well. I missed the queen size call out and had to remove Row 11. My inspectors calling out that I should not have installed Row 11 yet: Tip: I found it easiest to install the left and right slat caps, then push the middle cap into place. The instructions do you mention you may need to use a mallet, but I didn’t find this necessary. Your results may very. Cabinet Build The instructions call for the cabinet build to be done first, but I knew it was going to be a while before I was going to pick up the plywood. So, I assembled the bed frame first. For the queen size Murphy bed, you’ll need 5 sheets of 4’x8′ plywood. Wood prices have skyrocketed in the last year or two, but have started coming down a bit. I spent $71.58 USD for each sheet in November 2021. I went with a finished maple plywood, it has a veneer on one side. The veneer side will be used for the inner portion of my cabinet and I will either stain or add slats to the exterior. My goal is to get it assembled, then I’ll focus on some aesthetics later. Plywood Cuts This is as far as my build has gone. I have the sheets cut, but need to haul them over to our cabin and then begin assembly. The instructions do not include a cut diagram, so I mapped out what I thought would be the best cut layout for our queen size bed. Feel free to use these for your own reference, but I’m not liable. Be sure to verify your required measurements. Again, this is for the queen size Murphy bed. And here’s the cut layout I went with, once again, for a queen size bed: Assembling the Cabinet Here we go, cabinet time! At first I thought I’d have to bring most of the plywood for the cabinet

How to Build and Install a Murphy Bed Kit Read More »

How Much Does It Cost to Have a Pole Building Built?

Projects, The Workshop /
daylight pole building workshop

Variable and Total Cost, Things to Look For, and Tips on Hiring a Contractor In this article, I cover the build process of our 24×30 foot “daylight” pole building. I’ll provide detailed first hand experience. How much we paid to have this shop built, only doing the pad site prep ourselves and having everything else contracted out. I’ve never taken on a project this large (or expensive). Some times it’s better to have things done right the first time, and with a warranty. With this large of project, not having the experience was a huge factor for me deciding to hire it out. Also, I would have been hard pressed to find the time for the actual build, but also needing to learn and research how to construct various elements to code. Of the companies we contacted, none provided site prep, so we either had to contract it out, or do it ourselves. We opted to do it ourselves to try and save on labor costs. There must be some companies that will do everything start to finish, but the ones I talked to did not. We were looking for the most cost effective building structure. Aside from a Quonset hut style shop which my wife would not agree to, pole buildings seem to come in at the lowest cost. A few years back we had a quote for a “stick-build” shell, and it was substantially more expensive for just a shell structure. It would have been unfinished on the inside just like the pole building. Snow Load and Wind Rating The builder we chose has most of their shops rated for a 25 pound snow load and for 85 mph winds. They state if your jurisdiction requires higher wind exposure or snow loads, that building prices will be affected. If your considering a DIY kit, make sure these requirements (and others) meet your local code requirements. Septic Line With our septic line running through our backyard, we weren’t sure if we were going to even be able to build in this location. The sales person advised we would have to reach out to the county inspector office. After calling our county inspection office, I was quickly referred over to the county health department. Our county health department is responsible for overseeing septic systems. I started to get some conflicting information. The original person I spoke to said we could be build a shop over the septic line, and that we would just have to sleeve it. To add a sleeve involves putting the primary line inside of a larger pipe. I ended up putting 22 feet of pipe for sleeve in. Later, we would have someone else come onsite to sign off on the build plans. This was a different representative than whom I had spoken with on the phone. They stated a different requirement. This person said the septic line needs to be at least 5 feet from the building. I would also have to sleeve over the septic line where the driveway would go. So after initially planning to sleeve the line, I would also have to do some relocation. Septic Line Relocation To relocate the septic line, there would be a lot of digging ahead. Your application will certainly vary. Better yet, you may not even have a septic line to worry about. Or at least not in the location you’re building (including where a driveway will be installed). I first had to locate the septic line, which according to the “as-built”, should run right through the middle of our property. This is when I first started using a rented excavating and was soon later able to locate the line. Once I located the septic line, I was able to start trenching out for the relocation. For the relocation, I used two 45 degree elbows to ensure a path at least 5 feet from where the shop would go. I had to find the line further in backyard, and again, had to start digging for where I would have the PVC meet back up. Pole Building Site Prep Our property has a gradual slope, after running a line level, we had about a 9″ difference from the front to the back. We chose to start with a base of 2″ chip rock. After multiple rounds of compacting, it was time to go over the base with a 5/8″ minus mix. More compacting and running line levels to ensure everything was within 1/2″ of being level. This was about a 3 day process. Lots of material moving and manual racking. After some final compacting, it was now time to call it done. Temporary Driveway We also needed a temporary driveway to the building site. With construction crews going in and out, grass would quickly get tore up, especially after heavy rain. I just went with a 2″ chip for the driveway. Having a driveway (and not dirt) was a requirement from the contractor. We also had to make sure we didn’t “disturb” more than 2,000 square feet of native ground. This included the shop area and driveway combined square footage. Otherwise, we were told we would have to hire an engineer to ensure adequate drainage was achieved. This is per our county’s code. Local codes on this and other requirements will vary. Waiting for the Build One of the requirements was for us to send in a confirmation card once the pad side was ready. I did this on July 10th, 2020. When we first signed our contract, we were scheduled to begin January 2021. However, we were told if they had a slot open up we might be able to begin sooner. Sure enough, I got a call they could start late August/early September. When I called in mid August to see if things were still on schedule, I was informed they had a foreman who had been out sick for a while, and there might be delays. We didn’t hear anything for the next

How Much Does It Cost to Have a Pole Building Built? Read More »

How To Install a ChargePoint Home Flex (Home EV Charging Upgrade)

Automotive, Electric Vehicles, Projects /
chargepoint-home-flex-installation

Over the last couple of years my previous GE EVSE has had some intermittent problems. I had been eyeing the ChargePoint EVSE’s for a while now as a possible replacement. That time has come, follow along as I swap out my existing EVSE with a brand new ChargePoint Home Flex. Using the existing wiring from my previous EVSE, the installation was fairly quick and straight forward. A Wi-Fi connection does appear to be a requirement though. My Wi-Fi signal outside isn’t that great, but it was enough. This charging station will be primarily used for our 2012 Nissan LEAF, but we may occasionally use it for my daughter’s Tesla Model 3 with the use of the Tesla J1772 adapter. ChargePoint Home Flex – The Specs Here we’ll take a quick look at some of the specifications on the ChargePoint Home Flex. Note: This is only intended as a reference, always be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions. You can view an electronic copy of the English version of the ChargePoint Home Flex Installation Guide. If you’re not comfortable working with electricity, be sure to higher a reputable and licensed electrician. Be familiar with your local codes – if you’re not, ask or once again, contact an electrician. If you’re interested in buying a ChargePoint Home Flex, they’re available here on Amazon. Unboxing the ChargePoint Home Flex Here’s what the ChargePoint Home Flex comes with: a. Charging station (with attached input power cable)b. Faceplate (pre-installed on charging station)c. Installation templated. Charging cable with cable clipe. Wire cover (pre-installed on charging station)f. 10 mm (3/8 in) driver bitg. 4 mm (3/16 in) drill bith. Three 6 mm (1/4 in) x 51 mm (2 in) lag screws I don’t quite understand why, but the charging cable is shipped disconnected from the unit. It’s fairly quick to install, but this could be a very fast plug in and go installation for those using an existing NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 outlet. Installation of the ChargePoint Home Flex Tools Needed The first step is pretty straight forward, simply install one of the supplied screws into your mounting location (assuming you’re not installing into cinderblock, brick, or any other masonry type surface). You want to make sure you can locate a stud for a solid installation. To determine my mounting location, I had to go inside the garage to locate some studs, then go back outside to measure from the corner of the garage. Be sure to also also account for the wall thickness of an adjacent wall if you go with this approach. The instructions say to leave 3mm gap for the screw head to the mounting surface. Installing on Hardie Plank Lap Siding This is stating what should be fairly obvious, but installing on lap siding isn’t ideal from a fit and finish standpoint. A flat surface would give a cleaner install. I considered recessing the unit or cutting out a rectangular shape out of the siding and installing a flat surface (similar to how faucets are typically done on lap siding). Ultimately, I decided not to. My previous EVSE lasted nearly 5 years before I decided it was time to replace it. I’m optimistic this ChargePoint unit will last much longer, but I also didn’t want to commit to cutting up my siding for something that might be removed later. Deciding the Location: Height and Fitment I wanted to locate this unit slightly closer to the driveway compared to where I installed the GE unit. For a new installation, you’ll want to make sure you choose a location that allows the cable to easily reach where a vehicle will be parked and that it still provides slack on the cable when plugged into the vehicle. To determine the height I wanted to mount the EVSE at, I placed it over the lap siding to see where the 3 lag screws would roughly be located along with the back opening for the power wire. I also wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be at too awkward of an angle. My goal was to minimize gaps and keep it level. To locate my next screws, I placed the charger onto the screw I just installed. A paper template is also included, but it didn’t seem practical for an installation on lap siding. It should work perfectly fine for a flat installation location. The next step was to locate where to pre-drill for the final two mounting screws. I also marked where I was going to run my wires from, since this was a slightly different location from the GE EVSE install. Here I’ve pulled my wires through, completed the connections, and installed the last 2 mounting screws. Here’s the charger power cables placed into position. Be sure to also install the Cable Clip. Last step was to press down on the white levers to secure the cables. After all your connections are made and the mounting screws are installed, it’s time to install the panel cover. Be sure to look at which position is locked and unlocked. The instructions recommend using a coin to prevent damage. Re-install the cover plate, turn on the power at the breaker, and you’re ready to go complete setup in the app. Once the breaker has been switched on, the indicator light should slowly light up white. Setup Through the ChargePoint App Once you have your ChargePoint Home Flex powered up, you should see the indicator light begin to blink white. It is now ready for setup through the ChargePoint App which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Installation Type Note: These screenshots were taken during my own installation, the steps and other images may change with updates to the ChargePoint App, I’m merely sharing these as reference. The first step is to select your installation type, whether it was hardwired or a plug-in. Since I hardwired mine, this is the selection I made. Breaker Amperage On this next screen, you’ll select your breaker amperage. For

How To Install a ChargePoint Home Flex (Home EV Charging Upgrade) Read More »

Archery Backstop – Step by Step DIY and Lessons Learned

Archery, Projects /

I built a previous archery backstop that didn’t survive, so it was time to a build a new one. For the first archery backstop I built I had some extra landscape timber lying around, so this is what I decided to use. I initially built it to where it could be moved as a portable stand, but after seeing heavy wind knock it down repeatedly I decided to put those posts in the ground with some concrete.

Archery Backstop – Step by Step DIY and Lessons Learned Read More »

Home Drive-In Theater (or Driveway Theater?)

Automotive, Projects /
tesla home drive-in theater

The Screen In the past, we’ve setup chairs for our screen projector, but to take advantage of earlier sunsets in color weather, the next evolution was for a home drive-in theater, or should we call it a driveway theater? This is a screen I bought many years ago off of eBay. At our previous house it was used in our garage that was converted to a home theater room. It’s a 150″ motorized projector screen. Simply plug it in and you have 3 basic button controls for opening, retracting, and stopping how much screen is rolled out.

Home Drive-In Theater (or Driveway Theater?) Read More »