No More Wire Hangers

Joan Crawford was right. Wire hangers just won�t do.

Our Toyota mini motor home has a clothes closet equipped with the standard flat metal bar with the small triangular opening for the clothes hangers. This arrangement works well for keeping the clothes hangers from sliding about while under way. It also makes it impossible to use any of the more popular styles of clothes hangers.

We soon were frustrated at trying to stuff enough clothes into the limited hanging space of our small wardrobe. Each hanger had two to three items of clothing on it. Many of the tops that Shirley liked to wear had a large �boat� neckline and would simply slide off the wire hangers.

After some thought, it became clear that I could put the metal hanging bar to good use by using it to suspend another rod. I went to Walmart and purchased a package of the wire shower curtain hanger rings. They are available in a package of twelve for a little over a dollar. I then stopped at the home improvement store and purchased a piece of one inch pvc pipe and some end caps.

Back at home, I measured the length of the metal hanging bar in the wardrobe and cut the pvc pipe to match. The end caps were installed on each end of this piece but not glued. The normal tight fit of the caps will do just fine. Six of the shower curtain rings were slipped over the piece of pvc pipe.

The small end of each of the shower curtain ring is placed through the metal hanging bar in the wardrobe starting at the end and spacing them out every six to eight inches. Our metal bar was only three feet long so six of the rings was plenty.

This installed the pvc closet rod about one to two inches below the metal bar in the wardrobe.

Now any type of hanger, plastic, wooden, or yes even wire will work in our wardrobe.

We also can store a lot more clothes as each hanger does not have to fit in one of the little holes in the metal bar.

*******************************************************

Lee McPherron

Happily Rving in �Dolly� our 1985 Toyota Dolphin Mini Motorhome.

Read the Toyota Motor Home Handbook

http://www.thorntonnetsales.com/toyotamotorhome/

Author: Lee McPherron

How To Build A Bird House

How To Build A Bird House - If you enjoy spending time around birds then you may want to build a birdhouse. Building a birdhouse is a great way to become a companion of birds. Birdhouses add attractiveness to any landscape. Crafting, designing and building birdhouses is a in-expensive hobby.

You need to construct a birdhouse that is easy to clean. It should be sturdy, cool, and rainproof as well. Remember, this is your birdhouse, so use your imagination; you will have something unique and all your own when your project is completed..

It is important not to use metal to build your birdhouse, not even nails; use non-toxic outdoor wood glue. Metal can become very hot when the sun is beating down on it, plus it can have very sharp edges. Wood is the best material to build a birdhouse. To keep water out of the entrance of the birdhouse you need the roof to pitch enough to shed water.

Add a couple small holes near the top of the birdhouse for ventilation on hot days. The bottom of the birdhouse should be constructed with screws, so it will be easy to take apart when you clean it.

When your bird house is built it is time to mount it. When mounting your birdhouse it is important to keep in mind predators, such as squirrels, cats and snakes. Place your bird house mount out of the range of jumping and climbing animals. The best mount for a birdhouse is PVC pipe which can be purchased inexpensively at your local home hardware supply store. Get an 8' long piece of PVC that is 3 or 4" in diameter. Also be sure and buy a "flange" that will fit into the PVC. When looking at a 'flange' from the side it has the shape of a man's dress hat, as one would also look at the dress hat from from it's side view. The round part of the 'hat' - or 'flange' slips down, about 2" into one end of the PVC pipe. The flat part of the 'hat' - or 'flange' should have a small hole pre-drilled in each corner. A large, approx. 12" x 12" piece of plywood is attached, to the flat part of the 'hat' or 'flange' with screws via the pre-drilled holes. Be sure this is placed in the middle of the 12" x 12 plywood. This will serve as your birdhouse base. Now turn this over and simply slide the round part of the 'hat' - or 'flange' into the end of your PVC pipe. On top of this securely mount your bird house. When you have moved your PVC to an upright mounting position, you would be looking upward, and see the screws that attached flange to your 12" x 12" base.

Now it's time to mount your bird house. Dig about an 18" hole and drop it in! Be sure and pack the dirt solidly back around the base to secure it. For added security you could pick up an inexpensive bag of ready mix cement. Just mix it with water, set the PVC in the middle of the hole and pour the cement evenly around it. It is a good idea if you could put your hands on a level to make sure your PVC stays vertically straight while working. That's all there is to it!

When you are ready to clean your bird house simple unscrew the 12" x 12" base mounting screws, slide off the base with it's attached birdhouse and clean it! When cleaned, replace the 12" x 12" base and reinsert your screws. Now wasn't that easy!

For more great information be sure and visit:

http://www.bird-city.com

If you lightly coat the PVC pipe mount with in-expensive vegetable oil ants and other crawling insects will not be able to climb disturb the bird nest.

Don't forget to treat your feathered friend with feeders, bird baths or bird pond sprinkle the area with some wild flower seeds. When your wild flower are in bloom your feathered friend will provide you with constant delight. ~ Anthony Benjamin ~ http://www.mysecretsites.info

Author: Anthony Benjamin

Sewer Connection Guidelines to Prevent Sewage Cleanup in Belleville, IL

In order to connect the sewer of the building to the main sewer provided by the city, there are certain regulations that residents of Belleville must follow. These are to maintain a sense of order and to protect the interests of the majority of the people. It is only in this situation that sewage cleanup in Belleville, IL can be avoided for more residents.

The sewer lines should be made out of vitrified clay pipe, cast iron soil pipe, or PVC sewer pipe that conforms to the regulations issued by the government. When the building sewer is to be built using the PVC pipe, then there should be at least two inches of bedding of an approved granular material to the center line of the pipe that is made from the same material. The length of the building should be at this condition until it has passed an inspection by the city inspector.

There should also be sufficient bedding material available on site to provide at least two inches of cover of the building sewer once approval by the inspector has been achieved. During inspection, the tap, fittings, and pipes should still be seen.

The minimum size of the pipe should be four inches in diameter for residential structures. For buildings that have heavier users such as churches, schools, or duplexes, the size is increased to six inches. One clean out should be built within five feet of the building foundation. The sewer piping should not be reduced in size in consideration of the direction of the flow of water. Otherwise, there is a risk for backlog and the need of sewage cleanup in Belleville, IL arises.

The connection made with the sewer of the city should be characterized as either a "WYE" or "TEE" branch. If this is not possible, the connections should have to be approved drilled or sawed tap and saddle. Under no circumstance should the sanitary sewer be broken.

Finally, all the connections and materials that are employed should have the approval of the superintendent of sewers or his representative before any kind of work is done.

Author: Leo Nov

Learn How You Can Have Free Electricity

If you want to reduce your electricity bill without reducing your energy consumption, you need to find alternative ways of producing electricity. That is not too difficult a task if you know what to do. All it takes is a few hours a day and you can make yourself a generator that produces free electricity. Most people accomplish this within one or two weekends.

There are basically 2 types of generators you can make - a solar generator and a wind generator.

Learn more about renewable energy resources

A solar generator comprises of solar cells connected in series and glued onto the base of a shallow wooden box that acts as the solar panel box. First, you need to buy 36 solar cells from eBay or someplace like that. They are much cheaper than new industrial solar cells because those in eBay are usually factory seconds but they still work fine. Next, make your shallow box (or have the carpenter do it) according to dimensions that can fit the cells connected together in series in a 6x6, 4x9 or even 3x12 matrix. Paint your box with weather proof paint. While the paint dries, you can connect the cells together in series by soldering the tab wires that come with the cells onto the front of one cell and the back of another cell. Do this for all 36 cells.

The solar cells are then glued onto the base of the wooden box which is covered with a plexiglass top. If you have connected your cells correctly, you can test it under bright sunlight and you will find a reading in your voltmeter. The wires leading out of the box are connected to a battery to store the electricity generated.

On the other hand, a wind generator is made out of a set of wind generator blades, a motor, a body to house the motor, a vane and a tower to hoist the motor and blades. I recommend buying the blades and motor from eBay. All you need to do is screw the blades onto the hub of the motor. Now connect the motor to a voltmeter and test your generator by spinning the blades. If you get a reading, you're in business. Next, connect your motor to a battery using an electrical rotary connector. This connector allows you to connect your motor (which will be turning according to the wind direction) to the battery without getting any wires tangled up.

The next step is to make a body for the motor. A PVC pipe can be used for this purpose. Make one cut down the PVC pipe lengthwise to enable the motor to be mounted onto the top of the tower later. Now make a vane (tail) out of a flat piece of aluminum and attach it to the back of the body (PVC pipe). Place the motor into the PVC pipe securely and attach a flange at the bottom of the motor so that it can turn following the wind's direction. Now use some lazy susan bearings to connect the motor to the top of the tower. You can either buy the tower from eBay or use an old TV tower. Just make sure that you place your tower out in the open, at least 15 feet higher than any other object within 30 feet from your tower. Remember to earth your tower, too.

The final thing to do is to make sure you have a blocking diode connected in your circuit before the battery so that the charge does not flow back to your generator from the battery. Also it would be a wise move to have a voltage regulator to ensure your battery does not get overcharged. You will also need to convert the DC current in the battery into AC current via an inverter before powering your appliances with the electricity.

Both these ways can produce free electricity and substantially reduce your utility bill.

Learn more about alternative energy house

Author: Niellete Philip

Storing You Silk Flower Stems For Silk Flower Arrangements and other Crafts

Storing Silk Flower Stems for your Silk Flower Arrangements and other Crafts.

For your crafters that like to work with silk flowers for all your many hobbies, if you are like me, it is hard to find a method of storage for all your silk flower supplies. I like making silk flower arrangements, artificial floral candle rings and wreaths, you usually like to keep supplies around since you find great deals when you�re shopping. You probably have found that storing them by laying them down does nothing but ruin its posture. Or storing them in vases takes up a lot of floor or shelf space, and you also have to compensate for the size of each container. Today I wanted provide a quick how to article stepping you through the process of creating a platform that allows you to store your many different silk flower supplies with a small foot print.

The premise for the design is to take advantage of height and shape of silk flower stems to �stack� your silk flowers in an organized and easily maintainable way. You can picture a pole to hang coats, but instead of hooks were going to use rings to hold the flowers at an angle.

Items you will need:

6� long / 4� diameter PVC pipe

6� long / 5� diameter PVC pipe

1� woods screws (approx 30)

2� sq. piece of �� particle board

3 x L shaped bracket (should have at least a drilled whole in each in, two in each end would be even better. Make sure the holes are not larger than the head on the 1� wood screws.)

Equipment you will need:

Phillips Screwdriver (the neck of the screw driver �the metal part- will need to be most likely 5-6� long.

power screwdriver if you have it)

Power drill

Approx 3/8 drill bit (must drill holes bigger than the head of your wood screws)

Some type of power saw or hand saw to cut the PVC pipe.

You can change the dimensions of this design to fit your needs easily. I am making this at 6� high, but could be at any height, but I probably wouldn�t go below 3�. Once you get the hang of what you are accomplishing it will be a breeze to complete. The hardest part will be figuring out the layout of what you want.

All the items I mentioned above can be obtained from your local hardware store. You are also not required to have exactly those dimensions. If your retailer carries 3� diameter PVC only, you can use that, it just won�t hold as many silk flower stems as a 4� or 5� diameter pipe. The �L� shaped brackets are used for securing items like two boards perpendicular to each other. In our case, were going to use it to fasten the pole

Let�s start by picturing your standard pole for hanging coats on. We�re going to recreate this concept by fastening one of the poles to the 2� sq particle board we have.

With the 2� particle board flat on the ground we will stand the 6� long, 4� diameter PVC pipe on end on top of, and in the middle of the board we have flat on the ground. (This is the only part an extra pair of hands would come in handy).

If you are lucky to have someone hold the pipe the following will not be a problem. We are going to take the 3 �L� shaped brackets and place them equally around the pipe, with one end flush against the side of the pipe, while the other end of the bracket is flush with board.

You will then use the 1� wooden screws to fasten one end of the bracket to the board, and the other end to the pole. As I mentioned above, if you can find brackets that have 2 holes on each end, if will be even more secure.

(TIP) if don�t have someone that can support the pole, you can opt to set the brackets around the pipe the way they will end up, mark the holes on the board (only), then remove the pipe. You can then proceed to fasten the brackets to the 2� sq particle board first. Then proceed to put the pipe back in-between all three brackets and finish off securing the top part of each bracket to the pipe - make sure the pipe is plumb (straight up and down).

We will now proceed to take the second 6� long PVC pipe and cut it in segments of 4� long pieces. This should give you approximately 18 pieces. This might or might not be enough depending on how big you are making this or how much you want to cram in on this pole. If you need more, you�ll need another pole PVC pipe to cut more 4� long pieces.

We are now going to use our drill to drill �a� hole on one side of each of the 4� long pieces of PVC pipe we cut. Make sure to drill the hole in the dead middle of the ring. To be clearer, I mean the middle as in between the top and bottom of the ring. We are going to use this hole, to put our long neck Phillips screwdriver through in order to turn the screw that will fasten the opposite side to the pole (more on that in a minute).

Once you are done drilling the hole through all the pieces, we are going to start at the bottom of the pole and work our way up. You must stop and understand that the intentions are not to set the holder so it is holding the group of silk flower stems perpendicular to the ground. Rather at a 90 degree angle. This is important as you will want to start high enough off the ground on the pole so that at 90 degrees the bottom of the stems is not touching the ground. You will probably have to put your stems through the ring (holder) and place against the pole to find the right starting point. This is where you would hold them at a 90 degree angle to get the right height.

Holding the 4� pipe piece against the pipe, we are going to line up the side that is the very opposite side from the side you drilled the hole. It would be idea to have someone hold this piece so you can concentrate on fastening. Place the wooden screw inside the ring, using your other hand feed the screwdriver through the hole. And commence with fastening the screw through the ring into the pole.

With a tight fit, you should find that you can swivel the ring around. We will want to put it at 90 degree angle to figure out where the next one will go.

Now that we have one on, we can figure out how we are going to position the rest. You can definitely experiment with this depending on the length of your silk flower stems, but in most cases I found two idea methods:

Staggering the rings around the pole as you work your way up or

Picture a candy cane strip as it works its way up the pole.

Once you have proceeded to fasten each of your 4� rings to the pole, you should find that you can easily adjust their angle to accommodate the different lengths of stems and what is beneath and below each ring. Once completed, you can then fill each ring with your silk flower stems.

You should now find that you have assembled a 6� pole, aligned with holders for silk flower stems. You can group them by project, or by type. What I have found is setting them into the holder, then taking the stems and giving them a very slight tub to snug them in place helps. There are a ton of other bells and whistles that am a not exploring in this article that you can add or change about your setup. I have included a few of those ideas in the below additional tip section. Enjoy.

Below are a couple additional tips:

When placing the bunches of stems in each ring, be careful not to overcrowd

Other great ideas is taking small 2�-3� pipe and cutting into 5� lengths

In open areas where you can�t place the large 4� pipe pieces, you can then place these small pieces perpendicular with the ground against the pole to hold additional small silk flower supplies (close against the pole) out of the way of the larger holders.

You could leave an area for hanging silk flower wreaths or silk flower candle rings. Based on the diameter of your wreaths or candle rings, you would leave this much room on the pole before your holders start. Then taking a 1� PVC pipe (length is up to you) and by drilling a slightly bigger hole through the middle of the main pole, slide your 1� pipe through and create a place to �hang� your wreaths and candle rings.

Author: Max McCarty

North Carolina ace sparks creativity

The workers at Outer Banking institutions Ace Hardware, with 6 places in Eastern North Carolina, a short while ago channeled their inner youngsters when they were asked to establish a "wonder wall" comprehensive with hardware-inspired routines at Children's Place, Inc., a native children's play zone.

The "wonder wall" is made up of color plywood painted like a jigsaw puzzle and options objects among them PVC pipes, a working doorbell, a pulley program, an Ace bucket whole of fittings, a backyard hose and significantly more.

Children's Destination Inc. hopes to inevitably acquire into a children's museum to offer residents hands-on activities concentrating on the advancement of nearby little ones.

Whilst the Ace wonder wall was just recently installed in October, Kathy Seko, operations supervisor at Outer Banks Ace Hardware, states employees are previously developing further recommendations for actions.

She stresses the significance for retailers to connect and assist their communities by these types of donations.

"We hope the wall will help children acquire skills and curiosity about how important things labor, and who appreciates, quite possibly build potential Ace buyers," says Seko.

How I Constructed My Own Wind Turbine

I want to reveal to you how I created my private wind technique from launch to complete. Right here is a checklist of materials that I used to get commenced. I purchased a DC permanent magnet motor from eBay. The motor is a 48 volt dc motor that as an rpm rating of 2000 rpm, which would mean at twelve volts dc it, has an output of 5.8 amps at 500 rpm which is ideally suited to charge a twelve volt battery technique.

I made the decision to make my wind turbine out of PVC pipe which is readily accessible at your native dwelling provide retailer. The diameter of my motor is 3� so I applied 3� PVC pipe so that I could slip the motor inside the PVC pipe. First of all I quartered the 3� PVC just sufficient to make it possible for the motor to slip in the PVC quite easily. Now that I know how to quite easily slip the motor in the pipe I used two large hose clamps to secure the motor in the PVC.

Future I desired a way to allow the wind turbine to pivot freely in the wind, so I got a 3� PVC tee fitting. Yet, I resolved to use a 2� rigid mast for my tower which permitted me to greatly reduce the tee fitting down to 1-one/2� PVC pipe which slips nicely into the 2� rigid conduit letting a clean turning point.

Now I am all set to fabricate my turbine blades that will flip the motor in the wind. I chosen a piece of 6� PVC schedule 40 white plumbing pipe, and I reduce it into three equivalent pieces 36� prolonged. These needs to be lower precise so that extremely little balancing will have to be completed. To be honest with you it took me two tries at this to get it perfect.

Up coming I made a decision to use a piece of 2� PVC for a tail portion. I designed the wind tail segment out of a piece of Plexiglas I had, approximately 12� significant and 24� extended. I split the 2� PVC 24� lengthy vertically to help the piece of Plexiglas to fit among the PVC and drilled through the PVC and the vertical tail area so I could bolt it securely in spot. You have to stability the tail segment with the motor set up in the 3� PVC so that it balances at the pivot position of the 2� rigid conduit enabling easy turning. I had to minimize off my 2� PVC until it balanced properly.

A person obstacle that as normally been a part of a horizontal wind turbines is known as wire twist, had been the constant wind change of course will lead to the wire to twist and gradually brake. To resolve this obstacle I devised a rather simple put a stop to strategy by drilling a hole as a result of the 1-one/2� PVC just above the rigid conduit, with a �� hole. I placed a 2� lengthy �� bolt by means of the hole securing it with a nut and lock washer. Subsequent, I placed a 3� piece of �� rod or bolt secured vertically to the conclude of the 2� rigid conduit, spacing it away from the one-1/2� PVC so it doesn�t rub. I secured the vertical bolt with 2 hose clamps all-around the 2� rigid conduit.

Now you are prepared to attach your wind turbine to the tower and wire anything so you can start out providing your possess electrical vitality. I understand this is just a glimpse of how I constructed my private wind turbine, but it provides you a starting up level to put together your own. I have a instruction that I made use of on hand at my blog.

Writer: Jerry Standefer

For Port of Portland, pipe installation cheaper if done 2 at a time

To complete part of a project to improve a deicing system on time and within budget for the Port of Portland, Northwest Underwater Construction and Kinnan Engineering discovered that installing two pipes simultaneously would be better than installing them individually.

The two 3,800-foot-long pipes last week were installed horizontally beneath ground at Portland International Airport. Drilling two separate holes for the 24-inch and 6-inch pipes would have required an additional half-day of work, and cost an extra $300,000. So, the project team chose an unconventional strategy: pulling both of the large, fusible PVC pipes in tandem.

"Thirty-eight-hundred feet of pipe is already on the long side for a horizontal drill pull," said Alan Parks, Northwest Underwater Construction project manager. "Pulling the pipes in tandem is something that hadn't been done before on a port project. It was challenging, but I think everyone is happy with how it turned out."

Horizontal directional drill pulling is a pipe installation technique created in the 1920s to access oil wells. Rather than drilling vertically, a pilot hole is drilled downward at a slight angle until the desired depth is reached. The drill, or reaming head, is pulled out until the pilot hole is about one and-one-half times the size of the pipe and the tunnel is cleared of debris. The pipe is then threaded slowly through the hole.

The port's pipe installation was part of its Deicing System Enhancement project. Airlines apply anti-icing and deicing materials during cold weather to remove ice and snow from aircraft. But the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in 2006 determined that an excessive amount of deicing fluid was being discharged into the Columbia Slough. The new pipes will lead runoff from the runways to a new deicing treatment plant, as well as several 6 million gallon storage tanks. The entire upgrade will cost about $76.5 million.

Keith Kinnan, owner of Kinnan Engineering, an Oregon company based in Camas Valley, had previously pulled multiple pipes for utility projects. But the largest pipe Kinnan had pulled before this project had been 12 inches in diameter. Pulling a pipe double that size along with a significantly smaller pipe would require four months of drilling work.

"The key was preparing the hole and making sure the tunnel was clear," Kinnan said. "Ideally, all you want left in the tunnel after it has been pre-reamed is drilling fluid."

But as workers cleared out the tunnel, they found a high concentration of ultra-fine silt that wasn't predicted in the ground survey performed for the project. Before the team could proceed with drilling, silt had to be hauled away and drilling fluid had to be added.

Pulling the pipe through was an easier task. Special equipment was installed along the pipeline to ensure the pipes were pulled at the same speed.

"We needed both pipes to be pulled at the same rate to be sure the smaller pipe didn't get twisted around the larger pipe," Parks said. "It took about 13 hours, and we did it in one shot."

Taking both pipes through one hole saved $300,000, but the Port of Portland also saved about $4 million by performing the horizontal directional drill itself. The drilling was performed underneath the airport, so the port avoided a much longer pipeline path that would have wound around the airport. General contractor JE Dunn Construction Co. is expected to finish project work by April 2011.

"We're hoping this work will allow us to come in under budget," said George Seaman, Port of Portland project manager. "I think this is a method we'll use again in the future. The alternative would have been daunting."

Author: Nathalie Weinstein

How to Make a Weed Dabber

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm

The tool that I am going to tell you about is for using herbicides such as RoundUp. The biggest mistakes that people make when using non-selective herbicides like RoundUp is overspray getting the herbicide on plants that they did not intend to spray, and over applying the product. If you spray to the point of run off, you are applying way too much.

The weed dabber is a tool used for spot treating weeds without getting the herbicide on other plants.

Start by going to your hardware store and buying a piece of 1- 1/2� PVC pipe. You only need a piece 30� long, but they might make you buy a 10' section. It's pretty cheap though. You'll need a plastic PVC cap for one end of the pipe, and on the other end you'll need an adapter to convert the PVC pipe to a standard pipe thread. You'll have to let the clerk at the hardware store help you find the best combination of fittings to use. What you need to do is to get the PVC pipe reduced down to a male garden hose type fitting. Hardware stores sell brass fittings that convert standard pipe thread to the same thread used on garden hoses.

Probably what you'll end up with is an adapter that will convert the 1-1/2� PVC to 3/4� male pipe. Then an adapter to convert the 3/4� male pipe to a male garden house fitting. They also make a cap that you can install on the end of a garden hose, you'll need one of those. This cap must have a rubber garden hose washer in it so it seals properly.

The PVC fittings have to be glued on so you'll have to pick up some PVC pipe glue and cleaner. You have to use the cleaner to remove the film and gloss from the PVC pipe and fittings before you glue them. Once you have them cleaned, just apply a coating of glue to both the pipe and the fitting, slide the fitting on and twist it at the same time. Hold the fitting tight for 60 seconds and it will be glued tightly.

Cut a piece of pipe 30� long and glue the pipe cap on one end, and the PVC to pipe thread adapter on the other end. Apply a small amount of pipe dope or Teflon tape to the threads of the adapter, and screw the male garden house fitting onto the adapter. Screw the garden hose cap to the male garden hose fitting.

Now back to the end of the pipe that you glued the pipe cap to. Drill a very small hole right in the middle of the pipe cap. You might have to experiment a little with the size of the hole you need, but make sure you start with a very small hole. I'd start with 1/16�. Cut a piece of regular household sponge in a square about 1-1/2� square. What you are going to do is place this sponge over the small hole you drilled in the pipe cap, and secure it there by covering it with a piece of lightweight screen or mesh cloth. Maybe even a piece of an onion bag. You can secure the mesh to the PVC pipe with a hose clamp, or electrical tape.

Remove the garden hose cap from the other end of the PVC pipe, and fill the pipe with pre-mixed (ready to use) RoundUp. Replace the garden hose cap and you have yourself a weed dabber. The RoundUp will seep out the hole in the end of the pipe cap and be absorbed by the sponge. As long as the garden hose cap is tight, the vacuum in the pipe will keep the herbicide from running out too fast. Once the sponge is damp, you can start dabbing weeds. Remember, you only want the weeds damp and not dripping wet. As long as you are leaving some RoundUp on the weeds as you dab them, the herbicide should kill them.

Depending on the temperatures, it could take a week or so before you can see the effects of the herbicide. If the sponge gets too dry you can loosen the cap a little to release the vacuum and more herbicide will be released onto the sponge. Or you can simply turn the tool upside down and that should let some air into the chamber, thus releasing the vacuum. As always, read the label and follow the directions on the herbicide package.

Author: Michael McGroarty

Westlake Chemical Declares Quarterly Dividend of six.35 Cents per Share

HOUSTON, May possibly 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE: WLK) declared on Friday a dividend of six.35 cents for each share, payable on June 17, 2011, to stockholders of report on June 3, 2011.

This is the 27th successive quarterly dividend that Westlake has declared considering the fact that completing its first public providing in August 2004.

Westlake Chemical Corporation is a company and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and fabricated products and services with headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company's collection of programs comprises: ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, VCM, PVC and PVC constructing products and services this includes pipe, windows and fence. For a great deal more information, check out the company's World wide web online site at www.westlake.com .

Resource Westlake Chemical Corporation

PVC Bendit Is Shaping the Long term of PVC by Furnishing a New Instrument to Bend PVC Pipe for Totally New and Impressive Utilizes

Reese Delorey, President of PVC Bendit, announces that PVC Bendit Inc. has opened its via the internet retailer at www.pvcbendit.com . PVC Bendit is the only PVC bending model that heats pipe from the within enabling uniform speedy heating of the PVC pipe. Bendit fills a would need for all users of PVC to reliably and flexibly bend PVC pipe. It also opens the door for entirely new employs for PVC because it allows bending lengths up to 18 feet and up to four inches in diameter into nearly any curved shape without misshaping, crimping, or changing the qualities of the PVC. Prior to PVC Bendit bending PVC was really difficult, inconsistent, overpriced, and even unsafe. With the PVC Bendit tool bending PVC has develop into effortless, easily affordable, steady, and safe.

The agency will also provide you with the Produce-A-Bend system to assist in the bending practice and to allow repeating the very same precise bend on a variety of pieces of pipe. This will be most definitely beneficial when attempting to assemble various merchandise of the very same shape and sort factor, for example greenhouse hoops. The Make-A-Bend Technique is a set of precut pipe sections and an instruction procedure for aligning those items to design kinds that will be implemented to bend PVC Pipe into exact repeatable styles.

When demonstrating PVC Bendit for a 22 12 months hardware save skilled, he exclaimed, "This is beautiful. I have had potential customers trying for this for years."

Brooks Owens, who operates WWW.PVCWorkshop.com , reported, "Relatively neat equipment! ... The Bendit seems to be like a winner to me. You have stuffed a really need and I am guaranteed there are some avenues to revenue with that toddler."

Image On the market: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/body_mw?attachid=1620003

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Make contact with: Reese Delorey PVC Bendit Inc. 719-304-1480 719-578-9722 fax Electronic mail Contact www.pvcbendit.com

Westlake Chemical Corporation Discloses Recent Operating Developments

HOUSTON, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE: WLK) announced today that its North American Pipe Corporation subsidiary has shut down its Springfield, KY PVC pipe production facility in an effort to reduce costs and optimize production operations as a result of excess capacity in the PVC pipe market. The Springfield site is one of the company's smallest pipe facilities. Customers currently being serviced from Springfield will not experience any supply disruption and will now be served through North American Pipe's other PVC pipe plants. Impairment and shutdown-related costs are expected to negatively impact second quarter 2011 pre-tax earnings by approximately $4 million.

During the second quarter of 2011 our Lake Charles, Louisiana facility has also been negatively impacted by an unscheduled outage caused by a weather related power supply failure from a third party power provider, resulting in reduced production and repairs at an ethylene unit. We estimate that the lost production, repair costs and other expenses resulting from this event will lower second quarter 2011 pre-tax earnings by approximately $10 million. We expect proceeds from insurance recoveries to offset a majority of this impact in future periods. The unit has returned to normal operations.

Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLK)

Westlake Chemical Corporation is an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and building products with headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company's range of products includes: ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, VCM, PVC resin and PVC building products including pipe, windows and fence. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.westlake.com.

SOURCE Westlake Chemical Corporation

How to Put together and Shoot a Marshmallow Gun

Marshmallow blow guns are secure and exciting for boys and girls of all ages. Even dads will relish this toy. A marshmallow gun or shooter is a great Xmas, birthday or at any time present!

The foremost marshmallow blow gun I ever acquired was at a birthday social gathering. We played �Capture the Flag� with marshmallow guns. Just after the social gathering, we all acquired a marshmallow gun for a social gathering favor.

If you want to know how to establish and shoot a marshmallow gun, the options are beneath. Grasping how to put together and shoot a Marshmallow Gun without having strategies can be difficult, so we are providing the Marshmallow Gun-Shooter Strategies to you for absolutely free!

Developing the Marshmallow Gun

one. Invest in 1/2 inch PVC pipe, 2 PVC elbows, 2 PVC T's, 2 PVC finish caps, spray paint, marshmallows (ammo)

2. Reduce your PVC pipe even so long you want the barrel.

3. Cut four items of PVC pipe one/3 of the barrel, two for the handles and two for connecting items of PVC pipe collectively. Cut one particular piece 1/three of your handles. Reduce an individual added piece of PVC pipe one/2 of your barrel.

3. Get two T's, two elbows, and two caps. Place the smallest piece of PVC pipe in around the two T's. Now place two of the PVC pipe (1/three dimensions of the barrel) on top and bottom of the T's. Spot a cap on the bottom PVC pipe and an elbow on the top PVC pipe. Put the barrel in the t that is PVC pipe has a cap on the conclude of it.

four. Now, area the PVC pipe that is 1/2 of the barrel on your elbow. Put a PVC pipe (one/3 dimension of the barrel) in the other t. Area an elbow on the finish of your PVC pipe that is 1/3 size of your barrel.

5. Area the very last PVC pipe (that is one/3 the dimensions of the barrel) on the T. Spot the very last cap on the PVC pipe that is a 1/3 size of the barrel.

6. Now that the pieces are all put with each other start off spray painting the marshmellow gun. The marshmallow gun can have patterns. If you want models, reduce shapes out on a piece of paper, and spray paint as a result of the paper on to the marshmallow gun.

seven. Let dry overnight.

As a facet note, you will have leftover elements considering the fact that PVC only arrives in 10 foot lengths. Cutting the PVC will probably be a headache, but painting the gun can take quite a few coats and grownup supervision. Some buyers choose to invest in these guns 100 % prepared considering that you can get them using the net at low-cost prices.

Shooting the Marshallow Gun

Initially, set a marshmallow in the starting of the nozzle, the top notch piece. Do not put it in the barrel. Then blow one giant breath of air, not a very long weak breath. The larger and more difficult the breath, the farther the marshmallow will go. To have even even more entertaining, meet your close friends at the park and have a ultimately enormous marshmallow gun war.

Seeing that you know how to form and shoot a marshmallow gun or shooter, run out to the retailer and buy your materials. Just before you know it, you will be shooting marshmallows with your own gun.

Author: Hunter Beck