Comments for Birmingham Gardeners

Comment on Handsaw to cut wood for birdhouses? by Amroth

Amroth — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:04:59 +0000

Absolutely I would recommend a miter box NOT A MITER SAW. A miter saw is electric. a miter box is a saw and a box for straight cuts and nice angles for you bird house roofs.

Miter Box
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100004948/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=miter%20box&storeId=10051

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLbybZj928k
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Comment on Handsaw to cut wood for birdhouses? by Sandyspacecase

Sandyspacecase — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:24:59 +0000

I LOVE to make things out of wood! More than anything. I have since kindergarten. All the kids were using finger paints but me? I insisted on building something out of wood, so I did! (I saw a handsaw back in the corner) Funny I remember that.
I use my handsaws all the time. I get straight,smooth cuts too. I will advise you to not buy a cheap handsaw. Your throwing away your money when you do. Invest in a professional "Disston" handsaw. I would suggest a cross-cut. My favorite saw is my great grandfathers Disston. It is over one hundred years old and is still sharp as a razor blade. One reason I suggest Disston is because they hold their edge and you can also sharpen the teeth. Most cheap handsaws you buy today can not be sharpened. Stanley is one of those saws. Don’t buy those little toolbox saws, they are worthless. Another saw I have that is a favorite is called a Pull-saw. It cutting edge is on the backstroke. Mine is a Shark-saw.
You can always cut a smooth straight edge if while you have your hand gripped on the handel, stick your index finger straight with the blade. Keep it there while cutting. Don’t ask me why that is, it just is. (Dad taught me that)
The people who encourage you against using a handsaw, because they don’t cut straight and leave a rough edge, must have been using a cheap one and not have known how to acurately hold one in their hands.
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I love to build from wood and I don’t like using power saws

Comment on Handsaw to cut wood for birdhouses? by tarielle_au

tarielle_au — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:18:59 +0000

It depends on how much time you have available I guess.

If you want to make them quickly and you are using flat pieces of timber then you will be much faster stacking up a few pieces on your workbench and running the circular saw through them. You basically just need to measure and cut.

My sis makes birdhouses from old tree stumps and she uses a band saw for this.
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Comment on Fish ponds!? by birdys.stirling

birdys.stirling — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:17:59 +0000

Hi, Yer sure just but a pond pump, filter box and uv light to circulate the water and clear it.
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Comment on What is the best way to dig up a privet hedge? This one is thick and 1.75 m wide, 18 metres long and 3m high? by craig

craig — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:48:59 +0000

Rent a Bobcat with a bucket. I rented one last year for $185.00 and that included delivery and pickup. I never used one before and had no trouble learning how to operate it. You could have that job done a couple hours max.
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Comment on Handsaw to cut wood for birdhouses? by Ronald Greene

Ronald Greene — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:48:59 +0000

I recommend you reconsider your attitude toward power saws.

Yes, you could cut the pieces with a hand saw. When you realize how much effort it takes and how crooked the cuts will probably be, you’ll wish you had started with power saws from the start. As for the sandpaper, it will take much more than a "little" to smooth out the gouges left by the hand saw.

The tools I would choose are either a table or circular saw, and a miter or radial arm saw. These two tools will make your work go so much quicker and easier. Use a fine tooth blade for smoother cuts that will require minimal sanding.

Never force the blade against the work. A gentle pressure will keep the saw moving at its own pace. Always use sharp blades with your saw. Dull ones require too much force to cut and just burn the wood.
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Experience

Comment on Fish ponds!? by Pigeonboy

Pigeonboy — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:44:59 +0000

The only thing your pond needs is proper filtration. Until you get good filtration going on your pond will stay green. If you can find some water lettuce and water hyacinth. It will multiply and the roots will filter the green out of the water. You have to be careful about handling a water plant. They carry the sludge that they take from the water. Both plants have hair roots. The water hyacinth was first introduced into the water ways of Florida for this very purpose. I would always start looking for new water plants very early in the season. That way they they get to stay on top of the situation from the beginning. The only true cure for your pond is proper filtration.
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Comment on What is the best way to dig up a privet hedge? This one is thick and 1.75 m wide, 18 metres long and 3m high? by LucySD

LucySD — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:38:59 +0000

This is how I did 16 of them and they were huge. I soaked the ground GOOD! tied rope around the base and the other end to my truck trailer hitch and pulled them out. I was able to do 2 at a time. did them all in a couple of hours. Ground was so saturated they just popped out.
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Myself

Comment on Handsaw to cut wood for birdhouses? by GeeBeeDubyah

GeeBeeDubyah — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:30:59 +0000

Practice on some scraps, and use a sharp saw.

A saw with more teeth will leave a finer cut, but will take more effort to make the cut.

If your boards are narrow enough, get a miter box with a back saw – this makes getting straight (and angled) cuts a LOT easier.
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work as a handyman.

Comment on Fish ponds!? by violetflower

violetflower — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:10:59 +0000

You can put barley straw into the pond. You can get this in pellet form from some garden centres.
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