What home improvement work did you do today?

Strikemaster, which is similar to this (I think they're at the Strikemaster II Pro or something now): https://www.asafehome.net/PAGES/Safe-Homes-International-StrikeForce.html

Look, the reality is this: The only thing stopping an intruder from kicking your door down is the bullshit 1/4" screws holding the strike plates in place. If homebuilders would simply replace those stupid shitty little screws with a 3" - 4" screw that tied the strike plate into the door frame, your door would be 5x harder to kick in. It takes a single-kick door and turns it into a multi-kick door, enough it's going to draw attention, or injure a scumbag's limb.

All the Strikemaster does is take that same concept, but uses a sheet of steel up the strike side of the jamb, and every 6-8" it has a 3"-4" screw linking it to the jamb, making it virtually impossible for the jamb to split, thus denying access. When I was working hand in with APD as a communty liaison/crime watch rep in my community bitd, I saw so much footage of people trying to kick in Strikemaster'd doors, over and over again, even previously-kicked-in doors, and they couldn't do it. They either walked away, or kicked/smashed in a window instead.

Seriously though. Go pop one screw out of each strike plate (deadbolt, latch) on your door. If it's the crappy little 1/3" screws, get a few pairs of 3"-4" screws and replace the factory hardware. Then take just one screw out of each hinge in the door, and replace it with the longer screws. Your door will break before it gives.

There are more stout products out there, like Door Jamb Armor. But Strikemaster works plenty.

That said, we don't really have the issue. It was really bad in my area, and friends down on FL were telling me it was bad down there (Tampa, Orlando, Jax) also, starting around 2007-2008 when the market went down the shitter. It started to taper off 2013-2014. It's the main reason I put cameras on my house originally, and I've had 'em on ever since. Thankfully, never needed to use them.

 

Actually, these were pretty common back in those days also.

$53 Master Lock White Compact Door Stopper Folding Security Bar, Adjustable from 25-1/2 to 43-1/2"es Long for Hinged and Sliding Doors, Door Barricade, Pack of 2, 270EC2

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-Adjustable-Barricade-270EC2/dp/B0BJ12T27J/

While I know kick-ins still happen periodically, seems to be mostly in the poorer neighborhoods to the south. Crooks won't target my neighborhood much anymore. They still hit cars when people leave stuff in them. They'll still steal packages off some porches, if you don't have a fence. But at this point, my neighborhood has flipped radically (I couldn't afford to buy here again if we sold tomorrow), and scouts always look for houses w/o video doorbells from the street while walking through the neighborhood. If there are lots of video doorbells, they go elsewhere.

 

I ended up putting a keypad combination lock on the front door as I had some surgery earlier this year. If I had a problem and could not get to the door to unlock it, I could give them the combination when calling in 911 call. Wife and sister in law recommended the change. it’s a non Internet device so no hacking as far as I know. That and camera doorbell helps.

Like most we normally go thru the garage but if the garage access door to the house is locked, which it is at night, the keypad on the front door is the only way in.

 

Oh crap, speaking of hacking, I helped a friend the last few days whose LastPass was somehow hacked into and hackers were getting into all her accounts using the credentials in her vault. I thought it was something she f'ed up at first, and she knew my past professional life, so she called me. We were on the phone w/LastPass support asking how the hell the attackers were able to get her LastPass credentials because I literally found no traces of anything, trojan, RAT, malware, nothing, and their support couldn't say anything except "change your password, your system must be compromised".

Well, it wasn't: https://www.tomsguide.com/computing...-in-massive-hack-attack-what-you-need-to-know

tl;dr - if you use LastPass, and you haven't changed your password since the 2022 breach, and that wasn't enough to scare you away from them, or you haven't changed your key vault password in the last 72 hours, you need to change it ASAP.

 

Yikes, the last pass was a fiasco.
Cybersecurity is a complex subject and most of the current knowledge is not readily available to effectively safeguard it imo. For kicks I took a Cybersecurity class that was offered via a large company that I retired from. I followed along in the one day class but barely. Being able to hack into class members phone that was password protected as a “project” makes you realize how vulnerable we are. My work was a variety of electronic, computer, software, wireless testing programs for 45 years. So I do have some knowledge of electronics and software….but…I have gotten to the point that I do not answer any phone, text or email unless I know who is calling, If it’s important they will leave a voicemail or reach me in a known process.
I think this “money in the cloud” and cyber money is too risky for me.

 

Now working on finishing off the pergola cover.

 

SAME HERE BUT ABOUT A WEEK AGO OUR POWER WENT OUTAND WHEN WE GOT HOME COULDNT GET IN THE GARAGE AND HAD TO WAIT ABOUT A HOUR TIL THE POWER WENT BACK ON SO WE COULD GET INTO THE GARAGE SO NOW WE UNLOCK OUR FRONT STORM DOOR AND CARRY A KEY FOR THE FRONT DOOR WELL AT LEAST MY WIFE DOES ! Sorry for the all caps but just noticed it

 

Another reason why I have a keypad on the front door. We had a neighbor who was looking for a ladder to get into a window on the second story as they locked them selves out. We lost power for 2.5 hours yesterday, and 22 hours a few weeks ago.

 

I will say, most of the new openers have a battery backup option. I do have one of the new encrypted-comms remote openers with a position sensor that lets us pop doors from a distance. I've been contemplating buying one of the battery backup packs for it. It's super rare for our power to go out, but I can think of a couple times. I just went and manually popped the doors from the inside, but ... still.

All of my infrastructure internally is on battery backup, so any time power goes out, the internet, all our wifi, all critical power-over-ethernet devices stay up for a solid 3-4 hours with the pack I've got in place. It's a solid setup. Then the alarm will stay online for days with all sensors functioning, keeping the house at least covered, and the alarm can callback over cellular. Our house isn't the low-hanging fruit most thieves are looking to get into. Risk isn't worth the reward, we live pretty humbly.

 

Stop yelling at me

 

Haha this is why I always keep a house key and primary car key in my wallet. Even with an immobilizer car key you can get a “dumb” version that can at least open the car door. I almost always use the garage doors but dont outside without my wallet, been locked out accidentally of my house/car way too many times (once in a blizzard with the engine running, never again lol).

 

Define "wallet"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bkDEVieAj4​

 

I have a new opener a MY Q but no battery

 

We might be related
lol

 

Got some simple shelves up for a few of our books. One day we'll have a home with a room that I can put nice floor to ceiling book cases in. This is less than 1/6th of our books.

 

Thanks for all the recommendations, went with a cheapo stick up, basically a "nanny cam" a it's primary duty is just to keep me from backing into things more than for security.

 

I need a lil advice on a battery for the camper. nothing big or fancy, just enough to stay powered up for the 5-6 hours a day that I am going to be off shore power.

 

LiFePO4

These lithium batteries have really come down in price, the only down side is you can't (at least you shouldn't, plenty people say "it's fine") use a regular charger for the lithium battery. Depending on how new your camper is (2022+) you may have a converter (charger) that will work with lithium.
A new converter is around $200ish and pretty easy to swap, but will depend on your trailer. Mine was a WFCO brand.
Alternatively. If you have a power outlet near your batteries, just get a standalone charger hook them up to the battery/batteries and be good to go. Make sure to flip the breaker on the converter.

I went with a 300ah LiTime battery. It's pretty freaking big, but when dry camping, we can watch TV, wifi, run the espresso machine, microwave....no worrying about how much power I have left.
It really depends on what is running while you are away.

I tried single 12v and dual 6v golf cart batteries. They all suck. You get about half the rated AH that is stated.

 

I'm only running a couple 12V lights and the blower for the heat. Biggest concern is weight and space. I don't have much wiggle room.


Don't laugh at my hack job

 

Installed an inlet on the back of the garage and wired to an outlet inside as a pass-through for my generator. Now I can supply power to extension cords inside without running any through an open door. And no, it doesn't connect to my house wiring. This is a dedicated outlet with generator-supplied power only. This will at least give me power to my gas furnace and frig and freezer when the power goes out.

 

Added snow today!

 

Decided to swap out my water filters and take a look at the plumbing to clean things up... Instead, I snapped a mounting bracket to the pump and will now be designing one to print... Fun times...

But, the filters are changed with only a minimal mess. So that's a win.

 

This reminds me that I'm also due for a filter change.

 

I was hoping it would remind someone lol. It is easy enough, unless we make it difficult. That said, never fun to do.

 

My sister is almost here from another state. So, in preperation for her puppers to be on property..... I found the "all natural" flea and tick repellent and moved a grip of leaves away from the house. pictures make it look small, but it was 5 batteries from the set and two sore tennis elbows later....





Didnt take pics up front, but you get the idea.

 

I’m seeking some advice on table construction specifics.
I have some background, I have made some furniture, I have a fairly well equipped shop.

The table top I am making is black walnut, kiln dried and rough surfaced. The slabs are 2.25” x8.5’ long (about 70lb each). I have the assembly worked out; I am buying a dowel jig for 5/8” dowels and will get the edges joined before assembly. I may take the whole thing to someone with a giant surface sander to make it perfect.
My questions;
1) there are some cracks and voids that I will fill with epoxy, (none are so large that they require a bow tie fix). What kind of epoxy should I use and should it be clear or black?
2) What kinds of finishes are recommended for this kind of black walnut furniture?

 

Here’s a couple pictures