Wednesday, December 23, 2009

New Bathroom Sink Installation



So I had originally intended to replace the seals in my bathroom faucet because it was dripping, but I also noticed that I was getting barely any hot water pressure, so I decided to just go ahead and replace the faucet, shutoff valves and supply lines. I went to Lowe's and purchased new shutoff valves, new supply lines, and a new faucet to fit the 8-inch spread on my sink.

I also figured out I needed a basin wrench because there is no other way I could have loosened the lock nuts from underneath. No big deal, just $15 for one of those. I got the old faucet out and saw that the new one came with a new popup assembly. So I decided to take out the old one. Unfortunately the old one was very corroded and the only way to get it out was to cut above the T-junction that houses the ballcock (I laughed too) assembly.



Halfway through I realized my hacksaw blade was dull and I didn't have a replacement. That stopped the project for a week because I had an insane deadline at work for a big client. So I was brushing my teeth in the kitchen sink for a little while.



Once I got back to the store and got rolling again, I finished cutting through and was able to put a wooden block underneath the drain flange and knock it out with a mallet. It popped out with a shower of rust flakes everywhere and I realized that the sink itself was badly corroded. Might as well replace the entire sink. Back to Lowe's.



They had a big selection of sinks, but unfortunately they don't make bathroom sinks with a 4-inch spread anymore. You can get them, but they have to be special ordered and the're a bit more expensive. So I just decided to buy a 4-inch spread faucet while I was there and return the 8-inch faucet later. The good news is the 4-inch faucet was a lot cheaper ($85 compared to $150).



After cutting the seal around the old sink I lifted it out. Being made of cast iron, that thing was HEAVY. I applied a new bead of plumber's putty around the rim of the counter hole and installed the new sink with the faucet already attached. Then it was just a matter of installing the new shutoff valves and supply lines, and applying a bead of silicone caulk around the edges of the sink and faucet. Done! I am officially a plumber. You can check out the complete photo gallery here: http://picasaweb.google.com/petersen1973/BathroomSinkInstallation#

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Someone is illegally selling my plans on eBay.

Several years ago (i.e. 2002) I designed and built a drafting table and posted the instructions and drawings on my website, free to download. Earlier this month someone brought it to my attention that some douchetard from Hollow Rock, Tennessee is selling a pdf of my plans on eBay:

http://tinyurl.com/ydpkdqg

I sent a Notice of Copyright Infringement to eBay and a message to tabd123. Here's the exchange so far:

From: petersen1973
To: tabd123
Subject: You've received a message from an eBay member
Sent Date: Dec-16-09 10:27:44 PST


Dear tabd123,
I am the copyright owner of the drafting table plans that you are selling on this site, in violation of U.S. Copyright Law. I am sending a Notice of Copyright Infringement to eBay and am considering legal action against you.
- petersen1973

From: tabd123
To: petersen1973
Subject: You've received a message from an eBay member
Sent Date: Dec-16-09 10:55:14 PST


Dear petersen1973,
i went and search yr plans on net and the plans that are here www.petersenart.com/drafting_table_20071113.pdf
are not the plans im selling,as a matter of fact my booklet has a ISBN number that is well documented.yr copyright has 2007 on it i have been selling these over 5 years now.
- tabd123

From: petersen1973
To: tabd123
Subject: You've received a message from an eBay member
Sent Date: Dec-16-09 11:09:12 PST


Dear tabd123,
The pdf on my site is a modified, updated version of the original plans I made in 2002, to which I still own the copyright. I still have the original 3D models and high-resolution rendered images. The text in your advertisement is taken verbatim from my previous html files, and the image in your posting is identical to my original as well.
- petersen1973


From: tabd123
To: petersen1973
Subject: You've received a message from an eBay member
Sent Date: Dec-16-09 11:22:55 PST


Dear petersen1973,
u seem to be giving away yr plans anyways not sure what yr argument is that u are losing something.one could still sell yr plans legaly and mearly charge a fee for printing them out and shipping them,as long as they still gave aurther the credit for writing.
- tabd123

Dear tabd123,
That is incorrect, and the fact that I'm not selling my plans is beside the point. You are making a profit from selling someone else's intellectual property. Copyright ownership means the intellectual property may not be mass-distributed or sold without the owner's written consent under any circumstances, profit or no profit. I gave you no such consent, and you are therefore in violation of the law.
- petersen1973

Thursday, December 10, 2009

More from the BPMI co-op.


Not much to say about this one, apart from attempting a more interesting composition. Again, Photoshop CS4.