In Manhattan this morning, going to open houses in my quest for NYC housing. Walking south on Broadway at 111th street, when I see a bunch of unfinished bookcases outside a store. What caught my eye was that they were
held together with Piffin Screws!
Marine Engineer
When deck posts exceed what the prescriptive code tables allow, it's time to consult a structural engineer for post sizing and possible bracing.
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Replies
What the hell is a piffin screw?
If you're referring to sheetrock screws, all black screws are not sheetrock screws!
The person that built these things could have at least put a plug in the damn hole.
Doug
whats a PIFFIN screw! man you got to do a search and get educated on these,they are the fall of mankind [or a least a few kitchen cadinets] i believe there might even be a website by now. larryhand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
Larry, I've been around here awhile.
I was just making an observation about the black screw!
Plus I dont think that the sheetrock screw is all that bad!
Doug
whats a PIFFIN screw! man you got to do a search and get educated on these,they are the fall of mankind [or a least a few kitchen cadinets] i believe there might even be a website by now. larry
He would be looking ALL DAY if he did a search for them. You have any idea how many posts make reference to 'piffin screws'?!
If someone every compiles a BT FAQ, that should be on the definitions list.
jt8
The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because when opportunity knocks, they are out in the backyard looking for four-leaf clovers. -- Walter Percy Chrysler
I suspect that someone who would leave the screws unplugged would use authentic Piffin screws, but I can't be sure.Marine Engineer
and just for sh!ts and giggles, here's a shot of "the gates" revealedMarine Engineer
No wonder they cos t so much
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Nothing new, been doing that for years. This shot is of some steel tube shelving. There is a nut welded on the inside of the tubing, so the nut showing is just a jamb nut. It make for a very easy adjustments.
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability
Shhhh. I did put them together with good black anodized screws. I just put the plugs in a baggie taped to the back of the unit so the new owner could re-assemble the thing at home in case they had to dis-assemble it to fit it on the back of their moped.Guess I might have screwed up on this one, letting them show even temporarily tho, Hunh? getting to be where screws is a verb lately
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Good thinking on the plugs in the baggies!
Saves work for you and makes it look like your helping the consumer. ;)
Doug
could have at least put a plug in the damn hole
No lie, or some putty, anything, especially with a $90 price tag on $45 shelves . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
40$ of that 45 covers the greed.. what more do you want..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Those look like cheap foreign drywall screws to me! Does Piffin actually use that stuff?
blue
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
You'll have to ask Piffin himself. BTW, how's the blog going?Marine Engineer
Hehehe, I haven't looked in. It;s probably still got my opening post.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
Ok - now this thread's gonna get deleted...
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability
: )My daughters were born with AndyscrewsThe secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
go back and detlete that before ace gets to the thread..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
> Walking south on Broadway at 111th street,
There's the problem right there. I was always told never to go North of 110 th st. Not even in the daytime. ;-) Or is Harlem a safer place to be now?
-- J.S.
quite a nice neighborhood these days. Of course, it's technically Mornigside Heights right there. Harlem is still a bit north. The open house was on 114th street between Broadway and Riverside, a cute place, but I found a place I liked better.
And the seller (it was a FSBO) called me tonight to accept my offer, so soon, baring any catastrophes, I'll be a NYC resident. The apartment is in a building on 69th and Broadway, a nice tiny studio.
Marine Engineer
So you're not far from my friend Mark Schubin. He's on 73rd or 74th a couple blocks west of the park. He's a freelance TV engineer, does all the Lincoln Center stuff for PBS.
-- J.S.
If the purchase goes through, I'll be in that neighborhood. The co-op I'm buying is on 69th and Broadway. But I still have to get approved by the co-op board, not always a slam dunk.Marine Engineer
Doesn't Slick Willie have his office in Harlem now?
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
and why not? He's the first black president.Marine Engineer
It's funny, Harlem used to start on 106th St but somehow it got moved up town more. I still don't know how they moved the County line!
I used to drive up 1st ave to 125th St alot to get on the FDR. I didn't like it after 10:00 especially in the summer. My white a$$ always stood out like a sore thumb.
Headstong, I'll take on anyone!
I'm in Jersey, maybe i'll make a few of them with piffin screws and you can sell them for me. Buy the way, why all the way up on 111st ?
Headstong, I'll take on anyone!
affordability. Looked at a place listed for $269K. But made an offer (which was accepted for $310K) for a studio on the corner of 69th and Broadway. Nicer neighborhood (at least for me) and a good building with a doorman, essential for when I go to sea.Marine Engineer
i just have to make a observation here from the praire land. affordable at 310k wow! here in wichita ks i guess we have around 150 thousand houses [pop 400k] and for 310 you could buy 95% of them. that is just incredible, we always hear about cailf. and ny but it's beyond my comprehension.do you get a parking space/garage with that? if i sold my 300sf house i might be able to afford a garage there,and live in my car.lol larryhand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
$310,000 buys me a tiny studio in a doorman building in a good neighborhood. I could've gotten more space for less money in a lesser neighborhood, or in a building without a doorman.I spend 6-7 months a year at sea, so I want a place with good security. So a doorman building was almost a must. Sure, it's expensive, but it's reasonable compared to what's out there.I bought my house on Long Island 11 years ago for $105,500. Now it's worth $280K. Bought 2 rentals with about $5k to $10K down, they more than doubled in price; I've sold one, and the other is in contract, and I'm using the proceeds to put a downpayment on this place.So my monthly will be about $1500 including maintenance on the building, and I'll be in the heart of Manhattan. My current house is a 2 family, so I'll rent my half and have a positive cash flow. Living lean for a few years paid off.It's expensive, but I love NYC and think it's worth the investment.Marine Engineer
45 min to Manhatten and you can't even rent a garage for that kinda money....good going dude.
Be well.....catch ya at KAtz's deli sumtime.
a...The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
All......You guys on the east coast [N.Y.] fasinate my with the numbers . I just built and sold a 3bd rm , 2bath ,on a basement with a 3car garage on a 80x 100 lot in a nice sub-division for $148.000. Here in central Illinois we are worlds apart but do the same thing . I am looking forward to an East coast vacation and enjoy your post's. ..( oh and that house had elec. AND hot and cold running water WITH indoor plumbing ....hehe)
wait'll TipiFest next year...you'll get a glimpse of the real world....lol.......For $148 you get your wife you and two kids into the movies....lol.
No kidding...you know what it costs to go to a play in NYC....Google it.
Its terrifying...yet on the other hand, the culture here is beyond belief between art, music, theater....etc etc...if its trees ya just want well then......no kidding.and I ain't putting that down at all!!!
Be well bro
a...The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
The culture is great, you said it. Saturday night, after apartment hunting, I went to a free concert at the Juilliard school, it was the pre-college symphony, and those kids were awesome. The auditorium was packed, the music went on for nearly two hours. The program was Haydn: Symphony #99 in E-flat Major; Stravinsky: Violin Concerto (and the girl violin soloist, 17 years old, was amazing); and Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.And you can find great food really cheap. Especially at lunchtime, you can feast like a king for less than $10 at a lot of places.So, yeah, the housing is expensive, but to me it's worth it.Marine Engineeredit for spelling
Edited 3/1/2005 3:57 pm ET by Marine Engineer
A.C......Here in the area of Springfield Il. , with a population of just over 100,000 I think the biggest cultural events are the two County fairs and a goat roppin that I've been to. I read the posts from your area and it gives me a real life feeling beside the usual negative newspaper articles that most mid-westerners are recieving. I think it would be great for a "foriegn exchange " deal that you would come to my area and work with us for a week or so and in turn we would do the the same in your area. What we have in common is "building" ,what we think about is what its really like in those "far away places"...........Be kind to yourself.
nails
Sounds like a nice plan. Keep me informed bro.
Be well
andyThe secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
Hey, nails, what's you company name? Do you stick right around Petersburg, or cover all of central IL?
jt8
The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because when opportunity knocks, they are out in the backyard looking for four-leaf clovers. -- Walter Percy Chrysler