We seem to have some unwelcome Mickeys and Minnies in our house. What is the best way to get rid of them?
I want to remove my popcorn ceiling, but it has asbestos in it. How do I go about this safely?
We had our whole roof replaced with IKO Architectural shingles last week because of larger than golf ball size hail in early June. We used a highly rated contractor t… See more
Please HELP!!! Due to dogs, the urine smell in the concrete in out basement will knock you over. It is so bad you can smell it all through out our house. What is th… See more
Redesign, organization and decorating on a budget
Allow me to present to you my close friend, Mr. JB Weld. You have to meet JB if you enjoy doing projects around the house or fixing up treasures that break. Though I only became aware of him a few years ago, he has been around for forty years. JB Weld is a 3960 PSI strong, steel-reinforced epoxy that is cold-welded. Popeye, get over here. I need it for my newest “rescue.”
border=”0″ As I was walking my dog not long ago, I noticed a pile of treasures on a curb that included a beautiful bird bath. Beautiful and broken, that is. Initially, I was going to take only the base of the birdbath (which was in perfect condition), because the basin was broken into three pieces. I knew I could find a pretty plate or bowl or gazing ball to put on top of the base.
However, I made the last-minute decision to go for “broke” (funny) and grab the fragments of the broken basin as well, just to see if it could be fixed. I looked everywhere for my Gorilla Glue, which I’ve discovered works fairly well on smaller objects. To be honest, though, I was hesitant to use it for this project because the ceramic pieces I had to glue together were heavy and thick, and the glue would come into contact with water. Fortunately, I didn’t find the Gorilla Glue because I chose to use the JB Weld I already had.
My friend told me about this product after my apple corer broke. After using my brand-new corer just once, I broke the handle in the middle of the metal when I put it back in the box to store it. I used JB Weld, not really believing that it would work, but it worked like a charm! I’ve since used my apple slicer/corer to make some insanely delicious apple pastries, and it functions flawlessly!
My subsequent interaction with JB involved one of these really awesome metal pumpkins that I got from a garage sale. At the weld, one of the iron pieces had come loose. It was as good as new after I clamped it and applied some JB.
So here’s the skinny on JB Weld. It’s a two-part epoxy that comes in two toothpaste-like tubes. Actually, steel paste is in one tube, and hardener is in the other. Simply combine the two tubes in equal parts and apply the mixture to your item. Since this bird bath will be filled with water, I wasn’t sure at first whether to use it, but the package states that JB Weld can be used for marine repairs, so I should be good to go. It works wonders on concrete, fiberglass, ceramic, metal, wood, plastic, tile, and who knows what else.
Here’s the whole, simple process. To remove any crumbs, I first give the three broken pieces a quick brush on their jagged edges.
As my pieces are drying, I make sure I have some wood ready to use as supports. C-clamps cannot be used to hold the drying pieces together due to the basin’s angle.
I use a disposable lid to squeeze out equal amounts of steel and hardener. (Foil works fine too. ).
Using a toothpick, I combine the two components until a medium gray color results.
I apply a generous amount to my first broken piece.
After a minute of holding the piece, I insert the wooden wedges underneath it to help keep it in place.
I use a moist cloth to remove any surplus goo that squeezes out. I left the extra on the pumpkin and apple corer in the hopes that it would strengthen those objects; neither of those things needed to look good.
My plan was to simply adhere one piece, allow it to dry for a few hours, and then adhere the second piece. However, it sticks so well and quickly that I can epoxy one after the other.
Once I’m satisfied that everything is in place, I use JB Weld to repair any chipped ceramic fragments that are missing from the cracks. As the JB Weld stays gray after it dries, I locate a near match of red paint in my stash and paint the small areas that I fill in. My paint seems to adhere just fine to those areas. When I look closely at the basin, I can see a small crack on one of the pieces, but the other crack has completely disappeared. And guess what? While they’re taking care of their hygienic needs, the birds won’t give a damn about a tiny crack!
The iron “Peace” garden stake with the red glass ball behind the bird bath in this picture was also “saved” from a curb pile. And this is my gorgeous bird bath that was saved from the landfill! I scored a two-fer!.
I won’t be able to update you on how well my restored bird bath with water withstands the summer heat for several months. I’ve brought in all of my “yardifacts” in preparation for the impending winter in Central Illinois. I plan to release an update by the end of the following summer. But even for a summer, my feathered friends and I will be content if we can enjoy it. It was free after all!.
This post was written by Tracy Evans who is a Certified Home Stager, Certified Redesigner and Journeyman Painter servicing the Central Illinois area. Feel free to visit her website at www.HelpAtHomeStaging.com to view her portfolio for more before and after pictures of her projects. And if you enjoy gardening, you may want to visit her gardening blog at MyUrbanGardenOasis.
It appears that there are some unwanted Mickeys and Minnies living with us. What is the best way to get rid of them?.
My popcorn ceiling contains asbestos, which I want to remove. How do I go about this safely?.
We had our whole roof replaced with IKO Architectural shingles last week because of larger than golf ball size hail in early June. We used a highly rated contractor t… See more
Please HELP!!! Due to dogs, the urine smell in the concrete in out basement will knock you over. It is so bad you can smell it all through out our house. What is th… See more
FAQ
How do you repair a crack in a bird bath?
How do you glue a bird bath together?
Can you repair a concrete bird bath?