Gateway Drugs and Knee Injuries

"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
09/17/2018 at 13:42 • Filed to: Flooding, flooded, flood, ryobi, mcm, flesh wound

TL:DR I bought this last night on the way home from the E.R. and I’m probably going to go all Mighty Car Mods and get a bunch more Ryobi ONE+ tools.

So why did I buy this, and why was I at the ER? Well, I decided since its mosquito season here due to all the rains that flooded my basement a couple weeks ago that I was going to work INSIDE instead of OUT, mostly on removing some warped wood paneling that’s in our previously less- than- an- inch flooded basement.

Once I pulled back the paneling though, I found mold. LOTS of mold. On the backs of the wood panels and on the drywall.

After removing ALL the paneling on the lower half of the rec room and exposing the moldy drywall, I started scoring the drywall and removing the offending chunks for disposal.

Then my box cutter slipped.

And went into my knee.

Knowing where it was and how deep it was (damn near got the whole blade in it) I knew it was going to need stitches. And at 3pm on a Sunday there aren’t any walk-in clinics open, so straight to the ER I went.

Afraid I had punctured the void behind the kneecap, the doc injected some blue something or other into the OTHER side of my knee with what looked like a foot long needle, and if any came out the cut then they knew I had punctured it, requiring surgery.

I did not. Nothing came out. Except pain.

So 3 stitches later, I got to go home.

But since the hospital is a block away from Home Depot, might as well get better tools for removal! I was looking at just getting a hand saw for cutting into the drywall above the water/mold line (thanks for wicking water that was BARELY on top of the carpet to a FOOT UP THE WALLS) but as we’re walking through the power tool section (whoa, a cord less caulking gun! Could have used that Saturday when I was up on the roof re-sealing our skylights!!) I noticed the reciprocating saws.

“That would work nice” I said to my wife/Uber driver (she had been driving me around all weekend in the Durango, and my 13yo likes to call shotgun now, so I sit in the back)

“Then get it” she says

“But it’s $60 for the saw, $60 for the battery and charger... and you know this is a gateway drug. Once I buy one Ryobi tool, I’m gonna want ALL THE RYOBI TOOLS”.

Needless to say she still let me buy it.

Made short work of the rest of the walls, too.

The pile in the middle is all dry paneling, and I have 8 lawn bags full of wet moldy panels and drywall in my truck I need to drop off at the dump on my way home.

HOPEFULLY this is the last major step in demo-ing the basement due to the flood, and we can start replacing walls and flooring soon.

But in the meantime I’m going to start shopping for more Ryobi ONE+ tools...

DISCUSSION (28)

Nibby > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 13:44

ryobi is for plebeians... makita works much better for cutting through corpses

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 13:50

Cuts self with tiny blade, goes to ER. Buys jigsaw on the way home.

Let us know when you saw off your arm!

CalzoneGolem > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
09/17/2018 at 13:51

Sounds like something I’d do.

TheRevanchist > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 13:52

You gotta get the tool combo kits, which have multiple items and can save you some cash.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 13:53

I bought a 6 piece Ryobi set(drill,impact drill,circular saw, hacksaw, multitool, and flashlight) for 200 bucks a few months ago because it was on like a 40% sale. I do not regret it and I haven’y had any problems with the battery life on the like basic batteries that came with the set.

the only tool i want to ad is this one, a real impact. Working on old cars requires an impact if you want things to be easy. I’ve had to borrow my BIL’s Milwaukee Imp ac t twice since I bought the rabbit, and I used it for everything on the Galant. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-18-Volt-ONE-1-2-in-Cordless-3-Speed-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-P261/205885687?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CG%7CBase%7CD25T%7C25-9_PORTABLE+POWER%7CNA%7CPLA%7c71700000034127218%7c58700003933021540%7c92700031755124712&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh6fPnc3C3QIVBQlpCh1XuAFIEAQYASABEgJvG_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CLX9trDNwt0CFRQrTwod_FsA0g

CalzoneGolem > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 13:53

If it’s good enough for Marty and Moog it ought to be good enough for you.

I want one of them ratchets.

Kinja'd!!!

vicali > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 13:55

My dad was visiting and decided to help out with some of my yard work - he was disgusted with my crappy cheap drill and brought back a Ryobi 18v cordless.

S o it begins..

Sovande > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 13:57

I went the other direction and bought a Milwaukee M18 Fuel 3/8" impact with a 9 amp battery that can take off lug nuts with no problem. No more compressor for me!

This has nothing to so with a sawzall.

JustAnotherG6 > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 13:57

I have a 18v Drill. O nly thing I have to add is: don’t leave Lithium batteries in unheated areas in the middle of winter, they won’t recover.

Takuro Spirit > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
09/17/2018 at 13:57

I have a compressor and beefy impact, but cordless stuff is so much nicer to have.

Takuro Spirit > TheRevanchist
09/17/2018 at 13:58

I saw a few there, but none with the saw. When I feel the desire for impacts and drills tho....

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 14:00

So freaking nice. especially because my garage is too messy so I do a lot of my wrenching outside.

Urambo Tauro > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 14:00

Protip: use a chalk line and cut all the drywall to a nice even 24.5” inches above the floor. That way, you’ll have nice straight lines to mud your new drywall to, and the new patches will be easier to cut, being a consistent 24" tall.

Cash Rewards > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 14:02

Since you in Ryobi now, and doing g that work, get the airstrike battery powered nail gun for all the finish trim. Amazing

Takuro Spirit > JustAnotherG6
09/17/2018 at 14:03

I have been separating my car tools and house tools between the unheated garage, and the workshop in the basement . This (and others) will be going in the latter.

Takuro Spirit > Cash Rewards
09/17/2018 at 14:04

Its definitely on the list...

Takuro Spirit > Urambo Tauro
09/17/2018 at 14:05

More consistent cutting will be done with more time. Just wanted to get the moldy crap out of there ASAP, and now that I can see where the electrical was run, I have a better idea of where to do a final cut.

450X_FTW > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 14:09

And went into my knee.

Knowing where it was and how deep it was (damn near got the whole blade in it

I cringed at this point. Gew

Urambo Tauro > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 14:12

Yeah, I figured. Just wanted to mention it before you got too far along. If you didn’t cut too high already, you could even use 16" rips, and get three of them out of one sheet of fresh drywall. Just make sure you leave a gap so that none of it is contacting the floor.

tromoly > Cash Rewards
09/17/2018 at 14:20

Can confirm, the finishing nailer is awesome.

tromoly > Urambo Tauro
09/17/2018 at 14:22

Adding to that use a circular saw set just below the depth of the drywall, pretty much only leaves the back paper skin so it’s easy to remove pieces and it doesn’t touch the studs. Works very well and with the guard if the saw slips it’s a little less hazardous than a sawzall or standard blade.

Urambo Tauro > tromoly
09/17/2018 at 14:28

Hella dusty though. But it works!

Takuro Spirit > Urambo Tauro
09/17/2018 at 14:33

Just make sure you leave a gap so that none of it is contacting the floor.

Which is why the water wicked up as high as it did. Not much about the renovations to this house seem to have been done properly. Drywall touching the floor, carpet glued to the concrete, hinky electrical, improperly installed deck...

Eventually we’ll get it all sorted.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 15:07

Si nc e you’re buying tools, get a moisture meter to test the wood in your basement. It’s recommended that the moisture level is below 15% before you replace the drywall and paneling. One of the hardest things after a flood is waiting for the wood to dry out, especially when the power is off and there’s no a/c to help pull the moisture out of the house.

Takuro Spirit > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/17/2018 at 15:18

I have a dehumidifier down there that I thought was sucking the moisture out of everything, and had fans going the whole time I was pulling flooring and carpet.

Some of the joists has some superficial green mold on them, but it washed away easily and we treated what was all touched by the water just in case.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 15:33

The dehumidifier will definitely help your a/c pull the moisture out of the air. Here’s a handy guide that will help:

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/sfiser/articles/page1474660090140

We’ve been through this in our house after Tropical Storm Allison and have assisted many of our friends clean out their flooded homes and rebuild afterward. There are horror stories in Louisiana about people who tried to start rebuilding before their homes were dry enough.

Be sure to check your a/c evaporator coil and ductwork. It’s not unusual for the excess humidity to cause mold growth in there. Get it cleaned before you switch to heat. Once you make the switch, the mold will spore and distribute mold throughout the house (I learned that one the hard way).

Takuro Spirit > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/17/2018 at 15:45

Good call. I’ll definitely check it before winter.

JMKarstetter > Takuro Spirit
09/17/2018 at 22:49

These things are awesome, you need one, trust me.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-18-Volt-ONE-Cordless-LED-Workbench-Light-Tool-Only-P727/207017500