| How to Buy Tires Posted: 11 Aug 2018 05:00 PM PDT If you've never done it before, picking out tires may seem just as complicated as buying an entirely new car. However, the process is actually incredibly simple and requires just a bit of knowledge about what tires your car takes, where you can purchase them from, and what tire features you should look for. EditChoosing a Tire Retailer - Go to a branded retailer for the best quality tires. Though expensive, car dealerships and brand-specific tire stores sell the best quality tires on the market. In addition, these retailers typically offer extensive service options and employ people who are well-versed in the type of vehicle you have or the brand of tires you're purchasing.[1]
- Before settling on a specific brand, search online for reviews explaining how well the tires hold up over time.
- Be wary of store representatives trying to sell you additional products that don't seem necessary, such as nitrogen for your tires, new air filters, or preventative oil changes.
- If you don't know whether an add-on is worth getting, look up what it does and if other stores offer it. If the add-on is far cheaper elsewhere or exclusive to this retailer, it's most likely an unnecessary upsell.
- Pick an independent retailer to save money. Along with branded tire retailers, you can find a ton of different stores that either specialize in tires or sell tires in addition to other products. These places often charge less per tire, but they may not have the same level of quality control as branded retailers. Make sure to look up online reviews of these businesses before buying anything from them. Some types of shops to look for include:[2]
- General tire chains like Discount Tire, Les Schwab, and Tire Kingdom.
- Discount box stores like Walmart, Sears, and Costco.
- Independent mechanics and locally-owned tire shops.
- Search for tire websites if you want to order online. Specialty websites like Tire Rack and Tires Direct can make your purchasing process easier and, in many cases, cheaper. However, buying tires online means that you won't receive them immediately and will have to go to a tire installation service to get them put on.[3]
- Most tire websites provide a list of installation shops you can ship your tires to. However, keep in mind that the cost of installation may not be included in your initial purchase.
- You can determine a tire website's legitimacy by looking for scam warning signs, such as bad spelling and poor web design, and by searching for the retailer on the Better Business Bureau's official website.
EditPicking Out Your Tires - Check your owner's manual to find your car's recommended tire type. Most car manufacturers include replacement part recommendations inside your vehicle's owner's manual. To find this information, look for a "Tire" section in your manual's "Technical Information" or "Maintenance" chapter.[4]
- If you don't have an owner's manual, search for a copy on your car manufacturer's official website.
- You can also find these recommendations on your car's information placard, typically located on your vehicle's door post, door edge, trunk lid, or glove compartment door.
- In most cases, your manual and placard will include recommended sizes and ratings for your front tires, rear tires, and spare tire.
- Examine your tires for more detailed information. If you like the tires you currently have, or if you want to avoid getting the same tires again, you can find information about them by checking their tire codes. These codes are on each tire's sidewall and consist of, in the following order:[5]
- A letter or number indicating the tire's primary function, typically "LT" for light trucks or "P" for passenger vehicles.
- A 3-digit number noting the tire's width, such as 215 to show it's wide.
- A 2-digit number listing the tire's aspect ratio, such as 65 to show the tire's height is equivalent to 65% of its width.
- A letter noting the tire's construction type, like "R" for radial.
- A 2-digit number indicating your wheel's diameter, such as 15 to represent .
- An optional 2 or 3-digit number showing your tire's max load capacity, such as 80 to indicate that it can hold up to .
- A letter noting the tire's speed rating, such as B to show it can go while carrying it's maximum load.
- A series of letters, either "M+S" or "M/S," indicating whether or not the tires will work in snow and mud.
- Choose a type of tire that matches your driving needs. You'll need different types of tires depending on what model of car you have, where you live, and what forms of terrain you drive on. Though your tire retailer can help you find the perfect type of tire for your car, some of the most common styles include:[6]
- All-Season tires, which last a long time and work well on general streets and highways.
- Performance and Ultra-High Performance tires, which can withstand incredibly fast speeds and provide far better grip than standard tires.
- All-Terrain tires, which provide extra traction when driving off-road.
- Snow tires, which give extra grip and traction during the winter but may not work as well during summer months.
- Look for tires that have good treadwear grades. When purchasing your tires, look for a treadwear number located on each tire's sidewall. The higher this number is, the longer you can expect the given tire to last. Though tire grades vary by manufacturer, aim for a minimum of about 300.[7]
- In general, all-season tires have far better treadwear grades than specialty tires.
- Though the treadwear grading scale has no upper limit, few tires get a higher rating than 800.
- Examine the tires for signs of wear if you're buying used. Though you shouldn't expect used tires to be the same quality as new ones, do look them over to see if there are any glaring issues. In particular, search for undisclosed patches and make sure each side of the tire received an even amount of wear.
- If you purchased your tires online, check them as soon as they arrive to make sure they're in the condition described on the website.
EditMaking a Purchase - Look for tires that fit within your budget. Tires can be incredibly pricey, so you may need to shop around to find options that you can afford. On average, expect a new, standard all-season tire to cost between $80 and $150. Specialty variants typically range between $100 and $250 per tire.
- Depending on the store, used tires often cost less than $50 per unit, making them a great budget option.
- Buy tires in sets of 2 or 4 whenever possible. Though expensive, you should always try to buy tires in sets of 2 or 4 so that each of your car's axles has a matching pair. This ensures that your car drives properly and helps it avoid issues like:[8]
- Wheel misalignment
- Improper handling
- Excessive wear and tear
- Purchase tires that have a good warranty. Whenever possible, try to purchase tires that have a sizeable treadwear warranty. For new, standard all-season tires, you can expect a warranty between 40,000 and 80,000 miles. For used tires, you're more likely to get a month-based warranty instead since they're harder to accurately insure.[9]
- If your tire has a high treadwear grade but suspiciously low warranty, it may be a sign that the tire is not as good as it claims to be.
- Install your tires. To avoid any unwanted mishaps, make sure to get your tires installed professionally by your retailer or a tire installation shop. Some tire retailers offer this service for free if you purchased the tires directly from them.
- If you have to pay for the installation, expect it to cost between $10 and $25 per tire.
- For safety, replace your tires once the tread depth gets lower than . To check the tread depth, insert a penny into the tire tread with Lincoln's head facing down. If any part of the head gets obscured, your tread is too low.
EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
| How to Ice Sculpt Posted: 11 Aug 2018 09:00 AM PDT Ice sculptures are beautiful works of art that make a show-stopping centerpiece for any occasion. They can be carved into almost any design, including animals, faces, or landscapes. If you've always wanted to try your hand at carving ice, you'll just need a block of ice, a template for your design, and a chainsaw and chisels! Of course, you should be sure to use caution when working with a chainsaw. EditCarving the Ice - Get a block of ice larger than the sculpture you want to create. A block is a good size for a beginner.[1] You can either make your own ice block or purchase a block from an ice company.
- A block of ice this size will be about .[2]
- If you decide to order your ice, you can look online to find an ice company near you. You can either transport the ice yourself in a large cooler or you can have it delivered.
- Store the ice in a large freezer until you need it or wait to pick it up until right before you're going to carve it.
- Place a rubber mat under your block of ice. If the ice moves while you're carving it, you could be seriously injured. A rubber mat will keep your ice from slipping.[3]
- Draw your design on the ice. If your block of ice is completely dry, you can draw your design directly onto the ice with a permanent marker. However, you may want to trace your design onto posterboard or wallpaper first, then use an adhesive to apply the template to the ice.[4]
- Wallpaper is designed to get wet without tearing, making it an ideal surface for stenciling your sculpture. Just wet the back of the wallpaper to activate the paste and apply the wallpaper to your ice.[5]
- Wear gloves, an apron, and safety goggles to protect yourself while sculpting. It's important to wear appropriate safety gear when you're carving ice. The extreme cold, sharp tools, and flying ice can all create serious safety hazards. [6]
- You may want to layer on 2 pairs of gloves: a thermal pair to keep your hands warm and a rubber pair to give you traction when you're handling your ice tools.
- Safety goggles will protect your eyes from flying shards of ice.
- An apron will help keep your clothes dry as you work, which can protect you from a dangerous drop in body temperature.
- Etch your design into the ice with a chisel. Trace along the outline of your template with a wooden chisel or another sharp tool. Creating lines directly in the ice will make it easier to carve your design with the larger tools.[7]
- Hold the sharp end of the chisel against the ice, then tap it gently with a mallet or other blunt object.
- Use a small chainsaw to cut away the ice outside of the silhouette. Hold the front handle of the chainsaw securely with your left hand and the rear handle with your right hand. Squeeze the throttle, then lower the blade to the ice. Make all cuts at a 90 degree angle to the ice, and always cut away from your body.[8]
- Use a lightweight chainsaw designed for carving rather than a large wood-cutting chainsaw.
- You'll need to make multiple cuts to create a curve, so be patient and work slowly.
- Cut with the bottom of the blade to avoid kickback.
- Step back every few minutes to check your shaping. As you get focused on cutting the ice, it can be easy to lose the bigger picture of your sculpture. Take a break every 3-4 cuts or so to make sure your sculpture is still balanced.[9]
- Use chisels, hand saws, and hairdryers to refine your design. Once you've finished making the major cuts with your chainsaw, use smaller tools to create more intricate and precise cuts. Experiment with different tools to see what you prefer.[10]
- Hand saws are good for blocking out areas the chainsaw couldn't reach, such as interior angles or smaller curves.
- Chisels can help you get into smaller areas to create more intricate designs. If you have a set of chisels in different sizes, start with the largest chisel and work your way to the smallest.
- Use a hairdryer to melt small portions of your sculpture to smooth out any tool marks or flaws.
- Enjoy your ice sculpture for 4-6 hours. Your ice sculpture will start to melt almost immediately at room temperature, but it should maintain a recognizable shape for up to 6 hours.
EditMaking an Ice Block - Start with distilled water to ensure it's free of impurities. You can either choose filtered water or boil plain tap water twice.[11]
- The amount of water you will need will depend on the size of the freezer you have and the size of the sculpture you want to create.
- Pour the water into a large freezable container and place it in the freezer. A typical refrigerator freezer will only allow you to freeze enough ice for a small sculpture. If you have a deep freezer or a commercial walk-in freezer, you will be able to create a larger ice sculpture.
- Circulate the water with a small water pump as it freezes to get the clearest ice. Cloudy ice is caused when bubbles get trapped as the water freezes. By constantly circulating the water, you force bubbles to stay at the top of the water, so the ice stays clear.[12]
- You can find small water pumps online at home supply stores. Either submerge the pump in the container of water or purchase one that clips onto the side. Remove the pump before the water freezes completely.
- It should take about 3 days for the block of ice to be completely solid.[13]
- Cut the top off of the ice with an electric saw. Since the bubbles rise to the top of the ice, you will have a cloudy layer that you will need to remove.[14]
- Carefully use the saw to slice through the ice just beneath the layer of bubbles. If you like, you can use a chisel to make marks in the ice to help you keep your cuts level.
- Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from flying pieces of ice.
- Add dye to your water before you freeze it to create a colored ice sculpture.
- Always use caution when using a chainsaw. Be sure to cut away from your body and work slowly to avoid accidents.
EditThings You'll Need - Large block of ice
- Gloves
- Safety goggles
- Apron
- Rubber mat
- Chisels
- Mallet
- Chainsaw
- Template
EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
| How to Catch a Gerbil on the Loose Posted: 11 Aug 2018 01:00 AM PDT Gerbils are small and quick creatures that can be really difficult to catch when they escape their cages. If your gerbil ever escapes, there are a variety of methods you can use to get it back. These include luring it with food, cornering it, and trapping it with a humane trap. If you play your cards right, you can quickly and carefully catch your gerbil and return it to its rightful home. EditLocating the Gerbil - Contain the gerbil in 1 room. If your gerbil escapes in front of you, don't let it get out of the room you are in. If you spot the gerbil as you are trying to find it, shut the door of the room that it is in. Cornering the gerbil in a single room will make catching it much easier.[1]
- If you don't see the gerbil escape and you don't know where it is, then you can't assume it is in the same room that you last saw it in.
- Ask someone to help you. It can be a lot easier to catch a gerbil on the loose if you have someone to help you do it. Another person can help you search for the animal, corner it, and close off cages or traps before the gerbil escapes again.
- Check a wide variety of places. Gerbils that escape often look for a nook or cranny to huddle in. This means you often need to search all over the room they escaped into before you can find them.[2]
- If the gerbil escapes in a room that contains accessible food, such as the kitchen, look in food areas that the gerbil could reach first.
- Lay down on the floor and look under all of the furniture in the room.
- Look in piles of clothes and other areas where gerbils might think they can comfortably nest.
- Look for signs of the gerbil's movement. To track down a gerbil that is missing and has not been spotted, you should look for signs of where it has traveled. Look for feces, urine, or chewed items, basically anything that shows that the gerbil has traveled through an area. This will narrow down your search area.[3]
- Eliminate areas as you search. As you narrow down the search area, block off areas that have no sign that the gerbil has traveled through them. By closing off areas, you will ensure that the gerbil cannot get into those areas as it tries to evade you.
- Check the stairs. Gerbils may be found upstairs, as they can jump very high to climb the stairs, but then are often too scared to jump down stairs. This means that they can get caught on individual stairs.
- Try to keep the gerbil away from hazards. If you see the gerbil and are trying to corner it, don't move it towards hazards, such as steep drops, toxins, or wires the animal can easily chew through. Cornering it towards these types of areas might create a risk to its health.[4]
- A gerbil cornered towards a steep drop could go off a ledge by accident just because it is scared and confused.
- Also, be sure to keep possible hazards away from the gerbil. For example, keep other pets out of the area.
- Keep the gerbil contained, even if you need to take a break. If you need to leave while your gerbil is still on the loose, be sure that you keep it as contained as possible. Close doors and windows and make sure that anyone else that lives in your home knows not to let the gerbil out.[5]
- If you just need to leave the room to get tools for catching the gerbil, try to find someone to watch the animal while you are gone. Having someone stay in the room will allow you to keep track of where the gerbil is.
EditLuring a Found Gerbil to Your Hand - Corner and approach the gerbil slowly. Once you spot your gerbil, you need to strategically approach it. Make sure that it has nowhere to run past you and nowhere to hide. Then move very slowly towards it, so that it doesn't feel threatened.[6]
- If the gerbil is new to you and doesn't really know you, it may run just at the sight of you. If it is acclimated to you, your presence will most likely not scare it off.
- Put treats in your hand and offer them to the gerbil. If the gerbil is tamed, it probably knows that you are the person that brings it tasty treats. Put a food that it likes a lot in your hand and slowly move that hand towards the gerbil. It is likely to climb right into your hand.
- You can use the pellets, seed, or vegetables that you usually feed to your gerbil. However, pick what the animal likes to eat best.[7]
- If you have several options, use a food that has a strong smell. This will allow your gerbil to smell it and be lured to it more easily.
- Take hold of the gerbil once it is near you or in your hand. As your gerbil approaches the food, pick it up with a swift but gentle movement. Scoot your fingers under its body, as grabbing it from above can scare it away. Then lock your thumb around the top of its body, so that you have a secure grip on it.
- Be sure to be gentle when grabbing it, but also make sure that you don't let it slip out of your hand.
- Cover the gerbil to minimize its chance of getting away. If you can't get the gerbil to come all the way into your hand, you may need to grab it when it gets near. Have your helper use a small net or piece of fabric to cover the gerbil so it can be more easily grabbed and can't run away. This is especially important if the gerbil is not acclimated to you.
EditTrapping a Hiding Gerbil Safely - Lure the gerbil back into its cage. Get some gerbil food and make a trail from the gerbil's general location to their cage. Put extra treats inside the cage. Make sure the cage doors are open and that there is nothing preventing the gerbil from easily entering. Then, when you see the gerbil going into the cage, close the cage doors quickly.[8]
- You may need to move the cage to a place where the gerbil can easily get to it.
- Use a bucket trap to catch your gerbil. If you can't get your gerbil to go into its cage or into a box while you are around, you may need to use a trap that will hold the animal until you get it out. To make a simple trap like this you will need a bucket, a ramp up to the bucket, a towel, and some gerbil food. To set up the trap put the towel and the food at the bottom of the bucket. Then put the ramp up to the side of the bucket.[9]
- The gerbil will be lured towards the smell of the food. It will go up the ramp and then leap into the bucket to get the food. Once in the bucket, it won't be able to get out.
- The towel at the bottom of the bucket will cushion the gerbil's fall.
- You can make the ramp out of stacks of books or a piece of wood.
- Alternatively, use a child's fishing net or butterfly net on a pole. Place a treat on the net and gently scoop up the gerbil when they wander over the net.
- Use a commercial humane trap. Instead of using a homemade bucket trap, you can use a commercial version. A humane trap will lure the gerbil into it with the smell of food, and then keep it contained until you can move the animal back into its cage.
- There are a variety of humane traps available at most home improvement and hardware stores.
- Hire a professional. If you can't catch your gerbil alone, you may need to call an animal catcher to get it for you. This is an extreme solution that is typically only used if you have tried all other options.
- A pest control professional may be able to place a variety of humane traps around your home that can catch your gerbil safely.
EditPreventing Future Escapes - Make sure you shut the door securely. Gerbils often escape when their cage doors are accidentally left open. To prevent this, check the door every time you interact with your gerbils, making sure it is closed and latched.
- There are a wide variety of types of cage doors. If you have the type that simply swings closed, make sure that it is latched as well, as gerbils can push against these doors and open them.
- Check for possible escape routes. If you have no idea how your gerbil escaped, you should inspect every inch of its cage. Look for bars that have been chewed through and broken pieces that could provide an escape route.
- Gerbils can squeeze through holes as small as . Make sure all holes this size are filled or blocked off.[10]
- Gerbils can also jump quite high, so if you are using an open top cage, make sure that the gerbil can't jump out of it.
- Get a stronger cage. Gerbils are chewers, so they need strong cages. For instance, plastic cages are not good for use with gerbils, as they can easily destroy one. Also, if you use wood or mesh doors, note that gerbils can chew through these rather quickly.[11]
- Glass aquariums work well for gerbils, as the animals are not able to chew through the glass.
- Keep your gerbils occupied. If gerbils are bored, then they will try to escape and find some fun things to do outside of their cage. To prevent this, provide them with a variety of toys and foods.
- You should also provide your gerbil with enough bedding so that it can burrow. If it can't create a sheltered place of its own, it may try to get out of the cage to find one.[12]
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
No comments:
Post a Comment