Electric Car Conversion Kits - How to Build Your Own Electric Vehicle

Electric car conversion kits are becoming more and more popular every day. Converting your current vehicle to run on electricity can help you save thousands of dollars on gasoline costs.

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By building your own electric powered car you can:
Completely eliminate your gas bill. Drive up to 200 miles on a single charge. Receive tax refunds for driving a clean fuel vehicle. Stop emitting heat and pollution and help reduce global warming.

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Soon this technology will be standard in all new cars, but until then you can retrofit your existing car to run on electricity, even if you are not mechanically inclined.

Instead of paying an auto-shop up to ,000, you can follow the step-by-step instructions of a diy manual and build the system yourself for less than 0!

The majority of vehicles can be converted to use electricity, but it's better to choose an automobile that is light and has room for batteries.After removing all the gas engine parts you will need to install the electrical components like the electric motor, the batteries and the water pump.
All the parts are easily available at your local auto-shop.

The cost for the conversion is under 0 and will pay for itself in 1-2 months.
An added bonus is that you will reduce your maintenance costs, because electric automobiles need less maintenance.

Diy electric car conversion guides are the most affordable solution for building your own electric car.

Unfortunately the problem with some of these guides is that they are not of a high quality and are very difficult to follow.

Do you want to save more than ,000 on gas per year, every year?

Electric Car Conversion Kits - How to Build Your Own Electric Vehicle

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On Strategy - Use Points of Differentiation to Create Your Unique Selling Proposition

I am ashamed to say that there are 4 iPod's in my house, and 2 of them belong to me. While the iPod is certainly a revolutionary product, Apple took a strangle hold on the music industry not through the iPod (a product innovation) but by bundling the product with iTunes (a service innovation).

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While the iPod is sexy and gets all the attention, it is iTunes that was the disrupter. One of the unique things about purveyors of technology such as Apple and Intel is that they are not interested in incremental improvements to existing products. They are market makers.

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Real money is to be made in building new markets as was the case with innovators such as Starbucks, and Cirque du Soleil. In a study completed by the authors of The Blue Ocean Strategy, a review of 108 companies revealed that of their major product launches, 86% were line extension which represented 62% of sales and 39% of total profits. 14% were entirely new products, and represented 38% of sales and 61% of total profits.

Tips for Finding Key Differentiators that will Separate You from Your Competition

1. Challenge the paradigms of how your products and services are delivered. Starbucks was a new delivery system for coffee, Amazon a new channel for books and Southwest an alternative routing system for travelers. Zip Car is disrupting the delivery system for auto transportation, challenging the assumption that cars are worth owning. Offered primarily in urban markets, Zip Cars are available at a low cost at the time that people need them (such as college students visiting their parents out of town for an afternoon).

- Look at delivery systems for products outside your industry and look for applications to your product or service. For example, Nordstrom's personal shopper concept could be applied in many service industries.

- Convene a customer advisory board or 4-6 customers and dig deep into their specific business problems and opportunities. Ask them what your company can do to lead the pack. This interaction is a self fulfilling prophecy: your best customers who helped you to build the strategy and tactics will buy in and be early adopters.

2. Expand your bundle of services. Globalization has led to new competitors entering every market, and massive product proliferation, changing the balance of supply and demand. Almost every product has become commoditized. It is more critical than ever that companies expand their bundle of services to create points of differentiation.

- Lowes has upped the ante on their competition by offering free next day delivery and "haul away" for used appliances. By considering the customer's entire cost of ownership, Lowes is providing an innovative value added service by reducing the customer's cost and aggravation by picking up used refrigerators, washers and dryers.

- Take an activity based costing approach to evaluating steps in your service offering. Most merchants no longer require signatures for small credit card purchases as the risk of customers challenging the charges is smaller than the labor of securing it.

3. Reverse engineer customer needs and preferences. Service innovations are discovered through reverse engineering how people and companies use products, and through understanding their behavior. The top consumer product companies such as Procter and Gamble use innovative design houses like Ideo who follow consumers around, and watch them through one way mirrors to understand their shopping and consumption behavior. Ideo brought us the first standup toothpaste and truly made the world a better place.

- Conduct monthly customer satisfaction surveys and rotate in specific questions about your services and how they can be improved. Make customer satisfaction a success metric and engage team members to share in the results and solutions

- Provide a structure for front line employees to identify customer problems and report them to senior management. Jack Welch made his town hall style meetings with junior staff legendary. Reward innovation with the people closest to the customer.

4. Win with information as a differentiator. Last year I began a new food regimen that included protein for breakfast. I became hooked on Jamba Juice, in part because of the complete nutrition information offered in a binder within the store. When Robeks opened 3 blocks from my house, they did not have any nutritional information to offer on low calorie smoothies. This insight and corresponding benefit has created customer loyalty (in my case) that has nothing to do with quality, selection or price.

- Carefully review the information that you make readily available on your website, including product specifications and ordering requirements.

5. Use 3rd Party Certifications as a differentiator. The Internet has provided a new venue for customer feedback. Restaurants are rated by Zagat, hotels by Trip Advisor, thousand of merchants through ratings on eBay. Marketers are seeking third party validation through J.D. Power, ISO, and the Good Housekeeping Seal.

- Seek out 3rd parties who can validate your service claims, or training of key personnel.

- Do a touch point assessment, and have a 3rd party review your website, online ordering system, phone, reception area, invoices, etc to evaluate how easy it is to do business with your company

On Strategy - Use Points of Differentiation to Create Your Unique Selling Proposition

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A Guide to Electric Wheelchairs

A wheelchair is a mobility device that enables a sick or a disabled person to move. It's basically a chair mounted on wheels, which can be propelled either manually or electrically. Wheelchairs propelled electronically are known as electric wheelchairs.

electric lawn mower

Electric wheelchairs are powered by motors. They can be used indoors and outdoors and cost at least ,500. Depending on the kind and extent of use, there are several kinds of wheelchairs available on the market. Some features to consider when buying a wheelchair are the weight and size of the person using it, convenience of both indoor and outdoor use, the chair's weight capacity, power source, warranty and cost.

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Electric wheelchairs are generally used by people who have limited or no mobility due to many different ailments. Some people can be required to use a wheelchair because of old age, paralysis, weight, degenerating muscle diseases, broken or weak bones or other illnesses. Electric wheelchairs are easy to use because they are powered by batteries and can be controlled by a joystick. They are also highly maneuverable as they can turn 360 degrees in one spot. They are also very quiet but they require more maintenance than manual wheelchairs.

Electric wheelchairs are now being designed according to the users' requirements. Advanced technologies like spring suspension, pneumatic wheels and hydraulic systems are being applied to increase the wheelchair's strength and durability. There are basically three types of electric wheelchairs, including rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, and mid-wheel drive.

Rear-wheel drive wheelchairs are the traditional and most common type. They are faster then front-wheel models but are not as flexible while turning as the front-wheel drive and mid-wheel drive wheelchairs.

Front-wheel drive wheelchairs are becoming more popular because they are more flexible and maneuverable. They are slightly slower than the rear-wheel drive wheelchairs because of this.

Mid-wheel drive wheelchairs are the tightest-turning wheelchairs. However, they tend to be slightly unsteady while stopping and starting.

Other types of electric wheelchairs are based on weight, ranging from ultra lightweight to heavy-duty wheelchairs; transport wheelchairs; tilt-in-space wheelchairs; wheelchairs with an elevating seat; rough terrain wheelchairs; pediatric wheelchairs and specialty wheelchairs, among others.

Various options are available for almost every part of an electric wheelchair. The wheelchair frame can be foldable or rigid while the wheels can be front-wheel or free wheel. Various foot and armrests are also available including, detachable, swing-away or elevating. The footplates and armrests can be customized to adjust for both angle and height.

When purchasing a wheelchair the above considerations are only the start of choosing the right design. Other important considerations are the dimensions of the chair's backrest and whether it will be foldable and/or able to recline; the dimensions and upholstery of the chair's seat; automatic or hand brakes; the type of controls; kerb climbers and whether or not the wheelchair will be outfitted with lights. Other options that can be attached to electric wheelchairs include a tray, crutch holders, seat belts, bags, drink holders and anti-tip bars.

A Guide to Electric Wheelchairs

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Electric Dog Collars

Collars are an absolute necessity for dogs. Dog collars are of many kinds, based on the material used: nylon collars, cotton collars, metallic collars, suede collars, leather collars, handmade collars, woven collars, foam collars, or gold, silver or platinum collars. Varieties include adjustable collars, washable collars, training collars, no-bark collars, reflective collars, electric collars, waterproof collars, talking collars and others.

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Electric dog collars are a very efficient way of controlling a dog's behavior. They are also ideal for training the dog. The electric collar can be controlled using a remote control. A signal can be sent to the receiver in the collar when the user detects unfavorable behavior. The collar gives out a warning tone that would control the dog. If the tone doesn't work, it can be used to stimulate the dog and stop him from doing any unwanted action. Electric dog collars have different ranges, starting from 100 yards to one and a half miles. The prices of these collars start from and may go up to 0 depending upon the options available. These collars come with remote controls that have pre-set frequencies. Other different options include a waterproof receiver, different correction levels, multiple ranges and frequencies, different stimulation levels and a lightweight body.

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Other kinds of electric collars are the no-bark collars and the training collars. These collars are also operated with remote controls. The receiver on the collar sends signals to the dog to stop barking or anything else the dog does. Training collars are ideal for sending out instructions to even the most difficult dogs, without being in their presence. Electric collars come in all sizes, ideal for big as well as small dogs.

Electric Dog Collars

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Benefits of a Double Electric Blanket

Electric blankets have come a long way since the ones that you have may have seen your grandmother using that were almost as likely to catch on fire as they were to keep you warm. Today's electric blankets are not only safe, but they are reliable and there are many benefits to using them during cold winter nights. Here are a few of those benefits.

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First, with an electric blanket you will save a significant amount on your electrical bills each month, giving you more spending money in your pocket and also reducing your home's total greenhouse gas emissions. An electric blanket only takes a few cents each night to keep heated, and it keeps the heat around you, right where you need it. If you use central heat to heat your entire house, on the other hand, you're spending money heating rooms that you're not using and heating a lot more square footage. This is much, much more expensive and bad for the environment.

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Besides being economical, these blankets also let you get a nice, cozy, comfortable night's sleep. You won't have to worry about waking up in the middle of the night shivering any more. With today's newest blankets that are better at keeping a constant temperature, you won't have to worry about waking up sweating either. It may take a little trial and error but setting the temperature dial on your electric blanket to where you like it is the best way to make sure you get a good night's sleep.

Electric blankets are even very versatile. You can take them anywhere where there's an outlet and use them. So while they work great on beds, they're also great to use if you're sitting in front of the TV or even if you're out on the balcony on a colder spring night.

Finally, using an electric blanket can help you relieve some mild joint and muscle pain. Heat is a great treatment for aches and pains and by warming your muscles up at night, the blanket will be drawing blood into them. This will help them to heal quicker and make sure that you don't wake up with aches and pains every morning.

Benefits of a Double Electric Blanket

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Deep Well Jet Pumps For Home Use

If you have a deep well for you home water supply and need a new pump, or if you are planning to drill a new deep well, you have probably been looking for information on deep well jet pumps. These pumps are widely used in deep wells for good reason, they do the job well. This type of pump is submerged into the well itself and moves the water by means of a jet stream which creates sufficient suction to move the water to the surface.

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When deciding on a new or replacement deep well jet pump, you first need to decide on how much water you need the pump to supply and what kind of water pressure you need. Pumps vary in capacity from about a hundred gallons per hour up to a thousand gallons per hour. If you are not sure on what rate you need, you can consult a plumber or one of the friendly workers are Home Depot or Lowes. Of course, you need to take any such advice with a grain of salt, and you your own research. If you are replacing a pump and the flow and pressure of the old pump was acceptable, then you can just get a pump of equal or greater capacity.

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Some of the most popular brands of deep well jet pump include Flotec, Gould, Simer, Little Giant, and Sears. Specifications and prices are widely available online. You might want to get the pump professionally installed to make sure you are compliant with all applicable health and safety regulations.

Deep Well Jet Pumps For Home Use

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Adding a Shower Enclosure to Your Vintage Claw Foot Tub

One drawback to owning a vintage claw foot bathtub can be the lack of having a shower. If your claw foot tub doesn't currently have a shower feature, there are several options you can choose to add that modern, yet important feature. You could add a separate shower enclosure to the bathroom, but this is a much more costly option and some bathrooms may not be able to fit a full shower enclosure. Plus, this would add an additional chore to bathroom cleaning. The most ideal situation is to add a shower enclosure and curtain to your existing claw foot tub. Luckily, there are some available options to making this task fairly easy to achieve.

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To add a shower to your existing claw foot tub, you can hire a contractor or plumber to do the work for you and they can recommend several options. One of those options is to add a shower to the claw foot tub and put in a surrounding shower rod and curtain. This allows the shower curtain to completely surround the tub, therefore minimizing water splashing and leaks. Another option for tubs near a wall is to tile the existing wall, add tiled water "detractors" around the wall sides of the tub and put an "L" shaped shower rod and curtain to cover the exposed sides of the tub. The drawback to this option, of course, is that it is more costly and takes away from the freestanding look of the claw foot tub.

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There are basically two options to installing the plumbing for the shower. One is to have the pipes hidden within the wall, which only works if the tub is close to an existing bathroom wall. The other option is to have the exposed pipes that are mounted directly on the tub. The latter is the most common choice and there are some various decorative styles that make the exposed pipes and knobs have a nice finished look.

There are several "do-it-yourself" options available for those who are willing to take on the task themselves. Home improvement stores such as Lowes and Home Depot carry various kits that are predesigned to fit most claw foot tubs. There are shower kits designed to work with existing pipes and others that add the exposed pipes to the freestanding tub. Both types of kits are affordable, easy to install and only require the use of a few basic tools. Both Lowes and Home Depot have staff in the plumbing department that can make some recommendations based on the set up that you currently have. Still, it might help to get someone who is familiar with plumbing to help out or the check the job once it is complete.

Regardless of the type of shower option you choose, you can easily add a shower to your claw foot tub to make it more convenient and useful. This will allow you to have the best of both worlds, a nice large tub to take a long, leisurely bath or a shower that you can use quickly and efficiently thus making your bathroom more functional and enjoyable.

Adding a Shower Enclosure to Your Vintage Claw Foot Tub

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How to Choose an Electric Fireplace Insert

When you are buying an electric fireplace insert, you need to know all you can about what you are getting. The best way to find out the specifics about this innovative heating unit is to study the information that is readily available on the internet. You can also talk to friends and family who may have an electric insert in their homes already. And, it is always advantageous to go out and talk face-to-face with local retailers. Once you have gathered all the information you can, you are ready to narrow your choices down a bit.

electric fireplace

As you are doing your research, you will probably find out that an electric insert is an innovative and efficient way to heat your home. Its popularity continues to rise and there have been some amazing improvements over the past several years. An electric insert will provide a warm and comforting environment for you and your family.

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In the past, the only real way to provide extra heat to your home was by having a roaring fire in your fireplace. Then, gas fireplaces appeared and provided heat for less cost. Electric fireplaces are now being enjoyed in many households and they are starting to surpass gas fireplaces in popularity. There are many brands and models to choose from and your decision must be based on your financial and personal needs. They are very appealing because they are easy to install and maintain. They also imitate a realistic fire with artificial flames that appear authentic. Some people can't even tell the difference between the real thing and an electric log! The electric fireplace produces heat and the ambience is unbelievable!

An electric fireplace insert will provide you with all the warmth you need on a cold, blustery day. There is no better experience than warming up with a cup of hot chocolate in front of a blazing fire. And it doesn't matter if you're young or old, no one can resist the warm and inviting feeling of a fire. Fireplace inserts are very affordable, energy efficient, easy to maintain, and relatively worry free because they are safe and mesh well with the surrounding environment. Take the time to find out as much as you can about one of the "hottest" items on today's market!

How to Choose an Electric Fireplace Insert

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The Early Design of the Electric Guitar

Originally guitars were all acoustic, and the volume achievable by such guitars was quite enough for the environments in which they were played. However, as music developed and the locations in which it performed grew larger, and with the introduction of accompanying instruments, it became necessary to increase the volume and sound of the guitar. Especially with jazz gaining in popularity, the brass instruments would simply drown out the guitar, and so solutions had to be found.

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It was Les Paul, a major innovator in the world of guitars, experimented with attaching microphones to guitars, and this led to some of the earliest electric guitars, although these were generally simply hollow acoustic guitars with tungsten pickups. In 1931 these were being manufactured by the Electro String Instrument Corporation, and the design of an acoustic guitar with a hollow body and a tungsten pickup was devised by Harry Watson, and this model was called the Rickenbacker. This was officially the very first electric guitar, although still a very long way off the ones we see today. Although they were used, and popular, straight away, the first documented record of an early electric guitar being used in a public performance was in Kansas in 1932, when Gage Brewer helped to publicise this new type of guitar in a special Halloween performance.

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The first recording of an electric guitar is often attributed to Eddie Durham, but in fact this is incorrect, and fifteen days earlier George Barnes, a jazz guitarist, recorded Sweetheart Land and It's a Low-Down Dirty Shame in Chicago in 1938. It was Durham, however, who introduced the early electric guitar to Charlie Christian, who became one of the most significant influences for many decades on electric guitars in jazz music.

The electric guitar we know and recognise today usually has a solid body, although not always. The solid body electric guitar is made of wood - often a single piece where possible. The earliest solid body electric guitar was not made of wood however, and was in fact made of cast aluminium, with steel strings. This was officially named the Rickenbacker, but was more commonly referred to as the Frying Pan or Pancake Guitar for obvious reasons. The sound of this guitar was quite aggressive, with a very modern feel to its voice.

In the 1940s Les Paul was still developing ideas for the electric guitar, and in his own time he created the log guitar, which derived its name from the fact that it was constructed from a simple 4x4 wooden post, with a neck attached to one end. The pickups were home made, and there were two halves of the body attached purely for appearance sake. This guitar was patented, and was the first of its kind, although the Gibson Electric Guitar designed later by Les Paul shares no characteristics at all, and it seems to have been a one off.

The next major development in the world of the electric guitar was in the mid 1940s when Richard D Bourgerie, who was employed making electrical equipment during the second World War for the US military at the Howard Radio Company, created an electric guitar pickup and amplifier combination for George Barnes. Barnes in turn showed this new design to Les Paul who requested another be constructed for himself.

Today there seem to be as many different makes and models of electric guitar as there are players, and if you are entering the world of the electric guitar yourself for the first time, you may be slightly taken aback by the sheer range of options, features and designs available. Essentially, however, they all share more or less the same basic features, with a body that is either solid or hollow, usually six steel strings, and perhaps the biggest and most significant choice, the pickup. Depending upon the type of pickup, the guitar may well sound quite different, and this is perhaps the one place to look most carefully.

The Early Design of the Electric Guitar

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The Function of Electric Generators

An extensive diversity of usual calamities may cause long duration of power outages. Things such as hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, lightning, snowstorms and blizzards may stop power for many hours or days. Even a simple blown transformer or any vehicle that ran into a service pole may knock out electric power in the whole neighborhood within one day or even two days.

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Almost all people are dependent on electricity, therefore, power outage for a period of few minutes turn out to be pretty irritating. When the extent of power outage stretches further an hour, more serious problems can happen that may cause things to be damaged or get costly or dangerous. During winter season, power outage usually immobilizes your heating system at home. As the home chills, (depending on the location of your residence) it may become not fit to live in. In addition, cold pipes may cause damage amounting to thousands of dollars.

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During power outage refrigerators as well as freezers stop functioning. During summer, frozen food softens and may cause a real mess. If you invested in beef business, losses might reach up to one thousand dollars or more if power failure happens for many days. If you are sick and your medical condition needs special equipment, power failure may create a situation of life or death. For example, the patient is comatose in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the patient may die in case there is no standby generator if ever power outage occurs.

If you reside in rural area having private well as source of water, power outage cuts off the water supply. Electrical generator is a device that converts mechanical force into electric force. The mechanical power that is converted is created from nuclear and chemical force in various kinds of fuel, or taken from sources that are renewable like the falling water or wind. Electric motors, internal-combustion engines, steam engines, gas-combustion turbines, water and wind engines are the usual means to provide the automatic power for such devices.

Generators are available in wide ranges of sizes, from very little machines having few watts of output energy to extremely big power plant equipment giving big watts of energy. The operation of power generators are based in the occurrence of electromagnetic induction when a conductor travels about the magnetic field, current is stimulated in the conductor. Generator sets are the most widespread type of emergency sources of backup power for homes and business.

The electromagnet is composed of field coils attached to iron core. Current that flows into the field loops creates the magnetic fields. This current can be taken from outside source or from the armature of the system. Regulation is attained by means of sensing the production voltage, changing it to DC and comparing the level to reference electrical energy.

The Function of Electric Generators

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South Toledo Bend Lake Fishing Reports

Impounded in 1967, Toledo Bend Lake Texas (TX), is located approx. 25 miles northeast of Jasper Texas and is located in both Texas and Louisiana. Known for it's great bass fishing, it is also the Pro's choice for numerous fishing tournaments. Fisherman come from far and wide to fish this Lake. In addition to great Bass fishing, there is an abundance of Crappie which makes it the perfect fishing trip for the whole family.

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For active Toledo Bend fish, spinner baits and crank baits are most fisherman's choice. A variety of watermelon green plastic worms seems to work well during the hotter months fished in moss. Early morning top water baits are just about any kind of hard or soft plastic lures that float. Normally Poppers, Flukes, or some kind of Stick Bait.

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Crappie fishing is great just about year around on minnows or jigs. During the spawn on Toledo Bend, target shallow water areas. At other times, Crappie are normally found in deeper water in creek beds and brush piles.

Toledo Bend Lake Texas Is located on the Sabine River. Lake Pool level is 172.0 ft mls with a fluctuation average of 1 to 5 ft annually. The normal lake water is clear to off color in the north end. Toledo Bend Lake has a surface area of 181,600 acres, with a maximum depth of 110 ft

Some South End Lake Fishing Hotspots: Six Mile Bay...use jigs, wacky worms and live shad, work points and over humps. Lowes Creek...use spinners and live worms in rocks and vegetation. Corsey Creek mouth...use live shad, plastic worms on Carolina Rigs. Fish slowly along channel edge.

South Toledo Bend Lake Fishing Reports

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White Kitchen Cabinets For a Timeless Kitchen

Timeless and classic, these are the most popular descriptions given to white kitchen cabinets since they suit almost every home theme and style. In addition, white cabinets permit more freedom to play with a wide variety of tones and colors on flooring, walls, and even home fixtures.

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If you like the idea of installing new kitchen cabinets or you just want to change the color of your existing cabinets, think of a theme that appeals to you. You can go for the casual, clean, contemporary look, or cozy, sleek modern, or even a country theme. You can also experiment with the cabinet texture. For example, creating imperfections can transform plain and ordinary cabinets to impressive furniture pieces.

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Antiquing and Distressing

Instead of being content with simple white paint job, think about creating texture like distressed or glazed white cabinets. Distressing entails a few strategies; scratching and banging up your cabinets after you coat them with white paint.

If you prefer natural wood cabinets and you want them to show through, then don't apply a base coat of paint. Just perform the coating of cabinets using a white paint and leave it to dry for about twelve hours. Use a sandpaper to wear away some of the paint around the handles of the cabinet. Round off some sharp cabinet edges with sandpaper as well.

To create deep scratches and dents on your white kitchen cabinets use a hammer or a key. After the distressing process, apply the varnish to protect the wood and the new paint. You'll be surprised to see authentic-looking cabinets that you made yourself.

Cabinet Makers

If you have the budget, you can always order new kitchen cabinets from manufacturers that do business online. You can check Thomasville cabinetry, Merillat cabinetry, and many more. You can also shop and order kitchen cabinets from Home Depot or Lowes.

These stores offer a huge selection of cabinets with various designs, styles, and functionality to suit your requirements.

Colors and Techniques

White kitchen cabinets can be combined with black countertops and other black furniture such as stools or chairs, and even black appliances. The black and white design approach can create a formal atmosphere in your kitchen area.

For best results, try to coat your walls with mint green or rose pink paint. You can also apply warmer hues like sand and almond if you have an Italian-style kitchen. By following these tips, your kitchen will be brighter and more pleasant for you and your family.

White Kitchen Cabinets For a Timeless Kitchen

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Have A Kitchen Renovation Idea? Some Things To Consider

Kitchen renovation ideas for old homes can be put together in such a way that you can have a new stainless steel refrigerator looking resplendent alongside an old wood-burning stove. The key to a successful kitchen renovation is in the planning regardless of whether your home is old or new. Any kitchen improvement should be planned so that all the potential problems are thought of before they arise. You should check to see if your heating, electrics, gas and plumbing will require any attention. Kitchen renovation ideas that include wood-burning fireplaces are certainly popular, though they do require a lot of work. They can mean major remodeling including tearing out a portion of a wall, constructing a chimney or other venting system, and then working with stone or brick, but what a cozy, comfortable addition to have in one's kitchen!

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Kitchen improvement ideas are regular copy in shelter and lifestyle magazines and on a wide range of television programs. Custom kitchen remodel businesses exist by the thousands, ranging from small independent and custom operators, to licensed dealers of popular brands of kitchen cabinetry and fittings, to the giant home stores like The Home Depot and Lowes.

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Choose a design which best suits your personality, lifestyle and the style of your house itself. There are at least four basic kitchen layouts than you can choose from and incorporate in your own kitchen. Visiting home improvement stores can really help to spark your imagination. Stores such as Home Depot and Lowes are great places to start as you'll then be you able to ask the staff for their professional opinion.

Pay careful consideration to the countertop material. Countertop dictates much of the appearance and overall atmosphere of the entire kitchen especially if your kitchen design has a large area of uninterrupted counter space.

Another kitchen renovation idea is to create beautiful murals for a unique kitchen wall style. The kitchen is one of the most beloved rooms in any house and one where nearly every family spends a majority of their time. Creating beautiful interiors has more to do with creativity than money. The whole point is to create a space that makes you feel good - one that your family likes spending time in.

Have A Kitchen Renovation Idea? Some Things To Consider

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What Is The Best Way To Light My Fire, And What Fuel Should I Be Using?

The record is deigned to give you some tips about how to light a fire, both safely and efficiently as well as advice on what fuel you should burn. Once you have the fire grate or fire basket in place you need to set about lighting the fire .We propose that you place a concentrate of firelighters on the fire grate put a small estimate of dry kindling sticks on top of these, then light the fire lighters ideally using one of our extra long matches.

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Once the kindling is burning well add a few lumps of fuel- you can use whether coal or smokeless fuel depending upon the regulations in your area. It is best to have some fuel stored near your fire in a coal pail or hod and use fire tongs or a small coal shovel to take the few preliminary lumps from the coal bucket.In our feel at the preliminary fire lighting stage it is advisable not to pour fuel directly from your coal pail or hod (sometimes also referred to as a scuttle) as dust from the fuel can choke the fire.

ELECTRIC FIREPLACE LOWES

Should you have strangeness in getting your fire to light we sell fire draw plates or bleazers. These are metal sheets designed to fit over the fire place opening, thus forcing maximum updraught from under your fire grate allowing the fire to 'pull'. These come in two distinct sizes. We also stock a range of traditional style fire bellows to pump more air under the grate. Once the preliminary fuel is burning then add more fuel to suit the size of the fire you require.

What Is The Best Way To Light My Fire, And What Fuel Should I Be Using?

ELECTRIC FIREPLACE LOWES

How to Decoupage a Coffee Table

When I moved into my apartment last year, I wanted to do something extra with my decor. My apartment is one half of a house that's over a hundred years old and contains wee gems like a fireplace in every room and gorgeous aged wallpaper. Regular furniture wasn't going to cut it.

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So first, I went shopping. I found a decent table for at the Salvation Army. The top was uneven with any dissimilar colors of wood grain and, as if that wasn't enough, yellow and blue paint splatters. I decided to sand and stain it.

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Two weeks and a lot of wasted time later, I decided to try something else. The color didn't turn out right and the exterior still wasn't as level as I wanted. That's when I decided to try my hand at decoupaging.

Step One: Go Shopping

After choosing your piece of furniture, get an idea for your design. You can use anything from family photos or album covers to cute character cutouts for a child's room. I chose vintage magazine clippings for mine. You can get an old magazine at an aged store for a dollar or so. Try to use magazines published on glossy paper. It will hold up much good than the flimsy newsprint used for older magazines.

There are any things you'll need for this project.

1. As we've already covered, you're going to need a table and collage materials, first and foremost.

2. Craft glue. My personal beloved is Mod Podge- gloss. I bought some six years ago and it still works!

3. Spray Adhesive. Any kind will do.

4. A Spray Lacquer like Minwax or Rust-Oleum.

5. A craft knife like Exacto. You can get one for about four or five dollars and they're great for precision cutting delicate paper. I use mine all the time for multiple projects.

6. A small paintbrush with a tip no wider than your pinkie finger. You can get a pack at any dollar store.

7. A piece of glass the same dimensions as your table-top. Try a local glass shop or a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes Hardware.

After you've got all your materials, you're ready to start your project.

Step Two: Clean Your Table.

You're only going to be exterior the top of your table so if there are any faded spots, chips or splintering on the legs, that' needs to be taken care of beforehand. Do all of your sanding/staining and then, once all is dried, use a water-based cleaner to take off any dirt. Do not use furniture polish. It will weaken the bond in the middle of the wood and the paper. I learned this while painting someone else table and the paint kept smearing.

Step Three: originate Your Collage.

Start by cutting out the pieces you want to use with your craft knife. Cut some pieces in the shape of rectangles or circles and cut smaller pieces more intricately. This will make it easier to cover the whole table. If, however, you only want to use a few images then it doesn't matter.

Once you have all of your pieces cut, dispose them on the table without gluing. Then paste each piece of paper together using a small dab of glue without attaching them to the table. The less you use, the better. You can always add more later. Decoupaging is a creative process and you may convert your mind about how you want things layered. It's easier to undo a mistake if you don't use a lot of glue. If, however, you don't want to cover the whole table top and are only using a few pieces, gluing directly to the table is fine.

Step Four: Attach the Collage.

Wait at least an hour for all of your glue to dry. I tried to hurry this process and ended up tearing some of my collage. After that, take your table and collage outside. This next step can get messy. Take your spray adhesive and spray a thin coat onto the table. Next you're going to apply your collage to the table top; kind of like wallpapering. I recommend getting person to help you to avoid bumps and ripples in the paper. Lay your collage as flat as possible, meeting all the edges of the table. Lightly level the collage and leave it to dry for someone else hour.

Step Five: Add the Finishing Touches

Are there any collage pieces that won't lie flat? Cover the edges with small dab of glue. Once you're finished, let all glue dry for someone else hour, then use your spray lacquer to cover the whole table top. You'll want to do this exterior as well. It's foremost that you don't use paint-on lacquer for this step, especially if you're using thin paper like I did. Paint-on lacquer is very heavy and oil-based and will leave spotting on your collage. I learned this the hard way (pictured below).

How to avoid a mistake when decoupaging

Once the spray lacquer is dry, you can put your glass piece over the table. Spray lacquer keeps your collage pieces in place but it will not be sufficient to protect your table from spilled drinks or pets. Glass is the best way to ensure that your table is protected. Now you have a one-of-a-kind piece that you'll be proud to show your friends!

How to Decoupage a Coffee Table

ELECTRIC FIREPLACE LOWES