In this episode:
Several Ask This Old House crew members give us an inside look at the roles their fathers played as mentors, inspiring them to pursue the trades. Tom, Nathan, Mauro, Richard, Heath, and Ross explain how their fathers were their biggest mentors, fostering their respective loves for building and fixing things and helping them become the people they are today.
Next, general contractor Tom Silva takes us on a house call. He meets a father to help him finish a case for his son’s championship baseball bat. The case needs a glass-front door and a way to mount the bat, and Tom has a few ideas.
Tom first shows the homeowner how to build a simple door frame from white oak that will hold the glass pane. After some staining, the two allow the frame to dry before sliding the glass pane inside. Tom then comes up with a creative option for attaching the bat before securing the glass door, giving the father and son a finished project they can be proud of.
Finally, host Kevin O’Connor meets plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and his son, home technology expert Ross Trethewey, to talk about airflow. Richard explains that most folks with forced hot air or central air conditioning dislike their air distribution, and the Tretheweys explain the options.
First, Richard explains how air will always travel the path of least resistance, so installing dampers to regulate and distribute airflow is important. Then, Ross walks us through some of the more advanced options and even explains some solutions they came up with on one of their own projects.
AskTOH Celebrates their Fathers as Mentors
Ask This Old House team members talk about how their fathers shaped their lives and careers.
Build Your Own Baseball Bat Display Case
General contractor Tom Silva shows us how to turn a basic home-built box into a baseball bat display case worthy of any commemorative or championship bat.
Where to find it?
Tom works with a homeowner to finish building a custom case to display his son’s commemorative championship bat and pins. Tom measures the case to help him determine how thick to make the rails and stiles. He uses a table saw to cut the stiles to match the length of the case and cuts the two rails to fit in between the stiles.
Using a domino joiner and wood glue he joins the stiles and rails, then clamps the frame so the glue can dry. He uses an orbital sander to smooth the frame. To set the glass he makes a few passes around the inner frame using a router and a rabbit bit, then lays the glass in the routed space. Before securing the glass Tom drills holes for the hinges. He uses glass clips and screws to secure the glass in the frame. To mount the pat and pin inside the case he uses screws to give them a floating look.
Understanding Air Flow
Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and home technology expert Ross Trethewey explain everything you need to know about balancing airflow within a home.
Where to find it?
Richard and Ross use dampers and drain valves to demonstrate how balancing airflow throughout a home is achieved.
- Cable operated dampers can be found at Home Depot.
- CAR3 Constant Airflow Regulator is manufactured by Aldes.
- Duct Iris Damper is manufactured by CFM Inc.
Original Air Date: June 23, 2022, Season 43; Ep. 33 23:42
Products and Services from this Episode
- Damper distributor: Home Depot
- Damper manufacturers:
Aldes
CFM Inc