I’ve been having a problem with my Flickr Photo Album plugin–when selecting photos with the plugin to appear in a post it seems some are replaced with a “This Photo is Currently Unavailable” error image.  This would happen even though the photos are available.

After much research I learned that this error happens when you update a photo because Flickr plays some tricks with its urls making the plugin think that the photo isn’t there, even though it is.

Its nice to have a diagnosis, but what’s the treatment?  Well, Google wasn’t much help.  But, stumbling around the plug I did manage to find a way to fix the problem.

So, after you have updated a photo flickr…

View your full photo album in Wordpress.  You can do this either by

• going to http://your_blog_root_url/photo-album/

Or

• Open your Wordpress admin
• Select “Settings”
• Select “Photo Album”
• Click the link /photo-album/ next to the “Photo Album Syndication” label

Then all you need to do is click the “Refresh Photos” button.  But, that will only refresh the photos displayed on that screen.  Some of your albums might have more screens.  If so there will be a  “Next Page” link.  Click it, and click the “Refresh Photos” button again.

Repeat till all those error images are gone.

I’m sure there’s a better, faster way to do it, but this is the only way I’ve been able to figure out

The honeymoon is long since over. I’ve spent weeks with chemicals and heat guns stripping the several layers or latex and oil and whatever paint from all the fine grooves–and both the doors and the windows are really nothing but fine grooves.

Here are some of the lessons:

• Call around to paint supply stores (not Home Depot, but places that only supply paint) to find a lead paint test kit.  Here in Vancouver the General Paint store on Venebles is just about the only place you’ll find these kits.
• A heat gun is better than chemicals on long flat runs of wood, and if timed just right can get multiple layers up just as quickly and easily as a single layer of paint.
• You have to be very careful not to burn the wood with a heat gun.  You won’t start a fire, but it will blacken the wood, which is almost as bad as a fire if you’re planning to stain rather than repaint.
• Chemicals are better for stripping the paint from the details — and the harsher the chemical the better.  With multiple layers of paint the amount of time water-based strippers take would have stretched this ostensibly simple project out by months (seriously).
• Here is most of the stuff you will need:
  • At least 2 saw-horses or stands. If you have more, then you can strip more objects at the same time.
  • Any old half-inch paint brush
  • Largest tin of PolyStrippa you can get. Poly seems to be slightly better than Circa 1850.
  • A 1″ or 2″ putty knife
  • A heavy paint stripping knife
  • A small and large plastic paint stripping knife
  • Some 220 grit sand paper
  • A couple different sized wood blocks to wrap the sandpaper around. Make sure you have at least one thin wood strip, which will help you sand those fine crevices.
  • Some steel wool.
  • A pair of leather work gloves to help avoid getting slivers as you sand.
  • Lots of rags or newspapers to wipe tools and the last bits of paint. Careful with the newspaper as the ink might run.
  • A metal container about the size of a pop can for the chemical stripper. I ended up lining a small plant pot with tin foil.
  • A heat gun with an extension cord.
• Add to your total cost many meals because you simply won’t have time to make anything yourself.
• Add to your total cost a ruined pair of pants and shirts, because you’ll drip the chemicals and softened paint all over yourself.
• Be careful with the heat gun on the glass — the heat might crack it.
• It will take you about 5 times longer than you first expect.
• And lastly: Do not, unless you really, really need a period original window, undertake this task.  Just get a brand new window made.  The price, whatever it is, will be worth it.

      

So far I’ve been using the following tool to manage this renovation project:

Google Docs Spreadsheet

• For collecting a log of which contractors and which suppliers I’ve contacted, when, and the results. This is crucial for keeping track of who you need to follow up with.
• For listing all the work that needs to be done in detail.  This is helpful to give to contractors when the come for a quote.  It also help make sure all the contractors are quoting on the same list so you can compare apples to apples.
• For sharing live documents rather than exchanging attachments, which makes version control a breeze.
• And of course for tallying up costs of both labour and material

Microsoft Project

• It may be a little heavy handed, but I already own it.  The Gantt chart is incredibly useful for visualizing the entire project over time, how long each job will take and the dependencies between each job.  Not sure I could plan out the scheduling without a Gantt chart.

Sketchup (www.sketchup.com)

• This is an invaluable tool.  I want to marry Sketchup.  Designing the kitchen, bathroom and landscaping would have be practically impossible for us without it.  I realize people have been doing this on paper for years, and some guys designed the pyramids without even that.  Still, this tool allows you to see exactly what you imagine, and quickly.  Take the time to get over the learning curve, start with detailed, accurate and precise measurements, and you’ll be set.

Email is usually a tool I find very helpful.  What often happened to me was that I’d call a contractor, discuss, and then email a link to all my photos and models.  It seemed like a really helpful thing to do.  Pictures are better than words for describing a design, and the models contain enough detail and measurements that it shouldn’t be necessary for the contractor to spend their time coming in person to quote.

The results, however ,were often that the email would be ignored and I’d have to follow up with another phone call, only to get some ballpark figure based on… well I often wasn’t sure what, because I wasn’t sure if they’d actually seen the photos and sketches.  When this happened I simply dropped contractor from consideration.