DIY Discoveries?

[4F]

[quote name='swee'pea99']1) When you're drilling a hole for a rawlplug, don't use the recommended drill, use the next one down and when you've got the depth, wiggle it a bit to shave a bit off the sides and make the hole just a wee bit bigger. Then put your rawlplug in, and if you've got it right, a couple of taps with a hammer should see it fit in nice 'n snug, ready for the screw. (If you use the recommended drill bit, the screw will get half way in then the rawlplug will start to revolve in the hole...then you can neither screw it in nor out. Then, when you're good and mad, you'll rip the damn thing out of the hole, bringing with it a lump of plaster about the size of a wine cork. Good luck filling that hole soundly enough so it'll take a screw...)

2) Fitting tv aerials is a piece of piss. Don't pay some wide boy 200 squids. Just don't fall off the roof.[/QUOTE]

Two very excellent points especially no 1

 

[Globalti]

When drilling holes in walls catch the dust in a cardboard hooper fashioned from an old glossy magazine taped up and stuck to the wall with masking tape. Saves loads of time clearing up the brick/paster dust.

Eh? NO WAY! Get the Memsahib to stand underneath with the vacuum tube below your drill bit, sucking up the dust as it appears. Then you can boss her around for a change and make it look like a really tricky technical job. A bit of pointless measuring and teeth sucking as well as muttered swearwords and a furrowed brow will make her really anxious and make you look indispensable around the house.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Always use a countersinking bit when putting screws which will be visible in a bit of wood.

If the screws are in decent wood which is meant to look good, then consider brass screws if the colours are compatible.

 

[swee'pea99]

Eh? NO WAY! Get the Memsahib to stand underneath with the vacuum tube below your drill bit, sucking up the dust as it appears. Then you can boss her around for a change and make it look like a really tricky technical job. A bit of pointless measuring and teeth sucking as well as muttered swearwords and a furrowed brow will make her really anxious and make you look indispensable around the house.

Are you MAD? She'll only start asking annoying questions and Making Suggestions. This is how divorces start...

 

[XmisterIS]

Always use a countersinking bit when putting screws which will be visible in a bit of wood.

If the screws are in decent wood which is meant to look good, then consider brass screws if the colours are compatible.

Or you can just over-insert the screw without countersinking, then whack in a bit of caulk, give it a quick rub with some 240 paper and a lick of paint.

 

[Browser]

Don't buy cheap tools!
They may enable you to own an item which would otherwise seem too expensive, but they're cheap for a reason! Save your pennies, buy a better quality whatever it is that you want, you'll enjoy using it much more

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Don't buy cheap tools!
They may enable you to own an item which would otherwise seem too expensive, but they're cheap for a reason! Save your pennies, buy a better quality whatever it is that you want, you'll enjoy using it much more

Best advice yet.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

If I can extend the concept of DIY ... learn a bit about how your car (if you have one) works. You'll save a fortune even if you only learn to fit brake pads and exhaust components and how to do a basic service. Once you get more confidence you can tackle bigger jobs.

 

[xpc316e]

Never ever think that the 5 minute job you have been thinking about tackling will take less than about four hours.

 

[gary r]

When drilling holes in walls catch the dust in a cardboard hooper fashioned from an old glossy magazine taped up and stuck to the wall with masking tape. Saves loads of time clearing up the brick/paster dust.

or get someone to hold the vacum hose under where you are drilling,sucks the dust staright away

 

[Rhythm Thief]

When hanging wallpaper, start at the window and work away from it. That way the overlaps between lengths of wallpaper don't cast shadows. Also, stick matches in any rawlplugs before you hang the new paper, it makes them easy to find afterwards.

 

[swee'pea99]

Don't buy cheap tools!
They may enable you to own an item which would otherwise seem too expensive, but they're cheap for a reason! Save your pennies, buy a better quality whatever it is that you want, you'll enjoy using it much more

I always buy cheap tools! I figure, why pay four times as much for something so I can get the one the pro would use? His one has to be built to withstand hours a week, every week, for years. Mine only has to do an hour or three a year. I bought my adjustable spanner from a pound shop five years ago. It's still fine. People always say 'buy the best tools you can afford'; I say 'buy the quality you actually need'. Then you can spend what you save on beer.

 

[Fnaar]

If you ever need to peel a tomato, plunge it into boiling water briefly then take it out.
I have never done this. But if I did, I'd do it myself.

I have successes/failures with DIY. I hung a door once, and it worked perfectly. I've tried two since, and they're crap. I've done groovy things to my bike gears and they've worked perfectly. Other times I've had to give up and take it to (not so local) LBS. Nothing ever 'kind of' works for me. It either works brilliantly, or it's a complete fail!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

[quote name='swee'pea99']... adjustable spanner ...[/QUOTE]


Nooooo! Those things are shite. I buy good tools because I use tools a lot. I only use adjustables in an emergency, I prefer to go out and buy the correct sized spanner to do the job, assuming I haven't already got it. If you really are only ever going to use a particular tool once then I suppose you've got a point, but my experience is that you'll use something far more than you think you will. Besides, good quality tools are soo much better to have than cheap ones, even before you've used them.

 

[swee'pea99]

Nooooo! Those things are shite.

Well, yeah - but they work! And you can do things like use them to hold your freewheel or BB remover, and whack them with a hammer. A good spanner that size costs a mint. 9 times out of 10 the adjustable will do - and if it does break, no big deal...buy another one!