It's a material world...

[ColinJ]

Well, given that my teeth are in need of some rather expensive remedial work and having seen what £12k did for my mate's mouth, I'd like about £25k's worth of dental work please, subject to me not having to be conscious for any of it.

Oh, and since my hips and knees are already showing signs of wearing out, at some point in the future I'd like some bullet-proof new joints which will never wear out in my lifetime.

Apart from health-related stuff, I'm not too fussed about material things. Yes, new bikes, HDTVs etc. can be fun but I'd get more pleasure out of learning to play the piano or my guitars than I would from buying lots of new toys.

 

[Night Train]

Proof of the pudding. I went out this morning to go shopping with my birthday money and all I came back with was a couple of Papermate Flexigrip ball point pens. Everything else just seemed unnecessary.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Shoudn't you be looking for just the raw timber and some hand tools? Even better if you make it in a basement that you then can't get it out of whole.

I am going half-way and buying a kit. Do you know what kind of skill and time it takes to make cedar-strips properly? Well, making the canoe from a kit will take me long enough...

 

[beanzontoast]

Proof of the pudding. I went out this morning to go shopping with my birthday money and all I came back with was a couple of Papermate Flexigrip ball point pens. Everything else just seemed unnecessary.

That's how I feel nowadays. It's the difference between wanting something and needing something. Whenever I'm asked for any specific present ideas for my birthday or Christmas, I can rarely think of anything I want, and struggle to list stuff that I need. I don't value things highly at all.

 

[MacB]

I am going half-way and buying a kit. Do you know what kind of skill and time it takes to make cedar-strips properly? Well, making the canoe from a kit will take me long enough...

I shudder to think, I'm feeling all 'hunter-provider' at present, having just finished boarding the loft and putting lights in. Actually creating something would be beyond my meagre talents.

 

[Norm]

What one material thing do you aspire to own?

Not quite a Sunseeker, I have simple tastes...

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I shudder to think, I'm feeling all 'hunter-provider' at present, having just finished boarding the loft and putting lights in. Actually creating something would be beyond my meagre talents.

I know what you mean. I've been making shelves from scratch and I think I may be overreaching myself with the canoe. But with some concentration care and patience, I should manage... unfortunately patience has never been one of my strong points and I tend to lose interest in things very quickly.

 

[slowmotion]

I know what you mean. I've been making shelves from scratch and I think I may be overreaching myself with the canoe. But with some concentration care and patience, I should manage... unfortunately patience has never been one of my strong points and I tend to lose interest in things very quickly.

Check out "Fine Woodworking".

There are usually some kayak kits advertised at the back. Good stuff elsewhere, as well.

Good luck

 

[MacB]

I know what you mean. I've been making shelves from scratch and I think I may be overreaching myself with the canoe. But with some concentration care and patience, I should manage... unfortunately patience has never been one of my strong points and I tend to lose interest in things very quickly.

Impatience is highly dangerous in DIY...he says, having been off the bike for 3 weeks now. If you're ever on top of a step ladder fitting lights then it's worth climbing down for the right tool. A certain clumsy/lazy oaf decided he didn't need his wire strippers and would trim, on the go, with a stanley knife. New blade, so it was a very neat cut, think I actually hit bone, certainly bled enough!!!

I'd give the canoe a go it's unlikely to be a negative experience.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

It's definitely a canoe not a kayak I want - and I know what I am getting and where I'm getting it from (it's this one, from these people, via this supplier), but thanks for the links, Slowmotion!

And I am hoping this will go some way to helping me develop patience - so to bring it back to the subject of the thread, sometimes a desire for a particular material thing is about more than the thing itself...

 

[User169]

It's definitely a canoe not a kayak I want - and I know what I am getting and where I'm getting it from (it's this one, from these people, via this supplier), but thanks for the links, Slowmotion!

And I am hoping this will go some way to helping me develop patience - so to bring it back to the subject of the thread, sometimes a desire for a particular material thing is about more than the thing itself...

That looks rather nice. I think you've shown pictures before of a canoe trip you took some time ago in Canada. That (along with Ray Mears) has rather given me the itch to try something similar. When the children are older and can swim....

 

[Flying_Monkey]

That looks rather nice. I think you've shown pictures before of a canoe trip you took some time ago in Canada. That (along with Ray Mears) has rather given me the itch to try something similar. When the children are older and can swim....

Yes, that trip was one of the things that convinced me I wanted to live here and that canoeing was <whisper> perhaps even more enjoyable than cycling </whisper>

An Algonquin morning

 

[mistral]

Impatience is highly dangerous in DIY...he says, having been off the bike for 3 weeks now. If you're ever on top of a step ladder fitting lights then it's worth climbing down for the right tool. A certain clumsy/lazy oaf decided he didn't need his wire strippers and would trim, on the go, with a stanley knife. New blade, so it was a very neat cut, think I actually hit bone, certainly bled enough!!!

I'd give the canoe a go it's unlikely to be a negative experience.

I’d go with something simple but difficult to obtain, an original vinyl version of Philip Cohran & Artistic Heritage Ensemble recording of On the Beach or a vintage Leica perhaps


Hey, Mac B, I didn’t know you’re (not) an electrician too – no end to your (lack of) talents. You know that you broke all the H&S laws you could and I think messing around with live wires is a bit frowned upon if you're not certified.


Really bad news that, sorry to hear it curtailed your cycling for so long.



Presume the family were pretty miffed to be without lights for 3 weeks too.


Look forward to seeing you back in the saddle very soon.

 

[Archie_tect]

Yes, that trip was one of the things that convinced me I wanted to live here and that canoeing was <whisper> perhaps even more enjoyable than cycling </whisper>

The canoe Ray Mears built from [silver birch?] bark looked fantastic...

 

[MacB]

I’d go with something simple but difficult to obtain, an original vinyl version of Philip Cohran & Artistic Heritage Ensemble recording of On the Beach or a vintage Leica perhaps


Hey, Mac B, I didn’t know you’re (not) an electrician too – no end to your (lack of) talents. You know that you broke all the H&S laws you could and I think messing around with live wires is a bit frowned upon if you're not certified.


Really bad news that, sorry to hear it curtailed your cycling for so long.



Presume the family were pretty miffed to be without lights for 3 weeks too.


Look forward to seeing you back in the saddle very soon.

Cheers Mick, it's been a bit of a pig all round, seem to have been suffering instability issues around my left elbow. This is the one where the surgeon removed the end of the radius bone, leaving me a 'floating bone' style joint. It may need further surgery to reattach as the instability is pretty painful at times. This led to pain in the left wrist and, as you'd expect, it was a finger on my left hand I sliced into. It's the combination of all 3 that's kept me off the bike. The cut is healed, the wrist pain almost gone but I'm having to be really careful with the elbow. Use the arm at slightly the wrong angle and it feels like I've broken it again.

I'll have you know that all of the electrical work was fine and I didn't even get any blood on the wires

Back on the OP I think there's a lot to be said for building/creating something you want yourself. I'm aiming to build up my own road and fixed bikes from scratch, though with judicious advice/assistance from LBS. I also get a huge buzz from DIY projects, next is fitting a new bathroom, if I get stuck I think Teef is pretty handy I suspect it may be something to do with working in finance, there's only so much satisfaction you can get from a shiny spreadsheet with immense formulae.