DIY Gadgets

[Graham Saunders]

After a break of about 4 years (moved to a new house, very little DIY to be done, Hurrah!), I'm back to lurking here (house looking shabby after 4 years, and the missus wants to change everything around :-(

Anyway, I've been using some new DIY gadgets that I dont remember being around ~4 years ago (does the world change that fast??)

1. Spray on pipe freezer. Stick a collar around a pipe, spray in some stuff from a can a wait a little bit. An ice plug forms in the pipe which is good for 5 bar for 45 minutes, so you can cut the pipes and do what you need to do without any hassle. Fab! I had to replace a tap, and since I dont have any service valves (cheapskate developers, grr!) and I'm to scared to go anywhere near the megaflow moster in the airing cupboard, it just about saved me from loads of hassle. About £10 for a kit in B&Q, which seems enough for a good few months of DIY plumbing.

1. DustBubbles. They are self adhesive dust collectors, which you stick them on the wall where your about to drill, drill through them, and they catch

*all* the dust. 2 for ~£2 in B&Q, and they come with different strength adhesives for wallpaper, bare walls, tiles etc. Genius!

What other DIY innovations have i missed in the last few years?

Cheers

G

[Mary Fisher]

That's not new! Good though.

Mary

[Harvey Van Sickle]

On 25 Oct 2004, Graham Saunders wrote

This one may be old hat, but: battery-operated wallpaper trimmer.

Even better'n sliced bread.

[nightjar]

ISTR the instructions say not to use it twice, as the manufacturers cannot guarantee that there is enough freezer in the spray to be certain that any but the first ice plug will hold. I have used one, many years ago, to change a main stopcock in a flat, but I prefer to have good working isolating valves instead.

A saleable version of the idea of sticking an old envelope to the wall under the hole..

Colin Bignell

[Bob Eager]

I have the sucky-plate-with-a-hole-in-it that you attach to a vacuum cleaner, then drill 'through' the hole...

[raden]

In message , Graham Saunders writes

Been around for years

I've always used an envelope and double sided tape, although bought some when CPC were selling @ 10 for 45p, quite useful. ISTR someone who was trying to get that idea off the ground was kicking it around in uk-diy a few years back.

Tandem combi boilers

[Dave Liquorice]

Been around for years. I wouldn't use one unless I *really* had to. That five minute job can so easyly develop into two hours and you only have 45 mins before the ice plug gives up... no thank you. If I hit a snag I like to sit and think the proper way out not be forced by the clock to do... something... anything...

I use a bit of scrap paper folded up stuck with lo tac adheshive (top of a Post-it or masking tape) cost pennies, if that.

[Paul Mc Cann]

In our house the cleaning up afterwards is a womans job so these gadgets=20 have no appeal to me. (runs for cover)

--=20 Paul Mc Cann

[Mary Fisher]

Although some of us in the know have said that the freezing stuff is not new and that envelopes work as well as B&Q's devices (Spouse uses a vac) I think it's good that you bothered to tell the group of your finds. There will be many others who've never heard of them.

Don't be put off posting about other things you've found useful.

Mary

[IMM]

Maxie, alas not a DIY innovation, fully pro.

[Andy Dingley]

What's wrong with an envelope ?

Top-loading DL envelope (commercial A4-in-thirds size). Poke the bottom corners inside-out to keep the envelope held open, then stick it underneath the hole with a bit of masking tape.

[Andy Dingley]

Brushmate.

Don't wash your brushes out, just store them in here until next time. They stay soft and ready to paint with.

I've had one for a few years and these things really work!

[raden]

In message , Bob Eager writes

Oh yes, I forgot, I have one of those - -I've never used it though

I also have a wife who runs around after me cleaning up the mess I make

[raden]

In message , Andy Dingley writes

Well old they are - I've had one for years

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Perhaps you'd give some details of such a pro installation so it may be checked out?

[nightjar]

I just buy cheap brushes and chuck them after use.

Colin Bignell

[Jethro]

Funny, I used to take this view, then SWMBO "persuaded" me that buying nicer brushes and "looking after them" was the way. Dutifully purchased some Harris and Stanley brushes, and lo ! Bristles everywhere. Much chunnering from SWMBO ... especially as I made a big show of lovingly cleaning them up for next time ...

[Andy Dingley]

Stanley are very low end. Harris are OK, but nothing special, and it depends on the range / model. If you can buy them in B&Q, they're hardly likely to be far above the bottom of the barrel.

I buy a lot of cheap brushes as disposables, but I don't use them on real projects. It's not about cleaning, it's about the quality of the job they do. I spent real money and effort on making that - I don't want to screw it up with shed bristles.

(Do sheds _have_ bristles ?)

[Sam]

I just hold the cleaner tube up under the hole, works for me.

Sam

[Andy Dingley]

Never use your last can of it....

If you wrap the pipe in a wet towel after freezing, then freeze the towel too, you can get a couple of hours out of it.

You're missing the main function of "gadgets" here - they're for selling, not for using.