What's your most unpleasant DIY task

[Tim S]

Isopropyl alchocol is also *very* good for this job - available from friendly Chemist shops. No impurities either. Also handy for tape heads etc.

Timbo

[RichardS]

Removing a lath and plaster knackered ceiling in the kitchen of a 1st floor

1 bed converted victorian flat, whilst still living there. Think that there was a layer of whatever soot-like substance was used as fire retardent on top of it as well.

Anyone who's ever removed a l&p ceiling knows what sort of mess I'm talking about....

Or removing the old loose-fill insulation from the loft space of that same flat, before reinsulating & boarding. Again, 1/2" of the same soot-like retardant, and was about July time in a particularly hot summer.

I've done a lot of stuff to my current place, but nothing comes close to either of those.

[Bob Eager]

Possibly useful advice in general - but he's broken it now anyway...

[Dave Liquorice]

As the property was victorian that stuff probably was mainly soot from the umpteen coal fires in the neighbourhood. There was no sarking in my parents house and that had a good 1/2" layer of black dust in it and that was only built in the 1930's...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I left it in a sealed jar of IPA for several days, but that didn't clear it. You need to force the alcohol through the jets.

[IMM]

I'm glad that happened.

[IMM]

I'm glad that happened.

[Mike]

Pulling down an old lathe and plaster ceiling in a room where the chimney had obviously leaked soot into it. The floor ended up feet deep in debris and I was black from (protected) head to toe.

[Andy Hall]

What's the matter with you? If you don't behave, Santa won't visit you on Friday night...... ;-)

[paul]

"and the magic smoke escaped :-( "

LOL

"Incidentally, Edison is widely credited with the "smoke theory" of electronics which maintains that all components in any given circuit really operate on a minute charge of white smoke and when the component fatigues and releases its smoke, it is rendered useless since its source of energy has escaped."

Full story here....

laught at.... Bob Transformer and Billy Joe Farad

[raden]

In message , BigWallop writes

Which is industrial alcohol with additives, is it not

[BigWallop]

Thought that would have worked as well, right enough. But, as you say, you do sometimes have to push the cleaner through the head to clear the clogged up stuff away.

[BigWallop]

Oh dear ! It's Imm again. :-)

[Colin Wilson]

Clear ammonia - its easier to find

Soak the pad is rests on, and it`ll break up any dried out ink in the capilliary feed.

[IMM]

He will not?

[deckertim]

Anything to do with fibreglass or rockwool. This irritates my hands, arms etc for days. Even if I have been wearing gloves.

[raden]

In message , IMM writes

DIMM will think it's the man from TV licensing and won't let him down the chimney

[John Rumm]

Minor point, but on Epson's the print head is not part of the cartridge like it is on HP or Canon etc.

Hence you need to think twice before trying anything too bold because it may cost you more than just a new cartridge as Dave discovered!

You may get a result with part filling an empty cart with IP and then running cleaning cycles with that.

There are also kits available from

for some printers.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's not on my newish Canon either, although it's plug in so easier to remove than with the Epsom.

[IMM]

Maxie, do you mean Dim Lin the Oriental enchantress hasn't paid her telly licence? My oh my!