Depressing time in my DIY journey

[David]

I'm tidying up the shed, which involves going through all the stuff put to one side in the past as potentially useful in the future.

At one time it seemed good to have spare screws of all types and sizes in pastille boxes, tins, glass jars, whatever. These days a multi-pack of screws from Screwfix and an impact driver seems to meet nearly all requirements.

I have a load of cupboard handles, rusty hinges and brackets, all put aside for when they would come in useful.

The major task now is sorting them all into different tubs prior to recycling.

It is taking forever and is bloody dispiriting. Years of hoarding and all for nothing.

Just come in out of a rain shower for a grumble.

Never mind, one day soon I will have things rationalised and some space to work in.

I still have a massive store of plastic piping - guttering, down pipes, soil pipes (both above and under ground) plus a reel of 15mm plastic plumbing pipe and loads of other stuff.

I think a lot of this might be "free to a good home" because it no longer justifies the storage space it is taking up.

Once the toilet, sink and shower are installed in the shed, of course.

Anyway, onwards and upwards.

Depressing to think "I haven't used it in 20 years and I wont be able to use it after another 10-15 years".

Reached the age to seriously down size.

Cheers

Dave R

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

don't worry ....as soon as you through someting out...you will need one.....

[spuorgelgoog]

Some of what I put away as 'current stores' 30 years ago is now coming out as 'collectably premium priced'.

On the other hand I've started thinking before I do a job whether it's worthwhile as anything built-in won't be able to come with me to the old folk's home.

Owain

[stuart noble]

I hang on to wood, but not much else. An Ikea bed chucked in the road by some chav provided most of the stuff I needed to box in a boiler. Not only free but bone dry and stable. I don't beat myself up for having a shed load of mdf. Maybe I should

[tim...]

and I thought my single ice cream tub of screws was bad enough

tim

[Huge]

"Beware the vain lament, The hunger for what's spent. This is dead-sea fruit And ashes to the taste. Quash it with your foot. What is past is past."

Next time you have a skip, just dump it all in there. I found it quite cathartic throwing stuff away when we moved some 21 months ago. I wish I'd thrown away more.

Although the side of the bath from the last bathroom refurb (which was waiting to go on the next bonfire) has just been rescued, since I found a use for it.

[Huge]

I have a wall of Dexion Dexi-bins I picked up for peanuts at an auction about 25 years ago. I chucked a lot of the contents away when we moved, but the assortment of Jubilee clips has proven useful twice in the last few weeks. As has the box of 15mm copper plumbing odds and ends. Sadly, I now have more storage space than I ever have had, and less desire to use it.

[JoeJoe]

A major problem is that it is always cheaper to buy a pack of 10 (or 20,

50, etc) from Screwfix or the like than to buy the actual two that you really need for the job from B&Q or similar - "I am sure I will find a use for the rest at some point..."

[spuorgelgoog]

Alternatively you buy a selection box of 500 and find that 10 are the size you needed 20 of, and the other 490 are only of use to Czechoslovakian washing-machine repairers.

Owain

[ss]

Same here though for example I bought a box of 1000 drywall screws, used what I needed and sold the rest on ebay in lots of 20 screws, I recouped my money twice over. I have done that for quite a few items now. Over the year I generally make around £1200 profit between that and `not required` stuff my wife buys. Being Scottish my target is to break even on a lot of DIY stuff ie get it for nothing :-)

[Bill]

In message , David writes

My problem is that I've passed that age and now it's becoming difficult to find the strength to tackle such a massive job.

I'm currently trying to clear the garage enough to be able to reach the old wardrobe full of old coats etc. saved for working under the car but not accessible and never used. Once that's out, I'm hoping to assemble the workshop shelving that I foolishly bought, remaindered and a bargain, from Aldi thinking I could sort out all the car stuff.

I've freecycled some things, but it's hard work. Either no-one wants it or you are inundated with messages from people who don't sound as if they understood what "needs work" means.

Once the garage is half sorted, I'll have to start on the main shed/workshop in an attempt to get enough space to think of using the lathe, milling machine etc. safely once again.

It's utterly depressing and very soul destroying. As is the rain, and now, the cold.

[newshound]

Me too. Being able to afford new "toys" without having to do a cost-benefit analysis does put pressure on space, and makes you realise it probably isn't worth saving seized shower and CH pumps just in case they might come in handy.

I've also resorted to putting 12 inch lengths of skirting and architrave into the woodburner store.

[David]

Not long ago I put my collection of off cuts through the chop saw.

They are now going through the stove.

Just cleared one small corner of the shed, exposed some wall, thought "hang on, if I screw a couple of bits of 2 * 4 to that I can put a top on and have a table/bench". Then I remembered that all my offcuts of 2 * 4 are in a couple of one ton builders bags in the garage.

Ah, well.

Cheers

Dave R

[newshound]

Been there done that :-)

[Huge]

What an excellent idea. I have about a kilometer of earth sleeving ...

[Bob Eager]

[harry]

I have been thinking of creating a car booty stall myself.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes it is sad. I had to, in the end get rid of my shed as I knew the eyes were heading for nil sight and hence all of those wonderful plans for hand built devices would never come to anything. Still, I'm grateful that I did have time to make some stuff and to build aerials and lots of other things, aiding understanding of how the world works. n Now however I find that designers of the world at large seem to ignore the very high number of people with sight loss in the world and carry on with the visualisation of designs that only work if you can read endless menus. Recently all the blind around here were effectively kept out of the local swimming pool due to the introduction of touch screen doors and all of this biometric crap.

Brian

[Chris J Dixon]

Besides my collection of tqt, mostly in multi-drawer cabinets, I have an OXO tin full of tiny hardware my dad labelled as "electrical bits & pieces", which I inherited when he died 40 years ago.

Chris

[Chris J Dixon]

I found myself thinking, when I decorated hall, stairs and landing this summer, it is 17 years since I last did it, will I be up to it in another 17?

Chris