"DIY Disasters" ....TV's worst ever DIY show?

[Rick J H]

IMO, it's got to be "DIY Disasters". What a joke - they ought to rename it "DIY DORKS!" ...A bunch of idiots goofing off, imagining themselves to be amusing. Hardly ever any useful DIY tips to be gained. I stayed tuned for a full one minute today, as I was hoping to study the technique of a guy skimming a wall, but the the camera never remained on him for more than a fraction of a second. Typical! So as usual I changed channels in disgust, and watched something half-way useful, like 'Holmes on Homes' (despite being a Canadian show) or Tommy Walsh's latest offering. I've always thought of TW as a bit of a cowboy, but at least the show delivers on tips and advice, and there's a good balance of humour mixed in. Just MHO!

Rick J H

[Graham]

Is that New Whatsit Workshop still on? That guy has a machine-tool for everything.

[George]

That'll be MrRumm then.

ps your clock time is 1 hour fast

[George]

Forget that its not. :-)

[Rick J H]

Yes, I do watch that one, but not everyone can afford half a million £££ worth of machine tools!

I saw a British carpentry show the other day (a new one, and I can't remember the name). The guy on that one was making things with the most basic and old-fasioned tools. So that was more useful for ordinary DIY-ers like me...

I forgot... one show that I do find useful is Dave Wellman's "New Home DIY". No humour whatsoever; just good, informative house repair and renovation DIY.

Rick

[Andy Hall]

Actually it's not. The whole lot is supplied by the manufacturers and the workshop belongs to the producer.

Even then, at U.S. prices, I would estimate that there is about $100k worth of machinery in there, possibly $150k. At today's exchange rate an order of magnitude less than half a million pounds.

To be fair, few of the projects *require* more than basic woodworking shop equipment such as a table saw, planer, thicknesser and bandsaw plus hand power tools. Projects can be completed without wide belt sanders.

What's "an ordinary DIYer"?

Haven't seen that one.

[Stuart Noble]

Someone who isn't a tool collector

[John]

Does such a DIY person exist?

Given that it's almost impossible to do any DIY without a tool of some sort, the question is where to stop. In my case, that point doesn't seem to exist, just the space to keep them all.

John, (a tool junkie)

[:Jerry:]

Caught a couple of episodes the other day (kitchen and bedroom refits IIRC). IMO - if you want BASIC information it's probably OK but if you're looking for anything more, forget it. Perhaps it was just those two programmes but the host seemed to be attempting to educate total numb-sculls...

[Andy Hall]

Wrong. You are making the mistake of assuming that choice of tool is defined by whether the job is a DIY or carried out by a professional. A common mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

There is no such correlation.

I wouldn't describe any power tools as collector's items. They are too cold for that. It becomes a matter of suitability for the quality of work required, the outcome, ease of use and service offering.

I would confess to being a tool collector in the realm of hand tools such as chisels, gouges, spokeshaves and planes. On these it is worth lavishing care and attention because it is reflected in the use and the outcome. With power tools, precision, ergonomics and excellent service should be part of the package

[Andy Hall]

No of course not. It's just a stereotype beloved by marketeers in cheap supermarkets, TV producers and botchers.

It's a matter of selection. Buy good quality in the first place and the issue of storing junk that one can't bear to part with becomes irrelevant.

[:Jerry:]

Perhaps that should be - "Someone who isn't a *power* tool collector"

I can still remember when my father bought his first power tool, a basic B&D corded electric drill, this would have been around 40 years ago - up until then he used either a bevel geared drill, a bit and brace or - for masonry - a hammer and raw plug 'chisel' (can't think of the correct name).

These days most seem to consider having power tools is a pre-requisite to doing any DIY! :~(

[Stuart Noble]

Yes, headmaster. So reassuring to know my mistake was of the more common type. Perhaps you should compile a frequently made mistakes document to accompany the gospel you preach.

You buy all the tools you want mate. they can't touch you for it

[Andy Hall]

Even that's not a good way to define it.

Really the only viable description of "DIY" is that the person does the work themselves as opposed to employing someone to do it.

The choice of the means to do so and the type of tools used has zero to do with that.

OTOH, if (and only if) the motivation is to reduce the cost, then this

*may* have an influence on choice of tools.

The concept of "DIY tools" is therefore a nonsense and is only for the convenience of merchandisers in supermarkets.

Clearly that isn't true either.

The DIY supermarkets have (cynically) decided on prices that the market will bear and useless trinkets (laser sights) that will attract the punters and have sourced and priced junk power tool products to address that market.

This is what leads to the confusion as to what constitutes DIY and tools to execute DIY work.

[Frank Erskine]

Like the one at the bottom of this page...

[Andy Hall]

Glib response to glib remark.

We aim to please.

No need really. A small tract would suffice.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I guess a proper DIY person is someone who has done more jobs than the number of tools he owns..

[Andy Hall]

looks like asbestos and cement that you bung in the hole

[:Jerry:]

I don't blame the sheds at all [1], what I do blame are the 'Makeover' (how I detest that word) type programmes - as long as you have to

*power tools* you can do the job, never mind needing skill, the *power tools* will take car of things...

An ordinary DIYer will be able to do the work with manual tools, he or she will use power tools only to speed the work along, they will not be reliant on the tool cutting a straight line for example. What non of these 'Makeover' (and many of the more detailed DIY) programmes mention is that the only reason the presenter/trader was using power tools was to speed things along.

[1] can't blame them for cashing in on peoples ignorance!

[Andy Hall]

Yes I agree. The shows are the mouthpiece and the stores are fulfillers of demand.

I don't entirely agree. TV shows have had techniques for speeding things along ever since the advent of the Devil's Window. Valerie Singleton's classic line with sticky backed plastic was "here's one I did earlier". They don't need power tools for that.

Not in the least.