What D-I-Y projects are you planning whilst working from home?

[Brian Gaff (Sofa 2)]

Be aware though that the sheds, or at least some of them, are open, but only to tradespeople, and they buying of things just for decorating might well not be in the plan. Brian

[polygonum_on_google]

Yes - be careful.

There has already been advice to consider carefully whether DIY is sensible. If you have an accident, you might not get very prompt treatment.

DIY is, usually, quite high up on the causes of A&E visits lists.

If you do have an accident, maybe fixing the result of the accident would count as another DIY activity? If you can manage to sew your arm back on yourself.

[Davey]

It seems to me that this would be an ideal time to fix all the potholes in the roads, while there is reduced traffic flow.

A perfect opportunity, so it will never happen.

[John Rumm]

Perhaps I should cancel this week's chainsaw juggling practice session? :-)

[spuorgelgoog]

Not when council staff can sit at home on full wages doing nothing.

Owain

[ARW]

My first job of the day was to finish off a new office in one of Doncaster's biggest builders merchants.

The phones were busy at 8am with cancellations of deliveries as the building sites had shut down.

It was then like watching Dawn of the Dead

as the smaller traders turned up at the doors.

Second job to fit lock down mag locks in a hospital.

[polygonum_on_google]

Just don't have them running... ?

[ARW]

So that is when Screwfix started selling hand jobs?

[Steve Walker]

The old cooker was gas, the new oven and hob are electric. There was no worktop where the hob is going now and the existing cooker point (which I need to move) is on the wrong side of the kitchen.

Yes, I can rig something up, but doing so will require a rearrangement that means moving the sink, the waste and all its plumbing for a temporary setup.

The biggest problem is the living-room being full of cupboards, food, pans and small kitchen appliances and I am really not intending refixing the cupboards to the the walls, where they get in the way of other work I am doing in there and everything ends up filled with dust.

We can work round it, but either way, delays mean us being stuck with the house in a mess, with work half-done. With confinement in that mess, that is going to really affect our mental state.

Oh, and when I need to get rid of the rubbish, the council has closed down the tips!

SteveW

[T i m]

I'm not sure if that would make that much difference. Daughter sharpened one for a friend and as she gave it back she slid the guard off to show them and warned them that it was now very sharp ... and caught her thumb on it as she did so. ;-(

As you say, just be especially careful atm.

Cheers, T i m

[Steve Walker]

Double oven. Induction hob hob is just over 8kW IIRC. The kitchen needed a refurb, but the main driver for doing it now was for a "self-cleaning" oven and a wipe-clean hob to replace the gas cooker, as my wife's health has deteriorated and makes cleaning spills hard (osteo and rheumatoid arthritis), plus the strong oven cleaners affect her asthma. I therefore usually clean it, but she wants to be able to keep on top of things herself while I am at work - as with running the kids around 5 nights a week, doign the shopping, sometimes the cooking and cleaning, etc. I am left exhausted and with no free time to unwind from the day.

Currently the ceiling is down in the kitchen, but not the extension. The ceiling in the extension has to come down to complete the wiring and improvement of the flow and return piping of the boiler, the ceiling in the rest of the kitchen can't go up before the wiring is finished and tested.

There is some channelling to be done for wiring.

I am pretty sure that I have everything I need for the wiring, plus plasterboard, screws, tape and jointing compound.

A new hole is likely needed for the cooker hood and the old hole needs making good, but I don't know until we choose the replacement one.

The oven and hob can't go in until we have worktops and they can't be chosen until we can choose flooring, cupboard doors and wallpaper and of course we can't go and look.

The time taken to do it all is unknown - I have health problems and while some days I can get lots done, on others I struggle to do anything and often, when I am feeling ready work, my "spare" time is disrupted dealing with the children, shopping and medical appointments for my wife

- at the beginning of this month she clocked up 7 GP/Hospital clinic/Urgent care/A&E visits in a fortnight!

The end result is that I can't generally spend extra time and energy doing things twice or more, but need to go for it while I can. Delays in getting things can quickly mean that work grinds to a halt and then I may not feel up to restarting when I can get them.

It has taken months to work up to doing this much work and delays in the middle make things somewhat difficult.

Until it is finished, the place will be a mess and look awful and that has a big impact on how we both feel.

SteveW

[Robin]

On 24/03/2020 23:00, Steve Walker wrote: <snip>

Yes, IMLE it's an embuggerance of the first rank.

You've probably thought of it but I did just wonder if you had space in the garden for a cheap shed to make room in the house. Or, now winter is over, for a large tent: firms who hire for weddings etc are a bit quiet at present ;)

[Tricky Dicky]

I am with you Steve. We ripped out the kitchen pulled up several floors to pull the main supply to the garage through last Autumn then SWAMBO found a lump. Since then it?s been a whirlwind of hospital visits and even a stay just before Christmas. I managed to get the new CU in, get the garage supply in and managed a lot of associated jobs before being able to fit the kitchen. The only thing new in the kitchen is a ceiling extractor and it?s associated ducting.

At the moment we feel as though we are camping in our own house, our lounge has become a temporary kitchen. We still have use of the old oven in its housing as it is positioned near the old connection point just the other side of the wall. The sink is still in the kitchen on temporary supports. Cooking is being done on a cheap single plate induction plate and SWAMBO found a cheap steamer, hopefully with the weather getting warmer we can fire up the BBQ soon if we have to.

We are using a large camping table for a worktop but because of its height is not very good on our backs, SWAMBO just wanted rid of the old units even though I suggested a temporary arrangement utilising the old worktops. They were in a bit of a bad way anyway and were virtually falling apart as I took them out.

Like you our lounge has become very much a kitchen/storeroom. Fortunately I can store the new units in the garage but the new hob and kickspace heater are stored in the lounge. We are fortunate to have a second reception room so have a place to relax watch TV etc.

Like you I am trying to nibble away at the jobs but with up to 3 hospital visits a week I am very conscience of not starting things I cannot finish leaving us without heat, power or water.

These things are sent to try us hopefully as SWAMBO nears the end of treatment, the weather getting warmer I will be able to press on as long as I can get hold of materials we will see what happens after the present 3 week lockdown.

Richard

[Tim+]

Hair cutting. ;-)

Tim

[Bob Eager]

I'm doing some electronics stuff. Just about to start on a PiDP-11.

That's after I've updated the casing on the PiDP-8.

[Bob Eager]

I wonder if the inventiveness of his wife came from her ethnic background, where I suspect a lot more make-do-and-mend goes on? She was the one who made the two prosthetics, apparently.

[Adrian Brentnall]

Had to Google that - what fun! Remember working on the original PDP-11's - Westinghouse Chippenham back in the '80's

No great inclination to re-live the experience - but, as the isolation thing continues, who knows what might end up looking 'attractive'....

[Bob Eager]

See here:

[Adrian Brentnall]

Well done!

[Steve Walker]

Good luck to you both.

SteveW