What have you Done It Yourself?

[tabbypurr]

In an attempt to get back to what the group is about...

Here, painting. Too much painting. You?

NT

[Tim Streater]

I posted earlier about an angle grinder, not wielded by me, in close proximity to my leg. Luckily I trust the person in question.

[Roger Mills]

Well, lots of internal painting and wallpaper hanging over a period of the best part of 60 years. Apart from that:

• Designed, installed and commissioned a complete central heating and hot water system back in the 60's and 70's - including Baxi Bermuda boiler, flue liner, indirect cylinder, all pipework and electrics (including a home-made "programmer")

• Upgraded the CH system in my current house, including all the controls

• Designed several house extensions, drawing plans and getting planning permission and building regs approval. Did most of the plumbing and wiring for the extensions (but not the actual building work)

• Built several stud partitions

• Built various items of furniture from raw materials - including a "Staples Ladderax" lookalike

• Plus lots of car maintenance in the old days, including engine and gearbox overhauls and sub-frame replacements, etc.

• Plus hundreds of other things I've forgotten!

[Bob Eager]

I'm finally getting around to lots of small jobs that have been waiting ages. Things have got in the way:

- M-I-L was ill and I was one of two carers, last year until October

- Painful shoulder, originally identified as spinal problem, caused me to be put on gabapentin in November. Finally got off it in March; it sapped my enthusiasm for doing much. On the plus side, the pain clinic correctly diagnosed the cause and produced a non-drug solution.

- Prostate surgery last month. About 10 days recovery, then I started catching up with 'jobs'.

- Hinges on kitchen units replaced

- Various minor jobs (e.g. loo roll holders)

- Clearout and visits to tip and storage unit

- Updated OS and applications on 7 computers

- Made spare room habitable for first time in over a year

- Arranged reglazing of broken internal windows (toughened glass now)

I now have to:

- Finish boxing in consumer units

- Lay floor in workshop

- Build workbench and mount vice, pillar drill, etc.

And for amusement I am about to build a PiDP8:

[John Rumm]

Replaced a couple of bits of rotten woodwork on the house yesterday...

Installed some RGB LED tape lighting on top of cabinets...

[nomail]

In the last 7 days: Removed some asbestos cement panels from an oil shed (more to come). Cleared out the contents of an ex chicken shed. Replaced a light switch. Repaired the sensors on the garage roller doors. Built some boxing ready for concreting a floor. Fitted a cat flap. Emptied a half-full storage container and drove the contents 130 miles in a hired LWB van. Re-fitted the charge point for the plug-in hybrid in the new house. Moved things around on the electrical board (I can't think of the name) and chopped the bottom off it so there's space to get a lintel into the wall behind (this involved breaking the seal on the wireless bit of the smart meter so I'll probably get a snottygram). Fixed and re-routed some remarkably dodgy shower wiring. Knocked down a block wall. Removed a lot of wooden racking. Removed a lot of pipework and wiring left over from when the house had a private water supply. Avoided TV almost entirely. ... I could probably go on ...

[tabbypurr]

I never watch it. A huge waste of time.

NT

[tabbypurr]

I do hope that wasn't part of the diy you did. If I ever need that doing I want to at least be asleep at the time.

NT

[T i m]

'Roy' was it perchance?

Cheers, T i m

[Brian Gaff]

Does anyone know how those devices they use to cut off plaster casts without hurting you work? Could the technique be used to make safer power tools? Brian

[damduck-egg]

They aren't perfect , the person who cut mine off managed to leave a fine line in my skin up from ankle for about six inches ,it wasn't quite a full cut but was enough for a little blood to escape,and yes it hurt as she pushed it along.

They are not much more than a posh type dremel thing with circular saw blade and a depth stop are they?

G.Harman

[Chris Hogg]

Sunday: took down TV aerial on chimney damaged in recent gale. Monday: reassembled aerial (with glue!) and installed it in loft space so now protected from gales etc. Signal strength down a bit but quality 100%. Tuesday: Replaced rubber washer on ball c*ck on CWT in loft. Today: filling fine cracks on outside of bungalow, which allow rain penetration and damp patches and lifting plaster on wall inside. Next week: repairing plaster on inside walls and redecorating, see above.

[Andy Burns]

I'd have thought they were more like a multitool? i.e. oscillating rather than rotary blade ... names such as "Oscimed cast cutter" seems to support that.

[Bob Eager]

I had a hand operation some years ago. The surgeon showed me his own hand, which had had the same operation. He did say he hadn't done it himself!

[damduck-egg]

Ah yes, that is more likely .At the time I was looking at it I was wincing a bit, didn't want to complain as I was grateful to have reached the stage of having the cast removed.

G.Harman

[Huge]

Yes. The blade does not rotate.

[Robin]

They are indeed oscillating - and what's more they don't even cut soft things (like skin). You might get a burn but nothing worse - well, unless it's a bony bit ;) Search for "Stryker saw"

PS I have no idea if "they don't even cut soft things" is true of your multitool. Happy to receive feedback on that: might make for an interesting Wiki article? YouTube channel?

[Chris J Dixon]

I had a leg set under a general, and they slit the plaster so that it wouldn't restrict possible knee swelling. They managed, as I discovered a few weeks later, to have made a neat 6" cut up my shin. Luckily the hair covers the scar.

Chris

[Capitol]

Over past few months, designed the video intercom system, bought the power supplies needed and reworked them. Needed cat5 patch panels for interconnects, so made mounting plates the right shape and fitted sockets to them ( no Qmax punches available, so all filed by hand). mounting mini din connectors in 16mm wall boxes, wiring same. Purchased new air nibbler and fitted correct air line connection. Just about to remove caravan cover and set up to go away in 10 days time. Going on holiday so much rather screws up the diy program, but gives a quieter life!. All fitted in around hospital appointments which take up a lot of time. 5 in last 10 days.

[tabbypurr]

Eh that's a bad habit. People tend to get ill when they do that.

NT