What "man jobs" have you done today?

dcsarge · 28 Mar 2021 at 08:37

I only had 3 hours sleep last night, didn't help I forgot about the clocks changing but as I am up I may as well try doing my PS4

.

My Thermalright pads turned up yesterday which was earlier than I expected.

@{SAS}TB How quickly do those Silver Birch grow? I am amazed at the rate some cherry trees keep growing back as I haven't taken out the roots but as there is an very old and mature tree over the wall from my garden I may never win the battle of new trees growing if we have a few neglected years again.

Might be a challenge get on top of it this year with the added joy of both adjoining neighbours doing extensions. I suspect both will want to take out the hedges.

{SAS}TB · 28 Mar 2021 at 08:53

@dcsarge they should grow around a foot or so a year (hopefully!)

For the price / size balance these seemed spot on - 8 delivered for £110

lookitsjonno · 28 Mar 2021 at 09:05

Spent the day digging up a flower bed, lawn and raising slabs to run 20 meters of 16mm armoured cable to the garage for future project. Sparky will install the new consumer unit next week. Safe to say I'm sore this morning, not fun!

AyeAyeAhoy! · 28 Mar 2021 at 10:20

dLockers said:
Bench job complete, 45 quid-ish all in. Sleepers from Homebase, Wickes only had the 150mm stuff. Brackets from Toolstation. Still a bit flimsy for my liking so I'll look to cement the posts in.

That looks fab, nice job.

Are you going to seal / stain them with anything else, or just leave them as is?

ash_scotland88 · 28 Mar 2021 at 10:26

@DXP55

https://ibb.co/NVVtKb0

Photo of possible original toilet. Don't think it is a siphonic as my quick understanding there should be something that goes to the top of the bend to release pressure, which creates the vacuum.
But didn't even know of these toilets before last night so could be 100% wrong. Cistern lid up is the big clue I believe.

Inside the cistern
https://ibb.co/DK65Tyy

ash_scotland88 · 28 Mar 2021 at 10:33

Liquid_Entity · 28 Mar 2021 at 11:08

Put the pedals on my boys balance bike. It's a 3 in 1 bike where it starts off as a balance bike then you fit it with pedals and chain and when they get bigger you can make it bigger again so should last a good 3 to 4 years. Then it goes to my 2nd boy who's not even 1 yet. A good investment bike I'd say.

AyeAyeAhoy! · 28 Mar 2021 at 11:32

Liquid_Entity said:
Put the pedals on my boys balance bike. It's a 3 in 1 bike where it starts off as a balance bike then you fit it with pedals and chain and when they get bigger you can make it bigger again so should last a good 3 to 4 years. Then it goes to my 2nd boy who's not even 1 yet. A good investment bike I'd say.

That's a good idea. I have 3 bikes in the garage of varying sizes, which I guess yours would cover entirely. Not that it worked - turns out some kids just don't like riding bikes!!

Liquid_Entity · 28 Mar 2021 at 11:48

doug_1986 said:
That's a good idea. I have 3 bikes in the garage of varying sizes, which I guess yours would cover entirely. Not that it worked - turns out some kids just don't like riding bikes!!

Yeah my 1st boy is 5 and a half and it's been a long slog to get him to this point. He's really bad on scooters so hoping he picks up the pedals easily as his balance is great from having the balance bikes for 3 years.

AyeAyeAhoy! · 28 Mar 2021 at 12:09

Liquid_Entity said:
Yeah my 1st boy is 5 and a half and it's been a long slog to get him to this point. He's really bad on scooters so hoping he picks up the pedals easily as his balance is great from having the balance bikes for 3 years.

It's funny, they're all good at different things. Mine can't sit on a bike to save her life (despite how hard I've tried) yet she's great on a scooter

father-ted · 28 Mar 2021 at 13:47

ash_scotland88 said:
@DXP55

https://ibb.co/NVVtKb0

Photo of possible original toilet. Don't think it is a siphonic as my quick understanding there should be something that goes to the top of the bend to release pressure, which creates the vacuum.
But didn't even know of these toilets before last night so could be 100% wrong. Cistern lid up is the big clue I believe.

Inside the cistern
https://ibb.co/DK65Tyy

Have you been outside and lifted the manhole cover? - get somebody to flush the toilet and see how fast the water is coming through. If it is slow = you have a blockage between the toilet and the manhole = work backwards from there.

father-ted · 28 Mar 2021 at 13:48

Cleaned koi pond filter out - Jap mat ripped hands to shreds (horrible stuff)

ash_scotland88 · 28 Mar 2021 at 14:25

father-ted said:
Have you been outside and lifted the manhole cover? - get somebody to flush the toilet and see how fast the water is coming through. If it is slow = you have a blockage between the toilet and the manhole = work backwards from there.

There's not obvious man hole cover, there's one down hill from it that's a good 3inch thick concrete, but it's also a good 20-30m away. And any smaller access points nearby look more like rain water covers. Although I imagine the age of the property it's mixed.

Dunners · 28 Mar 2021 at 14:36

Started building a small shed to keep garden tools and lawnmower in. The whole thing is going on some decking which will be raised off the ground on some plastic adjustable decking risers. I was quite skeptical about these but apparently they can take 1 tonne each in weight...

Delvis · 28 Mar 2021 at 15:32

Tried putting the garden table up and two of the bolt threads has come off the table

dcsarge · 28 Mar 2021 at 16:00

{SAS}TB said:
@dcsarge they should grow around a foot or so a year (hopefully!)

For the price / size balance these seemed spot on - 8 delivered for £110

Nice price and a long term pay off

. We live in a garden suburb but all the trees seem to get cut down. The house behind us used to have a screen of trees and shrubs blocking the road from view but they were striped a few years ago.

I hate to cut down the trees we have but they keep growing over the access decking and are in the one area of the garden that is most useful for a large shed. There are some more cherry trees growing through in the back right corner that I need to try and get to grips with. It would be nice to have one or two kept straight and manageable for shade and the look, even if I do have a problem with the pollen

.

On the plus side I got my PS4 sorted after a quite run to Toolstation for a T8 security bit (and accompanying set of other bits).

It is now so quiet I can't even hear it with the TV muted and it shames my PC, which it the next job. The down side was the shear amount of dust hiding in there, despite regular vacuuming of the vents, that ended up on me and the carpet due to a badly thought out lung full of air.

I need to start making some mess out doors soon.

DXP55 · 28 Mar 2021 at 16:58

ash_scotland88 said:
Sorry only had the alert just now you've quoted.

It's an old one. I've tried a plunger when the water was low, are you saying I should try when the water is high?

No air vent by this toilet, but away to Google a syphonic toilet.

In my process or trying to it help it it does let out the odd gurgle now at the start and appears to want to start a whirl pool when it's emptying.

I do suspect it's the old medicated toilet paper, the one price I removed from the dispenser was like grease proof. Didn't even start to break up in the bowl after many flushes.

If you are sure the drains outside are not blocked then it's a good chance it's the toilet.
Going by the one I did when you pressed the handle it flushed but the bowl filled up and over time the water went down but no solids and so on.
If you have rods screw the round flat rubber disc on to it - slowly push it down bowl till it stops the pull back hard the push it back down-watch for throw back

- if that clears it after a few goes take lid off cystern and flush it taking note of how high the lever rises - see if it catches on something.

I am only going by toilet I did which was syphonic and as you pull up the lever it creates a suction to start the flush - if it doesn't get the full flush it doesn't get rid of solids.
All this is taking it that the pipes are not blocked.

Now if you have a modern loo these to can cause problems with older pipe work - Mine blocked because as you know when women go last thing at night they use tons of paper and a modern loo doesn't hold a lot of water hense anything in pipe not right and paper sticks and by next morning it has dried out and so it goes on -Mine was dodgy clay pipe bend.

DXP55 · 28 Mar 2021 at 17:22

My Bodge Job of the Week

This is or was a very good Beech work bench complete with the metal strip along the front - As it is here is after I cut out 400mm to make the depth shorter -This then fitted along left side wall of garage and I could get my car in.
I have now got metal shelving much smaller front to back and this bench sat out side since last year with a sheet on it that leaked hence the top is warped.

Today I stripped it out to cut 400mm off width so it will fit in a space behind the shed.

All done and just got to find a top which I think I have a piece of wardrobe unit that will do

I did try selling it for £20 or nearest but never had a call - I have another one of these that is much bigger and it's screwed to bricks with coach bolts - I can wack things in the big vice.
It felt like sacrilidge cutting it about.

ash_scotland88 · 28 Mar 2021 at 18:10

DXP55 said:
If you are sure the drains outside are not blocked then it's a good chance it's the toilet.
Going by the one I did when you pressed the handle it flushed but the bowl filled up and over time the water went down but no solids and so on.
If you have rods screw the round flat rubber disc on to it - slowly push it down bowl till it stops the pull back hard the push it back down-watch for throw back - if that clears it after a few goes take lid off cystern and flush it taking note of how high the lever rises - see if it catches on something.

I am only going by toilet I did which was syphonic and as you pull up the lever it creates a suction to start the flush - if it doesn't get the full flush it doesn't get rid of solids.
All this is taking it that the pipes are not blocked.

Now if you have a modern loo these to can cause problems with older pipe work - Mine blocked because as you know when women go last thing at night they use tons of paper and a modern loo doesn't hold a lot of water hense anything in pipe not right and paper sticks and by next morning it has dried out and so it goes on -Mine was dodgy clay pipe bend.

So posted on an other forum too.

They're convinced it's not a siphonic toilet (I posted pictures).
I am now convinced it's an outside drain issue.
The drain access I would have considered was down from the toilet is bone dry and feels filled with stones, when using drainage roads.
There's a circular access drain outside the sink area, this is almost to the brim and the sink openly drains into it and the downpipe flows into it. When using drainage rods I can hear water sloshing around in the down pipe around waste height. Other drain points I can see the water, or polystyrene balls (insulation?) and one is blocked with soil and a tree root

AyeAyeAhoy! · 28 Mar 2021 at 18:10

dcsarge said:
On the plus side I got my PS4 sorted after a quite run to Toolstation for a T8 security bit (and accompanying set of other bits).

It is now so quiet I can't even hear it with the TV muted and it shames my PC, which it the next job. The down side was the shear amount of dust hiding in there, despite regular vacuuming of the vents, that ended up on me and the carpet due to a badly thought out lung full of air.

I need to start making some mess out doors soon.

Brilliant, glad you got it sorted and it's gone back together again all ok! Had you done it before?