What "man jobs" have you done today?

{SAS}TB · 11 Jul 2020 at 18:00

I do chuck some grass cuttings in and they love it

Just need to fashion a small gate at the side of the house and clip their feathers so they can wander round the back garden and have a go at the weeds and grass

NickK · 11 Jul 2020 at 18:21

Bought a wheelbarrow (finally there's a few in stock)! Got chatted up by the woman too

. Also been adding an inside layer into the old boiler cupboard so the mrs can make it the towel cupboard. Checked my pipework from fitting the new concealed mixer shower - no leaks under the bath (a miracle considering the amount of soldering and confinement).

Tomorrow will be painting the cupboard, sanding the bathroom walls that have had the cracks repaired, draining the CH to take the bathroom radiator off to paint behind. Refilling adding the additives and then onto continuing to paint the fence.. as she didn't do anything today but sit on the couch and watch TV. Also cleaning the clutter in the garage.

Terminal_Boy · 11 Jul 2020 at 22:48

Went to recycling centre to get rid of old washing machine which wasn’t draining. Full of water. Little trap that catches coins etc wouldn’t come off. Pulled drain pipes off pump when I got it outside to find a rusted drum support racket jammed in the pump. Surprise #2 was the unpacking instructions on back of machine were dated “10/87” so machine was even older than expected.

Picked up new washing machine and installed it after a trip to hardware store to get 2.5 metre cold water feed hose. Herself loads machine and we retire for supper. Come back to machine and find kitchen awash and power tripped. No leaks at machine. Waste water splashing out of drain pipe has hit nearby 16A outlet and tripped RCD. Building code violation #3,275 on the property so far.

Much swearing and mopping occurs.

Remove inspection cover on u-bend fitted to drains for washing machine and dishwasher. No water comes out though I know there’s water above. Attempt to poke finger up inside pipe. No joy. Pipe is totatally knocked by limescale and/or undissolved washing machine powder/tablets. More swearing, poking with metal skewer and then rodding occurs. Pipe is now clear of debris. Both washing machine and dishwasher now fill, run and drain correctly.

Drinking of beer occurs.

fobose · 11 Jul 2020 at 22:49

NickK said:
Tomorrow will be painting the cupboard, sanding the bathroom walls that have had the cracks repaired, draining the CH to take the bathroom radiator off to paint behind. Refilling adding the additives and then onto continuing to paint the fence.

If it were me I would just isolate the radiator, drain the rad and remove it, decorate, add your additives to the rad before opening up the valves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0KsiIztgNI

Evilpaul · 12 Jul 2020 at 14:40

Put together the shed that arrived just before lockdown.

ik9000 · 12 Jul 2020 at 18:06

washed and waxed car, pressure washed drive, fitted new car battery.

Danm54 · 12 Jul 2020 at 18:41

Think I found where our heat was going all winter, I've not removed any insulation, just the plasterboard.
There's been a lot of gaps in the insulation I've uncovered so far but at least there's been some there.

Got 100mm fibreglass, 50mm battens and 50mm celotex, will foil tape the joints then another 25mm celotex before boarding.
Got solar thermal panels going on that part of the roof so leaving the last bits until they're fitted, may need those spaces for running the pipes in.

ik9000 · 12 Jul 2020 at 19:33

Danm54 said:
Think I found where our heat was going all winter, I've not removed any insulation, just the plasterboard.
There's been a lot of gaps in the insulation I've uncovered so far but at least there's been some there.

I had a similar thing. Builders are lazy ******* sometimes. They'd put insulation in two strips only (presumably to lift a board and say "look insulation's in") and left the rest empty. Hadn't firestopped. Hadn't sealed boards. (and lots of other hadn'ts) Taking me ages to put it all right, but I'll get there!

Danm54 · 12 Jul 2020 at 20:10

ik9000 said:
I had a similar thing. Builders are lazy ******* sometimes. They'd put insulation in two strips only (presumably to lift a board and say "look insulation's in") and left the rest empty. Hadn't firestopped. Hadn't sealed boards. (and lots of other hadn'ts) Taking me ages to put it all right, but I'll get there!

Tell me about it.
We knew there was work to do to be fair, we only moved last year and the place had been used as a holiday cottage for the last 13 years.

Only 3 storage heaters and an open fire made for a pretty chilly winter so heating and insulation have been the priority so far.

IvanDobskey · 12 Jul 2020 at 21:13

Put some nice rustic shelves up

PlacidCasual · 13 Jul 2020 at 12:34

Not one day's work. Three separate weekends, some delays over getting timber in the lockdown.

First off some 6by2's cut. LHS bottoms, RHS tops.

Assembling the sub frame on an old Beech stump.

Added some marine ply where the floor of the house is going and varnished with floor varnish.

Some local wild life has moved in already.

Got a decent amount of cladding on.

Nearly finished

I built a workshop a few years ago and have a bandsaw, big mitre saw and decent amount of handtools. All came in really handy. The handrail posts for instance are left over fence posts that I quartered lengthways on the bandsaw. The handrail is a spare length of decking that I cut in half lengthways.

Really pleased with the final product. Kids love it. I'm going to make a door and windows. Probably horizontally sliding windows if I can. I'm also planning to insulate the walls and roof and internally line with some spare lofat boards I have, although they'll need varnishing.

edit: and thanks to Semple and HecFam for teaching me how to embed images.

{SAS}TB · 13 Jul 2020 at 14:28

Very nice - top job

Duke · 13 Jul 2020 at 15:44

Great job, although personally I would use it as a man cave hideout with beers stashed under the floor

PlacidCasual · 13 Jul 2020 at 15:46

Thx both, might be an emergency bailout cave

RandomJozza · 13 Jul 2020 at 15:51

My man job for today was getting boiler replacement quotes!

fobose · 13 Jul 2020 at 16:16

Looks great @PlacidCasual. Are you taking orders?

I am not sure if it counts as a 'man' job

but I cleaned the oven today. It was filthy.

ik9000 · 13 Jul 2020 at 17:34

good work! what did you use? Ours is due a bit of attention too now you mention it...

ash_scotland88 · 13 Jul 2020 at 17:42

ik9000 said:
good work! what did you use? Ours is due a bit of attention too now you mention it...

Our oven has pyro mode. Does the job nicely.

fobose · 13 Jul 2020 at 17:45

ik9000 said:
good work! what did you use? Ours is due a bit of attention too now you mention it...

A large amount of elbow grease! I used Astonish oven cleaner paste and a wire wool scourer with a bucket of hot water. You are not meant to use the wire wool on some ovens so check before you use it.

ash_scotland88 said:
Our oven has pyro mode. Does the job nicely.

I will deffo get an oven with the self cleaning setting built in to it if I ever replace this one. It was here when we moved in so

IvanDobskey · 13 Jul 2020 at 21:05

Gate was rotten and dropping apart, so built a new one and fitted it today:

Just need some decent weather to paint it now.