What "man jobs" have you done today?

[Derek W]

Will be cutting the grass again after the footy followed by shifting more chippings from the back garden to the front of the house.

 

[Participant]

Started digging a tree stump out.

Dug round to expose the roots which were then cut with the chisel end of a digging pole. When cut I left 6' of trunk to give me some leverage. I started to man handle the trunk and the tree fought back.

Black eye, 2cm lasceration under lower eye lid and grazed upper eye lid.

Lasceration is about 3mm wide but can't be glued or steristripped as its too close to the eye. Antibiotics and keep it clean.

Proof that even the most innocuous DIY can be dangerous! Could have been a grazed eyeball.

So much elastic energy builds up when you're using a lever of some sort on tree roots. Must be quite common actually.

At least it wasn't the old 'snaps back into balls' injury.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

Chicks dig scars, right?

 

[Derek W]

nasty

 

[Nightglow]

Very painful, extremely lucky it wasn't worst.

That is why I always wear safety specs when I do any work like that, as it's easy to get a branch in the eye.

 

[Participant]

I even see loads of people strimming without any eye protection. My previous neighbour even gave me jip for wearing safety goggles whilst strimming. Must be a macho thing.

That said I wouldn't ever have thought to wear safety glasses whilst digging out a tree stump.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

I was wearing steel toes for using a digging pole and I'd taken my glasses off because I was sweating all over them.

Stupid boy, Pike.

 

[Nightglow]

I even see loads of people strimming without any eye protection. My previous neighbour even gave me jip for wearing safety goggles whilst strimming. Must be a macho thing.

That said I wouldn't ever have thought to wear safety glasses whilst digging out a tree stump.

I learnt my lesson over 30 years ago removing a stump, had it spring back, & a branch stub, caught me above the right eye,just below my eyebrow, resulting in eight stitches.

Strimming, cutting grass, painting, pressure washing,etc,etc, I always wear them when I'm doing jobs, plus my steel top cap boots/ wellies.

 

[valve90210]

I keep seeing the Dewalt safety specs on offer in screwfix, any idea if they are any good?

Also wondered about getting some steel toe cap boots or preferably trainer type ones but again have no idea of what are deemed good.

As for my man jobs for the weekend:

Finished off fitting a lawn spike for the washing line so now we have two loacations we can use for drying washing.

Used wood preserver on a couple of trellis panels and fixed some netting in place on one to help honeysuckle climb it.

Continued digging out the front garden getting it ready for laying parking grid, this is a truely horrid job and I so wish I had hired a digger to do it but funds don't really allow and I am getting there with it but must have moved something like 3 tonnes by hand!!

Tinkered with irrigation bits and bobs.

 

[Mark A]

I keep seeing the Dewalt safety specs on offer in screwfix, any idea if they are any good?

I got a pair free from screwfix and they seem fine. I only really wear them when using my router as it blasts dust everywhere.

 

[Nightglow]

I keep seeing the Dewalt safety specs on offer in screwfix, any idea if they are any good?

Also wondered about getting some steel toe cap boots or preferably trainer type ones but again have no idea of what are deemed good.

The Dewalt Safety specs are very good, I have a clear pair & a yellow pair, which removes the glare on a bright day.

Also have a pair of those steel toe cap trainers, found them good, use them mainly for work around the house.
I prefer my STC boots for outside work, firmer soles

 

[Jonny69]

The drain for the kitchen and bathroom blocked so I had to go in up to the shoulder in stinky congealed fat, hair, black slime and a back-history of rotting detritus that pre-dates us living there. I was surprised that I woke up this morning and I'm not ill.

 

[Gilly]

painted the lead flashing on the house.

Got pics?

 

[valve90210]

I got a pair free from screwfix and they seem fine. I only really wear them when using my router as it blasts dust everywhere.

The Dewalt Safety specs are very good, I have a clear pair & a yellow pair, which removes the glare on a bright day.

Also have a pair of those steel toe cap trainers, found them good, use them mainly for work around the house.
I prefer my STC boots for outside work, firmer soles

Think I'll keep an eye on them and grab a pair when they're on offer at screwfix.

Might have a look at boots as it's mainly outside work where I'd potentially need them...

 

[ash_91]

Think I'll keep an eye on them and grab a pair when they're on offer at screwfix.

Might have a look at boots as it's mainly outside work where I'd potentially need them...

Don't get cheap boots, they will really ma ke your feet hurt. Well worth investing in decent boots

 

[valve90210]

Sadly, with my delicate feet, pretty much any boots are likely to make my feet hurt! I shall look at getting the best I can when the time comes.

 

[FatRakoon]

I myself have almost always gone with good old Dr Martens. Steel Toecaps only.

I simply cannot fault them in any way, and they are the only shoes I have, so I use them every day, rain or shine, no matter what Im up to!

The wife sometimes wishes that I took them off in bed, but no!

Anyway, onto the man jobs thing :-

For a few years I have been telling myself that I am going to build a computer desk into the alcove that its in right now. The desk its on is great, but its seen better days.

I am using the walls as the sides to it, and fixing a desktop and a slidy-in-and-outy board for the keyboard, plus I am doing a 3 shelf affair to go above the monitor.

Since I am now physically duffed up and only have use of one and a half hands, I have kept the design to a minimum, but at the same time, I need it to last for years, and I am happy with it.

The top section is done. I only need to fix that to the wall which I will do later on and I only need to fix the mounts to the wall for the Deks and Keyboard bits, again, that will do later when the kids finish school so I can have someone hold things up while I measure / drill etc

Something that I realised a few years ago when I adapted my attic and converted it into a PC Room, that I work much better by sight and free-hand and I do not use a tape measure or rule or any such tools, and yet I have not been so much as 1mm out. This is some knack I have, thats bordering on autistic precision.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

Cut the grass with the new lawnmower, normally take me an hour+ 2 passes and then raking everything up as the old mower was well... old, probably older than me lol.

Bosch Rotak 37, 20mins all finished lol, well worth 85 squid

 

[nick-fury]

Got a load of 5x2 coming this weekend, to create the floor for my attic conversion.
Finding 5x2 size timber to timber joist hangers is the hardest job I've encountered in this house renovation project so far

Anyway, needed a saw horse to aid in the cutting the joists on the mitre saw, used some (very) old stud work to knock one up.

Horse, Workbench and Mitresaw


Some of the tools used...


You can't argue with gravity!


I'll add some supports further down the legs and maybe put a shelf on it this weekend.

 

[Nightglow]

Got a load of 5x2 coming this weekend, to create the floor for my attic conversion.
Finding 5x2 size timber to timber joist hangers is the hardest job I've encountered in this house renovation project so far
[

Classic recycling.

Hope that' a joke & your not using that 5"x2" as floor joists?, joists should be 8"x2" minimum.