What "man jobs" have you done today?

andy_mk3 said:
Sounds cool :) Never done Arc myself. Would love to have a TIG welder though. Done plenty of MIG work, it's very satisfying when you get it looking pretty.
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Arc is very different, as controlling the speed and keeping a consistent distance from the parent metal is key and really hard to get the hang of.

After spending the morning arc welding picking up MIG was much easier :)
 
Built a stud wall for the shower and framed out for a niche within the shower ready to tile over it all.

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Stich drilled the threshold and cleared out the old cavity between the new and old then filled it with concrete.

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I love welding, I did loads when I was young then nothing for ages. Recently got myself an arc welder for home and got a mig welder and a booth at work, as you say mig is much easier than arc, and tig is another step above arc in terms of difficulty but I think it’s more rewarding and you get a bit more time to make decisions/enjoy the weld.
 
Megahurtz400 said:
Did a one day “introduction to welding” today as something to do and with a view to convert a LWB into a camper van and some point in the future.

Really interesting day and feel equipped to buy a welder when I’m ready and get started practicing :)

Also made a BEEFY new pen pot for my desk at work, will upload pics soon!
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Nice :cool:

I can tig weld aluminium and stainless but I make a mess of mig :p I have a FAA and CAA welding ticket :D
 
I'd love to get into welding. I always see really cool projects on Youtube that require some welding. I might have to look into a similar course near me.



Bought an old cast iron square from ebay as modern squares are made from aluminium and are not fit for purpose tbh. Got this for less than a new modern square and it's dead square and should stay that way. Just tarted it up a bit with a spray can to get rid of the surface rust.

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Just fixed the lock on my garden door. I thought builders we had on had tampered with it as is stopped sliding shut, but on inspection it's deformed after the door was kicked in. Now this could be someone trying it on while the builders kept leaving my side alley gate open, or it could be the thick builders locking themselves out. Seeing as I didn't get burgled, something tells me the ****ing builders did it :mad:
 
Lakeland said:
I love welding, I did loads when I was young then nothing for ages. Recently got myself an arc welder for home and got a mig welder and a booth at work, as you say mig is much easier than arc, and tig is another step above arc in terms of difficulty but I think it’s more rewarding and you get a bit more time to make decisions/enjoy the weld.
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The place running the course are going to start doing a one day TIG course soon so might have to get involved in that action in the future :p

Maccapacca said:
Nice :cool:

I can tig weld aluminium and stainless but I make a mess of mig :p I have a FAA and CAA welding ticket :D
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You calling me out for a weld off?! :p

While the course was a great introduction, that’s all it was, I certainly wouldn’t want to weld anything structural or something designed to keep someone safe :p

Mark A said:
I'd love to get into welding. I always see really cool projects on Youtube that require some welding. I might have to look into a similar course near me.
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I know the course is booked up till Xmas as there’s such a drought of courses like this, most are full/part time welding courses at college and take like 6 months, which obviously just isn’t an option if you just want to learn some skills for doing the odd job at home!

Drop me a trust if you want some more info on this one, it’s based in Benfleet, Esssx fyi :)
 
The inverter needs to go on a dedicated circuit, NOT into a normal plug. Sparky needs to do this and sign it off + notify building regulations people.
Installation may need planning, always check.
Installation needs an AC breaker by consumer unit and another by the inverter (unless they are side by side) and a DC breaker by the inverter, and a number of warning stickers in certain locations. This is very imporant for safety.

You need to notify the DNO via G98 (previous G83), but as long as less than 3.68kW of inverter capacity then its just a formal notification, they dont get any say in the matter. Larger installs require pre-approval.

Its quite easy to DIY so long as you are competent... The DC lines are carrying ~30v per panel ~240v DC, which is more dangerous/different to work with to AC... Wiring work was done once the sun had gone down. Its that or throwing blankets over the panels.

Its overcast and its currently producing ~300w of power, so covering the houses background usage and tipping any spare into the immersion heater.
 
samcat said:
Its overcast and its currently producing ~300w of power, so covering the houses background usage and tipping any spare into the immersion heater.
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thats interesting, very basic battery equivalent ;) Is there a specific circuit needed to enable that when theirs spare power?

PS - love the idea of using / creating a shaded porch from the panels
 
Yeah, a solar diverter.. Plenty of options out there. I used a solarImmersion (https://solarimmersion.co.uk/) but only because I won it cheap in an auction.

Its not ideal, storing as a low grade energy (hot water) and offsetting a cheaper fuel (gas, 1/4 the cost per unit) but its better than giving it away for free (from a selfish point of view).

It simply wires between the consumer unit and the immersion, with a sensor wire to a clamp meter around the main L tail into the house (so it knows if your importing/exporting and by how much)


Using it as a sheltered veranda is a good move for us, SW facing so afternoon/evening sun used to cook through those windows.. Its about right size/position wise and now the shadow from the panels sits just outside the patio doors. Later in the year (sun is lower) we still get solar gain (ie the sun heats the house). Best of both worlds.

If I was to do anything differently the panels would be steeper.. Much steeper. 45-50 degrees, so they get better generation from the spring/autumn sun but generate less in the summer (its easy to generate power in the summer, so who cares)

Going to be paying a company to cover the roof in solar, 4kW SE facing and maybe another 2-3kW on the garage (SW facing - Its a flat roof so shallow pitch). This all paves the way to a household battery with wheels in the future, and electric pushbikes (I have a very easy commute)
 
Ran into an issue..

Noticed my shower tray was filling up quite quickly due to blockage, took the silver cap off the plug and removed the insert only to find it was a bodge job and the pipe inside the shower wasn't fixed in place, meaning i can no longer screw the plug back into the tray. :(

Honestly the level of bodge by the previous owner of this house along with dodgy trades people is rather frustrating.

No idea how to change the shower waste without removing the shower tray which is going to be a nightmare. :(
 
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Clov!s said:
Ran into an issue..

Noticed my shower tray was filling up quite quickly due to blockage, took the silver cap off the plug and removed the insert only to find it was a bodge job and the pipe inside the shower wasn't fixed in place, meaning i can no longer screw the plug back into the tray. :(

Honestly the level of bodge by the previous owner of this house along with dodgy trades people is rather frustrating.

No idea how to change the shower waste without removing the shower tray which is going to be a nightmare. :(
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Ouch. That sounds like a royal PITA! :( Is the shower deep enough to have the pipes below it, or are they likely to be under the floorboards? Just wondering if you had access via the floor or something.
 
andy_mk3 said:
Ouch. That sounds like a royal PITA! :( Is the shower deep enough to have the pipes below it, or are they likely to be under the floorboards? Just wondering if you had access via the floor or something.
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I'll have to check the depth but the bathroom floor has got vinyl flooring which i think has been fitted on the floor first and then the shower tray over the top meaning i can't pull it up :( I noticed the plastic around the bottom of the shower tray is quite flimsy so it may pull away but they've used sealant to keep it in place.

This is the plastic tray around the outside of the shower, it's quite flimsy so i reckon it'll just pull away.

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Plaster everywhere in the walk through wardrobe onto to ensuite

Last night they managed to apply ten buckets of water and plaster to the walls so it's a bit humid in there

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