What "man jobs" have you done today?

DXP55 · 17 Apr 2020 at 13:32

I don't know why but when I got up this morning I put my STUPID hat on - Wife bought a set of shelves for greenhouse -Same as garage shelving - 4 shelves including top and bottom so piece of cake. Started at 9.00 and by 12.30 I came in and bashed my head against kitchen work top - It never used to be like this- Main problem was putting nut and washer on bolt on back of frame -can you remember when you could puck up a nut and washer in one hand -flex your fingers and you had washer on nut and it went straight onto thread. Not any more -I need three hands and 12 fingers and eyes on 12" stalks- But it's all done thank god.

And that was an easy job. Back out now to finish off.

adwol48 · 17 Apr 2020 at 21:13

well a couple of things completed for me this week washed down the fences ready for painting they were covered in dirt and algae growth, the pack of expanding post mix arrived got that mixed up and poured in the hole its only a 75x75mm post about 1.5m high but it set it up in about 5 mins and i was able to trim off the excess within an hour, dismantled the shed and moved it to a different area of our side yard it now gives us plenty more useable space. Job for next weekis to paint all of the above have ordered the paint but got to wait for my collection window.

Terminal_Boy · 18 Apr 2020 at 11:33

Merlin5 said:
Thanks mate. I'll check for crud in the cap. Any particular spray or oil to use for cleaning it? Maybe I should buy a gapping tool and make sure the sparkplug electrode gap is correct? It's meant to be 0.30. And perhaps some sandpaper to clean up blackening of the electrode.

I suppose starting the engine can also be to do with the float/needle getting stuck in the carburettor which I'll unscrew and look at. Need to check o-rings too. Also, old sponge air filter and engine oil could inhibit the engine starting efficiently? I've found an ebay link for the exact air filter for my vantage 35 engine, and I'm going to tip out old oil and replace with fresh SAE30.

If you don’t have a compressor handy, just blast the cap out with WD40 and dry with a paper towel. Spark plug gap tool is a good shout. I wouldn’t bother cleaning the electrode as that rich tea biscuit colour shows the mixture is correct. Only really worth scrubbing if they’re really sooty.

If the foam filter hasn’t crumbled to dust, try washing it out under the tap with some hand soap. Rinse it well and let it air dry for a day. However, if a new one is just a few quid, get one.

Make sure you have fresh 95 RON fuel with the lowest Ethanol rating possible - 5% max.

Merlin5 · 18 Apr 2020 at 13:49

Terminal_Boy said:
If you don’t have a compressor handy, just blast the cap out with WD40 and dry with a paper towel. Spark plug gap tool is a good shout. I wouldn’t bother cleaning the electrode as that rich tea biscuit colour shows the mixture is correct. Only really worth scrubbing if they’re really sooty.

If the foam filter hasn’t crumbled to dust, try washing it out under the tap with some hand soap. Rinse it well and let it air dry for a day. However, if a new one is just a few quid, get one.

Make sure you have fresh 95 RON fuel with the lowest Ethanol rating possible - 5% max.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try those things. Hmm, I might not need to replace much with any luck. Clean carburettor, put clip back on fuel hose, wash air filter sponge and spray WD40 into cap. May just need the gap tool and will definitely replace SAE30 engine oil.
Regarding fuel, I've been filling with bog standard Tesco unleaded. No good? Will there be a 95 RON and ethanol rating display at the pump? I've never really taken any notice, I always just fill up my car or petrol can without really looking at what other pumps are offering.

ik9000 · 18 Apr 2020 at 20:11

floors up, insulation part laid, laying cables for network install, chased back-boxes... does that count as "man stuff"? My wife is doing just as much as I am!

fobose · 18 Apr 2020 at 22:41

Pics @ik9000. Very interested to see the network cable install

I chased my concrete floor around two door ways before I laid my wood floor last Sept so I could run network cables to under my stair cupboard in prep for getting a network cable to my second floor, which is also now complete. Was a hard job as I didn't have a chaser (used a hammer and bolster after chain drilling).

Some pics of mine from Sept:

Hall way chase (exactly same looking by my kitchen door too which is near the under stair cupboard where all the networking kit is located):

TV network point:

Understair cupboard 4 gang network point (network points that link to here: living room master socket, TV point, spare at top of cupboard, lastly and installed about 8 weeks ago, middle floor office network point.

Hall way floor oiling in progress:

Living room just been oiled in this pic (second coat I think) - note, BT master socket is on the right of the radiator, so a cable was run from down there, passed the door way of where I am standing, then to the left where there is a wall in to my understairs cupboard:

Liquid_Entity · 19 Apr 2020 at 09:37

So over the past 3 to 4 weekends (I forget) I have exhausted all the paint tins I found in the garage and painted the flat. Pretty happy with the results but as I only did ceilings and walls all the woodwork looks terrible now. I really have no desire to do it but should really.

fobose · 19 Apr 2020 at 10:14

I made the mistake of redoing the downstairs wood work, now the rest of the house looks tatty and YELLOW. I've been using some dulux water based undercoat and gloss which apparently is not meant to yellow. Living room still looks brilliant white after 7 months which is a good sign, even behind area's that don't get light.

NickK · 19 Apr 2020 at 14:57

Finishing the filling in of the bathroom crack with finishing plaster.

This stuff goes off in a matter of minutes from a sloppy mix. Get it up stairs and it's already going rock. You need to make it sloppier than milkshake, transport it and start applying it.. it quickly goes rock solid.

Skillmister · 19 Apr 2020 at 16:27

Today.. Raked out a load of moss, aerated, top dressed and overseeded the lawn. Knackered!

Also so far in week 1 of furlough... Taken down all the garage shelves and painted one coat on the interior (needs 1 or 2 more coats then new shelves putting up). Mounted the bikes on the wall. Replaced the garage outside light. Replaced the interior tube lights with LED battens. Dug out a load of rotten wood from the exterior and replaced with 2x2 strips and filler (bit of a bodge but it's the best it's getting). Power washed the patio.

Bring on the next few weeks

Ogoshi · 19 Apr 2020 at 20:42

fobose said:
I made the mistake of redoing the downstairs wood work, now the rest of the house looks tatty and YELLOW. I've been using some dulux water based undercoat and gloss which apparently is not meant to yellow. Living room still looks brilliant white after 7 months which is a good sign, even behind area's that don't get light.

We've been painting our woodwork with satin wood over the last 3-4 years and it has stayed completely white the entire time. I never had any luck with gloss, even the ones that say they'll remain white don't!
It does give a slightly different texture and shine though.

fobose · 19 Apr 2020 at 22:35

Ogoshi said:
We've been painting our woodwork with satin wood over the last 3-4 years and it has stayed completely white the entire time. I never had any luck with gloss, even the ones that say they'll remain white don't!
It does give a slightly different texture and shine though.

Two local painters and decorators told me that too!! I tried it on a newly installed garage loft hatch architrave and the internal door in to my utility room (garage side) and it went dark yellow in 6 months

It was oil based dulux satin wood. The walls are brilliant white so it looks terrible. I haven't faced re doing it

I am crossing fingers for the water based stuff I have recently used as I really hope that doesn't go yellow too.

Liquid_Entity · 19 Apr 2020 at 23:03

I have some satinwood stuff. Can I just paint over existing wood work as i have no time to sand and prime etc?

ik9000 · 19 Apr 2020 at 23:06

At the bare minimum wash down with sugar soap first. Sanding will always give a better key. Never just paint without preparation. You're asking for trouble.

fobose · 19 Apr 2020 at 23:06

Not sure about satinwood as it's not as shiny as gloss. With gloss I always give it a light rub with something abrasive (sand paper or even scotchight) at least to key the new top layer. I once touched some white glossed stair banisters with a bit of sand paper and the paint flaked right off leaving a dark wood stain underneath grrr...

*edit*

Made this yesterday evening but was too tired to post up the pics. I used some off cuts of old pallet wood I had. I don't have a table saw but managed to cut the planks in half for the legs and finished them up with the disc sander. I just need to put some cross braces in to finish.

Small table for drinks when on the sun loungers.

oiled it:

Martynt74 · 20 Apr 2020 at 10:23

Horrible job. The previous owners had laid a lot of stones without a membrane underneath so we always got loads of weeds popping through. Last weekend we raked all the stones off, laid a membrane and then put all the stones back. Hours or work with no noticable impact!

This weekend i picked up a load of fence posts for a border. The dogs run accross the stones and send them flying everywhere. This should keep them more contained.

Some bits were a nightmare as the flags aren't straight and then there's a bit where it ramps up into a point so trying to get decent joins was tricky (bottom middle of picture)

Need to order more stones though as we seem to have lot a lot when digging bit up.

RoboCod · 20 Apr 2020 at 18:00

"mud kitchens" seem to be all the rage and the Mrs wanted to buy one. They cost a fortune for what they are though, so I had a go at making one instead. Not too difficult for a novice like me.

Question about paint though: I've put fence paint and garden furniture stain on but it still looks like it'll mark and chip easily. What would be best to make it a bit tougher and longer lasting? Cheers

ik9000 · 20 Apr 2020 at 21:49

fobose said:
Pics @ik9000. Very interested to see the network cable install I chased my concrete floor around two door ways before I laid my wood floor last Sept so I could run network cables to under my stair cupboard in prep for getting a network cable to my second floor, which is also now complete. Was a hard job as I didn't have a chaser (used a hammer and bolster after chain drilling).

will do in the fullness of time. Got a long way to go, so far only one room chased and read for back boxes once the bonding plaster arrives.

Yaayuh! · 21 Apr 2020 at 14:18

Didn't warrant it's own thread but: I assume 1mm cable is what people usually go for lights? It's not a long distance.

We currently have an outside light by the back door, but not our side door and I have been meaning to fit one for a while.

I want to use the same switch (they use PIR, so always on) and have access to the exisitng cable to the backdoor light through the loftspace (single storey extension). So my plan was to just put in a junction box in the loft space and run a new cable over to the other side where I want the new light.

Participant · 22 Apr 2020 at 07:50

@RoboCod if I saw that outside I'd be tempted to have a poo on it, especially if the view was good! Lavatorial jokes aside, that's good work.

Yaayuh! said:
Didn't warrant it's own thread but: I assume 1mm cable is what people usually go for lights? It's not a long distance.

We currently have an outside light by the back door, but not our side door and I have been meaning to fit one for a while.

I want to use the same switch (they use PIR, so always on) and have access to the exisitng cable to the backdoor light through the loftspace (single storey extension). So my plan was to just put in a junction box in the loft space and run a new cable over to the other side where I want the new light.

That's what I use. A spark will tell you to rate for current draw and distance, but what do they know?!