What "man jobs" have you done today?

Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
22,543
Rushed to Screwfix 10 minutes before closing to get an LED tube light to replace a fluorescent.

Wired the ballast out and wired the neutral/switched live directly to the tube fitting.

Turned it on. It popped, loud. Crapped my pants.

Try again tomorrow I guess :D
You put a tube in a fluorescent holder? Aren't the LED battens like dirt cheap? I think I grabbed a LAP one for my attic that was 3ft long for <£40.

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I spent the day not digging holes for the summer house. I have 10 to go; so that's tomorrows fun. Today I got all my insulation ready for the front room. I've decided to keep the niche and put a spur in there. Seems ideal for a phone charger, given it is a small room - there wouldn't be space for a side table if a double bed was squeezed in at some point in the future.

Also ran the trunk cables for RF/ethernet and did first fix wiring.

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If I can get the walls glued up tomorrow then the boards can start to be fully fixed... I can then joint and tape the plasterboard and make a start on removing the wood chip ceiling. Just paint from then! Oh and a carpet. But the summer house has bankrupt me.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Dec 2017
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8,498
Location
Beds
You put a tube in a fluorescent holder? Aren't the LED battens like dirt cheap? I think I grabbed a LAP one for my attic that was 3ft long for <£40.
Going from one to two strips as garage becomes workshop. For now I got an LED tube for a tenner, I'll choose battens when we have a ceiling haha.

Also I like that plain tubes radiate light upwards too... But will probably settle with battens. They're about £30 for 5 footers at about 4000 lumen.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
22,543
Got my days wrong so ended up digging in the wet. Thank god it was easy going and clay is only 500mm down. 10 middle holes knocked out in a couple of hours.

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The ballast and cement comes tomorrow. I think I will be a bit short but I am hoping to get the lot concreted, so I can start the base by Wednesday. I imagine base and joist hangers will take a full day (92 of the things...).

Annoyingly Tool Station is worse than their 3rd party suppliers. So the order I placed Saturday has been fulfilled for the bits they don't flog but not the main stuff I need (twist nails, splice plates etc...).
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Sep 2006
Posts
34,219
On the few times I've used Toolstation, I've always been told my order is ready then arrived to find something out of stock. Won't go there unless I'm forced TBH.
I get 5% discount, I use them the few times it works out cheaper than Screwfix but it's not often. The industrial estate my local place are on also has an annoying ring road with 5000000 speed bumps.
 
Associate
Joined
11 Dec 2006
Posts
1,040
On the few times I've used Toolstation, I've always been told my order is ready then arrived to find something out of stock. Won't go there unless I'm forced TBH.

I generally split my orders between Toolstation and Screwfix as for me they're both on the same trading estate and Screwfix are a nightmare with payment issues, wrong parts on collection (yesterday tried telling me 38x16mm trunking was 25mm round conduit :cry:) and general service. My local Toolstation has been way more reliable so it varies with branch.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
22,543
Spent until ~1330 digging holes and then came inside to do another push on the future nursery. One wall of insulated plasterboard up - I used the patented @Mason- method for the niche again :D

Most of the wiring is in now, I just need to deal with a rats nest of randomness in the cupboard. It looks like when the room was converted someone deleted the room by just twist and taping the ring - still live. I also have a Honeywell thermostat that looks like it is still live somehow.

Floor can almost go fully down though which will be a relief...

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Anyways, back to garden room tomorrow. The big load comes.
 
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