Home DIY

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Centipede-Tool-K100-Expandable-Portable/dp/B00T8ABQIS/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_60_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XKGA50A2XF1HJWVEJX1H

For lightweight, cheap and flat I'd choose WBP shuttering ply

http://www.builderdepot.co.uk/18mm-x-1220mm-x-2440mm-softwood-c-c-wbp-plywood.html

My plan is to screw sheet of something down to two 2x4's and slot them in to my sawhorses.

I used 22mm interior ply. It's sitting outside, but under a gazeebo tent thing.

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I used 2x6 though - there are 2x4s flat on the saw horse, as they are metal, and I don't want to knacker them or any tools if I saw / drill through the work surface.

I've made a sheet ripping guide from MDF & hardboard that clamps on to the work table, in lieu of a table saw.

There will be wings for the miter saw for when I need to cut long bits of wood, that will bolt onto the table.

There may be a router table fence some time too.

Ta, yeah that's the stuff that's in Acton I could get. I should just suck it up and drive over shouldn't I.

@TW looks like we have the same saw horses. Just bought them over the weekend and gotta say I'm super chuffed with them - fold to nothing. 2x6 to give you a gap seems like a good idea, I'll probably copy.

Yeah, I really like the saw horses - they're really convenient.

Forgot to mention - I also cross braced the table:

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Was it sagging between the 2x6's? Also what length have you gone for? I'm tempted to try and put some hinges in the middle so I can fold it up but I doubt I could do it well enough for it to remain straight.

So what thorny vine/shrub can I grow between the shed and the outside wall? I'd like a thorny vine covered trellis boarder. I presume it would need to like the shade as it will be grown in a foot of space along the back side of the shed.

Maythorn?

Was it sagging between the 2x6's?

I like to overengineer.

It's not very long - maybe 150cm. Once the shed is built, I may make a longer one & have a continuous hinge up the middle to fold for storage.

Good luck getting an 8x4 sheet onto the joists in the garage. I've been handling a few lately and they're heavy. It's not an ideal size for a workbench either, 6'x 3' is about right. Especially if you have 2 or another smaller one.

You'd need to be careful of the gap filling with debris, and the plants holding moisture against the shed & fence - over time the shed & the fence will rot otherwise.

so whats the solution?

Plastic double skinned shed. Lifetime sheds. After years of pondering the problem of a shed surrounded on 3 sides by damp walls I plumped for one and it's been brilliant, doesn't suffer from condensation due to the double walls and easy enough to install. Was going to go the whole self build route with brick walls to a height and a proper roof but it's still difficult to avoid condensation.

A tiger

I was meaning on top of @Stonehedge and @Chalfie ... OBVIOUSLY.

Think I'll go for 1.6m x 1.2m. I'm stuck width wise with the spacing in the sawhorses which is ~1m and I'd like a little overhang either side.

Just done a calc and I reckon if I go 18mm ply + 2 x 6 timbers it'll come out around 30kg. Too heavy actually. Balls

Nobody mentioned
https://mdfosb.com/en/medite/products
Medite tricoya Extreme.

I saw MTX demonstrated at EcoBuild, 'they had some sizeable, hexagonal planters that were on their way to somewhere in Southwark for tge Council), received a small sample in the post, but have yet to use it.
It has a distinct whiff of vinegar about it, as the wood fibres have been treated with an industrial strength version of the condiment, to render them hydrophobic and to allow its use outside. The tech data sheet in front of me claims a '50 year above ground guarantee'.
Presumably a stockist would cut you pieces to size from the 1220 x 2440 (3050) sheets according to thickness.

Of if you're planning on getting an extension done in the near future.

If you are then the Party Wall stuff is there to allow you to get the right foundations put in that take into consideration your future work (you would have to contribute to this). The idea is that if you didn't do it now (whilst they were having their work done) it'll cost you even more in the future.

But, as others have said, it sounds like a cold call from a company looking for planning applications and sending speculative offers out. I'd take it round to the neighbour and let him/her know that you're not going to cost him unnecessary money, that'll be worth some brownie points with them.

It's usually the case that the unusual, innovative board products are only available in quantity or extreme prices. It might be improving as I've not looked recently but it's a problem for small workshops that most of the good stuff is difficult to get hold of in small quantities.

Before I flog on ebay, does anyone have a need for a 110V site transformer?

Ok, so need some help on a shower enclosure, after investigating a leaky shower enclosure/tray we ended up taking the old enclosure off, the old tray is sound, just needs a bit of a clean, so was hoping to get a new enclosure sorted. Unfortunately, the dimensions of the basterding thing are a touch odd, partly because it's tucked under the timber lined aqua panelling I think. It's a corner enclosure, 720mmx710mm from the wall to be exact, with a 20mm flat bit if that makes sense, trying to find an enclosure for these dimensions is proving very tricky with either 700x700 or 760x760 and neither of them adjustable to my dims. Am I missing something?

plastering, first layer applied. now need to make smooth, so mix up a slightly wetter mix and use a float?

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Do Part P regs permit me to run a twin & earth cable from the consumer board through a void to the back of the house?

I'm not connecting anything, just putting the cable in place.

There's a buried armoured cable at the back of the house that this will eventually be connected to

The intention is to have a sparky make all of the connections - at the consumer unit, at the junction box, and in the shed.

And then sign off on it all, hopefully.

Yes, but you're at the whim of the electrician who signs it all off and some can do but won't, some can't due to restrictions by their registration body. What you're describing is third party authorisation and it's carefully regulated as it's clearly open to abuse. You are supposed to contract the electrician before work begins and have them accept the job, it ends up being such a palaver that most electricians would rather run the wire themselves.