Home DIY

As Stevo suggested, round or curved file. I have one that's flat on one side and curved on the other, sometimes it's too big to fit in the hole though. Curved chisels are available but it's probably easier with a file.

will start filing tonight

Any recommendations on where to buy nice looking, modern hooks?

Looking for a few for the bedroom but not many places seem to have much of a range.

We have these in various places around our flat:
https://www.chaseandsorensen.com/collections/contemporary/products/wallhook-by-h-skjalm-p?variant=1509724291

You can get them in brass too.

£££
I’ve got a couple of these waiting for when I can be bothered to get the drill out.

Monobloc Ceramic valve just failed, hot water running non-stop. Isolated h&c but the retaining nut for accessing the valve (so I can source new) is at the back of tap head, completely inaccessible given tap position so means fully removing from sink to try fix. Short job becomes a bigger job, always the way. Going to sleep on it and live without a bathroom sink for a few days. /csb

Would like to fit a PIR sensor front light where there is no existing external light. There is an internal light switch for internal lights on the opposite side of the wall I would like to mount said light.

Is it a case of drilling a hole straight through the wall and taking a constant live off that going to the light switch?

Question for you carpenters out there. I want to start getting in to making wood joints. Do I just get a regular tenon saw, or are these Japanese saws worth a look at?

It can be a bit more complicated as your existing switch is often a hallway light and there is no one constant live since the hallway light will be 3 way.

In the past I've had to take a lighting circuit live from the nearest point in the ceiling and run a switch line from pir to the switch which is just about as big a pain in the ass as it can be.

As far as regs for exterior lights are concerned you need to be going straight through the wall into the fitting with no other external wiring to avoid having to have it signed off. Although most people would overlook something that innocuous.

Japanese saws are well worth it. Most of my saws are Japanese and have been for 20 years. There's no one saw that will be best in all circumstances but there are some decent ones, I like the blades with crosscut on one side and rip on the other. Rutlands had a decent looking set with mitre guide on sale the other day.

Interesting. I better start researching. Would a Dozuki saw be most suitable for cutting tenons would you say?

Right now all I have is a hacksaw and a universal saw, so I'm very much starting from scratch right now.

I'm a pretty simple guy, I don't know all the Japanese names for the saws! I'm also no minimalist so I have tons of tools of varying degrees of use depending on the circumstances. For sure I would look for my best, newest, sharpest saw if I was planning in handsawing joints in fresh wood but there's not much call for that in the type of joinery I do. However this saw looked interesting to me :-

https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+japanese-precision-saw-and-guide-kit+JP1442KIT?tyah=y

No idea what the Japanese would call it!?! :)

Cheers @6pt and @Fox they're the kind of thing I'm looking for. It's all chrome rather than brass in the room though so don't think they would go. Any more hook suggestions gratefully received.

I got this one a little while ago : https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GN5KLI2. It's rip oneside and crosscut the other.

The pulling action of Japanese saws is a little weird to get used to, but i had more of an issue with the round handles - you have to look to see if the blade is vertical rather than feel it with you hand, as you would with a tradition saw.

This guy has a good vid on what saw(s) to buy : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pigcIXjRel8

+1 for the Ryoba. Having cross and rip cut on the same blade makes it versatile for a number of uses.

A Dozuki saw is essentially a tenon saw so would be ideal for tenons. It has more TPI than the crosscut side of a Ryoba so would give a finer finish. Depends on the level of finish you're going for. From a handsaw point of view I have a Ryoba and a japanese dovetail saw for really fine work and these two cover everything I need them for.

My favourite place for good quality tools is Workshop Heaven, they have a good selection of Japanese saws if that is your preference too.

https://www.workshopheaven.com/

Thanks all. Will get a Ryoba and Dozuki set and see how I get on. They will look great on the wall if nothing else.

I have a Japanese saw that's kind of a do it all thing, marketed as a plywood cutter too! Unrelated, but it works really well for tree trimming.

Recommendations for bathroom sealant that doesn't grow mouldy.

Used dow corning 785 but that failed used sika bond and that got mouldy too.

No such thing.

Mapei AC has always worked best for me. Toolstation have it for cheapest right now.

Did some more shedding. Just need to make some doors now and push it in to position.

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Mapei has been one of the better ones in my experience but it will still get mouldy. These days I use something like CT1 to seal the bath/shower to the walls and then a 'decorative' sealant on top. Makes it easier to cut out every few years.

If you have to cut silicon out there is a great blade available for the Fein multimaster type tools, makes the job much easier and probably worth having now that type of tool has come down in price from Bosch etc. Just be careful with it on plastic shower trays.

Yes. I got these panels from Howe Fencing near Ware and stained with two coats of Ronseal Fence Life Plus. Staining took fucking ages because of all the fiddly corners and edges but I'm happy with the result

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Does the silicone come away from the CT1 ok? Can you write some instructions for our tiler?

You can cut the silicon away from the CT1, it's just a stronger product than the more decorative mastic. Your tiler wouldn't appreciate instructions on applying silicone I'm sure!

I never used to use masking tape when applying silicone but these days I always mask and use a special solution for smoothing the silicon. Silicon online have loads of great products for silicon application, each to their own though, it's a job I hate and I know a lot of trades have a specialist come in and do all the sealing once they are finished as the standards householders are looking for have gone beyond the kind of nightmares that get passed off.