Home DIY

Cheers, have you got a picture of what you did, just trying to visualise it.

Anyone here done a plastering course? I'm thinking of doing one so I can save some cash on our extension, just wondered if anyone could recommend somewhere they'd done one. I'm SE but dont mind travelling

I've not done a plastering course with them (did their electrical course) but BTC in Croydon are a nice bunch and they run a plastering course. They are very easy to access as the centre is attached to Waddon station.

https://thebtc.co.uk

Sorry for the terrible drawing. You can look for larger architraves, but they tend to be quite small in London. Also, beware that the stuff from Wickes, B&Q, etc. are usually as bendy as bananas and full of knots. Passable, but timber merchants are usually better.

Sorry for the terrible drawing.

That is a piece of art!

We replaced about 150 ft of fencing about six years ago. Two contractors did it in under 2 days with closeboard fencing on concrete rails. I can't remember the price but one quote was better that the rest. Closeboard fencing is stronger and more durable than any sort of panel. Much of the fence was overgrown with trees and shrubs with some uneven ground. Closeboard fencing meant that they used fewer posts and could vary the positioning a bit to get round obstacles making the work quick and less hassle. The fence still looks perfect.
Something like this but lower with 2 rails:
http://www.newforestfencing.co.uk/supply-only/services-and-products/timber-and-close-board-materials/close-board-materials/

After 6 months working off some plywood on some sawhorses, I decided to dedicate a day to making an actual workbench, at a decent working height, primarily for the sake of my back (working off 600mm height was not the smartest).

I found a company that does knock of MFT table tops for a fraction of the price so thought I might as well base it around that. It's made from a single sheet of plywood, and some scrap pieces of OSB and MDF I have been hoarding. Fastening together with wood glue and screws (except for the top which I didn't glue so I can replace it in the future).

Must say it came out better than expected, rock solid. Shame my garage floor is on the wonk, (nothing a wedge cant fix).

Just need to order some workbench wheels for it so I can take it outside for messy work, and also use it as a cart for ferrying sheet goods from the car back to the garage.

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Tonights plan is to tidy up...

Cheers. Not quite sure how that would look as there are tiles on the other side so may look a bit lopsided.

Looks the part. I've had a Festool MFT for 10 years, it's a bit battered now, it's also a bit low for my back. One thing I've found with it is it's surprisingly easy to move it about when you're planing. You might have issues if it's on wheels.

For carrying sheet goods there's a tool called the Gorilla gripper. I have 2 in different sizes and it's made my life a lot easier.

looks ace.

Have you thought about something like these:

Ta. The wheels I'm getting actually completely disengage when not in operation, so the bench rests on its legs.

https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-workbench-castors-507151

Bit pricey but I can't find a better alternative.

As for sheet goods, yeah I've been thinking about getting a gorilla gripper. My wife is getting tired of being my helper. But I'm hoping if that since I'll be able to roll the bench around I can just pull it out to behind the car (it's a direct route from garage to driveway) and just pull the sheet off the roof rack straight onto the bench. That's the theory anyway - these things never workout they way I envisage.

Edit, if you are thinking of replacing your MFT top, have a look at CNC designs. Think I paid £55 delivered and its an exact fit for an MFT3.

Ta. Yeah have been thinking about those, but the problem is that inside the garage and outside it have very different levelling issues, so I'll always have to be bending down and tinkering. Really would like to find a solution that can be operated while standing upright.

Bit pricey but I can't find a better alternative.

Random leftfield thought, but I wonder if you could add regular heavy duty wheels one end then modify a paddock stand for the other.

Really would like to find a solution that can be operated while standing upright.

Again with the motorbike inspiration... for front forks you can have preload adjusters for on-the-fly adjustment.

...basically, you tighten/loosen the nut to increase/decrease spring compression.

If you could have a long thread reaching a foot on the floor then you can use a similar idea to adjust the height from the top.

A few wood shims you kick underneath would be cheaper...and possibly easier.

'mending' a miele dishwasher today, its been throwing an F14 error. No sign of any items blocking the circulation pump, but while getting it out this corroded rubber pipe join has split. So now I need to replace that. Any idea what it might be called? Cant find it online but dont know what to search for.

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I've just been replacing an old light fitting with an LED equivalent. It was cheaper than trying to replace the parts that I'd broken when i was trying to change the old bulb.

I got a bit confused by the wires when it came to wiring in the new fixture, but thanks to @hugo7 and @Airhead just a few posts back, I'm about 90% sure I got it right.

Anyway the weird this was this; the light was switched off at the wall, and I thought I'd also isolated it by flipping the breaker, but it turns out I hadn't and my multimeter is fucked.

I screwed in the earth wire, then the neutral wire, then the line wire. Then I tugged them to make sure they were all firmly attached and the neutral wire fell out. The LED lights became slightly illuminated at this point. Is that something I should be worried about? Putting the neutral wire back in made the LEDs dark again, and the light seems to work fine after that.

I've put LED "bulbs" in a lightfitting that has a 2-way switch. There is enough capacitive coupling across one of the switches for the LEDs to glow when turned off at one of the switches, but not if you turn them off using the other. Haven't worked out which one is iffy, but capacitive coupling is the cause.

Eddison Screw or bayonet? Or something else?

Neutral is tied to earth in the building, so it’s possible it could still light without the neutral depending on how the Chinese have made these bulbs.

Are you sure that 2-way light circuit didn’t use a shared neutral? That messes things up (as it does in my house currently).

Looking to create something similar - where did you get the cheaper MFT top?

https://www.cncdesign.co.uk/replacement-perforated-festool-type-mft3lp-top.html

Or make your own with https://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technology-parf-guide-system-102278

You often find very small voltages on household wires, it can be caused by proximity to other wires. It does sound like you are having a bit of a time of it with your lights!

Dunno, rented house so I'm not unscrewing anything...

That's good to know, thanks. Capacitive coupling makes sense, but now I'm wondering how LEDs can be illuminated when only one wire is connected. That's some voodoo electronics.