Home DIY

This, but with a chair gas lift instead of a car boot gas lift, and not so fugly.

If you want to do it properly....

That’s super helpful, cheers!

Although I am keen to endure with the sash weight counterbalance - we’ve hung onto the bloody things, and now I might actually be able to put them to use.

Bit rich for my tastes, and I’m keen for the project as much as anything.

Dredging my previous grinder chat.

Saw this budget Makita (M9502R/2) 570W grinder for ~£30 which is cheap enough to justify at the moment.

It's only 570w.

Do I need moar power?

I assume worrying about this is misplaced and down to watching Tool Time as a kid, but just wanted the warm reassurance of lfgss.com.

Also what blade(s) should I buy as a general multipurpose cutting disc? Going to get a could of flap discs, anything else while I'm ordering it? Use is non-specific general grinding and cutting stuff.

Cheers.

Look excellent - what paint are you going to use for the frames/masonry?

Would I be foolish to attempt to change the door seal on a (3 year old) Seimens washing machine? YT videos look a bit complex but we called someone and they started saying the seal is 'unusual' and would be £120, when all the evidence is to the contrary and £60

Absolutely no knowledge but a seal going on a fairly new washing machine does seem odd. I'm basing this on only one of my rented houses/flats ever having a new washing machine and none of the old ones leaking. Have you contacted Seimens?

I watched this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqY6Tklb8vc

Which seems simple enough.

My two main concerns would be; 1) ripping the new seal (or fucking one of those string things) and 2) cheapo rusted bolts being a pig to remove. So as long as you're prepared to spend the money on two seals and someone to fit them, I'd have a crack.

I've changed my Bosch washing machine door seal twice (machine is about 15 years old). It's fairly easy but there are a couple of bits that could go ping if you aren't careful. I believe Siemens and Bosch appliances have a lot in common.

I suspect it's related to the quantity of dungarees in our household – the seal is torn up in a couple of places. I superglued one successfully but we're now missing a bit and water squirts out of the bottom of the door sad face

Good to know, thanks. I reckon I'll give it a shot, I think I'm prepared to fuck it up for the cost of a seal!

Can anyone recommend a semi permanent wood glue? Does such a thing exist?

Hot melt glue? You might be able to warm it up again to free it.

it'll be fine. i picked up a makita grinder for 50 a couple of months back. b+Q i think.

i don't rate the normal grinding discs you get. they're too clumsy for actual grinding and too thick for cutting. i'd get a proper thin cutting wheel (or a pack) and flap discs.

oh and a wire brush is good

Got the bloody door in. Had to cut and plane down the width of the wooden frame quite a bit to fit the hole in the concrete wall. Some might question our choice of door but it's a 60s house and all the other doors look like this so the goal was to keep it looking reasonably original.

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looks good imo

changing doors seems like it should be one of those things that is very simple but is actually a PitA in practice

Speaking of doors, any recommendations for someone to fit one in North London.?Will need a frame fitting too.

Currently digging down in to my garden in preparation to build a deck. Is there something I can use to check my levels against the house on the other side of a 5m patio?

The garden's about 12m long so I feel like a level and string isn't going to cut it for accuracy.

Correct answer is a rotary laser level, but they are a few hundred, so might be a hire job. Cheaper solution is a builders line with a hanging spirit level.

A water level .

You only really need one end to measure with - I just chucked the other into a bottle of water, which was used as the datum.

That seems like it could be accurate enough. Was going to get one anyway to set out the footings, assumed they came much shorter than that.

A taught string and a line level will work fine.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/stabila-builders-line-level-3-80mm-/5494X

Put the level at one end of the string but not in the middle to prevent sagging.

I levelled a timber floor to a level that is better than my spirit level

Cheers