Home DIY

Today’s fun - getting attacked by the bees and stung in the face twice, while 30ft off the deck up a ladder.

And then being forced to choose between being underpaid or cause family upset, why do I never learn.

Oh no.
Were you working for a family member?
Isn’t that rule no. 2?

Cause family upset, oh that’s an easy one 😂

Because I am a div that can’t say no.

On the flip side, my day rate might take a hammering, but they feed me and water me pretty well, fuck it.

The funniest bit was being told what my day rate needs to be to sustain a business, then calculating what he owes me with a rate 80% of that, and forgetting about half the time I’ve been here. I’m an idiot,

Haha, he knew his tactic - I’m not much of a negotiator once I’ve had a beer put in my hand!

Hacked wireless doorbell installed. Need to find my white heat shrink to tidy up the wires on the inside.

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Looks tidy.

Those ERA locks are great value
1/3 the price of an Ingersoll, 1/4 price of a Banham.

Is the brass finish lacquered? I have brushed nickel (?) but the rest of my door furniture is weathered brass.
Collar and cuffs.

I see your lined up screw heads btw.
Don’t think I don’t.

Aye, couldn't justify banham when there's a big glass panel right next to it.

Ha! Really annoyed I've lost the heat shrink. Plan is to run the wire down one of the grooves in the window frame and hide the wireless door bell button under the frame.

my returned dismay at tradespeople refusing to take my money.....

"Yeah mate, I can do that, I'll send you a quote over later..." ghosts

So often... Never understood it...

I get it more often than not with clients, keen keen keen send quote over and ghosts. Happened again yesterday, Im at the stage I dont even follow up or chase people.

Is it wise for a man in his 40s to want to retrain to be a tradesman? I was think ing damp specialist....

As someone in his early 30s who’s doing it (changing trades rather than coming from an office or whatever). I would say that it’s hard on your body in a way that being older definitely doesn’t feel ideal. But it feels like the right choice overall for sure.

I done gas from I was like 15 till abiut 23 and then fucked it off and got back into it at 30. I had a steep learning curve, defo hard on your body but I think when your older you think a lot more instead of bashing right in.

If you are sick of your job and feel like it’s the best option for you, batter in.

Why damp specialist?
It's kinda fiddly and involves poking around and opening things up to diagnose and you need to not easily go "ewww" at the sight of things moulding and rotting that shouldn't be...

Surgeon?

Would you undertake a proper training course or get associated with a product or treatment and then sell that as a solution?

I would imagine it would be useful to have some experience in the field as well as classroom training and that kind of means apprentice. Then you are in competition with a group of younger cheaper guys who are also keen to learn.

I recommend getting training in any trades, it's a great way to avoid making a lot of mistakes. If you can afford real training and the time off it's a good idea. I trained and qualified as an electrician very late and as a consequence I only tackle minor works but I'm very happy to have had the training.

Ring doorbell - any good? Other cheaper options?

I’ve got the Eufy 2K. No subscription and local storage make it a better option imo.

Probably a bit over proud of this but “designed” and built an oak head board. Basic but I think it came out really well.

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Looks great. Matches floor and blinds too!

On an unrelated note, what’s half decent full length axe for splitting up logs? Is a budget of £40 reasonable? Just had a diseased elm felled in our garden and want to split it up to dry for use as firewood (not a big fan of burning wood, but it’s a shared garden and the wood will deffo get burned by the neighbours so I want to try and dry it as well as possible). And I want to buy an axe.

https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/husqvarna-splitting-axe-s1600-60cm

Husqvarna make legit gear, don’t they?
I’d get a Gransfors-Bruks or whatever, but they’re about 4x my budget.

I went for a Stihl cleaving axe as it’s better shaped for chopping - two tree surgeon friends said it was a good shout
They also said to go for a wooden handle

Yeah it defo took me a while back working with my old man to get into the swing of things after i took a long time away. Training for sure is the one but nothing beats real work experience im sure you'd agree. You learn so much on the job you never learn in books.

Took your advice and bought this.
https://www.gustharts.com/forestry-landscaping-tools-c122/axes-mauls-c232/splitting-c235/stihl-ax-28-cs-cleaving-axe-p947

Didn't like the idea that I couldn't replace the handle in future when looking at the non-wooden handled ones.