Home DIY

Evolution tools are surprisingly ok (but that’s usually a result of expecting the bare minimum from them).

But if I’m honest, between Bosch, Makita, Metabo, Dewalt I don’t think there’ll be a huge difference between them at that price. The more you spend, the more I’d want to be picky about the exact features - it’s less important in the £200 range.

I picked up a freecycle wardrobe with a bi-fold door where the screws for the bi-fold hinges (in the middle of the door as opposed to the edge) have pulled out. I have standard woodfiller and I have glue and sawdust - which is better to repair the holes before re-fixing the screws?

Matchsticks glued in, pilot drill before screws. It will need to be done regularly probably.

My allotment plot is at the edge of the site on two sides, and I'm currently engaged in a one-man war against bindweed that is several times my height. It also burrows much better than me and keeps appearing like a comedy mole in the middle of the beds. My actual nemesis

My water supply also feeds next door.

There is quite a lot of that around. The water company has right of access to it in the event of a problem so in theory it isn't an issue for your neighbour. You might want to let your neighbour know just in case their electricity is earthed via it as the plastic pipe doesn't do that bit so well.

You really need to dig the fucker out bc of the rhizome roots. Consistency is key. Good luck!

Gardening thread >>>>

Cheers. Is there any benefit to whittling a scrap of hardwood to fit and glue?

It will need to be done regularly probably.

Hoping that once it's all together there will be less stress on the hinges since the edge of the door will be supported.

Evolution are ok. I had to square up the fence, but it’s a simple enough job. I’m thinking of upgrading and splashing for a Festool if you are interested in buying mine off me. I make very good price.

I'm going to put some woodfibre underlay boards down in a small upstairs room. It's a temporary bodge to improve things (gappy draughty floorboards) but hopefully sorted better in the next few years. At the moment is just rugs on floorboards. Two questions:

• if it's done during a hot spell should the boards be butted up rather than leave the customary 2mm gap around? I'd still leave a little gap round the edge of the room.
  
• what tape? It's upstairs, there's no need for moisture or vapour resistance. Everything I read is about using barrier tapes but it seems to defeat the point of using a nice eco no adhesives or resins board to then stick together with plastic tape. Am considering a paper parcel tape seeing as it's just to stop it moving around.
  

Not sure of the design, but could use some repair plates like these might not be the most attractive, but might make them last longer.

Perfectly normal - if it doesn't bother you or your neighbour leave as you said otherwise neighbour should look to get a new connection installed

The bind weed really ties the whole thing together.

Haaaaaaaa

Am also a survivor of The Battle of the Bind Weed

I don't think it makes much difference. I do either the matchsticks or a bit of soft/hard wood depending on what's to hand. I usually have a few dead matches in the bottom of a toolbox for this purpose.

I guess there's a case to be made for hardwood being stronger than the surrounding wood it might cause it to bulge when you put the screw in.

You really need to dig the fucker out

Sure if you have a digger and can go down ten foot….

I moved. Also left behind knotweed. Neither here, thank fuck. But bindweed does exist in gardens along the brook, just hasn't made it this far yet. I'm not averse to going all scorched earth should it rear it's head.

Oh yeah, I chemically murder it on sight.

cheers @Airhead and @Sam_w it's an old G-plan (1950s? before the nice carved 70s handles) so small trad hinges into solid wood. I'll see how big the holes are and either use matchsticks or whittle a bit of scrap.

Random thought - a piano hinge to spread the load?

Not a bad shout. I'll see how the existing 3 little ones repair, but good idea if they don't hold.

I'm fighting a losing battle with the neighbour's overgrown garden having piles of bindweed coming over the fence and in turn slowly suffocating the garden... What do you use to murder it?

I had to square up the fence

TBF I've had to do this with my Bosch and a brand new Festool - it's fairly standard.

I'm that neighbour with the overgrown garden (not yours actually- but work has been full on bonkers and I haven't been good recently)
How do I kill the stuff?

What do you use to murder it?

Non selective plant killer, i.e. Glyphosate. It's the stuff in Roundup that's equally effective as it is controversial. Either spray that shit on and watch everything die, or buy the gel and literally paint the plants you want to die. It's horrible stuff, but so is bind weed. Bind weed will not die unless you kill the roots, but the roots can go down further than you can dig, so a chemical killer that gets to the roots and kills that is what you need.

Being able to square up the fence (and blade) is a necessary feature that the cheaper models don't seem to have.