Home DIY

Are you sure those bricks will take the weight of the beam and whatever you plan to put on top of it? If so, I would drill a hole straight through for a long screw, then screw through the hole into another beam/batten on the inside of the chimney, leaving enough of the head protruding on the outside for the beam's keyhole fittings to hang on.

That's actually not a bad idea. If I was to go down that route I'd potentially add a third screw in the middle (Not for fixing the beam) to make it more secure. And that would just be a standard bit of timber like what I'd use for a stud wall right?

Regarding the weight we're not planning to put anything on top, purely decorative and it weighs just over 6kg

Lots of full thread ones here https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/categories/hexagon-head-high-tensile-set-screws-grade-8-8-bright-zinc-plated-din-933 although depending exactly what you want to do you may want threaded rod.

Is the beam just decorative? How heavy is it? Some decent plugs and screws would probably be fine if it doesn't weigh a ton.

There is a regular Wera screwdriver that presents a 1/4" hex for small bit usage, costs about a tenner, then get one of the mad little 1/4" drive socket, driver, hex, torx kits that comes with the worlds best creation, a 1/4" hex mini ratchet wrench. Total cost around £35. Check your local private hardware shops, they often carry Wera. Some bike shops can now get Wera at decent prices too thanks to Chicken opening an account with them.
I have one of the mini wera kits like above in the car, not gonna help if you shear off a spring and need to drive out 19-21mm bolts, but is going to help for annoying niggly things, trim, electronics, engine covers, kid seat brackets etc.

Cheers. In particular for helping me find out that what I'm looking for is a Bitholding Screwdriver.

Yeah, I would just use a 2x4, or whatever I could fit (I am not a builder or structural engineer). My main worry would be about pulling those bricks down, but if that's a bit of steel running under them as a sort of lintel (would be mad if there wasn't something) then I would be less concerned.

So any ideas for 'blanking' a cast iron pipe. We recently installed a new bathroom and the soil pipe enters into the top of the stack somewhere above the stack as it's pictured in the attached.

I'd failed to consider the fact that there were additional arms off the stack which terminate in the walls (and don't join anything).

After a few days of using said bathroom - there appeared a mysterious leak in the flat below. After ripping up of floors (convinced it was my bad plumbing) it turns out i'm pretty sure water must be getting into the join, flowing down it and then emptying into the wall.

Any recommendations for blanking off the arm of the cast iron? Don't want to faffing around removing it completely or cutting the main section.

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I have one of these. No sockets, but handy. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000BK7AOS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_MKY654H5NPGG3QS9R65W

Another small project, maybe more relevant in the parents thread. A Christmas present for mini_com. Started life as a second hand eBay purchase that had been put together ass backwards by the previous owner. Not then helped by me dropping it on the wall back to the car when collecting it and smashing it into a million pieces.

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That looks great, love the colours.

love the colours

Accidentally the opposite of the colours you would expect of a Northern Irishman from my particular family persuasion. Pretty sure ms_com has some ulterior Protestant heritage removal motive. Like when she wanted to name mini_com, Ira. Saying it was a traditionally Jewish name. Which I don't argue with, but spelling it to my extended family wouldn't have gone down well

That's a hell of an upgrade! Great work.

You could always have given mini_com middle names of Francesca Teresa Patricia to even things out.

I've got a length of worktop offcut that's only 12.5cm wide, but very long. I want to put a shelf up in the bedroom where I basically chop it in half, put the two pieces next to one another and put three brackets underneath.

Is there anything I'm going to need to do to join the two pieces other than some woodglue, a couple of clamps, and a flat surface while they dry?

that just took me so long to understand "put the two pieces next to one another" in a way that made sense... time for bed I think.

If both bits will be supported by the brackets, and the two surfaces to be glued will have decent, flat contact with each other, then glue will be more than enough. Biscuits/dowels/dominos would be overkill IMO and difficult to get right if it's your first attempt.

a couple of clamps

As many as you own/as many will fit along the length of the join is the correct number of clamps. If in doubt, get more clamps.

difficult to get right

+1

Unless there's a need, stick with glue.

If you're short on clamps you can add to it with string and a sort of Spanish windlass.

Kitchen looks great.

My OH used a 2nd hand ikea one to pimp. Eldest still plays with it.

Rep!

Yeah it is, doesn't seem to be the strongest of things but it does across the whole width of the chimney breast taking support from the vertical bits at the side.

Yeah just decorative and 6kg. I found some fully threaded M8 bolts yesterday but don't think the head will fit in the fitting at first inspection.

This is awesome!

My little niece has a similar (but smaller) thing and loves it.

What's that veneer you've put on?

What's that veneer you've put on?

Just some sticky backed vinyl stuff. Which is not very sticky, and a total pain in the dick.

The plinth around the base is MDF ripped out of our old built in wardrobe (as is the door with the flower on it, it was sold missing said door). The plinth was totally necessary as I smashed the fuck out of the feet when I dropped it. Had to totally redesign how the top and bottom halves are connected, as the person who put it together before, completely screwed that up and ruined all the fixings. Which was part of the reason I dropped it, it just came apart in my arms as I was carrying it. I had to be helped by a nice couple who just happened to be walking along behind me. Seeing a large hairy Irishman essentially smash a pretty pink play kitchen on the footpath, probably wasn't what they were expecting on their night out.

Hacksawed down a small tension rod for the middle curtain, which itself was from a fat quarter ms_com picked up in hobby craft about 7 years ago. Trying to not buy anything new/plastic, as we'll get enough of that from family.