Home DIY

I have some really old no name ones that work every time. Got them from a boot fair. They're just not sharp enough to cut the nail.

Clearly I am being too cautious with mine

Put a back on the mini wardrobe and used some vintage wallpaper ms_com had hoarded. Fixed the gap visible in the photo. Cut it a bit too tall, so will take a flush cut router bit to it when I'm next using the router.

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Tomorrow's job is yet more Pinterest plagiarism.

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Really lovely.

It's pretty shallow. Much deeper than that and you'll hear the unmistakable crackle and pop of a melted motor.

I used a circle cutting jig before with a less conservative depth of cut and I broke the 1/2" bit before the motor anywhere near bogged down.

Spend more if you want, but for 99% of what a DIY-er will do it's more than enough.

Point of clarity; 1/2" cutting bit on 1/4" shank.

Yeah. They weren't capable of cutting the PIR board to fit in between the rafters with a pressure fit so bought a bunch of woodscrews.

Unbelievably it has been signed off by the building control inspector (I think "presents" in manilla envelopes may have been involved). But the upstairs will be freezing in winter and boiling hot in the summer. I realised when I was there today that you can actually hear the insulation rattling about when there is a breeze from the right direction🤦.

We've agreed to go cost on labour and cost+10% on materials that I buy. That way they have complete transparency

And in Today's update from the house that bodgit and scarper construction ltd built:

I was on my way out of the door when the client asked me to see if I could recommend a way to fix the staircase. "What do you mean, its one of the few solid bits of work in here." Client said he knew that but that the half newel and the winder were meant to be tight up against the wall not 6 inches in front of it.

I wouldn't bother with the metod units as a temporary solution. They're supported at the back by a rail fixed to the wall. As a DIY effort in an old building (wall not flat and not perpendicular to the floor) I found it a pain. I solved it but you'd likely find it easier with an alternative that has "feet" both front and back.

but for 99% of what a DIY-er will do it's more than enough.

Totally agree.

I just get frustrated when my expensive units cark it because I push them too hard (I supposed when I do that it's REALLY pushing them for 1hr+). But I can't take the chance with buying cheap ones.

My girlfriend was making dinner tonight, 21:15, saw two guys walk up to our garage and start fiddling with the lock.

She pushed the window open and asked what they were doing - they said they were either meeting a friend, or getting something from a friends garage and that it was number 16. Ours is number 6.

I should have called the police then and there, but I couldn't quite believe that they were thieves.

This was A Mistake.

They went round the corner, waited a couple of minutes then came back and, as my girlfriend shouted at them and I ran down the stairs, opened the combination padlock, hoisted the door up, grabbed my girlfriends bike and did a runner. They were gone by the time I got down there - I ran round the block but they'd gone.

I called the police, they came, we got the manager of the freehold out of his flat and reviewed the CCTV - both cameras that overlook the garages had been turned on their mounts so they just covered blank fields of view (mainly wall).

So! The new garage doors need to include security as a key requirement. Although, in this case they appeared to know what the combination was, which is concerning.

Not that it is much consolation, but most combination locks can be bypassed with a shim either through the code wheels or between the shackle and the lock body. So they might not have known the code.

I know you'll do a good job of the shelves, but I've got to say it for my own piece of mind.

A girl at my mates school had a book shelf over her bed fall when she was sleeping. It totally fucked up her face.

My OH wanted to do the same, but I'm too nervous. I definitely wouldn't have the pictures precariously resting like in the Pinterest pic.

The wardrobe is great and the room looks like it's really coming together.

Really sorry to hear what happened.

Isn't this, where something like an up and over, or roller door gives you more security, as you can add bottom and side bolts plus a garage defender on the front. The lack of windows also helps.

Sorry to hear this. Re. The lock. Have a look on YouTube for the lock picking lawyer. Combination locks do not seem to offer much in the way of security.

Yeah, I am familiar with that channel. The rental company specify in the lease that you must use their supplied padlock so they can gain entry to inspect the garage/make repairs etc. Tricky now of course given that the burglar ran away with it.

Doesn’t feel very comfortable having seen just how targeted this was.

I wonder what the real world repercussions are of ignoring that are.

Wonder how many people there know the combination / have master keys?

The walls are the most recently replastered brick walls, so no danger there. I'll also be using the same fixings I used to put the twin slot shelving up with. Also, the L shape will mean that each of the "arms" will provide resistance against the other being twisted off the wall.

I just had that thought myself. Or do they share combinations out of laziness.

Really sorry to hear this. Shocking that they came back again having been spotted once.

I have a heavy duty high end combo padlock I bought for my cellar door that I found didn’t fit. You are welcome to have that if the rental company relents.