Home DIY

I still have a 15kg Draper Expert breaker in the shed that was sent to me in error. I will likely never have use for it, but I do like that I have it.

I wouldn't get a battery one, if you need the whack of the SDS, you'll eat batteries. The Titan one is heavy, which means it isn't nice to use in awkward spots, but it's made easy work of everything I've thrown at it. My drill-driver in hammer mode works fine for 95% of everything else, so I'd second what @aggi suggested: cheap heavy SDS + good battery drill-driver.

Would you be interested in operating an ad hoc hire service? :P

Sure. The forum's favourite landscaper will buy it off me if he's ever this way, but I'm not averse to the odd lend until then.

Speedheater Cobra

https://www.speedheater.com/en/product/speedheater-cobra/

How big is your existing hole? I wouldn't fancy it with a core dril bit with no proper guide in the middle.

How many cables are you running. I currently have a big chunky shielded cat 8, 2 x cat 6 and 2 x RG6 COAX running through a 25mm conduit, I drilled it out with a 24x1000 and wiggled the hole a bit bigger with the drill bit.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000LFU6K8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Edited : Confirmed the drill bit I used

Anywhere particularly good / bad to buy heated towel rail / rads from? One has sprung a leak, one of a pair so probably going to need a brace of them to match.

My garage doors are arriving earlier than expected- they’re going to beat the electricity install by 2/3 weeks.

The installer has suggested that I run an extension cable out so that they can fit them, and to power the electrically driven operator until the proper power supply arrives.

My garages are near my flat, but beyond an access road that the bin lorry uses.

I’m thinking of stringing a cable between the wall of my flat and a tree that is behind the garages, and then clipping an extension cable to this so that it doesn’t run across the carriage-way at ground level, subject to getting run over and possibly caught in wheels and so on.

I have used expanding wall anchors before, but is this warranted in this case/is there a better option? Would an outdoor specific extension cable be ok, or would something else be wise?

Cables ties or string to the tree and gaffa tape?

Victorian Plumbing has been fine for me, quick delivery as well. That's for dual fuel, but got an electric-only one from Screwfix which has also been good for a couple of years now

Drive over cable protectors? Might be a bit spendy though.

Do you really need to go as big as 32mm? I have about 6 or so ethernet cables crammed through a 25mm conduit, drilled with a regular SDS bit.

Can't you use them as manual doors for 2/3 weeks? Run something on the ground for install day only.

If they're sectional doors, you can open them (from the inside) with a pull string but they're heavy as fuck. As far as I'm aware, you can't open from the outside manually.

As far as I'm aware, you can't open from the outside manually.

That sounds awkward if something like a fuse trips and the CU is inside the garage unless there is a side door somewhere.

There is a side door

I have a side door. Definitely not recommended without one! Good security if you do though.

I have a nice handle thing to wind mine manually, think I did it once, wasn't too bad

also @Polygon

Both make good sense - I returned the 32mm core drill & picked up a 25mm SDS bit instead, and now have a 25mm sleeve with a whole bunch of cable sticking through.

Hire a generator?

Thank you.

Brother has painted his garage in masonry paint, 3 coats, first coat mist coat. Wants to know how best to fill these gaps.
I said brush out any dust with a dry brush and just try and ram in as much paint as possible on an inch brush.
Obviously removing the dust is the first port of call, but is there anything wrong with just cleaning out the gaps and caulking the shit out of them, and then touching up with paint? Obviously there’s gonna be shrinkage, and I recommended buying decent caulk and leaving it for a week or so to dry fully before touching up.
He’s after a quicker fix (the ship has sailed on things like filling the cracks with mortar). But for “inside of garage” levels of finishing, is there anything more appropriate than just caulk?
@Airhead king of the fillers, what say you?

3 Attachments

If the level of finish is bodgeitandscarper then just save the hassle and leave it

I did say it’s the inside of a garage, but after making a big effort to get it painted I think he just wants the niggling bits less obvious (but also wants it to be a quick fix). I did explain that those kind of bits are always a pain to paint, and cleaning beforehand is the best strategy etc. but we are where we are, and the shortest route to the finish line is what we’re after!

I need a way of attaching / extending a sun sail.

Black chain seems the obvious choice because it won't stretch and shouldn't notice.

The sail is 5m and we do get winds. How do I go about working out what the minimum / smallest size chain I can use is?

It's got to come from wickes or tool station.

I was looking at this but wouldn't mind something thinner

https://www.toolstation.com/black-japanned-chain/p27032

Edit: Gone with 4mm wire and wire rope clamps.