How to Develop Practical Knowledge

Behind the scenes and deep in the sub-conscious, your mind is a swirl of inputs as it views the physical world around you. Going about your business, your brain is aware of thousands of things; from the horizon in the far distance to the airplane high above your head, and yes, even that little bird in the bush. It’s like data pouring into a supercomputer, and like a supercomputer, there is an algorithm. A set of parameters the brain uses to sift through all this data to determine what’s important …

The Shortest Route is Not Always the Best Route…

Going though photographs this week as I continue the photo shoot for the book and found this classic drainpipe. It was not on a modest house either but on a rather grand manor house, although admittedly on the back side. Fortunately we were modifying and adding to the drains in the area to better serve a new, larger kitchen so we were able to give the poor guttering a better down-pipe to help the rain water find it’s way to the correct place… Stay well  Ian  

The Repair Manifesto

Ifixit are leaders in tech tear-downs and finding out what’s easy to fix and whats going to trip you up. Here is their brilliant manifesto which you can download and print out at home, or generously they will send you a 11″x17″ poster if you just cover the cost of shipping. Order or download your ifixit manifesto here, (will ship worldwide). Here it is in all it’s magnificence… Stay well Ian

Fill 2017 with DIY projects

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you’re already planning lots of fun things to make, renovate or improve in 2017. A new year often brings new enthusiasm to finish off forgotten projects or start new ones and Yay! for that… I’ll be right here this year helping you along with tips and tricks, so don’t forget to get in touch if you get stuck, other wise make sure you’re subscribed to the newsletter or following me on facebook etc. I’m busy too this year, finishing off my ‘big’ book so don’t …

New website in the making: please excuse the dust…

Right, time to get this started! Bear with me over the next few days as I hammer together a brand new website! Like any DIY project, I’m sure it will have its hurdles to overcome. Wish me luck (I’d rather be using real nails lol!). Some parts of the site might not be accessible for a while. Any problems with something specific, feel free to get in touch via email 🙂 Ian

Your Consumer Experience Matters to Companies

If there’s a wrong way to do something, you can bet a consumer (that’s us) will find it. Even if it’s totally your fault because you didn’t spend enough time studying the instructions, you’re still likely to blame the company. This is why companies like IKEA spend fortunes producing instructions to ensure you get it right first time, after all, the end result is their reputation, not yours. But here’s the thing, don’t just grumble about it, reach out. Because we are so diverse, our opinion matters, it has a …

The Smart Place to Buy Tools

Planning ahead can save you a lot of money when it comes to buying tools. Because you can now buy directly from China, which lets face it, is where most of these tools are being made after all. Now I don’t recommend this for all of your tools, because you won’t be able to buy well known brands. Save this tip for the tools you’ll not be using every day or where the slightly poorer materials won’t matter too much, or of course, if you’re on a tight budget. For example; …