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
Not everyone is cut out to be a good craftsman. They simply don’t have the patience, even if they do have the skill. Not that this stops plenty of average ones making a good living regardless. But true craftsmanship takes time to do well. It takes time to keep going back again and again, checking and re-checking the fit before being satisfied it’s as good as it can be. I actually think it’s this patience that separates the simply average from the good. This willingness and patience to keep going …
Using a Wire Brush to Really Clean the Base of the Brush (water based paints) This is a tip I got years ago from a pair of old painters in London called Tom and Jerry (no really!) and it’s one I still use today. Instead of just using your fingers to manipulate the bristles of the brush under running water try using a wire brush as well. Use the wire brush just like a hairbrush or comb. Holding the paintbrush steady in your left hand (if you’re a righty) and …
I remember my dad showing me this drilling brass trick more than 30 years ago. And who better to show you, other than the guys on the Home Model Engine Machinist forum because they really know their stuff when it comes to tricky machining jobs. Here is what Deanofid had to say about an easy way to modify a standard metal HSS drill bit to easily (and safely) drill holes in brass… Brass has a tendency to grab the sharp edge on drill bits. Bits for brass, whether drill bits …
The humble ‘cookie tin’ water heater beloved by chickens everywhere gets some new ‘bells and whistles’ this year at our place with the addition of: Double bulb setup in case one bulb fails (not bullet proof but a little better). Thermostatic control with probe. Concrete ring surround. Stone pot to better hold the heat (better than the old metal one). Raised to keep water clean. Alarm if water freezes. I was determined to improve our water heater setup this year, not only to make our life easier, but also for our very kind neighbours …
But first, let me tell you a little “how not to treat damp” story….. A few years ago I issued a £5100 invoice to a client of mine for a leaking gutter. Shocking huh! £5,000 and before you rush off and tell everyone I must be one of those cowboy builders you hear about, let me explain how ignoring damp cost him so dearly. My client had lived in his lovely old period cottage for many years but slowly the ingress of water turned his “shabby chic” cottage into, well, …
Using Old Carpet Offcuts to make Worktop Protectors Whether you call it a worktop, countertop or a benchtop, if you’re going to be working over one with tools, you’re going to need to protect it from dents and scratches. Just putting a tool like a claw hammer down gently can damage a high gloss surface and in a brand new install believe me the tiniest of flaws will be a big deal. One way to avoid damaging a worktop is to use offcuts of old carpet laid pile side down …
