Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “DIY”
This tip is probably one of the first things a new carpenter or builder will learn on site when pulling out big nails during a demolition job. As you might have already found out, big nails can be pretty tough to pull out and this is all to do with the friction added by pulling the nail at the wrong angle. This can pretty much lock the nail in place and you’ll need a lot of force to wrench it free. Fortunately here is a simple solution. Using a claw …
…Because they don’t make em! Shocking huh? But making bearings is so specialized that machine manufacturers outsource their bearings from one of the handful of bearing manufacturers worldwide. This means the bearings in your machine are most likely a standard size and finding replacements is a cinch. Plus you’ll only pay for the actual bearing, no ‘middle man’ mark up whatsoever, result! Here’s how to find out what bearings you need without going to the machines manufacturer It’s really simple, all you need is a magnifying glass to read the tiny …
I’ve had a packet of SUGRU in my fridge (it lasts longer stored at 5 degrees) for a while just waiting for a reason to use it. Why so long? Well, SUGRU allows you to do stuff that was not easily done in the home workshop before, so it takes a while to include it in your mental inventory of ‘possible solutions’. So, this week when I picked up an old pair of secateurs and the broken, jagged edges on the plastic handles bit into my skin again, I eventually …
When I looked down at my shredded glove I hesitated to take it off, because I couldn’t even feel my fingers and I was afraid of what I might find. We probably all remember from our school tech. classes not to wear a tie when using a lathe etc., but ties are not the only clothing you need to watch carefully when working with power tools. I was unfortunate enough to have an accident this week wearing gloves, yes the very same gloves I was wearing to protect my hands! I don’t …
Or not, as I found out this week….. I get asked to do all sorts of different things during the course of a working week, some familiar and a significant amount of stuff I’ve never done before. But this week I got stuck because I didn’t practice what I preach. A vertical blind was my undoing. I’ve seen them a hundred times, but obviously never really looked at them, never figured out how they work or how they go together. And what did I get asked to modify and fit …
With a pair of needle nose pliers We all like to keep leftover paint after a painting project for those ‘just in case’ moments and touch-ups; the problem is that years might pass before you need them again. This often means lids that have ‘welded’ themselves on tight with dried paint, (especially if you didn’t wipe away the paint from the lid/rim before closing it and you forgot to turn the tin upside down). Levering around the edge with a screwdriver just mangles the lids edges, leaving nothing to lever …
Every paint manufacturer recommends that prior to applying new paint you thoroughly prepare the old paintwork by cleaning and then sanding to provide a ‘key’. But most people seem to think you don’t need to bother too much with paint preparation anymore. Especially as it’s hard work (to do properly), tedious, boring and not very glamourous, especially when compared to the lovely feeling of sliding on that fresh paint. The problem with skimping on preparation is that your great looking finish just won’t last. Paint preparation is all about adhesion and without …
