Miscellaneous DIY Projects (or bits of jobs)

[PanBiker]

I thought I would start this thread for bits of jobs that don't fit into other major project slots like Kitchen Refurb and other bigger projects.

My offering today was completing the install of Sally's new tomato growing propagator that we have in the back yard. Our old one dropped in bits, (as they do) so we got another one from Aldi. I have to say that it is very good quality and a much better cover than the previous one which we bought from a garden centre. We had built the frame up the other week and it was waiting for me to secure it to the wall so it wont blow away. One fault with all of these small propagators is that there is no inbuilt system for securing it to a wall. To this end I made a couple of aluminium brackets yesterday, similar to an open P clip. Simple enough but OK as you have to secure the unit with the cover installed over the frame. The clamps basically grip the frame and cover and hold it tight to the wall. It only needed one at each side but it will stop it catching the wind which has happened in the past when the unit is empty. and no weight in the bottom to hold it down. Ready to rock now with a triple tomato plant grow bag.

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[Big Kev]

Self powered wireless doorbell fitted, very impressed with the functionality. Hopefully it'll stand the test of time.
The transmitter (bell push) has it's own 'generator' that creates the signal to activate the two receivers, these are plugged into a standard 230v socket at either end of the house.

[PanBiker]

My one and a half sink in the kitchen sprang a leak. Went under the sink where we keep the cat food and there was a pool of water in the bottom of the unit!. Traced it to the half bowl waste outlet where the seal had gone under the compression washer for the top plug retainer. Pulled it all in bits and found that the silicon bead had failed along with the fibre washer immediately under the drain top. Went to see Colin at Redmond's but he didn't have anything near the right sized seal, neither did the lads at B&D.

Checked that I had a new tube of clear sealant which I did but couldn't find my mastic gun. Looked in all my toolboxes and the decorating box where I keep the sealant's but can I find it? Nowt for it but a trip to B&Q. All civilised on there you have to take a sanitised trolley even if you just want a washer, it acts as a spacer from other customers. I asked one of the ops if you could get the seals separately but apparently not. You have to buy a full plumbing in kit to get the right bits. So it was, I picked up a new mastic gun and a new reel of PTFE tape. One failing at the store all exits to the tills are closed off bar one. the tiny sign for finding the right temporary exit isle isn't big enough. Anyway all the job lot was less than £8.00 so better than constant waste water ingress to the unit below.

Anyway all the bits cleaned up and any old remnants of sealer, left it to dry off while I did the run to B&Q. Had a bit of lunch and a brew and then set to rebuilding the outlet. Plenty of new sealant and everything bedded down.



Will have to try and resist using the half sink until the sealant has cured, it's very useful and gets used a lot. I put most of my original bits back as the sink is a 1.5, I may need some of the other stuff for the main bowl in the future. It's eating nowt as they say.

[chinatyke]

Job done properly for less than 8 quid. Well done. And some spare parts for future use! Hope you've got a treasure chest like Stanley!

[plaques]

Still in its aspiration stage. A hand rail for the big rough steps at the bottom of the garden. Did a rough sketch of the steps yesterday, looked at the website for North Valley Forge for material and picked up all the iron work necessary to make a custom built job today. £115 spent so I'm committed to finishing it sometime. An indoor wet weather job, other than a coat of paint to stop it going rusty that's it until summer arrives.

[Stanley]

My treasure chest has PTFE tape and lots of different joint compounds Ian if you ever feel the need.

[plaques]

Garden steps hand rail has been one of those wet weather jobs which has been on the less than urgent list for 30 odd years. Today I can proudly announce that the project is finished and confirmed as acceptable by Mrs P walking up and down the steps which is something she has avoided for years.
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The fancy bits were bought as oddments from Valley Forge and all I had to do was weld extensions on until they fitted the height of the frame. The general framework was just cut, bend and weld to make it functional.

[Marilyn]

Beautiful...really beautiful!

[Cathy]

Ditto

[Stanley]

Well done Ken. So you'll be on hot dinners for a while? It looks good and I can understand Mrs P not using the steps. A hand rail makes all the difference, not to hang on too but just to touch as it calibrates your sense of balance just having something to run your hand on. In my youth I didn't need it but I do now. Great improvement.
Question is, what do you do for an encore?

[Big Kev]

Nice job.

[Big Kev]

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That'll do the job, needs another coat of paint but it needs to stop raining first

[PanBiker]

Looks good Kev.

[plaques]

Its surprising how much wood you need for a project like that. Just getting all the spindles the right length is no easy task. A lot more work than meets the eye. A good job all round, Well done Kev.

[Marilyn]

What is it? A sun deck/BBQ deck above a garage? ( you lot are good at packing things into small spaces)

[Stanley]

So you are on hot dinners as well Kev. There are advantages to being locked down.... (Dry weather forecast so crack on with finishing touches!)

[Big Kev]

What is it? A sun deck/BBQ deck above a garage? ( you lot are good at packing things into small spaces)

I suppose it could be described as a sun deck, the rest of the yard is on a slope (the car is parked on half of it). There's a retaining wall built up to level it off and a concrete base on top. It's about 13ft x 8ft and about 5ft higher than the level by the back door. The fence is to stop small children falling (or jumping) off.

[Big Kev]

Its surprising how much wood you need for a project like that. Just getting all the spindles the right length is no easy task. A lot more work than meets the eye. A good job all round, Well done Kev.

Thank you, an electric mitre saw, with an 'end stop' made the spindle cutting a relatively easy task

[Big Kev]

So you are on hot dinners as well Kev. There are advantages to being locked down.... (Dry weather forecast so crack on with finishing touches!)

Back doing paid work at the moment, no time for DIY until Sunday. Second coat of paint is pencilled in...

[Stanley]

[Big Kev]

Looks good Kev.

[Big Kev]

Second coat of paint went on this morning in the sunshine. I've fitted a solar powered led light on the south facing side, this lights up the steps when movement activated. It was lower down, on the kitchen wall, but didn't get enough light in the winter months to charge the battery. Hopefully it's new location will charge it for longer, it was in full sun until around 2:30 this afternoon.

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[Stanley]

[Big Kev]

I replaced the 4ft fluorescent light in the cellar today with a 5ft LED batten. I can't believe the difference it's made, much brighter.

[Stanley]

That was my reaction when I changed the lights in the kitchen and shed from fluorescent to LED Kev. Single units instead of double but twice the light. My Sparks told me they are non-serviceable but he said that was no problem as he had never seen one fail. One of the great promises perhaps but so far so good. Brilliant light and instantaneous.