Miscellaneous DIY Projects (or bits of jobs)

[Stanley]

"Kitchen looks a lot fresher for a new lick of paint. "
That's exactly what I thought after the kids had given me a touch-up!

[PanBiker]

Getting to the end of the kitchen refresh. I gave the two window bottoms two coats of paint yesterday. Dried off nicely so I cleaned both windows inside, I need some white sealant now for the back edge of the window bottom, I'll nip down to Merrit's to get that. I'll put the brackets back up for the blinds before I run the sealant along. Will just have the blinds to clean then before they go back up. I need the whole of the dining table clear to do that though, It's presently holding stuff that we have had to move about!

[Stanley]

I've just completed a mini-task. A mere nothing to Ian and Ken but a significant thing for me to undertake....
I had a hook missing and one not connected on my kitchen curtain and the pole wasn't letting the curtain rings slide easily. My balance felt fairly good today so I got the steps out popped up on to the work top and sorted them out.
And I was doing a load of washing as well.....

[Big Kev]

I have decided to put a metal arch in the front garden here at Chez Kev. There are a few climbing rose plants which grow around some low level canes but you can't really see the roses too well. I've ordered a heavy duty, powder coated, arch from eBay, it'll give us something a bit different to look at out of the window.


I'll post some more pics once it arrives and I put it in the ground

[Big Kev]

Royal Mail delivered the arch this afternoon, it feels reasonably robust. I'll put it together in the morning and, weather permitting, set it up around the roses. Pictures will follow.

[Stanley]

The weather gods will stop heavy rain just for you Kev at around 09:00....

[Big Kev]

That'll do the job. It was a bit awkward pushing it into the ground without bending it, it claims to be heavy duty...
I just need to train the roses to climb up it now.

[Big Kev]

I am considering getting some heavier tubing to knock into the ground and secure the arch to it, it is 'flexing' a bit

[Stanley]

Think about a couple of wooden stakes Kev, rigid and easier to fasten the metal arch to....

[Big Kev]

Think about a couple of wooden stakes Kev, rigid and easier to fasten the metal arch to....

Good idea, I have some pressure treated timber in the cellar

[Big Kev]

I bought a mixer from a local charity selling page, still boxed and PAT tested, for £3. I used the dough hooks today (homemade focaccia) and the 'hooks' are oriented wrong. The spiral twist, in the hooks, should move the dough downwards (pushing it back into the bowl when kneading). These don't, they pull the dough back up towards the mixer and make a right old mess.

Looking at the mixer the hooks rotate in opposite directions to each other

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so the simple fix would be to swap the hooks into the opposite holes, unfortunately there is a fixed washer on one of the hooks so it only fits on one side (one hole is bigger)

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a few minutes with the dough hook in the cordless drill and a flat file it's sorted.

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The hooks now fit in the opposite holes and dough kneading is restored mess free. I'm presuming it's a manufacturing error, the washer was fitted on the wrong hook.

[Stanley]

Nice one Kev. I appreciate a mechanical mystery!

[Stanley]

I've just spent half an hour in the shed doing a simple little task.....
I have some extremely powerful rare earth magnets that come in very handy at times. I used to keep them stacked and stuck to the cast iron head of the vertical mill but for some reason I'd moved them and when planning a job I shall need them for in the near future I realised I didn't know where they were.
I want looking for them and when I found them wanted to stack them and put them back on the CI head of the mill. Easier said than done they are so powerful that if you have one in the grip of your fingers and get close to a solid bit of iron they fly out of your grasp. That's why such a small job took half an hour! But they are now at rest stuck to the head of the mill and I know where they are for when I need them.....

[Cathy]

Only on OG. Glad your magnets are sorted Stanley.

[Stanley]

They literally have minds of their own Cathy!



Here they are safely at rest. They are sandwiched between the two flat black plates.
Apart from anything else they can be very destructive especially to anything involving electronics.

[Big Kev]

Liam from Newtown Carpets came and fitted the new carpet on the stairs and top landing today. We compared notes in the plan and once he'd finished I set about fine tuning the oak laminate for the risers. Paulette is pleased with the end result so winners all round

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[Stanley]

I like that Kev. Never seen the risers faced like that before.... Nice one.

[Big Kev]

One of my grandsons was 11 today, he's always taken an interest in the gazebo in my garden so I built him a lean to at my son's house today for his birthday. Hopefully it'll keep him happy for a while.

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[Big Kev]

The lean to is still standing and my grandson is still using it

Yesterday's project was something I've been needing to do for about two years now. The knotty pine door, I fitted on the bedroom, has constantly bled resin through the water based paint leaving brown stains. I finally got around to sorting it with some stain blocking primer and fresh coats of undercoat and gloss. Hopefully that's sorted now.

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[Whyperion]

I thought Stain Blocker was for water / salts based causes rather than oil based ones . (is resin oil or water ??)

[Stanley]

I have always marvelled at the ability of whatever knots exude to penetrate the coats of paint above. I doubt if anything completely stops the action. You may slow it down.

[Whyperion]

there was a thick knotting compound , like polyfilla , I dont think it contained asbestos (might have done) rub down apply sand prime

[Big Kev]

I have always marvelled at the ability of whatever knots exude to penetrate the coats of paint above. I doubt if anything completely stops the action. You may slow it down.

We'll see how it goes, it's lasted longer than 'standard' water based primer/undercoat. Today's project, at middle offspring's house, involved demolition of one plasterboard wall to make a bigger bedroom from two small ones, rerouting light switches and plug sockets, removing one of the doors and frame, moving the other door and frame and putting up a new plasterboard wall at one end of the 'new' room. Taped and filled the joints, it needs to dry out now

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[Stanley]

That sounds like a bigger job than usual Kev! I have no doubt your usual standards will be maintained.....