Handymans tips, DYO

B

babyboomer

Member
Location
Oz
We, senior man, have all some tricks up our sleeve. Years ago, I had to fabricate a tool, a jig or a template, before doing a job.
Simple ideas, solutions are cheap, and efficient.
One can go to the chinese $2.00 shop, but one can do better and save $2.00.
Just yesterday, i picked up a discarded ubroken umbrella, took the wuuden handle off, and use it for my
bricklaying trowel handle.
Now i guess, you all have some ideas, please post them, it will be beneficial to all "old (F)arts handyman"
 

well, I used to cutt the bottoms off, and make lamp shades.
The fancy bottles are good for candle holders, or table lamp bases. Now I know that you are astirer, but.. I do respect your question.!
 

If you want to cut the neck of bottle
Make round circle with a handle out of fencing wire just smaller than bottle neck
Heat this ring to red hot then place it oround the bottle neck
Leave for 30 secs or so them quickly dunk bottle in tub of water
The neck will break around the heated part

Ps. sheet glass can be cut with scissors ...........Cut under tub of water
 
babyboomer said:
We, senior man, have all some tricks up our sleeve. Years ago, I had to fabricate a tool, a jig or a template, before doing a job.
Simple ideas, solutions are cheap, and efficient.
One can go to the chinese $2.00 shop, but one can do better and save $2.00.
Just yesterday, i picked up a discarded ubroken umbrella, took the wuuden handle off, and use it for my
bricklaying trowel handle.
Now i guess, you all have some ideas, please post them, it will be beneficial to all "old (F)arts handyman"
Click to expand...

Being a handy 'man' isn't just for men anymore. Saw tonight on the (US) National news that women are going into carpentry work in large numbers. Good pay is the attraction.
 
Right on Bonnie, a lot are into the auto mechanics trade now too.

I've known plenty of women who left the hubby for dead when it came to jury-rigging a quick fix for busted things.
Men tend to obsess and study it from the tradey angle while women know which drawer the duct tape is in.

I was the casual handy'man' to many of the older neighbours, even the still married ones. The bloke next door wanted to know did I know a fencer he could call because 2 palings had come loose. He apparently didn't connect that nails hold fences together and he didn't even possess a hammer! Nor I presume a screwdriver, he was the most useless man I ever knew. He drove a truck for his family transport company and so didn't even have to know anything about mechanics, nor ever changed a wheel. The repair shop did that. Everything was done by somebody else in his world.

I'd been bequeathed all the toys 'n tools from the men in the family, 3 generations of technology worth and I put most of them to use at one time or other. I loved it. I've done things from building and fitting a simple 'faux' window frame, to remortaring and tuck-pointing the front of the house. Why should the boys have all the fun? Drew the line at plumbing past tap washer level though, too weak to wield the wrench.
 
Diwundrin said:
Right on Bonnie, a lot are into the auto mechanics trade now too.

I've known plenty of women who left the hubby for dead when it came to jury-rigging a quick fix for busted things.
Men tend to obsess and study it from the tradey angle while women know which drawer the duct tape is in.

I was the casual handy'man' to many of the older neighbours, even the still married ones. The bloke next door wanted to know did I know a fencer he could call because 2 palings had come loose. He apparently didn't connect that nails hold fences together and he didn't even possess a hammer! Nor I presume a screwdriver, he was the most useless man I ever knew. He drove a truck for his family transport company and so didn't even have to know anything about mechanics, nor ever changed a wheel. The repair shop did that. Everything was done by somebody else in his world.

I'd been bequeathed all the toys 'n tools from the men in the family, 3 generations of technology worth and I put most of them to use at one time or other. I loved it. I've done things from building and fitting a simple 'faux' window frame, to remortaring and tuck-pointing the front of the house. Why should the boys have all the fun? Drew the line at plumbing past tap washer level though, too weak to wield the wrench.
Click to expand...


I enjoy working with lumber and nails and making projects, like my big raised garden bed. I'm learning more as I go.
I do 'non-essential' building all the time ...:D
I draw the line at plumbing and electrical issues that are more than surface deep .. I stay out of the walls. ..
Plumbing is something that causes me the most concern, because what looks like something simple can become major with the twist of a wrench, like those little leaks that seem non-threatening until you start messing with them.

You mentioned auto mechanics .. reminds me of my tiny aunt who had polio as a child, and was on crutches most of her life. She went to auto mechanic school and learned all the tricks of the trade!! She could work under the hood of her car, change all the fluids, tires, batteries. It was amazing to watch her in action. She really learned her stuff.
And if one of the guys in the family tried to help her, she would hit them over the head with one of her crutches! .. and that happened many times. .. You didn't want to mess with her!
 
Ido plumbing and electrical, still got my electricians licence.
Need an electrician, call electrician1
Need a plumber, still call an electrician!!
 
The dam was my biggest project, especially since I'd never worked with rock and mortar before. I've done many projects in both wood and metal. I do most of the repairs to all our mowers and other equipment. I've also built several raised garden beds.

I was a tool & Die maker for 39 years and I miss having all the machinery to make things with. I have all my hand tools and measuring instruments but lathes and milling machines would sure be handy to have.

A welder is another thing that would be useful around here.

I've done a bit of plumbing and electrical too.
 
dbeyat45 said:
Someone please post a tip on what I can do with empty wine bottles. ;)
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In our hippie days we used to melt different-colored candle over them and consider ourselves artists. ;)

- Break them on your front stairs to discourage the Watchtower folks?

- Take three of them at a time and learn to juggle?

- Take two of them, hold the small ends up to your eyes and yell out "LAND HO!!!" ?
 
In those days, we used a brandy or cognac bottle as a candle holder.to different coloured candles wax was dripping over brandy bottle, and creating a beautifull candle holder.
 
I love doing the handyman stuff. I still get nervous around a table saw, but Love my mitre saw. My theory is that if something is broken that I'd have to hire a handyman for, I'll try it myself first. Worst thing that can happen is that I luck out and fix it. If not, I'm not any further behind.

I've taken two different woodworking courses over the years and have collected a lot of tools.
 
TICA said:
... I still get nervous around a table saw ...
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I remember my dad's table saw in his little shop in the basement of our house. It was like this cast-iron monster waiting to devour me. Every time he turned it on it would emit this horrifying screech - you'd hear the echo of the blade going "TING", then slowly building up it's deadly speed, waiting for the first innocent little kid to wander by.

The air would be filled with the sweet, slightly burnt smell of pine and maple, and the small bits of wood left over would serve as new toys for me. Unfortunately these bastard children of the Cast-Iron Monster held their own surprises - hidden claws that would rip my flesh asunder! Since when does any normal toy cause such loss of blood?!?

I also remember hearing Dad huffing and puffing before and after using the saw. The CIM lived in a little cave beneath some wall cabinets and was pulled out to perform its multiple homicides, then pushed back after the deed was done. No wheels - that would be too soft! CIM demanded his slave to pull him wherever he went.

The house lights would dim whenever CIM was performing his misdeeds, much like the prison lights in those old B&W films with Jimmie Cagney whenever Old Sparky was lit up. As in those movies, whenever the house lights dimmed you just knew another soul had been claimed.

Damn you, CIM! May you rust in Hell!
 

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