robthehermit
Junior Member
Subjectively amusing
Posts: 2,462
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Post by robthehermit on Jul 25, 2023 15:26:08 GMT
Electrician can't get here until 1st August, so I guess I'm sitting in the dark until then.
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Post by Dougs on Jul 25, 2023 15:36:20 GMT
It's probably just a loose or faulty connection. Buy another one in case it's dodgy and have a bash at rewiring it again.
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robthehermit
Junior Member
Subjectively amusing
Posts: 2,462
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Post by robthehermit on Jul 26, 2023 8:26:55 GMT
That's what the sparky said, but Mrs Hermit doesn't trust me not to burn the house down.
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Jul 26, 2023 8:41:56 GMT
Meh just do it I say.
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Post by Dougs on Jul 26, 2023 11:14:23 GMT
Me too. Just make sure the connections are proper tight.
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EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,150 
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Post by EMarkM on Jul 28, 2023 20:00:05 GMT
Quick question, which you will all assume I know the answer to, but I really don’t:
When you have an electrical smart meter fitted (meter is accessed from outside the property), does the engineer need access to the internal consumer unit?
Ours is in a twat of a place, behind the little ‘un’s bed, and I dread it every time we need to get to it.
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Post by Zuluhero on Jul 29, 2023 1:30:13 GMT
In theory no, they'll turn the power off from the mains and basically just replace your old meters with the smart one (takes around 30-60mins).
I guess they might ask to check your consumer when they turn it all back on though, just to make sure nothing has tripped and everything is still ok.
Sounds like a weird place for it incidentally 😅
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EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,150
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Post by EMarkM on Jul 29, 2023 11:58:01 GMT
Cheers, Zulu.
I had always wondered if someone could turn your mains power off from outside; sounds like a bit of a risk!
And yes, consumer unit in a properly awkward position. It’s an upside down house, with sleeping and bath at ground floor; open plan living and kitchen upstairs.
The whole place is a bloody nuisance, quite frankly: not my choice!
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Jul 29, 2023 12:55:03 GMT
Lots of upside down houses down where we are, seafront town quite hilly, never really liked them either, glad we found a 'normal' house when we were looking.
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Post by Zuluhero on Jul 29, 2023 14:18:57 GMT
EMarkMI don't think there is a switch outside, you might be able to do it from the main fuse, but I think they actually cut you off from the grid, like they isolate your house completely. I'm not 100% on the consumer, they might still ask you to pull the main breaker. But in theory they don't need to, the consumer is further down the line, so even if it's off there is still live electricity going to the main board, which is where your meter is. As far as I know each bit is 'owned' by different people, and you can't just tamper with the bit that's not yours, so main fuse is national grid, meter is electric supplier and consumer unit is yours.
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EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
Posts: 2,150
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Post by EMarkM on Jul 29, 2023 19:25:02 GMT
Ah, smashing – that definitely makes sense.
I'll find out in a couple of weeks...
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Post by damagedinc on Aug 2, 2023 11:06:05 GMT
Bit random but dunno if any of you can help.
We picked up some plated brass kitchen handles for very cheap second hand. They're perfect but just a bit shiny.
Because its plated making them look "darker" or "antique" or at least less shiny.
Anyone done something similar or know about putting varnishes/paint on plated metal etc.
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nexus6
Junior Member
Posts: 2,527
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 2, 2023 11:10:24 GMT
Burnishing fluid?
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razz
New Member
PSN Razztafarai
Posts: 864
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Post by razz on Aug 2, 2023 11:20:30 GMT
Vinegar and salt mixed will burnish brass quite quickly
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Post by damagedinc on Aug 2, 2023 11:34:12 GMT
Thankyou.
Would burnishing liquid be too strong for plated metal?
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Aug 5, 2023 19:11:44 GMT
Managed to get into the workshop this afternoon to carry on with Billy Bookcase hack, after about half an hour the sander packed up so off to Screwfix for a replacement, then upon returning the youngest announced how bored he was and could we do some DIY so I spent the next hour or so cutting up and prepping old bits of drawers etc so he could make a wooden box, at least now he can (in principle) use a workbench, mark positions for hole drilling, drill a hole, change the bits in a chuck, countersink and screw screws in with a driver, albeit with a little assistance from yours truly.
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geefe
Full Member
Short for Zangief
Posts: 8,323
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Post by geefe on Aug 6, 2023 8:20:52 GMT
Great skills.
I probably need a new kitchen but the whole thing needs redoing, really. I don't really use it much and have done a good look at what I have. I doubt even wall units would be necessary. Also, I can never actually reach some of the top stuff so I don't make good use of them.
Outside of plastering and getting a couple of new sockets put in, for someone who has put up a garden fence, made a small gate out of a pallet and done some replacing of pipes/ plumbing stuff - is self building the kitchen units within my power?
Installation looked about the same cost as the actual kitchen.
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Aug 6, 2023 9:00:49 GMT
I would say so, I think with a kitchen it's really lots of preplanning and attention to detail and not rushing. If you're OK with plumbing that's a bonus as it saves on getting a plumber, electrics and/or gas are the other beasties, gas obligatory obviously. Worktops is the other biggy and getting a decent contractor in to do the worktops would make a lot of sense to me.
I've vaguely been toying with redoing our kitchen but I'm really slow and with a family needing a kitchen all the time that's not a great combo. I think I'd probably get a B&Q kitchen if I was to DIY as I know I can (usually) nip out and get any additional part or replacement very easily. Note I would never recommend getting B&Q to fit a kitchen they are absolutely awful for fitting.
I would add that kitchens, a bit like windows is all about the fitting, a cheap kitchen fitted really well will be far better than an expensive kitchen fitted poorly.
Now, enough of this procrastinating looking at my phone and get on with these bloody Billy bookcases!
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Post by Zuluhero on Aug 6, 2023 9:28:48 GMT
Good life skills there, well done for imparting some knowledge. Stuff like that is really useful, even if you're just putting together flat pack furniture. And it gives you a confidence that will last a life time.
Parenting achievement unlocked ⭐
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Post by Dougs on Aug 6, 2023 10:46:08 GMT
Finally replaced the kitchen tap, with remarkably few issues (once I located a pipe cutter). One of the compression joints isn't brilliant but will do. No longer being spat at in the face! \o/
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Post by damagedinc on Aug 6, 2023 11:03:44 GMT
I would say so, I think with a kitchen it's really lots of preplanning and attention to detail and not rushing. If you're OK with plumbing that's a bonus as it saves on getting a plumber, electrics and/or gas are the other beasties, gas obligatory obviously. Worktops is the other biggy and getting a decent contractor in to do the worktops would make a lot of sense to me. I've vaguely been toying with redoing our kitchen but I'm really slow and with a family needing a kitchen all the time that's not a great combo. I think I'd probably get a B&Q kitchen if I was to DIY as I know I can (usually) nip out and get any additional part or replacement very easily. Note I would never recommend getting B&Q to fit a kitchen they are absolutely awful for fitting. I would add that kitchens, a bit like windows is all about the fitting, a cheap kitchen fitted really well will be far better than an expensive kitchen fitted poorly. Now, enough of this procrastinating looking at my phone and get on with these bloody Billy bookcases! I'm currently putting a 2nd hand kitchen at our house. I would defo advise against doing that. It's cheap granted, but a right faff getting units in that arnt designed for your space. Saying that though, with my minimal skills I've done it and it's ended up really nice. Took my time and it's worked out. All units of facebay, splashbacks and worktop brand new. All in reckon cost about 1k. The amount of time and stress though especially with kids something to consider. So I reckon a measured "flatpack" kitchen defo within your reach. |
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nexus6
Junior Member
Posts: 2,527
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 6, 2023 11:45:45 GMT
There will be places that do the carcasses already made up. Saves time and faff and the quality is much higher.
Sometimes you need a trade account right enough.
As with everything, it’s the detail that counts - get the finish right and its 10x better
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Post by Dougs on Aug 8, 2023 12:01:00 GMT
3 years after removing the plaster off the dining room wall, we are finally getting around to stripping off what is left of the plaster (with a wire brush attachment to a drill). Holy fuck, the dust. Room is sealed off, everything covered etc, still gets everywhere. And my hand won't stop shaking. We were going to use hydrochloric acid dilute but got a bit scared. Can cope with dust, not burns.
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Frog
Full Member
Posts: 7,279
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Post by Frog on Aug 8, 2023 12:07:01 GMT
I originally read damaged as saying he is putting in a second kitchen and thought what the fuck is he doing that for!.
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Tomo
Junior Member
Posts: 3,493
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Post by Tomo on Aug 8, 2023 12:42:26 GMT
There is dust in our loft room from work done 2 floors down... It's insane. Builders dust is an entirely different form of substance, some higher combination of liquid/solid/gas that can move outside the laws of physics and go through other solid materials.
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minimatt
Junior Member
hyper mediocrity
Posts: 1,684
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Post by minimatt on Aug 16, 2023 11:19:20 GMT
Made a bench. Took a rough guide for angles and dimensions from a Cornell Uni ergonomics thing and - with apologies to Herman Miller and that old waffle iron you've got at the back of your kitchen cupboard - came up with the plan: No plan survives contact with the enemy, and no thin wall box section steel survives contact with my arc welding skills without suffering bloody great molten holes. So until my skills improve (ha!) or I can justify a mig welder (ha!) I knocked up the legs with 3x2 timber stained black instead. Also went with five of the short stays on the seat & back instead of six as during construction I realised six looked too busy. As this is just a prototype the seat and back are almost entirely left over treated 2x1. Don't imagine it'll last more than 10 years really, but didn't want to spend money on hardwood. Cutting all the stays was a pain in the arse, would be much quicker, easier, and produce better joints, if I'd made a guide bush template first: Dry fitting and when it came to glueing, yes, I did manage to glue it to the bench: If you're thinking "that looks like it'd be a pain in the arse to varnish" I'd ask where the fuck were you before I started this cursed bastard thing? Anyway, made two of them. Swearing throughout. And finally stuck it all together: The good: It's really really sturdy without looking too chonk, that herman miller design imparts a lot of strength and having two of them in different planes means it doesn't rack from side to side either. Dimensions and angles worked well and it's comfy.
The bad: without tailored tooling or templating it's a real pain in the arse to build by eye and there's definitely an optimum order of assembly and finishing that I didn't get right so it took too much time. The very very bad: I bollocksed up one of the legs and introduced a twist which necessitates a ~1cm wedge under one of the feet to keep it level. Really pissing annoying and means when/if I get round to building v2 with steel legs and iroko/similar seat & back, this prototype will be destined for firewood rather than getting tidie up & donated to the local housing charity.
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mrpon
Junior Member
Posts: 3,737
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Post by mrpon on Aug 16, 2023 11:24:04 GMT
Amazing! Just don't sit on it naked.
/winces
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Aug 16, 2023 11:43:09 GMT
Awesome, I can't go anywhere near that kind of joinery my joints would look absolute shite.
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Vortex
Full Member
Harvey Weinstein's Tattered Penis
is apparently a mangina.
Posts: 5,400
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Post by Vortex on Aug 16, 2023 12:16:39 GMT
Amazing! Just don't sit on it naked. /winces 😂 The ikea 'plummstretcher' v. 1.0 |
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mrpon
Junior Member
Posts: 3,737
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Post by mrpon on Aug 16, 2023 13:01:11 GMT
For future ref matt, plz don't use the word "bollocks" in the same sentence as "twist"
Cheers.
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