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Dopey DIY....
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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So, I've just taken on some electrical DIY and changed the broken light pull in my bathroom without managing to fry myself. Pleased with my handy work and beaming with pride, I turned the breaker back on and pulled my shiny new string for the first time....
Only to find out that it was actually the light bulbs that needed replacing 
Anyone else had any dopey DIY moments over lockdown?  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"So, I've just taken on some electrical DIY and changed the broken light pull in my bathroom without managing to fry myself. Pleased with my handy work and beaming with pride, I turned the breaker back on and pulled my shiny new string for the first time....
Only to find out that it was actually the light bulbs that needed replacing
Anyone else had any dopey DIY moments over lockdown? "
Class!  |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"So, I've just taken on some electrical DIY and changed the broken light pull in my bathroom without managing to fry myself. Pleased with my handy work and beaming with pride, I turned the breaker back on and pulled my shiny new string for the first time....
Only to find out that it was actually the light bulbs that needed replacing
Anyone else had any dopey DIY moments over lockdown?
Class! "
I was so disappointed as it dawned on me  |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"haha!
I repainted my kitchen cupboards but forgot to get sandpaper so I sanded them with emery boards. I mean, it was lockdown, I had the time  ."
A true labour of love |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"haha!
I repainted my kitchen cupboards but forgot to get sandpaper so I sanded them with emery boards. I mean, it was lockdown, I had the time ."
What was the end result like? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"haha!
I repainted my kitchen cupboards but forgot to get sandpaper so I sanded them with emery boards. I mean, it was lockdown, I had the time .
What was the end result like? "
Perfect! Pretty chuffed with myself |
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By *ankie303Woman
over a year ago
Weirdsville South Coast Dorset |
"So, I've just taken on some electrical DIY and changed the broken light pull in my bathroom without managing to fry myself. Pleased with my handy work and beaming with pride, I turned the breaker back on and pulled my shiny new string for the first time....
Only to find out that it was actually the light bulbs that needed replacing
Anyone else had any dopey DIY moments over lockdown? "
Iv done this with a light switch before. Turned out the first bulb I replaced the blown 1 with didn't work....after I changed the switch as well |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"haha!
I repainted my kitchen cupboards but forgot to get sandpaper so I sanded them with emery boards. I mean, it was lockdown, I had the time .
What was the end result like?
Perfect! Pretty chuffed with myself "
Good stuff, all that rubbing paid off! |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"So, I've just taken on some electrical DIY and changed the broken light pull in my bathroom without managing to fry myself. Pleased with my handy work and beaming with pride, I turned the breaker back on and pulled my shiny new string for the first time....
Only to find out that it was actually the light bulbs that needed replacing
Anyone else had any dopey DIY moments over lockdown?
Iv done this with a light switch before. Turned out the first bulb I replaced the blown 1 with didn't work....after I changed the switch as well"
I'm so glad I'm not the only one! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"haha!
I repainted my kitchen cupboards but forgot to get sandpaper so I sanded them with emery boards. I mean, it was lockdown, I had the time ."
That's amazing!!!   |
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By *aver999Couple
over a year ago
East Mids |
Many years ago decided to put laminate flooring down in the hallway. Measured up, went to the local DIY store purchased nice quality oak flooring, left it to acclimatize for a few days ...
Pulled back the corner of the carpet to start and found a lovely dark wood floor already there
Luckily the DIY store took back the expensive laminate. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"Many years ago decided to put laminate flooring down in the hallway. Measured up, went to the local DIY store purchased nice quality oak flooring, left it to acclimatize for a few days ...
Pulled back the corner of the carpet to start and found a lovely dark wood floor already there
Luckily the DIY store took back the expensive laminate."
I'd call that amazing luck! |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I took the u bend off the basin in my old house . It's still off as I couldn't get it back on....DIY fail."
Oh dear, I nearly failed at this the other week! I think I should just stick with putting shelves up! |
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"I took the u bend off the basin in my old house . It's still off as I couldn't get it back on....DIY fail."
U traps are a pain at best of times to fit.
More than anything many people strip the plastic threads on them by over tightening them up.
when there supposed to be hand tight and sealed to the rubber. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I've done a lot of DIY over the years. Can't say I've made any major blunders
... Well, being over zealous with chiseling plaster only to discover the mains water pipe was buried in the plaster; and this was on a Sunday evening close to B&Q closing time, to buy new piping.  "
Oh believe me, I put a nail straight through a gas pipe securing a loose floorboard a few years ago! I should not be allowed tools! |
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By *ad steMan
over a year ago
Southport |
I made a projection screen for my living room the material screen is fine but clearly I didn't put enough support in the right places and now it's a little bit wonky donkey but I think I just out of character |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"I made a projection screen for my living room the material screen is fine but clearly I didn't put enough support in the right places and now it's a little bit wonky donkey but I think I just out of character "
If it works, it works! I never said my shelves are straight! |
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By *ad steMan
over a year ago
Southport |
"Whacked a nail into a squeaky floorboard and got sprayed with water from a pipe below. Carefully put my cowboy hat on and fixed the leak with a wood screw and some superglue  "
That's impressive super glue is water-based though eventually I would get some mastic and give it a good coating in that as well which Bosch Bosch |
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"Whacked a nail into a squeaky floorboard and got sprayed with water from a pipe below. Carefully put my cowboy hat on and fixed the leak with a wood screw and some superglue
That's impressive super glue is water-based though eventually I would get some mastic and give it a good coating in that as well which Bosch Bosch"
I moved house instead, problem solved |
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By *ad steMan
over a year ago
Southport |
"Whacked a nail into a squeaky floorboard and got sprayed with water from a pipe below. Carefully put my cowboy hat on and fixed the leak with a wood screw and some superglue
That's impressive super glue is water-based though eventually I would get some mastic and give it a good coating in that as well which Bosch Bosch
I moved house instead, problem solved "
Yup that will do it |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I took the u bend off the basin in my old house . It's still off as I couldn't get it back on....DIY fail."
Minnie, do you need a (socially distant) hand sorting it? We're currently redoing our bathroom, so have got a few spare bits and a lot of the right tools- looks like we're not too far from you! |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"Whacked a nail into a squeaky floorboard and got sprayed with water from a pipe below. Carefully put my cowboy hat on and fixed the leak with a wood screw and some superglue
That's impressive super glue is water-based though eventually I would get some mastic and give it a good coating in that as well which Bosch Bosch
I moved house instead, problem solved
Yup that will do it"
I'm impressed by the level of commitment! |
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By *r.HMan
over a year ago
A gentleman never tells |
Fuel gauge wasn't working on my motorbike, instantly thought it was the fuel level sender, removed it, replaced it, still not working Turns out one of the wires on the back of the gague had worked itself loose, re-connected the wore and everything is back as it should be |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"Fuel gauge wasn't working on my motorbike, instantly thought it was the fuel level sender, removed it, replaced it, still not working Turns out one of the wires on the back of the gague had worked itself loose, re-connected the wore and everything is back as it should be "
It's always the simple fixes that trip us up! |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"Fuel gauge wasn't working on my motorbike, instantly thought it was the fuel level sender, removed it, replaced it, still not working Turns out one of the wires on the back of the gague had worked itself loose, re-connected the wore and everything is back as it should be
It's always the simple fixes that trip us up! "
I once rebuilt two drive shafts for my VW type 2 camper to try and cure a knock. Turned out my wheel was loose and fell off! True story! |
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A guy i used to know told me he'd blew up the engine in his MG Montego & asked me to take him to the car auction so he could buy another Montego or Meastro to replace the engine & have a supply of spares, we were fortunate enough to find a slightly battered Montego with the same size engine so he bought it, we got it back to his place and parked it next to the car with a dead engine & lifted the bonnets to compare them both to make sure we had the right engine. Thats when i noticed his cam belt had snapped on the 'dead' engine, with it being a 'non-collision' engine i replaced the snapped belt with the belt from the donor car and it was as running within 20 minutes. I told him to buy a new belt an replace it ASAP as a precaution. In his wisdom he didnt follow my advice and drove around for a few weeks, until the 2nd hand cam belt snapped... as he was passing a Ford dealership, he went into the dealership and got them to replace the cam belt and got charged a fortune to replace the £15 belt and a variety of other things they claimed were faulty.
Not so much a funny story, but an example of fixing a simple problem in a hard and expensive way. Did he learn?.. nope... a few years later he had an Astra and after a service he was advised to replace the cam belt, again he ignored the advice and it snapped causing catastrophic damage to the engine. |
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By *r.HMan
over a year ago
A gentleman never tells |
"Fuel gauge wasn't working on my motorbike, instantly thought it was the fuel level sender, removed it, replaced it, still not working Turns out one of the wires on the back of the gague had worked itself loose, re-connected the wore and everything is back as it should be
It's always the simple fixes that trip us up!
I once rebuilt two drive shafts for my VW type 2 camper to try and cure a knock. Turned out my wheel was loose and fell off! True story! "
|
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"A guy i used to know told me he'd blew up the engine in his MG Montego & asked me to take him to the car auction so he could buy another Montego or Meastro to replace the engine & have a supply of spares, we were fortunate enough to find a slightly battered Montego with the same size engine so he bought it, we got it back to his place and parked it next to the car with a dead engine & lifted the bonnets to compare them both to make sure we had the right engine. Thats when i noticed his cam belt had snapped on the 'dead' engine, with it being a 'non-collision' engine i replaced the snapped belt with the belt from the donor car and it was as running within 20 minutes. I told him to buy a new belt an replace it ASAP as a precaution. In his wisdom he didnt follow my advice and drove around for a few weeks, until the 2nd hand cam belt snapped... as he was passing a Ford dealership, he went into the dealership and got them to replace the cam belt and got charged a fortune to replace the £15 belt and a variety of other things they claimed were faulty.
Not so much a funny story, but an example of fixing a simple problem in a hard and expensive way. Did he learn?.. nope... a few years later he had an Astra and after a service he was advised to replace the cam belt, again he ignored the advice and it snapped causing catastrophic damage to the engine."
You think you'd learn the first time! |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
Thank you for your stories, I'm glad I'm not the only doughnut! I'm going to try and replace a tap soon, I'll let you know how badly I flood the house! |
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"A guy i used to know told me he'd blew up the engine in his MG Montego & asked me to take him to the car auction so he could buy another Montego or Meastro to replace the engine & have a supply of spares, we were fortunate enough to find a slightly battered Montego with the same size engine so he bought it, we got it back to his place and parked it next to the car with a dead engine & lifted the bonnets to compare them both to make sure we had the right engine. Thats when i noticed his cam belt had snapped on the 'dead' engine, with it being a 'non-collision' engine i replaced the snapped belt with the belt from the donor car and it was as running within 20 minutes. I told him to buy a new belt an replace it ASAP as a precaution. In his wisdom he didnt follow my advice and drove around for a few weeks, until the 2nd hand cam belt snapped... as he was passing a Ford dealership, he went into the dealership and got them to replace the cam belt and got charged a fortune to replace the £15 belt and a variety of other things they claimed were faulty.
Not so much a funny story, but an example of fixing a simple problem in a hard and expensive way. Did he learn?.. nope... a few years later he had an Astra and after a service he was advised to replace the cam belt, again he ignored the advice and it snapped causing catastrophic damage to the engine.
You think you'd learn the first time! "
He never learnt to take advice, but i learnt to stop giving him advice and stopped fixing his cars |
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"Thank you for your stories, I'm glad I'm not the only doughnut! I'm going to try and replace a tap soon, I'll let you know how badly I flood the house! "
firstly check the tap washer for wear/perishing and the internals for limescale/debris |
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"Thank you for your stories, I'm glad I'm not the only doughnut! I'm going to try and replace a tap soon, I'll let you know how badly I flood the house! "
I was going to ask you to look at the leaky tap in my kitchen... I’m having second thoughts now |
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Not dopey but during lockdown I have
Done all the furniture that's been waiting for upcycling. Only the sheesham wood console table needs finishing
Decorated
My daughters room (and will be doing her drawer fronts this week)
The bathroom (complete with upcycled bathroom box that was made by my grandpa)
The living room
And, finally today I finished the kitchen
Starting on getting the garden ready for winter tomorrow - and the new sofa is supposed to be coming!!!!
All that and homeschooling
I've earned my breakdown!! |
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"So, I've just taken on some electrical DIY and changed the broken light pull in my bathroom without managing to fry myself. Pleased with my handy work and beaming with pride, I turned the breaker back on and pulled my shiny new string for the first time....
Only to find out that it was actually the light bulbs that needed replacing
Anyone else had any dopey DIY moments over lockdown? "
You just made me chuckle |
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"Not dopey but during lockdown I have
Done all the furniture that's been waiting for upcycling. Only the sheesham wood console table needs finishing
Decorated
My daughters room (and will be doing her drawer fronts this week)
The bathroom (complete with upcycled bathroom box that was made by my grandpa)
The living room
And, finally today I finished the kitchen
Starting on getting the garden ready for winter tomorrow - and the new sofa is supposed to be coming!!!!
All that and homeschooling
I've earned my breakdown!!"
Hats off to you |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"Thank you for your stories, I'm glad I'm not the only doughnut! I'm going to try and replace a tap soon, I'll let you know how badly I flood the house!
I was going to ask you to look at the leaky tap in my kitchen... I’m having second thoughts now "
Happy to look at it babe, just don't ask me to fix it!
Although I will remember to tighten the screws in your bed next time, I think I'm safe doing that! |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"Not dopey but during lockdown I have
Done all the furniture that's been waiting for upcycling. Only the sheesham wood console table needs finishing
Decorated
My daughters room (and will be doing her drawer fronts this week)
The bathroom (complete with upcycled bathroom box that was made by my grandpa)
The living room
And, finally today I finished the kitchen
Starting on getting the garden ready for winter tomorrow - and the new sofa is supposed to be coming!!!!
All that and homeschooling
I've earned my breakdown!!"
That's just showing off!  |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
|
"So, I've just taken on some electrical DIY and changed the broken light pull in my bathroom without managing to fry myself. Pleased with my handy work and beaming with pride, I turned the breaker back on and pulled my shiny new string for the first time....
Only to find out that it was actually the light bulbs that needed replacing
Anyone else had any dopey DIY moments over lockdown?
You just made me chuckle "
Glad to be of service |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
During lockdown a lot of people had enough time to start some DIY projects. Unfortunately not everyone is capable of doing it so now I'm the one to fix what they managed to screw. Sometimes it's really funny to see how creative people are and how differently instructions and manuals can be interpret. Happy day for me as my schedule is packed |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
Not over lockdown, but have had several dopey DIY kind of moments.
Here are just a few for us all to giggle at.
We got a second hand hedge Strummer, told it needed a new fuse, changed it, not a problem I then went to tackle the leylandii all chuffed with myself, I started it up and in an upward motion BANG!! Right through the cable
I also flooded the kitchen once upon a time, as I was turning what I thought was the stopcock, but obviously wasn't |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I thought I had a faulty light, it went dim but not out like when a bulb goes. Got an electrician to look at it. He asked for a spare bulb to try it, which I didnt have, so I popped to the local shop to get one. I also drew some cash out to pay him with.
Got home and discovered that I had forgotten to buy the bulb.
Then when I did get a bulb, the electrician said it was, indeed the bulb!  |
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"haha!
I repainted my kitchen cupboards but forgot to get sandpaper so I sanded them with emery boards. I mean, it was lockdown, I had the time .
That's amazing!!! "
Yeah but she uses an angle grinder to do her nails innit |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"So, I've just taken on some electrical DIY and changed the broken light pull in my bathroom without managing to fry myself. Pleased with my handy work and beaming with pride, I turned the breaker back on and pulled my shiny new string for the first time....
Only to find out that it was actually the light bulbs that needed replacing
Anyone else had any dopey DIY moments over lockdown? "
Not diy
I was running the pipes(plastic) for a shower room and I was a bit tired and I had the toilet pipe run under my arm with the stop cock on the end.
I got a butt ready to test the run and and turned the stop cock to open but nothing came out.
Baffled I followed the pipe back only to find that it wasn’t connected to anything doh!!!!
T |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
My toilet sprung a leak on Good Friday, way back at the beginning of lockdown. The flexible plastic outlet hose had a split in it and water was dripping on the floor. Grim.
The good: I managed to flush the pipe clean with hot soapy water and replaced it with minimal fuss. B&Q were fucking hopeless (click & collect only, 1 week wait for orders), but ScrewFix turned my order around in literally 90 seconds. My first proper plumbing job and it's still holding up months later. Who knew I was a competent plumber?
The bad: It's a tight fit behind that bog. I had to put quite a vicious 90° kink in the flexible hose to get it to fit. I now have to go easy on the bog roll for fear of blocking the narrowed pipe and having my gargantuan jobbies angrily resurface like the shark in Jaws.
I'll have to re-do it with a hard 90° pipe at some point... |
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By *ikeC81Man
over a year ago
harrow |
Dad tried to replumb the taps for the sink cut the pipe cut it at an angle so he couldnt rejoin the pipes, water is a shared stopcock and upstairs had a baby so need the water - water pissing out all over kitchen floor.
Dad changed the cistern on toilet then couldn’t get new one on, another plumbing job
My dad can’t do plumbing he is fooking useless. Electricity he fine with |
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