What do you DIY?

magnet18

Joined Dec 22, 2010
1,227
i would say the compromise between the things getting harder and things getting easier, is that repairing something legitimately so you can't tell it broke, is harder, but jury rigging is easier
 

THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
Nah, I just repair it so it won't break again! Appearance is way down the list of priorities.

Like Strantor said a lot of DIY is cost/time based.

Some people work hard all week in a shitty job getting $15 an hour (maybe getting $10 an hour after taxes and deductions), then they pay a plumber $150 to do a half hour job. Do the math! ;)

If you don't have to go to work every day you have a time surplus, so you can DIY the plumbing job and even you are less efficient and it takes you 1 full hour to do that same plumbing job I think you are still miles ahead.

Most people are not good weighing up costs etc. My neighbour also has a 1 acre yard, and owns a ride on mower and mows his lawn himself. The ride on mower engine blows up about once a year, costing him a few hundred dollars. Then it costs $10 for fuel to mow 1 acre. And 1.5 hours of noise, heat, vibration and grit (ie; the work sucks).

So his yearly costs are about $500 and all the hassle of mowing it himself and transporting the mower to the repairer etc, plus the original purchase cost of the mower!

I just pay a guy $50 to mow my lawn 10 times a year, ie $500. I do no nasty work, and the job is done better as he has a really good expensive ride on mower. And I never had to purchase a ride on mower myself nor store it nor maintain it. Again you can do the math. ;)
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
i would say the compromise between the things getting harder and things getting easier, is that repairing something legitimately so you can't tell it broke, is harder, but jury rigging is easier
Another thing we have that we didn't back in the day is internet for info. I remember back in school having to goto neighbors to borrow letter N of their encyclopedia to do my homework. Those days are gone so now you can d/l a wiring diagram, a video from youtube on how to do plumbing stuff,etc.. But having the knowledge doesn't always mean you can do it. But we do have that advantage in this time. Back in the day we never could of imagines having all access to all info that exists at any moment.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I'm with RB on the math. One of my rules about DIY is: If I can buy the tools for less than hiring the repair, I will. When I get done, I have the tools and the education to keep for my own.
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
^-Besides, it's a great way to acquire tools! I might even buy the tool if it costs more than the repair. For example, I bought a power rotary drain cleaner, because I knew I would use it more than once. It paid for itself by the second year I had it.


Now that said, I have some tools just because I want them. I have a couple old tractors that I really have no use for, but I just like old tractors. Now that I'm engaged, that might go away, but I'll fight to the very end to keep them :)
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
Here is a picture of my DIY sailboat hard canopy I mentioned earlier, aka my "Redneck Bimini." The reason for this is to live with the ultra hot summer days in Alabama. There are two trubo fans mounted, shown in the pic. There is also a DIY water misting system, not shown. The small cloth bimini on the back is one I salvaged from a boat yard, and had the canvass replaced. The side rails extend to the full length of the cocpit, so I can have protection from the sun or rain when not sailing (cleaning or just chillin) Also, every part of the frame is adjustable. I could take it off and install it on any other boat in the marina if I wanted. It's not the purdy'est thing in the harbor, but I needed something that I could use to get out of the sun immediately when I'm there. Also, there are DIY roll-down sun screens that attach to the sides.

OH yea, the gray box on the near side is a 12V fuse and control for the fans, misting system and some spare power for expansion (maybe a under mount stereo)
 

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maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
You on Merritt Island Brownout? If so I wanna come vacation with you. Nice boat! I've always dreamed of a nice sail boat but never gotten one yet. If I do it will probably be a fixer upper! ;) I didn't realize so many New Yorkers (Cough, cough!) I mean Floridians were here. :)


*For those who don't know its an inside FL joke. More people here are from New York then Florida. Actually I just saw the yankees practicing in spring training on my way to therapy. The have a field across the street from Raymond James Stadium.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=tamp...r=Tampa,+Hillsborough,+Florida&gl=us&t=h&z=17

Heres the suburb Steinbrenner used to live at. Not sure which house was his cause if full of celebs, and all 10m-50m houses.Notice how literally every house has a pool?
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=tamp...r=Tampa,+Hillsborough,+Florida&gl=us&t=h&z=17
 
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Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
You on Merritt Island Brownout?
Funny you should ask. My boat is docked on the Tennessee river, but it was orignially in Merritt Island. I drove all the way down in my 3/4 ton to get it and bring it back. Now, it's in Alabama and I'm in Merritt (almost, only about 45 minutes away) It would be real nice to have it down, I'll think about that, but my trailer was stolen a couple years ago.

You can still visit, though. We can always rent a boat :)
 

Metalmann

Joined Dec 8, 2012
703
I've always been a tool freak. I must have enough tools to supply Tradesmen.

Mostly Metalworking and Woodworking tools. Up until recently, I always did my own repairs. Which reminds me, I may have to call out a plumber, seeing I can no longer crawl under the house.
Getting old...can be a Bitch.:mad:

:D

Nowadays, I'm trying to learn more about Electronics. Never too damn old to learn something new!;)
 

jaygatsby

Joined Nov 23, 2011
182
I'm curious what you guys do, that most people would pay someone else to do? I bet there's some people on this forum, for whom the better question would be what do you NOT DIY?

Let's separate it into 2 categories; things you do regularly, and things you've done only once or handful of times. (no need to include "make my own circuits")

I'll go first:

Regularly:
Cut my own hair
Fix my own cars
Make my own beer & wine

Occasionally:
Fix my own appliances
Paint my house. (I HATE painting. Next time I'm recruiting someone from the Home Depot parking lot)


There's a lot more, but I'm more interested in your stories than telling my own. So let's hear them.
There's a place around here where you drive up and hold up fingers (no habla) and that many guys will jump in the back of your truck to help you paint, mow, whatever. All for low non-union prices!
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I can no longer crawl under the house.
Getting old...can be a Bitch.
Completely agree, and tomorrow, I will be in an attic wiring a thermostat to a furnace...at 62 years old.

Fortunately, it isn't too bad of an attic. The furnace is only about 8 feet from the entrance hole and there is room enough to sit upright while connecting wires. Compared to some of the attics I've been in, this one is luxurious, and it's winter! No fear of heat stroke! YAY!
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
Just finished replacing my water heater, does that count? Why do they change the height of them? Just enough that the old hook-up has to be redone?
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Proud owner of a sea snark! ;)

(if you're unaware of what that is, it's essentially a beer cooler with a sail on it)
It always made me chuckle that those things are called Sea Snarks. You would never catch me going anywhere near the sea on one of those things. In fact I would have to think long and hard about taking one on a larger lake. I'd take one on Presque Isle Bay but I doubt I would be venturing outside the bay.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Just finished replacing my water heater, does that count? Why do they change the height of them? Just enough that the old hook-up has to be redone?
Yes, it counts. And they changed the height recently to accommodate more foam insulation. In fact, I did one about a month ago and they also stole two gallons of capacity to add foam. That one was 38 gallons instead of the usual forty. It was also 3/16th of an inch wider, so I had to trim a bit of the bracing under the cabinet.
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I spent the fist half of the morning making a triangular wall-mount shelving unit to go in the odd space behind the bathroom door. Designed and built it to the wife's specs..Completed it and went to ceck the fit before painting and the wife says " but my mirror isn't going to fit under it. Can you make it shorter?" Gaaah! I banished the shelves to my "when I feel like it" list.
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
I spent the fist half of the morning making a triangular wall-mount shelving unit to go in the odd space behind the bathroom door. Designed and built it to the wife's specs..Completed it and went to ceck the fit before painting and the wife says " but my mirror isn't going to fit under it. Can you make it shorter?" Gaaah! I banished the shelves to my "when I feel like it" list.
Grounds for divorce. :)
 
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