DIY
- Thread starter malakian
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De-Ting
Rookie
Being someone who has experienced innumerable situations where something has gone wrong for me because of someone else, and also being a serious multiplayer gamer where under no circumstances can you trust a teammate to fall through for you, I almost always prefer to do something myself that is immediately important to me.
Even if it's something that I don't exactly know how to do, I have to oversee it. If any part of a project or task, in one way or another, directly relates to me or my personal interest, I have to take part in it. Otherwise, it gets loused up, 95% of the time.
Call me a pessimist, perfectionist, OCD, or whatever, it doesn't change the fact that if I ask someone or entrust someone to do a task for me with any variables, I will always get shafted.
See, if I was sick and asked someone to put some shelves up for me, I wouldn't be able to just tell them what to do. "2 feet above the computer, level, and 3 feet away from the other wall so the door can't hit them" would turn into "8 inches above the computer, uneven, and knocked down by the door upon my arrival" without my supervision.
I'm in no way saying that I'm surrounded by incompetent morons who I would prefer never did anything for me ever again. I'm just telling you my luck with such things. After all...
Even if it's something that I don't exactly know how to do, I have to oversee it. If any part of a project or task, in one way or another, directly relates to me or my personal interest, I have to take part in it. Otherwise, it gets loused up, 95% of the time.
Call me a pessimist, perfectionist, OCD, or whatever, it doesn't change the fact that if I ask someone or entrust someone to do a task for me with any variables, I will always get shafted.
See, if I was sick and asked someone to put some shelves up for me, I wouldn't be able to just tell them what to do. "2 feet above the computer, level, and 3 feet away from the other wall so the door can't hit them" would turn into "8 inches above the computer, uneven, and knocked down by the door upon my arrival" without my supervision.
I'm in no way saying that I'm surrounded by incompetent morons who I would prefer never did anything for me ever again. I'm just telling you my luck with such things. After all...
Affen
Rookie
I've always wanted to be as self-sustainable as possible, or live "off the grid" like the conspiracy people like to call it.
So I've been slowly working towards that goal learning this and that along the way. It's a really satisfying feeling when you fix or make something by yourself.
So I've been slowly working towards that goal learning this and that along the way. It's a really satisfying feeling when you fix or make something by yourself.
C_nate
Rookie
I try to do as much myself as I can though there can be mixed results.
One time we had a skylight that leaked when it rained. No one really noticed until a chunk of drywall had fallen out. At first I bought a patch kit but it didn't really work that well. Eventually, we had to buy some silicone and reseal around the skylight and I had to replace the entire section of drywall. It was my first time doing it though I had watched it done a lot on the DIY network (love that channel) so I cut and hung the drywall, then did the whole tape, mud, sand, and paint thing. It came out pretty well all in all.
Other times I try to do little projects. I had a few leftover pieces of wood laying around and with a little wood glue and some screws, I made a little study desk for my son to do his homework on since he started kindergarten this year. It isn't the prettiest thing in the world but seeing him sitting there doing schoolwork on something I built puts a smile on my face.
So watch the DIY network, it gets you all inspired to do home projects and gives you an excuse to go out and buy a bunch of tools.
One time we had a skylight that leaked when it rained. No one really noticed until a chunk of drywall had fallen out. At first I bought a patch kit but it didn't really work that well. Eventually, we had to buy some silicone and reseal around the skylight and I had to replace the entire section of drywall. It was my first time doing it though I had watched it done a lot on the DIY network (love that channel) so I cut and hung the drywall, then did the whole tape, mud, sand, and paint thing. It came out pretty well all in all.
Other times I try to do little projects. I had a few leftover pieces of wood laying around and with a little wood glue and some screws, I made a little study desk for my son to do his homework on since he started kindergarten this year. It isn't the prettiest thing in the world but seeing him sitting there doing schoolwork on something I built puts a smile on my face.
So watch the DIY network, it gets you all inspired to do home projects and gives you an excuse to go out and buy a bunch of tools.
Optimus-Crime
Rookie
I like to think I'm capable of going off the grid, but I'd probably curl up in a ball and die...within the hour.
Or not. I've never really been tested like that before. Delivering mail in the Texas heat at +100°F (or 37°C) 6 days out of the week, at 20+ miles a day really went a long way in proving myself to myself. Some days I was carrying 20-40 pounds in my satchel, so I think DIY stuff like building a shelf all boils down to your personal grit. Like, even if that shelf comes out looking shitty and discolored, does it perform its duties at the end of the day? And if it does, mission accomplished.
So yeah, heart and a whole lot of cardio training is all you need to accomplish just about anything.
Or not. I've never really been tested like that before. Delivering mail in the Texas heat at +100°F (or 37°C) 6 days out of the week, at 20+ miles a day really went a long way in proving myself to myself. Some days I was carrying 20-40 pounds in my satchel, so I think DIY stuff like building a shelf all boils down to your personal grit. Like, even if that shelf comes out looking shitty and discolored, does it perform its duties at the end of the day? And if it does, mission accomplished.
So yeah, heart and a whole lot of cardio training is all you need to accomplish just about anything.
Paradox
Soaring Phoenix
Sorry you're sick mal.
I prefer to try and get things done myself, but mainly because I don't want to pay someone to do something I could do myself. It's why I cuss and kick and scream while raking my lawn instead of hiring a kid to do it for $50.
Recently we bought a new fridge with water hookup. I didn't know how to run a hose though the wall to the water source in the garage. I called Best Buy for an installation. "Yes sir, now let's arrange for your payment of $400". I laughed as I hung up the phone.
I went to Lowes and stared at saws, drills, and fittings until I figured it out. That money was better spent on pre-purchasing Halo 4 and an Avengers shawarma shirt.
I prefer to try and get things done myself, but mainly because I don't want to pay someone to do something I could do myself. It's why I cuss and kick and scream while raking my lawn instead of hiring a kid to do it for $50.
Recently we bought a new fridge with water hookup. I didn't know how to run a hose though the wall to the water source in the garage. I called Best Buy for an installation. "Yes sir, now let's arrange for your payment of $400". I laughed as I hung up the phone.
I went to Lowes and stared at saws, drills, and fittings until I figured it out. That money was better spent on pre-purchasing Halo 4 and an Avengers shawarma shirt.
Bretimus_v2
So tired.
There's nothing like standing back after a day's hard work and saying "I did that."
But there's definitely something else for saying "do that for me" and coming back home two hours later to a finished product.
But there's definitely something else for saying "do that for me" and coming back home two hours later to a finished product.
Paradox said:
Haha. The one on ShirtPunch today?
I'm incredibly handy. I could knock out those shelves for you. I can even do floating shelves with no brackets or exposed hardware because I'm a badass.
But I'm with Mattay too. I'm good at following step-by-step directions. There's nothing wrong with going the Ikea method.
Bretimus_v2
So tired.
I have a good feeling that a plane ticket and used would be all any of us need. Too bad he's literally in the middle of nowhere.
I like having other people do something for me, because I would sometimes rather spend 50 bucks and have to not do shit for a couple hours. But when I have clear instructions, it's a whole different story.
In terms of carpentry/renovation/etc., I'm pretty good about taking on projects. In my old house, my family was finishing the basement, which was awesome. It was all concrete and support, so we were putting in the insulation and drywall and all that jazz. I kind of love building shelter-type things.
How self-sufficient are you/do you like to be in other areas, like tailoring, or cooking (saw the fridge pics -- awesome, plus onions), or automotives? Barrel-making?
I think that all skills are valuable, so I try to enable myself as much as possible, learning how to do a lot of basic things. Survival skills are really fascinating. One thing in particular that I can't really do is make/alter my own clothes, and I have been kind of hesitant to start trying it out. Maybe sometime in the future.
'Course, how often I do these things for myself is an economic question, since a lot of things can be done much more cheaply by getting someone else to do it for me, rather than getting materials for myself. Also, like Longo points to, it's a matter of how valuable that free time is. Usually, though, the satisfaction of having accomplished a thing is good enough for me to take the time to do it.
How self-sufficient are you/do you like to be in other areas, like tailoring, or cooking (saw the fridge pics -- awesome, plus onions), or automotives? Barrel-making?
I think that all skills are valuable, so I try to enable myself as much as possible, learning how to do a lot of basic things. Survival skills are really fascinating. One thing in particular that I can't really do is make/alter my own clothes, and I have been kind of hesitant to start trying it out. Maybe sometime in the future.
'Course, how often I do these things for myself is an economic question, since a lot of things can be done much more cheaply by getting someone else to do it for me, rather than getting materials for myself. Also, like Longo points to, it's a matter of how valuable that free time is. Usually, though, the satisfaction of having accomplished a thing is good enough for me to take the time to do it.
C_nate
Rookie
I cook a lot for my family. I'm not a gourmet chef by any means, more of a short order cook than anything but the stuff I make is pretty good. It's all in the seasoning. The biggest thing I did cooking wise was two years ago at Thanksgiving when my family and extended family all came over for dinner. I cooked two 15 pound turkeys at the same time (having an extra kitchen comes in handy) with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries, and cookies for desert all from scratch. I fed about 25-30 people and they killed the food. As a cook there is no greater feeling than watching people clean their plates and go back for seconds.
I don't know the first thing about tailoring though. I can't even sew a damn button on my shirt which is pretty sad.
I'm also pretty bad with cars. I can change a flat tire, a dead battery, and one time I replaced a fuse that fixed a malfunctioning power window but I don't think I could do much more than that.
Oh, also for anyone that does their own laundry, the thing I hated the most was all the folding afterwards until I saw this video and it blew my mind. I got the technique down but I'm still working on the speed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5AWQ5aBjgE
I don't know the first thing about tailoring though. I can't even sew a damn button on my shirt which is pretty sad.
I'm also pretty bad with cars. I can change a flat tire, a dead battery, and one time I replaced a fuse that fixed a malfunctioning power window but I don't think I could do much more than that.
Oh, also for anyone that does their own laundry, the thing I hated the most was all the folding afterwards until I saw this video and it blew my mind. I got the technique down but I'm still working on the speed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5AWQ5aBjgE
Bretimus_v2
So tired.
Yay, opened and am in the process of fixing my 60 gb PS3.
