Thread: Hardly fine woodwork, but....

Ian,

Have you been contacted by TATE MODERN
London, yet.

Just wondering when I should book my flights.

Cheers Matt.

Haven't been inundated with offers yet, Matt..... Maybe I should enter it in the Carbatec/AWR "Maker of the Year" contest?

Ok, ok, I know it's not in the grandest of styles, but it's functional. What pleases me most is that I beat the "use briefly & throw away" strategy, at least temporarily. A four year lifespan for a chair that was used for about 20-30 minutes a day on average is a bit poor, I reckon. I don't know how long the plastic legs & castors will hold up, but with a bit of luck, I should get at least another 5 or more years out of it - with a bit of luck, maybe the chair & I will reach our use-by dates around the same time....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Haven't been inundated with offers yet, Matt..... Maybe I should enter it in the Carbatec/AWR "Maker of the Year" contest?

Ok, ok, I know it's not in the grandest of styles, but it's functional. What pleases me most is that I beat the "use briefly & throw away" strategy, at least temporarily. A four year lifespan for a chair that was used for about 20-30 minutes a day on average is a bit poor, I reckon. I don't know how long the plastic legs & castors will hold up, but with a bit of luck, I should get at least another 5 or more years out of it - with a bit of luck, maybe the chair & I will reach our use-by dates around the same time....

Cheers,

Ian,

What is even more alarming than the throw away society that we now find our selfs living in.
Is the lack of basic skills too be even able to fix the most simple house hold items, or make repairs.

Hanging a picture, I’ve been paid many times too,install picture hooks in walls.

Shaving two mm(1/8) of a door too make it close.

Re stringing a cloths line.

Stuff that was once done by folks, because you just did it.


I have been called into fix a Cloths cupboard because the doors would not close in a rental property.
The problem was an you will need too sit down for this one.

There were too many clothes stuffed into the cupboard, yes you read that right.

The tenant called the property manager too complain that the Cupboard door was broken an not closing, the Manager then sent me into fix the issue.

I removed two arm loads of clothes placed them on the bed, an shut the Cupboard doors.

An sent my bill too the manager, the property manager was, let’s just say a little embarrassed, an the tenant was giving our bill(yes they paid it)

Some parents should be spoken too about breeding [emoji3064][emoji3064][emoji3064][emoji3064].

Cheers Matt.

Indeed, Matt, the absence of even the most basic skills in many members of the 'millenial' generation can be alarming. Fortunately, it's not universal, some of our young members have demonstrated both good skills and the "give it a go" attitude, so the future isn't entirely bleak!

But things have changed a lot since I were a lad. Back then you could fix a car using a few basic tools, some easily-obtained parts, & a bit of nouse, but any vehicle made this century is a mystery to me. My old mate who spent 25 years as a motor mechanic reckons the only job he can tackle now is changing a tyre (& his wrecked knees make that pretty difficult!). The only "toolbox" he carries is his mobile phone! Increasing complexity is common to so many consumer items. I trained as a radio tech in the 60s, as the electronic world was transitioning from thermionic valves to transistors & parts began to shrink to near-invisible size. I left that business & went back to school & made a complete career change, but I kept up with electronics for a little while, I used to wire up hi fi sets for my classmates. Nowadays, I can't even find the on/off switch on half the things round our house ("It's on the remote, stupid" "What's that?" )

I struggle against the tide - I refuse to pay 30 bucks to have someone in a shopping mall put a $3 battery in my watch, but I had to spend an hour or more making a press to get the darnned back on again without busting the glass. However, I was stymied when the battery died in my iphone & I discovered the thing has to be physically ripped apart & glued back together - to change a part that is known to have a short & uncertain life!

I guess we can't entirely blame folks if they find it all too difficult....

Ian

You must be one of the lucky ones who might be able to change the battery most android phones don't even have a battery just a copper plate with some goo on it.

Originally Posted by mature one

You must be one of the lucky ones who might be able to change the battery most android phones don't even have a battery just a copper plate with some goo on it.

Well M-o, there has to be a battery unless Samsung et all have figured out how to beat physics.

But like with iphones, you need to know how to go about it, it's not quite as easy as some videos on u-tube suggest & buying a genuine replacement part is a major problem as well, it seems. Most people fix the problem of a dying battery in either type of phone by upgrading to the latest model.....

Cheers,

I recently visited Adelaide to buy 2nd hand timber table & chairs for a project I had stuffed up on at home. Arrived home with 3 tables and 20 solid timber chairs where the back rest is part of the legs, not the flimsy one with dowels pushed in.
1 table & chairs has already been sold at a nice profit and 2nd table being cut down as a side table/buffet type thing.

Was wondering what to do with extra chairs...... hmm scrap yard here I come.

thankyou Ian your commission will be provided upon supply of your bank details.

Good for you, IanW.

You do know that those of us who think like that are considered to be aliens by the remainder of society, do you not?

There is another side to looking over modern cars. My son had a Suzuki Swift when he was a uni student. He rang me one day to tell me he was getting weird noises from the engine compartment (shortly after getting a new CV fitted). He was looking for permission to take it to a mechanic. Given that dad was paying the bills, permission was needed.

I told him to open the bonnet and have a look around because sometimes we saw something obvious. He told me he knew nothing about cars, and that "having a look" was a pointless exercise. I told him to bring the car to me.

I opened the bonnet. After ten seconds I stood my student son in front of the car and told him to join me on the deck when he had figured out what was wrong. He grizzled, but started looking. About 30 seconds after I reached the deck, my son arrived, his eyes like toffee apples on sticks.

In this car the engine hangs off the engine mounts instead of sitting on them. One engine mount was wide open ... the bolt had fallen out ... and the engine was being held in place on one side by the CV. I rang the mechanic, who immediately realised that one of his blokes had not tightened the engine mount bolt which had vibrated out of place and who appeared half an hour later with a trailer to pick up the car. The next day the car was back.

Actually, it was a productive exercise. These days my son will open something crook and have a look. He does his own home and car maintenance. I bought him some tools to help get him started. He has actually become quite handy.

I bought and painted a country sourced Datsun 1200 ute for my son about 15 years ago at TAFE.
We put mags, extractors, disc brakes and a Weber on it.
He could tune it better than myself in the end.
He wasn’t into cars so bought a Forester for ski trips.
He learnt so much helping with that old clunker.
Now a sparky.

I recently rang a mate re the front axle size on his bicycle as I’m transporting a few to Tas.
He couldn’t do it.
He’s my age mid 70s.
Teacher actor drama etc.

H.