What have you done today

[MisterDavey]

It must be a not so secret Grom cupboard.

[2112]

Good spot sir, I do have a small entrance at the end of my back passage. We installed a proper staircase up into the loft a few years ago to make access easier than a loft hatch & ladder. We pinched about 4'6" out of the rear sitting room that used to house a pool table when we first moved in. The door to the loft is in that room and the stairs rotate through 90 degrees into the loft. The 'Hobbit house' is the reslutant void under the stairs and makes a really useful storage space for bulky items, kitchen rolls, toilet rolls and small step ladders.

[Asmith61]

Ah OK.
Great use of the “ Hobbit house” always good to have bulk storage 

[MisterDavey]

(and staying on track) It's always good to keep one's back passage clear of bulky items....

[2112]

Indeed, sage advice to anyone 

[mr_diver]

Talking about spanners I once broke the 27mm spanner that come with the Varadero toolkit for the back wheel removal... had to buy a full sized one from Halfords and now carry it around in the limit space under the seat.

I recently had to buy a 14mm alen key to remove the rear wheel on SWMBO's 500 Rebel as they don't supply any of the tools required to remove the rear wheel or to adjust the chain for that matter! 
And the sodding recess for the allen key is very bloody shallow and some ham fisted moron has already mangled it... new wheel spindle on the shopping list.
And we now have to carry around a 5mm alen key, 17mm & 24mm spanner to adjust the chain... thankfully I had the 24mm spanner left over from the Enfield Bullet. (I also have a can of the green metallic paint that Enfield suppled with the new bike if anyone needs it)

Tool kit arrangement is a bit crap... you can just pull off the side panels... but there is only room there for a 5 or 6mm alen key, held in with a screw that you'll need a 2p coin to remove 
Then you can use the alen key to take the seat off and get to rest of the very limited toolkit clipped into the underside of the seat. 

[The Doctor 46]

 

Welcome to the new world, it just goes downhill from here.  . 

[nigel s]

Time to get the angle grinder out mr_diver . I had the same with my '22 650 . Next to no tools  so got a bit of stainless pipe to make an extension , flattened it in the vice / whaled on it with a hammer and drilled a hole for a countersunk bolt . Works well with my '86 GPZ900r spanner , found in the deepest , darkest recesses of my reserve tool box , I never throw a tool /widget away ...just cos'... .

King of the multipurpose homemade tools is probably this man though. Not sure lifting a Strom like that will work ....with my back....

With the 14mm allen key needed for my CRF front  axle , I cut 1" off the handle end of one I had and just carry the 1" stub , using a 14/17 mm combi spanner ( that I carry anyway ) on it to save space ...




Ho Hum

[Asmith61]

I liked him nigel s    easy to understand and very knowledgeable 

[nigel s]

He does have an easy way....and it is obvious it is knowledge from practice.

[2112]

Today, I've booked the holiday accomodation for a lads week away in May next year. We're staying at a town called Dinant, Belgium famous as the birthplace of Mr Sax, inventor of the Saxaphone. We're travelling over by the Tunnel and back via the Ijmuden ferry. Can't wait! 

[crump]

Dinant is nice, in a decent biking area too.

[2112]

It's been all go today with a chap fiddling on with my back door as it won't close properly. It appears to have 'settled' on it's hinges and was becoming a challenge to close. It's as smooth as a Swiss watch now ! We're also getting another two double glazing panes replaced as they have failed and have started to fog up. I guess at 23 year old this will start to happen ?

[Joe Rocket]

Obviously soothing music 2112! 

Seriously was it wood or plastic (sorry, pvc)?

[2112]

UPVC to be correct. The door was fitted last year and has had to be adjusted once already. The company have gone to a different type of hinge now as the type they've used is prone to a bit of 'settlement' apparently. The windows started failing at 15 years old and we've replaced about 3 glass units a year since !

[The Doctor 46]

It sounds like it's time to do something radical like replace all of the windows with a reputable company. Best do it in one hit and make your home secure and comfortable until you've finished with it. 

[Upt North]

Double glazed units, I've just had a cold shiver down my spine.
In our last abode we had hardwood double glazed windows. These were sometimes split up into 6 dgu's per full window. Every single one failed over about 20 years and they were originally putted in.
Nightmare job from hell. I must have changed around 30 units whilst we lived there. They normally came out in 100 pieces.
And today.......the 6th visit from British Gas in 10 days to fix the boiler......grinning and bearing comes to mind.
But please no one else mention you know what's.
Upt and getting warmer.

[Brockett]

Double glazed units tend to fail in the 12 to 15 years from manufacturing. That is why they generally have a 10 year warranty.

[The Doctor 46]

In my distant by many years experience, the glass breaks down but I changed mine with new glass of better quality and not very expensive either (or at least not as expensive as I imagined) all measured up, produced and fitted by a good, renowned company.)

First time I owned a house I found it a massive learning curve because I was married in the army for many years until I was 30 yrs and had no previous experience of DIY because the DOE dealt with that back then.

The only thing that I spent big money on in my first house was PVC all round, not just the windows. From then on it was an ongoing job of maintenance and modification. Never much in cost but too much time so often a pain in the bum. Happy times 

[Asmith61]

Flew from Southend Airport to Palma Mallorca. For a weeks sun ☀️
After picking up the Hire car from the Airport ( Seat Leon ) just leaving the car park and saw this windmill ( had to get the mrs to take a picture of it to post on here )
These were also on our journey to the Hotel, but the mrs was getting the hump a bit with me saying take a picture of this & That