Raised on a farm, my step dad taught us boys how to be self reliant. I started out as a diesel Mechanic then moved into const building houses. Started my first home repair business in '74, improved my skill's as I went along. Now I can add finish carpenter to my list of skill's as well as doll house furniture maker.
I learned to be handy as a teen out of sheer necessity. It has saved me a small fortune as an adult when less than honest handymen have tried to overcharge me.
Might not know how to do everything, but I help my dad with everything because of my mom's condition and my sister's lack of knowledge (and pfft...laziness).
I've saved literally hundreds of pounds by repairing all kinds of stuff, including:
Fixing an overheated graphics card GPU that most people, including the tech-savvy, would have assumed could only be thrown in the trash. It was actually, ironically, an attempt to finish it off in anger and frustration that did the trick! This is now my secret technique :D Saved me about £70 in replacement cost. Also fixed a floppy drive by breaking a PCB short-circuit with a quick slash with a screwdriver blade. Had had no idea what the problem was; just a funny instinct. Saved me about £5 in replacement cost;
Fixed my gas hot water and central heating boiler by noticing it worked only when the plastic cover of a little PCB enclosure was off--loose connection. It sure paid to be curious. (I would never ever attempt to fix a faulty gas component as that would potentially be dangerous (and could be illegal in my country)). I was under a 'homecare' insurance agreement at the time for it (free parts and labour for a yearly fee), so I initially called out a technician and he, with his laptop, stared around and fiddled inside the boiler for a few minutes without a clue what was up (never thought it could be a simple loose connection) before saying I needed this huge part--that he didn't have in his va...
I've saved literally hundreds of pounds by repairing all kinds of stuff, including:
Fixing an overheated graphics card GPU that most people, including the tech-savvy, would have assumed could only be thrown in the trash. It was actually, ironically, an attempt to finish it off in anger and frustration that did the trick! This is now my secret technique :D Saved me about £70 in replacement cost. Also fixed a floppy drive by breaking a PCB short-circuit with a quick slash with a screwdriver blade. Had had no idea what the problem was; just a funny instinct. Saved me about £5 in replacement cost;
Fixed my gas hot water and central heating boiler by noticing it worked only when the plastic cover of a little PCB enclosure was off--loose connection. It sure paid to be curious. (I would never ever attempt to fix a faulty gas component as that would potentially be dangerous (and could be illegal in my country)). I was under a 'homecare' insurance agreement at the time for it (free parts and labour for a yearly fee), so I initially called out a technician and he, with his laptop, stared around and fiddled inside the boiler for a few minutes without a clue what was up (never thought it could be a simple loose connection) before saying I needed this huge part--that he didn't have in his van so it would be Monday (this was on a Friday) before he could call back, leaving me without hot water and heating for the whole weekend. When he did call back with the part, I explained what I'd done and he was like Oh, nice one, then off he went. (I should have let him fit the new part as it would have been, well, a new part, lasting longer than the one installed and I even was cheeky enough to ask him if he could fit it anyway after I'd told him of my repair. He said No, haha.) I think the new part was worth about £150;
When my upright vacuum cleaner started pouring out blue smoke after sucking up a coin off the carpet, I simply stripped the 'head' down, including completely stripping down the motor, cleaned out the packed dust and used duct tape to cover the hole in the fan housing that the coin had smashed. Saved about £?40-50 on parts and labour;
Years ago, when I needed a full new hot water and central heating system (£2000), I stripped out the old one, saving a bit of time of engineers in my house (took them a whole week to install the system--in and out of the house like fiddlers' elbows). By stripping out the old system, it meant I was sure to get to keep it to sell--copper pipes and big, 5-foot-by-2-foot immersion cylinder are worth money as copper scrap, offsetting the cost of the new system;
When my old twin-tub washing machine packed up after I let it overfill and it wouldn't start up again, I stripped out and emptied the internal pipework, fitted back together, and it was fine (it was an air-lock in the pipes). Saved about £?20, and, as I was looking after my elderly mother who had dementia, full-time, it was essential to get things up and running again as soon as possible;
When the spark ignition on my gas fire would not work any longer, I called out a guy who hadn't a clue what was up. I happened to have a spare resistor (were no longer obtainable for my ancient model) and suggested he clean the contacts on it when it didn't work. He tried but to no avail. He kindly didn't charge me anything as he could not fix things. When he went, I had a go and got it working straight away!
My long-standing project is to replace various components on electronic goods. I have a small, portable CRT TV with a blown fly-back transformer waiting to be replaced.
I've always been one to repair or find another use for things, with custom modifications if necessary. My father taught me about electricity as a kid and how to wire a power plug. I'll attempt anything mechanical, electrical/electronic, or to do with the water supply--but not, as I said gas and as long as I have the basic knowledge of what I'm doing--with health and safety the highest priority. Repair saves money and the environment, you learn stuff and it's fun! I'll hang doors, plaster and paint, repair my van, and replace sections of ceiling (I must get around to that, haha). Try it, people! :D
I can do anything with a piece of wood including burn it in the fireplace. I can finish but I don't like too. That's why I'm trying to hire my grand sons.
I sure am, MUM bought us up to be indepedant of males, Good job MUM... House yard car, almost anything most women rely on men for MUM taught us to do ourselves...see even as littlies we knew men were unreliable, LOL. (kidding guys).. only some...I know so many men that are happy to do for others before they do for their own missus..
Called being a HOMEOWNER ..
can't afford to PAY for service calls for everything ..
you learn how to not only REPAIR Things ..
but create on your own ..
(it is the way to stretch a BUDGET .. you know .. BUDGET the word that MEDIA and the POLITICIANS do NOT understand)
I can hold my own. I know how to run everything from a screwdriver all the way up to a table saw (and other power tools) successfully and I know my way around a hardware store. I miss being around woodshops, actually.
Fixing an overheated graphics card GPU that most people, including the tech-savvy, would have assumed could only be thrown in the trash. It was actually, ironically, an attempt to finish it off in anger and frustration that did the trick! This is now my secret technique :D Saved me about £70 in replacement cost. Also fixed a floppy drive by breaking a PCB short-circuit with a quick slash with a screwdriver blade. Had had no idea what the problem was; just a funny instinct. Saved me about £5 in replacement cost;
Fixed my gas hot water and central heating boiler by noticing it worked only when the plastic cover of a little PCB enclosure was off--loose connection. It sure paid to be curious. (I would never ever attempt to fix a faulty gas component as that would potentially be dangerous (and could be illegal in my country)). I was under a 'homecare' insurance agreement at the time for it (free parts and labour for a yearly fee), so I initially called out a technician and he, with his laptop, stared around and fiddled inside the boiler for a few minutes without a clue what was up (never thought it could be a simple loose connection) before saying I needed this huge part--that he didn't have in his va...
Fixing an overheated graphics card GPU that most people, including the tech-savvy, would have assumed could only be thrown in the trash. It was actually, ironically, an attempt to finish it off in anger and frustration that did the trick! This is now my secret technique :D Saved me about £70 in replacement cost. Also fixed a floppy drive by breaking a PCB short-circuit with a quick slash with a screwdriver blade. Had had no idea what the problem was; just a funny instinct. Saved me about £5 in replacement cost;
Fixed my gas hot water and central heating boiler by noticing it worked only when the plastic cover of a little PCB enclosure was off--loose connection. It sure paid to be curious. (I would never ever attempt to fix a faulty gas component as that would potentially be dangerous (and could be illegal in my country)). I was under a 'homecare' insurance agreement at the time for it (free parts and labour for a yearly fee), so I initially called out a technician and he, with his laptop, stared around and fiddled inside the boiler for a few minutes without a clue what was up (never thought it could be a simple loose connection) before saying I needed this huge part--that he didn't have in his van so it would be Monday (this was on a Friday) before he could call back, leaving me without hot water and heating for the whole weekend. When he did call back with the part, I explained what I'd done and he was like Oh, nice one, then off he went. (I should have let him fit the new part as it would have been, well, a new part, lasting longer than the one installed and I even was cheeky enough to ask him if he could fit it anyway after I'd told him of my repair. He said No, haha.) I think the new part was worth about £150;
When my upright vacuum cleaner started pouring out blue smoke after sucking up a coin off the carpet, I simply stripped the 'head' down, including completely stripping down the motor, cleaned out the packed dust and used duct tape to cover the hole in the fan housing that the coin had smashed. Saved about £?40-50 on parts and labour;
Years ago, when I needed a full new hot water and central heating system (£2000), I stripped out the old one, saving a bit of time of engineers in my house (took them a whole week to install the system--in and out of the house like fiddlers' elbows). By stripping out the old system, it meant I was sure to get to keep it to sell--copper pipes and big, 5-foot-by-2-foot immersion cylinder are worth money as copper scrap, offsetting the cost of the new system;
When my old twin-tub washing machine packed up after I let it overfill and it wouldn't start up again, I stripped out and emptied the internal pipework, fitted back together, and it was fine (it was an air-lock in the pipes). Saved about £?20, and, as I was looking after my elderly mother who had dementia, full-time, it was essential to get things up and running again as soon as possible;
When the spark ignition on my gas fire would not work any longer, I called out a guy who hadn't a clue what was up. I happened to have a spare resistor (were no longer obtainable for my ancient model) and suggested he clean the contacts on it when it didn't work. He tried but to no avail. He kindly didn't charge me anything as he could not fix things. When he went, I had a go and got it working straight away!
My long-standing project is to replace various components on electronic goods. I have a small, portable CRT TV with a blown fly-back transformer waiting to be replaced.
I've always been one to repair or find another use for things, with custom modifications if necessary. My father taught me about electricity as a kid and how to wire a power plug. I'll attempt anything mechanical, electrical/electronic, or to do with the water supply--but not, as I said gas and as long as I have the basic knowledge of what I'm doing--with health and safety the highest priority. Repair saves money and the environment, you learn stuff and it's fun! I'll hang doors, plaster and paint, repair my van, and replace sections of ceiling (I must get around to that, haha). Try it, people! :D
Now out in the street, that's another mater.
but of course
can't afford to PAY for service calls for everything ..
you learn how to not only REPAIR Things ..
but create on your own ..
(it is the way to stretch a BUDGET .. you know .. BUDGET the word that MEDIA and the POLITICIANS do NOT understand)