Home DIY, Art & Craft, making stuff

[stui magpie]

So I'm an "office worker" back when we used to work in an office. 9-5 stuck in front of a computer, or in meetings, or since covid on a computer in meetings.

When I'm not working on a computer I like DIY stuff. Renovation, restoration, I particularly like taking old stuff and giving it a new life like using recycled timber to make an outdoor table or finding something old, cleaning and repairing it and making it usable again.

I've made a few tables and chairs, restored a few old furniture pieces and bikes, I enjoy it.

I've decided to make a butchers block trolley, so I've cut up some old redgum 4x2 into 10cm lengths and bought a strap clamp so once I glue it all up I can clamp it for a week or so before finishing and making the trolley.

So do you DIY? Renovate and Restore? Repurpose? What's the one you're most proud of? Tell us your story.

[Skids]

I've just finished a full backyard makeover. Being on the 2/2 roster, I have ample time to complete any mission that needs doing. I love it, there's a heap of satisfaction gained from building or renovating things.

We put a pool in about 25 years ago and the fibreglass was getting the bubbling osmosis so time for a recoat. Had to get a pro to do that, almost $10k but it came up sweet.

So, the old paving had to come up, replaced with liquid limestone, again, pros to do the limestone ($5k). I had to put in some soak wells and drainage, which had to be done in a hurry as the limestone guys came a week earlier than planned.
The pool guy finished late on a Sunday evening and the limestone boys were booked to start at 7am Monday.
I was up at 3.30am laying drains and digging the soak wells in. Got it done with time to spare.

I had to remove the 'bombie' deck and then reinstall it after the limestone. Had to replace the deck under the old Bali thatch hut too. The thatching was also tired, so I replaced it with shingles, this came up nice too.

The old brushwood fence along the back was falling apart, so I replaced that with bamboo. For that I had to put in posts and build a frame to secure it to.
I added a new shade sail and built, what I must say, is a pretty awesome water feature as well.... I think you would have seen a few pics on FB Stui.

Was a major project, started in November and finished in March.

Kelly and Sharnee were a massive help pulling up and stacking the old paving. That'll be reused in a few other smaller projects around the house over the next few months.

All up it cost around $30k. Money well spent as we practically live in our backyard for 6 months of the year. The pool has been great for teaching, not only my 3 daughters, but now the grandkids are like fish too.

You did a great job on those two rebuilds Stui.

[Skids]

[/img]

Before...

[Skids]

After

Thanks TP!

[stui magpie]

^

Damn, looks good. Really good.

[think positive]

Well done indeed!

Craft wise while I’ve been sick I just knitted a jumper for myself, first one in 20 years! Wrong wool for the wrong pattern, so I improvised and it came out perfect! Only took me 4 days and 2 seasons of young and incarcerated!

[stui magpie]

Well done, I can't do knitting.

[think positive]

Well done, I can't do knitting.

stops me eating!

[stui magpie]

^

Take up smoking

[think positive]

^

Take up smoking

why didn’t I think of that! Actually I think wools cheaper, the 100% merino wool cost me $70 bucks all up with half a ball over, how much are smokes?

[stui magpie]

Depends. Legal ones are $50 For a pack of 30, black market ones are $17 For a pack of 20.

Stick with the knitting

So no one else does renos or restorations. Boring bastards.

[Dark Beanie]

Hubby landscaped the front yard.
About 15 years ago got plans drawn up by a landscape designer. Got quotes from processionals to do the job, cost and we were in the middle of dry conditions and we decided to put it on the back burner.
Did get a new front fence and hubby found a bloke who needed infill for a block on Ferntree Gully - bloke came with his digger and truck and levelled the front.

Front yard is about a foot higher than street level, so we went with 2 levels in front yard, saved a bit of money.

Late 2018, hubby decided to set himself the project of doing the landscaping using the plans we had. A friend who is a landscaper got us plants thru a wholesaler. Planted Sir walter grass on lower level & installed fake grass on upper level.
Original timber retaining walls had fallen apart so hubby put in retaining walls made of Versastone
https://www.adbrimasonry.com.au/products/versastone/
Installed drainage behind the walls.
Also used Adbri pavers for the steppers from front gate to veranda instead of bluestone as it was cheaper but now with the dichondra grown b/w looks the same.

Over the last couple of years we have had to replace some plants - the most expensive a mature grass tree died - there is a mix of natives and hardy ones like westringia, cordylines, liriope. Survival of the fittest is our method of gardening.
Added a sculpture in the middle of lower level
https://www.overwrought.com.au/products ... -sculpture
Used an old upturned large terracotta pot as the base (bought for $20 rather than $450 for a metal base)

Garden looks great now, all the neighbours took great interest in the progress.

[Dark Beanie]

Restored 2 hardwood outdoor folding chairs, mainly to use on the front veranda.

Go them from a 2nd hand place in Brunswick, Mrs Secondhand. Solid and heavy not like some of the teak stuff you get now, and about a 3rd of the price of new. we have bought a few pieces of 2nd hand furniture, including beside drawers from there.

They were painted mission brown with lichen and moss in parts.
Scrubbed them clean and then a couple of sanding's. Finished off with oil, not quite like new but they look pretty good.

[stui magpie]

Nice work DB.

I did a job today I've been chewing over in my mind for a few years, levelling the front hallway.

I had the house restumped 5 years ago but they missed this bit, the hall floor dropped about 2cm in one corner meaning I had uneven join in the lounge doorway and the skirting board along one wall had a gap under it.

So cut and lifted off 2 floorboards and after an inspection and some experimenting, used a 4 tonne jack to lift the floor to the right level then made a new stump to hold it out of a concrete paving tile, some bricks and a piece of Redgum.

Replace the boards and skirting, bit of wood putty and I'm buggered but it's fixed

[stui magpie]

Got a call yesterday from the bloke who's doing my shed up in Toc, according to the people doing the planning permit the gutters on the shed would be 750mm from the gutters on the house which was too close. I said bullshit, there should be 3500 between the shed walls and the house walls, no way the gutters are that close.

So came up this morning, bought a 30m tape measure on the way, and first job was to measure every up and give him a call. I was right, his planning people were wrong.

After a quick shop, time to install some heating.

Wall mounted radiator for the bathroom involved moving the wall mounted clothes dryer first. Old heavy bastard. Lift it off, move the bracket, lift it back up, then mount the radiator.

Next the kitchen. Wall mounted ceramic fan heater, had to move a picture then mount it 2m off the floor, works like a bought one.

Productive day.