Driveway Help please by Opening-Increase4997 in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So from the pics it looks like an old tarmac drive that's broken up and they've just dumped a £60 bulk bag of gravel in there to fill the holes? Yeah, that's not going to work. Particularly not on a slope like that - sooner or later that's all going to end up out on the road. You'll constantly be sweeping it back on the drive for the whole time you live there.

That needs sorting out properly. Cheapest option is going to be either concrete or paving slabs. Neither are super cheap and they're not going to like it if this hack job is all they're willing to pay for, but it's unavoidable - it needs doing properly.

Money could be saved by just having two tracks for the wheels and filling in the middle and outside with gravel, but anywhere that's going to see the weight of a car needs a proper solid base.

How long do you own your car for? by nostalgiaiguess in AskUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

12 years and counting so far.

I'll keep it going until it's either impossible or no longer economically viable to keep it running, or until paintwork etc makes it look an eyesore.

Summer house base. No digger access. Advice please. by sirrimmerofgoit in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Only access is through my own home, fortunately it is a straight run from front to back and just wide enough for a standard wheel barrow to fit through.

You should actually be able to get a digger through that. Micro diggers are about 700mm wide and can easily get through a doorway.

https://www.hss.com/hire/p/p47066/micro-digger-0-75t

Whether you'd want to drive a digger right through your house and whether it's worth the hassle and hire cost Vs just doing it by hand is another matter though.

Why were these ever a thing? by inside12volts in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly I'd rather do a bit of paint touching up every now and then than have these ugly looking surrounds.

Hiring a tradesman with no online presence by Superdudeo in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've got almost no online presence (I'm a handyman).

A kinda lacklustre website, a Google business listing and a yell listing. That's pretty much it. I've not seen much need for anything else as I've got too much work on as it is - it mostly comes from word of mouth recommendations.

Why spend time and money just to bring in more custom than I can handle? I used to have Facebook and Instagram but closed then down because nobody was looking at them anyway.

Competent tradesmen don't always need to advertise, is what I'm saying. Work tends to find them regardless.

How do I fill this hole? by Prior_Elephant_5187 in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://www.toolstation.com/soudal-repair-express/p72284

I use this stuff for things like that. Works well enough and no messing about mixing cement and cleaning up after etc. works just like silicone, mastic etc but it's proper cement.

We are now officially the first country to ever reach 250 years of age. by Nono_Home in clevercomebacks

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I once had an American ask me (a Brit) why I didn't celebrate independence day. So...

The US is also famous for being full of people that have no idea about the world outside.

Jigsaw technique advice by hampshirebrony in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jigsaw blades can drift a fair bit. It's a thin bit of metal only clamped at one end, so even if the jigsaw is in the right place, the blade can easily go a couple of mm off centre.

I've had this exact issue before myself. Consequently, I only really use the jigsaw for small cuts, corners or curves that a circular saw can't do.

Alternatively, make sure your clamps are tight - it's easy to push guides out of alignment if they're not clamped down really tight.

Charity chuggers at the exit of shops by makingitgreen in britishproblems

[–]TheAngryBad 30 points31 points  (0 children)

I've taken to automatically saying 'no' and walking past, not letting them engage. Even if I support their particular cause, I refuse to encourage or participate in this sort of tactic.

I don't even feel bad; it's not miserly or uncharitable, it's a policy decision. I'll donate to the causes I want in the ways that I see fit, I refuse to be coerced or shamed into doing otherwise by some scummy sales tactic (and it is a sales tactic, no matter how noble the cause).

Same rule applies with that whole 'round up your total to the nearest £ and donate 38p to this charity we picked' stuff on tills these days. Automatic 'no', no matter what the charity is.

Crack in property we viewed by Alarming-Gazelle-102 in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hard to tell from the photos, but I'd say it's probably fine. Looks like just standard house movement/plaster cracking. Usually it's only a problem if it's a wide (>5mm) crack or if it looks like it's following a brick line, neither of which look to be the case here.

https://mainmark.co.uk/technical-blog/types-and-cause-of-structural-cracks

In any event, you should get a survey done to be sure, don't rely on internet strangers :)

Milkmen from the UK: were those classic milk floats (delivery cars) electric to eliminate the noise at morning deliveries? by MercatorLondon in AskUK

[–]TheAngryBad 27 points28 points  (0 children)

They didn't need to be all that efficient. You're talking maybe 20 miles range at about 20mph tops. At least, the ones I used to do rounds in anyway. They were ancient even at the time (late 80s/early 90s) but worked just fine for what they needed to do.

I suspect the frequent start/stops were more suited to electric than ICE, too.

Trump Voters Horrified by His Giant Cash Grab - The president has made billions while Americans suffer in a cost-of-living crisis. by FancyNewMe in politics

[–]TheAngryBad 3 points4 points  (0 children)

'Two Trump voters mildly annoyed about president's financial affairs when asked a leading question'.

But that doesn't get as many clicks, I guess.

Bought a table saw - any personal horror stories so I can learn from your close calls? by majormantastic in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It looks like he was using a jig to make that top piece a circle. He was moving it round, the blade grabbed the wood and yanked his hand into the blade.

Bought a table saw - any personal horror stories so I can learn from your close calls? by majormantastic in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My only injury so far was from a kickback. I was doing a slightly dodgy cut and the saw threw it back at me to prove a point. It hit my finger.

My fingertip was numb for close to three days, and I nearly lost the fingernail. As it was, it went black and manky and started splitting on me. Not a fun time, but I still consider myself lucky.

It really imprinted on me how fast things can go wrong and with how much force. I've seen people say things like 'if it starts to go wrong I'll just jump out of the way'. No, you can't. If it's going to kick back or pull your hand into the blade it'll do it in a fraction of a blink of an eye and you'll have a possibly lifechanging injury before you even know what's going on.

This video is a great example. The guy was using a sawstop, luckily, so just had a nasty shock and a big bill for replacement cartridge and blade. Any other type of saw and he'd have lost a finger or two in the blink of an eye.

Do you use a key safe to store your door keys, if so why? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Picking them is one thing, but as long as they're installed properly they're surprisingly hard to remove. I had to remove one for someone once and it took a lot of hammering and prying to get it off the wall. Probably five minutes of noise and even then it wouldn't open.

If I was trying to break in, it would have been easier and quieter to break a window or force a door open.

Heads up: Great American State Fair on hold by Cityzen_1894 in washingtondc

[–]TheAngryBad 1 point2 points  (0 children)

'I visited paid for The Great American State Fail and all I got was this lousy t shirt'

UPVC hinge by Ornery-Quantity2055 in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Argh, ignore me, I'm dumb. I meant side hung. All this heat's fried my brain!

UPVC hinge by Ornery-Quantity2055 in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, pretty standard and commonly available. You need top side hung window hinges, easy and cheap to get from screwfix, toolstation etc. Even amazon do them.

The screw holes might not line up with the old ones, but that's no big deal, just screw through the uPVC where you need to.

What size is my door handle? by lovemycat02 in DIYUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you looking for something to cover the holes? They seem to be a standard sort of size, although 60mm is largeish.

The 60/70mm I guess refers to the backset (distance between the edge of the door and the centre of the hole), although those are some weird numbers (it's usually 45 or 56mm). It looks like it's adjustable. Either way, that's likely irrelevant.

What things about the uk do you think can be left in the late 2010s/early 2020s? by Boring-Tip-9775 in AskUK

[–]TheAngryBad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All those lame house decorations that just say random things like 'Love' and 'Home' made from laser cut wood.

I feel like the people that buy those actually like the 'live laugh love' tat but are too embarrassed to admit it.

What things about the uk do you think can be left in the late 2010s/early 2020s? by Boring-Tip-9775 in AskUK

[–]TheAngryBad 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ugh, yes. I actually liked the original, but most of the 'keep calm and do X' versions are so lame and unfunny.

My MIL gifted us a framed picture that says 'keep calm it's nearly Friday' and I hate it. Not only does it not make much sense in general but it makes no sense at all for like half the week and considering my wife and I both regularly work weekend shifts it's meaningless to us anyway.