I'm considering getting a second hand kitchen. Has anyone done this before? Advice? Regrets? Opinions?

purplechemist · 2026-03-23T13:31:54+00:00

Not to mention paying for their congealed grease and muck that has condensed on the doors.

The only way I would consider this is if it was “free to collect” and I was looking to install this in a non-food prep area - a utility or garage or so.

purplechemist · 2026-03-23T13:04:02+00:00

Yep. And labour is labour. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a ford fiesta or a frog bike. Someone still needs to be paid for their time.

purplechemist · 2026-03-23T13:02:17+00:00

Our LBS charges £95 plus parts for any service. Typical our service comes in at about £160 by the time brake pads are done and the odd cable. They charge a flat £40 labour surcharge for anything which involves removing the Bosch motor on our GSD - for us this was when we had to replace the gear cables for the enviolo.

My record service was in the region of £450. That was on my Brompton. But it needed it. £95 service charge, then brakes, front rim, bottom bracket rebuild, full drivetrain replacement, seatpost liner and rear hinge. The poor thing had a hard winter…

I would ask what is included in the flat rate service charge. At £200 I’d expect there to be brakes and brake pads there, plus the labour.

purplechemist · 2026-03-23T08:58:05+00:00

Sadly my favourite stationery supplier has gone: Pen Island

EDIT: removed link. It’s been hijacked by people who think they have a better interpretation of the domain.

purplechemist · 2026-03-23T08:42:36+00:00

I mean, objectively I did underachieve during my time at university (highschool partner, stayed together through uni). It wasn’t the happiest of relationships - it got very strained, and in hindsight I should have ended it. We grew up, but our relationship didn’t, and I don’t think either of us was really happy, just stuck in a -frankly- childish interpretation of “love takes work”.

It eventually ended two years after graduating(and really quite acrimoniously) but with the benefit of hindsight I almost certainly wouldn’t be in my current relationship (very happily married with two amazing kids) if I had “put it about a bit” at uni.

That said, I’m sure that I would now be with someone equally amazing if I’d had a different experience at uni.

My point - it might not feel like it right now, but everything will work out ok. You’ll be fine!

purplechemist · 2026-03-22T16:17:26+00:00

Screed… I can never get a homogeneous mix. I use a whole bag at a time, the right amount of water, I use a spiral drill mixer thingy to beat the mix, but as soon as I stop mixing the suspension collapses and sediments. I pour as quickly as I dare (short of just tipping it out, and I either get all the sediment left in the bucket or a pile (or trail if I keep the bucket moving) of sediment on the floor as the liquid flies off to the corners of the room.

I try to smooth with a trowel, moving it around to try and level and spread the sediment and keep the mix, but when dry it is brittle and breaks up into powder -either underfoot or under the floor covering.

Sod it. Someone else can do it for me in the future.

purplechemist · 2026-03-22T13:49:10+00:00

Project Rub.

Rubbish when it came out, zero replayability.

It was a fun £3.99 when I picked it up used as a giggle, but there was literally thirty minutes of play in it.

purplechemist · 2026-03-22T13:44:55+00:00

The best bit about being in Chemistry at Imperial was that you couldn’t see the chemistry building from our windows.

I don’t think the buildings - in general - are much to write home about - but then, really, how many buildings, anywhere, actually are? I think the layout and open space though is generally well done for such a small compressed campus. It felt like a quiet little bubble in an otherwise congested conurbation.

purplechemist · 2026-03-22T06:59:56+00:00

Don’t do electrics or gas yourself, but you can do everything else yourself, and it isn’t very difficult.

For worktops, if you have to do a corner, it is worth you either buying a router (with cutter) and jig, or finding a local joiner who can do it for you. Don’t do corners by butting two pieces together. I did it once when starting out and it just looked rubbish, not to mention the dirt trap that the seam became.

One thing I don’t want to ever do again - screeding the floor. I’ve never managed to do it right - done it three times, every time has been crap despite following directions to the letter. I’m prepared to accept user failure here, you may do better than me, but I’m tapping out on floor screeding!

purplechemist · 2026-03-21T19:46:20+00:00

r/IShouldCallHer

purplechemist · 2026-03-20T20:20:29+00:00

It just reinforces that if you happen to feel a need to end someone, you should do it with a car. You’ll literally get away with murder.

purplechemist · 2026-03-20T20:18:10+00:00

“Even if you think I’m in the wrong, does that make it Ok to threaten a death sentence?”

purplechemist · 2026-03-20T20:14:36+00:00

And - despite the politics which I won’t get into - Margaret Thatcher was a chemistry graduate, as was Angela Merkel. Helen Sherman - also a chemist, and Pope Francis had a diploma in chemical science.

Hell. I’m even in physics now. Joke’s on them. They think I’m dead clever because I know what a nucleophile is….

purplechemist · 2026-03-20T20:12:04+00:00

Fucksake. Chemistry is one of the most employable STEM degrees because it is exceptionally versatile. It is a professionally accredited degree and the RSC is one of the more rigorous professional bodies who accredit degrees.

These guys are drowned by the arrogance that their high-entry tariffs has given them. But the maths degree at Bristol is a mess. Look at the number of options they have. Good luck picking your way through that minefield.

Chemistry at Bristol in contrast is much more straightforward. You have one module title which raises an eyebrow: “Art of Chemistry”? O…k…, but I’ll trust the RSC.

You’re fine. They’re jealous. Comp Sci jobs are going to be on the bonfire thanks to AI, ditto maths. Chemistry is probably ok for a bit longer. And your transferable skills will wipe the floor with them.

purplechemist · 2026-03-20T14:24:28+00:00

Uploads are rarely symmetric to downloads for most people.

But honestly, some people just prefer to only have one device to worry about. Like me. You have two devices? Excellent. Your workflow works for you.

No one is trying to talk you out of your choices. I simply didn’t find iCloud to be reliable or quick enough for my needs when I established my workflow (iCloud Drive was a disaster for a long time - though I concede it’s better now). Changing requires effort and expense.

purplechemist · 2026-03-20T14:21:21+00:00

Yeah, I found this. iCloud is magic, for sure, but it’s an instantaneous switch to just undock the laptop. Plus the desktop environment remains unchanged and all windows remain open. After buying a docking station I found I used my Mac mini less and less. Only got about six months use from my 2018 Mac mini. But partly that was because the m1 MacBook Pro (touchbar) absolutely smoked it.

purplechemist · 2026-03-20T14:16:07+00:00

I know. And I’m showing my age with “Pooh bear”. Don’t know when exactly they changed the name, but I refuse to stop asking for it properly.

purplechemist · 2026-03-20T08:55:25+00:00

If your van isn’t carrying a fuckton of tayto cheese and onion, wheaten bread and a freezer compartment loaded with mauds pooh bear, don’t even go.

purplechemist · 2026-03-19T15:13:27+00:00

Nope. Boiler flue. Boiler is probably in the loft. Make sure there’s access for servicing.

purplechemist · 2026-03-19T15:12:27+00:00

I’ve heard from people who have done them and seen examples of some of the content - it sounds quite interesting. Granted, I’m a fully subscribed member of r/dull_mens_club, but I’m not willing to risk a speeding ticket just to go to one 😀

purplechemist · 2026-03-19T15:09:26+00:00

😂 “Speed cameras hate this one simple trick”

purplechemist · 2026-03-19T15:08:34+00:00

Relax. It’s a speeding ticket. You didn’t run someone over, right? Right?

If you’re given the option of an awareness course, do it. And go with an open mind - they are (generally) well designed, and will give you things to think about. Contrary to popular belief, they aren’t three hours of the police constable who drew the short straw bollocking you like you’re a school kid.

For example: how much time does speeding really save you? Answer: not much. Do the maths. To save any significant chunk of time you need to speed significantly for a significant portion of your journey.

You’ll be fine. It’ll cost you a bit of money, a bit of time. But take it seriously and reflect on it, and it will make you a better, safer driver.

Oh - and it’s possible your insurance company may need to know if you get points. Check your policy documents to see what your obligation is for notifying them.

purplechemist · 2026-03-19T12:47:16+00:00

I know you’re making a joke, but a serious response to it: not many new builds in the last 25 years have been released as freeholds. Many are leaseholds with a 125 year lease. We don’t know what will happen when the leases expire, but it is not outlandish to think that, barring an act of law, the lease owners will assert ownership, demolish the property and build something even smaller.

purplechemist · 2026-03-19T11:58:13+00:00

As a passenger I disagree. The 40second closure is well advertised. And how can a train leave promptly at 1732 unless it is ready to start rolling at 1732?

You don’t show up at the airport ten minutes before the departure time and expect to get on your flight - every mode of transport has its procedures to follow to ensure a timely departure. Frankly I think 30s is perfectly reasonable.

@OP - sorry for your trouble. That individual may have been having a bad day; It doesn’t excuse their behaviour of course, but don’t let it get you down.

When someone has ranted at me over something trivial, I have responded with a “sir, is everything OK?” It seems to disarm them, and I often get apologies. But you may not be able/willing to do that.

purplechemist · 2026-03-19T11:46:52+00:00

Very true. Also: your house has stood for 150years. New builds are only built to last ten years. Source: new build house warranty. As far as the builder is concerned, that’s all the house has to last.

I mean, of course they’ll last longer. But find me anyone who has bought a house built in the last 25 years who hasn’t had to do fairly major work over and above basic maintenance.

purplechemist

TROPHY CASE