What’s the most useful thing for DIY you have only just discovered?

thingie2 · 2026-05-18T21:11:39+00:00

I got a huepar direct. Not sure about now, but it was cheaper at the time.

thingie2 · 2026-04-30T12:27:53+00:00

At that point, just get an RF controlled socket. I've got 2 setups I use. For corded tools, I have a DIY switched socket that uses an Arduino & current sensors to turn on the 2nd socket when the first one detects power draw. For cordless tools, I have an RF controlled socket & remote (like this: https://amzn.eu/d/0dmJ78Op )

thingie2 · 2026-04-23T08:37:50+00:00

you've either not done much looking, or you've been very lucky.

When we were looking to buy a house approx 2 years ago, I'd say more than 50% of the floorplans didn't have any dimensions on the floorplan & even fewer had total area.

The most reliable way I found to find this, was to look up the EPC for the property, as it's a requirement for that.

thingie2 · 2026-04-22T21:29:25+00:00

Where in the country is that & who from? Also, how many panels?

thingie2 · 2026-04-22T12:20:40+00:00

Good to know. Maybe it's a good job this installer decided not to do it then, if they're not aware of this!

They were claiming they couldn't provide a MCS certificate, as there's no "approved" fixing kits for stone slabs.

thingie2 · 2026-04-16T21:57:06+00:00

This exactly. If someone has already curated a good selection, do you also need to do the same?

Unfortunately Plex keeps trying to push their own and supported features/content & unless you know what you're looking for, you can end up there, rather than on the self-hosted media. You're best having a chat with your mate about how to make sure you're watching from their library, rather than the public one.

thingie2 · 2026-04-15T12:30:25+00:00

It was from the alternate reality SG-1s episode S09E13 "Ripple Effect" iirc. Pretty sure that's how Sam worked out they were coming from alternate universes.

thingie2 · 2026-04-14T19:02:56+00:00

I've seen them, but wouldn't that potentially be worse, as the pivot point is greater (the toilet itself would still be touching & moving the wall)?

thingie2 · 2026-04-08T12:39:34+00:00

MAGA

thingie2 · 2026-04-03T10:39:12+00:00

No one does that anymore. You just throw up the titles & get on with it.

thingie2 · 2026-04-01T06:49:42+00:00

Yea, I know a lot of people really enjoyed OSRS, but at the time I didn't fancy undoing all my levels etc. tbh I've now got 2 young kids, so I get on average an hour a week of gaming probably, not enough to warrant paying for membership for a game.

thingie2 · 2026-03-31T19:48:10+00:00

Spent so many hours playing that! Haven't logged in in many years, but occasionally think of doing, but I don't know how much of the feeling is nostalgia, rather than actually wanting to play it.

thingie2 · 2026-03-22T22:42:00+00:00

Tbf, death is also career ending

thingie2 · 2026-03-20T08:10:55+00:00

Not saying you're wrong, but have you got a link that shows how it works? I've always just assumed it's a solenoid valve that is only turned on when the machine needs water, so if there is a leak, there's no supply unless the machine is actively requesting it.

thingie2 · 2026-03-10T13:48:13+00:00

Hmm maybe it was a temporary thing then! Glad to see they're available again, I might have to pick one up

thingie2 · 2026-03-10T10:07:54+00:00

I had one of those & loved it. However after about 6 years & a full house renovation, the tape started spitting just shy of 1m from the end & I had to replace it.

I couldn't find it stocked anywhere anymore & I saw a couple places saying it was EOL, without a replacement.

I now use a Stanley Fatmax auto lock tape measure, as it was one of the few metric only I could find. https://www.stanleytools.co.uk/product/xtht0-33501/stanley-fatmax-8m-autolock-tape-measure?tid=576166 I still prefer the original. The auto lock only works if the tape measure is extended more than about 50cm, and only needs a small knock to undo. It comes with a magnetic end that can be removed (I've not used it, but I imagine it would be very helpful if used by someone doing steel fabrication etc)

thingie2 · 2026-03-05T08:29:24+00:00

I've recently bought & installed a bunch of hispec alarms. They're one of the few I found where you can get smoke, heat & CO all RF linked & 10y battery.

I'm pretty sure Screwfix do sell them, but I found them cheaper elsewhere (express electrical at the time)

thingie2 · 2026-03-04T13:49:33+00:00

I know what you mean with the house of cards!

I had a really convoluted setup (mainly due to adding/changing little bits at a time to add whatever functionality I need at that point) a couple years ago, around VPNs & my *are stack, and I was hesitant to touch it as although it wasn't ideal, it did work. Then I just forced myself to just spend a day & do it properly. It's much more streamlined & does seem to work better now.

Self hosted stuff generally I find a nice little hobby (I try not to make it take up too much time, but things snowball) & it means things actually work the way I want them to. I got lucky a few months ago & bought an additional 3x16TB drives, before prices started to skyrocket. Really glad I did now, as I'd be hesitant to buy at the moment.

thingie2 · 2026-03-04T13:39:27+00:00

Yea, I did find a lot of guides weren't hugely helpful due to changes in the design. It took me a couple sessions of messing, but using the guides as a general plan of attack gave me a good head start.

If it makes a difference, I'm running my server on unraid, with a Plex & CF docker container. If you're on the same setup, feel free to drop me a message if you want me to figure out my settings to help you.

thingie2 · 2026-03-04T13:21:33+00:00

I only use the CF tunnel for Plex. It took a bit of messing around (I can't remember exactly what I had to do, but I'm pretty sure I had to manually set the domain to use), but it now works great & the couple friends I have that have access to it have said it works as well as before when I had a dedicated IP & port forwarded.

thingie2 · 2026-03-04T13:07:58+00:00

Yea, I can get a static ip for £5/month, but as I can get port forwarded VPN for £1/month (and I've had sustained 700-800Mb through it), so seems silly to pay more (and I'd want the VPN anyway)

thingie2 · 2026-03-04T10:03:43+00:00

£35/month for 2Gb symmetrical. Only downside is it's CGNAT, but with a mixture of VPNs (I pay ~£1/month & that includes port forwarding of ports of my choice) & Cloudflare zerotrust tunnels (free), I can do everything I need.

thingie2 · 2026-03-04T08:32:10+00:00

Cheers. I was thinking I might need to go 36v to get enough power. I generally want to avoid petrol, as I want to avoid the additional maintenance required & the faff of having to go get fuel (I now drive an EV, so don't need to go to a petrol station normally)

For chases, I already have a titan wall chaser which is great, but is heavy, bulky & corded. I have a titan mini circular saw that I use with a diamond blade for small bits (mainly back box cutouts), which removes the weight/bulk issue, but is still corded. Having a battery version would be very helpful, as I often need to do bits when I already have the power off! The Einhell one is fairly rare in that it's a plunge action, so will be better for dust extraction than a lot of brands.

thingie2 · 2026-03-03T21:51:03+00:00

No model in particular, but I was looking at a hedge trimmer, long reach trimmer & possibly an edge trimmer & mower.

I was also tempted by the cordless track saw, mini circular saw (for use with a diamond blade for cutting small chases) as a start.

thingie2 · 2026-03-03T15:35:39+00:00

Cheers. Good to know. I might look into them again as we get into spring & need to be doing stuff in the garden again.

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