- Thread starter brightspark
- Start date
Premiershipman
Member
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Im 34 now and really didnt do any diy/handywork until about 10/12 years ago.
I started doing little bits on the previous house - sky dish cabling / chasing walls for cables / shelving etc...
I then started doing a bit more and a bit more and reading diy books / internet forums etc I now pretty much tackle anything but I make sure I am pretty well read on the subject and follow all appropriate guidelines and precautions before attempting 'skilled' work.
Now I do electrical work (including all the wiring on the new extension), all the plumbing, plastering, building, joinery, carpet/floor laying, electronics, plastering and recently getting into welding - just waiting for the Portamig 235 to arrive !!
Personally I think confidence plays a major part in 'having a go', some people simply 'don't want' to or 'don't have the time' or 'prefer to get a professional in'. I don't know many of my firends or family that do anything apart from their daily jobs and they always now ask me to 'do them a favour' which can vary from sorting a leaking toilet to installing half a dozen light fittings !!
However, having 3 kids under 5 trims my time quite considerably and the missus can get a bit miffed when jobs take a while due to lack of time in the evening and weekends due to playing with/feeding/bathing kids etc.
However, I do enjoy the satisfaction of being able to say 'I did that' and saving myself the cost of hiring in a 'professional' which in my belief is a very questionable term for some of them !!
Shady
I started doing little bits on the previous house - sky dish cabling / chasing walls for cables / shelving etc...
I then started doing a bit more and a bit more and reading diy books / internet forums etc I now pretty much tackle anything but I make sure I am pretty well read on the subject and follow all appropriate guidelines and precautions before attempting 'skilled' work.
Now I do electrical work (including all the wiring on the new extension), all the plumbing, plastering, building, joinery, carpet/floor laying, electronics, plastering and recently getting into welding - just waiting for the Portamig 235 to arrive !!
Personally I think confidence plays a major part in 'having a go', some people simply 'don't want' to or 'don't have the time' or 'prefer to get a professional in'. I don't know many of my firends or family that do anything apart from their daily jobs and they always now ask me to 'do them a favour' which can vary from sorting a leaking toilet to installing half a dozen light fittings !!
However, having 3 kids under 5 trims my time quite considerably and the missus can get a bit miffed when jobs take a while due to lack of time in the evening and weekends due to playing with/feeding/bathing kids etc.
However, I do enjoy the satisfaction of being able to say 'I did that' and saving myself the cost of hiring in a 'professional' which in my belief is a very questionable term for some of them !!
Shady
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32 going on 92
Owning your own business ages you somewhat
Owning your own business ages you somewhat
razie1985
Member
- Messages
- 77
I'm 26 since i was a little boy i have been striping things down to see how it works
i also used to spend some time with my grandad repairing cars down the garage
really i should of chose engineering as a career but i took some wrong turns
and left school at 15 so i didn't have any gcse's. over the years i have been slowly making up for this and at the momment I'm at college doing welding/fabricaion.
soon i will get to where i want to bein life slow but sure.
There are a lot of bright young kids out there in the same position as me
all they need is some guidance and support.
i also used to spend some time with my grandad repairing cars down the garage
really i should of chose engineering as a career but i took some wrong turns
and left school at 15 so i didn't have any gcse's. over the years i have been slowly making up for this and at the momment I'm at college doing welding/fabricaion.
soon i will get to where i want to bein life slow but sure.
There are a lot of bright young kids out there in the same position as me
all they need is some guidance and support.
stuvy
Member
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- 9,304
im 27, i did inherit alot of gordonson sockets aqnd record would working bits.
My dad always paid other people to work on his cars and bikes, when i had crossers as a kid and they broke my pocket money didnt stretch too far to pay someone so i started doing piston rings and then moving on to engine swaps on cars, 3 link suspension on land rovers and lots of race car bits too!
Same as Welderpaul, and alot of guys on here I work for myself and struggle at times but love it and wouldnt work for someone else, ever!!
My dad always paid other people to work on his cars and bikes, when i had crossers as a kid and they broke my pocket money didnt stretch too far to pay someone so i started doing piston rings and then moving on to engine swaps on cars, 3 link suspension on land rovers and lots of race car bits too!
Same as Welderpaul, and alot of guys on here I work for myself and struggle at times but love it and wouldnt work for someone else, ever!!
daveypower
Member
- Messages
- 61
I am 25 and i try to everything for myself, I dont let anyone at my car, i like doing things for myself, buying the tools is the hardest part as its costly, I do alot of reading also and i never give up. anything thing i do or learn i pick it up quickly but i feel its down to drive and not giving up on the things i like.
Im 20 and have been welding as a hobby for 2 ish years.
Did a course on welding and fabrication at college, they teach about 80 od students age 17 up how to weld mig, tig, gas and mma.
its a very good college with lots of resorces.
Im always at my local auto jumble as im into old bikes and cars, currently restoring a 1956 austin and keeping my 1987 army bike on the road.
Nick
Did a course on welding and fabrication at college, they teach about 80 od students age 17 up how to weld mig, tig, gas and mma.
its a very good college with lots of resorces.
Im always at my local auto jumble as im into old bikes and cars, currently restoring a 1956 austin and keeping my 1987 army bike on the road.
Nick
Well...
Im sat here reading this... Im 22, so not quite the youngest on here but one of them.
I only really weld as a hobby/requirement. I enjoy doing it, but can't afford decent kit just yet...
My dad was 'into' cars, so I picked that up, but taught myself a lot more. In terms of 'engineering', I wonder how it should be defined... I've made stuff from bits of metal, all sorts... (pedal powered 5 seater car?!) I've also done sound and light 'engineering' as a hobby for about 9 years now, so improvised lots then...
Also got a degree in 'engineering' (Electronics Engineering), which has lead to me now working as an 'engineer'... (Automotive)
Not really sure where I'm headed with this one now, other than to say don't lose hope in the kids just yet!
Oh yeah, I'm also an autojumble fan, but get many odd looks. I think the Mrs. enjoys traipsing round them too, trying to spot bits for her mini...
Im sat here reading this... Im 22, so not quite the youngest on here but one of them.
I only really weld as a hobby/requirement. I enjoy doing it, but can't afford decent kit just yet...
My dad was 'into' cars, so I picked that up, but taught myself a lot more. In terms of 'engineering', I wonder how it should be defined... I've made stuff from bits of metal, all sorts... (pedal powered 5 seater car?!) I've also done sound and light 'engineering' as a hobby for about 9 years now, so improvised lots then...
Also got a degree in 'engineering' (Electronics Engineering), which has lead to me now working as an 'engineer'... (Automotive)
Not really sure where I'm headed with this one now, other than to say don't lose hope in the kids just yet!
Oh yeah, I'm also an autojumble fan, but get many odd looks. I think the Mrs. enjoys traipsing round them too, trying to spot bits for her mini...
Ragnarok
Enthusiast
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You got a welder for your 12th!Very jealous. I think I was getting lego at that stage.
i had a meccano set, but i had a welder first haha
Fazed
Member
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- 251
I'm 41. Been sticking metal together for a living for 23 years.
Always 'fixed' stuff myself, or if it's beyond my capabilities then i seem to know someone who can.
My old man was the same, as was his Dad.
Runs in the family I reckon
It warms my heart to see that there are 'yoof' who are into getting up to their armpits in oily stuff, keep it up chaps
And I thought you were all into monging out with an XBox.
I personally blame Lego, y'know.
When i was a kid, i had buckets of the stuff. I was always building things from Lego. Have you seen the price of it today? They recently bought out a technical Lego set of a Merc Unimog... everybody loves a Unimog right? The kit, IIRC, is £150.
Who the hell can afford £150 for a Lego kit of just one vehicle? Like I said, I had buckets of the stuff back in the seventies that must've cost about 12 1/2p.
So that's it - the demise of the British manufacturing industry is directly related to the obscene cost of Lego. You heard it here first, folks
Always 'fixed' stuff myself, or if it's beyond my capabilities then i seem to know someone who can.
My old man was the same, as was his Dad.
Runs in the family I reckon
It warms my heart to see that there are 'yoof' who are into getting up to their armpits in oily stuff, keep it up chaps
And I thought you were all into monging out with an XBox.
I personally blame Lego, y'know.
When i was a kid, i had buckets of the stuff. I was always building things from Lego. Have you seen the price of it today? They recently bought out a technical Lego set of a Merc Unimog... everybody loves a Unimog right? The kit, IIRC, is £150.
Who the hell can afford £150 for a Lego kit of just one vehicle? Like I said, I had buckets of the stuff back in the seventies that must've cost about 12 1/2p. So that's it - the demise of the British manufacturing industry is directly related to the obscene cost of Lego. You heard it here first, folks
I'm 29, I've always loved anything mechanical. I blame my dad too as he was always fixing something with an engine.
I'm part of the Xbox generation too and I would take being down my garage over it any day.
Saying that of anyone fancies getting whipped at COD my gamer tag is KillMeImANob
I'm part of the Xbox generation too and I would take being down my garage over it any day.
Saying that of anyone fancies getting whipped at COD my gamer tag is KillMeImANob
chunkolini
celebrity artiste
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Funny how many people have not admitted to being any age at all.
me? mentally 14, chronologically 49.
me? mentally 14, chronologically 49.
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Maybe one of the mods can put a poll on the thread for us?
I'm 51 and started "helping" my dad with car repairs from about 6 or 7
Paul.
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Windy Miller
Semi-Professional Potterer!
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Well so far 100% of the voters are over 50. That'll be me then!
N
naughtyboy
Guest
my eldest 4 ( 10-14) arent interested in anything other than computers, but my youngest two ( 3 and 4 ) even have daddy at home clothes for my 4 days off.
cant keep them out of workshop, my 4yr old boy can name nearly all the equipment.
he as even made his mum a keyring out of an off cut of metal.
got daddy to help him drill hole then filed sides himself.
my little girl loves turning bandsaw on for me and as got an old engine with loose bolts so she can take bolts out.
heres a pic of her helping with transfer box on landy
cant keep them out of workshop, my 4yr old boy can name nearly all the equipment.
he as even made his mum a keyring out of an off cut of metal.
got daddy to help him drill hole then filed sides himself.
my little girl loves turning bandsaw on for me and as got an old engine with loose bolts so she can take bolts out.
heres a pic of her helping with transfer box on landy
