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Post by Officer Barbrady on May 24, 2021 19:04:37 GMT
So, I have a bit of a side hobby in that I like to make things. Useful things really. For example, recently I have taken rather a liking to beef jerky so decided to make my own 'dehydrator' of sorts with some heat and airflow and basic wiring in a box. I've also built a workbench I am quite proud of and a phone holder which attaches to the wall and rotates so I can watch YouTube lying down in bed.
What have you made? Care to share?
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Post by Gassy on May 24, 2021 20:31:18 GMT
How do you make beef jerky? I do love jerky.
I make our candles & cut the glass of beer bottles to store them in. Recently I saw someone selling 4 Corona beer glasses (that they'd cut) for £10. I might start doing it tbh, whats not to like? Drink the Corona then sell the bottles for more than you bought the beer in the first place!
I wanted to learn wood working last year but then Covid hit. I still plan on doing it at some point though.
Going to have to wait a while though, with the little 'un, having time/energy for a hobby atm just doesn't exist.
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Post by Officer Barbrady on May 24, 2021 20:59:11 GMT
How do you make beef jerky? I do love jerky. I make our candles & cut the glass of beer bottles to store them in. Recently I saw someone selling 4 Corona beer glasses (that they'd cut) for £10. I might start doing it tbh, whats not to like? Drink the Corona then sell the bottles for more than you bought the beer in the first place! I wanted to learn wood working last year but then Covid hit. I still plan on doing it at some point though. Going to have to wait a while though, with the little 'un, having time/energy for a hobby atm just doesn't exist. I know that feeling! Jerky is pretty easy to make actually. You just need to slice it, marinate it with some vinegar and spices (I use smoke dust from amazon its amazing for steaks etc) then dehydrate it at around 70c for a few hours. You can do it with a fan oven and the door ajar if yours goes low enough. In this case I took a plastic storage box, foil on the inside, electric pc fan on the outside to blow air in via some drilled holes, a 150w reptile heat bulb, a vent hole and a mesh grill. Heats the box and positive pressure pushes the moisture out. Takes about 3 hours but lasts for ages. Well, not in my house it doesn't but you get my meaning. You can buy a dehydrator on amazon for 35 quid but wheres the fun in that! On the wax thing, I found an amazing fire lighter if you melt the way down (in a tin in boiling water) then when melted get some of your wife's makeup remover pads (round cotton wool things) and coat them in wax and leave to harden. You can break one of those in half and fold it and it will take a spark and burn for ages. It gets easier with the little one. Many say it doesn't but it definitely does. Hang in there  |
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Post by Hugo the Elder on May 26, 2021 18:49:03 GMT
Probably more DIY, but I have done my own loft conversion and I'm working on making a basement.
I'm also hoping to make a big shed up the garden from scratch.
I've also made one of those twisted wire games that lights up (or buzzes) when you try to guide a small ring round it.
Made it from some old copper wire and some of those cheap battery powered LED lights.
Cost me about 3 quid and the Cubs love it!
Also made a Slack line out of 2 ratchet straps last week too.
I have made an indoor caving set up too.
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Post by Hugo the Elder on May 26, 2021 18:52:38 GMT
Ooh, also while I'm on the subject, does anyone have any of that ground cover sheeting.
3M wide by as much length as you have spare. Its for the Cubs indoor caving. PM if you do. Sorry for hijacking your thread OB
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Post by Officer Barbrady on May 26, 2021 21:49:21 GMT
You heard the owl. Carpets up lads.
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Post by stuart1974 on May 26, 2021 22:14:15 GMT
Not so much inventing, but we've taught ourselves to switch adapt toys. The price of a commercially adapted one is about two or three times the cost of an unadapted one, yet we can switch it for only a couple of pounds and half an hour.
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Post by yattongas on May 26, 2021 22:41:52 GMT
Probably more DIY, but I have done my own loft conversion and I'm working on making a basement. I'm also hoping to make a big shed up the garden from scratch. I've also made one of those twisted wire games that lights up (or buzzes) when you try to guide a small ring round it. Made it from some old copper wire and some of those cheap battery powered LED lights. Cost me about 3 quid and the Cubs love it! Also made a Slack line out of 2 ratchet straps last week too. I have made an indoor caving set up too. I was going to say I made a dog kennel last yr out of old pallets ...... you do a loft conversion ! 😂👏 |
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Post by Officer Barbrady on May 26, 2021 22:56:27 GMT
I've always fancied doing the loft. Its not big enough to convert per se but would be useful boarded for storage. Thing is every time I get up there I am sh** scared that I will misstep and fall through the ceiling.
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Post by Hugo the Elder on May 27, 2021 5:26:11 GMT
Probably more DIY, but I have done my own loft conversion and I'm working on making a basement. I'm also hoping to make a big shed up the garden from scratch. I've also made one of those twisted wire games that lights up (or buzzes) when you try to guide a small ring round it. Made it from some old copper wire and some of those cheap battery powered LED lights. Cost me about 3 quid and the Cubs love it! Also made a Slack line out of 2 ratchet straps last week too. I have made an indoor caving set up too. I was going to say I made a dog kennel last yr out of old pallets ...... you do a loft conversion ! 😂👏 It was a labour of love. I think it took me about 6 years lol. A lot of that was down to finances. It was a case of doing things when I could. Lifting the floor and the stair case was probably the hardest part. I had the stairs custom made. Not as expensive as it sounds. I have a double wind because it's in a very compact space. The guy came and measured the width, rise and the going and I think they are able to just put that info into a standard machining programme to rattle off "bespoke" stairs with minimal effort. They are only made of MDF and if I remember correctly they were about £700. What I didnt realise was that when it was delivered it was literally a pallet with all the parts of the stairs just layed out flat. Nothing was labelled and there were no instructions. Best 3D jigsaw ever. As for boarding a loft, that's a peice of water OB. Get yourself a few packs of loft boards. They are cheap and slot together with tounge and groove. Start from your loft hatch and lay a few. From their you can either work your way further into the loft or go to one corner and work your way out. You may then need to just reposition your starting boards around the hatch. The loft boards should span the joists and dont forget to stagger them like you would a brick wall. Dont forget they are only for light storage. |
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Post by Hugo the Elder on May 27, 2021 5:29:17 GMT
Not so much inventing, but we've taught ourselves to switch adapt toys. The price of a commercially adapted one is about two or three times the cost of an unadapted one, yet we can switch it for only a couple of pounds and half an hour. I know what switch adapting is. |
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Post by Hugo the Elder on May 27, 2021 5:36:45 GMT
Oh, and dont screw them down until you have laid a few as you will probably need to lift one or 2 to slot in the next one. Also, draw a pencil line on each one in line with the joists as you go. This will make screwing them down a lot easier and will ensure your screws actually go into the joists and not just straight through the board! And use screws, not nails. |
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Post by francegas on May 27, 2021 6:06:36 GMT
Oh, and dont screw them down until you have laid a few as you will probably need to lift one or 2 to slot in the next one. Also, draw a pencil line on each one in line with the joists as you go. This will make screwing them down a lot easier and will ensure your screws actually go into the joists and not just straight through the board! And use screws, not nails. Blimey Hugo..at this rate you'll get the call to take over from Nick Knowles on DIY SOS !! (Just don't do a Shreddies advert anytime soon) |
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Post by Hugo the Elder on May 27, 2021 6:20:52 GMT
Made a shelf for displaying Starwars Lego figures.
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Post by Hugo the Elder on May 27, 2021 6:25:12 GMT
Me and Hugo the Younger also made this fingerboard ramp.
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Post by oldie on May 27, 2021 8:03:45 GMT
Christ
Hugo's efforts make me feel totally inadequate🥶
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Post by Officer Barbrady on May 27, 2021 8:09:24 GMT
Not so much inventing, but we've taught ourselves to switch adapt toys. The price of a commercially adapted one is about two or three times the cost of an unadapted one, yet we can switch it for only a couple of pounds and half an hour. I know what switch adapting is. Whats switch adapting? |
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Post by oldie on May 27, 2021 8:10:24 GMT
I know what switch adapting is. Whats switch adapting? Glad you asked. I already feel completely useless |
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Post by Officer Barbrady on May 27, 2021 8:14:27 GMT
Glad you asked. I already feel completely useless you and me both. I needed a bigger heat lamp for my meat machine (quiet at the back) so I screwed it in and it doesn't turn on. I simply do not understand. Power on, no work. Project failed. I'll stick to biological plumbing. |
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Post by Officer Barbrady on May 27, 2021 8:23:49 GMT
Made a shelf for displaying Starwars Lego figures. impressive |
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