resources for becoming more handy

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Assume, if you will, that I have little knowledge of things related to basic home repairs, carpentry, car repairs, plumbing or anything tool related beyond knowing that I share a name with a type of screwdriver. Things that would be considered basic DIY projects.

Now assume, if it pleases, that I'd like to correct that.

What are some good resources for doing so?
 
Dang. I just can't think of anything that's project-agnostic. All the stuff I know is geared to homes, cars, woodworking, etc. instead of just "These are basic tools and here's how to use them."

--Patrick
 
Well, I may be overplaying my ignorance a little. It's not so much that I know absolute zero, as much as I know embarrassingly little.

Not so much "fucking wrenches, how do they work?" and more "so ya have a leaky faucet, huh? Here's something you should consider doing, as opposed to whatever dumb idea you think might work"
 
See, that's just it. If you want leaky pipes, there are plenty of books on Plumbing, and I know to send you after one of them. But just saying, "I want to be more handy" doesn't say if you mean cars, cooking, landscaping, watch repair, furniture, or what-have-you. I guess you'd want to treat it like a visit to your academic guidance counselor. You won't get any really good info until you declare a major...even if you don't stay with that major.

--Patrick
 
I see what you're saying now.

Let's start with auto repair, since that's something that even knowing a little bit about can help a great deal.
 
Nowadays when you have a leaky faucet, you replace the faucet. In modern houses, post 1970, they are simple to replace. Now it is too difficult to take the handles off and repack them. And it is very simple to destroy the valves while repacking them now. Since they are made out of plastic now. So just find a faucet you like and a little wrench work, you are done.
 
I read an article talking about how volunteering for habitat for humanity can teach you a bunch of different skills, and they accept people with 0 experience or knowledge.
 
Along the same lines as blotsfan, I'd say find someone you know who is handy in whatever area you're interested in and ask if you can help them out sometime. I tend to learn things like home repair stuff best if I can watch someone do it first.
 
Jump in and do it. Once you have a problem you need to fix, ask around, get a book, check online, and learn how to do that one task, and what tools you'll need.

Then do it.

Brakes are easy, though often tedious, but they're a good project for working on the car, and the manuals you can get at auto stores show you exactly how to do them, along with everything else on your car. Brakes are hard to get wrong.

For each project, whether car, home, yard, etc, there are many resources to get started. All you need to do is reconsider paying someone else to do it, and pay yourself. For your first few projects you'll be spending money on the right tools rather than a professional. Occasionally you'll spend more - especially if you make a mistake, or reach a point where you can't finish it and then have to call a professional. Over time, though, you'll learn a lot, and feel a lot more comfortable doing the work.

The big tradeoff is whether you have time or not. It'll take you many hours to finish even simple projects, especially in the beginning, but even as you get good at it there will be unexpected issues and problems to deal with. So while you may save money, you'll be spending a great deal of time. For some people the project is fun and worth it, and others do it once, then say, "Ok, I know how to do it, and I'm fine letting a pro handle it from here on out."
 
Jump in and do it. Once you have a problem you need to fix, ask around, get a book, check online, and learn how to do that one task, and what tools you'll need.

Then do it.

Brakes are easy, though often tedious, but they're a good project for working on the car, and the manuals you can get at auto stores show you exactly how to do them, along with everything else on your car. Brakes are hard to get wrong.

For each project, whether car, home, yard, etc, there are many resources to get started. All you need to do is reconsider paying someone else to do it, and pay yourself. For your first few projects you'll be spending money on the right tools rather than a professional. Occasionally you'll spend more - especially if you make a mistake, or reach a point where you can't finish it and then have to call a professional. Over time, though, you'll learn a lot, and feel a lot more comfortable doing the work.

The big tradeoff is whether you have time or not. It'll take you many hours to finish even simple projects, especially in the beginning, but even as you get good at it there will be unexpected issues and problems to deal with. So while you may save money, you'll be spending a great deal of time. For some people the project is fun and worth it, and others do it once, then say, "Ok, I know how to do it, and I'm fine letting a pro handle it from here on out."

Yuppers. This is exactly how I learned things around the house. Just jump in and do it. If you f- it bad enough, remember you can always call a pro to fix it.



Sixpack is right on the money with the replacing parts thing. I recently replaced the drain and plug on my bathtub. I first bought the cheaper kit that came with only the drain and overfill cap. Well, once I got to replacing the overfill cap, I realized that it didn't match the drain so I couldn't mount it onto the tub, and essentially needed specific shape PVC pipe for the overfill drain. I thought I could run to Home Depot and just get it; turns out it only comes as part of the more expensive kit. Had to exchange the original kit I bought with this other one.

Home Depot and Lowes both have do-it-yourself books for pretty much every home improvement job under the sun. I HIGHLY recommend them. They are written with lots of diagrams and pictures, and intended for someone who's never tackled the project before. Mind you, they're each like 20 bucks, so I wouldn't go nuts and buy the whole series at once - just buy one at a time when the need for a specific project arises.

As far as auto repair - HAYNES manuals. Get the one appropriate for your car. It'll have every nut and bolt cataloged for you. If auto repair is where you want to start, get a good socket set. You can't really do much auto repair without it. Start with changing your oil. Actually, just get familiar with your engine. Replace your air filter and top off your fluids, rotate your tires. Hell, just get the thing up on jack stands and feel comfortable with being under it.
 
Changing oil was the first thing I learned about cars... at the age of 28.

I find that cars are like computers, people are so mystified as to how they work, but once you roll up your sleeves and get in there, it's pretty easy with a little guidance.
 
Changing oil was the first thing I learned about cars... at the age of 28.

I find that cars are like computers, people are so mystified as to how they work, but once you roll up your sleeves and get in there, it's pretty easy with a little guidance.

For certain things...
 
Well, of course, I don't expect anyone to be able to strip out a carburetor right off the bat. One of the biggest problems is that everything is computerized on cars now. Helping my best friend fix his classic cars were easy.
 
A lot of auto repair is right there in the manual. Most of the periodic maintenance can be accomplished in a driveway with little effort and relatively inexpensive tools. Fuses, oil changes, lamp replacement, air filter, hoses, tire rotation/replacement/pressure, antifreeze, washer fluid, wiper replacement, chipped paint, relays or other pluggable modules, some belts/pulleys, alternator, various emission bits...these are all things that you can most likely service yourself with nothing more than relatively basic tools and at most a jack or a pair of ramps to raise the front end of the car (and some chocks to keep it from rolling!).

--Patrick
 
Speaking of which, many of the newer cars are actually keeping ease of maintenance in mind when laying out the engine, which is great. My Hyundai's engine is laid out in such a way that getting to the oil filter and plug, headlight bulbs, etc are super easy to access.

My old Silverado was a huge pain in the ass to change the oil because the filter was WAAAAY up under the manifold and you needed FOUR different types of tools just to change a freakin lightbulb (ratchet, allen wrinch, screwdriver, and pliers).
 
A lot of auto repair is right there in the manual. Most of the periodic maintenance can be accomplished in a driveway with little effort and relatively inexpensive tools. Fuses, oil changes, lamp replacement, air filter, hoses, tire rotation/replacement/pressure, antifreeze, washer fluid, wiper replacement, chipped paint, relays or other pluggable modules, some belts/pulleys, alternator, various emission bits...these are all things that you can most likely service yourself with nothing more than relatively basic tools and at most a jack or a pair of ramps to raise the front end of the car (and some chocks to keep it from rolling!).

--Patrick

Damn straight! fucking GM. I went to change the serpentine belt on my wife's chevy equinox, and you have to unmount the damn engine to get it off! Took me an afternoon to change the belt instead of 10 minutes!
 
I see what you're saying now.

Let's start with auto repair, since that's something that even knowing a little bit about can help a great deal.
Check the air pressure in your tires. As a first step it's very low risk high reward.

Then learn how to change a tire.

Then find the periodic maintenance for you car and see how much of the tasks you can do yourself. You'll be amazed how many of the "rigorous 80 point inspections" the garages will sell, you do naturally every day.

Learn how to wash your car. By doing so you will learn about your car and spend time with it looking at it differently.

If you can do that, you are far more ahead in automobile maintenance that most of the public.
 

Necronic

Staff member
1) Buy a Chilton's guide for your car.

2) Buy a hydraulic jack and jack stands (costs maybe 80$)

3) Do some simple repairs as they come up. Disc brakes (as mentioned) are easy, drum brakes are not (don't mess with those). Oil is easy, although it's kind of pointless since you have to dispose of the oil. Spark plugs are easy peasy, as is your distributor (if you have one). Air filter also.

------------

Honestly though car is not the best place to start fresh on since messing it up will hose you royally if you don't have a second car. Household plumbing on the other hand is really simple and it's hard to screw up the basics. Here are some simple projects:

1) Do you have a running toilet? That's your bobber in the tank not getting a good seal, possibly due to the chain. Take it apart/replace it (really easy).

2) Replace your shower-head. Most people use crappy shower heads. a decent one costs 30$, a good one costs 80$. Total breeze to replace.

3) Clean out your P-Traps on all of your sinks. That's the bendy part of the pipe. You can drain it with the stopper, then pull it off. You might find that old missing ring! However you will probably just find stuff from the depths of Nurgles worst nightmares.

4) (advanced/expensive) Replace your toilet. Not as hard as you might think, but it's a two man job for certain parts.
 

fade

Staff member
Hmm, I disagree that drum brakes are hard. Give me a lug wrench, a socket set and a good pair of needle-nose pliers, and I can do a drum almost as fast as a disc. (Might not be fair... I grew up in a mechanic's shop with a wrench in my hand.) Also, a lot of places will take your old oil for free. I just take it in the next time I go to buy new oil. For a while there, it was cheaper to get someone to do your oil for you, but it has gone back the other way now.

I'd concur with most of the advice here, though. Get in there and try it. A lot of it is fairly self explanatory after some experience. I second (or third) a Chilton's for your car. A shop manual is even better if you can get it (these are the manuals the manufacturers write). The trick is to get some base knowledge. Learning to change your oil will also up your skills on rebuilding a carburetor, if the need so arises.

Just respect the tools and take the proper safety precautions. Even when the job seems easy. For example, household electric is pretty easy and logical, but it can also be deadly, and if you don't follow code, you're creating a fire hazard. Plumbing is dead simple in theory, but it will give you the worst time. Old threads won't turn, pipes break, leaks happen where you can't see them.

Unless you're getting the warrantied kind or you're a pro, buy cheap hand tools, because the expensive ones will break almost as fast, and then you're out even more money. Most likely if they break, you're not using the right tool.

It's all about practice and not being afraid to try.
 
Hmm, I disagree that drum brakes are hard. Give me a lug wrench, a socket set and a good pair of needle-nose pliers, and I can do a drum almost as fast as a disc.
Drum brakes are simply more annoying. I agree on the needle nose pliers, though, very handy for all those springs.

The problem I have with drum brakes usually center around the parking brake components being rusty and worn, and also putting the springs back in.

Still, I've done rear disc brakes before as well and I'd rather do drums than rear discs.
 
Depending on where he's coming from, maybe you're all going way too fast. I've helped my father with plenty of things over the years, and theoretically I can do most things mentioned in this thread (except the car things. I can change my oil or a light bulb and that's about it).
But just a couple of months ago, I needed to drill 4 holes to hang up a painting (it had an awkward cadre - I didn't put it in there). I spent about 2 hours measuring the distance from the ground so they'd be even (if only I had a level), the right distance apart and so on, and trying to drill the holes...Oh, and while I knew a drill could either just rotate or (god, I just discovered I don't know jack all about this particular part of vocabulary in English. Seriously.)rotate and knock. I just sort of assumed my drill was set to the right one...Which it wasn't, which made my drilling quite useless.

Anyway - doing things is the only way to learn, and starting out simple is the only way to do. Oh, and of course, always take the necessary safety precautions. Even the ones you think are silly (as in, I turned off part of the power so I wouldn't electrocute myself while drilling holes in the wall. Again, there's a tool to check, but I obviously don't have it).
 
My dad taught me how to change oil as a teenager. However, I am a lazy SOB and just go to Valvoline. I learned how to SEW however just by diving in and doing it. It was exciting... and many hours of cussing and seam ripping. But it's the same idea as learning how to do anything with your own two hands. My husband knows piss all about cars, but he'll jump on the internet to save money on mechanic's fees if it's nothing too complicated. I wish I was as handy about home improvement as my parents however, I'm always too afraid to try stuff that's complex because I'm afraid I'll fuck up my house somehow and then have to look at it every day. ;)
 
A friend of my mother was baby-sitting her grandson. The lady was doing some quilting, in fact she is in the same quilting guild as my mom. As the friend was sewing, she'd notice a flaw in the seam. Say, "darn, darn, darn..." as she ripped the seam out.

My four year old nephew said, "MY GRANDMA SAYS 'DAMN, DAMN, DAMN' WHEN SHE DOES THAT."
 

fade

Staff member
That's pretty cool. On the other hand, if you're going to do all that, it might be cheaper just to buy a turnkey and use your core as a deposit.
 
Let me just say Youtube is a godsend for a beginner DIY-er. Recently fixed the washing machine thanks to that. Total cost of ~$16 (multimeter + parts).
 
Youtube is great for the walkthrough on how do things - the other thing is if you don't want to permanently invest in a book right away - try a larger local library, they'll typically have a book that you can borrow and read through, then decide if you want to purchase.

Other ways to find out - Google (or any other search) can be your friend - ex: I recently purchased a 2000 Saturn SL. The instrument cluster bulbs decided to die and I wasn't sure how to get in to get them replaced. I ended up finding a forum that Saturn owners have and found postings with pictures and links to YouTube videos that showed me exactly how to do it.

Biggest thing - before you start any project (whether it's car repair or etc), make sure you have all of the tools and parts you'll need to do the job - nothing like getting halfway through and have to stop and run out to get something.
 
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