DIY can be dangerous!

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this guy had a lucky escape...oops he got nailed!
Ouch! Builder Alan Williams trapped for hours after nailing himself to floor - Yahoo! News UK

I remember falling off my own ladder at roof level, fixing my gutters, the ladder went and I dropped down and landed on my feet. I was actually knocked out by the impact.
They told me in the hospital i had been a lucky man.
Who of you have been lucky DIY ing?
  • Profile picture of the author ThomM
    Originally Posted by highhopes View Post

    this guy had a lucky escape...oops he got nailed!
    Ouch! Builder Alan Williams trapped for hours after nailing himself to floor - Yahoo! News UK

    I remember falling off my own ladder at roof level, fixing my gutters, the ladder went and I dropped down and landed on my feet. I was actually knocked out by the impact.
    They told me in the hospital i had been a lucky man.
    Who of you have been lucky DIY ing?
    For my whole life I've lived by the curse of "If you know how to do it, do it. If you don't know how to do it, learn". I also tend to not ask for help, so I end up working without adult supervision, a lot
    With some of the stupid stuff I've done that made sense at the time, I'm lucky to be alive
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    While stapling insulation to a room we were remodeling my wife once held the staple gun backwards and stapled her hand. I use that against her to this day whenever she thinks about using power tools.
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  • Profile picture of the author Halcyon
    My house turned 100 years old this year so it's DIY or bust.

    I even bought a pink leather toolbelt that really upsets my "manly" neighbor. Who thinks the "fixin' of stuff" should be left to the men.

    I've rebuilt our boiler, updated the plumbing to PEX (discourages copper thieves when we travel), new lighting, flooring etc. I just replaced the motor coupler on my washer and installed an exhaust vent in the master bath.

    I enjoy DIY, I get a tiny rush when I've fixed something and didn't have to spend too much. It leaves me with more money for shoes.

    So far I haven't hurt myself or anyone else but my hubby has been banned from using the jigsaw unsupervised.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      Originally Posted by Halcyon View Post

      I even bought a pink leather toolbelt that really upsets my "manly" neighbor. Who thinks the "fixin' of stuff" should be left to the men.

      ...snip...

      It leaves me with more money for shoes.
      My wife is actually pretty handy, like you apparently. She gets herself in trouble though, thinking there's only one way to accomplish something. And I would only trust her with some power tools, not everything. She doesn't have the training, and some really do have dangers the untrained aren't likely to anticipate.

      Like you, and most women I know, she also has a compulsion for shoes.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by Halcyon View Post

      My house turned 100 years old this year so it's DIY or bust.

      I even bought a pink leather toolbelt that really upsets my "manly" neighbor. Who thinks the "fixin' of stuff" should be left to the men.

      I've rebuilt our boiler, updated the plumbing to PEX (discourages copper thieves when we travel), new lighting, flooring etc. I just replaced the motor coupler on my washer and installed an exhaust vent in the master bath.

      I enjoy DIY, I get a tiny rush when I've fixed something and didn't have to spend too much. It leaves me with more money for shoes.

      So far I haven't hurt myself or anyone else but my hubby has been banned from using the jigsaw unsupervised.
      Please tell me you didn't REPLACE copper with pex. Pink leather huh? YIKES!

      Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author Halcyon
        Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

        Please tell me you didn't REPLACE copper with pex. Pink leather huh? YIKES!

        Steve
        No actually ,this house was bought as an REO and most of the copper was gone when we got here. Because we weren't moving in right away we opted for PEX rather than run the risk of the house being vandalized again.

        I've heard so many PEX horror stories but so far so good (4 years). There are some places where copper is mandatory per regulation (water heater, street side of the meter, on the boiler) but other than that it's PEX and PVC.

        As for my pink leather toolbelt, it's hot and serves many purposes.


        Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

        ...

        Like you, and most women I know, she also has a compulsion for shoes.
        I don't mind power tools however I'm a little leery of the MAP gas used for soldering.

        But I do love my shoes, so if I need to solder I'll solder.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dave Patterson
        Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

        Please tell me you didn't REPLACE copper with pex. Pink leather huh? YIKES!

        Steve
        It's almost a necessity in in certain parts of the country. Some of the homebuilders here have started hiring armed security to watch out for their new housing developments till they start selling homes and get a few folks moved in...

        Copper theft is BIG business around these parts.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by Halcyon View Post

      My house turned 100 years old this year so it's DIY or bust.

      I even bought a pink leather toolbelt that really upsets my "manly" neighbor. Who thinks the "fixin' of stuff" should be left to the men.

      I've rebuilt our boiler, updated the plumbing to PEX (discourages copper thieves when we travel), new lighting, flooring etc. I just replaced the motor coupler on my washer and installed an exhaust vent in the master bath.

      I enjoy DIY, I get a tiny rush when I've fixed something and didn't have to spend too much. It leaves me with more money for shoes.

      So far I haven't hurt myself or anyone else but my hubby has been banned from using the jigsaw unsupervised.
      Every time I read this post I think "if only she was single and I was 30 years younger".
      By the way you really need pink power tools and a pink hammer, if for no other reason then to tweak your neighbour a little more
      Signature

      Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
      Getting old ain't for sissy's
      As you are I was, as I am you will be
      You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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  • Of course...with a little practice -
    You might not shoot yourself in the foot...
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  • Profile picture of the author Green Moon
    I'm usually pretty handy and reasonably careful (if you don't count the numbers of times I have cut the extension cord with the electric hedge trimmers), but I did have one close call.

    The bottom heating element in our electric oven went out. I researched online and found that several people, including some handy wives like Halcyon Miller, said how easy it was to replace the element. So I ordered the part. When it came, I carefully read the instructions, opened the oven door, pulled the old element out of the socket and went to push the new one into place.

    BOOM! A giant arc of electricity lit up the inside of the stove and shot through the back of the appliance, singed the insulation and the white enamel paint, and flipped the circuit breaker. For some reason, it did nothing to me, other than scare the sh*t out of me. I'm sure the instructions must have said to unplug the oven before changing the element, but I apparently missed that part.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by Green Moon View Post

      I'm usually pretty handy and reasonably careful (if you don't count the numbers of times I have cut the extension cord with the electric hedge trimmers), but I did have one close call.

      The bottom heating element in our electric oven went out. I researched online and found that several people, including some handy wives like Halcyon Miller, said how easy it was to replace the element. So I ordered the part. When it came, I carefully read the instructions, opened the oven door, pulled the old element out of the socket and went to push the new one into place.

      BOOM! A giant arc of electricity lit up the inside of the stove and shot through the back of the appliance, singed the insulation and the white enamel paint, and flipped the circuit breaker. For some reason, it did nothing to me, other than scare the sh*t out of me. I'm sure the instructions must have said to unplug the oven before changing the element, but I apparently missed that part.
      The oven must have been on. You should ALWAYS turn off the circuit breaker before doing that, and turning the oven off can't hurt. If you plug it in when it is on, you COULD literally get burned, electrocuted, or have an instant load on the circuit that could EVEN cause the house to catch fire and burn down. That last one is happily not TOO likely because building codes require insulation, HOPEFULLY conduit(Not so likely today because SUPPOSEDLY the insulation is so good), and circuit cutting devices, like circuit breakers. Still, they CAN fail or be bypassed.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Mae Rose
    Yes, DIY's are dangerous because they are done hastily. The quality is not also good in order to compensate for its low-cost.
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    • Profile picture of the author highhopes
      Even Health and safety officers can do silly things! What chance for the rest of us?

      Video: Health and safety officer falls off ladder - Telegraph
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      • Profile picture of the author highhopes
        Just thinking of other accidents i have had; (1) cutting through the tendons of my finger with an electric saw, (2) helping a neighbour in the garden when I was about 11 years old and stuck a pitch fork through my foot when resting after a hard hour or so. Funny this i pretended It did`nt happen out of embarrassment, only to be told my sock had turned red by him ( blood) (3) Being thrown off the dining room table when i inadvertently thought the power had been switched off when changing the light fitting above the table.....the list goes on LOL
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    • Profile picture of the author Dave Patterson
      Originally Posted by Mae Rose View Post

      Yes, DIY's are dangerous because they are done hastily. The quality is not also good in order to compensate for its low-cost.
      Huh? :confused:
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