Being a handyman? a nescesity.

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Morgoth

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This weekend a few fellow students came to my home to build a very simple project, I got totally stunned when one of the guys said it is the first time he picked up a saw in his entire life, or as he put it - the most tools he ever used was an axe for firewood, while camping.

Now I kinda grew up in a home where we fixed everything that broke ourselves - or at least tried to, from plumbing, fixing computers (I understand that not ever older generation person knows this), welding, using a lathe, laying tiles, mixing cement, woodworking, fixing a car you name it my dad always taught me and my older brother how to use stuff and I feel that he still knows way more then I do, taking the fact into account that he himself went into an accounting direction he is quite handy.

Now this guy came out of the same home as me, and I had to teach him the basics of using a hammer, using a spanner, sawing long lengths with a saw and not forcing the wood ? and even gave him some practise on the kinda obvious working machines, he totally enjoyed it like a kid with a new toy type of thing, he doesn't seem stupid just inexperienced and my guess is that there are a lot of others like him. How do parents go through life without teaching their children the basics ? I mean 21 years old and you can't even put a plug together :eek:

so how important do you think it is knowing your basics fix-it-myself fundamentals?
 
Morgoth said:
so how important do you think it is knowing your basics fix-it-myself fundamentals?
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Depends, if you are loaded, not that important but if you don't have money nothing impresses a wife/gf more than being able to replace a toilet cistern or install a celing fan by yourself :D
 
Fudzy said:
Depends, if you are loaded, not that important but if you don't have money nothing impresses a wife/gf more than being able to replace a toilet cistern or install a celing fan by yourself :D
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nowadays even toilet cisterns come with a manual, but can money really buy you experience? :s

and from my experience I always seem to impress the moms more with my handy skills then the girls :(
 
IMHO every guy should be able to do some basic DIY jobs. I think a lot of people think it's more difficult than it actually is and don't even try. I am not super handy but I normally try fix things myself first and if I really stuff it up I'll ask for some help.
My old man is also mr DIY and does absolutely everything so I think it definitely gets "passed down".
 
My grandfather taught me how to do pretty much everything I might ever need to do around the house . . . for everything else there's duck tape. :D
 
My firts DIY was "Fixing" my mother old bed clock/alarm thet never needed any fixing in the first place. I was only about 9 I think. When that nice long coiled spring jumped out that was it, Job done well and the clock needed no more fixing as a new one was promptly on order.

Since then I did everything myself, maybe to my own peril.
 
some kids are also not allowed to do anything. i can remember a friend, who was not even allowed to drill a whole, of to even put in a screw. his dad would come running up and say, just leave it, i'll do it! not good. i had to teach him how to drill a whole, the boy was 18 for petes sake
 
As a PC techie I've been asked to do anything, from assembling a exercise bicycle to installing electric till buzzers at a busy supermarket to slithering above filthy ceilings to lay network cables and drill holes through foot thick walls. A glue-gun and I have become close friends ;)
 
thedutchman said:
some kids are also not allowed to do anything. i can remember a friend, who was not even allowed to drill a whole, of to even put in a screw. his dad would come running up and say, just leave it, i'll do it! not good. i had to teach him how to drill a whole, the boy was 18 for petes sake
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well I had a friend whose parents were similar, they tried to teach him to do stuff , naturally he screwed up on his first few times then they just didn't bother to teach him any further, but at least to some extend his got 'some' background of how to use his hands.
 
Picard said:
As a PC techie I've been asked to do anything, from assembling a exercise bicycle to installing electric till buzzers at a busy supermarket to slithering above filthy ceilings to lay network cables and drill holes through foot thick walls. A glue-gun and I have become close friends ;)
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I still have to master that craft, I stick to the old takkies after my glew job felt apart for the 2nd time, I had to redo the whole 40m Lan Cable around the house :D
 
Morgoth said:
I still have to master that craft, I stick to the old takkies after my glew job felt apart for the 2nd time, I had to redo the whole 40m Lan Cable around the house :D
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The key is preparation. Make sure the surface is quite clean. I usually had a damp cloth with me to wipe down dusty surfaces. Glue and dust do not mix.
 
Picard said:
The key is preparation. Make sure the surface is quite clean. I usually had a damp cloth with me to wipe down dusty surfaces. Glue and dust do not mix.
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Yep, and dont be shy to use volume and corners are your friends.
 
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