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It never ends... the DIY thread! (Read 61518 times)

SA Chris

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#150 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 04:34:12 pm
Locking the garage door is the only security I've needed in 13 years.

Folk don't even bother with that. Our neighbour over the road in the cul-de-sac we lived in in Muchalls never even closed the garage door, could see bikes and snowboards propped up at the back.

Paul B

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#151 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 04:38:05 pm
When I was a student in Nottingham we got some  40mm rebar bent up into  rectangular hoops, set them in a couple of 100kg of postcrete, cut holes in the shed floor and put the shed on top. Our bikes were locked to the rebar hoops with Kryptonite New York locks and chains and were not defeated despite a few break in attempts over 3 years.

Admittedly this was in the era of boltcroppers before thieves got tooled up with battery powered angle grinders.

The garages were originally car ports and it looks like whoever poured the slab did a decent job so it's going to be a post-fixed (drill and fix) type solution. Thanks for the chain beta. Currently they could just wheel the bikes out if they so wished which needs to change ASAP. It didn't bother me so much when there weren't any of ~high value but now I'm babysitting my Dad's I'm a little more conscious of the £/kg sitting there.

It's the first issue the others that have lived here have experienced in 15 years and from all of the surrounding farms having thefts the same night they clearly knew what they were doing (fencing equipment, pick-ups and quads stolen). However, the neighbor is sticking a PIR light on the back where they got to the roof and he's also going to board the eaves with something substantial. I think he realised that a roller shutter door isn't very secure when there's an open button on the inside!

Nigel

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#152 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 06:05:09 pm
Having had a few things nicked over the years I would say CCTV is very useful, but only if you are interested in the grainy footage of how they actually stole your pride and joy. Otherwise its useless as even the stupidest thieves tend not hold their passports / driving licence up to the camera. Getting a dummy one can't hurt though.

If you have a solid slab then there are loads of options for ground anchors. Cheapest is a simple chunky galv u-bolt resined into two holes, up to hardened steel motorbike jobbies for big money. Whatever fixing you use make sure its either resin or has a "security" feature e.g. ball-bearing smashed into allen bolt head, or ones with slots that shear when tight, otherwise they will just undo them. Finally make sure you get a "system" i.e. ground anchor, chain, and padlock that are equally secure. Its no good having a hardened steel ground anchor and hardened 12mm chain if you then get a pink locker padlock from Virgin gym. Motorbike ones are better than bicycle ones and generally come with some kind of rating. All this is available from Screwfix or Toolstation for not much money. Get a long enough chain to lock through the frame and the wheels if possible.

Paul B

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#153 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 06:44:34 pm
Did you have any Screwfix chains in mind Nige? I've been looking but there seems to be a big bump between £30 (don't appear to be welded) and £90+ and I'm going to need at least 2 x 2m  and a couple of anchors.

They're all mounted on hooks (dead cheap from Planet X if anyone is looking) so it'll be pretty tricky for me to secure the front wheels, chains will just have to pass through the rear triangles.


Probes

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nic mullin

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#155 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 07:32:59 pm
I’ve got one of these: https://www.toolstation.com/oxford-chain-lock-mini-shackle/p46243?store=KV&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrcLFrZX27AIVxu3tCh15KAC9EAQYECABEgJo8_D_BwE#full-desc

Threaded through one of these: https://www.toolstation.com/oxford-ground-wall-anchor-kit/p42141?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrpSx05b27AIViK3tCh2tIAg6EAQYAiABEgINH_D_BwE

which is bolted into the brick wall of the garage (expansion bolts supplied). It comes with ball bearings that you hammer into the Allen key holes to stop them being unscrewed, as per Nigel’s post above.

Seems pretty solid, but I’m pretty confident it wouldn’t stop anyone other than a casual opportunist. Someone who has spotted your bike, decided to nick it and comes tooled up when everybody is out will get it whatever you do.

With that in mind, have a check on what your insurance policy says, and buy what will make sure they’ll pay out if your bikes do get had.

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#156 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 07:51:29 pm
I've heard of people having the full setup, CCTV, ground anchors etc., and someone just came along with a multitool and stripped the bikes of all the bits, leaving just a few useless bits of frame (full suss mountain bikes).

Paul B

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#157 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 07:52:28 pm
Seems pretty solid, but I’m pretty confident it wouldn’t stop anyone other than a casual opportunist. Someone who has spotted your bike, decided to nick it and comes tooled up when everybody is out will get it whatever you do.

Yeah, I'm under no illusions that if someone wants a bike or anything else for that matter and comes prepared almost all measures are going to be overcome. Things are just a little lax ATM with respect to that garage and it's an easy enough fix. My bikes were all bought used so they're not outrageous in value, my Dad's makes me a little nervous whilst I have custody (shame it's too big to ride).

Quote
With that in mind, have a check on what your insurance policy says, and buy what will make sure they’ll pay out if your bikes do get had.

 :tumble:

You could get a bank of these, pir activated or similar, inside the garage. They'd soon scarper.  :spank::lol:  Might wake the neighbours up mind you.

Well, they're bigger than me  :shrug:

The shed/garage alarms on the market seem to be pretty much that TBH (they vary in sophistication but they're not too many FAs). I'm hoping the Crusher board will present a wall of spikes to them and confuse them enough to go elsewhere or perhaps they know the value of matting  ;D

nic mullin

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#158 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 09:00:28 pm
I’m surprised your insurance doesn’t say anything - the last few home insurance policies I’ve had have been pretty specific about how much they’ll cover for without the bike being listed as a separate item (I’ve seen this as low as £250). If it is listed as a separate item they have stipulated what type of door & window locks the building it’s in needs without needing to be locked with a bike lock, and what standard the lock needs to be - usually a “sold secure” rating (bronze, silver or gold)  which is why I went for a bike lock and anchor rather than DIYing something cheaper and probably sturdier. You might want to check if your dad’s bike is covered either by your or his policy - again, my home insurance says what visitors’ possessions are covered at my house, and only applies if they’re not covered by another policy, so if your dad has insured the bike, but it’s not locked up to the spec on his policy, you might find it’s not covered by his and over the limit on yours.

Sorry for making this about insurance - we got burgled a few years back without cover, it was shit.

Paul B

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#159 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 09, 2020, 09:53:22 pm
Don't apologise!

What I meant by the emoji was that my insurance specifically excludes the bikes as far as I'm aware. It was something i was relatively happy with given the value of ours (...less so now).

nic mullin

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#160 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 10, 2020, 12:22:24 am
Ah ok. I was surprised at how little it cost to add my bike to the house insurance (few quid a year). It's basically worthless as it's old and battered, but most home insurance is new-for-old.

Like you say, deterrent is a much preferable option. 


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#161 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 15, 2020, 11:31:45 pm
Hey guys - can you help a DIY noob out please?

I really like the idea of getting some Olympic rings in my garage but am not 100% sure how much weight the beams in roof can take. I'm pretty convinced they should be fine but have no experience with these kind of things - so would appreciate any advice/opinions. I've taken a couple pics and added them to imgur:

https://imgur.com/a/UBdDOqW

The beams are about 15" apart, and 4x2" thick. My plan was to attach one ring to each beam so the load would be split between two beams. As of yet have not really thought about the best method for attaching to / through the beams. Perhaps something as simple as drilling down through the beam, then passing a U-bolt (https://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-bright-zinc-plated-steel-u-bolts-m10-x-100mm/8176r - this isn't actually long enough but first example i found) up from below and securing it with a plate/washers and nuts to hold it down?

Thanks - hope my lack of DIY knowledge wasn't too painful to read.

SamT

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#162 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 16, 2020, 09:00:38 am

Few things to consider.  Any movement of the ceiling joists will cause the plaster to crack below.  It'll only be hair line cracks, which you might not be fussed about.

You might want to spread the load over all the beams.  So lay a bit of timber (3"x2")  or some such (could be a metal bar) perpendicular to the ceiling joists.  then just feed your rope up through a hole and tie round that beam.

Might be a but crude where the ropes go though the hole though.   

Look to spread the load between all the joists.  you could screw some ply across the top of all the joists, to tie them all together, then use some long eye bolts up through the ply and a couple of big washers on the back.

Just food for thought

Ballsofcottonwool

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#163 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 16, 2020, 11:55:37 am
I first set mine up with  the straps directly over the joists, this was not good abrasion started to wear the straps and made the webbing fluff almost immediately.

I would not want be drilling holes, big enough to fit the U-bolts you linked to, through the beams holding up my roof.

My current set up is a piece of 2x4 fixed perpendicular to the topside of the rafters, the ring straps are threaded through some eye plates similar to these, https://www.screwfix.com/p/marine-eye-plates-x-2-pack/22320 that are screwed to the underside of the 2x4 at shoulder width. Seems bombproof and I'm happy to invert on them,

crzylgs

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#164 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
November 16, 2020, 01:03:08 pm
SamT and Ballsofcottonwool - thanks for the replies, super useful. Fortunately there is no plaster below. Its just a  (ply-wood i think?) boarded roof in the garage so that isn't a worry. Your suggestion to place a timber / bar over the beams to spread the load is a great point makes much more sense than drilling through the beams - probably should have thought of that one myself :facepalm:

The added benefit of attaching to a bar across the beams is I can choose the exact width apart I'd like the rings to be.

I can proceed with a little more confidence now, thanks again all!

James Malloch

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#165 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
December 04, 2020, 10:30:18 am
We're finally in our house  ;D

We got some hefty ceiling lights to install. One big adjustable one (two large pendants which move up and down), and three big pendants which we might hang off a piece of driftwood we found (unless it looks shit).

I'd happily change a fitting, but unsure about these given they will need to be well secured, into the ceiling joists etc.

Is it a job that's easier than I think, or would it be easier to just get a sparky in?

The pendant ones are kind of like the 2-light version of this: https://www.wish.com/product/598b7d495c88ac2def4a8191?hide_login_modal=true&from_ad=goog_shopping&_display_country_code=GB&_force_currency_code=GBP&pid=googleadwords_int&c=%7BcampaignId%7D&ad_cid=598b7d495c88ac2def4a8191&ad_cc=GB&ad_curr=GBP&ad_price=48.00&campaign_id=6493229882&exclude_install=true&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7t_mt4-07QIVgbTtCh0xrAQCEAQYBSABEgKWqPD_BwE&share=web




Steve R

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#166 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
December 04, 2020, 11:50:26 am
diy chat on a wet friday, why not....

If the joists in the floor/ceiling above are running at right angles to the 'fixing bar' on your lights in its desired orientation then the issue you'll have is that the attachment points very likely won't line up with the ceiling/floor joists and you won't get a secure enough fixing just into the plasterboard ceiling especially as far as the pulley uppy and downy lights are concerned.  Two options then:
(i) reinforce above the finished ceiling surface with timber between joists, located so your light fitting holes line up with your new reinforcements and screw up into them.  Unlikely to be a particularly attractive option unless the floor above currently doesn't have finished flooring down and the floorboards lift easily.
(ii) locate where the joists in the ceiling are (typically 40cm spacings) then fix with screws going well into the joists a suitably sized piece of timber (or your driftwood) to the ceiling (+mastic/glue).  Now easy and secure to fix your lights to this.

If the joists in the floor/ceiling above are running parallel to the 'fixing bar' on your lights in its desired orientation then you'll still need to find joists.  You might be lucky and decide the position of the light is satisfactory directly under a joist so you can just fix directly into it.  Or you might be unlucky and desired position is in no-mans-land somewhere between two joists.  If you're unlucky then it's back to some similar version of (i) or (ii).

Either way, it's not really a job for a sparky.  Competent handy man type task.

James Malloch

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#167 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
December 04, 2020, 12:01:02 pm
Thanks for that - much appreciated!

If the position works with the joist running parallel to the fixing bar - are they generally strong enough to hold? I'd assume so but who knows...

Is it difficult to locate the joists?

Nutty

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#168 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
December 04, 2020, 12:13:07 pm
Do you know the ceiling construction (plasterboard, lathe & plaster)? I assume it's ground floor? Is there a floor above or loft space you can get to? If there's a floor above, any floor covering?

I'd take off the existing fitting and have a look at how that has been attached, might be into something solid already. If not, a stud detector could help you find where the joists are in relation to the existing fitting. The length of the light unit might be able to span across and attach to two joists depending on the joist spacing (if oriented perpendicular to the joists), but that would depend where the mounting holes are inside the light unit.

If you can get to the topside of the ceiling (e.g. in a loft space or by taking up floorboards on the floor above) you can add a piece of timber or two between the joists for the lighting fitting to be screwed in to - this is easier if there's an accessible loft space as you can just roll back the insulation, trickier if you've got to remove floor coverings and floorboards.

Steve R

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#169 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
December 04, 2020, 12:19:22 pm
If the position works with the joist running parallel to the fixing bar - are they generally strong enough to hold? I'd assume so but who knows...
Provided you get good screw fixing a decent depth into them, then yes.   

Is it difficult to locate the joists?
without making lots of little holes in the plasterboard or trusting a joist finder (sketchy) then it generally is, yes.  For the right-angles case, you can be careful so that all your little joist finder holes get covered up.  Worth noting you want to make sure your fixing screws to be hitting joists centrally(ish) for strength.

Steve R

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#170 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
December 04, 2020, 12:23:49 pm
couple of other ideas:
mod the light fitting (ie. drill more holes in it) to fit existing joist locations.

cut away plasterboard section and reinforce as necessary from that side, then put plasterbaord back and tape and reskim.  not a very attractive solution in terms of amount of work required.

Fultonius

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#171 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
December 04, 2020, 05:58:59 pm
If it's a plasterboard ceiling, and you just bought the place....don't be scared! Small holes are easy to fill, s you can just do a grid pattern of small holes until you hit a joist.

We got a £20 stud/joist finder, which is very hit and miss in our place as it's been modified and plastered so many times, and it's old fashioned lathe and plaster!  That said, the few times I've used it, I did hit wood!  I'm sure someone on here could lend you one, I would but I'm in Glasgow.


James Malloch

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#172 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
February 28, 2022, 02:15:56 pm
Not quite DIY, but need to remove some monitoring equipment from a river. Basically bits of rebar and shelving uprights (the metal ones with loads of double slots) which were hammered well into the bank of a river tributary 4 years ago.

They are going to have about 10-20cm submerged at the base so I cant just angle-grind it to a stump if one won’t pull out - though there should be 50cm or so exposed above the waterline. Last option will be to angle-grind at the water line and try to sledge-hammer it sideways (or further into the ground) to avoid anyone injuring themselves on it.

Any tips welcomed. It’s a bit remote so would prefer to go armed and ready if there’s something useful I could take with me.

Also - not really used an angle grinder before. We got one of these (https://www.screwfix.com/p/makita-dga452z-18v-li-ion-lxt-4-cordless-angle-grinder-bare/89836) which I’m assuming will be enough to get through rebar? Unsure if a specific disk is needed?

Edit - I’m not certain how deep into the ground they go, but I suspect up to about 50cm.

Paul B

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#173 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
February 28, 2022, 02:35:53 pm
Anything you can winch them out with/against?

Be careful with angle grinders; get some PPE.

Fultonius

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#174 Re: It never ends... the DIY thread!
February 28, 2022, 02:36:34 pm
I'd be careful with angle grinding rebar if you're inexperienced. Because it's not fixed in a vice or whatever, it could jump about a bit and getting the blade caught is the one thing that can cause things to go awry.

You want cutting discs, not grinding.

Could you fix a ratched strap or winch / chain block (beg/borrow/steal) to the bars and pull them out from the opposite bank?

Or get a long scaffold tube and slot it over them, allowing you to give it a really good wiggle?

Hammering isn't a terrible idea, but you might need something to slide over to extend it out of the water once it starts to get driven in. Hammering under water will be nigh on impossible.

I guess a hacksaw would work...


 

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