DIY is in our DNA, or so they say. There are more DIYers in Godzone, opens a new window than anywhere else in the world, according to Te Ara, opens a new window, and they should know, right? I’m not afraid of a bit of DIY myself. So when our tongs decided they’d turned their last sausage and my husband said we’d better buy a new pair, I said “What are you talking about? We can fix them. A bit of number 8 wire will do the trick.”
Now, by “we” I guess I really meant “you” and to be perfectly honest, I really haven’t got a clue what number 8 wire actually IS. But a couple of days later, when I saw that the tongs were still lying on the bench in their broken state, I decided I should give it a go myself.
This actually proved a lot more difficult than I had imagined! Once I got the broken rivet out, all the bits just sprang apart, and would not go back together! The springy bit kept springing, the holes refused to line up, and when I thought I’d finally got it all straight, I realised I’d left off the loopy bit that keeps the tongs closed and had to start all over again. But I refused to let those tongs get the better of me! I braved the testosterone and took them out to the workshop, and then began a battle of hammer and tongs. Or, to be more precise, a battle of vice, spring, pliers, galvanised nail, and hammer and tongs. And by golly, I fixed them! It may not be pretty — let’s face it, they’ve got a bent nail holding them together — but they work! And Mr K. was quite impressed, I must say. It wasn’t till I came back from The Shed that he told me that he’d taken them out there to work on them himself and given up in disgust. To which I think I can only say “I am the man!”
Are you a DIYer? What was your best project (or your worst)? If you’ve got a hankering for a spot of DIY yourself we’ve got plenty of books, opens a new window and magazines, opens a new window to offer. Whether you’re a dab hand or a newbie DIYer I’m sure you’ll find something useful on our shelves.
P.S. Mr K. is pretty awesome at DIY. In fact, he’s spent the last couple of months doing up our bathroom. He’s done everything himself from putting in a new floor, to plumbing in the new shower, and everything in between. And while the old shower was out of action, he built a temporary one in a little tent on the deck, which far surpassed my every expectation.
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