Helpful Colin

A Sturdy See-through Gate Keeps My Passage Protected

In 2016 I constructed a see-through gate to keep the public out of a passageway I share with a neighbour. I’ve written about it here so that anyone needing a similar see-through gate can take my ideas of how I built it and use them when building their own.
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Published on:

12 November 2021

CATEGORIES:

Current, Do It Yourself, In The Garden, In The Home, Joinery

TAGS:

Barrettine, bolt, chain, chamfer, coach bolt, concrete screwbolt, fence, gate, hasp, hinge, hook, navigate, padlock, passage, preservative, rail, screw, screwbolt, slat, staple, tanalised, timber, wood
Microwave Inverter Repairs To The Door Button & Bezel

The large rectangular button used for opening the door began protruding at the righthand end by about five millimetres. Obviously it had broken.
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Published on:

9 February 2021

CATEGORIES:

Appliances, Cooking, Current, Electrical, Electrical/Electronic, Home Appliances, In The Home, Science & Technology

TAGS:

bezel, Gorilla Tape, inverter, microwave, Sticky Stuff Remover, TORX
My Office Chair Cylinder Was Dragging On The Floor

Introduction A few weeks ago I noticed a problem when I tried to wheel my Office Chair along the floor. There was exceptional drag. I took a look at the five castors and they were all OK. Then I noticed the Office Chair Cylinder (the tube supporting the seat) had completely penetrated the base. It […]
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Published on:

10 February 2020

CATEGORIES:

Current, Do It Yourself, Furniture

TAGS:

ball race, base, castor, chair, cir-clip, cylinder, gas lift, hose clamp, jubilee clip, lumbar, office, shim, tin snips
Draping A Christmas Garland Over A Mirror or Picture

Introduction It was a few Christmases ago when my wife and I first draped a Christmas Garland over the mirror in our lounge and another over the mirror in the hall. The garlands we bought were fashioned very much to our liking. They just looked like Christmas and became one of those purchases made without […]
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Published on:

24 January 2020

CATEGORIES:

Current, Do It Yourself, In The Home, Joinery, Odd Jobs

TAGS:

Christmas, garland, hardboard, mirror, picture, staple
How I Hung My Vertical Radiator In The New Lounge

Introduction I hung my vertical radiator in the new lounge while the builder of my extension and his plumber were busy doing other work. They let me do this because I explained my concerns about its weight and agreed to try fixing it by their method. I explained what I planned to do if, when […]
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Published on:

30 November 2019

CATEGORIES:

Current, Do It Yourself, In The Home, Plumbing & Heating

TAGS:

baffle, bracket, coach screw, cushion, Drayton, Malvern, polyester, radiator, regulator valve, resin, thermostatic valve, TRV4
Fixing A Close Coupled Toilet Leaking Fresh Water

Post Description How I renewed the coupling kit which joins my toilet cistern and pan. I did this to repair a Close Coupled Toilet leaking fresh water between the cistern and pan. Water was leaking from the coupling joint when the toilet was flushed.
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Published on:

15 October 2019

CATEGORIES:

Current, Do It Yourself, In The Home, Plumbing & Heating

TAGS:

cistern, closet pan, coupling plate, doughnut seal, fill valve, inlet valve, outlet valve, soil pipe, stop cock, stop tap, wing nut
Extending The Door Bell In My Home

Post Description I’ve been extending the door bell in my home so it can be heard in the house extension and shed. It’s been done by incorporating wireless technology, while retaining my original 1980s “DING-DONG” door chime which had a great sound and an illuminated bell push.
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Published on:

29 August 2019

CATEGORIES:

Current, Do It Yourself, Electrical, Electrical/Electronic, In The Home

TAGS:

bell, bell push, bridge rectifier, capacitor, chime, CR2032, Friedland, incandescent lamp, lamp, LED, relay, solenoid, strip board, UNI-COM, Veroboard
Converting A Bell Push Light To LEDs

Post Description How I replaced an incandescent bell push light with LEDs. The bell push operates a door chime powered by AC from a bell transformer.
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Published on:

14 August 2019

CATEGORIES:

Current, Do It Yourself, Electrical, Electrical/Electronic, In The Home

TAGS:

bell, bell push, chime, festoon, incandescent, lamp, LED, light, solenoid
A Twin Towel Rail System Prevents Towels Slipping Off

Preface This post describes: How a Twin Towel Rail system with towels wrapped around two rails parallel to each other will not easily fall off onto the floor.
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Published on:

25 January 2019

CATEGORIES:

Current, Do It Yourself, In The Home, Joinery

TAGS:

brass, Chrome, friction, kitchen, nickel, rail, stainless steel, towel, white
Not Enough Gift Wrap For That Gift? Wrap It Diagonally.

Introduction You start off with a nice roll of Gift Wrap, when you wrap those gifts for that festive occasion, and afterwards you have a small rectangle of unused paper left over. Eventually another small gift needs wrapping so you look through the small left-over pieces of Gift Wrap only to find several are nearly […]
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Published on:

11 December 2018

CATEGORIES:

Current, Human Interests, In The Home, New Ideas

TAGS:

gift wrap, paper, Royal Mail, wrapping

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Category: In The Home