DIY Christmas Gift Idea – Bottle Opener
Posted by Gary in Gift Ideas on November 18, 2009
Need a bottle opener to hang by the fridge, by the bar, to leave in the kitchen drawer, or even just to hand out for gifts ? Why not make your own bottle opener…
Needed:
1 16mm nut
1 8mm nut
1 8mm x 75mm bolt
hacksaw/Dremel and Drill
tap set or Welder
or Epoxy
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7 Tips to Renovate a Bathroom
Posted by Gary in Bathroom Renovation on April 21, 2009
1. Tiles Decide how much you want to spend then look for tiles you like and check to
see how they fit your price range. I found this to be the most successful way of finding what I like. I
found that walking through tile shops looking for tiles at the top of my price range thinking they’d be
the best quality, often had me missing mark down specials and really nice tiles for really good prices.
Ask the sales clerk for some samples to take home. The color of the tile will most likely look different in
the lighting setup at home compared to the fluorescent lights at the shop. It’s also nice to have samples
to match against for accessories and if you are looking at getting colored baths etc.
Fathers Day Gift Ideas
Posted by Gary in Gift Ideas on April 15, 2009
After spending some time in the security shops the last couple of days, I saw some things that I could really give a good home to.
With Fathers Day coming up, I thought I’d list a couple of “Must Have” gadgets for any Father, not just the Do-It-YourSelf type.
1. Opinel Folding Knife: 
Opinel have a huge selection in their folding knife range, from stainless steel blades to carbon steel blades, all in oak, walnut or oak wood with varieties of rarewoods and even Blond Horn. Many people will choose a stainless steel blade, but you have to ask yourself, how many stainless steel samurai swords were made in the 1500′s ? The answer is none. The carbon steel blade will give you a sharper knife but will have a tendency to rust and discolor if used over a high heat source, in which case the Stainless Steel blade will be a better choice. This is really an inexpensive gift but the quality of knife it proves to be is outstanding.
2. Maglite Torch:
The Maglite has to be the torch of all torches. The build quality is outstanding and once you’ve handled one you will soon see why it is the chosen torch for many police men and woman as well as other security personal. There are 2 things that affect the price of your Maglite, the 1st obviously being what size you’re buying, the second being whether you’re getting the LED model or not. The LED model can turn out to be double the price of the regular one. I’d suggest getting the regular one which is still a fantastic torch and bank on getting the led upgrade later for a birthday or Christmas.
Securing your Garden Gate
Posted by Gary in Security Tips on April 8, 2009
Twice I’ve been woken up now at 1am because my Driveway gate is open. It’s not that nice being woken up by an over-active finger on your buzzer (gate buzzer that is)…
Now I’ve decided that somehow I need to get my Gate wired into my house alarm. That way I can walk past the keypad on my way to bed and see that the Gate is still open. This sounds a whole lot more complex than it really is. Depending on what electronics you have available or can lay your hands on, it can be an easy half hour job.
I need a new bathroom
Posted by Gary in Bathroom Renovation on April 1, 2009
Before
We’ve been in our new house for about 6 months, and it’s time the bathrooms got a makeover.
There are 3 bathrooms and all of them are just as ugly. The taps are old and starting to drip,
the shower enclosure is falling apart. The cast iron baths have been re-enameled one too many times.
The overall design didn’t make sense. We have planned to sacrifice the Study and replace it with a Walk-In Closet
come Dressing Room. Overall this will be my second largest renovation on this house.
The guest bathroom was always planned to be first on my list as it was a lot smaller and less complex,
but with the state of the “Master Bathroom” we decided to tackle it first and get it out the way.
After this, refurbishing the swimming pool and installing wood laminate floors in the last 2 bedrooms will
feel like weekend jobs.