[Closed] Help me learn to be more of a handyman

I don't know how bad your dad is but could he sit with you whilst you work and give advice etc?

If you pick a smallish job, talk to him about it in advance and make sure you have the right tools it should be a pleasant experience.

I think it would be a good way for you two to spend some of the time he has left together and he can see you learning to do what he's had a passion for and an opportunity for him to teach you.

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one thing I've always done is break a big job down into a series of smaller tasks and make sure I feel comfortable with each of them before starting at all. If there's any I'm uncertain about I either thing about it further or (like plastering or electrics) get a pro in.

I think I used to be the same; scared to tackle a task in case I got in over my head, or it was more than I could handle.

But, to be honest, there is not a great deal that can't be done with a bit of planning, taking your time, the right tools and probably a bit more planning.
There are certain big jobs that I wouldn't want to tackle still, but mainly due to the amount of time it would take me compared to getting a professional in.

There are probably courses out there, but probably the best thing to do is start on small jobs and work your way up; you'll soon realise that it's really pretty straight forward and feel more confident to get stuck in.

Plenty of advice online now too, for every project going so you can do a decent amount of research before you get started.

Sorry to hear about your father.

I was in a similar position to you in that I had a vague theoretical knowledge of how to do stuff but had never actually done anything.

My approach was to pick a project that I wanted to do and accept that at some point I might have to throw it away.

I have no mechanical training and had to buy quite a lot of tools as I went along but here is my first 'project' : http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3273

Start
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When I had to sell it (unfinished but so close) due to snapping my foot off
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MOT 2 weeks after I sold it
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Finished article. So sad I didn't finish it myself but did a different thing afterwards which I think looks nicer
[img] [/img]

What I did next
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Just remember, spend some time thinking about what you want to do, spend some time on the internet seeing what other people have done, spend some time working out the major steps from nothing to complete. If there are some steps you rally don't know how to start, check on the internet and if necessary find an expert to ask.

Sage advice above. I am also lucky enough to have a handy Dad (ex-coach builder) and whilst he did teach me specifics, the best advice he passed on was to stand back and consider a job before proceeding. So make sure you've planned the materials, the tools, the order of tasks and the time (then double it).
Having bought an old house 5 years ago I've tackled a wealth of new jobs and patience, along with an investment in better, more accurate tools has paid dividends.
Good luck and enjoy the satisfaction of a job done with the sort of care only afforded by it being your own house, car, bike.

I'm of the just go for it train of thought..
Bit of planning, some decent tools, and be a bit methodical and there's not much you can't do.
Don't rush.. I'm pretty sure most of my diy mistakes have been from trying to rush a job (see my arrrgh I've cut my brand new carbon forks steerer too short thread)
Only thing I'm not very confident with is a chainsaw.

I left it a bit too late, sadly. Could really have done with my Dad's advice at various points through the ongoing bathroom renovation. I'd done little bits and pieces before but nothing on this scale. Google (particularly DIY forums) was my friend, but planning & preparation were the main thing - lots of analysing and breaking down what I would need to do in stages, and making sure when I got to point C that points A and B would have me where I needed to be (e.g. studs would be in the right place to receive screws later on).

Taken as a whole it was intimidating but breaking it down piece by piece made it manageable...

Sorry to hear about your dad.

I'd be happy to help out if you need a wingman. I'm no tradesman but I have a high level of (over) confidence in my own ability to solve problems and fix things. With some success so far, but that's partly down to the practice I've had by buggering things up in the first place and being forced to sort it out 🙂

You just need some practical experience in the basics of sanding, cutting, measuring, finishing etc and access to google 🙂

There are courses and similar, B&Q do stuff too. I'm not one for courses usually but I can see in this area you could gain a lot of useful tricks and tips from an experienced expert.
I also have some tools if you need to borrow anything - but not a comprehensive set by any means.

There are probably courses out there, but probably the best thing to do is start on small jobs and work your way up;

Whereabouts in the country are you?

I teach furniture making and we have evening classes where we can take you through anything at all you'd want to make at your own pace. Based in Warwickshire.

Otherwise, I'd echo the advice of just starting small and having a go, building things up.
The amount of readily available advice now on Youtube etc is just incredible and most things can be tackled with the guidance of google.

Don't worry about messing things up either. It's an important step in learning anything...(except skydiving)

Most folks I know think I'm handy, I can generally turn my hand to anything... and people who're not think it's a black art, but the very first time I took a spanner to a motorbike I got confused, turned a bolt the wrong way and sheared off the stud- that ended up being a garage job to fix 😳 But that's how you learn, dare to fail 😉

With DIY, just ask what's the worst thing that can happen? If you think you might demolish a house or kill yourself, start somewhere else but most things will fail pretty soft. My dad's getting on a bit and doesn't like it at all so he keeps on getting fired into jobs and can't finish them, or does it horribly, it's a damn shame but all that happens is either I help him or worst comes to worst, he gets a pro in and it's not really a bigger job than it would have been in the first place.

WCA's idea of starting with something that you can totally destroy is a good one, I wish I'd done that! Building furniture from scratch is pretty intimidating but at the same time, when you start off with a pile of bits of wood the worst possible outcome is a pile of bits of wood. Or painful death obviously.

Don't worry about messing things up either.

Yep. There is theoretically a way to do things, but in most houses things have been built according to different specs, broken, rotted, been bodged, been redone by DIYers with various degrees of skill, so you never really find what you were expecting anyway.

So fixing your own cockups is not really any different to fixing those caused by other people or time 🙂

With DIY, just ask what's the worst thing that can happen?

As long as it's not gas, electricity or structural, all you'll do is make a mess 🙂

[i]So fixing your own cockups is not really any different to fixing those caused by other people or time[/i]

I made the mistake of living in the house I learnt to DIY in for long enough that I had to deal with my own mistakes when rooms were redone a second time or other jobs meant I revisited things.

I still wince when I think about some of them - they weren't dangerous, just messy. I made sure I got them right the second time though.

I think having the right tools for the job makes life so much easier too, particularly when you're learning.

Oh - forgot to add
[b]
AVOID LADDERS[/b]

I have the opposite. My dad has always been truly awful at anything DIY. I just got on with learning and had a go, applying the few skills I learned in school, reading books then using the internet. I renovated 2 houses (1st one complete rewire, new bathroom, new kitchen, fully redecorated) with minimal assistance and learned along the way.
I'm renovating a house here in the USA now and that has necessitated I learn all about American construction/wiring/standards and re-learning my bloody 12 times table!

Pick a small job, watch a YouTube video or two about it, have a crack at it. Comfort zone gets bigger, jobs attempted get bigger, learn from mistakes.

molgrips - Member

in most houses things have been built according to different specs, broken, rotted, been bodged, been redone by DIYers with various degrees of skill, so you never really find what you were expecting anyway.

I built a set of corner shelves for my mum. Put it in place, horrible gaps, thought "How could I have got it so wrong", decided my setsquare must be bent... Nope, hadn't checked the house first, it's a massive rhombus, all the walls are almost 10 degrees out of square 😆

So I learned 2 things there, one, don't assume the thing you're working on was done right by the professionals, and also power planers are wicked awesome. BZZZZZZTTTTT

Lol @Northwind. You should've heard my Dad trying to put coving in (it was the 90s, my mum used to read Ideal Home). Holding up a piece to the ceiling it rocked back and forth because the walls and ceiling weren't flat. Fortunately my Dad is among many other things a skilled carpenter so he had to cut and join lots of pieces.

Dropping wallpaper down the long wall in the stairwell was funnier though as the wall bulged outwards quite a bit. I still don't know how he fixed it as I was out at the time but the results were spotless. I think it took a lot of time with a very sharp knife.

+1 Northwind

Assume everything is out of plane, not vertical where it should be, not level where it should be, not at 90 degrees where it should be.

Also power planers are indeed awesome.

I forgot, measure everything twice, then do it again and if cutting 45 degree mitres accept the fact that you will cut at least one the wrong way round.

the person who never made a mistake, never made anything.

For really important stuff I measure four times...

1. Measure the place it's going
2. Measure out whatever you're cutting
3. Take a metaphorical step back and re-measure whatever you're cutting (idealling by a different method to catch systematic errors) to make sure you've measured it correctly
4. Go back and measure the place it's going to make sure it's going to fit properly after all
5. Then cut!

Overkill, but it's easy for errors to creep in especially if you e.g. misread a tape measure, substitute cm for mm, dropped or added or transposed a digit...