Author Topic: Fearless at DIY  (Read 6279 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

BlantonRK

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 52
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Current Gig: Glimmerglass Opera
  • Experience: Professional
Fearless at DIY
« on: Dec 09, 2009, 05:13 pm »
Is it just me? I've noticed that because I built sets and am comfortable in a scene shop that I don't hesitate to do remodeling work at home or at other peoples homes. The basics of building translate to so many other projects. I don't mess with household electricity too much because of insurance, but I've re-wired tons of lamps at home. I also try to steer clear of (major) plumbing things.

Anyone else?  What's the biggest DIY project you've undertaken (successful or otherwise)?

LCSM

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 249
  • Gender: Female
  • @LuciaCorak
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Fearless at DIY
« Reply #1 on: Dec 09, 2009, 09:32 pm »
This has little to do with building or renovating, but I'm currently in a huge redecorating phase and have undertaken the repainting of all my furniture. I dosn't sound like much when it's put like that, but none of my friends can understand this little bit of diy. You're right, it is all about comfort around tools and the like; I think a large part of it is knowing that if you mess up, there's (almost) always a way to fix it. Besides, I find it relaxing.

kokobear

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 33
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Fearless at DIY
« Reply #2 on: Dec 09, 2009, 10:50 pm »
I am also an aquarium hobbyist.  While between theatre gigs, I have worked @ a hardware store, which gave me time to wander the aisles and "figger".  I built a coral reef system in 3 tanks, a main display, a filter sump, and a "refusurgium" upstairs one level.  The refusurgium is a divided tank with relatively slow flowing water on one side, and a device to collect and flush water (about 12 gallons) downstairs into the main display in a tidal surge every 4 minutes.  It was noisy and annoyed the GF, so I came up with a way to control a valve electrically to turn the flush one and off.  I hooked up all of my lighting, and the valve, to a computer-controlled bank of relay switches.  I enclosed the relays and controls in a hood that I built for the upstairs, where I had seahorses.  I also bent conduit and welded a light stand to support my metal halide lights downstairs.

Here is a link to a reefer's forum that I documented the project in: 

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f76/refusurgium-hood-project-59821.html?highlight=refusurgium

It was a very cool process.

maximillionx

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 270
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Fearless at DIY
« Reply #3 on: Dec 10, 2009, 01:29 pm »
I helped gut and refinish my girlfriend's older borther's new house.  Tore down all the drywall, knocked down some walls, new floors, new bathrooms, etc... Definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without my scene shop experience.

missliz

  • Superstar!
  • *****
  • Posts: 569
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • Personal Site
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Fearless at DIY
« Reply #4 on: Dec 10, 2009, 04:04 pm »
I'll be the first to admit that while I CAN do basic building, you wouldn't ever hire me to do it. However, I do a lot of my own painting/building in my apartment. Basic installation. Also helps that I have a full set of tools. However, I'm dating a TD- sometimes it's easier to just ask him to do it. :)
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

philimbesi

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 117
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Fearless at DIY
« Reply #5 on: Dec 11, 2009, 10:58 am »
In the last year...

I've replaced the floors in 4 rooms of my house (last room will be next month) and have drywalled my kitchen, built a pantry, dry walled a family members house, installed a dishwasher, installed garbage disposal...  I think that's it.

Tempest

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 374
  • Gender: Female
  • Learn to love chaos, then tame it.
    • View Profile
  • Current Gig: The Center For Puppetry Arts
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Fearless at DIY
« Reply #6 on: Dec 11, 2009, 05:46 pm »
Total renovation on the bedroom: new carpets, crown molding on a sloped ceiling (my brain still hasn't recovered from the math!), new baseboards, paint job, including a metallic silver filagree stencil job on one wall, new curtains, painted ceiling fan, the works.
Repairing the roof after a windstorm.
Also, and it shouldn't have been as big a job as it was, replacing the faucet in the master shower.

I, too, am unafraid to try things around my house.  In the end, most of it is just mechanical systems and carpentry!
Jessica: "Of course I have a metric size 4 dinglehopper in my kit!  Who do you think I am?"

Sarah

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 203
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Noises Off
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Fearless at DIY
« Reply #7 on: Dec 14, 2009, 01:53 pm »
I have a '72 VW Beetle and when she goes down, I fix her if it's engine-ish related. I don't have the room or know-how to do something like brakes, yet. (But I'm learning!) This past summer I replaced the generator, saving myself about 700 bucks.

centaura

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 405
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Fearless at DIY
« Reply #8 on: Dec 16, 2009, 04:00 pm »
I bought a vacant, fix-me-up house and have so far gotten the plumbing working, fixed some electrical issues, installed phone lines to the upstairs, replaced almost every light fixture, re-built the entryway wall - down to the foundation, through the entryway sub-floor, up to the ceiling, drywalled it, installed a new front door, stone tiled the entryway, put up some new brick siding outside, and various other "aesthetic" updates indoors (paint, new sinks, bathroom mirrors, etc).  All basically because I've worked in scene shops since I was around 13, so know how to handle power tools.  Now, I could never make it full-time in the construction business, but I got a great deal on the house because I could do a lot of the work myself.

-Centaura