# How do-it-yourself are you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 29, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482 "2002-12-29T06:31:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/21 "2002-12-30T01:00:06Z")
I get a great deal of satisfaction out of figuring something out on my own. However, if it’s something I just can not do on my own (or if there’s a cute, helpful guy around), I won’t hesitate to ask for help. ---
**Author:** ![\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b2d939/32.png) [@\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/22 "2002-12-30T01:21:11Z")
I have always done things myself. My mom was divorced and could not put things together or follow a manual (but was brilliant with numbers) so I did things. I loved to take things apart and figure out how they work and put them togther again. I married a man that could not put a simple entertainment center together or hook up a home sound system. So… I did it. I am now divorced and maintain the house all on my own. Just today I fixed the leaky faucet in the tub. I wanted to take mechanics in HS, but did not. All this being said I am still a nurtering nestor type of girl. A girls gotta do waht a girls gotta do— or it won’t get done. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b2d939/32.png) [@\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/23 "2002-12-30T01:23:10Z")
\*Nurturing, nesting ---- UGH:rolleyes: who can fix things, but can not spell ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/24 "2002-12-30T05:23:49Z")
I can cook and do my own laundry, but other than that I’m pretty well lost. I don’t know how to change the oil (forget about fixing anything more complicated than that in a car), I don’t know anything about electronics (wiring, etc), I make Homer Simpson look like a fantastic carpenter, fried my motherboard trying to install RAM and am unable to start a fire without gasoline. I will say that I have at least tried doing these before I fail. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/25 "2002-12-30T06:31:00Z")
How do you like the particle accelerator I built in the backyard? 😃 I could do almost all the minor repairs (woodworking, plumbing, electricity, even knitting) except for computer and networks, in which case I can do a lot of the major repairs. The coolest DIY thing I have ever seen is this guy removing his own appendix with the help of a doctor on the Net. ---
**Author:** ![presidebt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@presidebt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/presidebt)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/26 "2002-12-30T06:48:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fizgig \* > \*\* > > I can cook, change my oil, flush a radiator, change spark plugs, do simple carpentry projects, sew almost anything, refinish and reupholster furniture, install a car stereo, \*wire lighting for my reef aquarium, grow vegetables and uhh, dye my own hair. > > \*\* I can do all except the electrical wiring thing, but I don’t fool with faulty wiring as a rule. In addition, I can demo the inside of house, drywall it, install light fixtures and fans (okay, I do _some_ electrical stuff), hang wall paper, paint insides and outsides of house (I have a lovey cut-in around baseboards- pretty steady hands), put together toys, bookcases, most “assemble yourself” items, grow anything in plant form, maintain a house, parent, amoung many other things too numerous to list. What I have found to be the most important tool in my endeavors is to know where to look for answers or instructions if I am unsure. Routine access to information has got to be a determining factor. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Skinny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Mr.Skinny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Skinny)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/27 "2002-12-30T15:24:13Z")
I suppose I’m pretty high on the scale of DIY’ers. On cars I’ve done the standard oil change/plugs/filters; brake replacement, alternator replacement, starter replacement, exhaust system replacement, removed and rebuilt CV joints. Around the home I’ve: re-wired my entire home, built an entirely new kitchen, knocked out walls, done drywall, plumbing, carpentry, hung suspended ceiling, laid wall to wall carpet, painted houses, re-glazed windows, installed heating/AC ductwork, installed my own phone and coax cable runs, installed insulation, installed my own water heater and water softener, and lots more I can’t remember. Suffice it to say I’ve been a homeowner for 25 years and the only professionals I’ve ever hired were to install my furnace, re-roof my house, and refinish my hardwood floors. Trouble is, I’ve burnt myself out doing all of this. I now let a mechanic do all of my car work, and I’ve procrastinated for the last five years on most of my home repair chores. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/28 "2002-12-30T15:51:57Z")
I’d like to do more on my own - I need to learn how to do simple stuff for my car like changing the oil and changing flat tires. I do love to cook - doesn’t really count as DIY to me, for some reason. I make my own soap - but that is more of a hobby than for any other reason. I am a computer programmer, so I have no fear of the machine, so I do my own software installation, but I really don’t count that either. So, I guess I really am not much of a true DIY - I do try to solve my own problems, but most of the time I don’t know how. Once I learn the basics, though, I take over. Susan ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/29 "2002-12-30T16:40:09Z")
I wouldn’t reshingle my roof, or mess too much with HVAC. Other than that, I pretty much do just about anything. Any type of home repair or remodeling, construction, landscaping, auto repair, PC hardware/software, cooking, arts & crafts, even did the self-surgery thing when I had a 1/2" wooden shard buried in my hand. I especially like it when I can invent some way of fixing something thought to be irreparable. Like the others here, if a project is just too dangerous, or requires specialized equipment, I’ll (begrudgingly) pay a professional. From reading some of the replies here, I must say that there’s just something sexy about a woman who knows how to fix things. I need to meet someone like that before I try and build a car port by myself. Rowwwwwrrrr 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/30 "2002-12-30T17:37:02Z")
I’ve[ul][li]rebuilt engines[_]rewired a house[_]done basic framing[_]upgraded my computer since I got it (same HD, everything else is new[_]built basic furniture (which looks terrible to this son of a cabinetmaker.)actually _bit the bullet and hired someone_ to pour a slab (of the above, this was the hardest.)[/ul]I’m also building a garage. Considering how long it’s taking, how badly it’s _over_built and the cost overruns as I decide to reinforce a two-car fortress, I now say with absolute certainty that I know nothing about doing things myself.[/li] I wouldn’t shingle my roof or design HVAC either. Fortunately, tin roofs are common where I live and are cheaper, and I know a mechanical contractor who may be willing to help when I get to that. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/31 "2002-12-30T17:42:15Z")
Ha, but I bet none of you has ever built a microprocessor. I have. So there 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/32 "2002-12-30T17:59:31Z")
I’m a semi-capable DIY person. I can do simple carpentry, and operate tools without injuring myself. I can paint walls and trim. I can install new sound/video cards and drives in my computer, and have a fairly good idea of what I’m looking at when I pop the case open. I can cook up a storm, and my accomplishments include baking bread from scratch **without** using a bread machine, soup stocks from scratch, wontons, homecanned jelly and jams, homecanned dill pickles, and so on. I make some fine homebrewed beer. I can hand-stitch and operate a sewing machine, plus I can do counted cross-stitch. I knew how to knit about 10 years ago, and could probably pick it up again with a little coaxing. I can grow vegetables and houseplants. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/33 "2002-12-30T18:24:47Z")
**Urban Ranger** , _with hand tools?_ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_Rubin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billy_rubin/32/3622_2.png) [@Billy\_Rubin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Rubin)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/34 "2002-12-30T18:25:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Urban Ranger \* > \*\*Ha, but I bet none of you has ever built a microprocessor. I have. So there 😛 \*\* You may be the board ubergeek. That is, if you’re talking about building a single-chip processor from scratch. If you’re talking about building one with discreet components, well, a lot of people have done that. b. ---
**Author:** ![Kickback\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cdc98d/32.png) [@Kickback\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kickback_Joe)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/35 "2002-12-30T18:26:42Z")
Well, Urban Ranger, You lose! I too have built Microprocessors. Well actually I played a part in manufacturing Millions and millions of them from 386 to the latest Pentiums. I have done so for 7 of the past 10 years at my current employer’s sweatshops around the world. As far as DIY I say as long as I haven’t already proven I can’t do it then it must mean I can do it. Convincing the Wife of 12 years of this still takes work but she is less skeptical everytime I say it. I have remodeled two of our previous homes, built and rebuilt a Cuda, and recently added 650Sq ft of patio to our current residence. All this while still maintaining my Username. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/36 "2002-12-31T01:13:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tripler \* > I wire my own faulty electical switches. Dude, is that really what you meant to say? ---
**Author:** ![MadScientistMatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@MadScientistMatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadScientistMatt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/37 "2002-12-31T01:21:40Z")
Well, I do most of my own cooking (not all us bachelors live on ramen noodles, either), and now that I’ve bought a house that isn’t in exactly prime condition, I do plan to personally fix a lot of it (including redoing the roof, but I plan to have some help there). What I really spend a lot of time with DIY stuff is cars. I’ve got a tendancy to get in over my head though. Once I tried to convert my Dart from drum brakes to front discs and completely rebuild the front suspension. In my parents’ garage. With basic hand tools. During Christmas vacation while I was in college. The car wound up being in pieces for about seven months before I could get it back together. But it does stop pretty well now. ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/38 "2002-12-31T07:50:39Z")
Being the macho guy that I am I can say that home renovations aren’t a big deal whether they’re inside or out and I can perform all the basic maintainence on my vehicles (and could do more) if I had the proper tools and a hoist. I can bake bread and soups from scratch, make terrific apple pie, and a lasagna that would even make little Italian grandmothers green with envy. My Chicken Florentine is to die for and my speciality (and favourite) is preparing Greek food. I can also cook in more rooms than just the kitchen… 😉 I built this computer and always seem to be fixing everyone elses. I restore vintage fountain pens and should soon be making pens of my own. I can also sew fairly well being that I was once a bachelor and because my mother the seamstress couldn’t always find the time to do my mending. I can change a diaper in under 10 seconds. I’ve always hated being dependent on anyone to do things for me so am always striving to learn new skills. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482/39 "2002-12-31T20:55:53Z")
I usually maintain my own cars and motorcycles and houses etc, but I especially maintain my own boat as I do not trust anyone else with that. I do pretty much everything myself, and that, unfortunately, includes sex. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-it-yourself-are-you/145482.md?page=1)