DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong

[pechelman]

This thread reminds me of the scene in Malcolm in the middle where Hal had to change a lightbulb. With looking for the clip if you haven't seen it.

[endo]

It's like using a computer: everything goes faster, but it takes a bit longer.

[Mizmazzle]

@goosehd door lock, handles, and latches can be surprisingly challenging to fix and replace.

[Mizmazzle]

I had to change out a bathroom faucet last week. Fairly straight forward in concept. Decided to watch a quick YouTube video to make sure I wasn’t overlooking any steps. Video was clean and precise. No problem…
…until all the lines and connectors were different, the tight spacing for the nuts up behind the basin were damn near impossible to get to (requiring me to use 4 different sized crescent wrenches) and the whole time the ledge of the cabinet digging into my back the two hours it took me to complete the job.

20 minute job my arse!

[goosehd]

@Mizmazzle those contortionist jobs are the best especially combined with the need to have the hands the size of a toddler with the strength of Hercules. Don’t want to forget the needed dexterity to balance the nut and washer on the tip of the finger hoping it’s doesn’t fall into some abyss that swallows all light. Then the joy of going to the hardware store to replace said nut and washer trying to explain what you’re looking for to the sales people. They know exactly what you need, but take great joy in you describing it and making you sweat

…or you decide not to ask for help and guidance, pick out something that should work, get home to realize that it doesn’t, to drive back and exchange it with your head hung in shame.

Not saying that any of this has ever happened to me

[Anesthetist]

@Mizmazzle our old house had a mortis lock stuck in a door some 2” thick. It took a locksmith (owner of the company in his 60’s) over 3 hours to fix it.

Recently I was trying to fix a shower faucet that was super stiff to turn and dripped. After a few youtubes and a hardware store run, I had it figured out. I didnt take into account that the ancient ass cartridge would be cold welded in place. Another hardware store run to luckily get the last cartridge puller in stock and about 90 more minutes of cussing and fighting and it finally freed up. The cherry on top was I installed the new cartridge and turned on the water to test it and accidentally soaked myself. ‍️

Tired, sore, bloody knuckles, and soaked. Last time I try to be a plumber…

[goosehd]

@pechelman

[Giles]

At my local chandlery, if I go in to buy n screws/nuts/washers/bolts, they always give me n+2 (but only charge me for n), because they know I will lose some in the bilges or the sea......

[meatmarketdenim1]

@Anesthetist

I got a leaky shower rn, not bad but need get it fixed. Was looking at YouTube videos but I learned a long time ago I’m not super handy. Plus YouTube videos make it seem way easier than it actually is for me.
My story is almost blew up my old apt and myself 5 or 6 years back. Replacing a thermocouple on hot water heater. I technically did it right, but the old handyman that installed hot water heater, didn’t install or leave drainage pipe/pan. So all the insulation was all water damaged. I Turned gas back on and light it up. Proud myself thought easy fix, the hot weather heater went boom, jumped like 2 feet in air and all the gas went up my shirt and hair/face. Luckly no flames, Was scary AF. I had handyman come next day and warned him my experience, same thing happened and he was scared as well, said he never saw that. We ended up needing a new hot water heater and valuable lesson learned

[steelworker]

@meatmarketdenim1 that’s scary as hell.
I’ve seen what happens when it doesn’t turn out well