I have plumbed and wired ... gosh... at least three of my own houses, and frequently fix plumbing and electrical problems for my neighbors and relatives. I can also weld a little, and work on old machines. I own a few old tractors and a ‘64 Chevy pickup and a ‘65 Chevy C-60 2-ton dump truck that I can keep running. I can also grow some of my own food.
Welding was one of the trades that remained a mystery to me, until a couple years ago when I decided to do something about it. I took a stick welding class. Now, it's not a mystery. I won't assert any skill - it's definitely a "practice" talent, and I haven't done any since, but again, very few things are inaccessible.
We are very fortunate that our local high school has a large and extremely impressive wood/metal/welding shop. I told my (unfortunately not mechanically-blessed) soon-to-be freshmen son that he *WILL* take at least one year of that class at some point during his time there, like it or not!
Love the point of this article. Learn by doing (it yourself).
The more diy skills one has, the more independent one can be. Not only saving money, but knowing the job is completed the best it can be.
Skilled labor will only get more expensive.
Very unfortunate that Shop classes are no longer offered. As female, I wasn't given the option to take shop (altho I probably would be now if shop were reinstated), but I did take home economics where I learned to sew. Am quite proud of my seamstress capabilities.
Noticed the sheet of linoleum lining the bottom of your kitchen cabinet. How remiss it is that these cabinets come with a very thin piece of *wood* that can be ruined by water. I always line the bottom of sink cabs with an extra protection layer. Your linoleum is an excellent choice.
If the linoleum was there when you bought, maybe the previous owner was covering up a ruined cabinet bottom. In any case, I'd recommend always putting an additional protective bottom layer in a sink cab.
I’m 68 and I took a shop class in the 8th grade. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I learned a few basic things I have never forgotten. (Last year I paid a locksmith $350 to get into my condo when I walked out the door without my house key. It took him about 30 seconds to get me in. Sure wish I’d learned how to pick locks!😀)
I still have a pair of bookcases I made summer of 4th and 5th grades in that same shop of Peter's. While much emphasis was on manual tools (cross-cut saws, rasps, hammers) we also used serious power tools (supervised) - band saws, table saws, belt sanders, drill presses - and were taught to respect them. However *most* importantly our teacher wouldn't let us so much as touch a piece of lumber if we didn't produce a detailed orthographic drawing plan - like this graphic, but with all the dimensions included: e.g. so the top is wider than the shelves by the width of the sides, etc. https://www.wikihow.com/Build-Wooden-Bookshelves
And finally, he left us room to learn from our mistakes - I still use a printer stand I built in maybe 7th grade that has two 'left legs'. I failed to understand mirror image symmetry in design/execution. Even today I can hear him chuckling in my mind's eye as he didn't correct my error, but let me go ahead and build it. 40 years on this stand still functions, and still has 2 left legs.
It's a shame that the School's trustees *shot all that down just after my time in the name of 'safety'. Ironically, in its prior incarnation, the shop been the *Rifle Range. 3 lanes wide, the steel and sand traps at the far end of the shop remained there unto my time.
Before I had more money than time, I did most of my own car - and well, everything - maintenance. Upkeep, minor repairs and troubleshooting. Then with the addition of my wife's car and a career that soaked up my extra time, I increasingly outsourced these things. My youngest son, however, followed my (early) lead - and with YouTube videos, he does everything himself! Utterly fearless. Now I did have to show him how to bleed brake lines - much easier with two people! And then I recently found a strange car out in our detached garage up on jack stands - my son was doing a brake job on a buddy's car, showing him how to save $600 in just a couple hours. Seriously, you can order just about anything off the internet and there are YouTube videos showing you how to do it. You just gotta be fearless and willing to get dirty.
Out of curiosity... How much of the price for this kind of work is a reflection of genuine market forces versus some people organizing some kind of racket by which certain skills are artificially priced (upwards)? My own skills in the DIY department are mediocre at best -- although I generally attempt fixing most things myself, and do a poor job, which on rare occasions fail to impress my partner, and then need a professional. And so it seems hard to believe that there wouldn't be more people interested in making money in those professions.
Living in NYC, I can however say that plumbing in particular is such a heavily regulated area of work that the people who make it to the point of being "employable" (given also the rules of many multi-unit homes, enforcing all kinds of certifications, etc.) are really incredibly expensive. Is that true also in other parts of the country...?
This article makes me grateful for my dad, and him teaching me through word and action how to DIY. I rewired my shed and replaced a light switch in my bathroom last year, even though I was scared shitless that I'd screw it up and start a fire. I've installed drywall several times, though my mudding could use some work. And, I've repainted 3 rooms in my house so far. Plus, several other projects over the years. Feels good to do it myself, on top of saving money. I think that's the problem with kids these days too - no one to teach them how to DIY which leads to "What are you (government, other people, etc) going to give me?"
Shop classes in my day were exclusively for boys. Just saying.
Would that be the case today?
I have plumbed and wired ... gosh... at least three of my own houses, and frequently fix plumbing and electrical problems for my neighbors and relatives. I can also weld a little, and work on old machines. I own a few old tractors and a ‘64 Chevy pickup and a ‘65 Chevy C-60 2-ton dump truck that I can keep running. I can also grow some of my own food.
Welding was one of the trades that remained a mystery to me, until a couple years ago when I decided to do something about it. I took a stick welding class. Now, it's not a mystery. I won't assert any skill - it's definitely a "practice" talent, and I haven't done any since, but again, very few things are inaccessible.
My Mom spot welded ammo boxes at a factory in my home town during The Deuce to save money for nursing school - a Rosiesque Riveter.
If you were a contributing author to NR magazine you would have written “pace Liam Neeson”😂
We are very fortunate that our local high school has a large and extremely impressive wood/metal/welding shop. I told my (unfortunately not mechanically-blessed) soon-to-be freshmen son that he *WILL* take at least one year of that class at some point during his time there, like it or not!
Love the point of this article. Learn by doing (it yourself).
The more diy skills one has, the more independent one can be. Not only saving money, but knowing the job is completed the best it can be.
Skilled labor will only get more expensive.
Very unfortunate that Shop classes are no longer offered. As female, I wasn't given the option to take shop (altho I probably would be now if shop were reinstated), but I did take home economics where I learned to sew. Am quite proud of my seamstress capabilities.
Noticed the sheet of linoleum lining the bottom of your kitchen cabinet. How remiss it is that these cabinets come with a very thin piece of *wood* that can be ruined by water. I always line the bottom of sink cabs with an extra protection layer. Your linoleum is an excellent choice.
It was there when we moved in. The kitchen is old and needs an update. But, since it's very functional, it's low on my list.
If the linoleum was there when you bought, maybe the previous owner was covering up a ruined cabinet bottom. In any case, I'd recommend always putting an additional protective bottom layer in a sink cab.
I suspect it was the old floor. House was built in 1906. Much has changed.
I’m 68 and I took a shop class in the 8th grade. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I learned a few basic things I have never forgotten. (Last year I paid a locksmith $350 to get into my condo when I walked out the door without my house key. It took him about 30 seconds to get me in. Sure wish I’d learned how to pick locks!😀)
Moved to current location 5 years ago. Previous house built it 1906. Lived there 29 years and did every manner of renovation (myself).
I still have a pair of bookcases I made summer of 4th and 5th grades in that same shop of Peter's. While much emphasis was on manual tools (cross-cut saws, rasps, hammers) we also used serious power tools (supervised) - band saws, table saws, belt sanders, drill presses - and were taught to respect them. However *most* importantly our teacher wouldn't let us so much as touch a piece of lumber if we didn't produce a detailed orthographic drawing plan - like this graphic, but with all the dimensions included: e.g. so the top is wider than the shelves by the width of the sides, etc. https://www.wikihow.com/Build-Wooden-Bookshelves
And finally, he left us room to learn from our mistakes - I still use a printer stand I built in maybe 7th grade that has two 'left legs'. I failed to understand mirror image symmetry in design/execution. Even today I can hear him chuckling in my mind's eye as he didn't correct my error, but let me go ahead and build it. 40 years on this stand still functions, and still has 2 left legs.
I still have my first bookcase and my knock hockey table from Vey's shop.
It's a shame that the School's trustees *shot all that down just after my time in the name of 'safety'. Ironically, in its prior incarnation, the shop been the *Rifle Range. 3 lanes wide, the steel and sand traps at the far end of the shop remained there unto my time.
My ridiculously overblown self confidence comes in part from a wide range of DIY skills that in truth, are generally skill level one or two.
Before I had more money than time, I did most of my own car - and well, everything - maintenance. Upkeep, minor repairs and troubleshooting. Then with the addition of my wife's car and a career that soaked up my extra time, I increasingly outsourced these things. My youngest son, however, followed my (early) lead - and with YouTube videos, he does everything himself! Utterly fearless. Now I did have to show him how to bleed brake lines - much easier with two people! And then I recently found a strange car out in our detached garage up on jack stands - my son was doing a brake job on a buddy's car, showing him how to save $600 in just a couple hours. Seriously, you can order just about anything off the internet and there are YouTube videos showing you how to do it. You just gotta be fearless and willing to get dirty.
Out of curiosity... How much of the price for this kind of work is a reflection of genuine market forces versus some people organizing some kind of racket by which certain skills are artificially priced (upwards)? My own skills in the DIY department are mediocre at best -- although I generally attempt fixing most things myself, and do a poor job, which on rare occasions fail to impress my partner, and then need a professional. And so it seems hard to believe that there wouldn't be more people interested in making money in those professions.
Living in NYC, I can however say that plumbing in particular is such a heavily regulated area of work that the people who make it to the point of being "employable" (given also the rules of many multi-unit homes, enforcing all kinds of certifications, etc.) are really incredibly expensive. Is that true also in other parts of the country...?
This article makes me grateful for my dad, and him teaching me through word and action how to DIY. I rewired my shed and replaced a light switch in my bathroom last year, even though I was scared shitless that I'd screw it up and start a fire. I've installed drywall several times, though my mudding could use some work. And, I've repainted 3 rooms in my house so far. Plus, several other projects over the years. Feels good to do it myself, on top of saving money. I think that's the problem with kids these days too - no one to teach them how to DIY which leads to "What are you (government, other people, etc) going to give me?"