The Historic District

You are walking down your hallway late at night and hear a noise behind you.,,,but you never, ever turn around.

Every time something breaks, you smile because you get to learn a new trade.

phil wrote:Every time something breaks, you smile because you get to learn a new trade.

The only catch is the budget ding buying any trade specific tools you don't yet have, but absolutely yes otherwise.

Lily left the valley wrote:

phil wrote:Every time something breaks, you smile because you get to learn a new trade.

The only catch is the budget ding buying any trade specific tools you don't yet have, but absolutely yes otherwise.

usually for me it me and fixing the broken old tools I got from garage sales and things like that. I couldn't count the times I had to go fix this tool so I could use it for that. If I can afford to I try to buy tools that will enable me to do more and over time I've acquired lots and sometimes it pays to just run out and buy new.

In doing my roof they have these special shovels for removing old roofing, they help pull the nails. I seriously considered modifying a shovel or using a pitchfork. Lord knows why I own a pitchfork lol but yes, yes I do
In this case I opted to just buy the right tool and I was glad I did as I've used it lots so far. when I'm done roofing I might try to resell it. It's worth 50 bucks. similar with all the roofing brackets I needed to walk up there. If I weigh that stuff against paying out for a trades guy I win every time. my worst fault is taking on big projects and then deciding on ways that are better but take longer and the result is doing jobs that drag on and on..

I try to take the perspective that I won't buy any tool unless I need it unless its used and a good deal then I'll jump on things I think Ill use. More often than not I can improvise but I have lots of tools to work with as Ive accumulated them for a long time. each one helps me do more things and I can do most things I want to because I've acquired them. being resourceful is a big part of it. all my machines I bot used and had to work on to get working but that way they are always still worth pretty much what I've paid. it gets a little nuts. I probably have a half dozen routers half dozen circular maybe 10 different types of sanders saws for example.. many are as old as me. Its a bit of a hobby for me too. some of them don't work but if I have a little time I might replace the bearings or the switch to get a saw working for example. it turns to an addiction. Ill buy another circular saw even though I already have one at a garage sale because it's 2 bucks and I think well maybe I can fix it or use the switch , or something. at times I had more free money and bought more tools. To me each one extends my abilities. I saw a nice old tablesaw free on craigslist yesterday. I already have one, Ive got a radial arm saw too. I had to stop myself because it takes space but I considered it because I can't take mine int he yard to leave the dust outside , It's so heavy that would take some serious disassembly.

the other day I bought a weed whacker from a thrift 15 bucks. Its a 100 new or more. I got it home yes it works but its pretty rattly. I think it needs a plastic bushing or some new part. I set it aside and one day I'll make a new plastic bushing for it, or I can just load the line on it and keep it for now. It will still work. It was black and decker so sears , probably can't get parts.. I already have a weed whacker.. I figured if I have two then maybe when the line gets all tangled rather than messing with it I'll have the other to use. It probably wasn't a great decision to buy a second one but oh well.. I guess there is worse stuff to be addicted to

(I realize this one may have been said before, possibly even by me but I've since forgotten.)
You might be an old home owner if you walk by an old house with a dumpster outside, and within seconds you find yourself perched at the edge, scanning the contents for anything salvageable.

I did this recently near our house. So far, only drywall and a few bits of modern garbage. I'm a bit hopeful, actually, that they might be restoring it.

I never seem to be around when they are working on it. I'm almost at the point where I want to leave a note that says, "Hi, I'm a neighbor from around the street that is an old house nut. Please let me know if you are going to remove anything like your amazing front door or that really neat bay front widow with all the colored stained glass in it. If you're going to keep it all, you might want to visit a site called..." I haven't mustered the courage yet.

phil wrote:{snip}tool

We need to start a topic that is tool generalist like this one is old house reference generalist. A haven to digress from spanners to rules to sharpening methods and eventually wander back to spanners. My brain is still fudge right now, so I can't think of anything clever for the title.

I bring this up because I have a bunch of stuff I want to say in reply to yours, but we're already digressing as we tend to do.

- you send all your friends links to historic tile and glass knob manufacturers and are disappointed that they aren't as excited about these finds as you are.

That's all I could think of at the moment!

GinaC wrote:- you send all your friends links to historic tile and glass knob manufacturers and are disappointed that they aren't as excited about these finds as you are.

That's all I could think of at the moment!

These tend to fall into my brain at the oddest times.

Some of my friends are old house nuts like me, but we haven't gotten to the source sharing yet. For that fix, I come here.

GinaC wrote:- you send all your friends links to historic tile and glass knob manufacturers and are disappointed that they aren't as excited about these finds as you are.

That's all I could think of at the moment!

Or roll their eyes, in a polite kind of way.

Or you recommend The Historic District to your salvage friends, the floor refinisher, and random strangers because they showed an interest in your old house and then proceeded to tell you about their old house.