In Praise of DIY
Y’all, I promised myself I would write the first draft of my next novel this summer.
Which is another way of saying I am cheeks-deep (butt-cheeks or face-cheeks, reader’s choice) in procrastinatinatory DIY projects.
Which is another way of saying I’m using this soapbox to share the following self-affirmations:
YOU CAN DO IT.
WHAT’S THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN?
I hope someone has already taught you these axioms, but if not, it’s never too late to adopt them.
You can do it. You know how I know? Because if I can do it, you can do it.
I’m not sure what made me think I could fix things. But it’s a worthwhile thing to believe about yourself.
My dad had tools in our mudroom and always had a list of projects; my brother was forever taking bikes apart and repairing them. Our neighbors were handy and often fixing or building things. I guess I just assumed this was part of the fabric of life.
Dad taught me some things explicitly, like the difference between a flathead and Phillips-head screwdriver, and to drive screws in the same direction that clock-hands move. (This was his version of “lefty loosey, righty tighty.”)
Big brother taught me how to quickly flip a bike onto its seat and handlebars to crank a chain back onto its sprocket; and to wax skis only in the direction you want them to slide.
Mom taught me how to hand sew, how to follow a pattern, and then how to use a sewing machine.
I also had very patient friends who would let me watch oil changes and building projects and eventually let me try. Shout out to Jeb and John.
But / and a lot of things I picked up from just … giving it a twirl and a whirl.
I’m just realizing now, as I write this, that simply absorbing lessons from childhood - being around capable people who never doubted I was capable, too - was well, foundational.
I hope that every child has family- and friend-kin who teaches them basic skills and lay the foundation for them to
(1) have a strong (in my case it’s undoubtedly too strong) belief that they can make or fix things, and
(2) that things are makable or fixable, and
(3) that it’s satisfying to make or fix things.
Enough waxing philosophical.
Here is a quick and dirty list of things I’ve learned over the years. Please share yours in the comments.
Crying in the hardware store is just a part of the process if you are fixing anything to do with plumbing.
Actually. Tears and overwhelm are normal parts of DIY in general. It is totally fine and perfectly reasonable to cry big Snoopy tears when you think all is lost. All is probably not lost. Just take a break and come back later.
Worms are picky. Living things are picky. You might think a DIY under-the-kitchen-sink composting worm farm is a great idea but it’s not as fun when 1000 red wrigglers escape their DIY habitat in the middle of the night.
Youtube is a phenomenal educational resource. People are incredibly generous in uploading videos on how to fix things. I have fixed the following things by following Youtube videos: our toilet (multiple times, multiple issues), our bathroom sink, our washing machine, our dryer (took it apart and replaced the belt), my car (replaced rear brake light assembly; solved the “Christmas tree of Death,”), our dishwasher, and most recently, my sewing machine.
Tip: ask yourself: “What’s the worst that can happen?” If something’s broken, you’re going to either pay a repair person or get a new appliance anyway. So why not try to fix it yourself first?
Have a budget. If you’re going to spend more to try to fix something yourself than you would spend hiring someone to fix it, that’s not the time to DIY.
For the love of God, UNPLUG YOUR APPLIANCE / TURN OFF YOUR CIRCUIT BREAKER. Check once that it is unplugged. Then check again. Then triple-check. Electricity is not to be trifled with.
No matter how tempting it is, don’t try to scoot your ladder while you are on it. Climb down and move the sucker over proper-like. This is either sounding totally whackadoo or you are chuckling to yourself. If you know, you know.
Always put a bucket under a plumbing project. Even when the water is off, there’s usually standing water or gunk in the pipe you’re messing with.
A huge hiccup that I often experience is not knowing the names of things you need. This is relatable and where I pine for an apprenticeship. It’s also why many a hardware store employee will look down their nose at you. It’s gatekeeping and it sucks. Which brings us to—
Sexism is alive and well at the hardware store (gotta say, the Ithaca Agway was a nice reprieve from this). Men who work at Lowes and Home Depot and other smaller stores will happily tell you things you absolutely know to be wrong. It’s not even mansplaining. It’s man-scatting, like a jazz set or something.
Wear boots (work, Blunnies, hiking, doesn’t matter, just not Uggs) to the store. It helps people take you a little more seriously.
Bring work gloves to the store if you’re buying wood so you don’t get splinters.
Save your receipts because probably some stuff you will buy will be wrong for what you need.
Tools aren’t built for petite frames and hands. Sometimes the pink, “girl power” gloves and tools do fit petite hands better. I am not opposed to pink, I love pink, but I do find pink irritating at the hardware store. Why can’t they just make things in multiple sizes? Must petite mean “pink” or “girl power”? Why does this often mean “not as powerful” as far as hammers or drills go? Grrrr.)
Some projects do come down to brute force. I know. I hate it, too. It is VERY frustrating. Before you text your neighbor for help, close your eyes, ask the Great Cosmic Echidna to help you, and give it one more try. If that doesn’t work, there is no shame in texting someone bigger and brawnier for help. It sucks, but it is just reality. Some rusted pipes are stubborn. Some things are really too heavy to lift yourself.
The Kreg pocket-hole jig kit is a game changer in building bookshelves and cabinets. Worth every penny. I highly recommend getting one.
List of supplies it’s worth having:
a good power drill that fits you well,
a good paint brush that fits you well (and good paint. With paintbrushes and paint - you get what you pay for)
work gloves that fit you well,
Kreg pocket-hole jig kit if you are building things,
a rubber mallet - I don’t know why but I use my rubber mallet all the time and I love it so. My son loves it, too, and he doesn’t know why either.
big vice grips (you can often get away with not having wrenches if you have vice grips)
needle nose vice grips (vise grips take the place of some of the brute force you need, yay)
a simple 4-in-1 multi-bit screwdriver like this one for $2.97
a wood-handled screw starter (it doesn’t really need to be wood-handled but I love my wood-handled hand-me-down, it just feels right in your palm)
a good hand (or power) saw and mitre box,
Youtube for how-to videos
eBay for parts you need
a buddy to text for support
time to think if something is puzzling you. Sometimes all you need is a good night’s rest - and ta da! The answer will come!
We return to our first axioms.
First: tell yourself— “Hey! I can do this.”
Then, if/when you’re on the fence, ask yourself— “What’s the worst that can happen?”
If the worst that can happen is that you flood your entire house and/or God-forbid electrocute yourself, get a plumber and electrician on the blower.
Plumbing is not easy and electricity can literally kill you.
Otherwise? You know what to do.
Give it a twirl and a whirl.
May the Force, and the Great Cosmic Echidna, be with you.
XOXO