I have an uneasy relationship with Do-It-Yourself, DIY as our lingo goes. Perhaps it is a mixture of confidence, expectations, level of skill, tools, materials, know-how etc. Nevertheless I have had a recent success! However, there’s more to it than simply bragging about my success.
My recent success is refurbishing our garden gate, hopefully it has been done sympathetically. It was a few years ago that I found the gate hidden in the back garden and my first reaction was “oh this old gate, at least I can cut it up for firewood”.
That was until I picked it up; it was heavy. I looked closer and wondered if it could be oak? It was clearly well made, very heavy but the joints were loose. I put some wood screws in and hung it on the hinges which were still in the gate post. To my delight it fitted and worked. Gradually over a couple of years it sagged. I added a few more screws and it still sagged again, dragging on the ground when opened. Eventually we stopped using it and, like all other regular visitors, we used the open drive way entrance, just a few steps away.
Something had to be done
I managed to get the gate down into the cellar (not easy on those uneven, steep steps). I removed the screws that I’d previously put in and found there weren’t any screws holding it together, save attaching the two hinges. I realised what a craftsman piece of carpentry it was.
I dismantled most of the gate and then put it back together, replacing only a couple of wooden pegs which had rotted and gone soft. Clearly these were perhaps pine and inferior to the timber used for the gate itself. As luck would have it, I found a couple of new pegs and used them, tapping them firmly in place with a mallet and trimming the excess. I did need to replace a couple of pieces of wood which had rotted through being close to the ground but I used hardwood for this.
The rest of the gate went back to gather fairly easily, mostly lining up, tapping with a mallet and making sure it was all square. I replaced most of the screws which I’d previously put in (which probably weren’t necessarily needed). Finally I added a coat of Osmo protection oil and I think it looks really nice in situ.
Over the last few weeks I have been checking with a spirit level whether it is still square and not sagging again. So far, so good.
I admire the craftsman who made the gate originally, said to be a local builder’s carpenter from many years ago. It is a clever design in being held together with neat joints and a couple of wooden pegs. No screws, no glue, no brackets. Just craftsmanship using a good design and good, long lasting well seasoned timber. Like many other people, I love the way in which wood will change over time – oak can become silvery in colour, sometimes even split and yet it remains an incredibly tough material. Other timbers have their own qualities – I wish I knew more about them!
Confidence
I wish I was more confident with DIY. Often I have been discouraged and I always fear biting off more than I can handle or making things worse.
However, some little successes like this have encouraged me. I do like the idea of being more practical, especially as there’s no end to the things which need doing here at the Quirky Museum. For just a moment, I have glanced around and seen some of the things which I’ve already done and feel hopeful.
I need to remind myself, I can do a lot of DIY. I have my ‘man cave’ cellar with some tools, a Workmate and a proper bench. If I take my time, I can work accurately and methodically. It is also quite enjoyable, I like to listen to the radio while working and it’s a nice way of having time to mull things over and think things through.
