Rusty412 As far as ham radio goes, go for it! Once you get your technician's license you can have a bunch of fun on 2 meters and 70 centimeters, which will allow you to do packet radio, IRLP, and local off of repeaters or syntax (but you can't get really far on 2m or 70cm syntax). It's really fun Plus, a lot of the stuff you'll need to know to get started with radio tinkering will be covered in the technicians' test. If you're interested, check out the ARRL website and order the training book for the tests you want to take. They're a bit pricy but they cover everything you need to know and they have (at least mine did- mine's a generation or two out of date) practice questions in the back of the book. Also, go to hamtests.org for practice tests from the FCC question pool. Hope to hear you on the air at some point!
Thanks for the encouragement! I have been to the AARL website and I am going to get the guides and start reviewing. There is a local club that administers the test and hopefully I can take it in the next few months. Will give you a shout when I get the technicians license. Thanks again, this is what makes the EDC forum awesome.
One skill I would like particularly like is programming. I can manage simple stuff like HTML, even a bit of PHP and CSS, but it soon becomes trial and error rather than knowing what I am doing. Is cack-brained a condition?
Well, I'd like to learn a bit from everything, but if I say that, some people will think it's just "small talk" and that I just wanted to "make a post", so I'll list some of the stuff that come from the top of my head right now: First aid - I feel shivers down my spine when I'm thinking about an accident or something happening near me and me just standing there not knowing what to do. Sewing - It's always useful, from wounds to patches in your clothes or God knows what else. HAM Radio-ing - That sounds so cool, I'm just a bit scared about the tests, because my phisics knowledge isn't that great, yet. Metalworking - Creating something from a "plain" sheet of metal it's just so fascinating. Ironing - You can't have those wrinkles all over your shirts. Tying knots - Knots are handy. I came to respect every person because everyone has something that he can do and you have something to learn from each and every man you come across and I know I won't be able to master all of the things that I'd like to master, but at least knowing the basics always helps
InvertedBob First aid is something that, to a point, has to be taught, but it's easy to find places to get training. Sewing is easy. Sewing good looking seams isn't so easy. It just takes practice and time. Go for the radio test. If you study for it, you're gonna do fine. If you don't study for it, you know what the test is like and more of what to focus on before next time (though the tests don't represent all of the 700 questions in the pool and there is a fee to take it). There's no penalty for having to take it more than once. Just read about it or take practice tests and it's easy enough. Metalworking is something I'm not able to do, so I can't help you much there... Knots just take practice and patience. Whenever you want to learn a new knot, look up how to do it on the internet (I haven't found a knot I couldn't find a how-to on the internet for yet), grab some string and give it a go. Some are more difficult than others, but none are impossible to master with a little perseverance. I'd recommend having a marlin spike (which few people have unless they constantly do knotwork...) or a pair of needle nosed pliers handy to untie the tighter, more complex knots. Hope this helped you in some way
Been trying to get the hang of this: Even got my wife to give it a go, been on and off for like 3 or more years, some of my first work pew~pew~
If I had the time, I would like to try my hand at canning, pickling, and smoking/drying meats. Most of us wouldn't be here today if our ancestors hadn't had these food preservation skills.
I think the most important DIY skill anyone can have is vehicle diagnostics, temporary repair, and permanent repair. We all drive, but an alarming number of people can't change their own oil. Much less fix a radiator hose or swap out a power steering pump or a starter. We should be able to fix a breakdown on the side of the road, at least enough to get home, and be able to fix it for good. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have ticked off most of the things I wanted to try, knife making (to an extent), leather work and sewing (bag making, would like to try clothes as well). Arthritis /gout has slowed me down on the knife and leather work, so the next thing if for me to improve my diet as that does effect my arthritis /gout Edit- Just remembered the other thing I want to try, stick making. I have 3 various lengths / thicknesses of hazel drying out in my shed at the moment. Been there for a year so should be ready soon.
Ive got a new one- Tig aluminium I hold 3g/4g unlimited thickness for stick, 3g up 3/8 mig, and I can hold my own doing tig on steel. Im the welder for a local job shop, ive done alot of really cool stuff, love the work and want to bring home more cash. For whatever reason I CAN NOT make anything remotely resembling a weld on alu. Melting together I can do, but ill be ****ed if it isnt hideous.
I'm love to be able to fix a car. I can't even change the oil on a car, mostly because I've never had one or had one in the family I could toy around with. I can keep my motorbike on the road easily and do minor repairs. If I had a prloper stand I'd be able to do more but translating that skill to a car? No idea
Aluminium is honestly the worst.... you need to get a feel for what alloy you are working with to know where to start before even grabbing your welder (if the stuff can even be welded half worth a in the first place) and once you have that covered you need lots and lots of heat.. just about 1% shy of melting the whole batch on the get-go. And you need to break that annoying oxide layer the whole freaking time.... I myself never bothered too much with welding alu.. i just glue, rivet or bolt the stuff together and call it job done
The problem is I wanna do a tank for a bobber project, and id really like to do it out of alu for the weight.
The one thing worse than welding aluminium is welding thin aluminium... try scoring an existing tank would be my suggestion... or just go steel, bobbers don't need large tanks anyways.
