I've done a lot of mains & lighting circuits recently, pulling the CPC copper to split the insulation does work but gets old fast (imagine doing that twice for each downlight in a room!). Well worth investing a small amount in a ratcheting cable stripper, does the job instantly with a perfect finish.
@mr_bojingles58912 ай бұрын
Some great tips there. Now to find a way of remembering them when I actually need them!
@rafflesnh2 ай бұрын
Isn't that a fact! But adding this video to my 'Favourites' will help, just so long as I remember I did it! 😄
@timfulwell84722 ай бұрын
Brill vid. Several tips I didn’t know. BTW I used a clear plastic tube with coulered water to level floor joists. Just attach the tube at a convenient place. Mark the level you need to work to and then take the other end to each point in the room that needs a level mark. Takes two to do.
@RFC35142 ай бұрын
Doesn't really take two (just attach the tube first, then fill it while holding both ends next to each other), and yeah, it's a really good system that lets you quickly mark the same level in different rooms, which a laser can't.
@PurpleTT992 ай бұрын
Can't decide what emotion to feel when you showed us the "masking tape mitre" tip. Anger at myself for not thinking of it, sadness at all the times I could have used it, happiness that I'll be able to use it from now on, worry that'll I'll forget to use it! 🙂
@ReheatedDonut2 ай бұрын
I don't get it, do you paint the glass and leave it on? Or clean up the glass afterwards?
@PurpleTT992 ай бұрын
@@ReheatedDonut Leave the paint on the glass. I think Stuart was a bit overgenerous with his gap, I'd do 2-3mm. You'd normally only do this if you're repainting windows that have been painted a few times over the years and the cutting in is a bit ropey and this covers all that up. No reason why you can't go right to the edge on new frames and use tape to save you cutting in.
@clemmcguinness10872 күн бұрын
That tape trick ... oh thank you!
@duncanstreet49552 ай бұрын
Coffee and toast at the ready for Sunday with Proper DIY!
@tazmaniachill2 ай бұрын
Made coffee and a poached egg on toast for a change 😊
@PJS-uu9xu2 ай бұрын
Maybe it’s the Olympics effect……. I’ve gone all continental this morning. Coffee & Croissant.
@truth33582 ай бұрын
I think you need to get more lol
@101projects22 ай бұрын
😐 Me staring at my boring bowl of cereal realising I've just used the last of the milk so can't have a cup of tea, feeling a little left out 😅
@duncanstreet49552 ай бұрын
@@101projects2 😂
@jernejq16512 ай бұрын
I'm always amazed and grateful for all those tips. One can immediately tell you are a professional. There are probably hundreds more up your sleeve and they become not so much hacks but the usual way of doing things. Carefully observing how you work one learns all the time. Really pure greatness. For the cable "peeling" I usually just score the insulation all around and then bind the cable and the plastic opens up. This is also useful for making or repairing appliance cables.
@samuelpope77988 күн бұрын
Really solid stuff!
@AlanBell2 ай бұрын
If doing the IKEA hex fixings with a drill, definitely use the torque limiting numbers, probably around number 4 to avoid breaking things.
@c.a.g.19772 ай бұрын
There were some tips I knew, but also some I didn't! Thank you Stuart!
@martinmorgan92 ай бұрын
The reversing of the spirit level as you mark a level around a room is a very neat trick and uses the same idea as setting up an engineers optical level (of unknown level accuracy) in the exact middle between origin and destination points to conceal out any error. Thank you for this, it's probably quicker than setting up a laser level - certainly a lot cheaper than buying one for an isolated task.
@mrazorАй бұрын
Very useful and practical tips especially the plum bob trick, nice!
@DY-cq3qdАй бұрын
Getting a level across a room with no laser Get a piece of clear tube and half fill with water coloured with dye (food colour, ink) and add a single drop of washing up liquid to overcome surface tension. Needs two people. Stretch pipe across room or round a corner. Then use the marked datum and measure up to where you want tile level etc. Works across several rooms if the is pipe long enough.
@Ocean-blue2 ай бұрын
7:10 it is amazing how you get a round drill bit to make a square hole 😜. Keep up the good work 👍
@Raymond65uk2 ай бұрын
Great tips love the masking tape one like you say easy when you know how have a great week😊
@wootenbasset86312 ай бұрын
7:09 Love that idea for drilling.
@welshkid122 ай бұрын
Great tips! The clamp one for circles, you can also use a tape measure with the blade lock on!
@graemeadamson72722 ай бұрын
Always good to gather new info on a Sunday morning with breakfast . Brilliant as always . Cheers fella 👊👍❤
@lujesta2 ай бұрын
Helpful and entertaining as ever, thank you for these great tips Stuart.
@jim_jim16742 ай бұрын
Simply clever ways. Thank you.
@kennethcampbell23232 ай бұрын
These are great handy easy tips. One of my favourite diy channels
@EmptyGlass992 ай бұрын
The plumb-line tip alone is worth watching this video for - top tip indeed!
@ding-go2 ай бұрын
Just putting something like a scrap piece of plywood to block the wind is easier imho
@MrBigMalT2 ай бұрын
Nice one Stewart! Just started adding a few extra sockets in my workshop today, so I’ll be using your cable stripping tip (rather than my usual nibbling in from the end with wire cutters). I also found that the position of the terminals in my sockets meant i needed different length cables feeding in and feeding out. So I drew a little story board with actual cable lengths marked on a scrap of wood, and used it to lay the cables on, so I could cut them all to consistent lengths. Maybe another useful tip for someone.
@andljoy2 ай бұрын
With stripping the T&E you can do a very light score around the outer sheath then when you do your tip you can pull hard on the left over insulation and get a very clean end. That plum bob trick is f****ing genius!
@livingladolcevita73182 ай бұрын
Some good ideas there. Something I always do for myself or family if I am putting flat pack together is to put the tools that come with it in a plastic bag and tape it out of sight with the furniture instead of adding to my own tools. They are then available if needed instead of having to hunt for the required allen key (usually)
@cowgirl.43632 ай бұрын
A lot of useful ideas I didnt know about. Thanks.
@relaxreflect58882 ай бұрын
5:47 🤯 woo! Now that’s a tip!
@OrangeEngland2 ай бұрын
very good video. not seen the trick with the twin and earth or the mitered masking tape corners before. Nice one!
@BurtonOutdoors2 ай бұрын
Great tips 👍Especially the plumb line and the tape on the window 🪟
@Holedigger1232 ай бұрын
We also used Piano Wire on a plumbob, or an Optical Plumb, oh happy days!!!
@alanballard28417 күн бұрын
Yes i like the 3/8 nylon tube with coloured water in it establishing your level point an then with one person on the first point then a second person can go round the room withe the other end of the tube marking the levels.
@ralphtaylor53282 ай бұрын
Interesting set of tips. Re IKEA hex tool. I keep them from previous units as they can be useful on normal jobs as easier than normal L shaped hex spanner. Also leaves you free to cut one as you suggest and still have one to finish off the job or do the bolt in the corner
@jessejameson1542 ай бұрын
Brilliant stuff...I will certainly be using some of these
@bernieinsaudi2 ай бұрын
Clamp and pencil to mark a circle… excellent!
@mycat-r7y2 ай бұрын
I really appreciated the paper on pipe to make an accurate marker, I have made so many poor cuts. The tape measure tip I will certainly be using now my eyes are failing I need to look very carefully at my marking. Great videos thank you 🤓
@virgil71002 ай бұрын
Some handy tips there guvnor ~ Thanks!
@Tradeinspector19922 ай бұрын
Really useful tips Stuart. Thank you so much. The State Education dept should make a compulsory GCSE course of your DIY skills. That will be most useful to all those 16yr olds who do not wish to go onto further education but into real life work!
@ProperDIY2 ай бұрын
I would agree with you
@michaelplays24492 ай бұрын
Great video Stuart !!!! thanks
@noelstevens61902 ай бұрын
Love the clamp trick
@andyc9722 ай бұрын
Brilliant Stuart, great practical tips as always, I particularly like the plumb bob tips - excellent solution and not widely known I'm sure, however your advice on how to drill a "nice square hole" would gain a lot of attention as a thumbnail as who doesn't want to know haw to drill a square hole ! 😉
@brianp70222 ай бұрын
The masking tape I will admit blew my mind 😮😊
@contessa.adella2 ай бұрын
To run a level line around a room I use a water level tube. A length of clear tube about 1 cm wide, filled with water (no bubbles). One end fixed to one point on a wall..the other end moved to positions around the room and mark the water height because the water at both ends must be on the same level…You can use this same method to level a large patio or shed base. It is literally 1mm accurate.
@pedromimoso88042 ай бұрын
Great tips, Stuart! 👍👍👍
@gwynneharries70242 ай бұрын
Loved those tips but I can’t believe you paint on the glass! Prepping for a repaint in the future is made considerably more difficult and the painted glass always looks naff! I always mask to the frame. So much neater in my view.
@adeh5032 ай бұрын
Absolutely, why on earth would you paint the glass
@fernanddubois17922 ай бұрын
@@adeh503Because it is easier to scrape paint off glass(with an inexpensive scraper) than it is to line up the masking tape perfectly all the way around,
@NigelJ-xl2zf2 ай бұрын
@@fernanddubois1792but don’t you then risk damaging the black bead when scraping off the paint ?
@NeilWillmore2 ай бұрын
My Dad, an old school chippy, told me it was to help seal / waterproof over the wooden beading and putty holding the glass in, obviously something that's not needed with a rubber weatherseal
@phowied2 ай бұрын
That dampened plumb bob was very cool. Alternative for marking a complex level without a laser is to use a water level. Simple and accurate.
@thenomad98532 ай бұрын
Agreed. I'll never forget - I was about 17 and my Dad was redoing the dining room. He wanted to put in a dado rail, but the section of wall had (1) a door way, and (2) a corner of outcropping wall within it. To get the same level throughout Dad grabbed some of the airline tube I used for my fish tanks, and filled it with water then used the water level both ends to get across the gap and around the outcrop. It was like some sort of magic at the time 😂.
@niwty2 ай бұрын
Was taught to use a water level as an electrical apprentice back in the 70’s. We were installing trunking for lighting that formed part of a false ceiling array in an office block. We just used hose pipe with a clear piece at each end with the level marked on. Obviously if you can’t see both ends you will sometimes need two people but it’s (almost) foolproof.
@maenem2 ай бұрын
Yes if you flood the bathroom up to the level you want the rail, the top of the water will be dead level all the way around.
@RhondaLW2 ай бұрын
Just brilliant!
@Nick-e8k2 ай бұрын
I really like these tips. Thank you.
@ianpearse44802 ай бұрын
I wondered why I had 2 spirit levels on my demon yellow brace. Cheers. Saved loads of stress.
@penningtoncolin2 ай бұрын
Mate love your videos but us normal blokes don't have unlimited bank accounts and we don't have all the tools you have ,but you give us a good idea love you videos mate keep them coming
@RhysMogg2 ай бұрын
Found my wife singing the ProperDIY intro song while washing up this morning 😂
@RFC35142 ай бұрын
And she and Stuart were being so careful to hide the affair!
@bobbarrett2631Ай бұрын
Maybe a clear pipe, internal diameter of 10 -12mm and fill mostly with water, as it finds its own level, mark on wall and measure up or down to suit equally on all walls. To stop water spilling and making a mess, place fingers over ends. Can be done solo, but best with two (with two pencils/pens to make the marks)
@flemmingaaberg44572 ай бұрын
Old dog here - learnt something new - nicely done mate
@martinmorgan92 ай бұрын
I love the cable stripping tip. Yes - that's a 'keeper'!
@bridgetcastle71022 ай бұрын
Fab tips Stuart!!
@pinkplonker87762 ай бұрын
I thought I invented the plumb bob trick. I’m devastated! 😊
@Imshrekstwinbro2 ай бұрын
The clamp was a clever idea! Some great tips there!
@MegaGavinski2 ай бұрын
Have you tried liquid masking? It paints on and forms a seal on the glass while providing a lasting first coat on the wood. You then paint and trim back with a razor blade. Works well.
@pcampbell552 ай бұрын
Good stuff to know - thanks!
@ArchEdge2 ай бұрын
Firstly, Love your videos!! Question… why paint onto the glass of the windows?
@tazmaniachill2 ай бұрын
Tip No1 … I was taught that on day 1 by my sparky teacher when I began my apprenticeship many many many years ago 😂
@torr5952Ай бұрын
Great man!
@beena85102 ай бұрын
Wow, very helpful 👌👌
@IgnatiusZaaijman2 ай бұрын
That measuring tape trick is so simple I can't believe I haven't thought of it before!!
@ChrisShepherdPhotos2 ай бұрын
My brother in law (an electrician) taught me a similar way to expose the wires in twin and earth without the need for a Stanley knife. Just catch the insulation with the edge of the pliers and twist. Then you can get at the earth and pull it without the need for two tools.
@mfielding0072 ай бұрын
My wife used to laugh at me when I called the plumb line a plumb bob, she said there was no such thing, I told her I made one when I was 14 in metal work at school, I'm 71 now,so a long time ago
@bryantbrown80962 ай бұрын
Brain overload,great tips. Bry
@Jakes2hot2 ай бұрын
Better hack for furniture allen key, buy a set that has allen bits 👍🏽 Much more efficient and is not limited to 1 size bit, you’re welcome 😂
@Conservator.2 ай бұрын
13:55 you can also do this with the tape measure in locked position.
@jackl99222 ай бұрын
Your wire cutting method is what I do for US wire.
@keitho772 ай бұрын
That last tip using the clamp to draw a circle - You can also you your tape measure to perform the same task. Pull the length you want and lock it. Lie the tape measure on it's side, with the pin/screw located in the corner of the tape and body of the tape measure. Hook your pencil at the other end. Perfect circles every time! 👍 Thanks for the tips.
@nickblondeel55562 ай бұрын
If you have a tape measure with a stop function, you don't even need the clamp. Hook the tape measure behind the screw/nail and the pencil on the tap.
@youareslick2 ай бұрын
The level on the back of the drill will only work if the work suface is also level.
@samrix57932 ай бұрын
Love it!
@dazdaz1052 ай бұрын
T&E. Pull the brown and the blue with the grey insulation in either hand. It reduces the stress on the earth.
@andljoy2 ай бұрын
Whist i get why you are saying that , have you ever tried to snap the earth by pulling it ? You have no chance , trust me i used to think that you could damage the earth doing this but i tested it and trying to break it i could not do it.
@rickallen91672 ай бұрын
Stripping cable...don't deliberately cut through to the twin cable..or..just cut carefully.
@compunurse2 ай бұрын
Imagine. Most of the tips and tricks that you presented are irrespective of the imperial versus metric. That means that I can use them on this side of the pond. Thank you
@kempshott2 ай бұрын
If you're tiling a whole bathroom the extra cost of a cheap laser level would be insignificant, and make the job a lot easier.
@SGtidbits2 ай бұрын
Nice tips
@snazy77772 ай бұрын
I swear every Diy'er who lives in England has that Magnusson 4 piece level set from Screwfix
@SmithyScotland2 ай бұрын
Tip #1- other KZbinrs would want you to buy a £200 cable stripper via their affiliate link.
@LickorishAllsorts2 ай бұрын
If you are using a tape regularly then try a Hultafors Talmeter.
@dhewitt25142 ай бұрын
I always use that method with the T&E. I have heard that you aren’t supposed to do it because it stretches and weakens the earth but I’ve never had an issue.
@RhysMogg2 ай бұрын
Same. Although, how would you know if there was an issue? House catches fire?
@dhewitt25142 ай бұрын
@@RhysMogg maybe earth fault but agree if the theory is true it may cause a fire
@Monkeh6162 ай бұрын
The force exerted on the wire isn't nearly sufficient to damage it. Perfectly fine way to strip the insulation if lacking a suitable tool (or space to get the tool in).
@WitheredPancake2 ай бұрын
Great masking tape trick, but why would you want to paint a few millimeters on the glass, would you not mask right into the corner to prevent any paint going on the glass?
@murmansk692 ай бұрын
I think you might more likely to actually want to overlap your paint onto the glass on the outside of a window so it creates a nice seal so water doesn't run down the window and into the joint between the glass and the frame - which can cause a wooden window to rot over time.
@graemeadamson72722 ай бұрын
That is actually how you are supposed to do it . I , like you , don't actually do this going back to the days before uPVC etc. but each to their own ay .
@WitheredPancake2 ай бұрын
@@murmansk69 ah, okay. Makes sense. Thanks
@WitheredPancake2 ай бұрын
@@graemeadamson7272 thanks. Not heard of this until now
@ianshepherd9172 ай бұрын
Very useful - however the new T&E with insulated earth wire makes it not so easy!
@eskibrew2 ай бұрын
Why do you want to paint on to the glass?
@RFC35142 ай бұрын
10:02 - I thought you were going to suggest using a clear hose / flexible plastic tube (filled with water up to your mark), which you can use to mark the same level even on different rooms (which a laser wouldn't be able to do).
@Dublinblade12 ай бұрын
Cutting the pipe & clamp are clever 1’s
@awt2 ай бұрын
How do you mark the position of the plumb bob when it's in the liquid? (Tbh i don't know how to use it when it's not in the liquid...)
@BrightonandHoveActually2 ай бұрын
The old way of making sure an auger bit was level was to put your wedding ring on it and check gravity did not make it slide. I wouldn't recommend it for a power drill with steel rubbing against gold at high speed, though.
@mrgunn27262 ай бұрын
Someone is up early getting the worm, well done.
@shaunlewis2862 ай бұрын
Tecnically bad practice as a spark to pull the cpc to open the cable.....but we all do it so there you go🤫
@RDJim2 ай бұрын
"...you start losing the will to live..." LOL
@woollysoxx2 ай бұрын
Super
@vmemtsas2 ай бұрын
for tip mentioned at 10 min mark, wouldnt a transparent hose tube filled with water be preferable?
@cprfenom2 ай бұрын
Side cutters will do the same as the knife. Fewer tools to do the same job.
@RFC35142 ай бұрын
I'd say more people have a cheap set of driver bits than a hacksaw.
@Loosehead2 ай бұрын
IKEA should sell bits of Allen keys that fit in your drill.
@kye9032 ай бұрын
Why are you letting any of the paint get onto the window glass though...?
@Neil-Hanson672 ай бұрын
Some really good tips, but am i missing a trick here with the masking tape on the window, why would you want to paint the glass as well?.
@pcampbell552 ай бұрын
I was wondering about that too.
@murmansk692 ай бұрын
@@pcampbell55 I think you might more likely to actually want to overlap your paint onto the glass on the outside of a window so it creates a nice seal so water doesn't run down the window and into the joint between the glass and the frame - which can cause a wooden window to rot over time.
@pcampbell552 ай бұрын
@@murmansk69 That's a good idea. I just never heard of it before.
@WasteNotWood2 ай бұрын
All are great but im sure the ppls have more often bits at home then metal saw