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Big art pieces for my walls.

Dinner

If you have the means, furniture is a good b(uild)fl. Drawers can be difficult but basic tables, desks, nightstands are easy. And you can make them to exact specifications and colors you need. It can get expensive depending on materials, but it should be solid for multiple lifetimes if cared for.

It's shocking to me how much Ikea type furniture is, and what it's made out of, but I guess that's more about convenience.

I built both a cold smoker and barbecue grill with hot smoker for my in-laws in the Philippines because I couldn't find either. Then I taught them how to make ham, bacon, smoked pork ribs, and so much more. I already had the knowledge and skills to build them. Figuring out what locally available woods were good for flavor required some trial and error. FYI - Jackfruit is a fantastic option, but is a pain to source and cut. Guava is much easier in both ways, and is only slightly less desirable for flavor. Then there is the husk of a coconut (don't use coconut tree wood). It has flavors that mix well with others, yet aren't good alone. It should only be about 10 to 15 percent of the mix, but it's extremely easy to find. That, redditors, is how I spent my covid lockdown time. It was well worth it.

Very niche, but I got into building my own guitar pedals in part to combat GAS, and because I can build one, even if I buy a PCB for about half or less of the “real” thing.

I’m also working on a specific pedal idea/build based on a single feature Trey Anastasio used in his old Ibanez DM2000. That effect is a rack mount effect, and is getting harder and harder to find. There’s no need to rebuild that complicated effect, just need to figure out how to recreate a single feature of it.

All of our kitchen and bathroom cabinets, squat rack, big bookshelves, most of my sweaters, pasture-raised meat, all manner of farm projects...

Pocket size lock picks

Was that for them to use as a business or just enough for home use?

I had a riding lawnmower that needed a brake caliper.

Simple enough to look up the part number and order it through Sears Parts Direct.

A week or two goes by and I get a package from SPD that contained a plastic bag with a sticker on it with the correct part number and description. The bag had been torn open and had some part in it that was a bracket for something.

I e-mailed them to explain the problem. I included pictures of the correct, worn part and the part they sent me and got no response. A few more e-mails also got no response.

A call to some Sears corporate office did get a response.

I was told that a part had been sent.

End of response.

A few weeks later, somebody called me and apologized about seven different ways, saying that they really dropped the ball on this one and asked if I would give him a chance to make it right. He said that he would send me a prepaid package to ship the wrong part back to him and he would make it right.

A short while later, I did get a pre-paid mailer and I sent the part back with all the appropriate information.

This happened years ago. I'm still waiting for the correct part, or my money back.

Fuck Sears Parts Direct and every asshole who ever worked there.

I made a brake caliper.

I built them, in addition to just having something to do to keep from going crazy during the lockdown, for their personal use. However, after the first batch of bacon and ham came out of the cold smoker, my brother-in-law expressed interest in the idea of making small batches for sale. I don't see why they couldn't produce as much as 10 or 15 kilos (22 to 33 lbs) per week, if they really wanted to. They could possibly run a small restaurant using the barbecue, but it's built-in rather than mobile.

That's pretty cool all around. Who knows it's might be a good side-hustle for them.

Some BBQ/smoked meat places in the Southern US are only open 3 days a week, charge a premium, and still have lines out the door.

Blankets, sweaters, and cases for just about anything. I learned to crochet as a kid and didn't pick it up again until recently. I wanted a custom sweater vest but couldn't afford it, so I retaught myself and made it with scrap yarn I had.

If you don't have tools or you think about the time you spend on it as work, ikea furniture is absolutely worth it. Not BIFL by any means, but they can still last half a lifetime.

An office chair out of the front seat of a Toyota. I'm not sure whether anyone makes actual BIFL office chairs, but chairs over-engineered for the purpose are readily available. Rather like using welding gloves as oven mitts. They do need custom bases, however

I built all my own 7 1/4 inch gauge ride on trains and track, there are a few companies that make ready to run stuff but it's mega expensive and wasn't what I wanted.

The reverse reverb?

I made a desk. I wanted it deep enough and wide enough for my PC monitors, huge mousepad and keyboard. Also I wanted it to be relatively easy to move so that it wouldnt be a one huge piece like my old was.

So drawers and PC desktop slot are the stands for the desk top which is just dropped in its place without any screws. Its heavy enough to hold perfectly still.

I also painted the top black so it would conseal all the cables a little. And I actually fabricated the cable holder from steel rods (part of my assignment) underneath the desk top so I can have an extension cord for monitors etc in there instead of it being on the floor.

I was studying to become a teacher (in Finland) and I could make it as an assignment for my crafts class. So I didnt pay any of it (studying is also free up here). As a student I couldnt afford a table that nice and probably I couldnt have found one with those specifications either. So it was and is perfect.

Its now ten years ago and its still going strong. Though now I have no time to game because we have a baby and my wife wouldn't want the desk to stay since its so huge. But it stays. And yeah I also made a full oak dining table which would cost a lot finished. The wood wasnt cheap either. It has similar specs: sized big enough and made relatively easy to take apart and move. Its heavy!

Fresh roasted coffee.

I lived in an area about 25 years ago where there weren’t any roasters nearby and there weren’t all these shipping opportunities like there are today. I started roasting my own at home. At first I used a basic air popcorn popper, then I modified that, and ultimately my wife gave me a dedicated (Behmor) roaster as a gift. I still roast today because I can fully control freshness, always have the origin I like, and simply like my roasted coffee better than what I can buy. I roast about every ten days to two weeks and it takes a total of about 40 minutes before I can put the cooled machine back in the cabinet. For anyone interested, a good starting resource is Sweet Maria’s

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The hold function on the dm2000 delay, plus the 1000+ms delay option he uses for the ghost siren and digital delay loops

I think he’s using a digitech obscura for the reverse reverb

Coffee Roaster, I had been using a airpopper to roast coffee and got some friends excited enough to buy coffee from me. I started to get a small following and could not keep up with the airpopper and built myself after lots and lots of trial and error a fluid bed style roaster capable of roasting 7lbs of coffee in about 20 minutes. Its a great roaster and 10 years later I still use it a couple times a month. I only roast for myself and my office at the moment.

End table sized just right to take no more than minimal space between loveseats. Made in "I" shape, no cabinetry just top.

Those 98 era sirens would be cool in the arsenal. Post results when you’re done!

A notched straight edge.

I had an ikea bed last me ten years. Finally started falling apart after being disassembled/moved for the 3rd time. I was able to salvage all the drawer slides though, so now I have some sweet new drawers for my shed!

I made a matching living room pillow and blanket set to stave off boredom one winter and it’s much fancier than anything I could’ve purchased. Plus bag holders, chair pads, sweaters, etc. It’s such a useful skill, right up there with sewing!

I always build my own garage/shop shelving. 2x4s and some plywood make for some VERY sturdy shelves and work benches. It’s easy too. I did a 16’ workbench in a weekend by myself, then my husband helped me do floor to ceiling shelving the next Saturday. In less than a month our garage went from cluttered to showroom-clean.

Yes! eventually I want to get my brain to understand knitting again for items that don't translate well to crochet but I'm not quite there yet. I've got a pretty good handle on sewing, just have to find a good machine and learn it. its feels great to not rely on stores for so many things and have the ability to remake things on my own rather than contribute to further waste!

I had a similar situation with their appliance repair people. They charged me twice for the same service and wouldn't hear of correcting it.

Bearing retainer tool for a Yamaha banshee steering stem.

Cool! How did you go about that?

Wall mounted headphone holders

A vise

I make gun slings from nylon webbing because they are ridiculously overpriced for what they are. A pack of good quality adjusters and 100 yards of mil-spec webbing costs as much as two or three commercial slings, yet it makes multiple dozens.

I built my work bench the same way out from the studs in the wall. There is no other way to build a serious workbench IMO.

Large scale art pieces. It’s not too hard to learn to make “abstract” art and I actually got better at it.

Clothing. I can’t afford some of the things I love and learning how to sew is a good skill no matter what. Being able to alter things a bit and add embroidery can change an entire piece. My favorite is a Chanel style suit I made myself. It took forever but it fits like a dream and I saved myself thousands of dollars.

Do you have a design you can share?.

The lifetime of Ikea furniture is measured in moves, not in years.

Canvas isn’t too expensive from Amazon or Costco, and you can get plain old acrylic paint from Michaels. I got a cheap brush set from Costco, a bunch of plastic cups from Target for soaking them while I’m painting, and plain paper plates for palettes. If you ever want to get a feel for painting, there are plenty of paint and sip places around the US that will let you try out either a standard (weekly or session-based) painting or a custom one (my partner and I have painted our dog 6 times so far and have a dedicated art wall for the little goober) and also you can drink wine while you do it! I tend to do smaller pieces (usually 8x8 since I also take some to work to decorate my cubicle) and just use command strips to apply them to the walls in our apartment, but you can absolutely take the time to mount them properly with nails and wire if you want.

I genuinely can’t recommend it enough. If you want to make things truly BIFL, you can put a layer of polyurethane over them to prevent any flaking. I haven’t had any yet, but I’ve only been doing this for 3-4 years so far. My grandmother was a painter and used acrylic for about 50 years and her paintings have held up perfectly this whole time. I have one she made when I was born (almost 30 years ago) that is still pristine.

Dopamine

My first foray happened when I, an 80's/90's child, saw my neighbour's creepy dead tree get struck by lightning in the middle of a snow storm, and a big branch fell off. This seemed overwhelmingly magical and prophetic to me, a weirdo, and I had to have that branch. So, in the middle of the night, in this blizzard, I snuck across the road and Smeagoled it into my basement.

It was gorgeous and perfect, only mildly bug-ridden kind of stinky. I sanded it down and, with the power of my 67 elderly aunts forgotten yarn stashes, turned it into a beautiful "textile" hanging.

This took almost a year because I, at the time, had wildly uncontrolled ADHD.

But, since then, I've made a few big plaster pieces out of thrift store canvases, plaster from the hardware store, and random tools that people with unfinished basements have.

I made another fallen branch into a giant lamp with a $20 jute covered light cord. And another into a big floral piece to fill a big empty space over a large doorway.

I found a huge abandoned wood framed mirror that used to be attached to a dresser, sanded it down, did some woodburning, attached a shelf to the bottom, added some plants, and that easily filled an empty wall.

I've also recently been making small watercolours to fit thrifted frames and I'm planning to fill a small space with those.

I live in an old house with lots of rooms, and high ceilings; all this eclectic DIY art definitely wouldn't work for everyone's home, but it's fitting here!

What in the heck!? This is so strangely impressive.

I used to feel slightly guilty about making "inspired" art pieces for my own home for $30 vs whatever they cost at retail/gallery.

But recently I read a piece about how a lot of abstract modern art is just used for money laundering, and I feel absolved now. Lol.

My match rifle. To get what I wanted would have run at least $3000, probably more. Instead, I built it for $1200.

I'm actually looking into building a custom desk chair. If you have any advice on how to do it I would greatly appreciate it.

A reliable, working motorcycle.

I love to ride, but I'm on a tight budget. Luckily, I'm mechanically inclined and knowledgeable.

I find good quality used bikes that are cosmetically or mechanically rough. Then I fix them up and ride them!

I can usually get a good bike for about $1500. I put another $500-1000 in parts into it (+ a lot of time) and end up with a reliable bike!

Specialized tools can can be expensive af! Especially something you're likely to use once on a machine.

I usually end up building one or two tools when I get a new motorcycle.

Children. In hindsight making one has proven to also not be cheap.

Mountain bike. I didn't want to pay $1500 for the light racing bike I wanted 10 years ago. I found an unbelievable deal on eBay for a bare frame ($85) and assembled the rest myself. A childhood of wrenching on my own bikes was an advantage of course. I think the total cost was $500 and most of that was the suspension fork. Its still going strong after replacing the chain and tires every couple years.

I have a big wall in my living room that still needs a little something. Abstract is easy ish, I can match the colors to the decor, and I can get a large canvas for far less than finished art would cost.

I too feel absolved. Lol.

As much as I can. Recently made loads of things for a birthday party. A tulle table skirt: tulle is very cheap; table skirts are not. I made the birthday cake (£110 to buy) cost me about £10 in ingredients, and I printed my own cake toppers. I made the decorations, including paper flowers that were being sold on etsy for over £100! I had a lot of compliments. It's all gone into the loft for the next party, including the balloons, which I carefully untied.

It took me a long time to find a really deep desk for my PC but I foun dit years ago on Amazon. They don't sell it anymore, I do play to replace the top with a nice solid wood top and lower the height of the desk with a grinder and welder at some point as well. Most desks aren't very deep so it was always cramped with a couple of monitors and a big PC case, amp and speakers.

My teeth

A good leather belt. I looked all over in stores for one that was just a good strip of leather. I gave up and made one. Now I make them for family and friends.

A sheepskin vest. And I still wonder why this is so rare or so expensive since I could make mine with a bit of practice (on faux leather) and no training.

A 5ft x 3ft mirror to go over my couch. All the ones I liked online were $300+. We found a guy giving away a massive mirror on Craigslist. We got it, spent $20 having it cut down, and then my husband built a frame for it. It turned out absolutely perfect.

Honestly, with the number of "racing seat" chairs around, a non-racing one for a chair will look both fresh and appropriate.

I look up ways to make a lot of things:

Pine Sol

Tamiflu

Washing Soda

Canned foods

Ice cream

Potting soil

Salad dressings

Butter

Anything knit or crocheted

All it takes is a Google search and a bit of effort. I'm learning to sew too.

You should've disputed the charge through your bank immediately after sears customer service told you you're SOL. I had to dispute a charge through my bank after Walmart refused to refund my money for tires they didn't actually have in stock after their website said it was and took my money.

Rear spring mounts on a Austin Healey.

Next time tell your credit card company.

Also next time tell Sears you are going go tell your credit card company.

I pay month to month on my phone plan and they shifted my payment date. For example I was paying on the 15th and now I was paying on the 1St, I lost 15 days of service. My wife called and explained what happened. I could see she was not getting any traction. I asked to talk.

I told the guy I need my money back or I am doing 3 things.

1. I will file a dispute with my credit card company.

2. I will let everyone know Total Wireless has poor customer service and essentially stole me from me.

3. I will leave the company.

He kept apologizing so much told him that she talked to my wife again.

I called my credit card company got my money back before he was done repeatedly apologizing into my wife.

I made my own belt, its going on 10 years old now with the added benefit I can easily swap belt buckels

Get a regular chair base. Or buy a $5 office chair on craiglist and throw away the top. Get car seat. Get sheet of plywood. Bolt the car seat to the plywood using the same mounting holes that were used in the car. Bolt the chair base to the plywood.

Use Washers. Use nylock nuts. Sand down any edges you dont like. It is truly an easy thing to do.

Cassettes... Reel to reel cassettes. (Doomsday Records store)

“It was too expensive to buy one so I made my own” lol.

They made it right (in that you'll never give them your money again.)