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Ever wonder why you keep insisting on building shit yourself?

YotaAtieToo

Thick skull
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
142
Messages
11,075
Loc
Bonners Ferry, ID
Even though it always seems to go wrong, or is it just me?

I keep feeling like I have to many garage projects and it's driving me crazy, yet I keep adding more. :homer:

I always hoped I would get more patients as I got older, but I'm literally getting less by the week.
 
Being MADE to buy chineezium adds to this issue!
built my last rig.
Property maint. Is it.
No more side work, or new projects!
 
I'm getting to the point where I say fuck it, I'll just pay someone to do a bunch of shit I don't wanna waste my time with.
 
Long ago I tired of having anything done "in the manner which I asked" because half the time it was done the way THEY wanted to do it.

The other half was being the victim of shit workmanship.

Supershops mounted some tires for me and cracked a rim. Didn't fkg tell me about it.

Hired painters to stain the beekeepers shack with oil base, they used latex. Didn't fkg tell me about it.

Asked an electronics shop to reuse certain parts doing an upgrade for me. Omitted some of those parts entirely. Didn't fkg tell me about it.

Fuck ppl. I learned to do my own shit whenever possible and it pays ten-fold every fkg day.
 
Because if you want something done right you'll have to do it yourself.

Right as in correct? Or right as in I did it myself so it must be right?



This instance, not only did I buy a trailer that I don't need, I decided I *had* to convert it from 5th wheel to gooseneck. Instead of just buying a regular gooseneck and welding it on there (even had a typical round coupler from tractor supply and returned it) I decided I wanted a square one. No one local had them and I didn't want to wait for one to ship, even though it would have been here by now.

So I find a weld on coupler on Amazon and figured, fuck it I'll just buy some square tube. So I go get 4" x 1/4 and 4 1/2" x 1/4....... Well I'm sure you can guess how well 4" square tube fit in 4" ID tube with a seam :homer: even after I spent a few hours with a grinder it wasn't going to happen.

So I buy 4 1/2" x 3/16 fits great. I'm doing the set screws on the corners like I've seen on the store bought ones and end up welding the bolt slightly and the threads gall when it comes out :homer::homer::homer::homer::homer::homer::homer:

And for what? Could have just bought a coupler and welded it on by now, would have been the same price, maybe cheaper at this point. Or maybe not bought the stupid project trailer I didn't need :laughing:
 
I'm still young and dumb enough to prefer doing shit myself and saving the $$$ most of the time. Occasionally it's shit I don't wanna do and I'll farm it out to a pro but fuck they're expensive.
 
Long ago I tired of having anything done "in the manner which I asked" because half the time it was done the way THEY wanted to do it.

The other half was being the victim of shit workmanship.

Supershops mounted some tires for me and cracked a rim. Didn't fkg tell me about it.

Hired painters to stain the beekeepers shack with oil base, they used latex. Didn't fkg tell me about it.

Asked an electronics shop to reuse certain parts doing an upgrade for me. Omitted some of those parts entirely. Didn't fkg tell me about it.

Fuck ppl. I learned to do my own shit whenever possible and it pays ten-fold every fkg day.

Ya, I'd say most times I've had something done by someone else, I'm unhappy with it. Doesn't seem to matter if it's a Joe blow or a big shop either. The $$$ snug top we put on my wife's F150 has some of the most hack work I've seen. They ran a wire up to the battery to power the light and it's like *tight* :shaking:
 
A few years back I had about five projects in the shed, none of them running. I’d reached rock bottom. Made a decision to only ever have one project on the go and not take on another one until it was done.
In order to get it done I try to do at least one thing on it per day. Could be a five min wiring job or bending up a cage, but just do something on it.

Given my current project is going on ten years old, or one Sceep year, I have no idea if this system works or not, but it’s what I use.
 
I'm getting to the point where I say fuck it, I'll just pay someone to do a bunch of shit I don't wanna waste my time with.

This is where I have been lately. Pre-kiddo, I had so much free time. Took care of everything. Now, forget it. Buying a house that heats with wood didn't help either. I spend at least two days a week prepping firewood.
 
A few years back I had about five projects in the shed, none of them running. I’d reached rock bottom. Made a decision to only ever have one project on the go and not take on another one until it was done.
In order to get it done I try to do at least one thing on it per day. Could be a five min wiring job or bending up a cage, but just do something on it.

Given my current project is going on ten years old, or one Sceep year, I have no idea if this system works or not, but it’s what I use.

What crazy is about 18 months ago, I lost everything in a fire. Some how I've acquired more shit then I ever had before. It was actually kind of liberating for a while, (not that I'd choose it again :laughing:​​​​​​) we could have just hopped in our 2 vehicles and driven anywhere.



​​​​
 
Because if you want something done right you'll have to do it yourself.

This. Plus I'm poor and I much prefer the sense of pride I get from doing something for myself than I do working to pay someone to do it for me. Plus I'm poor.
 
A few years back I had about five projects in the shed, none of them running. I’d reached rock bottom. Made a decision to only ever have one project on the go and not take on another one until it was done.
In order to get it done I try to do at least one thing on it per day. Could be a five min wiring job or bending up a cage, but just do something on it.

Given my current project is going on ten years old, or one Sceep year, I have no idea if this system works or not, but it’s what I use.

One sceep year 🤣
 
Nobody makes what I want and to pay someone to build what I want would be absolutely stupid money so I'm left to do it myself.
 
This. Plus I'm poor and I much prefer the sense of pride I get from doing something for myself than I do working to pay someone to do it for me. Plus I'm poor.

No you are the poor fucker who Daddyhorsebucks is paying to do shit he doesn't want to do.
 
I have the same issue. Have a hard time accepting having to pay for something I can do myself. So now I have 2 project vehicles, and doing all the groundwork, cleaning, and fencing on our new property, and rebuilding 2 trailers, and doing a privacy fence around part of our yard. All while pulling 12-16 hr days at work... I complain about being tired, but add all this work onto myself anyway. :homer:
 
yeah, lately I've been taking on projects again.. I have a couple in the works..

I just like to do stuff for myself, but with help or at least someone to visit with while I do it.. or an expert to teach me how to do stuff..

I've been working on this video, with tons of special effects.. it will probably take me another month or so to complete it.. at a few hours a day.. long story short, it features an entertainment center I built with hundreds of dollars in wood.. different people filmed me at different stages working on it.. its a huge project..

for the money I spent, I could have paid someone else to do it, but I just wanted to do it myself.. and learn..

I haven't worked on a vehicle in a while.. I've spent much time workin on vehicles.. everything from audio systems, (some of which made it into magazines).. to lowering and raising vehicles, and just building stuff.. but usually I don't do them by myself.. it was a team of us helping each other out..
 
Right as in correct? Or right as in I did it myself so it must be right?



This instance, not only did I buy a trailer that I don't need, I decided I *had* to convert it from 5th wheel to gooseneck. Instead of just buying a regular gooseneck and welding it on there (even had a typical round coupler from tractor supply and returned it) I decided I wanted a square one. No one local had them and I didn't want to wait for one to ship, even though it would have been here by now.

So I find a weld on coupler on Amazon and figured, fuck it I'll just buy some square tube. So I go get 4" x 1/4 and 4 1/2" x 1/4....... Well I'm sure you can guess how well 4" square tube fit in 4" ID tube with a seam :homer: even after I spent a few hours with a grinder it wasn't going to happen.

So I buy 4 1/2" x 3/16 fits great. I'm doing the set screws on the corners like I've seen on the store bought ones and end up welding the bolt slightly and the threads gall when it comes out :homer::homer::homer::homer::homer::homer::homer:

And for what? Could have just bought a coupler and welded it on by now, would have been the same price, maybe cheaper at this point. Or maybe not bought the stupid project trailer I didn't need :laughing:

Also if you do it yourself you'll have only yourself to blame.



This is what happens to me if I missed one detail it usually turns into a big mess that I have to do allover again .
 
What you really need is a tripple axle equiptment trailer.
I blew it on that one. I got it home and it turned out to be a huge pos. I could have sold it that day and broke even... but no, I have it 100% tore apart, all new lights and electrical, halfway through a new paint job, and will be picking up the new deck material Wednesday. All said and done I'll be lucky to break even after 3 days of work on it.
 
What you really need is a tripple axle equiptment trailer.
I blew it on that one. I got it home and it turned out to be a huge pos. I could have sold it that day and broke even... but no, I have it 100% tore apart, all new lights and electrical, halfway through a new paint job, and will be picking up the new deck material Wednesday. All said and done I'll be lucky to break even after 3 days of work on it.

Sometimes, things flip YOU :jester:
 
I want stuff done a certain way, and I would rather save the money that I would pay someone else to do it. That savings generally gets spent on buying nicer/higher quality items for projects. There are a few things I will gladly pay people to do though. Like roof my house.

Edit: It also has to do with timing. Either I plan stuff out months in advance, or it’s a spur of the moment thing that I don’t wang drug out for months.
 
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What you really need is a tripple axle equiptment trailer.
I blew it on that one. I got it home and it turned out to be a huge pos. I could have sold it that day and broke even... but no, I have it 100% tore apart, all new lights and electrical, halfway through a new paint job, and will be picking up the new deck material Wednesday. All said and done I'll be lucky to break even after 3 days of work on it.

Maybe you should stick to tractors :flipoff2:
 
This. Plus I'm poor and I much prefer the sense of pride I get from doing something for myself than I do working to pay someone to do it for me. Plus I'm poor.

Yes, but in this instance, why build the fucking gooseneck coupler when I could have bought the exact same thing. I still could have said I converted it myself.


hire a helper

I have someone coming over the rest of the week. I might even have him come over and work while I take a vacation :laughing:
 
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