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Forced to DIY

Sometimes we don't want to DIY things, but we are forced to.

After living in this house for 2 years I was finally ready to get a plumber to deal with the leaky kitchen faucet.  Turns out all the plumbers in the area are backed up from January's cold snap which broke many pipes and put them behind.  I literally can't get a plumber.

I may not be rich enough to buy D'Agostino or Boulder but I sure as hell can hire a plumber.  If I could find one.  So instead of hiring a plumber, and swiping my credit card I have to do it all myself.  New strap wrench, 2 valve kits from Moen even if the faucet literally says Kohler on it, and an hour later I have a faucet that doesn't leak.

Right now my integrated is causing me some issues.  I am honestly tired and I'd rather pay to fix it, but the effort to find a qualified tech and package and ship the amp is so much more work than I would need to fix it myself that yet again, I'm DIYing it.

Mind you in a lot of ways I like doing DIY projects, but the plumbing and this particulare issue are not really that. 

How about you?  Have you found yourself driven to DIY at home or in your stereo because the alternative was just not feasible?

erik_squires
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,196 posts
 

@bigtwin 

😂😅🤣

terry9
2,240 posts
 

DIY since I retired. Can't afford a $250,000 table, but I can get the same or better performance with a little thought and lots of research. All it takes is time, that and willingness to compromise on non-essentials. So my table doesn't have a pretty chassis machined from one piece of stainless, but it does have air in three dimensions for contactless motion, which puts it in rarified company.

So buy off-the shelf when you can, make it when you can't, and contract out when you would need a 15" lathe. And search those surplus sites - you never know when you're going to need a 25,000 pF vacuum cap or two (works wonders, wonders in my RIAA).

musicfan2349's avatar
musicfan2349
207 posts
 

When I owned four motorcycles the two that gave me joy to work on were the '93 Ducati 900SS and the '75 Moto Guzzi 850-T. But aside from oil changes, the other two, '96 BMW K1100RS and '04 Kawasaki ZX11-R got the "Visa Wrench". They simply were not fun to work on. Especially the ZX11...

Same with most plumbing jobs. I couldn't sweat a joint to save my life. 🤣

Small electrical jobs around the house, I do. I'm not afraid of electricity, but I respect it for sure.

My seldom driven Toyota goes to the dealer. They always do a good job.

If something needs built from wood though, I love it. 

Audio? If it needs a soldering iron, I let a pro handle it. When my SP3a needed work on the power supply, I found a pro who worked on tube gear and he did a great job.

Happy listening...

surfmuz
375 posts
 

My smallest DIY audio projects was replacing transformer in my vintage Marantz tuner couple years ago and 30 years ago I installed better stereo with acoustic in my car. The biggest home project was trimming 60ft tall trees at my backyard. I bought all necessary climbing and safety equipment which cost me around $300.. Tree Service estimates was $8K - $12K, so I decided it would be nice chance for good workout and saving at the same time:)

johnk's avatar
johnk
1,973 posts
 

Yes, loudspeaker manufacturers don't use the most advanced transducers and build products to consume. I want what never will exist in the market. I don't just want a product to consume and forget.

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