links to some things i think are cool
http://forums.openecu.org/viewforum.php?f=15&sid=0e63d62e7dfcc443b68b0 4d932494e0d

http://www.hackszine.com/blog/archive/2007/09/recycle_an_old_floppy_co nnecto.html

http://www.theworkshop.ca/energy/dirt_e/4/4.htm

Frankly, with the ease of shopping at Home Depot and its ilk, combined with how simple it is to get info on the inter tubes, there is little about my house that I (for example) don't feel comfy fixing. I feel the same about my computers. I bring my car to a mechanic to change the oil, etc., but that is a luxury of choice, I could certainly do that myself. I don't fix my car, either, but heck, I know three people that do, and I'm definitely not running with John Travolta and buddies from 'Grease.'

Just jump right in is my motto, and I don't regard myself as particularly handy. Most people I know feel the same way.

Look, when I was a kid (I'm forty), if you wanted to fix your plumbing you had to get the supplies at a plumbing supply store, which was a desk in front of a warehouse. You had to ask for the exact parts that you wanted at the desk, and sometimes they would not sell to you unless you had a contractor's license, or were a licensed plumber. 'Same with electrical, etc. Plus, you basically had to know someone who had some experience to show you the ropes, because it was very hard to get the info 'cold.' Heck, now you can absorb a lot just walking through the store and examining the products.

I've been thinking that people are handier than ever in all sorts of ways, so the title of this article came as a shock to me, frankly.

The same is true for a lot of things. Ask anyone who sews. It's not always convenient or economically practical. If you need a t-shirt, why would you spend $10 on the fabric and an hour (or more) of your time when you can buy one in the sale bin at Old Navy for two bucks? Sewing is a fine skill to have if you enjoy it, or if you're a fashion designer. But from the standpoint of "need", there isn't really that much point in our Western society.

Besides... I can do DIY projects that my ancestors couldn't even have dreamed of. Just because it's not physical labour doesn't mean it isn't a skill. I doubt my great-great-grandmother could reinstall an OS and add a couple of sticks of RAM. She'd be completely confused by Photoshop, and wouldn't have any idea how to forward an e-mail. Why are my skills somehow worth less than hers just because they're not as physical? Without the thinkers of our world, we wouldn't enjoy the luxuries we have today. Physical labour is one thing... but mental labours are what lead to progress.

I highly doubt that, on my deathbed, I'll be lamenting the fact that I never learned how to grow a field of wheat and then bake my own bread. Unless I die of starvation, that is.

I'd teach my kids how to change tires - they may need to do it one day, but not how to make your own bread. It's cheaper and easier to go to the store and buy one!

Re: tight lug nut. It's easier to unscrew an overly tight lug nut if you have a pipe to extend the wrench (the principle of levers) or if you step on the wrench and kick it down little by little (short bursts of torque rather than one long exertion). I once had to change a tire on my way to school and got that done in 10 minutes flat. Made it to my class

Being handy and using those DIY skills also ought to be looked at from an economic point of view — would it cost less to pay someone to do the job than I could earn in the same amount of time it would take me to do it myself? If the answer is yes, I usually do it myself, whether I know how to do it or not, and if not, just figure it out as I go. In years past, I didn't make a lot of money, so it was usually easy to determine which way to go, and I built up an impressive skill set in the process. Now I'm earning more, but will still revert to doing it myself fairly often because I'm a cheapskate and I like doing things myself.

Joe has a point as well; the girls ought to be subject to the same question. My wife bakes bread weekly from flour she mills herself, makes quilts, cooks like it's nobody's business, tends a mean garden (no, I'm not married to Ms. C.) and has taught our kids how to do all that too (even the boys); how many women do you know that can do the same?

renderanything boils it down well; it all comes down to specialization. No matter how well-versed I am in DIY, I still rely on others for some of the stuff I start with. I can weld, but I can't forge steel from raw ore. I can build a house, but I don't have the skills or tools to provide my own lumber, wiring, flooring or plumbing fixtures from raw materials; there are basics I need to start with, and getting some of those from truly raw materials is way out of my league. My wife has been reading the original "Little House On The Prairie" books to our youngest son lately, and some of the things that Pa Ingalls could do were very impressive. I dare say I would've done well in those days, but it was a hard, hard life. There are a lot of conveniences we take for granted today thanks to the specialization that our modern economy allows us.

But this topic brings to mind a tangental question... As people become further isolated from the raw materials of life, do they become less likely to believe in an everlasting, all-powerful and omniscient God? It definitely doesn't hold true in all cases, but there seems to be a tendency for people who are surrounded by things made by man to think that's all there is, and that any problem can be overcome technologically.

My family was once given a 50-lb sack of wheat. My wife, who likes to do such things, decided to grind some of it into flour to make bread. My co-workers were already surprised that we made bread, and felt that it was a bit over the top to also grind our own flour.

Coarse and heavy. Oh well.

Since we were reading from the "Little House" books, my wife and daughters decided to plant some of the wheat in the back yard. When it was finally ripe, I cut it down with a large kitchen knife (sharpening knives is also an essential skill), and we dried it in a backyard shed.

Hmmm . . . thresh, winnow, grind, bake. A very labor-intensive loaf of bread. The people at work were sure we were crazy (they knew about ME already, but had reserved judgement on my wife).

Conclusion: It takes just about everything you've got to make a loaf of bread from seeds and dirt. The economies of scale and specialized knowledge of the farming and baking industries make it a lot easier. We're happy to have learned how to do it, but I think we won't do it again.

When I was growing up, my brother learned how to change the oil and do stuff with the car. I figured that I like to eat, so I learned to cook. I pay JiffyLube to do my oil changes, and they also dispose of used oil properly, unlike some neighbors. I hate doing car stuff so much, I'd gladly pay the oil service twice what they ask to have it done. On the other hand, I eat tasty meals more often than I need to change the oil.

I'm no arm-wrestler, but I had that tire changed for her in less than 10 minutes. When you can't use your arms, use leg-power. I stood on the tire-iron to loosen it.

If the aiport guy was in a suit, maybe it wouldn't be so good for him to change the tire. Still, he's a wuss.

People have been losing skills since we were living in caves. And probably complaining about it, too. In organized societies, people specialize. This has been a boon to human prosperity. How many people can produce all the food, fuel, etc they need? How many really want to try? It makes much more sense to use your modern skills to get a job and earn money, so you can pay others to do the things you may not want to do or don't know how to do.

Who will join me in learning how to build another Cheops?

-Robert A. Heinlein

In other words we should be able to do just about anything. And I could not agree more.

As we started to use more advanced technology knowledge of the simpler forms (such as wood carving or steam engines) become less and less useful for the lay person to know. I'm unlikely to need those skills as apposed to the less DIY skills of programming, and webpage designing. We learn what we need to in order to manage day to day rather than yesterday.

Personal machinery maintenance might be down true, and perhaps picking up that would be good, but the ability to make something from scratch isn't really.

The tools and equipment needed to produce average products, require factories and highly specialized machinery unavailable to the average person, then there is the training to use it. So you're left with either building the entire system all over to make sure it interacts well or giving up and buying a replacement.

Growing specialization of tasks and roles makes us less knowledgeable about everything but our primary role of which we will do very well and a number of hobbies.

Simply put: technology is too complex for us to understand enough about everything, to be Do it yourselfers.

"When the steering wheel fell off, I figured it was time to get a job and buy a slightly newer car."

I hope that didn't happen while you were driving!

Cars used to be a lot easier for owners to repair, back when we had manual transmissions, crank windows, and rack-and-pinion steering. You can't even put a car in neutral these days when the engine isn't running! A catalytic converter makes the exhaust system difficult to replace, and all those computerized sensors require dealer maintenance -even my regular mechanic won't touch those!

With my first car, I learned to re-attach the exhaust pipe with a coat hanger and repair the distributor cap with duct tape. And of course, change the oil. When the steering wheel fell off, I figured it was time to get a job and buy a slightly newer car.

Second, it's not that we are losing DIY skills; but rather that the skill sets we need are changing. I live in the city; I ride a bike. I need to know how to set up a computer for work, how to change out HDD and such, far more than change a tire or build a boat. Today's men have just as many skills as yesteryears; but they are in different areas.

Finally, I'd like to point out that, in relation to cars, we were forced out of it. In the 1980's, I had a large set of tools, and my friend had a small garage, and we'd regularly change oil, plugs, brakes, clutch plates; we even swapped a few engines. Around 1989 the electronic brain became standard in most vehicles; now you required a diagnostic machine (costs around 10k for a cheap one back then) to analyze things and set some of the electrical aspects. Of course only shops had those. Finally, in the mid 90's, the warranty rules took over. My friend brought a toyota over (sorry, can't recall the name) and asked if I would be able to change the oil. We opened the hood and found the engine had a plastic cover shield locked down with non- standard screws; only toyota technicians could release the cover.
Today, most warrantys require "standard maintenance" as part of the warranty upkeep. Basically, you must take your car (if you have a fairly new one, that is) to a shop on a regular basis (time/distance based) in order to maintain your warranty; and the service must be performed by a "certified technician". Yes, the 18 year old at walmart is certified; we fellows who have been doing it for 30 years are not. Of course no one risks voiding their warranty; so we all go to shops.

Keep in the mind the "insurance inspection" that is also in many places. Your car, regardless of age, must pass a "safety" check. This costs money, of course, and invariable, something is found to be leaking/worn. You can take your car home, fix it, bring it back, and hope it passes....or the shop can fix it and you can get a guaranteed pass.

I guess, in my long winded way, I am saying there are many factors in play. I apologize for the length.

Joe