Today, I Became a Man

[CraigSca]

No...this is not some sexual coming-of-age post, this is about DIY at the home.

Today, I took an existing outlet and light switch in my son's room and did the following: cut a hole in the ceiling, added a braced ceiling fan rough-in, ran new wiring from the light switch through the walls into the attic, added a new switch to control the light in the fan (used the existing one to turn the fan off/on) and the thing actually works!

I've done the process with existing rough-ins but never had to do all the wiring/switches myself. Needless to say, I'm proud. :)

/incoming sarcastic comments....

[lurker]

I did that when I was 17 to all the lights in my parents house :) Well, maybe not the attic part.

I hope I didn't become a man then.

[Passacaglia]

You had a son when you were 17?

Lurker, we need to talk.

[lurker]

About which part? The man part, the son part, or the being mean to Craig by belittling his accomplishment? I guess you're finding out about all my terrible secrets today.

[gottimd]

I thought this was a thread about someone having a Bar Mitvah.

[CraigSca]

It's okay to belittle - I come from a "Call the Electrician Because the Lights Went Out" kind of family. I'm hoping to break that horrible trend with my son.

[CraigSca]

dola - the attic is half the fun - straddling two beams while drilling a hole and then eventually fish-taping the wire through (man, does that have sexual connotations or what?). Meanwhile...even though it's 55 degrees outside it's 90 in the attic - I think I lost 10lbs in water-weight.

[AlexB]

No...this is not some sexual coming-of-age post, this is about DIY at the home.

Today, I took an existing outlet and light switch in my son's room and did the following: cut a hole in the ceiling, added a braced ceiling fan rough-in, ran new wiring from the light switch through the walls into the attic, added a new switch to control the light in the fan (used the existing one to turn the fan off/on) and the thing actually works!

I've done the process with existing rough-ins but never had to do all the wiring/switches myself. Needless to say, I'm proud. :)

/incoming sarcastic comments....

If it had been attempting this DIY task, the thread title would have been 'Today, I became a Eunuch'! :redface:

Hats off to ya feller for not injuring yourself while doing home improvements - that's always a success in my book. The fact that it went as planned is one of those unexplained miracles that happen from time to time!

[lurker]

That does sound like fun. I miss living in a house and being able to tear it apart. Shelves in an apartment doesn't cut it.

[CraigSca]

Thanks :) When I thought I was complete not only did the fan/light combo not work, but we no longer had any power in the room (that's typical of my DIY jobs). Anyway...an hour of trouble-shooting and we were back in business. I'm popping open a brewski in my honor :)

[Scoobz0202]

I have been trying to become a man for the past 3 weeks. I am trying to change the water pump in my car, and I figure that is a 1 day, probably 2 hour job for a mechanic. In about 4 days work, and about 7 hours per day, I have the old one out, new one in. Only thing left is putting the serp. belt on and I have spent 5 hours on that and I can't get it on :( I will report back when I am a man... :(

[CraigSca]

Good luck, Scoobz! Isn't that the one where you have to remove the timing belt before even attempting (may be a Japanese car thing)?

[Airhog]

scoobz0202: took me 2 hours to do the job on my fiance's car. Whats the problem?

[judicial clerk]

make sure your fire insurance is paid up, man.

[Scoobz0202]

scoobz0202: took me 2 hours to do the job on my fiance's car. Whats the problem?
Supposedly one of the wheels is supposed to rotate too allow the belt to slide on easily, but I can't get the damn thing to budge.

[Glengoyne]

Very good job with the wiring. My father is very handy,as is my father in law, so I rarely actually have to do anything around the house, except be their gopher and occasionally lift something or other. I am hopeless with a set of tools.

As for the water pump. That took me a full eight to ten hours the first and only time I have ever done anything like that. Now I go to the mechanic.

[hhiipp]

If I had to replace a water pump I'd first have to go buy a book on my vehicles to show me a diagram of where the water pump is located.

[LoneStarGirl]

...cars have water pumps?

[Sidhe]

I built a basement room, but I didn't do any of the electrical work. Maybe I should have, because when the occupant plugged in a light in one outlet, the stereo exploded in another..

[Bee]

...cars have water pumps?

sure...in case they flood.