For everyone wishing they were better handymen, I just want to say that I appreciate those who know their limitations. When nine months pregnant, husband and his brother decided to fix a plumbing issue in master bath and they broke it worse and it took a couple of days to get a plumber to come. And prego not happy about waddling to the other bathroom four or five times every night. Now, he will fix something easy, but leaves anything significant related to plumbing to a professional.
Friday OT #3 - Skilled Shot
- Thread starter Angie
- Start date
I'm with you. I can play piano (thanks Mom) and guitar alright, but would trade that to be a bogey golfer.
I agree with the "learn a language" stuff. Not all totally on board with the "lazy" excuse though, at least for me, since I consider myself too stupid to learn another language. I am not generally stupid but language is like wizardry to me. Probably a good thing I worked in an engineering agency where even some English writing skills would set you apart. 
Painting/art. I'm not sure I'd have patience to actually "learn how to create good artwork," so it'd be noodling/abstract gibberish ... it's having the time to devote to it, apparently isn't a high enough priority for me.
I tend to acquire whatever skills I need to do things. Between Youtube and the Internet in general, I can do most electrical, plumbing, carpentry, automotive, etc. It helps that I grew up doing nearly everything ourselves on the farm.
I wish I could speak multiple languages. I took a year of Spanish in high school, and did well with it. Had scheduling conflicts and never have taken the time to do it since.
Also golfing. I have had golf clubs for nearly 15 years now, but really am not good. Again a "time" aspect.
I wish I could speak multiple languages. I took a year of Spanish in high school, and did well with it. Had scheduling conflicts and never have taken the time to do it since.
Also golfing. I have had golf clubs for nearly 15 years now, but really am not good. Again a "time" aspect.
When I remodeled my basement, I bought a book on wiring, and took a test at the city in order to do it myself and get the wiring approved. It's actually very simple.
Now plumbing is another thing. I've replaced faucets and toilets, but could never get the hang of sweating a pipe.
Sweating copper is really easy once you know the tricks. The two main things are: First, make sure both pieces are very clean (brush thoroughly). Second, use lots of flux - take your finger(s) and liberally swab it all over both surfaces.
The last thing to remember is to make sure your pieces are hot enough before you try to apply the solder. I usually hold the solder close to the fitting, and occasionally dab it against the seam and quickly bring it back. When you are good and hot, the solder will literally flow right into the joint completely, almost like magic. (This is because you used lots of flux!) Give it a shot - I'm betting you can become a pro, too.
Since I thought this thread was going to be about shooting, I decided to brag about the skill I have in that ... or used to have.
My brother and cousin, who were the same age and inseparable, were both gun nuts and each owned about 20 guns, from high-powered rifles to pistols to shotguns and even some assault rifles. They were both big time trappers and hunters, so it's not like they were just shooting at paper targets and tin cans and playing at being soldiers.
Anyway, they loved nothing more than to spend the weekend at my cousin's farm shooting their guns, sighting in their long rifles, practicing their skeet shooting, honing their pistol skills, etc. And they never invited me along, because I was about 4 years older than them and they basically tolerated me, but didn't share their love of guns with anyone but themselves.
But one weekend, we were all out at the cousin's farm. I was in the house visiting with the aunt and uncle when we hear them shooting, as per usual. This time, I decided to go out and see what they were shooting at. Keep in mind, I hunt too, but not nearly as much as they do and I certainly don't shoot nearly as much as they do. I have two guns, both shotguns, that I use for duck and pheasant hunting. I don't own any other gun.
When I get outside, I see they have set up some tin cans on one of those big wooden spools that electrical wire or cable comes on and some people repurpose as an outdoor table. The target is downhill from where they're standing and about 100 yards away, so you can barely see the cans with the naked eye. The drop in elevation to the target is probably close to 20 feet. They each have three high-powered rifles, 6 total, 5 of them with scopes, and tell me they are trying to sight them in. So far no one has damaged a can or even knocked one off the perch.
This looks like fun to me, so I ask if I can try. Well, this is serious business to them. They aren't "playing," they're trying to get their guns sighted in so they can hit something when they go hunting. So they are reluctant to let me have a go. They shoot some more and don't hit anything before I finally bug them enough to let them give me a try.
So what do they do? They hand me the only rifle without a scope and say, have at it." It is my brother's lever action .35-caliber rifle they hand me. I really don't think this is fair, but it's the only thing they'll let me shoot, so I give it a go. I peer through the open sights at the 3 cans waaaaay down there and shoot, lever the gun and shoot again, lever the gun and shoot again, in rapid succession just like Chuck Connors in the Rifleman, knocking down all three cans.
"That, boys, is how you shoot," I say as I hand them back the gun.
Maybe that's why they never invited me to play in their shooting games.
Now for a disclaimer. When we went to look at my handiwork, we saw that I had actually hit in front of each can, gouging the wood in the spool, but each can had a hole in it anyway and was just as "dead" as if I had hit them straight on. I think I didn't compensate enough for the elevation drop, and that's why I wasn't right on the cans.
My brother and cousin, who were the same age and inseparable, were both gun nuts and each owned about 20 guns, from high-powered rifles to pistols to shotguns and even some assault rifles. They were both big time trappers and hunters, so it's not like they were just shooting at paper targets and tin cans and playing at being soldiers.
Anyway, they loved nothing more than to spend the weekend at my cousin's farm shooting their guns, sighting in their long rifles, practicing their skeet shooting, honing their pistol skills, etc. And they never invited me along, because I was about 4 years older than them and they basically tolerated me, but didn't share their love of guns with anyone but themselves.
But one weekend, we were all out at the cousin's farm. I was in the house visiting with the aunt and uncle when we hear them shooting, as per usual. This time, I decided to go out and see what they were shooting at. Keep in mind, I hunt too, but not nearly as much as they do and I certainly don't shoot nearly as much as they do. I have two guns, both shotguns, that I use for duck and pheasant hunting. I don't own any other gun.
When I get outside, I see they have set up some tin cans on one of those big wooden spools that electrical wire or cable comes on and some people repurpose as an outdoor table. The target is downhill from where they're standing and about 100 yards away, so you can barely see the cans with the naked eye. The drop in elevation to the target is probably close to 20 feet. They each have three high-powered rifles, 6 total, 5 of them with scopes, and tell me they are trying to sight them in. So far no one has damaged a can or even knocked one off the perch.
This looks like fun to me, so I ask if I can try. Well, this is serious business to them. They aren't "playing," they're trying to get their guns sighted in so they can hit something when they go hunting. So they are reluctant to let me have a go. They shoot some more and don't hit anything before I finally bug them enough to let them give me a try.
So what do they do? They hand me the only rifle without a scope and say, have at it." It is my brother's lever action .35-caliber rifle they hand me. I really don't think this is fair, but it's the only thing they'll let me shoot, so I give it a go. I peer through the open sights at the 3 cans waaaaay down there and shoot, lever the gun and shoot again, lever the gun and shoot again, in rapid succession just like Chuck Connors in the Rifleman, knocking down all three cans.
"That, boys, is how you shoot," I say as I hand them back the gun.
Maybe that's why they never invited me to play in their shooting games.
Now for a disclaimer. When we went to look at my handiwork, we saw that I had actually hit in front of each can, gouging the wood in the spool, but each can had a hole in it anyway and was just as "dead" as if I had hit them straight on. I think I didn't compensate enough for the elevation drop, and that's why I wasn't right on the cans.
I tend to do the same. However, I often find myself acquiring enough tools in the process that I don't save all that much money.
I'd be smart to learn more about auto-repair, in a practical sense. Low level of interest overwhelms me, so I pay extra for laziness.
My threshold of knowledge about cars is even lower than yours. I don't even know how to change my blinker fluid.
