What's your "Skipdiver John" talent?

[DCBassman]

Mine is bikes, to a much, much lesser extent than John, and PCs, which I bring back from the grave and, if possible at low expense, make usable in the modern world, something that can be considerably more difficult than restoring bikes, on occasion! Damned hard work on laptops, that's for sure...
The laptop I'm typing this on was literally rescued from a skip at the dump. Another method is to get hold of, say, two generations-old business PCs and update them. Being built of slightly better-specced componenets, they last for years.
Also, given half a chance, I'll attempt the same with mobile phones, although there's much less can be done with them generally.
Et vous?

 

[Dirk]

Not doing it anymore, but I built and tuned a lot of motorcycle engines for myself and others. I used to have quite a busy little side business doing it. Mainly road racing stuff, but with a good few MotoX and quad engines as well.
I've built championship winning engines and Isle of Man TT trophy winning ones as well.
Used to love stripping, analysing, modifying and rebuilding anything from a 50cc 2 stroke to a 1000cc 4 stroke.
I stopped doing it when I stopped racing, moved house and didn't have a suitable workshop.
I've still got a fascination for anything mechanical.

 

[welsh dragon]

Thank God skips are far and few between here. We have enough junk as it is. If Mr WD decided to raid a skip, I would set fire to the dam lot. And I'm not joking

 

[Drago]

I'm pretty handy at most things. Being raised on the northern isles you learn to fix things where at all possible, and my Dad being an engineer (and metallurgist) taught me how to use the spanners.

As a result I'm an above average vehicle mechanic, probably better than many that work in garages, can do any job on a bicycle. Jm not the most skilled of wheel builders, but I can do it.

I'm not bad with electrics and electronics, a by product of being a radio ham.

I'm hopeless with computer stuff.

Again , because of my early upbringing I'm a master bodger. That like a master builder, but using cheats and shortcuts No DIY tasks from electrics, plumbing, plastering etc faze me, but these days I don't have the patience to do anything beyond emergency repairs.

Great with repairing domestic appliances. Understanding the flow of electrons and the mechanical side makes this doable, and data from the interweb is an amazing resource for this sort of thing.

I'm an OK gunsmith but lack the equipment to do too much there.

 

[Milkfloat]

Aside from being the family and friends 'Tech Guru', I also am known for fixing kayaks/canoes. I am fairly handy with fixing splits and holes.

 

[Globalti]

My skip diving credentials are limited to having found five Sartorius lab scales thrown in a skip at work. I fished out the three that looked the least knackered, got permission to take them home, dismantled them, washed everything and reassembled one working balance. They weigh to 100th of a gram so you can put a wet cloth on the plate and watch the weight reducing quite fast as the water evaporates. They spent their lives weighing out lab formulations in a perfume factory so the cases were encrusted with some industrially stinky materials, which even the hottest wash in the dishwasher failed to remove so my scales do still smell.

Generally though I'm pretty handy and can repair most things, not only bikes and Land Rovers. I hate to throw things away just because they need repair. My last project was re-upholstering an office chair (also pulled out of a skip at work actually) for GTiJunior to use at his computer desk. It looks smashing covered in a nice greeny brown herringbone wool.

 

[mudsticks]

Master (or should that be 'mistress') bodger upper, and adapter of one bit of kit, to do another job.

It's a prerequisite of running a small mixed farm.

I'm pretty good at handstands, and cartwheels too

 

[Mo1959]

Thank God skips are far and few between here. We have enough junk as it is. If Mr WD decided to raid a skip, I would set fire to the dam lot. And I'm not joking

My dad was dreadful. I remember him raking electrical bits and pieces out of a skip in case he might need them…they lay in his massive workshop along with the other multitude of things he might need!

 

[Levo-Lon]

Ive spent my life tinkering, love it.
Particularly useful in my maintenance work that i now do.

You name it I'll have a go, usually with success.

Cars bikes motorcycles were my love but its just bikes now.

And for the record, i hate decorating

 

[welsh dragon]

My dad was dreadful. I remember him raking electrical bits and pieces out of a skip in case he might need them…they lay in his massive workshop along with the other multitude of things he might need!

The list is endless.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I changed a light bulb just last week. And, oh yes, I'm pretty handy with a corkscrew. I can operate most types.

 

[Slioch]

Procrastination. I have a special talent for it.

E.g. I'm supposed to be up on the North York Moors with my mountain bike today, but I'm sat fannying about on here instead and wondering whether I should make a bacon sandwich before venturing out.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

I do like a good skip. I like reusing anything as that has to be better than landfill. I have rescued a couple of shopper bikes, a Moulton and a Hercules. Wood in a skip has become various things including a very heavy piece of hardwood that became the handle of a knife I made.

 

[derrick]

I like to have a go at fixing things, Don't do skipdiving, Manage to fix most things, Just love tinkering.

 

[Ian H]

My father was a Barry Bucknell fan and a consulting engineer (amongst other things), so I was expected to do stuff. I do all my own bike maintenance, used to do the cars as well, but that stopped some years ago when they became the company's rather than mine.
I've installed central heating systems, re-wired houses, re-built printing presses, done most DIY jobs, but nowadays I leave the bigger stuff to the professionals.