Indians are not generally into DIY (Do It Yourself). Which is a pity considering the satisfaction one can get out of making, restoring and fixing things. Also, India is rapidly moving into a stage where good craftsmen and repair persons are expensive and difficult to get. Why not do it yourself! This is an invitation to start a DIY and woodworking community in India and please get in touch or participate if you are so inclined.
I will offer my advice and relate my experience with DIY and woodworking issues in this blog and hopefully this might motivate you to join the movement.
best wishes
Indranil
Hi Indranil,
ReplyDeleteI am avid gardener from Bangalore and love DIY. I usually make gardening kits (with PVC) and always wanted different tools for the job. I read your site and really happy to see DIYers in India. Thanks for all the tips.
Keep up the great work.
geekgardener
Hi Indranil, great blog over here, it's inspiring for beginners like me! About promoting a DIY culture in India, don't you think we need a proper hardware store? Of course we have local hardware shops but you never know whether you'll find what you're looking for until you go. Many a times you have to try 2 or 3 shops before finding something or giving up. Some things I've been looking for are a glass cutter (the small, manual one), wood stain (more than a 100ml bottle: not for touch ups but for an entire surface), seperate dispenser pumps etc... It's energy draining just to have to look for all these things, in the US people just go to Home Depot without thinking !
ReplyDeleteThanks Amelie - I couldn't agree with you more regarding the need for good hardware sources in India. I wish I had the money to start a good online store selling hardware, good quality hand tools and so on. I have tried in vain to convince a couple of my businessmen friends. Hope someone takes the plunge.
DeleteHi indranil, Great Blog!. Will be in touch with you occasionally asking advice and suggestions if you don't mind.
ReplyDeleteThanks - most welcome.
DeleteAlso, we don't publish product endorsements, so keep those out. Thanks!
DeleteDear sir, very good to see the diy part of Indian brains are waking up.Even though I am a doctor,agriculture is our traditional buissiness. I grew in my farm, along with farm equipment, bullock cart, et al. Most equipment are hand made by master carpenter in our village. I grew ,seeing his splendid skills in cutting, planing, polishing, and also he is a blacksmith, forging farm equipments, his personal tools etc. I havent seen a power tool till my school days.Our carpenter never used glue for any mortise & tenon joints in any of the doors or windows.Our bullock cart was made just with wood and forged iron, not even a single drop of glue, single hole driven by power drill.Times changed a lot. village based carpenters moved out for new avenues. No person is there to learn such equisite skills of wood and metal working. I have tried my hand at forging in our farm some times, but education took a toll in our diy part. now back to my heart felt hobbies.starting with wood, and definitely will try metal also.one particular area in our region, people specializes in handmade forged metal knives and sickles.I will update about it if I am able to go there. Following you for learning solid wood working.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Saravanan.
You are right about us having lost taditional skills. I feel it is very important we re-learn those skills and do things with our hands. Best wishes
DeleteThanks for the wonderful posts! I am a beginner based out of Mumbai. Any fellow hobbist you know of from Mumbai?
ReplyDeleteThanks Sayan. Unfortunately I don't know any woodworkers in Bombay though I believe there are plenty. Best of luck.
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