450 Things a Bloke Ought to Know How to Do, Build & Fix Old-Fashioned Wisdom for the 21st Century Bloke

(Paperback)

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Description

450 great do-it-yourself building projects for the bloke around the house.

DIY expert, John Jarratt, has produced a terrific book for Do-It-Yourself projects for the average bloke. From laying your own paving to building a pergola this book will be a charming and accessible collection of projects for every handyman - of every skill level.

Based on the successful and popular plans produced by Mitre 10 and many other building suppliers, this book will feature a range of projects for the average man around the house. Featuring over 450 individual projects as well as basic building information, tips and advice.

Author Bio

I've always been a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. Well I had to be - it's in my blood really. I lived in a coal-mining village called Wangawilli with my huge extended family close by and you know, I'd heard about tradesmen as a kid, but I'd never actually met one. My great-grandfather was a bullocky, my dad's dad was a stockman and my mum's dad was a shearer. Uncle Ben and Uncle Arthur were mechanics, Uncle Charlie was a bricklayer and my Dad was a coal miner. They had their own garages and workshops and helped each other out. They came from an era where you had to be resourceful and possessed a commonsense sort of wisdom. But when there was work to be done, us kids had to help. I wanted to be an actor though and I graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1973. Sometimes though acting gigs are pretty hard to come by so I drew on my bushie-type history and turned my hand to building and labouring work. I built my first house in 1976 and I've since built and restored eight more. The old boys gave me a love of animals too - especially horses. When I became an actor and a role in film or a mini-series with a horse in it somewhere came up, I usually landed the job. All in all though, I've been involved in theatre, TV and 30-odd feature films. I even scored an award or two. My last job on the tele was as the presenter on Channel Seven's Better Homes and Gardens. So when it came to writing, I wanted to do a book that would recapture some of the fundamentals that have built Australia from the ground up. I reckon the craftsmanship of yesterday is almost a national treasure and I don't want to see it lost. So out of the past has come 450 Things a Bloke Ought To Know How to Build, Do & Fix. Like it says on the cover, it has old-fashion wisdom for the 21st-century bloke and there's something in it for everyone.