Doing it yourself- Why?

Some people wonder why anyone would want to do things themselves when you can go out and buy something that works right out of the box? Well, welcome to Ryan's DIY and more. I look at things and think "Hey, a man made it, another man can figure it out."

I've taken on projects I never thought possible. As consumers we're told that things are complicated. "Better leave that to the pro's." Why? They were not *born* a "pro" at what they do. Yes, they're good at it. Why can't I be good at it? I can at least try.

My main motivation for doing things myself is often a mixture of curiosity and lack of funds. The first project that I'm going to tackle in this blog is building my own welder. I desperately wanted to learn to weld, but I don't have the money to blow on a good welder. Or, ANY welder. Sure, I found one at Harbor Freight for $35 on sale for a 55/70 amp arc welder. But it was chintzy! And to be realistic, I don't buy anything there that I intend to rely on to work well.

I have used the welder and have learned to weld with it. Other things I've done myself include ham radio antennae, a recumbent bike (which I'll cover, its still in progress) and other simple things. I even made a pencil holder for my desk with an old coke can and some rocks.

So, can it be done yourself? That's up to you. The main tools you need for DIY work are curiosity, will power ("if they can do it so can I") and the ability to handle failure. If you don't know what I mean, go watch "Meet the Robinsons". It explains the whole thing quite well, if you ask me. Its a good movie too!