Artem Chigvintsev says he's more than just a 'DWTS' alum, he's also a DIY guy at heart ... pushing back on some nasty things his estranged wife says about him.
Here's the deal ... in a restraining order Nikki Garcia (Bella) filed against Artem last month, she claimed he got cut from the upcoming "Dancing with the Stars" season a week before his domestic violence arrest and started working a construction job she says he felt "was beneath him."
But Artem's firing back in new legal docs ... saying Nikki is lying about his opinion on construction work.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Artem says he doesn't believe construction jobs are beneath him at all and he actually enjoys the work.
To further make his point, Artem claims he built a bunch of things for their Napa Valley home over the years -- and even built some stuff for Nikki's sister, Brie -- including a garden bed, BBQ area gazebo and an outdoor kitchen area ... plus a yoga and meditation deck.
Artem says he also did his own tiling and says Nikki knew how much construction work he'd done around the house when she claimed he thought it was beneath him ... even attaching a few photos of his DIY projects.
As we reported ... Artem says he's lost $100,000 after his domestic violence arrest because his mug shot makes it hard for him to get gigs as a dancer.
Sounds like Artem's making a living doing construction work now ... and he likes it, despite what his ex claims.