Mend it and make do

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Randomnerd

Bimbleur
Location
North Yorkshire
Throbbing work surface? :ohmy:
Grief does funny things to ones memory, okay? Dont knock a man when he’s down. 😥
 
I used a bit of stiff wire to bodge the bottle holder on my mountain bike. Ideally needs a spot of weld or braze but I don't have the equipment.
excellent. I did similar to extend my bike rack. I was lucky & found some random wire in my basement that was of the right gauge
bike rack extension.jpg
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Split rings frommold key rings make excellent zip tabs.
Good thinking! I must have one lying around somewhere... :whistle:
I have a small AA/AAA battery tester which had a link connected to the end of it, so it could be hung from a belt etc. It had never been hung from a belt and never would have been - it lives in a drawer in my kitchen, alongside a mixed collection of batteries. The link has now been attached to the zip on my gilet instead...

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It looks big and clunky but is actually easier to use than the original small tab when cycling.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I just bodged my laptop audio.

My old laptop had one crappy little speaker and it was way too tinny and quiet. My replacement laptop has 2 much better speakers and is louder. Great!

Unfortunately, after 3 years of use the left speaker started distorting. I toyed with the idea of trying to replace it but when I looked inside the laptop case I chickened out. To get at the speaker I would have to remove the motherboard and there is always the chance of damaging something doing that kind of thing. I decided that it wasn't worth the risk.

My initial fix was to go into the audio settings and reduce the left speaker volume by 40%. That pretty much stopped the distortion but it meant that I could hear what was on the right channel much louder than what was on the left. I decided this evening that I would sacrifice stereo and find a way of monoing the audio so I could hear everything properly. Ok, it sounds like everything comes from slightly to the RHS of my screen, but at least I can hear it clearly now.

If I really wanted to listen in stereo I could fire up my TV soundbar and use Bluetooth to send a stereo signal over to that but most of the time I am only listening to a couple of YouTube videos so I can't really be bothered to.

(If you want to mono YOUR signal for some reason... In Windows 10, go to Settings, Ease of Access, Audio and enable Turn On Mono Audio.)
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Whilst I've been away, between my wife and daughter, they have killed the Vax Air Lift Steerable Pet ! Wife hoovered up some ribbon, but didn't remove it properly, then daughter used it, causing it to damage and melt the brush bar bearing at one side. Fortunately, Vax sell just about every spare, so a new brush bar on order for £14.99.

Mrs F picked up a cheap cordless in the mean time, and it's rubbish - won't pick the cat hairs up, so I dragged an old upright out of the garage roof for now until the new brush bar arrives. Whilst at it I stripped the 'turbo tool' we use for the stairs as it wasn't working - again, clogged up with cotton and hair around the spindles.

One of the clips on the vax waste bin had cracked, so that got araldited and then cleaned up the various pipes and the floor foot, so looks like new.

It wasn't an expensive 'hoover' but it absolutely knocks spots off the old Dyson Animal. Added bonus is the flex is long, and the motor unit detatches from the base so you can easily do the stairs or the car.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
The Vax vacuum is back up and running ! :cheers:
 
My current MI&MD is a Nespresso Aeroccino 3 frother. If these overheat in one spot, they die. But they die because there's a non-resettable thermal fuse in them. So, on Ebay, there's a guy who has put together either 1) a repair kit to install a new fuse, with instructions, or 2) a kit with a resettable thermal fuse and instructions. Then, if you trip it, you wait for it to cool, clean the burnt milk off the bottom of the cylinder, and by then, the fuse has reset. That version is what I'm doing. I'm taking it in slow time, as this is to be sold on afterward, and I want no mistakes. Personally, I think this kind of built-in failure should be outlawed, and the resettable made the standard...
 

Randomnerd

Bimbleur
Location
North Yorkshire
My current MI&MD is a Nespresso Aeroccino 3 frother. If these overheat in one spot, they die. But they die because there's a non-resettable thermal fuse in them. So, on Ebay, there's a guy who has put together either 1) a repair kit to install a new fuse, with instructions, or 2) a kit with a resettable thermal fuse and instructions. Then, if you trip it, you wait for it to cool, clean the burnt milk off the bottom of the cylinder, and by then, the fuse has reset. That version is what I'm doing. I'm taking it in slow time, as this is to be sold on afterward, and I want no mistakes. Personally, I think this kind of built-in failure should be outlawed, and the resettable made the standard...
Sat for quite a long time looking at that acronym! Must need more coffee.
 

battered

Guru
excellent. I did similar to extend my bike rack. I was lucky & found some random wire in my basement that was of the right gauge
View attachment 585146
I suggest that you turn around that nut and bolt or cut it flush. In a crash a protruding boot will make a hole in you. A mate of mine has a nice scar and memories of hospital food following surgery on his knee after doing just this with a seat clamp bolt on his commuter.
 

Venod

Eh up
Location
Yorkshire
The diverter valve for the hot water, has been sticking randomly, on examination the geared rack that the synchronous motor drives has a couple of teeth missing, its plastic and I don't think spares are available, I remembered there is an old one in the shed from the early 1980s, its a different make and the geared rack is a different shape and made of metal.
I cut a section out of the metal rack, then filed down the thickness of the plastic one, matched the teeth and cut it to the shape of plastic one, stuck it together with some super glue then drilled and fitted two dowels.
Its working OK
The direct replacement is about £80 but an alternative is only about £30, but I do like to repair stuff if possible.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Phone call. The electric keeps tripping. MrsF traced it to downstairs sockets by the time I was home. Soon isolated it to the dryer. As soon as it went on it tripped the electric.

Took it outside and removed the washing and found a small piece of chain off a jacket hanger loop. Hmmm. Popped the cover off the back, nothing amiss. Gave it a shake, tipped it up. Plugged in and it was ok.

Another look and I found another piece of chain near the heating elements. Aha.

All working now.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Another job.

We bought a lovely ceiling light off my sister in law from her business. It was massively reduced as it was ex display, and a couple of the bulb holders were faulty and a bit intermittent. Its on our landing as its a pendant type lamp, and some of the bulbs are 3 foot down from the ceiling.

I've tried contact cleaner and also conductive grease for the fittings, but 2 bulbs usually go out. These are halogen though.

Decided to give LED bulbs a go, as they not only consume 10٪ of the power, they run cool. Fitted them and we've not had any issues with the holders, all working after 2 weeks.
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