Shiny things. How to’s on fixes and repairs for things that can leave you frustrated.

SandwichShortOfAPicnic

SandwichShortOfAPicnic

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Got something bust that needs a fix or have a great tip that goes beyond the usual products then share it here. I’ll get the ball rolling with one I’ve just used.

I’m sure other moto fanatics will be aware of this already but it works so well its worth sharing.

Tin foil (aluminium foil) is fantastic at removing rust.
It’s a fabulous chemical reaction and most satisfying.
So someone who shall remain nameless put a metal tray down partially on the draining board in the utility. I didn‘t pay any attention as the utility is a practical jack of all room.
I lifted the tray to clean and found two large rust patches. I scrubbed and scrubbed with a non scratch scourer (I don’t know why I chose non scratch the draining board is scratched to pieces already 😆) but no matter how hard I tried it would only come up this far -

IMG_1675.jpeg


Remembering what a fantastic job tinfoil did on my motorbike exhausts I broke out the good stuff and had a go with some crumpled tinfoil, it was gone in moments.

IMG_1677.jpeg

So satisfying.
 
Well done, you!
I'm totally and absolutely hopeless at anything to do with "fixing things".
I speak 3 1/2 languages, can get you through IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, University entrance exams, can cook up a storm, play the piano, sing (at a push!), tell you in an instant where to buy nigella seeds or phyllo pastry, talk you through how to re-pot your orchids or bromeliads, give you advice on how to create a wonderful garden, beat you at cricket, advise you on the best Single Malt or IPA ..
but I can't fix anything. My wife lamented that years ago, so I said " all right, find someone who fixes things then!"
I'm still here :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
The ironic thing is that my dad was a Master Decorator. He was skilled at everything: painting, plumbing, carpentry, plastering, electricity, redesigning rooms, laying carpets, EVERYthing. Problem was, he was a lousy teacher.
 
karadekoolaid said:
Well done, you!
I'm totally and absolutely hopeless at anything to do with "fixing things".
I speak 3 1/2 languages, can get you through IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, University entrance exams, can cook up a storm, play the piano, sing (at a push!), tell you in an instant where to buy nigella seeds or phyllo pastry, talk you through how to re-pot your orchids or bromeliads, give you advice on how to create a wonderful garden, beat you at cricket, advise you on the best Single Malt or IPA ..
but I can't fix anything. My wife lamented that years ago, so I said " all right, find someone who fixes things then!"
I'm still here :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
The ironic thing is that my dad was a Master Decorator. He was skilled at everything: painting, plumbing, carpentry, plastering, electricity, redesigning rooms, laying carpets, EVERYthing. Problem was, he was a lousy teacher.
Click to expand...
You see that so often don’t you, there’s a practically minded, skilled member of the family and they just get on with the job without showing anyone else how it‘s done. My husband is one of those. His dad is incredibly practical and skilled. Didn’t show my husband a thing 😆 as a consequence he decided he’s “no good at that stuff“ when in reality he is.

Fortunately my own father was way ahead of his time and believed in everyone being treated equally so I was shown how to mix cement, lay bricks, mend wiring, fix a car etc etc.

I do think though that sometimes a super creative souls mind is otherwise occupied with creative thoughts 😆
 
this is something i am still scratching my head about
our dishwasher stopped working and me being me
i grabbed my electrical meter and went to work finding out what was wrong with it ,
i found out that the circuit board was shot so i got on the computer and looked up a new circuit board
the cost was $339.00
then i looked up the cost of replacing the entire dishwasher
it was $329.00 ......
$10.00 less than just replacing the bad part
this makes no sense to me ????????
 
For small issues, I've gotten pretty good at figuring out what needs to be done and taking care the problem on my own.
Big stuff, like electrical or plumbing - nope! I'll pay a professional to deal with those.

My husband is absolutely NOT mechanically inclined ... couldn't fix a thing if his life depended on it, AND he admits to it!
As a gift, my Father gave me a basic tool kit, and everything was PINK, even the carrying case, so dang cute! I still have it all these years later and use it on a regular basis.
My husband is proud to tell anyone that I am the COO (Chief of Operations) where he is the CFO (Chief Financial Officer). It works well for us.

grumpyoldman some years back, I was looking at my Cuisinart Food Processor bowl, and it was looking pretty beat up, so I looked up what it would cost for a new bowl ... the same as buying a whole new machine!
I got a new machine and kept the old bowl as a back-up. :D
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
Got something bust that needs a fix or have a great tip that goes beyond the usual products then share it here. I’ll get the ball rolling with one I’ve just used.

I’m sure other moto fanatics will be aware of this already but it works so well its worth sharing.

Tin foil (aluminium foil) is fantastic at removing rust.
It’s a fabulous chemical reaction and most satisfying.
So someone who shall remain nameless put a metal tray down partially on the draining board in the utility. I didn‘t pay any attention as the utility is a practical jack of all room.
I lifted the tray to clean and found two large rust patches. I scrubbed and scrubbed with a non scratch scourer (I don’t know why I chose non scratch the draining board is scratched to pieces already 😆) but no matter how hard I tried it would only come up this far -

View attachment 108080

Remembering what a fantastic job tinfoil did on my motorbike exhausts I broke out the good stuff and had a go with some crumpled tinfoil, it was gone in moments.

View attachment 108081
So satisfying.
Click to expand...
I use Barkeepers Friend Cream alot to shine stuff up.
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
I do think though that sometimes a super creative souls mind is otherwise occupied with creative thoughts 😆
Click to expand...

I have an art degree, and I am a very good handyman. My dad had an engineering degree, and was terrible at fixing things.

I know dozens of hacks for fixing things. I have know idea where to start.

CD
 
Idea #2:
(and I'm sure that alot of folks here know this one already)
Cleaning the grout lines on tile floors: sprinkle just a bit of Baking Soda and dampen lightly with Hydrogen Peroxide, get it a bit of a scrub with so a stiff broom, allow it to dry, sweep/vacuum/hoover away the debris and VOILA!
What a difference once the grout lines are dry, really! All the muck that had accumulated in the grout lines is gone!
 
Two things that really grind my gears are planned obsolescence, and things that can’t be repaired.

I used to organize “Repair Cafe” events at my old job, where I’d find some volunteers who were good at fixing stuff, buy some coffee and snacks, and we’d have a two hour open forum where people could bring broken stuff. The fixers would take their best crack at fixing it, and it was all free.

We were actually able to fix most of what came in. We’d mend clothing, fix toasters, a vacuum once, clocks, a kitchen chair, CD player, lamps - all sorts of stuff. People LOVED these events and would always be emailing me to see when the next one was planned!

Repair Cafe is a global organization, so my advice if you have a broken thing is to google “repair cafe” + your area, and see if you can find one near you. They’re also pretty fun to attend or volunteer!
 
Herbaceous said:
Two things that really grind my gears are planned obsolescence, and things that can’t be repaired.

I used to organize “Repair Cafe” events at my old job, where I’d find some volunteers who were good at fixing stuff, buy some coffee and snacks, and we’d have a two hour open forum where people could bring broken stuff. The fixers would take their best crack at fixing it, and it was all free.

We were actually able to fix most of what came in. We’d mend clothing, fix toasters, a vacuum once, clocks, a kitchen chair, CD player, lamps - all sorts of stuff. People LOVED these events and would always be emailing me to see when the next one was planned!

Repair Cafe is a global organization, so my advice if you have a broken thing is to google “repair cafe” + your area, and see if you can find one near you. They’re also pretty fun to attend or volunteer!
Click to expand...
I really love this idea. There are so many things that can be repaired that get thrown away and no-one enjoys throwing things away that could be repaired.

I’ll be googling repair cafe for sure!
 
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