About Me and Repairs

 

I've been building, fixing, and modifying things all my life.  Usually nothing too major, but having an education in electronics makes that part come easier.  But any repair can seem overwhelming at first.  It's most important to think about safety, followed by your own capabilities.  I try to wear safety goggles and dust masks, both for safety,  and just because I get freaked out seeing all the dust particles floating around in the light, and considering what those particles might be...  Wood fibers, plastics, glues, stains, carpet fibers, and other toxic chemicals.

 

If you have never worked on anything before, it might be best to find some raw materials that are similar to what you want to work on, and try your skills there first.  In other words, gets some wood and practice cutting, nailing, stapling, gluing, and staining.  Get some wire or cheap or old electronics to practice soldering.  Get some PVC pipe and practice cutting, deburring, and gluing.  

And of course having the right tools will really help.  I've bought a lot at Harbor Freight over the last 15 years or so.  Many tools I never would have bought, or even thought I would ever use.  But the low cost made it easier to find something that could work for me as a DIY hobbiest.  Most of my tools get used a few hours a week to a few hours a year on average.  One of my first big tools was actually an electric demolition hammer.  I bought it for roughly the same price as a 2-day rental at Home Depot.  And then I decided to buy the 3-year warranty, just in case.  But it's still working great after 15 years, using it about 30 hours a year.  And all the other tools I bought at Harbor Freight still work great too.  I can only think of a few tools and devices out of over 100 that have eventually failed...  An old Sears battery-powered circular saw.  A Royobi hand sander where the plastic shell turned to a gum-like paint after a few years.  And I think my Harbor Freight kitchen scale finally failed, after using it every day for about 9 years. 


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