Yesterday I reattached a cupboard door; the screws had pulled out and broken the cupboard wall they came out of. But this has me thinking, do you fix things? Computers are hard but not impossible, phones are extremely hard with only specific things that can be fixed. But what about simple things like a broom handle or chair.

This is a little in the vein of the thought from yesterday, where we are conditioned to consume without thought by advertising.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yes. I actually just ordered a replacement battery for my Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Luckily it's only a matter of lifting a ribbon cable.

I think it's easier to fix electronics, than it is to fix simpler items like socks, shirts, pants, coffee cups, shoes, etc. Probably because the latter are designed to be disposable these days.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I try hard to.

We have a spot on the bench where the kids put broken things to be taped or superglued back together.

The dishwasher that was here when we moved in had issues with the electronics, we got someone in to fix it and it struggled on doing an average quality job and occasionally refusing to go, we finally replaced it about 7 years after we moved in (it was probably already 5-10 years old then). Not gonna lie, having a new one that just works and does a good job is great, but I don't like replacing things that are doing the job.

My laptop is a Framework, which is very easy to repair compared to others. I've had to do a display panel replacement and hinge replacements, it wasn't a problem. Previously I've done the occasional repair on more typical laptops but normally nothing too complicated.

Phones are hard. Unless you have a FairPhone, your phone is probably glued together or otherwise difficult to even open. I got a second hand phone off trademe almost 4 years ago. It's still going strong, though the battery is not as good as it once was.

I have fixed our dining table after a leg fell off (new bolts + glue), and have fixed chairs but will remove them if I don't think I've done a good job because of the safety factor. Our dining table and chairs were also second hand, we got them about 8 years ago.

These are just some things that come to mind. I try to repair anything before throwing it away, but I'm not that good at it. Improving with practice, though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I totally understand the not being that good at it.

I'm a automation engineer, I work with computers....so fixing things is something I'm getting better at.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I've had some help over the years, mostly in the encouragement to give it a go. I have some memorable moments, such as my father-in-law helping to fix a scotia that wasn't quite the right shape. He looks at me and says "I think I can fix that with my chainsaw", then proceeds to shape the wood using his chainsaw to fit perfectly in the slot, will less than a mm of tolerance.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes I'll usually try to fix anything first. I've learned a lot over the years just using all the info on the internet. I've replaced all the light fittings in our house, did my own insulation, fixed the car (replacing rotors and pads), fixed our 20 year old toilets, fixed the kid's clothes and shoes, replaced or fixed taps, made my own tables and benches (functional but ugly). Computers I've been building and fixing since a teen.

I've managed to extend the life of a lot of things, but there are times I have to weigh the cost if it's worth it, for example if I need to get new specific tools. Or sometimes I just use it as an excuse to upgrade.

Electronics is probably where I haven't done much fixing, but it is an area I'd like to learn more on.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Electronics can be difficult, desoldering is tricky and prone to damaging the boards (assuming discrete components that can be accessed); if a micro controller (chip) goes bad....you are SOL without very specialized equipment. Surface mount components are doable with a very steady hand and a magnifying glass and a sharp point on your iron.

But then the next problem is finding replacement parts.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I’d probably start with very basic things just to learn. Being able to fix basic appliances would be a nice skill to have. I haven’t had anything really fail in that way, so nothing to practice on