A Flashback to a Hot Summer (Better Late Than Never) It is currently freezing cold outside. My hands are numb just typing this. However, looking at these photos brings back the sweaty nightmare from a past summer. Yes, this incident happened quite a while ago during the peak of a heatwave. I was too busy…
The Nightmare of “Over-Gluing” Low-viscosity super glue is a double-edged sword. Its ability to penetrate tiny gaps is unmatched, but it flows like water. We’ve all been there: you aim for a tiny drop on a delicate scale model or a fine jewelry piece, but the standard bottle nozzle dispenses a massive blob, melting the…
The Nightmare Scenario I typically spend my days modifying or repairing CNC machines. But sometimes, requests come in that make me want to run away. Today’s story is exactly one of those cases: Removing Broken Bolts. Ideally, I would avoid this task at all costs. But due to certain circumstances (and perhaps a bit of…
The “Bad Hair Day” of Wiring In this post, I want to share a simple, slightly “janky,” but surprisingly effective tip for crimping spade terminals, which are common in DIY projects. If you do any kind of electronics work, you know the struggle. You strip a flexible cable (especially those with hundreds of hair-thin strands),…
A Hard Lesson Learned: The Day My Extinguisher Failed There’s an old saying: “Experience is the best teacher.” But honestly? Some things are better left unexperienced. A fire is definitely one of them. When I was in my early 30s, a fire broke out in my neighbor’s warehouse. I spotted it early, grabbed my trusty…
The Most Annoying Repair is the “Simple” One In my line of work, I handle a lot of automation parts. Sometimes, surplus items pop up. I recently sold a tested, working Yaskawa Sigma-5 servo motor on a used parts forum. I confirmed it was working and shipped it, but a few days later, I got…
The Goal: Perfect Precision. The Problem: My Own Mistake. For my CNC project, I chose a Harmonic Drive (a type of strain wave reducer). Why? Because its unique mechanism—using a Circular Spline, a Flexspline, and a Wave Generator—provides near-zero backlash. This allows for the kind of ultra-precise angular control that other gear systems can’t touch….
Pre-Winter Checks? Sometimes It’s Already Too Late. Winter is just around the corner, that magical time of year when we all start nervously checking our boilers. We tell ourselves to check them before the first cold snap hits. But let’s be honest—you can’t predict when a tiny component, like a thermistor, will decide to die….
⚠️ EXTREME WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS. SERIOUS RISK OF SHOCK, FIRE, AND DEATH. Before you read any further, understand this: This post is a cautionary tale, NOT a tutorial. It describes a foolish risk I took years ago. The device shown is poorly made and inherently dangerous. Attempting to repair it could easily lead…
A Universal Annoyance Unless you live completely off-grid, you know this sight: the chaotic mess of tangled power cords. The humble extension cord (or “power strip”) is an indispensable tool in modern life, bridging the gap between outlets and devices, expanding connectivity. They come in various lengths and configurations, and you can even make your…