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…
The Annual Winter Is Coming Ritual As the weather gets colder, the annual ritual of “winterizing” begins. For me, the first task is always dealing with the outdoor faucet (or “spigot”) that my wife uses for her garden. It sits dormant all winter, becoming a prime target for a freezing disaster. You can buy those…
A Technician’s Disclaimer: I’m No Neuroscientist Let’s get one thing straight before we begin: I’m a self-proclaimed clumsy technician, not a brain surgeon. I have zero medical knowledge, let alone a grasp of complex neuroscience. I’m just a regular middle-aged guy who, like many, misses the sharp memory of his youth. This is simply a…
Why bother making your own cables? Flat ribbon cables with IDC connectors are everywhere in the world of electronics—inside computers, CNC machines, 3D printers, you name it. Most of the time, they come bundled with the products, and you just plug them in. But every so often, a project comes along—a repair, a prototype, or…
The day my angle grinder revealed more than just rust. It started as a typical weekend warrior project: routine maintenance on my container roof. The plan was simple—grind off some surface rust, slap on a new coat of paint, and call it a day. But as the grinder sang its song, the rust gave way…