Watch These Scientists Remotely Operate a Space Garbage Robot
Why we need space-based litter police. Continue reading Watch These Scientists Remotely Operate a Space Garbage Robot
Tag Archives: Repair
Terrible RC Transmitter Made Less Terrible
It should probably go without saying that we’ve got nothing against the occasional bout of elaborate troubleshooting and repair, in fact it’s one of the most common things we cover here. As it turns out, people aren’t overly fond of being fleeced, and there are a lot of smart people out there who will put a lot of work in to keep from having to toss a favorite piece of gear into the trash. We can’t fault them for that.
But we have to say, we generally don’t see those kind of elaborate repairs for something brand new. Unfortunately, …read more
The Most Powerful Mac Is 6 Years Old and Not Sold By Apple
The Mac Pro Upgrade community is taking old “cheese grater” Mac Pros and putting cutting-edge graphics cards in them. The specs often outperform even top-of-the-line new Apple computers. Continue reading The Most Powerful Mac Is 6 Years Old and Not Sold By Apple
Giant Art Installation Outside MWC Protests Planned Obsolescence
There’s a right to repair protest in front of the world’s largest cell phone conference. Continue reading Giant Art Installation Outside MWC Protests Planned Obsolescence
We Flew Around the World to Watch the Annual Race to Tear Down the iPhone
“Welcome to the headquarters of the global repair movement.” Continue reading We Flew Around the World to Watch the Annual Race to Tear Down the iPhone
The Most Utilitarian 3D Print Has the Widest Reach
3D Printing is often heralded as a completely new fabrication method, creating things that simply cannot be manufactured in other ways. While this is true, the widest reaching usefulness of 3D printers isn’t for pushing the limits of fabrication. The real power is in pushing the limits of manufacturing for individuals who need one-off parts.
The proof point is in the story shown above. A missing key on a keyboard could have meant an otherwise fine piece of hardware headed for recycling, but was saved by a single part printed on a desktop 3D printer. Multiply this by the increasing …read more
Continue reading The Most Utilitarian 3D Print Has the Widest Reach
Repairs You Can Print: Model Coal Car Fix
Model railways are a deep and rewarding hobby, and the mechanisms involved can be both surprisingly intricate and delightful. A great example that may surprise the unfamiliar is that of model train carriages, such as coal cars, that are capable of both receiving and dumping a load at various points on a model layout. This adds realism and, if we’re honest, just plain old fun.
When [Phil]’s father received his Lincoln coal car from eBay, it was unfortunately damaged, and incapable of dumping properly. Instead of throwing it away, a replacement part was developed and 3D printed. The part was …read more
Repairs You Can Print: Racing the Clock for a Dishwasher Fix
No matter how mad your 3D printing skills may be, there comes a time when it makes more sense to order a replacement part than print it. For [billchurch], that time was the five-hour window he had to order an OEM part online and have it delivered within two days. The race was on — would he be able to model and print a replacement latch for his dishwasher’s detergent dispenser, or would suffer the ignominy of having to plunk down $30 for a tiny but complicated part?
As you can probably guess, [bill] managed to beat the clock. But …read more
Continue reading Repairs You Can Print: Racing the Clock for a Dishwasher Fix
3D Print the Blasphemous Helicopter Part Known as a Jesus Nut
Today, when we say “Jesus nut”, we’re not referring to the people who spend their days proselytizing down at the mall. The term, likely spawned in the Vietnam war, refers to the main nut holding the rotors on to the mast of a helicopter which is in the shape of the Christian cross. If the “Jesus nut” was to fail, the rotors would detach from the craft, and there would be little for crews to do except to pray.
[Marius] was presented with a failed Jesus nut, though thankfully from an R/C helicopter, meaning there was no loss of life. …read more
Continue reading 3D Print the Blasphemous Helicopter Part Known as a Jesus Nut
Repairing A Sunburned Game Boy Screen
The original Game Boy is a classic. Sure, it had no backlight, but there is something special about playing on that classic green screen. Unfortunately, some of these older systems are suffering a terrible fate — screen burn. Game Boy’s played best with lots of light — especially in out in the sun. But that same sun did terrible things to the screen. A black splotch in the center of the LCD is the telltale sign of a burned Game Boy. You might think that screen replacement is the only option, but [The Retro Future] shows us how to repair …read more