Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Nomorobo First Ring Blocker

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Jim

We use Nomorobo for our VOIP home phone, and I’m very happy with the service.  (NMR: Your phone provider’s simultaneous ring service routes calls to both your phone and NMR.  If NMR decides it’s bad, they pick up, and you … Continue reading →

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Bondo parts tray

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Jim

You always need some small container on the bench to hold the screws you just took out.  Mine are often plastic jar caps, but they’re light, slide around, and let screws escape (often to the floor). The first serious fix … Continue reading →

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Butane torch repair

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Jim

I bought a cheap butane torch on Ebay to keep at the space (yeah, in violation of the “no pressurized gasses” rule, but stashed away in my box).  Worked fine, rarely used. When I wanted to bend some laser cut … Continue reading →

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Adding audible alert to Panasonic answering machine

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Jim

We’re pretty pleased with the new Panasonic KX-TGD530 answering machine/wireless phone system.  The 3 handsets (expandable, unlike the AT&T EL52209 it replaced) gives us matching phones for kitchen, bedroom, and computer room.  Matching means only one user interface to learn. … Continue reading →

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Trivial zero clearance table hack for belt sander

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Jim

I’ve lost a couple of small pieces to the innards of the belt sander by having them sucked down between the belt and the table.  Inspired by various zero clearance inserts/whatever from Matthias and Jimmy DiResta, it occurred to me … Continue reading →

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Dangerous barrel connectors or
Why the cost of the Drawbot just jumped $200

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Jim

Not all coaxial barrel connectors are created equal.  The male on the top is the one that was on the 30V drawbot stepper power supply before it blew up my new laptop.  The yellow one is what’s on that supply … Continue reading →

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Shapelock protective case for Laur’s Prius fob

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Jim

We had a quite unpleasant and mysterious problem with the Prius’ alarm sounding (lights and horn) when we parked in a quiet neighborhood front of some friends’ house.  (For a square dance.)  We got stuff out of the trunk, but … Continue reading →

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Fixing a krubow RF Remote receiver

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Jim

The USB cable of Les’ RF receiver broke one of its wires to the PCB inside, and resoldering it was difficult/beyond his skill.  He bought a new one (his 3rd!) and brought me the carcass. The cable had pulled out … Continue reading →

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Focaccia slicer

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Jim

Lauren wanted to made sandwiches out of a round focaccia loaf for an unusually long square dance session.  The question was how to slice it in half neatly.  Plan A was to firmly support both ends a long knife horizontally … Continue reading →

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Chinese nail blocks not a fraud

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Jim

Well, that was informative.  As Ziggy taught me to say back at Reuters, “The test is the test.” When Scott told me about keeping a nail buffer block on the bench to provide 4 grits of sandpaper in one convenient, … Continue reading →

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