Repairing stuff

There are 14 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 2,704 times. The latest Post (April 25, 2026 at 6:34 PM) was by Rice.

    Distracted by the superglue:baking powder video, I neglected to say that I thoroughly applaud your determination to repair rather than discard, Splinter . Surely the world’s renewed interest in the earth should lead to changing the throw-away attitude that has been so detrimental.

    I do try and repair some things especially if it's impossible to buy a replacement or as is more likely in Argentina they want to charge you a way OTT price for it.

    However sometimes things can work out well here. A while ago I finally decided to fix the loose strap on my favourite Seiko watch. During the procedure the locking pin flew off and disppeared so that was the end of that and back in the drawer it went.

    One day while out with the missus I remembered to take it with me. She took me to a chap who does watch repairs in a small shop. She told him what I had been trying to do and set forth to put it right. He put a new pin however even at the last hole the strap was a tad too loose. He had to remove a link in order for it to fit snuggly. All in all it took him quite a while but despite that he only charged 1000 pesos in all. I had my watch back in use and saved myself a hell of a lot of hassle. :thumbup:

    Recently I've been buying up or being donated to me (better) several used computers, PC cases, motherboards etc.

    I break things down, scavenge what can be used and then build 'new' machines. What I can't use at all, goes outside for the cartoneros and it disappears in minutes.

    Yesterday I got my hands on a used VHS player/recorder in good working order, which I'm very pleased about because if my existing one, which I use for digital conversion, goes tits up, I'll need a spare.

    This week it's plumbing because over the last few months our water bill has almost doubled with the culprit being the working of the loo cistern. At first I thought it was the ballcock not rising enough, then the flapper not closing properly because water was constantly feeding into the toilet itself. In the end I removed the cistern and completely dismantled it, only to find that it had a split in the plastic, hence the continuous water. I wasn't surprised since we've been living here for 15 years, which is pretty good going for a loo, anywhere for that matter.

    Fortunately the local plumbing shop sold the flapper as a complete kit, but as expected, one leak then turns into two or three when you reassemble. So now I have to replace the flexible water hose and the two large plastic screws that hold the cistern to the toilet. It's not a difficult job, good fun actually and I certainly wasn't going to pay a plumber.

    Of all the repairs I've had to do over the years, it's usually been due to water.

    For me it has got to be something obvious and simple to spot, fix and replace before I even attempt a repair.

    I'd never hear the end of it from the missus if I cocked it up. :wt-hell:

    I have great admiration for your resourcefulness, Splinter . My father always said I have a Cinderella Complex, meaning that I freaked at the idea of electricity, plumbing, etc repairs. He was right.

    My husband had close to zero manual skills. Then he bought a hundred year old property to fix in Italy, and to keep costs down he started doing some of the work himself by looking at hired skilled workers. When we moved to Argentina, stuff breaking down continuously and workers being no-show (and sometimes no-reply) had him learning a lot on his own using YouTube video and advice for hardware storekeepers.

    Now he can proudly fix the WC, install a washing machine, plaster, paint, seal and many other things. They may not be perfect, but they get done quickly and for cheap. I'll take it!