Tag: DIY

  • My Samsung dryer now spins

    My Samsung dryer now spins

    A couple of days ago my dryer quit working. Thanks to the innerwebs, I was able to debug the issue and get a replacement part on order. Today, the part arrived.

    Because my laundry room is so shallow, I had to get behind the dryer, then pull the bottom toward me and tilt the top away so I could see into and work through the access port near the bottom of the dryer. Once I’d done that, removing the old idler pulley arm, installing the new one, and threading the drive belt was easy to do. Because the dryer was tilted, I needed to move the drive belt back into the correct position on the drum.

    Many of my home repairs require three trips to the home supply store:

    1. A trip to get the parts I need,
    2. A trip to get the parts I missed because I haven’t done this repair recently (or ever), and
    3. A trip to get the parts to replace those I broke in the repair process.

    This time, I needed only the first trip, and it was virtual! Better yet, the only leftover parts were those that I replaced.

  • My Samsung dryer doesn’t spin

    My Samsung dryer doesn’t spin

    My dryer just quit working tonight. Its drum doesn’t spin. So, off to YouTube I went for repair advice. I immediately found a couple of helpful videos.

    Huh, look at that: the idler pulley is missing! Oh there it is, hiding in the dust bunny in the lower right.

    After another online search, I ordered the replacement part. It should arrive in a couple of days. With a little luck I’ll be able to do the repair without having to move the dryer any farther.

    In the meantime, I’m going to round up some dust bunnies.

  • That blows!

    That blows!

    Doing some work on our furnace, I had the opportunity to take a picture of the blower.1Yeah, I know–it’s dirty. That’s why I removed it. And, thanks to this work, I now have a much better understanding of the sensors, switches, blowers, and valves, and how they all interact. So cool!

    I’m looking forward to spring when I get to do the same sort of maintenance on the air conditioner.

    • 1
      Yeah, I know–it’s dirty. That’s why I removed it.
  • The joys of ownership

    Taillight replacement

    Honda CRV misfire

    How to test misfire codes

    Dishwasher on the blink

    Dishwasher clean light blinking 7 times

    This has been my past couple of weeks.

    I have no idea how we knew how to repair stuff before the internet and Youtube.

  • Old man’s fancy

    Old man’s fancy

    In the fall an old man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of debugging HVAC systems.1With apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson. Unfortunately, not only in the fall. Now it’s the heating portion. A few Augusts ago, it was the cooling portion. The resources I found then will come in handy.

    • 1
      With apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson.
  • Longboard Footstop in OpenSCAD

    Longboard Footstop in OpenSCAD

    My local library, the Hillsboro public library, has 3D printing open labs — every Monday evening for a couple of hours, the library accepts .stl files on thumb drives and prints them for free over the next week. This is such a cool resource, it seems irresponsible not to take advantage of it.

    For my first project, I decided to design a longboard footstop.1If imitation is indeed flattery, RipTide and PSD Designs should feel complimented. ;-) Earlier this week, I started researching 3D CAD software and settled on OpenSCAD.2Pronounced open ess cad. OpenSCAD is different from most 3D CAD software in that you program a part instead of manipulating objects on a screen. For example, this is how I defined the tab of the footstop:

    union() {
    tab_s = tab_length - tab_width/2;
    tab_r = tab_width/2 - stop_chamfer;
    tab_h = 2*(tab_height - stop_chamfer);
    translate([-tab_s/2, 0, 0]) cube([tab_s, 2*tab_r, tab_h], center=true);
    translate([-tab_s, 0, 0]) cylinder(r=tab_r, h=tab_h, center=true);
    };
    

    Designing the footstop, some of OpenSCAD’s other limitations became obvious: fillets and chamfers are not easily defined, especially along curved intersections of primitives.3I’m gathering resources that address this issue.

    This is my third iteration of the footstop and I think it’s good enough to print next week so Jamison can try it out. I suspect I still have a lot to learn when it comes to getting a design ready to print. For example, how important is it that this footstop be hollow? If it needs to be hollow, what’s a reasonable wall thickness? I experimented with MeshMixer a bit, but expect I’ll need to wait until Monday.

    I wonder what I should design next. I think I’d like to try some sort of GoPro mount.

    • 1
      If imitation is indeed flattery, RipTide and PSD Designs should feel complimented. ;-)
    • 2
      Pronounced open ess cad.
    • 3
      I’m gathering resources that address this issue.
  • The Definitive Slide Gloves Thread

    The Definitive Slide Gloves Thread

    The Definitive Slide Gloves Thread. Good information that I’m going to want later. Now, where’s a legal source of road reflectors?1Based on my noontime ride, bike lanes appear to be such a source. At least, I hope it’s legal. ;-)

    • 1
      Based on my noontime ride, bike lanes appear to be such a source. At least, I hope it’s legal.
  • DIY Panniers

    I love panniers. I just don’t like spending $100+ for a pair of ’em. When Jamie showed up at Starbucks with a DIY pannier on his bike, I knew I had to do some research. Here’s what I found:

    Looks like I’ll be making more than one of these. :-)

  • DIY Portable Bike Repair Stand

    DIY Portable Bike Repair Stand. Oh, this DIY portable bike repair stand looks pretty good, too. I like how the bike can be rotated about and clamped into position. The folding tripod’s just a bonus.

  • DIY Bicycle Repair Stand

    Homemade Bicycle Repair Stand. Jake Khoun’s DIY bike repair stand looks easy and sturdy. Just the ticket, now that the roads are getting wet and I’ll need to clean my chain and running gear more often.

Search

Stuff

Made with

in

to

Copyright 2004-2023 Brent Logan

Thanks for visiting!

Brent Logan