c/fix-it-together

My $5 thrift store chair was wobbling so bad I almost fell backwards

Picked up this old wooden chair from Goodwill last Saturday. Looked solid. Got it home, sat down, and the whole thing started rocking. I was about to toss it. Then my buddy said 'check the glue joints first.' Found two loose rungs. Some wood glue and clamps. Let it dry overnight. Now it's solid as a rock. Cost me maybe $2 in glue. Saved $5 chair and learned something. Anyone else almost throw out something fixable?

Discovered that a cheap hair dryer works better than a heat gun for shrinking PVC tubing

I was trying to fix a cracked rain barrel spigot connection and needed to shrink some PVC tubing to fit, but my heat gun was too strong and kept melting the edges. Grabbed my wife's old hair dryer on low setting and it shrank the tubing perfectly without any damage. Has anyone else found a surprising household tool that worked better for a specific repair?

Tried fixing a wobbly chair with a shim pack from Lowes

Picked up a 10 pack of plastic shims for $4 and shoved one under the short leg of my dining chair. Thought it would be a quick fix but the chair still rocked because the leg was twisted, not just short. Had to sand down the bottom of the leg by about 1/8 inch to get it level. Anyone else run into problems where the obvious fix doesn't work because the issue is more than one thing?

Only took me 6 months to realize I was using my sawzall blade backwards

I was cutting through some old fence posts in my backyard in Austin and wondering why it was taking forever. My neighbor walked over and just looked at me for a second before pointing out the blade teeth were facing the wrong way. I felt so dumb but man the cut went so fast after I flipped it. Has anyone else had one of those moments where a fix just clicks?

Took me about 8 years to admit I was using my multimeter wrong

I always thought you had to touch the probes together to zero it out before measuring resistance, but a neighbor who used to fix radios for a living told me last month that's only for old analog meters, not digital ones. Has anyone else been doing simple stuff wrong for way too long without realizing it?

I was dead wrong about super glue on a cracked garden pot

Tried that dollar store gel super glue on a terracotta pot I broke last spring and it held through a whole season of rain and frost, has anyone else had luck with this stuff on ceramics?

Random guy at the hardware store told me I was sharpening my chisels wrong and now they actually cut

Was at Ace Hardware in Phoenix picking up a new tube of caulk and this older dude sees me staring at the chisel display. He asks what I'm working on and I tell him I'm building a bookshelf but my chisels keep slipping and leaving gouges. He just laughs and says 'you're probably riding the bevel like a new horse.' Then he spent ten minutes showing me how to keep the angle consistent by marking the side with a sharpie first. Tried it on my old Stanley chisel last night and it actually shaved wood instead of tearing it. Has anyone else gotten a random tip from a stranger that worked better than any youtube video?

Vent: My old coffee maker almost started a fire last Tuesday

I was making my morning coffee when I smelled burning plastic. The machine is about 5 years old, a basic Mr. Coffee from my old place. I unplugged it and found the heating element housing was cracked and the cord was getting hot. If I hadn't been right there, it could have been bad. Has anyone else had a similar scare with an older appliance? I'm looking for safe fixes or if it's just trash now.

My antique floor lamp in the living room wobbled for months until a friend's dad showed me the trick

He just grabbed a nickel, wedged it under the loose base leg, and said 'sometimes the fix costs five cents'. Anyone know other cheap shim ideas for furniture?

My dad said to use a dab of super glue on the cracked plastic part of my coffee grinder

I was ready to buy a new one, but he told me to try it first. I cleaned the crack, put a tiny bit of glue in it, and held it tight for a minute. It's been three months and the grinder works like new. Has anyone else fixed something with super glue when they thought it was trash?

I spent $80 on a specific torque wrench for my mower's blade and it saved me from a stripped bolt disaster.

I mean, I used to just crank on it with a regular wrench, but after reading the manual and seeing it needs 85 ft-lbs, I got the right tool and it went on smooth without any damage, so has anyone else had a simple tool change a job like that?

Overheard a guy at the hardware store say 'I just buy a new one' about a cracked plastic part

I was in line at Ace yesterday and the guy ahead of me was asking for a replacement drip tray for his grill. The clerk said they didn't carry it and suggested a repair kit, but the guy just shrugged and said 'Eh, easier to just buy a new one.' It got me thinking... how many perfectly fixable things get tossed over a single broken piece. I've saved three small appliances this year with a bit of epoxy and patience. Has anyone else noticed people giving up on repairs too fast?

My dad's old trick for a sticky garage door actually worked

For years he told me to just rub a bar of soap on the metal tracks instead of buying special lube. I always thought it was a weird old hack that wouldn't last. Last month my door started grinding again, and I finally tried it with a plain white bar. It's been smooth and quiet for over six weeks now, no special spray needed. I guess sometimes the simple fixes from before all the fancy products are still the best. Has anyone else had a stubborn door or drawer slide that an old household item fixed?

My kitchen faucet fix cost me $8 and a trip to the hardware store

The handle was leaking and I almost called a plumber, thinking the whole thing was shot. Instead, I watched a video and found it was just a worn-out cartridge. The part was under ten bucks and swapping it took maybe twenty minutes with a basic wrench. I felt pretty dumb for almost spending a couple hundred on a new faucet over a tiny piece of plastic. Has anyone else fixed something big by just replacing one small part inside?

Tried fixing my own washing machine and ended up with a $200 flood

So my washer started making this loud banging noise last Tuesday, and I figured I could handle it. Watched a few videos, bought a $25 part online, and spent three hours taking the whole thing apart in my garage. Turns out the real issue was a cracked tub seal I completely missed, and putting it back together wrong caused a major leak. Water went everywhere, ruined some boxes on the floor, and the plumber charged me $175 to fix my fix. Has anyone actually had luck with a DIY washer repair, or should I just call someone next time?

My old desk lamp switch broke and I had to pick between a whole new unit or a janky fix.

The toggle just fell apart inside, and a new lamp was about $25. Instead, I bought a basic in-line cord switch from the hardware store for $3.50. It took maybe 20 minutes to wire it in, and now I just click the little box on the cord to turn it on. Has anyone else done a similar cord switch fix on something else?

My kid's comment about our squeaky door changed my whole approach

My 8-year-old asked me why I was putting up with the annoying sound from our back door instead of just fixing it. I told her I didn't have the right tools, but she pointed out we fixed her toy box with just a can of 3-in-1 oil from the garage. I used it on the door hinges and the squeak was gone in two minutes. What's a simple fix your family has pointed out to you?

Just spent three hours fixing a loose door handle because I didn't know about the tiny set screw

Warning: My attempt to fix a wobbly bar stool turned into a glue-covered mess.

Last week, I tried to tighten the legs on my kitchen stool, but the whole thing came apart in my hands, and I accidentally used way too much wood glue. My dog walked through the puddle and left tiny glue footprints all over the linoleum. What's the best way to get dried wood glue off a floor without wrecking it?

My brother said to just throw out the old lawn mower. Glad I didn't listen.

The pull cord snapped on my 8 year old mower last weekend. He said it was junk and to get a new one. Watched a video, bought a $15 replacement cord kit from the hardware store. Had it fixed in about 20 minutes. Runs like new now. Anyone have a good trick for keeping the recoil spring in place during that repair?

I bought a $12 stud finder that beeped at everything except the studs.

My drywall patch job turned into a weird art project with six extra holes. What's a better cheap tool that actually works?

My 20-year-old coffee grinder finally gave up the ghost this morning, but I think I found the culprit.

I mean, it was just a worn-out plastic gear inside that I found after taking it apart, and I'm wondering if anyone knows a good source for small replacement parts like that, maybe a 3D printing file or something.

My old neighbor showed me a trick for fixing a stripped screw hole with a toothpick

I was trying to fix a loose hinge on my kitchen cabinet door a few months back. The screw just kept spinning and wouldn't tighten. I was about to give up and buy a whole new hinge set. My neighbor, Frank, who's been fixing things since before I was born, came over to borrow a wrench. He saw me struggling and said, 'You know, you don't need to replace that. Grab a wooden toothpick.' He told me to put a bit of wood glue on it, shove it into the stripped hole, and break it off. Let it dry for an hour, then drill a tiny pilot hole right through it. I tried it, and the screw bit right in and held tight. That hinge is still solid today. Has anyone else used this trick, or do you have a different fix for stripped wood?

Warning: My old drill press needed a new chuck and I had to pick between a cheap import or a pricey name brand

The old Jacobs chuck was shot after maybe 15 years. Found a generic one online for $25. The proper replacement from the tool store was over $80. I went cheap to save cash. It fit fine and works, but the key feels flimsy. Only been a month, so I'm waiting for it to fail. Anyone have a chuck that lasted years, or did the cheap one let you down fast?

Bought a $30 bearing puller for a stubborn dryer drum

My old dryer started making a loud grinding noise last month. Figured it was the drum support rollers. Got the new parts cheap. Could not get the old drum off the rear bearing no matter what I tried. Spent the $30 on a small gear puller from the hardware store. Had it apart in ten minutes. Anyone else have a simple tool that saved a big repair job?