DIY

[kimba1]

http://men.msn.com/articlepm.aspx?cp-documentid=5877371&gt1=10856

it`s true
I helped assemble a shelf and the guy really couldn`t hammer a nail right
most were bent
at that firm I got a radio that runs on 4 batteries to run on 3 with paperclips
nobody could figure out how it works
our skills are slipping

[Stray Pooch]

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

The thing that amazes me is how many people actually think they should NOT be able to do these things.  I have customers that get indignant when I tell them they should clean a charge wire or change a drum cartridge in their copier because "I'm not a technician - that's YOUR job."  They grudgingly change their tune when I tell them politely that doing so is not covered in their service contract and I will be glad to do the five second job for them for a fee of $301.00.  (That's my nice way of saying "No, you arrogant idiot, it's YOUR job and if you can't handle it hand your users manual to someone who can read.")   It's like people all believe they should be pampered and served.   

I'm not on a high horse, though.  I wish I could fix an engine.  I can do most basic care car tasks.  I can fix my brakes, change a radiator, put on a starter or water pump or alternator.  But engine work intimidates the hell out of me.  I actually want to do some of that kind of thing, but the idea of digging into an engine and putting it back together and then not having it explode spooks me.  There is really no reason I can't do it, but the consequences of failure are both expensive and potentially dangerous.

Another thing I think every human being should be able to do and I can't is hunt.  I don't even have basic fishing skills, which is weird since I love to hike and camp.   You'd think I would have picked up the habit of getting my own dinner somewhere along the way.  Another related thing is identifying edible plants - and plants in general for that matter.  I think I could tell a leopard from a zebra should I see them walking side by side but I couldn't tell and elm from an oak.

Interesting article, Kimba.  I like the three battery and paperclip rig.  I always say that when it comes to spot repairs, my most important tool is my IBM PC  (Itty Bitty Modified Paper Clip).

[kimba1]

IBM PC
lol
I like that
you got no idea how often I use that to solve stuff
last week twice I used it to open a cd tray on computers
people forget what that little hiole was for
quite alot of things were designed to be fixed by the paperclip if you notice
ex. reset on pda`s

[Amianthus]

Interesting article, Kimba.  I like the three battery and paperclip rig.  I always say that when it comes to spot repairs, my most important tool is my IBM PC  (Itty Bitty Modified Paper Clip).

I think I mentioned this once before, but I once fixed a car that died going down the highway with a pair of pliers and a fishing lure I happened to have in the trunk...

;-)

[Amianthus]

Oh, and that quote from Heinlein is one of my favorites - I have an illuminated version in a frame that I (usually) have hanging over my desk. I gotta dig it out again...

[Stray Pooch]

IBM PC
lol
I like that
you got no idea how often I use that to solve stuff
last week twice I used it to open a cd tray on computers
people forget what that little hiole was for
quite alot of things were designed to be fixed by the paperclip if you notice
ex. reset on pda`s

The paper clip may be the most incredibly useful thing ever invented.  That's why I came up with the IBM PC line.  I really do use them constantly.  One of my favorite uses is to avoid replacing a large aseembly when a screw hole bracket has broken.  A lot of times the plastic portion of an assembly that holds on a screw will break.  (For example, when the screw is located on the corner of something and that corner breaks off.)  I can break a PC in half, use it as an odd-shaped "washer" and the legs will hold the bracket on perfectly.  If necessary, it can hold a piece in place while glue sets up or be a temp fix until I can replace the assembly. It can even be permanent, if the load is not heavy or doesn't have a critical tolerance.  

I fashion tools out of PCs.  I have one particular family of machines that customers tend to drop paperclips (wouldn't ya know) or staples in (or it just gets small pieces of paper left over from jams in it).  I can put a hook on a PC and curve the clip to fit perfectly down into the baffle.  Then I pull out the obstruction, eliminating the need to disassemble the feeder.  That turns a twenty minute task into five minutes or less.

I have a bad habit of misplacing spring hooks, and a PC does the job just fine.  I have even fashioned an e-clip out of one to hold a shaft on in a pinch.  

A PC can be used like a wire wrap to hold things together (except I don't do that with electrical wiring, as it could potentially short if the insulation on the wires frays).  Of course, since they are conductive, I have used them for test purposes to create a jumper.  (I suspect that is the basic concept you are using with the three-battery rig.)   In fact, when I have needed a 12V portable power source in a pinch I will hook up two of those big 6V lamp batteries in series using paperclips and there ya go.  I have even used them (again in non-critical applications) to replace a screw or fastener when one has been lost or stripped.

I swear, if there is a more useful thing than an IBM PC.  I don't know what it is.

Well, maybe Duct Tape . . .

[Stray Pooch]

I think I mentioned this once before, but I once fixed a car that died going down the highway with a pair of pliers and a fishing lure I happened to have in the trunk...

I once fixed a car that had died with a simple attachment that was hooked to the bumper.






A tow truck.   

[Amianthus]

A PC can be used like a wire wrap to hold things together (except I don't do that with electrical wiring, as it could potentially short if the insulation on the wires frays).  Of course, since they are conductive, I have used them for test purposes to create a jumper.  (I suspect that is the basic concept you are using with the three-battery rig.)   In fact, when I have needed a 12V portable power source in a pinch I will hook up two of those big 6V lamp batteries in series using paperclips and there ya go.  I have even used them (again in non-critical applications) to replace a screw or fastener when one has been lost or stripped.

I swear, if there is a more useful thing than an IBM PC.  I don't know what it is.

Well, maybe Duct Tape . . .

The ability to tie proper knots. One, for example, is the whip knot that you can use in your example of making a wire wrap, but done with a bit of yarn or twine can be used with impunity on electrical wiring.

Also, I wanted to say this to Kimba earlier - that "trick" of running a circuit on 3 batteries instead of 4 can damage the circuits. You are, in essence, running it in a continual "brown out" mode, which can overheat it. It works, but don't leave it setup like that...

[Stray Pooch]

Also, I wanted to say this to Kimba earlier - that "trick" of running a circuit on 3 batteries instead of 4 can damage the circuits. You are, in essence, running it in a continual "brown out" mode, which can overheat it. It works, but don't leave it setup like that...

Same goes for the in-series batteries or a jumper.  They should only be temporary "in a pinch" fixes.  Of course, the right connections can make that 12v series set up work just fine long-term.

There is a great series on youtube of gag "fixes" that look like these rigs, but are in fact jokes.  My favorite fix is "how to power your TV on two AA batteries."  They go to so much trouble to make it seem real, even warning you that the batteries will only last a short time because the TV draws a heavy load.

There is another one in that series that has the immortal line "They call it 'electrical tape' because it conducts electricity." I almost lost a keyboard over that one.

[Amianthus]

Same goes for the in-series batteries or a jumper.  They should only be temporary "in a pinch" fixes.  Of course, the right connections can make that 12v series set up work just fine long-term.

A "jumper" - I assume you mean jumper cables - is a parallel connection, so the voltage would not be an issue. The issue is having to drive around two vehicle connected by wires. ;-) You would add the current supplied by all the sources in parallel to achieve a higher amperage. Putting multiple batteries in parallel on a car is no big deal, and common in applications that require high power loads (tow trucks, among other uses).

Batteries in a radio or most small appliances, however, are almost always connected in series, so the current available is the average of the supplied current by each battery, and the voltage adds. So, a radio that normally uses 4 "AA" or "AAA" cells is designed to run on 6 volts. Most silicon chips are designed to run on 5 volts. There is probably a voltage regulator in there to limit the voltage. When you take out one battery, you're now at 4.5 volts, a bit less than the chips need. So, they will run hotter and the batteries will have a decreased lifespan. Same reason why you should change ALL the batteries at the same time when you replace them.

[Stray Pooch]

A "jumper" - I assume you mean jumper cables - is a parallel connection, so the voltage would not be an issue.

Actually in this case I am not talking about jumper cables like your auto uses.  I am talking about an electrical connection, in this case in series.  When you are testing a circuit (or sometimes when you are setting an option on a board or on your hard drive) you might have to connect two points.  I might, for example, have to switch 12 volts around a component (shorting around it) to isolate it.  To do that, you need a small piece of wire or a connector of some sort.  Frequently (as in the options jumpers on your hard drive) there are nifty little insulated jumpers that are designed to go right on the pins.  Sometimes you have to fake it. 

If you've ever installed a hard drive, you have probably had to take one of those jumpers and set the drive for master or slave.  Options jumpers like that are very common on circuit boards and other components. 

The most stupid application of the IBM PC that I have seen is someone actually shorting out a thermal fuse on an exposure lamp in an old desktop copier we made.  That thermal fuse is intended to keep it from overheating (hence the name) and sometimes you are caught short of parts.  I have no problem using PCs for a temporary jumper, but it is very foolish to defeat fire protection like that.  Needless to say, I replaced it with the correct fuse.  Fortunately, it did the job while in place without burning the machine up.  Still, not smart. 

[Plane]

Once we were out fireing Estes rockets and ran out of ignityers.

Finding a few rusty paperclips in the parking lot solved the problem , the twisted rusty paperclip was shoved into the nozzle and connected by long wires to a car battery.

Whoosh...

I wonder it that worked better bcause of the rust ?

Later I used small gauge steel wire the same way without the rust , but the diffrent wire gague made it a poor comparison .

[Plane]

http://www.bookpool.com/sm/0071426094

[kimba1]

yes In did use it for a jumper but only as a temp till we got more batteries

I use pc to test my vcr if I don`t have a antennea handy

p.s. steelwool ignite withb a 9v battery
so it`s good as a cheapie igniter
but alittle of it it burns too easy