A Herbert Terry 1227 lamp gets a light make over in the workshop.
This lamp needs no introduction. Herbert Terry Ltd first produced ‘Anglepoise’ lamps in England from 1934 and this 1227 model is instantly recognisable, with its art-deco characteristics and perfect proportions. Some of those early examples have survived to today and are now very collectable.
Make and model: Herbert Terry 1227 ‘Anglepoise’ lamp
Fault reported: Wiring requires replacement
Cost of replacement machine: £80.00 -£300.00 for an equivalent
Manufacturer support (in the UK): 8/10
Cost of parts (for this repair): £20.00
My time spent on the repair: 1.5 hours
Tools needed: Small knife, pliers, small screwdrivers, soldering iron, cutters, scissors
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, Lamp in the workshop, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, Dodgy wiring, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, don’t plug in yet, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, lamp holder, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, old wiring, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, new felt needed, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, Lampholder in pieces, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, connections, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, Lamp fettling, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, ready for new cable, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, careful routing, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, lamp springs, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, polished and paint repaired, Nov’21.FixItWorkshop, Worthing, base awaiting new felt, Nov’21.
My customer contacted me to ask if I could overhaul his family’s Anglepoise lamp and had told me that it was in daily use, but they all felt that the wiring was getting on a bit, and therefore they’d lost confidence in it. In other words, they were worried about a small fire or electrocution.
That’s the trouble with old, well-made stuff like this. Often, on the outside, it all looks fine and sturdy with a quick clean up, and it’s easy to forget that some things are as old as they are. But, one has to bear in mind that after all that time here on earth, things like plastics, rubber grommets and wire insulation break down with age and can be damn right dangerous.
At 70 years old, this lamp was not in mint condition, but had been well looked after. It was still complete, with its original Bakelite bayonet bulb holder and switch, which is a rarity as they often crack. Over time, they get replaced with ‘B&Q special’ items, which never look right. Sadly, the original lamp holders are no longer available, but there are good alternatives out there, which will do the match well, if you know where to look. No issues with this one as it was all in very good order.
So to the brief; give it clean up, remove some rust, replace the worn-out felt base and re-wire, without over-restoring it. After all, it was wearing its age well, and a total re-spray would have removed all the ‘patina’.
Only a basic tool kit was required with this job, nothing fancy but with things like this, I tend to use a penetrating oil on all metal moving parts as rust and fatigue can make some fixings fragile. After all, I don’t want to add unnecessary cost to the job and while the oil is doing its thing, I can always have another brew, so there’s really no excuse not to do this. Only fools rush in and all that.
After I stripped all the old wire out, paying attention to the correct cable routes, I cleaned up anything previously covered up by the old cable. New modern fabric-covered plastic flex is available at a reasonable price, so that’s what I used and while there, I took the time to earth the frame of the lamp as a ‘Class One’ device. Technically, with a plastic/ Bakelite bulb holder, this isn’t required, but as I had some three cored cable, I decided to earth the metal base as a precaution. It couldn’t do any harm.
Normally I like to preserve as much as I can of the original parts, but in the case of the felt base, it was knackered. I could have just glued it back on, but that wouldn’t have done it justice. So, after a little raid of my daughter’s craft kit (which is full of off-cuts and felt) I had the perfect green felt, ready to be cut to size and glued in place. No one wants a scratchy base and once set, no one would ever know that the thing I’d just made, wasn’t a stock item. I was quite pleased with it.
A new LED bayonet 40W (equivalent), some light polishing, and a PAT (test) and this lamp was ready to be used daily, once again.
It must start early. An attachment to inanimate objects, a personification if you will, of machines and their mechanical feelings. Maybe it starts with teddy bears, Lego people or Matchbox cars. Of course, deep down I know that machines do not have feelings, but I do sometimes find it hard to simply give in with something, and throw it away.
I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that many classic cars, rescued from the crushers’ teeth, tend to have a ‘face’. Indeed, designers can often hit on a million-seller, if they get the ‘face’ right. Think VW Beetle, Morris Minor and Mini. Perhaps these shapes bring back childhood memories of a favourite cuddly toy, which might translate to them being taken care of better and cherished for longer.
Anthropomorphism, the attribution of human traits and tendencies, is something many of us experience, but us repair nerds seem to take it to another level. I’ll have to think of a catchy name for it.
All this has reminded me about a recent such situation where my mum asked me if I could fix her broken Moulinex Delicio food processor, if it wasn’t too much trouble.
The condition I ‘suffer’ from certainly doesn’t run in families and my mum was at first, ready to recycle the thing. But remembering all the cakes made with it over the years, especially ones made with my two daughters, seemed to put a different complexion on matters. So, I took the mixer away with me and put it on the workshop shelves, awaiting some attention. At least there were other machines alongside, to keep it company.
Many food mixers tend to be large, heavy and bulky affairs which is OK for many, most of the time, but if you can’t manage the weight of something like an eleven kilo Kitchenaid Artisan every time homemade brownies are called for, something like this little light-weight Moulinex is ideal. So, two compelling reasons to keep the mixer; it’s lack of weight and some fond memories.
The problem was that the main on/off switch didn’t seem connected with the rest of the machine and to make things more complicated, the integral lid-lock was operated with the same button. This part is therefore quite important since it might prevent one from shortening their fingers, by not allowing the spinning blades to ever come in to contact with wondering digits.
Now, I’m sure that this all seemed rather lovely in Moulinex HQ at the time, but small plastic switches connected with several thin moving parts combined with knocks and scrapes in a kitchen, is not going to end well. As a matter of fact, Moulinex offered the offending switch assembly as a spare part until recently, so they must have known that the design was a bit iffy. Sadly, I missed the boat and despite several attempts, I couldn’t find a replacement part anywhere. eBay revealed a couple of similar machines with faults, so it was back to the drawing board.
3D scanning and printing makes low-volume, but high-quality production a reality, and it’s really something that I need to get into, as I often have the need to copy rare, obsolete parts. In time, I will.
In this case, I did consider using one of the many online UK companies now specialising in this kind of thing, but the costs did not warrant it in this instance, so a new strategy was required. I’ve spent many hours of my life browsing parts like this in catalogues, so I decided that a repair should be possible for under £10.00, using readily available, generic switches. Yes, that should be my budget challenge then, do the whole job for a tenner or under and since it was a family affair, no charges for labour!
The Delicio is a simple machine; no variable speed controller, just a single speed operation controlled either by latching or push-to-make switch. It gets the job done quickly and without fuss. After a quick trawl of eBay, I opted for two small round, red button in black bezel switches with solder tags. The switch series I opted for was available in push-to-make and latching, bingo! And at £5.98 delivered, a total bargain.
There’s something quite satisfying in selecting an item, taking it apart and then modifying it by way of repair, improvements or both, in such a way that differs little from its original design. Subtle modifications or improvements, that the casual observer will never notice. If you look closely at the photos, I managed to line up the new buttons with the old printed text, to match the operation. Lucky.
I won’t describe the repair in detail, suffice to say that I found a suitable location for the new switches in the machines’ chassis, drilled out the holes and then fitted them in place with the nuts supplied in the switches’ kit. No special tools required for this job really, just a selection of standard screwdrivers, some 0.75mm wire, heat shrink, cutters and a 12mm drill bit. I already had some cable, I connected the new switches to the existing wiring harness, by-passing the original.
I was able to retain the original switches’ interlock by keeping the original switch in situ with a little epoxy resin. This ensured both safety and the original aesthetic. See what you think in the photos. I was quite pleased with it.
I completed the repair within an hour, which I almost forgot to report, included a wipe over and polish. And I managed it on only one cup of tea with a couple of my favourite ginger nuts. Oh, and I didn’t go over budget. Any chance of a Vicky sponge, mum?!
Matt shares his opinions on what he deems to be ‘pointless products’.
Pointless Products?
Hello once again from the workshop, and hasn’t it been a busy time? Lots of interesting customer repair jobs to be getting on with; from cherished toys, kitchen appliances to printed circuit boards, all needing a little help. Dividing my time between family, my main job and the workshop is always a careful balancing act, but somehow, I manage to keep on going. See the greying hair.
Since offering my repair skills to the charming people of Worthing and beyond, I’ve had to develop a quick-fire set of triage questions when trying to ascertain what the fault is and whether something is truly worth repairing. Yes, not everything is worth saving, there, I’ve said it. You weren’t expecting that, were you!
Sometimes, my repair skills are only worth investing in something, if the item has spare parts available. It happens all the time. And, when dealing with repair enquiries, I usually have to sensitively tread a careful line between diagnosing a fault on, say, an abused Shark vacuum cleaner which has been used to suck up paint, with the reality that not all spare parts are available for certain models. Yes, some new spares are available and yes, there’s always good-old eBay, but I hate to break it to anyone who loves their Shark vacuum cleaner (and I know that’s a few of you) that they are only really intended to last as long as the warranty. Built with longevity and a sound back up network, they are not. If you want a quality vacuum cleaner that can be repaired, buy the vacuum with the smiley face!
This all got me thinking about some of the other things that you might have been persuaded to buy for your home, but now probably regret. This might be because the thing was too much of a faff to use, or, it didn’t last long or maybe that the cost didn’t justify the performance. So, I thought it might be fun to compile a list of rubbish items, that should have stayed on the drawing board, because quite frankly, life’s too short.
Maybe you have one of these five useless items, languishing in your home, gathering dust.
5. Popcorn makers
Honestly, what’s the point in an electric popcorn maker? Popcorn machines on the pier or at the cinema I get, but these diy-home-install pieces of junk shouldn’t be a thing. “Relive that authentic cinematic experience with a freshly made bag of popcorn, all yours for around £20”. Christmas Secret Santa present, check. Last minute, hastily-purchased gift for the wedding of a couple that don’t really like anyway, who only invited you to the evening do, check. The reality is that they take ages to work, are very small and are very difficult to repair. And let’s face it, a ready-made bag of the stuff from Asda, tastes better. If you must have the cook at home experience, use a lidded saucepan, a little oil and some kernels from the health food aisle.
4. Ice cream makers
My personal favourite for “what’s the point”!? All you ‘kitchen show-offs’ can spend serious money on these things, and I’ve seen some models that can make ice cream in as little as 40 minutes. Yes, 40 minutes -really. Imagine the joy. Kids party, going well. They’ve all eaten their sandwiches, all had their crisps, and all they now need is jelly. And ice cream. Well, the good news is that the jelly is all done, waiting in the fridge, but the ice cream maker, is still whirring away to its heart’s content for another forty bloody minutes, to produce a thimble full of substandard slop. Sorry kids, you’ll just have to go without raspberry ripple today, but the good news is that there’s more carrot and celery sticks. Yay!
3. Bread makers
I actually bought one of these useless items back in the day, no doubt trying to impress a would-be lover with my fine artisan baking skills, using only the finest flours and grains from Lidl. I even grew a beard to go with my new-found skills, but I quickly realised that the way to a girl’s heart, isn’t as a baker. Indeed, making baked treats this way, every day, isn’t that good for one’s love life. 4am starts in the kitchen to make biscuit-sized loafs is just plain annoying and ruins any notion of a romantic breakfast in bed.
2. George Foreman Grille (other slab meat counter-top grilles available)
Now, I know that this will divide opinion. For some, George’s famous meat grille has changed lives. One can cook burgers, steaks and, well, anything meaty without an oven or hob. They’re also cheap to run and great if you have a small kitchen. The downside is that all that grease leaks out, they’re virtually impossible to clean thoroughly. See the mould and scuzz, the next time you use it. Yuk.
1. Upright home carpet washers
Number one was a tough call, but if there’s one repair enquiry I receive too often, it’s for these hideous contraptions. I don’t fix them now as they’re just too troublesome, and the manufacturers don’t really support any spares provision. We all know the brand that I’m talking about. (The one that rhymes with ‘axe’). Maybe you’ve bought one? Maybe you’re thinking of buying one, maybe someone loves theirs ‘so much’ and has recommended that you can’t live without one too. Just get a hold of yourself. Stop. You don’t need one. You’ll pay around £300 for a machine that will spend most of its time in the downstairs cupboard, leaking, until you get it out after a year to mop up Fido’s latest accident, only to find that the over-complicated mechanism is seized and to add insult to injury, you’re just out of warranty, Sir.
Do the sensible thing. If you must wash your carpets, hire a decent machine when you need it, or get a professional in to do the work. It’ll be cheaper and you’ll get a better result.
Well, I feel much better now. I’ve been meaning to get that lot off my chest for ages. Time for a cuppa don’t you think?
PS, don’t forget to tune into Retro Electro Workshop, on Yesterday Channel (27) and UKTV Play, from Tuesday 18th July at 9pm. I’m on it (correct as of July 2023 onwards).
Matt takes a shallow dive into the notion of stuff, ownership and value. Something ‘light’ then.
You may recall adverts on tele and in the glossies a few years ago from prestige watchmaker Patek Philippe, often featuring a father and son relationship, implying that one never really owns one of their watches, but merely has custodianship of it until it’s passed on to the next generation. That’s great for the son or daughter inheriting a posh watch at the appropriate time, but please spare a moment for the poor sod, still paying for it! Anyway, this all got me thinking about our relationship with stuff.
I live in deepest West Worthing, Sussex, UK and we’re surrounded by charity, house clearance and general second-hand shops everywhere, amongst the upmarket coffee shops and tiny ‘living room’ pubs. Could be a lot worse, I guess! To ‘Magpie Matt’, it’s brilliant news, as I’m always on the lookout for interesting items, especially if they look like they can do with some tender loving care. Don’t you seek out broken and damaged items? No, just me then. One can save a lot of money by buying second-hand, but it’s only good value if you really need it. The downside is that I often return home with ‘a thrift shop bargain’ when I only popped out for a pint of milk. Great for the local economy, but, I fear that our home office has become a museum for too many ‘interesting items’!
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, July’22 – vintage items and a relic(!)
There’s a backstory for every item for sale, and I often wonder if it would be interesting to list the narrative behind every charity donation, a bit like we see at those auctions for famous paintings and jewellery, so that the customer might form more of a connection with the thing. Probable madness and an administration nightmare of course, but indeed we expect it if handing over money for a genuine rare classic watch like a Rolex – it’s all part of the experience. Every pre-loved item has something to say, good or bad.
Ditching the ‘perfectly OK and fit for purpose’ stuff we already have is the issue I think, and in these increasingly cash-conscious times, can we do more to love what we already own to save money and the planet? It’s not always easy though it is as it takes time, care and, dare I say it, cash to preserve things for longer. Of course, I don’t want to come across like a preaching bore (insert objection here) – I do buy new stuff, I live in the real world, but I’m trying to love some of the old things I have for longer, with the scratches, faded colours, missing buttons, maybe it’s an ‘age thing’?
The more times that you ‘patch something up’, get something repaired, use something past its high-fashion status, you’ll form a stronger bond with it over time, believe me.
On a slightly different road, many of the things you threw away years ago are very much still here on Earth. Think about the now collectable items you saw as junk at the time, but are now worth a mint, probably languishing in the side of a hill! Until relatively recently, the world of waste was a murky business and, in many ways, it still is – and that’s a subject for another day! So, unless you took the time to dispose of your old vacuum cleaner or hairdryer at a specialist scrap dealer back in the bad old days, the chances are that it still exists in some form, buried deep in the ground somewhere.
Remember Time Team on Channel 4 in the 1990s with Tony Robinson? I can see a new version of that show in years to come, featuring the modern equivalent digging sections of landfill sites, unearthing an abundance of 20th Century, often perfectly preserved, now ‘classic’ items. You never know, maybe one or two will still work?
So, where am I going with all this? Well, it’s the same old message I guess really. Hang on to your stuff, look after it, repair it if you can and love the signs of wear and tear. This will give the item, however cheap, expensive, rare or mass-produced more worth, whether sentimental or monetary. When the time comes and no matter how ‘grand’ the thing, pass it on to someone else who will cherish it too, after you’re done with it. You never know that one day, your faded and battered sandwich toaster be serving up a slice of nostalgia as well as a yummy retro treat in 2060! What a thought!
From brand snobbery to The Queen – Matt’s talking about what lies beneath in some products and asks if they’re worth it.
Do you know a brand snob? I bet you do. Maybe you are one yourself. Who knows, but let me tell you this; manufacturers and retailers have got you and me wrapped around their little fingers. Of course, this is nothing new, and badge engineering has been going on, well, forever. We tend to think of brand engineering as a relatively new phenomenon, linked to our fast-paced consumer led lives, but it’s just not the case. Indeed, preserved street food shop branding was found on previously submerged buildings in Pompeii, during a dig in 2020, having been previously covered by a volcanic eruption in 79AD. I mean, what have the Romans ever done for us‽
Nowadays, a brand’s application, values, promotion and maybe even worship is a very sophisticated affair…see Apple’s iPhone! Allow me to explain. I might even make the odd reference to sustainability, repair and the forthcoming Jubilee, an odd combo I think you’ll agree.
Am I worth it?
A slight twist on a well recognised slogan there, but with a serious point. The well know French manufacturer of hair and skin care products that rhymes with ‘low-heal’ (sort of) sells high quality, well-engineered products at a premium price on the promise that said product will deliver benefits way above anyone else’s say, shampoo. And you can afford it, because ‘you’re worth it’, quite possibly the best marketing slogan of all time, in my humble opinion! However, they’ve been taken to task around the world by various agencies for making over ambitious claims about their products, which are potentially misleading.
It’s something we need to think about when seeing adverts featuring famous film stars, endorsing the latest eyelash enhancing widget that they claim we all need in our lives. They don’t do it for the love and it must be said that one can have the same beautiful shining locks using a bottle of shampoo from Lidl.
Hang on Matt, what’s any of this got to do with repair or sustainability, anyway. Good point. I must get back on track. But first…
Hands up; how many of you have bought a product on brand reputation alone?
I have, and I’m sure you have too, but have those purchases always lived up to the promises made on the packaging and propaganda that influenced our choices? Sometimes. Here’s the thing though, many items such as toasters, kettles, TVs, lawnmowers, clocks, laptops, cookers, washing machines and irons (I could go on) are either similar or identical inside. The makers’ mark, colour and name of the product may change on the outside, but the insides can be the same.
How do I know this? Well, I must have opened up 1000s of products like this during repairs over the years, and have got to understand who really makes what. It’s really nothing new and manufacturers have been doing it, since er, Roman times. Always in the interests of good value, I want to make sure I and others are not paying too much, if one must buy something new.
FixItWorkshop, Wothing, May 2022, A Smeg toaster in bits.
But how can you tell if two seemingly different toasters are basically the same without taking them apart, one at say £99, the other at £39? It’s very tricky. By having your wits about you and an interest in detail, can save you cash. Pay attention to the position of the knobs, switches and dials and have a good look at the toasting slots especially. If they look more than similar, chances are they were at least made in the same factory. At the end of the production line, one had an expensive badge applied, the other had the cheaper relative. If the expensive one comes with a longer warranty, then it may be worth it, if it doesn’t well, that’s for you to decide.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, May 2022 – Queen in her trusty Land Rover Defender – or is it a Land Wind?
In other news, it’s the Queen’s Jubilee this year, and in case you didn’t know HRH is a big fan of the Land Rover, well, the Defender anyway. As a lifelong devotee to one of most reverered motors of all time, maybe The Queen will be celebrating her time on the throne with a little bit of repair and maintenance by doing the odd oil change and tappet adjustment on her trustee motor. Incidentally, the Land Rover marque is much admired and carries much kudos, so much so that manufacturers literally copy Land Rover vehicles in China, where intellectual property rights may not carry as much weight, in order to sell their cars. And that’s just another example of a brand’s power on the mind.
If you’ve read my articles before, then you’ll know that I’m a fan of good quality, simpler and supported repairable products. In general, it means that one doesn’t have to keep replacing things like toasters every couple of years – wasting energy and materials. However, in the interests of balance, some branded things are usually higher quality and perform better than the wannabes. Take a set of high-quality Bowers & Wilkins speakers or a Brompton folding bicycle*, both good examples of, repairable items made to last a lifetime. They may seem expensive in the first place, but will give many years’ service, perform well and still hold their value, when you come to sell them on. Something to think about the next time you need to splash out.
This month in Tales from the Workshop, I want to talk about three sensitive subjects that are not often discussed in repair circles, and readers of a nervous eco-disposition are advised to look away now!
Controversy Inside The Workshop
Repair Cafes and campaign groups such as Restart.org and Repair.eu are working hard to defend our repair rights and offer support to local communities, by providing empowering repair skills. It’s all good stuff. But I’m often asked to fix things which are not viable because the damage or wear is so great or the time required to do the fix will take many months, that I can’t offer. And that’s all before we’ve discussed parts availability, cost and other materials. So, this month, I thought I’d consider the case against repair. Have I gone quite mad?
One
Sometimes, it just isn’t worth repairing stuff, sometimes a broken thing should just be thrown out at the appropriate recycling facility, of course… or scavenged for usable spares in my case!
It’s no coincidence that popular TV series The Repair Shop majors on pre-1980 cherished items. Older items, made from quality materials, conceived before manufacturers built-in precise planned mechanical and electronic obsolescence, usually stand a chance of being repaired by crafts people, as that’s how they might have been made in the first place.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, April 2022 – an over-complicated Kitchenaid kettle with too many electronic parts… luckily, not all kettles are made this way.
You see, a child’s toy or home printer manufactured today, on a sophisticated plastic moulding machine with sealed-in electronics will be almost impossible to repair without destroying the outer casing first. And even if you could get to the faulty battery or printed circuit board, it would be virtually impossible to repair at a reasonable cost, assuming the spares were available. Believe me, I’ve tried. When asked to take on certain repairs, I must be honest and frank with would-be customers about the chances of success and likely time a repair will take, which isn’t a conversation I like having, but it’s essential. Those conversations are not TV friendly.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, April 2022 – Matt with a washing machine.
Years ago, and I generalise here, people repaired things as it was usually cheaper to patch things up to get more wear out of the item. Whether clothing, cars or kettles, repair kits and local engineers were always available and usually cheaper than buying new.
But take a modern washing machine, and parts prices are often not economic to buy, especially when you factor-in an engineer’s time for the repair Its often easier and cheaper to replace the whole thing anyway with next day delivery, just a click away on your phone with interest free credit. And that’s a mighty tempting prospect when the family’s washing is piling up on the floor.
Two
On to my second controversial point; repair is now the reserve of the reasonably well-heeled. As a general observation, most of my customers are reasonably affluent, women coincidentally, and have a historic connection with the faulty item which they want repaired. It could be a favourite family toy or food mixer that needs a little TLC. To bring it back to life, it will need care, parts, experience and (usually lots of) time. All things that must cost money. The results will hopefully bring joy to the customer, which is all part of the experience. It’s why The Repair Shop works so well.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, April 2022, A classic Anglepoise lamp in the workshop for some ‘light’ restoration.
Repair is definitely a discretionary purchase now and if you’re a bit brassic, and your microwave oven goes kaput, are you going to spend £100 getting your old machine repaired? No, you’ll do the sensible thing and buy a new one from Amazon for £40 delivered next day, as you need to feed your family.
Three
New appliances are sometimes more efficient and perform better. Take a domestic fridge. Modern ones could use as much as half the energy than those made 30 years ago, and offer more features as standard.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, April 2022, torches old and older – but one has a modern CREE LED bulb that will burn retinas.
Compare a modern household torch made recently with one made 15 years ago and it will be like comparing a tea light with the sun. Technology never stops marching on, and we can all benefit from replacing some creaking appliances with something up to date sometimes. But all this comes with a big health warning.
You might be wondering if I’ve lost the plot, knocked the shed down and chucked out my screwdrivers. Not a bit of it. It’s usually more environmentally beneficial to keep something running as long as possible by spreading the manufacturing and shipping impact over a long functional life. And I don’t know about you, but I dislike the thought that someone else has already booked the death day for something I own!
I mean, just by looking at carbon-offsetting alone, consider this: Replacing a domestic kettle every three years, which has been shipped from China, made with complicated materials and electronics with no hope of repair, is not as environmentally kind as a simpler one that lasts for 9 years. Sadly, those kettles just don’t exist any more and if they did, I suspect that they would be far too expensive to be a mass-market product.
It’s such a complicated conundrum to solve, it’s just not possible to do in these hallowed pages alone. But I can leave you with a simple piece of advice; look after your things, buy quality items if you can and consider second-hand at all times to make the Pound (or insert your chosen currency here) in your pocket go further, all very sensible in these uncertain times.
*** Stop press! Feedback from FixIt Clinic in the U.S. ***
One of the great things about keeping a blog is the engagement with readers. Over the years, I’ve built up a network and contact base with fellow fixers, around the world; from all over the U.K., Europe, North America and Australia. We are certainly not alone!
Following my light article on reasons why one might not repair something, my friend Peter Mui from FixIt Clinic in the U.S. got in touch to share his thoughts. I liked his letter so much that I thought I’d share it. And since you’re here and obviously interested in this subject, why not check out their website? http://www.fixitclinic.org
Hi Matt:
I’m compelled to drop everything and to respond to your three cases against repair:
One:
Agreed: many things these days are overly complex relative to their core functionality (the KitchenAid kettle is a good example) and I would totally support a return to simpler designs generally.
Currently there’s a “race to the bottom” where the dominant factor in design for manufacturing (DFM) is to lower manufacturing cost in ways imperceptible to the [purchaser user owner] until the item is out-of-warranty. That’s why Fixit Clinic hosts through colleges and universities: to inform up and coming design and engineering practitioners to design for [durability maintainability serviceability repairability] from the very start using open source designs.
– Totally agreed, Peter. It IS a race to the bottom and agree wholeheartedly with your point – Matt.
How can we get (return?) to a situation where most things can be cost-effectively repaired?
There might be an alternative future where the design and engineering of durable goods discourages “manufacture on sophisticated plastic moulding (sic) machines with sealed-in electronics that are impossible to repair without destroying the outer casing first”, instead: spare parts are readily available at low cost from multiple sources and are easily interchangeable.
Two:
(First: I believe you intended to write “well-heeled” not “well-healed”)
– thanks for the spot Peter – Corrected! – Matt.
Agreed: there’s a component of economic privilege in repair at the moment: ironically it’s more expensive to repair than to buy a replacement.
If the end-consumer / owner is sufficiently motivated to be willing to assume (most of) the research and labor for an item that can often change the calculus in favor of repair; that’s why Fixit Clinic emphasizes conveying generalizable skills over “free” repair or repair as a service. But only the well-heeled have the precious time to undertake repair; your average consumer / average user, factoring in the time and uncertainty of the outcome, makes a reasonable economic calculation against repair and just buys a new item.
Additionally, there’s the perception and widely held assumption that “new” is always better than “used” or “repaired”.
I don’t have a good solution here either: the true full cost of modern durable goods is not reflected in the price paid at the moment of purchase; until the myriad of upstream and downstream costs of an item are added into the moment-of-purchase price this is going to be a hard nut to crack.
Three:
See “They Used To Last 50 Years” https://ryanfinlay.medium.com/they-used-to-last-50-years-c3383ff28a8e which makes the case that if you factor in the embodied energy in their manufacture and their shorter durability, new appliances may not be as ideal as keeping less efficient appliances in service for as long as possible. And I submit that the LED lighting vs. incandescent lighting example is cherry-picked: lighting technology is a category where the energy savings through technology advancement is particularly visible (wink.) The vast majority of new items or features marketed as “advancements” are incremental or even retrograde; my (admittedly also cherry-picked) counter example is 3D TV: do the people who upgraded to pricey 3D TVs feel they got good long-term value? Probably not.
Anyway, thanks for keeping me engaged into the wee hours of the morning.
If it looks like it might come in handy, then it probably will…
Rubber bands, toothbrushes and cat food
This time in the workshop, I thought I’d give you a behind the scenes glimpse into just some of my repair world, by sharing some of the shed-tastic-things that I do regularly to save things from the dump.
Before we start and without meaning to sound pompous, repair is sometimes a bit of an art. When manufacturers no longer make something, or the part you need never existed in the first place, it can sometimes mean getting creative in order to make something function again. This takes time of course and can even lead nowhere, but it ain’t half-satisfying when it all works out. Google a problem and there’ll be a link, video or picture explaining an appliances’ issue and maybe a quick-hack repair (if you’re lucky), but it’s often the humble tricks of the trade, which breathe new life back into something.
Hanging on to ‘useful’ repair nick-nacks also requires almost concerning levels of organisation, which can mean more expense on things like containers and storage. I’m allergic to more cost. But by using ‘free’ packaging that comes with many everyday consumables, one can save cash by repurposing. Still with me, thought so.
As you might have guessed by now, I dislike waste immensely and will always do my best to avoid it. So, here is my random, if not weird, top five cash-saving, waste-busting, possibly ingenious ideas even, that might just serve you well too. And remember, if you don’t use any of the following suggestions for repair, there’s nothing like doing a bit of junk modelling to pass the time on a cold winters’ night.
Five – old toothbrushes
We all (hopefully) use them, but I fear that far too many only hang around in bathrooms. So, stop throwing them in the dustbin, when it’s time for replacement. Why? Well, where do I start, quite frankly. Dirt and corrosion are the curse of many a broken lamp, bike and dust sucker. Toothbrushes make excellent cleaning tools by using the brush in small crevices, on bike chains, on electrical switches, or on vacuum cleaners. I could go on. Cut the brush bit off, and you have an excellent scraper, again, ideal for cleaning. Toothbrushes are usually made from high-grade plastics and have excellent properties. Many a time have I fashioned a plastic part from an old toothbrush handle.
It’s not just me finding new life in old toothbrushes. My good friends and fixing supremos, Danny and Karen Ellis (aka @menditaussie) in Oz, have also come up with some very useful re-purposing ideas. See video below. Give them a follow.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, January 2022 – Featuring MendItAussie’s handiwork, with kind permission. FixItWorkshop, Worthing, January 2022, Don’t forget your toothbrush.
Four – torn washing-up gloves
Stop sniggering at the back, old rubber gloves (the Marigold type) can be re-purposed for many useful things, where elasticity and waterproofness are two qualities needed. I favour making rubber bands from them. Yes, you heard correctly. The next time your favourite flowery rubber gloves spring a leak, why not cut the arm bit down into slices, and you have a healthy supply of rubber bands. I use rubber bands to neatly store appliance flexes, before customer hand-over, it’s just more professional. Neat eh?
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, January 2022, making rubber bands from old rubber gloves.
Three – take away pots and lids
Endless possibilities for these! The plastic ones make excellent batch cooking meal containers for the freezer as many will know, but what you might not have considered is that plastic lids also make a really good base to cut out small plastic templates, brackets and covers for all sorts of small repair jobs. Low-tech it may seem, but I’ve lost count of the times that I’ve made pretty decent replacement parts from old pots this way. I’ve even made lamp shade brackets from shampoo bottles and cosmetic pots, which tend to be a bit thicker and can be used when a superior finish or strength is required.
Two – empty coffee tins
We’re all coffee aficionados these days, and manufacturers have responded to the market’s expertise and perhaps snobbiness with some very funky packaging. I love funky packaging and really enjoy the artwork and logos manufacturers have now put on these colourful tins. They’re far to good to go in your recycling bin and can easily be rinsed out to make a handy storage container for all of those useful shed-trinkets. Many lids from Kenco and some of the supermarket-own coffee tins also fit regular tins of baked beans, tomatoes and cat food too, so save those lids to preserve a half-consumed tin of moggy grub. Waste packaging like this can even be educational! Coffee tins make excellent old-school string telephones for kids, teaching them how sound can be transmitted. Cool eh?
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, January 2022, re-using old lids.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, January 2022, handy screwdriver pot.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, January 2022, simple fun- a tin pot telephone!
One – a drinks can
Hopefully you’re not disappointed by the number one slot. I have been known to walk the streets in search of an old beer can if I have non in stock, for a repair, they’re that good! They’re usually made from aluminum, so won’t rust, are strong, abundant and effectively free.
Using a pair of scissors or sharp knife, spacers (shims) and washers can easily be fabricated on your kitchen table, but do take care as the metal edges are always sharp. I’ve often used a can in this way to make a scooter steer correctly or a lawn mower switch on again. Material is sometimes lost as moving parts wear. Sounds familiar right? Sometimes, a small trimming of can metal, in the right spot on a broken item, is all you need to make the difference between bin or box fresh.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, January 2022, old tins can come on handy when repairing things like scooters.
Just remember: Cutting things out involved knives, scalpels and scissors and any sharp implement that might come to mind. Once the item you need is cut out, that might be sharp too. So, take care and take your time.
Right to repair laws are a good thing on the face of it, but don’t go anywhere near far enough to give the public back control over their appliances.
As you might expect, I’ve been keeping a weather eye on our neighbours in France over the last couple of years and was pleasantly surprised when they announced a Repairability Index scheme, on the 1st of January 2021, the first European country to do so.
The scheme in France will make it easier for consumers to assess the longevity of some products on the market. But I nearly choked on my custard cream, when the UK Government announced a Right to Repair bill for UK consumers, which came into force on the 1st of July 2021. The news report made it sound as if a magic wand had been waved by the Brits, and that all our gadget maladies had vanished. Sadly not.
There’s always a backstory to any announcement like this, and the new UK ‘right to repair’ laws, are on the face of it, a good thing. However, don’t for one minute that the new laws passed will help the public directly.
The laws will make it compulsory for manufacturers to provide spare parts and documentation to professionals, whoever they are, for at least ten years. Consumer items such as TVs, fridges and washing machines, will in theory, be given the opportunity to last longer. But there are problems, and here’s why. The legislation doesn’t specifically cover planned obsolescence, parts prices and consumer accessibility or product durability. These are all issues generally accepted as the main barriers to repair. Let me explain.
FixItWorkshop, July 2021, Kmix mixer, being repaired.
FixItWorkshop, July 2021, Kmix mixer, fixed!
During the many years I’ve spent locked away securely in the workshop, I’ve regularly been presented with items which were designed, made and sold with no attempt on the manufacturers’ or retailers’ part to design-in repair. In other words, many items that I see are not meant to be repaired at all, and there’s usually no support network in place, when the product is out there in circulation. Sometimes I can fix these things, sometimes I can’t and many-a-time, I’m working without certainty. Over the years, I’ve built-up knowledge on certain products and have a working knowledge of various spares providers for many items, but this trainspotter knowledge, isn’t easy to acquire. It takes many shed-years and a limited social life.
Items such as complicated coffee machines and toasters do have some spare parts available, sometimes long after they’ve gone out of production, but prices for spares are often so high that repair might not be cost-effective. I once attempted to repair my own UK made Triton shower as the heater inside had failed. The shower was 10 years old and parts, were available here in the UK, for delivery next working day. Price of a replacement boiler £80. Price of the same brand-new complete shower from Screwfix, £50 with a new warranty. Now, as much as I’m passionate about repair, I’m not daft. I had a bath instead.
The new legislation, which is regarded by me and others in repair circles, is a step in the right direction and certainly highlights the current issues around our throwaway society. But it doesn’t scratch the surface of the problem. Not even close.
A true Right to Repair would enforce proportionate parts prices, sensible repair accessibility, free documentation and accessible repair support from manufactures and retailers directly to consumers and independent repairers. Luckily though, there is good news. Repair initiatives such as therestartproject.org, repair.eu and the Repair Café movement are actively campaigning, organising petitions and actively lobbying governments for change, and you can get involved. Repair Cafés operate in my own area of Adur and Worthing (Sussex, UK) and are home to dedicated repairers and tinkerers.
And there’s more good news. Over the last 20 years or so, eBay has revolutionised the second hand domestic goods parts market. If you need a cost-effective part for your vacuum cleaner, coffee machine or washing machine, you might just find the part you need online from parts breaker, on eBay. I’ve saved many a vacuum cleaner using a second-hand motor for a tenner and recommend it, if you know what you’re looking for and have the nerve. If the government is serious about right to repair, the circular economy and its goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions, the process needs to include all stakeholders. Honest and transparent consultation with robust legislation that includes the second hand parts market and the home repairer is the only way to truly gain back control of our appliances.
A classic 1980s Tomy Kongman game pays a visit to the workshop, for some much-needed TLC.
Every now and again, a little gem drops right into my inbox and I think; Christmas has come early. My eyes light-up! It’s nice to get something different to work on, and hopefully repair, especially when it involves motors, batteries, ball bearings and a gorilla.
A customer contacted me after rediscovering Kongman in his attic, not literally you understand, but the 1980s hit toy from Tomy. The toy was in wonderful condition, despite being a little dusty. A new battery had been installed, but upon switching it on, nothing happened. Not even a peep.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, June’21, Kongman box
I should really kick this thing off by saying what Kongman (the game) is. Kongman is an animated vertical game with the objective of getting a small metal ball bearing from the bottom of the wall to the top. The player must defy gravity and move the ball up-stairs, across a bridge, along several steps to a magnetic swing and then into a lift. The zenith of the game is reached with a quick flick of the ball on to Kongman’s magnet hand, which then gets dropped down a hole, ringing a bell on the way down. Fun really doesn’t get any better. If you’ve ever played Screwball Scramble, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what I am talking about. Did I mention that this infuriating game can be set against the clock too? Bonkers!
Tomy’s Kongman comes from a time just before kids games started to contain many electronic gizmos and wizmos within, parts that when kaput, render a toy useless, forever. Luckily, Kongman uses an electro-mechanical animation movement; elegant and clever. Old, but good.
Kongman is powered by a single D-cell, 1.5V battery and the motion of the toy is actuated with a reassuringly simple little motor, connected to a compact gearbox driving a series of levers and rods, which make up the games’ animation. On a slightly different note; are D-cell batteries an endangered species? I mean, really, ‘what the 1980s torch’ takes D-cell batteries any more?!
Make and model: Tomy Kongman, circa 1981
Fault reported: Not working
Cost of replacement machine: £40.00 if you can find one working
Manufacturer support (in the UK): 0/10
Cost of parts (for this repair): £0.99p
My time spent on the repair: 1 hour
Tools needed: Small knife, pliers, small screwdriver
The toy wouldn’t run and after checking the basics like battery contacts and proving that the local wiring from the battery compartment to the main gubbins was OK, it was time to dive in.
One of the things that makes this already difficult game to complete, is the fact that as a player, you’re up against the clock. This seemed to be the next logical place to check.
The timer seemed to be part of the gearbox which is responsible for driving the rest of the game’s motion. I found this a most practical application of sound and efficient design. You can trace the DNA of this toy back to early pinball machines and jukeboxes, something I also love. Anyway, I seem to be getting romantic, not the workshop way.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, June’21, front of game.
FixItWorkshop, Worthing, June’21, difficult to play!
The gearbox was easy to remove, just a few screws, and it was out. The timer’s switch contacts were situated within the ‘box and came apart with a gentle prod of a small screwdriver. This allowed me to apply a small amount of additional tension to the switch’s spring and to clean the contacts with cleaner. Reassembling was pretty much the reversal of the disassembly.
With the gearbox back in, it was time to turn some attention to the mechanism, to ensure smooth, reliable performance. With nearly 40 years’ worth of dust to contend with, it was time to clean all of the game’s nooks and crannies with a small brush and treat some of the sliding parts to a little silicone, plastic-friendly, lube.
With the D-Cell battery installed, a deft twist of the timer’s knob, and the game sprang to life.
I’ll be honest with you now. I tried several times to get the ball the whole course to ring the bell, against the clock, but alas, I failed. I did complete the game, but only with the timer set to ‘auto’… which provides as much time as you need, or at least until the battery runs out.
I discuss some basic tools that should be found in every home…
I think it was Michael McIntyre who first referred to the man-drawer as ‘the funniest drawer in the kitchen’, full of all the ‘that’ll come in handy items’ that we accumulate over time. It’s brilliant observational comedy, and he nailed it so well that today, we often refer to the ‘man drawer’ as a thing in our homes. The reason that the joke still resonates today is that it’s true. But, what should be in a man (or woman) drawer for the conscious home maintainer?
Toolbox talk!
I want to talk about the tools that I think every home should have. Tools that could empower you with a fighting chance of having a go at fixing something yourself. The tools that will help you get the best from your appliances, make things last longer and help save you money. If you already have a good selection of tools, skip the next paragraph and head straight to the ‘common jobs, useful tools to have’ section. If not, do read on.
Let’s bust some tool-related myths. Firstly; tools are expensive. Sure, like anything in life, you can pay through the nose for a set of screwdrivers or spanners if you want to, and there’s a tool quality to suit all circumstances and pockets. But here’s the thing, for most DIY purposes, a reasonable set of basic screwdrivers costs less than a tenner and the best part is that you’ll get that money back again and again when they’re put to use. Secondly, you need to be an ‘expert’ to use tools. Well, a knife and fork are tools and we all (hopefully) use those, so don’t be deterred by people who might dissuade you from tackling jobs yourself. I’m wary of the term ‘expert’ anyway. In my experience, experts are a rare thing. Luckily, these days, most of us have access to YouTube. Search for the thing that’s foxing you and the chances are that one of the 2.3 billion users have an answer.
Before you reach for your phone to fix a dripping tap, if you haven’t got some already, you’ll need to arm yourself with some basic tools. Below is a brief summary of tools I think every home should have and what I think they can be used for. Some jobs are obvious, some less so.
Common jobs, 6 useful tools to have
1: Small flat-blade electricians’ screwdriver. I think it’s possible to write a thesis on the usefulness of a small flat-blade screwdriver, but I’ll spare you that for now. For small change, you can buy one and use it to: Wire a plug, adjust light fittings, get batteries out of a gadget, scrape-off old paint from a surface, prising something open, cleaning nooks and crannies. A screwdriver like this has uses beyond screws.
2: Pliers and cutter combination tool. Really useful for cutting and shaping garden wire, fixing Christmas lights, fixing kids toys, recovering items that have ‘fallen down a gap’ not forgetting cutting and trimming wire. If you have a bike, a lawnmower, taps or doors in your life, then you need pliers and cutters as adjustment of those items will be needed from time to time. Do it yourself, and you’ll save yourself time and money.
3: Adjustable spanner. If you don’t have space/ need/ cash for a full spanner set, consider an adjustable spanner instead. OK, so they’re not ideal for regular nut-spinning, they are useful for those less frequently required tasks such as; adjusting a bike saddle, tightening a tap and adjusting a radiator valve.
4: Cable ties and electrical tape. OK, not strictly tools, but honestly, I can’t think of more useful tool/fixings to have in your own man-drawer. Cable ties and electrical tape has a million uses, are cheap, readily available and can fix so many things either temporarily or permanently including; tying cables, mending a broken handle on a hoover, fixing a backpack strap, mending a buggy, making a hook loop, tying a door back. I always keep both in my mobile tool wrap to fix something, on the go. Get some today.
5: Screwdriver set. If you’re going to tackle more jobs around the home, invest in one that contains at least; big and small flat blade screwdrivers and large, medium and small cross-head screwdrivers. From kitchen appliance maintenance, kids toy adjustment, door hinge fixing to furniture assembly, a basic screwdriver allows you to keep things running for longer and to do the job properly.
6: A small set of Allen keys. Allen ‘hex’ screws are used on lots of things now including bikes, home appliances and children’s toys. As with the other tools mentioned here, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a set of keys that will open many common household objects.
Don’t worry if you don’t yet have the knowledge to fix your coffee machine, just a quick search on YouTube will show you how to remove the doofer to access the widget to clean the thingy. Using a few of the aforementioned tools will allow you to complete the job like a pro, saving you cash, saving the appliance from landfill and giving you the power to do more. Just remember to unplug from the socket first. Tools also make excellent gifts, so the next time you’re wondering what to buy a loved one, have a sneaky peek in their man drawer, make a note of what’s missing for your gift list.
Until the next time… Do you have a DIY fixing related matter that you’d like me to explore in this section? If so, please get in touch.
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