Went to a repair cafe in Portland and it changed my mind about taking stuff apart

I stopped by this monthly repair cafe at a library down on Belmont last Saturday. Honestly I went in thinking it would be a bunch of hobbyists showing off their soldering skills. But this older guy fixed my broken desk lamp in about 10 minutes by just cleaning the contact points with a pencil eraser. That simple fix cost me nothing and I had been ready to toss the lamp in the trash. It made me realize I don't always need to swap out entire boards or components when half the time the problem is just dirt or a loose wire. Now I'm kicking myself for all the stuff I threw away over the years that probably just needed a good cleaning. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that make you rethink your whole approach to repairs?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucas1651mo ago

Grab a can of DeOxit D5 contact cleaner (it's like $12 on Amazon) and you'll fix half your electronics problems before you even open the screwdriver drawer.

anthony9891mo ago

Nah @lucas165, that stuff is overrated and I've had better luck just wiggling the plug.