• Hi all and welcome to TheWoodHaven2 brought into the 21st Century, kicking and screaming! We all have Alasdair to thank for the vast bulk of the heavy lifting to get us here, no more so than me because he's taken away a huge burden of responsibility from my shoulders and brought us to this new shiny home, with all your previous content (hopefully) still intact! Please peruse and feed back. There is still plenty to do, like changing the colour scheme, adding the banner graphic, tweaking the odd setting here and there so I have added a new thread in the 'Technical Issues, Bugs and Feature Requests' forum for you to add any issues you find, any missing settings or just anything you'd like to see added/removed from the feature set that Xenforo offers. We will get to everything over the coming weeks so please be patient, but add anything at all to the thread I mention above and we promise to get to them over the next few days/weeks/months. In the meantime, please enjoy!

What I have fixed today

To fix or not to fix???
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Grandchild shut lid down onto his headphones.
Unlike the older brother it was pure accident rather than loser tantrum
Its not that old and cheapest like for like second-hand replacement is around £100.

Sods law its the touchscreen version so the cheapest lcd unit is £40 instead of £20 and they're not interchangeable as its a different connector.
I've studied the YT academy of Chromebook repair and its do-able ish
The only caveat is a moderate chance of irreparable damage to the motherboard during disassembly as that activity wasn't in the design brief.

I'm thinking get the old screen out first which is where things are likely to go south and only then consider buying a new screen
The rest of the journey appears to be less fraught.
Still a gamble and £40 is very useful elsewhere at present.

All of the normally salvageable commodity like hard drives,memory,cpu etc are integrated within the motherboard so theres not even much scrap value.

Im 50/50 with this so some opinion could tip the balance if you'd be so kind.
 
Does it have an HDMI (i.e. video) output socket? If so, you might get it to drive another monitor.

I would also expect it to recognise a mouse automatically (USB), so you'll get a normal cursor on-screen.

I think Chromebooks run a flavour of Android, as does my Samsung Galaxy tablet: If I give that a mouse and screen, it behaves much like a desktop machine.

Might that be a workaround while you do more research?
 
Thanks Eric
No ports except a UsbC

They have these strictly for school and also use them for homework via Microsoft Teams
I had 25 lbs of books bulging out of an adidas bag......

Its not needed for anything else so its just the do I or dont I question Im sitting on the fence with.
The school holiday gives a six week window before a replacement has to be bought.

I get a real kick out of repairing things that others have given up on.
Nothing to lose by attempting a clean disassembly,then buying the new screen.
But is it worth it?

I just wondered what anyone else would do.
 
Well, wasn't really in need of fixing. More one of removal and seizing an opportunity that presented itself at 9am this morning.

Dan, the tree surgeon, was over at the Main House complete with crew and chipper. SWMBO had asked me months ago to get rid of two ornamental cherry trees to open up the area and get some more light and air as the garden is sterile due to 40 years of neglect. I had no issue with chopping them down. My issue was how to get rid of the brash. Unlike the 5.5 acres we had at our last place, the current place is tiddly and getting rid of garden waste iffy. Then..... 💡

Toddled down to see Dan and he agreed to bring the chipper down and also remove the trunks ( WIP).

So a quick 15 minutes with the chain saw and both trees de-limbed. Result.

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fuse said:
Thanks Eric
No ports except a UsbC

They have these strictly for school and also use them for homework via Microsoft Teams
I had 25 lbs of books bulging out of an adidas bag......

Its not needed for anything else so its just the do I or dont I question Im sitting on the fence with.
The school holiday gives a six week window before a replacement has to be bought.

I get a real kick out of repairing things that others have given up on.
Nothing to lose by attempting a clean disassembly,then buying the new screen.
But is it worth it?

I just wondered what anyone else would do.
Click to expand...
Try and repair it. But would depend on what other pressures there were on my time
 
fuse said:
Thanks Eric
No ports except a UsbC

They have these strictly for school and also use them for homework via Microsoft Teams
I had 25 lbs of books bulging out of an adidas bag......

Its not needed for anything else so its just the do I or dont I question Im sitting on the fence with.
The school holiday gives a six week window before a replacement has to be bought.

I get a real kick out of repairing things that others have given up on.
Nothing to lose by attempting a clean disassembly,then buying the new screen.
But is it worth it?

I just wondered what anyone else would do.
Click to expand...
You could try a USB-C to HDMI multiport unit (around £11 to £19.50 depends on which you choose) to attach a monitor and a Bluetooth mouse... along the lines as @Eric the Viking has mentioned - could be worth a punt if you don't need it to be 'mobile' 😉.

I did a Google and got a few come up on Amazon. I searched for: "connect an hdmi monitor and Bluetooth mouse to samsung tablet " ... Had youtube vids also...

I wasn't aware it was possible to connect a Samsung tablet to a monitor this way - or a Bluetooth mouse until he mentioned it. Thanks Eric 👍
 
Someone has been working hard in the garden, looks a bit different from when I saw it .

Is the robot lawnmower doing well?
 
AndyP said:
Someone has been working hard in the garden, looks a bit different from when I saw it .

Is the robot lawnmower doing well?
Click to expand...
That's all the missus's work.

Robot is sulking as there is nothing to cut
 
Cutting the tops of the weeds before they go to seed is worth doing. I’ve just cut mine for first time in more than two weeks and I was surprised by how much dry dead grass was sucked up straight and cut. In the shade of a few trees the grass was still green and 6” tall.
 
Still technically in the heat wave Scott - according to the weather presenters anyway 😎
 
Rigged up some greenhouse watering for when we are away for a few days soon.
5l water bottles with the bottom cut off and holes punched through the cap. All my toms and Qs are in pots which helps contain the water: with these bottles I get 4-5 days of self watering.
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these water bottles are also used a cloches for lettuces which will get planted when we get back.
 
That looks very neat and tidy, so presumably the right size of holes and it just leaks over 4/5 days, did it take some experimenting and what difference on not cutting the ends off? But that would be awkward for refilling no doubt.
 
I just went with what you see Ian. I have always planted toms etc in 12" pots which helps contain the water. I push the plastic bottles into a small recess in already moist soil to start with. You could keep the bottoms on I suppose which would reduce evaporation and slow down the drip but then I could not dual purpose them as clothes.
 
Mike G said:
They're called an MVHR system over here (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery). They're not common, but I've been installing them in every project I've been involved with over the last 30 years. We work on 1/2 an air change per hour, but even so, it's such a gentle air movement that no-one knows the system is on. No condensation or steamed-up mirrors, even in the middle of the coldest winter. No wet dog smells in the house. A fresh-smelling house when you come back from a 3 week holiday. No mould. And best of all, no trickle vents, and therefore no draughts. Fresh air, but warm. They're a brilliant bit of kit.
Click to expand...
Very interesting. Having a keen interest in heat exchangers, I have never seen this in South Africa in homes. Being involved in the Aerospace business I had lots to do with fresh air circulation in control rooms, shelters etc. but we have always taken in unconditioned fresh air - thereby taxing the HVAC systems unnecessary. Can this system work for both hot and cold ambient air circulation? Maybe a bit backwards in the South of Africa! :oops:
 
The day I moved shop was extremely humid and the tools were cold. Instant flash rust on unprotected surfaces. Made me mad because the machines have been in a climate controlled workspace for the last 12 years without a bit of rust anywhere. Then this.

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I spent a couple of hours this afternoon cleaning up the lathe. Single edge razor blades are great for the flat surfaces, followed by a Scotchbrite pad and some wax. Smaller and odd shaped bits got the wire wheel treatment and a sprayed corrosion inhibitor. For moving parts I usually now lubricate with a dry bicycle lube.

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That must have been very annoying! Glad to see you got back to normal straight away though.
 
The 'heath robinson' aluminium water bottle holder, adapted looooooong ago on 'The Blokebike' to hold my 'Kryptonite' cycle lock finally snapped on my way back from town today, or at least one of the two 'arms' at the back went tinkling into the road. One I arrived home I got the bike into the 'shop and found a suitable former (a 16mm socket):

IMG_8132.jpeg

...to bend the remaining arm into a 'U' shape, aided and abetted by the use of a large Birmingham Japanese screwdriver. Job's a gud'n - Rob
 
GaryR said:
The day I moved shop was extremely humid and the tools were cold. Instant flash rust on unprotected surfaces. Made me mad because the machines have been in a climate controlled workspace for the last 12 years without a bit of rust anywhere. Then this.

View attachment 56618
View attachment 56619

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon cleaning up the lathe. Single edge razor blades are great for the flat surfaces, followed by a Scotchbrite pad and some wax. Smaller and odd shaped bits got the wire wheel treatment and a sprayed corrosion inhibitor. For moving parts I usually now lubricate with a dry bicycle lube.

View attachment 56620

View attachment 56621View attachment 56622
Click to expand...
I’m in exactly the same position Gary, except that I didn’t have a controlled environment to move into, my combi machine is getting pretty bad, but will soon be able to be de-rusted, this is very useful thanks.
Ian
 
In a previous life I made a doorbell-cum-key-cabinet in American Cherry. I was pleased with the design, but my planing skills left a little to be desired, there is some tearing of the grain, but at least it is where it is not seen.

When life went TU, the cabinet spent a while in a barn, which did not do it any favours. Then it got moved from pillar to post and it ended up here in France but looking somewhat jaded.

So I have refurbished it, rubbed down, two coats of hardwax oil (Aldi's finest, good stuff) and rehung it. Originally the bell was purely electric and ran on batteries, but when I moved, such a wired system would have been very obstrusive. I made it wireless, but the receiver is always on and it just ate batteries.

So in this new kitchen I'm doing (très lentement) I've had a box installed, 220V in, 6V out, to drive the receiver. No batteries. And now I have a very neat installation.

cabinet closed.jpg

cabinet open.jpg

The bell-push was a find in a little hardware shop in, IIRC, Venice. It is brass and prone to tarnishing, which affects the reliability of the contacts, but I've cleaned that up and at the mo, it is working beautifully.

bellpush.jpg

S
 
That's really nice Steve. Your work always looks good. Inspirational. We've got one of those commercial metal key cabinets which is ugly, but has about 80 hooks I think (some keys are used once in a blue moon). Something like yours, scaled up a bit, is much nicer and it is also not obvious to the casual observer what it is.
 
Thank you. Yes, it is a very satisfying jingly-jangly bell. B&Q's best, IIRC.

If you have ever been to Juliet's balcony, you will know what a dirty mess the whole courtyard is. I feel sorry for the people who have to live there. .

The Hardware store was just round the corner.

In that part of the world the houses are all plastered/pebbledashed, and those bell-pushes are simply set into the wall. It's more difficult in the UK where houses are made of bricks. But in my last house I made a wooden housing for it, a bit like a bird box, but I still had the problem of battery drainage.

It's now let into an oak pillar of a VERY badly constructed porch. Water everywhere when it rains (remember rain?)

This setup should last me out.
S
 
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Not being as modern as @Steve Maskery in my last house I went for a purely mechanical system, it’s a ships bell with stainless wire which runs through nylon bushes in the wall and a spring return, home made bell pull, it gave trick or treaters enormous fun!
It had been up a few years when I took the photo.
IMG_5811.jpegIMG_5812.jpeg
 
GaryR said:
The day I moved shop was extremely humid and the tools were cold. Instant flash rust on unprotected surfaces. Made me mad because the machines have been in a climate controlled workspace for the last 12 years without a bit of rust anywhere. Then this.

View attachment 56618
View attachment 56619

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon cleaning up the lathe. Single edge razor blades are great for the flat surfaces, followed by a Scotchbrite pad and some wax. Smaller and odd shaped bits got the wire wheel treatment and a sprayed corrosion inhibitor. For moving parts I usually now lubricate with a dry bicycle lube.

View attachment 56620

View attachment 56621View attachment 56622
Click to expand...
How frustrating! Still, they've come up nicely.
 
Cabinetman said:
Not being as modern as @Steve Maskery in my last house I went for a purely mechanical system, it’s a ships bell with stainless wire which runs through nylon bushes in the wall and a spring return, home made bell pull, it gave trick or treaters enormous fun!
It had been up a few years when I took the photo.
View attachment 56942View attachment 56943
Click to expand...
Nice and your slot screws are all clocked. How did you achieve that ?
 
A quick umbrolley fix for the field table which won't best please my wife who wanted me to buy a new one ;) Only a couple of hours work so nothing lost.

The offending ancient and badly faded item in situ.

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Just a bit broken

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Some ash offcuts I can use for the spars

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Roughly dimensioned I won't bother too much as it won't last.


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Cut to size, drilled and started to bolt sections together

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Frame assembled

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Cover fitted. looks better from underneath than above. ;)

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The outside is just a little bit faded. :rolleyes:

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As I said it will be temporary. I looked a replacing the material but not really worth the effort as I know she'll want a new one. :rolleyes::ROFLMAO:

There are a few too many weeds around but I can't treat them as we have a few of these little fellas around at the minute and they love them.

IMG_5004.JPG
 
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When I first fitted my bench vice after restoring it, I used some bits of plywood for the jaws. They didn't last very long, mainly because they got beaten up a bit quickly, but partly because I wanted to add some bench dog holes in the moving jaw. I replaced them with the only bits of wood I had at the time that were big enough - some off-cuts of walnut that I got from a local timber yard.

The walnut jaws stayed there for a couple of years. Around four years ago, I got rid of the walnut fixed jaw (which was quite thick) and replaced it with a thinner bit of oak, flush with the rest of the bench front.

The oak and walnut jaws have got gradually more damaged over the last four years, partly from normal wear-and-tear and partly from abuse (e.g. clamping screws in the vice because of being too lazy to go down to the other end of the workshop!) The moving (walnut) jaw was quite thick so has been planed down once or twice, but being flush with the bench I couldn't really plane the oak one down (and that was the one that had suffered the worst).

Anyway, I've wittered enough. The point is, I've finally got round to replacing the jaws, this time using the bit of beech leftover from making the grooving planes:

new_vice_jaws.jpg
 
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