c/fix-it-dont-toss-it

I used to throw out old toaster ovens when the timer broke, then I found a simple fix

For years I just tossed my toaster ovens and bought new ones once the timer dial stopped clicking right. About 6 months ago I pulled the back panel off my old Black & Decker model and saw the mechanism was just jammed with a crumb. A quick shot of contact cleaner and a gentle wiggle got it working again, saved me $45. Has anyone else fixed a small appliance just by cleaning out the guts?

Just figured out I was over-tightening my drill chuck for months

Kept stripping bits left and right until my buddy Tim at the hardware shop said to just give it a light snug instead of cranking it like a jar lid. Has anyone else wrecked a dozen phillips heads before realizing this trick?

Wasted $200 on a rubber roof patch kit that failed after 2 months on my shed

The tube said it bonds to wet surfaces but it peeled right off during the next rain, so is the whole rubber roof repair thing a scam or did I just buy the wrong brand?

Why I stopped believing that "you have to replace old windows" advice

I was at a home improvement workshop in Portland last spring and this energy auditor guy kept saying old wood windows are basically garbage and you should just swap them for vinyl. I get that single pane windows aren't great for heating bills, but I restored three of my 1950s wooden sash windows last summer for about $40 total, using new glazing points and some rope caulk. The guy I bought my house from put cheap vinyl replacements in the back bedroom and they already have condensation between the panes after just 7 years. My old windows slide smooth, they don't rattle, and the storm windows I added cut the draft way down. Has anyone else found that old windows can work fine if you just put in the effort to fix them up instead of trashing them?

My dad's old hand plane from the 1950s shaves wood better than my $80 new one

I was helping clean out my dad's garage last month and found a beat up Stanley hand plane from the 1950s. Figured it was junk but he told me to take it. Spent an afternoon flattening the sole and sharpening the iron, and man it cuts like butter. My 3 year old modern plane from the hardware store can't touch it. Anybody else find old tools that work better than new stuff?

Three appliances died in one week, my washing machine quit on a Tuesday

My fridge went silent Monday morning, the dryer drum seized up Tuesday, and the washing machine just filled and drained on repeat Wednesday. I managed to swap a $8 capacitor in the fridge and found a stuck sock in the pump on the washer, has anyone dealt with a seized dryer drum before or am I looking at a new machine?

Switched to a rubber mallet for my chisels after 20 years and wish I did it sooner

Everyone told me a wooden mallet was the only proper tool for hand-cut joinery. I finally swapped to a 16 ounce rubber mallet two weeks ago and my chisel handles aren't mushrooming anymore. Has anyone else made this switch or am I missing something with the traditional approach?

Unpopular opinion: paint stripper is overrated for old furniture

I tried heat guns for years because everyone said chemical stripper was too messy. Last week I finally used Citristrip on a 1950s dresser and stripped the whole thing in 2 hours flat. Anyone else find heat guns just scorch the wood instead of actually removing the finish?

That $12 lamp I tried to fix ate up three whole afternoons

I found this cool little desk lamp at a thrift shop in Portland for $12, figured it just needed a new switch or bulb holder. Three afternoons later I had tested every single wire, replaced two capacitors I didn't even need to mess with, and bought a multimeter I probably won't use again for a year. Turned out the problem was a tiny crack in the brass contact inside the socket, took me about 30 seconds to bend it back into shape with a toothpick. Felt like a real goofball when I realized how simple it was, but hey, now I know way more about lamp wiring than I ever wanted to. Has anyone else spent way too long fixing something that ended up having a dead simple fix?

Fixed my squeaky bedframe with a bar of soap last night

Was tossing and turning around 2am and every move sounded like a dying mouse. Took the mattress off, pulled the frame apart. The wood joints were rubbing together. Remembered my grandma used to rub soap on squeaky doors so I grabbed a bar of Irish Spring from the bathroom and rubbed it all along the joints where the wood meets. Put it back together and silence. Cost me like 50 cents worth of soap instead of buying a new frame. Anyone else got weird fixes like that?

Spent 4 hours fixing a lamp shade instead of buying a new one for $15

My floor lamp shade got crushed when my nephew knocked it over last weekend. I was this close to just tossing it and grabbing a cheap replacement from Target for like 15 bucks. But then I figured why not try to reshape it with some heat from a hair dryer and a cardboard form I made. Took about 4 hours and burned my fingers twice on the metal frame but honestly the shade looks almost as good as before. Now I'm sitting here wondering if the time was actually worth it or if I should've just bought a new one. Has anyone else gone way overboard fixing something that was cheaper to replace?

The washing machine drum tilted and I think I can fix it myself

My 8 year old Samsung top loader started making this awful grinding noise last week and now the drum sits crooked when it spins. I pulled the front panel off and saw a broken suspension spring on the left side, which seems like a simple swap if I can find the right part online before shipping kills the deal. Has anyone replaced one of these springs before or should I just look for a used machine instead?

My neighbor laughed at me for trying to fix a toaster with a bent prong on the plug instead of buying a new one

He said just get a $15 toaster at Walmart, but I straightened the prong with pliers, plugged it in, and it's been working fine for 6 months now, so who's the fool?

Unpopular opinion: I used to throw away rusted garden tools without thinking twice

Last week my pruners were so rusty I couldn't close them. Was about to toss em but read online that a soak in white vinegar for 24 hours works. I tried it and they look almost new, definitely keeping them next time.

Wasted $60 on a cheap toaster repair kit that made things worse

I tried to fix my pop-up toaster last month using a $12 universal repair kit from Amazon. I figured it was a simple spring replacement, you know, save a few bucks. But the springs were the wrong size and the brackets didn't line up with my model at all. After two hours of jamming things in there, the toaster started smoking on the first test run. I ended up tossing both the toaster and the kit in the trash. Has anyone found a reliable place for toaster parts that actually fit common brands?

I think everyone is too quick to replace cracked ceramic mugs

Last month I dropped my favorite coffee mug and got a hairline crack, but instead of tossing it I used a food-safe epoxy to seal it from the inside and it's been holding up fine for 3 weeks now. Has anyone else tried fixing cracked ceramics instead of trashing them?

My 5 year old blender just started smoking mid smoothie

I was making my morning smoothie in Portland last Tuesday when white smoke started pouring out of the bottom of the blender base. I unplugged it fast but now it won't turn on at all. Has anyone successfully replaced a motor in one of these or is it time to finally let it go?

Hit 50 fixes this year and it kind of snuck up on me...

Finally saw what a $15 soldering iron could do to a $200 lamp

My mom's old desk lamp stopped working and I was ready to toss it. I watched a 10 minute video where a guy fixed the exact same model with a simple solder joint on the switch wire. Tried it myself last weekend and the lamp worked perfect after just 90 seconds of work. Totally changed my mind about learning to solder - figured I'd mess it up but the before and after was wild. Anybody else have a repair that took less time than finding the right replacement online?