14
votes
Demagnetize a tool
There are a few ways to destroy a magnet.
By impact
Rough handling (dropping, hitting, etc.) a magnetized item can weaken it as well as creating one from iron bearing metal. That's how tools become ...
- 14.2k
10
votes
Remove string from vintage caster wheels
Similar to Stan's answer, I would cut through it - but with a box cutter or razor blade. Just press the blade into any part of the tangle and slice across it. Then move to another spot and repeat. ...
- 11.6k
9
votes
Remove string from vintage caster wheels
A seam-ripper can be used to penetrate the tight wrap and cut several layers of it at once. Push the point through the knot to cut through it. After this, there will be loose threads (and hair) to ...
- 14.2k
8
votes
How to remove the broken part of the tip inside of the stylus of Sony Digital Paper DPT-RP1?
Maybe it would work if you heat a thin needle to the point where it melts the plastic the tip is made of, stick it into the stuck part, wait till it cools and solidifies, then pull the needle? Could ...
- 312
8
votes
How can I make a motor with a belt change directions?
Frequently, there is. Simply loosen the strap, take it off the motor, give the strap one twist, reconnect it to the motor, and tighten the belt. The belt now makes a figure-of-eight instead of a ...
- 221
8
votes
Could I remove the back-light from an LCD screen and let sunlight illuminate it from behind?
You could do that; but, it's much simpler to make a laptop sun shade from a cardboard box.
Open the flaps and put the box on its side. Put the laptop inside the box and the shadow will allow you to ...
- 14.2k
7
votes
Shared tools always getting lost
A place for everything and everything in its place.
You mentioned that you tried to use Tile (an audible signal device) to locate items; but, that its efficiency is limited due to the high noise ...
- 14.2k
6
votes
How can I grip a soldering iron close to the tip without burning my hand?
If you want to do precision soldering, you could try one of the below options,
1) buy a more expensive iron for the job that's required - not a life hack,
2) instead of putting the objects being ...
- 359
6
votes
Shared tools always getting lost
In the bicycle shop where I work, each tool board has its own colour of tape wrapped around every tool - this helps people to know where to replace tools when they're done using them.
Another ...
- 161
5
votes
How to remove the broken part of the tip inside of the stylus of Sony Digital Paper DPT-RP1?
My pencil dropped down and broke for months and I've fixed it just now.
Here're some tips share with you, hope it helps if you encountered with
the same problem.
Prepare a needle, as thin as ...
- 151
5
votes
How to clean old sticky pc mouse with rubber coating?
Isopropyl alcohol works really well. (99,9%). I just used an old t-shirt as cleaning cloth. Completely removes the rubber coating. No more sticking and there is no way it can come back!
If for any ...
- 201
5
votes
How to secure the drill bit to the tool body?
You say you tried placing adhesive in the hole but it is too tight a fit: there is nowhere for the excess adhesive to go.
Instead, apply the adhesive to the shank of the drill bit. Then any surplus ...
- 4,799
5
votes
What Allan key do I use to loosen this 12.9 HDW nut?
It's really hard to judge scale from a photo.
$£€ 12 will buy you two sets of allen keys - metric & imperial. they'll last you a lifetime. The upside with allen keys is they only come in quite a ...
- 2,256
4
votes
Remove oil build-up on the touchpad
According to JOFEL (a plastics manufacturer), most laptop trackpads are made from ABS plastic. This is from their website:
- 41
4
votes
How to repair silicone rubber?
I saw in a YouTube video recently (from King of Random, he was making a mold of a roast chicken) that casting silicone doesn't stick to anything except silicone rubber (he discovered the exception at ...
- 9,832
4
votes
Accepted
Unscrewing a screw which have loose teeth
I suggest you the following:
Use a thick rubber band between the screw and screwdriver
This provides friction enough to let it start to move.
Try pressing the square drive a bit into the screw and ...
- 1,957
4
votes
Accepted
Cleaning the back of LCD screen
You got some REALLY BAD ADVICE.
You cannot remove the acetone. You have melted the plastic on the back of the screen. Acetone is a solvent for plastic.
If the area is very lightly affected, you may ...
- 14.2k
4
votes
How can I make a motor with a belt change directions?
The most time-efficient method of reversing an electric motor's output is electrically. Single phase induction motors are (relatively) hard to reverse, but three-phase motors are easy -- all that's ...
- 9,832
4
votes
3rd and 4th hands
If I get you right, you are looking for something like this:
You can find this kind of thing if you search on Google "clamps for soldering wires" (as I did). They may have a better name, but do not ...
- 2,850
4
votes
Cutting a screw while minimizing the damaging effect of vibration
The Dremel style tool with an abrasive cutting disc is your best option. These come in a couple different sizes and durability options.
Dremel disks
I go for the smaller, heavy duty disks. These are ...
- 780
4
votes
How to conceal a mop outdoors to make it look aesthetically more pleasing?
I'd like to point out that mops (and brushes) last longer and stay fresher if they are not resting on the business end. They spark more joy if you hang them up.
Our mops and brushes come with a hole ...
- 1,511
3
votes
How to remove the broken part of the tip inside of the stylus of Sony Digital Paper DPT-RP1?
Superglue works well! I've tried the needle heating method but the needle just couldn't pull out the broken part even though it's already penetrated half of the tip. So I applied a little glue on the ...
- 31
3
votes
How to remove the broken part of the tip inside of the stylus of Sony Digital Paper DPT-RP1?
I just did this. All it took was a pin (I used a safety pin, because it's easier to get a grip). I jabbed it into the top of the tip HARD and then slowly pulled up. The tip came right out, first try.
- 31
3
votes
How to remove the broken part of the tip inside of the stylus of Sony Digital Paper DPT-RP1?
This happened to me this morning, but I successfully got it out. What I did was take a thin bobby pin and ran the tip of it along a rough piece of metal in one direction over and over till I bent the ...
- 31
3
votes
How can I mend the worn screws in my laptop?
the problem with putting glue down the screw hole as a repair is that most glues will grip the screw threads tightly and will not want to unscrew at all. This grip can be so great that you will shear ...
- 1,342
3
votes
Accepted
How can I mount my surge protector using these holes
Lawrence posted the right answer 4 hours ago. I just want to add more clarification, and when I started typing this clarification as a comment on Lawrence's answer, it got too long.
The slot holds ...
- 11.6k
3
votes
DIY Grabber Pole
I don't think you need the pulley, if you add an extension to the plastic "finger" that moves. (See my diagram below.) Attach your bike cable to that extension piece. It will increase your leverage, ...
- 11.6k
3
votes
How to secure the drill bit to the tool body?
Braze it or Silver Solder it
If glues and epoxies fail, for a more permanent solution, you can try brazing the drill into the holder. You would need a torch setup to do it. If you don’t have the ...
- 251
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible