c/fix-it-together

Vent: My attempt to fix a wobbly chair with wood glue and a clamp went sideways

I had this old kitchen chair from a set my folks gave me. One leg was loose, so I cleaned out the old glue, put in some fresh Titebond III, and clamped it tight for a full day. When I took the clamp off, the leg was rock solid, but now the chair leans about two inches to the left because I must have set it on a uneven surface while it dried. Anyone know a good way to fix a chair that's glued solid but not square?

My brother-in-law told me to just buy a new lamp instead of fixing it.

I was trying to rewire a vintage ceramic lamp from a garage sale in Austin, and he walked in while I had all the parts laid out on the kitchen table. He looked at it for a second and said, "That's a waste of time, you can get a new one for twenty bucks." What's a good way to explain why fixing old things is worth the effort?

My kitchen drawer fell off its tracks while I was making breakfast this morning.

The metal guide on the left side just snapped clean through, so I had to prop it up with a stack of cookbooks. Anyone know a good brand for heavy-duty replacement slides?

Vent: My old kitchen faucet cartridge swap took me three hours when it should have been twenty minutes.

Appreciation post: The $2 tube of super glue that saved my favorite lamp

I was about to trash it because the ceramic base cracked clean in two, but a guy at the hardware store told me to clamp it tight for a full 24 hours, not just a few. Has anyone else fixed something you thought was a lost cause with just glue and patience?

Rant: My washing machine flooded my kitchen last Tuesday and I fixed it with a $3 part

I was making dinner when I heard a weird gurgle from the laundry closet. Opened the door and there was an inch of water on the floor. The machine was mid-cycle and just dumping water out the bottom. Panic mode. I pulled it out, unplugged it, and mopped up the mess. After a quick search online, I figured it was probably the drain pump hose. Took the back panel off, and sure enough, the little plastic connector on the hose had cracked. Drove to the appliance parts store, bought a new hose for three bucks, and swapped it in twenty minutes. The whole thing was less about skill and more about not being scared to open it up. Has anyone else had a simple fix save them from a huge repair bill?

My neighbor's comment about my busted lawnmower changed how I see old tools

I was about to junk my 12-year-old push mower when Mr. Jenkins next door saw me and said, 'That's a good engine, just a dirty carb.' He showed me how to clean it with a $3 can of spray and a socket set. It started on the first pull after that. I used to think old stuff was just trash waiting to happen. Anyone else have a simple fix that saved something you thought was done for?

Serious question, I dropped $60 on a heat gun to fix a peeling vinyl floor and it just made a bigger bubble.

Has anyone actually had luck with this method, or should I just call a pro before I ruin the whole kitchen?

My old recliner broke at a really bad time and I had to figure it out fast.

I was at home trying to relax after a long day when the footrest on my favorite chair just dropped with a loud snap. The metal bracket that holds the main spring had cracked clean through. I had to pull the whole thing apart right there in my living room. I found a similar bracket at a shop downtown for about eight bucks and used my socket set to put it all back together. Has anyone fixed one of these before and have a trick for lining up the new parts easier?

Just realized my local hardware store has a free tool rental day every Saturday

I was in Ace Hardware on Main Street last weekend trying to fix a wobbly chair leg and saw a sign about it. They let you borrow things like pipe wrenches or tile cutters for up to four hours at no cost if you buy something small. Has anyone else used a service like this for a home repair job?

Pro tip: my neighbor saw me fixing a wobbly chair and said I was using the wrong glue

I was trying to fix a kitchen chair leg that kept coming loose. I had it clamped up with some basic white craft glue, the kind my kids use for school projects. My neighbor Frank, who does woodworking, came over and just shook his head. He said, 'That stuff is for paper, not for joints under stress. It'll fail in a week.' He was right, it had failed before. He told me to get some proper wood glue, like Titebond II, because it soaks into the wood fibers and makes a bond stronger than the wood itself. I bought a bottle for about eight bucks and redid the repair. That was six months ago, and the chair is still solid as a rock. I had no idea there was such a big difference. What other simple glue mistakes do people make around the house?

Just realized my old drill has a torque setting for a reason

I was trying to put together a new shelf from a box and kept stripping the screws. I found a dusty manual online for my 10-year-old Black & Decker drill and saw it mentioned a clutch. I turned it down to the number 4 setting and the screws went in perfectly without messing up the heads. I mean, I've had this thing forever and never used that part. Has anyone else had a simple tool feature they ignored for years that actually fixes a common problem?

My old kitchen table went from wobbly mess to rock solid in about an hour

The thing was shaking so bad you couldn't write on it. I finally took a look underneath and saw all the old glue in the joints had completely dried out and crumbled. I used a syringe to inject some Titebond III wood glue into each loose joint, clamped it tight with some bar clamps I had, and let it sit overnight. The difference is crazy, it doesn't move at all now. Has anyone else fixed wobbly furniture this way, or did you try something different like adding corner braces?

Hit 50 pounds of stripped screws and bolts from old projects in my scrap bucket. That's a lot of failed fixes.

Just found out my old TV remote uses a light I can't see to work

So my TV remote stopped working last night, and I was ready to take it apart. I grabbed my phone to look up the model number, and I saw a tip online to check if the infrared light was still blinking. The post said to point the remote at your phone camera and press a button. I tried it, and sure enough, I could see this little purple flash through my phone screen that was totally invisible to my eye! I had no idea that's how they worked. I always thought it was just a radio signal or something. Turns out the sensor on my TV was just dusty. A quick wipe with a cloth and it's good as new. Has anyone else fixed a remote this way, or found other simple fixes for electronics that seem broken?

Serious question, has anyone else tried fixing a wobbly chair with a stack of old coasters versus a single shim?

After my 5th coaster slid out and the chair tipped over, I spent $2 on a pack of wooden shims from the hardware store and the difference was like night and day, so what's the weirdest thing you've used as a temporary fix that totally failed?

I've been using a flathead screwdriver to pry open paint can lids for years, but my wife just asked why I don't use the actual pry bar notch on the handle of my 5-in-1 tool.

I was halfway through my third can of primer for the living room when she pointed at the little notch on the tool I had sitting right next to me, and I just stared at it for a solid minute.

Can we talk about the 'just glue it' advice for broken furniture?

I was helping my neighbor fix a wobbly kitchen chair leg, and he immediately said 'just hit it with some super glue' without even checking the joint. I argued we should take it apart, clean the old glue, and re-clamp it properly, which took an extra 30 minutes. Is a quick glue fix ever okay, or does it always just kick the problem down the road?

My old lamp from college started flickering after I moved it to the garage

Turns out the socket was just loose, so I tightened the terminal screws with a small screwdriver and it's been solid for a month now. Anyone know a good way to clean the old brass shade without taking the finish off?

My bathroom fan stopped working, so I tried two ways to fix it.

First, I just replaced the motor unit, which cost about $40. It worked for a week. Then I pulled the whole housing and found the old plastic duct was crushed and full of moisture. Replaced that with a proper metal duct kit for another $30. The fan has been quiet and strong for six months now. Anyone else find that fixing the root cause, not just the symptom, is the only way that sticks?

I keep seeing people use wood glue for everything and it's not always right

Last month I was fixing a wobbly chair leg in my kitchen and my buddy told me to just slather on more wood glue. I did, and a week later it broke again because the joint was loose. Wood glue needs a tight fit to work, it's not a gap filler. For that chair, I had to shave a thin piece of wood to make a shim for a snug fit before gluing. Has anyone else had a project fail because they used glue wrong?

Heard a contractor at the hardware store say 'a clean joint is a happy joint' while picking up some wood glue last week.

That little phrase finally clicked when I was fixing my wobbly bookshelf, and taking the extra minute to sand the old glue off completely made the new bond way stronger, so what's a simple tip that's saved your butt on a furniture repair?

My 3 year old lawn mower started making a grinding noise last month

Thought it was the blade at first. Pulled the plug, tipped it over. Blade was fine. Checked the oil, still good. Noise got worse each time I used it. Took off the deck last week to really look. Found the problem. The pulley that drives the blade was shot. Bearings were gone, metal on metal. Local hardware store wanted $45 for a new one. Ordered the exact part online for $18. Took an hour to swap it out with basic tools. Runs quiet now. Anyone know a good way to check those pulleys before they fail completely?

My kitchen faucet handle snapped clean off on a Tuesday morning.

I was just trying to rinse a coffee mug before work and the plastic post inside the handle broke, leaving me with a useless nub. I found a replacement cartridge at the hardware store for $12, but the old one is stuck in there good after 8 years. Has anyone had luck getting a stuck Moen cartridge out without wrecking the valve body?

I was stripping screws on a laptop hinge for years before a friend pointed out my driver was worn

He said 'your bit is rounded, man' and I realized I'd been using the same cheap set since 2019. Anyone have a favorite brand for precision screwdriver bits that last?