I repaired a credenza and made a pair of shelves to make a dry bar corner.
Published 2022-03-19
Category: Reconstruction and Repair
Projects that involve reusing materials to repair or repurpose something.
Published 2022-02-11
Fixing a jammed PS4 disc drive
When I went to load a game for the first time in this PS4, the slot drive blocked my disc. This drive has a little wall that it lifts up so that you don’t accidentally stick a disc in while the disc in the drive is spinning, but this drive had a bit of an underbite. That wall was jammed above its intended position and was locking the rest of the mechanism.
Published 2021-12-02
Simple skateboard rebuild
This was a very simple project, just stripping down a skateboard from a thrift store, painting it, and assembling it.
Published 2021-10-07
Web server upgrade
Last night I finished and installed a new web server laptop, replacing the little one that had been running this site for the past two years.
Published 2021-06-02
Bathroom vanity from dresser
Last year we had our bathroom professionally remodeled. One part of the bathroom that I wanted to do myself was to build the new vanity from a cute dresser. We had seen DIY sites with how-to tutorials for converting a wood dresser into a water-resistant vanity, so we went to…
Published 2021-04-16
Kitchen cabinet remodel
Last summer we started a long process to resurface our kitchen cabinets and counters to make them both more functional and more modern-looking. We started with a plan that we wanted to do something about our ugly cabinets. My best guess is that the previous owner had tried to stain…
Published 2021-02-24
Fiat 500e cell phone dash cradle
This is a hack for the old model Fiat 500e GPS stand to convert it to a powered phone holder and charger.
Published 2020-08-28
Tuning a 1926 Corona portable typewriter
This is one of Smith’s “Corona” portable typewriters, manufactured in 1926. At some point, it entered my grandparents’ typewriter store in San Francisco and, after they retired, it entered my grandfather’s basement collection of over 150 typewriters. After he passed away, my dad dug it out of the basement and…
Published 2020-04-09
Coffee table from recycled table
Last year I helped some friends move out of their apartment. They were going to throw out this dining table because it was badly damaged, with some burn marks and a broken leg. It’s a typical Ikea-or-something dining table. I needed a coffee table for our game room, and I…
Published 2020-03-29
Reusing cabinet shelves
A while ago, I helped some friends move to their new house. They had one of those Target-brand shelves that every college student is familiar with. They cost about $20, and you can find lots of them for free near dorm dumpsters after the school year ends. The shelf was…