Reader's bodges

[mmmmartin]

I extracted the PCB
copious flux residues
sloshed in some isopropanol
deionized water
buzzed it in the ultrasonic bath
firing up the semi-aqueous cleaner
 conductive contaminants on the board

Reading this makes me feel so inadequate. I've no idea what those words mean. But I am seriously impressed. I'd have binned it and bought a new one. Which would have been about one-thousandth as satisfying.
Chapeau.

[Kim]

I bet a squirt of IPA directed at the switch would have achieved the same job.  Tactile switches are rubbish.

[fuzzy]

I've had a really annoying Cateye blinky for about a year, a TD-LD560. It came out of the bargain bin in the LBS and it's supposed to come on automatically when it gets dark, it has a light and movement sensor in it (so- presumably- it goes off when you park your bike in the shed). You can disable this function by holding down the on/off button according to the manual.

As soon as I put batteries in it the thing started blinking and no matter what sequence of pushing/ holding down the on/off button I tried it remained on forever. I never got around to returning it.

Today I took it to work to have a look at it. I extracted the PCB and noticed there were copious flux residues all over it (not surprising it wasn't cleaned but it wasn't very appealing). I chucked it into a beaker, sloshed in some isopropanol and a bit of deionized water and buzzed it in the ultrasonic bath for an hour (I thought of firing up the semi-aqueous cleaner but didn't, not because it was overkill but because I'd have to fill up the wash tank). Gave it a nice rinse in deionized water, stuck it in an oven at 80C for 30 mins.

And now it works. I can turn the damn thing on, cycle through the blinky phases, and then turn it off.

Don't know whether it was a case of using some crappy solder paste/ other flux or whether there was some other conductive contaminants on the board.

Easily the most satisfying job I've done all year, if not in my entire life.

I'd like to say you need to get out a bit more but, I am damn impressed with your satisfying fettlage

[Palinurus]

I bet a squirt of IPA directed at the switch would have achieved the same job.

It's likely, yes.

[Palinurus]

I'd like to say you need to get out a bit more but, I am damn impressed with your satisfying fettlage

I also fixed an iPhone battery connector at lunchtime using a soldering iron (fiddly!) but I reckon the cheaper and more insignificant a thing is the more satisfaction there is in fixing it.

I bet if I fixed a flashing bowtie I'd be feeling great for a month afterwards.

[Mr Larrington]

I bet a squirt of IPA directed at the switch would have achieved the same job.  Tactile switches are rubbish.

That would be a criminal waste of good BEER thobut.

[Palinurus]

I bet if I fixed a flashing bowtie I'd be feeling great for a month afterwards.

This morning I've been handed a very important job, soldering a broken connection on a string of LED lights which are usually attached to my colleague's son's saxophone.

[Palinurus]

I extracted the PCB
copious flux residues
sloshed in some isopropanol
deionized water
buzzed it in the ultrasonic bath
firing up the semi-aqueous cleaner
 conductive contaminants on the board

Reading this makes me feel so inadequate.

That's my job. I just noticed you finished PBP!

[Palinurus]

Made a new fixing eye for my Cyo with Sugru.

Ooh, I'll be interested to hear how well that lasts.  I've got a Cyo with the same problem.

It's still holding up, even survived a crash just before christmas. I think it's good-enough.

[Somnolent]

Dismantled an unused Klickfix maptrap, a little of trimming with a Stanley knife to fit the back of a Legend HCx (a rather bruised and battered spare back plate, courtesy of Kim )

Drilled right through the Klickfix with a 1/8" dia drill, then counterbored the "top" with a 5mm.

UNC4-40 x 5/8" long socket head screws through and into the threaded hole in the Garmin back, and a 5g packet of sugru to fill the gaps and repair the damage in the back plate.



The Klickfix bracket is really secure on the stem, and mounts the screen an inch or so higher (every little helps - my eyes are getting no younger).  Doesn't tend to mess up the sticky band on the Garmin Legend like the predecessor RAM mount did.

Just wondering if anyone else has done anything similar?
Six years on and this mount has outlived two Etrexes !

[mmmmartin]

I'm quite impressed with that, sugru lasts ages, obvs

[Palinurus]

Minor bodge. Currently using a C&B Seen rear light, attaches with an O-ring. The place I liked to mount it was on the bit of seat tube that sticks up under the seat clamp, but here it would rattle against the seat clamp plus it would twist around somewhat. Stuck a little cushion made out of Sugru on the back, made an impression of the seatclamp in it, then let it dry. Much better now.

[hulver]

Not sure I've posted this anywhere before, a pretty standard bodge, but works really well for all the silly sustrans gates I have to go through if I take the trail to work.

Pushed the brake / gear levers up as far as they'll go on the bars, hacked about 3-4cm off the end of each. I can now go through the gates without having to dismount and turn the bars to fit through. It's so much nicer.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Though it might be more productive to take the hacksaw to the gates...

[hulver]

Though it might be more productive to take the hacksaw to the gates...

That's quite a lot of work. If I take the full trail route to work, I go through 4 of the things. Cycle path route, 2 of them. Road route 0. You can guess which is the quickest.

Portable angle grinder perhaps. 

[Paul]

And you didn't even have to stop cycling! Was there a moment as you approached the gate when you weren't sure you were going to finish cutting but the end fell off just in time?

[Kim]

And you didn't even have to stop cycling! Was there a moment as you approached the gate when you weren't sure you were going to finish cutting but the end fell off just in time?

Nahh, I bet he stopped to pick up that socket set.  Not often you get a chance to out-do Blodwyn Pig on finding things during a ride.

[rogerzilla]

I cut MTB bars down, because they're all too wide for easy breathing and the local trail has a pair of trees near the end that are only 2' apart.

The downside is that winter comes and you realise there is no space left to put a light.

[Kim]

The downside is that winter comes and you realise there is no space left to put a light.

Or there's plenty of space, but it's all of an inconsistent diameter and at a weird angle to the direction of travel.

[Palinurus]

Got a Fly6 rear light/ camera. All the rubbery coating has come off the velcro strap so it slides around, did a quick fix with whatever was available in my desk drawer at work- stuck a sticky fixer to the back of the light and then stuck a small rectangle cut from a wide elastic band on top of that. Pretty good (I'm sure the Loctite applications people who share our site could have found something to recoat the strap but for this I didn't need to leave my seat)

[Palinurus]

Made a new fixing eye for my Cyo with Sugru.



Seems to be holding.

Noticed it is coming loose today, lasted well-enough though. Will either replace the light or try to remake the fixing eye with mouldable epoxy.

[Kim]

Cor, that's lasted well.

[Palinurus]

Cor, that's lasted well.

Decided to spring for a new one, but it's lasted longer than I expected (and it's still fairly secure- I gave it a good wiggle to check it wasn't about to drop off and swing into the front wheel)

[Palinurus]

Cor, that's lasted well.

Decided to spring for a new one, but it's lasted longer than I expected (and it's still fairly secure- I gave it a good wiggle to check it wasn't about to drop off and swing into the front wheel)

Replaced it yesterday. The Sugru held up well, failure was due to further cracking in the plastic of the mounting eye. Might even repair it again and use it on my Elephant Bike.