Year: 2013

  • Preventing Steel Rusting on My Carport

    This post describes the methods used to prevent steel rusting on the frame of my car port. I used two part epoxy resin paint when I repainted rusty sections after 19 years.

  • Dripping noise from a rainwater spout

    Dripping noise from a rainwater spout

    Preface This post refers specifically to downpipes with a square cross section. It shows how to modify a rainwater downpipe spout (shoe) to stop a dripping noise when the drip starts within the outlet shoe. Introduction For drips that drop off the guttering outlet and fall all the way down to the bottom of a straight downpipe and hit the…

  • Employees Pose Security Risks To Businesses

    Employees Pose Security Risks To Businesses Trend Micro says employees pose security risks to businesses by their carelessness. So don’t allow access to your business data through your employees. Data is exposed by Wi-Fi hijacking and by employees losing mobile devices. Read about it on IT PRO by clicking here.

  • Drag-n-Drop Context Menu in Windows

    Drag-n-Drop Context Menu in Windows

    Drag-n-Drop Context Menu Discovered After Nearly Losing Files After many years I have just found that there is a specific Drag-n-Drop Context Menu, in Microsoft Windows 7 & Windows 10 at least. For years I avoided Drag-n-Drop in favour of Copy and Paste. This discovery came about after I found I was Moving files out of folders…

  • My Easily Positioned Bed Headboard Wall Fixings

    My Easily Positioned Bed Headboard Wall Fixings

    Introduction This post describes a method for DIY readers to make and mount bespoke wooden Bed Headboard Wall Fixings, to my design, so that no bolts are visible and so the headboard can be removed by just lifting it vertically to allow for cleaning or horizontal adjustment. It gives a specific example. Other headboards will be different, but I hope anyone wanting to use this…

  • Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 by RING

    Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 by RING

    Introduction This post is about the RING Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 which is an excellent pump for inflating anything with a Schrader valve, (e.g. car tyres, bicycle tyres, etc.) or balls, airbeds, etc. (3 Inflation Adapters are supplied). It has to be powered by a 12 volt (30 amp peak) supply such as a car battery (not provided).

  • I Reduced Windows 7 Startup Time To Two Minutes

    I Reduced Windows 7 Startup Time To Two Minutes

    Introduction I have wanted a way to get a reduced windows 7 startup time for a while. I was concerned about the time it took from switch on to the point where all apps that start automatically were ready for use. This has generally increased over the years during the time I had previous versions…

  • My Casio Databank Watch is DEAD

    My Casio Databank Watch is DEAD

    My Old Casio Databank Watch I bought this Casio Databank Watch (LEFT) in 1995 and although it has had several batteries and replacement straps it has lasted 18 years until this week when I noticed the digits had all gone off. A week before I noticed it had reset to a date in 1990. I…

  • Spilling Juice From Cartons or ‘Tetra Paks®’

    Spilling Juice From Cartons or ‘Tetra Paks®’

    Introduction This post contains instructions on how to avoid spilling juice from cartons or Tetra Paks®, with a rectangular cross-section, while opening or lifting them. It’s quite natural to grip cartons by the easiest method (the broad sides) while opening them, or lifting them when they’re still full, causing the contents to pour or squirt out inadvertently. Cartons with a square cross section are indifferent…

  • Tin Whiskers in a Wireless Thermostat Receiver

    Tin Whiskers in a Wireless Thermostat Receiver

    Introduction Tin Whiskers are a crystalline growth made of the element tin. They are in the form of a very thin straight hair with one end attached to the tin from which they are formed. They often form on lead free solder used to fix components to circuit boards now that lead is banned.

  • Dyson Slim DC18 Upright – Undercarriage Repair

    Dyson Slim DC18 Upright – Undercarriage Repair

    Introduction This post gives a detailed description, with photos and reference to a Parts Diagram, of how to replace a Dyson Slim DC18 Undercarriage. The Undercarriage would require changing if part of it broke since parts cannot be obtained individually. I changed mine when the Air Input Changeover Valve Actuator broke. “Since I first published…

  • Sweeping Car Snow Away Using A Hand Brush

    Sweeping Car Snow Away Using A Hand Brush

    Introduction It’s a nuisance if you get caught out in winter weather without an easy way of sweeping snow away from your car. You might be smartly dressed and have to hurry to your next appointment. So you need to be prepared with a procedure that works and keeps you clean. The scenario when you…

  • How Many Parts Make A Shower Head?

    How Many Parts Make A Shower Head?

    How Many Parts? You may be surprised to learn that the shower head that came with my Mira Sport Thermostatic Shower is made from 22 separate parts. If you count them in the featured image above you will see 21 but take note that the main body of the shower head, on the right, is made…

  • Keeping Birds Off TV Aerials

    Keeping Birds Off TV Aerials

    Introduction In my previous post “Freeview Aerial Direction” you may have noticed something unusual about my Yagi TV antenna/aerial. Yes, amongst the array of directors in front of the dipole and on the reflector at the back there are some Zip Ties (Cable Ties – often used for anchoring a cable to something else). In this…

  • Terrestrial Freeview TV Aerial Direction

    Terrestrial Freeview TV Aerial Direction

    Introduction In November 2012 I had my terrestrial TV aerial relocated to another corner of my chimney stack so that it doesn’t overhang my solar panels. Birds were perching on it and making a mess on them. Consequently I needed to check my TV aerial direction to be sure it points to the transmitter. The aerial engineer (Martin…