repair
Frontier | Winston (@frontiermap)
A damaged large transformer on the US grid can take five years or more to replace. The country has between 4,900 and 6,799 of them, and about 90% of the electricity it consumes passes through at least one. It imported 82% of the large transformers it bought in 2019. Bushings…
An Average Joe's Guide to HVAC | The Art of Manliness
Back in January, a day before a big winter freeze was about to hit Tulsa and dump a foot of snow on us, our home’s furnace stopped working. I didn’t want to spend a week without heat, so I called an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) company. The technician who…
Why Levi’s is teaching high schoolers how to mend their clothes
The denim brand is launching a high school curriculum to teach students how to stitch up tears and replace buttons.
Open Printer Gives Makers a Fully Open Flexible Inkjet Platform
https://player.vimeo.com/video/1117858411 Traditional inkjet printers have become increasingly frustrating for anyone who values flexibility, repairability, or creative experimentation. Locked-down firmware prevents modifications, expensive proprietary cartridges drain budgets…
When Africa’s internet breaks, this ship answers the call
Undersea internet cables are critical in today’s hyperconnected world. The crew of the Léon Thévenin maintains one stretch of this global network.
The Real Reasons Your Appliances Die Young
Modern appliances pack in more features and efficiency than ever — but you might need to accept that they won’t last as long as Grandma’s old fridge.
Fix Three Broken Things
Seneca pointed out that people tend to be reflexively stingy with their money, but almost comically wasteful with their time. There are at least two ways to take this. One is that Seneca thought he used his time better than you and I do, and maybe he did. Another interpretation…
Undersea Surgeons
The cables at the heart of the lightspeed, globe-spanning internet run across the grimy, perilous, inaccessible deeps of the sea, in places no one ever sees or visits – until the cables break.
Fantastic Industrial Design Student Work: "How Long Should Objects Last?"
This incredibly ambitious and thoroughly-executed project is by Charlie Humble-Thomas, done while pursuing his Masters in the Design Products program at the RCA. Called Conditional Longevity, it asks the question: "How long should objects last?" Seeking the answer, Humble-Thomas…
The invisible seafaring industry that keeps the internet afloat
How one crew risked radiation, storms, and currents to save Japan from digital isolation.
30 States Considering ‘Right To Repair’ Reforms in 2024
Oregon recently became the seventh state to pass “right to repair” legislation making it easier, cheaper, and more convenient to repair technology you own. The bill’s passage came…
The other "Phillips" head screwdriver you might not know about - Shop Press
Not every Phillips head fastener is a Phillips head fastener. If you don't know about Japanese Industrial Standard, now you'll know.
You Don’t Even Realize These Products Have Lifetime Warranties
These true lifetime warranties allow you to replace or repair your stuff if it ever breaks or wears out.
The Disappearing Art Of Maintenance | NOEMA
The noble but undervalued craft of maintenance could help preserve modernity’s finest achievements, from public transit systems to power grids, and serve as a useful framework for addressing climate change and other pressing planetary constraints.
The magic of invisible mending.
1.4K votes, 26 comments. 8.3M subscribers in the BeAmazed community. I bet you will /r/BeAmazed! A place to find and share amazing things
Bricked Epson Printers Make a Strong Case For User Repairability - Slashdot
Epson has gained some scrutiny in recent weeks after the company disabled a printer that was otherwise working fine, leading to accusations of planned obsolescence. Epson knows its printers will stop working without simple maintenance at a predictable point in the future, and it…
Ask a Repair Shop - Philip Yurchuk
This is the story of how you’re buying your enterprise software the wrong way. Probably your appliances, too. This is an excerpt from my guide, “Enterprise Software Confidential.” This post is also available in Chinese thanks to Xu Zhi. Some years ago, I had a broken GE washer…
Repair Café - Fix Your Broken Items
Repair Café is here to help you fix your broken items. Join our community of skilled volunteers and get your belongings repaired in a sustainable way.
Repair is as important as innovation
Maintenance lacks the glamour of innovation—and is harder to measure
Why it’s so hard for a hospital in Tanzania to fix broken incubators
Medical device companies have used a range of tactics that have made independent repairs harder, with devastating consequences.
The Shady World of Repair Manuals: Copyrighting for Planned Obsolescence (2
Toshiba has discovered a new way to enforce such planned obsolescence by cutting the repair market off from critical service information. But the cost to society is significant: The e-waste problem is growing; we’re losing thousands of domestic jobs as independent repair shops…
What Does It Take to Keep a Classic Mainframe Alive?
Follow the saga of the Computer History Museum's IBM 1401
Tractor Hacking: Watch Our Documentary About Farmers Fighting for the Right to Repair
We went to Nebraska to meet the farmers fighting John Deere's repair monopoly.
Just Listen to This Extremely Remote Canadian Mechanic Talk About His Work Truck
After this walkaround, you'll love the rig, too.
The Soul of Maintaining a New Machine
Books in Progress is what we call a “public drafting tool”: Drafts will be made available for comment from the public, allowing for direct collaboration between author and reader.