@make_tips is our twitter feed where we share suggestions and ideas on all manner of makery goodness, ranging from tips on how to organize your workshop to suggestions for cleaning, repairing, and tool use. In honor of our monthly theme of Make & Mend, here are some of the ideas from @make_tips.
Nasty scuff on your mobile phone? No problem! Toothpaste will save the day: http://bit.ly/9F7Dvw
A quick guide to repairing broken switches http://bit.ly/9peV6A
Remove a stripped screw with a rubber band http://cot.ag/d4yFpa
If files get clogged by aluminium, soak them in caustic soda for 10 mins & rinse with water, then clean with a wire brush
Got a weird screw and no bit? Cut a slot in the head with a Dremel tool and use a flat-blade. http://cot.ag/aXFJNv
How to save your cell phone if it gets wet: http://cot.ag/9aZwQf
When attempting to disassemble a piece of electronics, always remove visible screws then look for hidden screws under stickers.
Scavenge for free parts. You can find usable bits of coated wire discarded near telephone service boxes.
Clean and re-oil your tools after a messy project to extend their life.
Bolt slightly short in small-vehicle battery terminal? Scrub floating nut w/old toothbrush and it could connect.
you can remove permanent marker from plastic, glass, stone and other surfaces using WD40 on a kitchen towel, followed by alcohol.
You can remove permanent marker from whiteboards by writing over the top with whiteboard marker
Cutting material? Cut the biggest pieces first, so that if you make a mistake you can use the material to make smaller parts.
Before cutting a bolt down to length, screw on a nut. Once cut, unscrew the nut, it will repair the damaged threads.
When putting bolts back into something, add a little anti-seize compound to make it easier to get apart in the future.
A spudger is a flat plastic tool for prying apart plastic tabs (like those on iPods) without scratching. http://bit.ly/RyVDX
Do these trigger any ideas of your own? Send us a tweet and or leave a comment.
[Image by Marc Phu from the MAKE Flickr pool, Community Commons.]
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