Workshop

The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for the industrial arts from metal and woodworking to CNC machining and 3D printing.

Fixing Broken Machines from the Amazon Return Bin

Fixing Broken Machines from the Amazon Return Bin

Debra Daun’s superpower is fixing broken machines, such as 3D printers. She runs the MakerLab at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois. She has figured out that she can get used and abused machines that have been returned to Amazon. She bids for them at auction and then repairs them or adds the odd parts to her boneyard. She’s been able to add more machines that she uses to teach students 3D printing in the makerspace. The more broken the machine, she says, the happier she is.