Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Fix it better than new!

One of the things I learned from my dad is that it often isn't enough to just fix what breaks. Sometimes you have to fix the original design, too. Fix it better than new!

If whatever broke in the first place was due to bad design and engineering then fixing what broke will probably fail again. The best way to fix something is to understand why it failed and improve upon the original design.

I'll try to give you examples of this principle in all the fixit articles I post. Like adding the spring to the step pedal trash can. It reduces the forces needed on the pedal, so less chance of failure in the future. Or the Yamaha receiver's display backlight bulb. Throw a small resistor inline to run the bulb a little cooler so maybe it'll last several years longer than last time. If the mechanical structure failed, reinforce it.

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