Fixit Clinic CXXVIII (128) Huntington Beach

Another whirlwind Fixit Clinic in Huntington Beach, with a great set of Fixit Coaches and participants. Among the highlights:

This very ornate Disney clock: given that Anaheim / Disneyland is nearby maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise but it was nice to see it.

This plug had extremely old and brittle wiring. A representative from the local Ace Hardware was on hand, we relied on his store for new zip cord for the rewiring job.

Basic antenna theory: a piece of wire a similar length to the broken antenna works just as well (we could've replaced the antenna too.)

More photos from Fixit Clinic CXXVIII in Huntington Beach at https://goo.gl/photos/zBKYAYJ6NrauCBdG9

Fixit Clinic CXXI (#121): Albany Community Center and Library

Fixit Clinic CXXI (#121) at the Albany Community Center and Library had a "Spotlight on Sewing Machines" theme. It was held in conjunction with the Albany Clothing Swap and Swap-o-rama-rama http://albanyca.org/index.aspx?recordid=11718&page=1050 In addition to sewing machines and sergers we fixed a ton of electronics stuff, mended fabric, altered clothes, etc: a hot time on a hot afternoon!

More photos from Fixit Clinic CXXI (#121) can be seen on Google+ here: https://goo.gl/photos/DBdUh9PRJVsuiJ6X8

Clocks Seen At Fixit Clinic

As part of our ongoing outreach and informational services we've assembled this handy photo collage from various Fixit Clinics of examples of clocks and who might have them -- just in case this might be helpful to someone in the future. ‪#‎standwithahmed‬

See the entire collection of clock photos on Google+ at https://goo.gl/photos/UkAriJuvqbouCavW9

Fixit Clinic CXV (#115) Castro Valley Public Library

We had another wonderful day of fixing at the Castro Valley Public Library; among the highlights:

- Roy replaced the thermal fuse in a nut grinder (note the smoldering solder iron)

- Several fixit coaches participated in installing a new, aftermarket switch in a full spectrum lamp

- Castro Valley Environmental Commissioner (and High School student!) Nicole Bagdadlian showed up and we talked about bringing Fixit Clinic to the High School

You can see more photos from Fixit Clinic CXV (#115) Castro Valley Public Library on Google+:
https://goo.gl/photos/gno6Dyt9SakMfpHX8

Many thanks again to Michelle Wu from Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSAN) http://www.cvsan.org/content/repair-workshops and Danielle Wilson from the Castro Valley Public Library (link to Fixit Clinic announcement) for hosting us. Danielle is moving on to become the Branch Manager for the new San Lorenzo Public Library, we hope to hold Fixit Clinics there too!

Fixing a Zipper When the Zipper Teeth Separate

Ever have a zipper where the zipper teeth separate behind the zipper slider? Fixit Clinic's Peter Mui shows how to address this issue using a locking pliers:

This video was taken at Yerdle's Repair & Share Earth Party http://repairshareearthparty.splashthat.com/ celebrating Patagonia's Worn Wear Tour http://www.patagonia.com/us/worn-wear/. Fixit Clinic also participated at the Patagonia North Beach Store Worn Wear event a couple of Black Fridays ago: https://plus.google.com/photos/111525193946026734520/albums/5951923350253636353.

The basic trick is to use the locking pliers to clamp down just a smidgen on the top and bottom plates of the zipper slider body. Do both sides, work slowly so you don't make the sides too tight.

Here's the step-by-step instructions we created for iFixit's web site: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repairing+Zipper+Slider/35496

Fabric items are 8% of landfill waste. How many jackets, tents, backpacks, luggage, and other items with zippers have been discarded when they could've been easily repaired with this simple technique?