GEEK FREE
By Joe Callison
11 July 2022
DIY Repairs
You may be surprised to learn that my favorite hobby is not computers, though it does explain how I got into repairing computers. I have always been interested in studying how things work, how they fail, and how they can be fixed. It can be mechanical, electrical, or structural and I am interested in learning about it. In my engineering profession, my favorite assignments were the occasional opportunities to do troubleshooting or failure analysis and come up with fixes. I often thought I would have enjoyed specializing in forensic engineering, except for appearances in court as an expert witness. Because of these interests, I really enjoy resources like the following.
I discovered this as a streaming show from BBC America on my YouTube TV. This link is their YouTube channel. The skills of these people at repairing heirlooms are amazing to see. I can never hope to do what they can do, but occasionally I pick up some tips I can use from watching this as entertainment.
Repair Manuals for Every Thing – iFixit
These people like to tear open new technology items to see what is inside and how repairable they will be. They also supply repair parts, tools and supplies, and how-to videos on lots of different items.
10,000+ Articles & Videos on Appliance & Equipment Repair
The website and YouTube channel for this company is just one example of many that provide how-to videos and parts for DIY repairs, or just to learn what to expect a repair to involve.
This is another website with a lot of videos and is also a source for parts.
This is a YouTube channel by a retired consumer electronics repair professional.
There are many more DIY resources on YouTube and other websites for every area of interest. I have subscribed to YouTube channels on music, cars, photography, electronics, and much more. Even if you will never be able to do these things yourself, engage your mind in watching others do the things you are interested in. It can be very satisfying.
