I recently was asked to help a friend with their Concertmate-1000 Keyboard. This had brought them a lot of joy over many years and they were saddened to discover one day that some keys had stopped responding. This turned into a mission to restore it to its operating glory. Having watched a few a on-line… Continue reading Electronic Keyboard Dead Keys
Author: Keith B
Repair Tool: A Plant pot
I needed to repair the bag for my camping chair, I did a similar repair on its sibling a year ago but made the gaffer tape too tight, which makes it difficult to get the chair in and out. This time, rather than make a fix by taping the bag around the chair itself in… Continue reading Repair Tool: A Plant pot
Windows 10 to ChromeOS
Introduction Microsoft Windows 10 will no longer be supported on 14th October 2025. If you are using Windows 10 it will not stop working but the security updates that are important to remaining safe online will stop. If you have a newer computer the best choice will be the free upgrade to Windows 11, however,… Continue reading Windows 10 to ChromeOS
Our Volunteer Toolkits
Introduction Repair Cafe Gosport began in a well-equipped maker space. However, we now run our events in community venues. One disadvantage of this approach is that most volunteers need to bring their tools, which creates a barrier for some individuals to participate in volunteering unable to bring their own for whatever reason. All our volunteers… Continue reading Our Volunteer Toolkits
Mug Handle Repair
A fdew weeks ago, I dropped one of my favourite mugs resulting in the handle breaking. Using some two-part rapid set epoxy, glued it back again and held it in placed with an elastic band Next morning, I tried it out and even ran it through the dishwasher before declaring success and writing this blog.
Oven Glove Hook
This is a quick repair from one of our volunteers who ripped the loop off the oven gloves just before Christmas. Though buying a new pair is easy enough, they can be £20 for the really good ones and these were a favourite pair in the household. She sewed the loop back together by hand.
Kitchen timer
Learn how contact cleaner removed the cooking residue that has stopped a kitchen timer working reliably.
Bike Chain Clean
As you ride your bike dirt and grit will inevitably contaminate the chain, causing it to “stretch” damaging other parts of the drive train and causing problems with gear changes. A simple chain gauge will allow you to check the wear of the chain. Cleaning the chain periodically and re-oiling it will help extend its… Continue reading Bike Chain Clean
Keyboard Spring Clean
Every computer keyboard needs a deep clean (especially if you eat sandwiches over it), left too long the debris can stop it from working. Like many repairs, the first step was to take a good photograph so I knew where to return the keys if they got jumbled. Then I removed them one at a… Continue reading Keyboard Spring Clean
Gluing the Sole
The sole had started to peel off my favourite pair of trainers, so I glued it back with a few minutes of work to keep them in use, out of landfill and saving the cost of buying new ones. Glue tends to work better so before applying the glue, I used a craft knife to… Continue reading Gluing the Sole