How To

A simple fix for a non-working Parkside orbital sander

My orbital sander (Parkside PAEXS 20-Li B2) stopped working without any signs of an electrical short or a mechanical malfunction. Here’s how I got it working again, by simply spraying a bit of contact cleaner directly into the power switch, which had gotten clogged up with small dust particles.

I realize that in this case, it was an easy fix. Chances are — given that the switch is unsealed — for most of these orbital sanders that stop working for no apparent reason, that the switch is at fault, and it may only require a bit of judicious use of contact cleaner spray.

As I said in the video, the problem will re-occur, exactly because the switch is unsealed. It did for me, just a day after the fix. What I ended up doing afterward was to remove the sliding switch which sits on top of the regular, unsealed switch and now, with the real switch exposed, I can continue to spray contact cleaner directly into it, every time it gets clogged. It’s simple and it’s practical and it saves me from having to source a sealed switch of the exact same dimensions and solder it onto the contacts, which would take extra time and effort.

Hope this helps!

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How To

Repairing the severed power cord of my Makita planer

While working on a project, I accidentally cut through the power cord of my Makita planer with its own blade. This is how I fixed it.

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How To

Why I fixed my wheelbarrow instead of chucking it to the scrap heap

This video explains why I chose to fix my wheelbarrow instead of throwing it away. (It has to do with conserving resources and reducing waste.)

Its inner chamber couldn’t be patched after too many punctures, and when I went to Home Depot and Lowe’s, I discovered I couldn’t buy a new inner chamber, because they’re no longer stocked. I’d have had to buy an entire new wheel and tire assembly, for almost the same price as a new wheelbarrow. What I did instead was to buy a new tubeless tire, which is made of solid rubber and never needs replacing, thus saving my wheelbarrow from the scrap heap and eliminating the need for new wheels in the future.

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