Apropos Tech Solutions Corp. Blog

Category: hardware

  • Hardware: how long for penetrating oil to work?

    Sometimes it seems like a stuck bolt might never come loose. How long is reasonable to wait, after applying penetrating fluid, before trying?

    Yesterday I was working on the brakes of a vehicle. Knowing that soon enough I’d have to replace the pads, I decided to loosen the caliper bolts, then tighten them back up. That way, when I would have to undo them next time, they (hopefully) wouldn’t be so hard to get loose.

    In my experience, caliper bolts can be really tough to loosen. Yesterday I did manage to get each one loose, with some struggle.

    A tried-and-true method, it seems, is to apply penetrating fluid to the stuck bolt, then wait before trying to loosen it. Yet, how long should one wait?

    Apparently, a few hours to overnight can perhaps be reasonable to wait for penetrating fluid’s full effect.

    Yesterday, I waited five to ten minutes. Did I end up working too hard simply from my lack of patience? I guess it’s something to think about, going forward:)

    Source:

    Spaans, Jacob. (Apr. 19, 2019). “Use Penetrating Oil to Loosen a Stuck Nut or Bolt.” https://winworks.com/use-penetrating-oil-to-loosen-a-stuck-nut-or-bolt/

    -js

  • Hardware: a case for lanolin

    One hears about ways to get rubber seals or pipes into place. Might lanolin be a candidate?

    I was working on a dishwasher (see my previous post for some background). During reassembly, I had to fit a rubber pipe back into a plastic port.

    The fit was tight, of course, to prevent leakage. Therefore, I knew I wouldn’t get the pipe properly into the port as it was. I needed some lubrication, but what to use?

    I settled on lanolin, which I’ve read is generally safe to use on rubber and plastic. I just applied a thin film around the outside of the pipe, then pushing it into the port was achievable.

    Source:

    Dy-Mark Global: Lanolin Lubricant.

    -js

  • Hardware: pinch clamp vs screw clamp

    With appliance repair, one likes to replace an old part with the same new one. Sometimes, that may not be feasible.

    Last week I was working on a dishwasher with a stuck circulation pump. The pump situation got resolved, but then I had to reconnect, then reclamp, the pump back in the system.

    The pump had been held by pinch clamps, but in my situation screw clamps were much easier. I bought a couple, then clamped the pump in place with them. I’ve run the dishwasher a few times now – no leaks so far.

    Source:

    Practical Mechanic. (Dec 20, 2023). “Pump Replacement – Whirlpool Dishwasher – Circulation Pump Fix.” [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6dG5J4e4vk

    -js

  • Hardware: monitor stuck on hdmi

    A seldom-used system gets started, and the monitor refuses to work. What might one do?

    The following is by my understanding.

    I mention in my post from June 30, 2026 about resurrecting an old computer from 2017 by loading Lubuntu Linux onto it. To my knowledge, the monitor it came with is of the same vintage.

    I went to start up said computer yesterday, but its monitor was unresponsive. It seemed stuck on HDMI mode but the computer is connected to it via VGA. Not knowing what to do, but busy, I left it until today.

    With the computer on, but the monitor unresponsively sleeping, I unplugged the monitor from the power bar, waited maybe a minute, then plugged it back in. The monitor immediately detected the VGA signal, and began displaying as appropriate.

    God knows what happens with system components sometimes, eh?

    Source:

    superuser.com (Jul 9, 2015). “Monitor stuck in HDMI mode.” https://superuser.com/questions/938476/monitor-stuck-in-hdmi-mode

    -js

  • Hardware: charging Milwaukee RedLithium cell: flashing red/green

    Apparently I’m not the only one who’s tried to charge a Milwaukee RedLithium cell and had the charger flash red/green. Here’s what happened.

    The following is by my understanding.

    My wife got me a drill/impact wrench set from Milwaukee tools maybe a year ago. It revolutionized my handyman chores.

    I recall having to charge the cells before using the drill and the impact drill. When I slid one cell into the charger, the indicator went solid red, which means it’s charging. You want that.

    Then, when charging is finished, the indicator light on the charger turns solid green: you want that, too.

    Such happened with the first cell. However, with the second, the indicator light flashed red/green when I slid it in. You don’t want that; the manual seems to suggest that it means either the contact isn’t good, or there’s a hardware problem either with the cell, the charger, or both.

    Since the set was brand new, I didn’t want to think it was already defective. I played around a bit, slightly changing its geometry in the charger. After a couple of minutes of this, the indicator turned solid red: charging. I wanted that.

    Holding the cell in place in the charger, and my breath, I continued to watch the indicator light, wondering if it would start to flash. It did once, but by readjusting the position of the cell I was able to bring it back to solid red. Eventually, I could let go, and the indicator remained solid red. A few minutes later, I checked back: solid green. I wanted that:)

    Charging time doesn’t seem very long, anyway. I didn’t time it, but it seems maybe it took half an hour(?) from near-dead to full charge. That’s a very loose guess.

    Best of luck:)

    -js

  • Autos, hardware: drive size for sockets

    Most people might be familiar with a basic socket set. Yet, drive size might be less obvious.

    The following is by my understanding.

    I recall buying a socket one time to remove the anode of a hot water heater. It was, I think, one-and-one-sixteenth. I bought it from a discount bin, and it came on a straight bar. I was in a hurry, so didn’t think much of it.

    Later, I had to buy a 15/16″ socket to undo an oil filter casing. The clerk asked me what drive I was using. I didn’t know. The socket was 1/2″ drive. He assumed, correctly, that I would need an adapter from 3/8″ drive to 1/2″.

    Back then, I just had a standard socket set from Mastercraft. It had both 1/4″ and 3/8″ drives, and its largest socket was 3/4″. It hadn’t occurred to me that bigger drives – for instance, 1/2″, were called for sometimes. However, when I got home from buying the 15/16″ socket, I inspected the one-and-one-sixteenth socket, on its bar, that I’d bought years ago to remove the water heater anode. Indeed, that socket, too, was 1/2″ drive.

    When I thought about it, the reasoning was obvious why 1/2″ drive might be called for: a bigger fastener might well mean it’s under more strain, so needs to be tighter. In turn, a larger-diameter drive would be stronger, so less likely to break when removing such a fastener.

    It turns out that, for 3/8″ drive, the torque range tops out around 75 ft*lbs, then for 1/2″, around 250 ft*lbs.

    It’s hard to imagine me, personally, applying more than 250 ft*lbs of torque, but apparently that’s when 3/4″ drive becomes relevant.

    Source:

    eTork. (Sept 4, 2024). “Torque Wrench Sizes Explained.” https://etork.com/torque-wrench-sizes/

    -js

  • Energy, hardware, household technology: how long can a lead-acid car battery last unused?

    This article’s focus is lead-acid car batteries: “battery”, “car battery”, or “lead-acid battery”, herein, means lead-acid car battery.

    The following is by my understanding.

    One might hear of a person taking a car for a drive to top up its battery, or that car batteries go dead sitting on the shop floor.

    A lead-acid battery should always be charged to full before being stored. In such a case, it can sit idle for perhaps 90 days before it needs to be checked and potentially recharged. Permanent loss of capacity may happen if left longer.

    In the case of a new battery, nine months seems to be the latest one can wait before putting it to regular use. The less fresh it is, the less storage a lead-acid battery can endure. Lead-acid batteries constantly lose capacity during storage.

    Although it’s always worth checking before giving up on a stored lead-acid battery, I’d say that if it wasn’t fully charged when put into storage, one can’t count on it starting a car after three months.

    Source:

    dxiang (Apr 26, 2022). “How to Properly Store Vehicle Batteries.” https://www.midtronics.com/blog/how-to-properly-store-automotive-batteries/

    -js

  • Household technology: Alien Tape

    Alien Tape is a beloved product to me. Here is one use I found for it.

    Many years ago we bought Alien Tape at an “As Seen on TV” store. Its potential was instantly recognizable. We brought it home, then set it aside. The kids were young then, so life was busy. I forgot about the Alien Tape.

    Years later, I stumbled upon the Alien Tape when I was looking for something else. I couldn’t recall buying it, but knew it would come in handy. This time I put it in a place where I would keep noticing it.

    Nearly fifteen years ago we got a new roof installed: a metal one. I didn’t know until afterwards that it’s very slippery to walk on, compared with an asphalt shingle one. While the roof is great, doing maintenance that I once did easily standing on the asphalt shingles has become much more difficult – perhaps until yesterday.

    I had to wash some second-floor windows that are in a gable, so not easily reached from a ladder. They are convenient to reach from the first-storey roof in front of them, but once again that’s the metal roof which is slippery, even when dry. I know that might sound hard to believe, but it’s true. I’ve been in dry clothes on the dry roof, and started sliding down. Walking on it, as-is, is hazardous.

    So, I had to wash these second-storey windows from the first-storey roof, but how? Yesterday I found a solution: Alien Tape, which is two-sided. I used it to fasten down some rubber mats on the roof. The mats were various kinds; I made a patchwork walkway of them by taping them to the roof with Alien Tape. I think my neighbours thought it was crazy, but I’m sure it just confirmed their ideas about me.

    I was able to wash the windows, and here I am, still in one piece – thanks to Alien Tape.

    PS: Presently, I don’t get any endorsements on this site; when I mention a product it’s because I like it:)

    Source:

    alientape.ca

    -js

  • Household technology: overhead door tweak

    An unreliable overhead door needed investigation.

    The house I live in is over 30 years old. In the main, it’s fine, but some things need fix-ups every so often. Such it was with the overhead garage door opener, which had become quite unreliable.

    I did some inquiries and came to suspect the problem wasn’t the controlling device, but rather the antenna. Realizing what it must be on the unit, I also observed that, from the driveway, it was behind the opener. It was somewhat amazing it had been working at all.

    Even re-orienting the antenna, it still wasn’t long enough to provide enough exposure towards the driveway. I stripped back some of its insulation, then twisted another wire onto it to lengthen it by perhaps eight inches. It’s pointing straight down, reaching to perhaps 75 inches above the garage floor.

    With that amount of extension, there seems enough antenna to pick up the signal from the controller: the garage opens and closes much more reliably, at least for now.

    Source:

    YouTube: Word of Advice TV: Garage Door Remote Not Working – 5 Most Common Reasons Why

    YouTube: Kite Army: Garage Door Opener | How to Extend Range

    -JS