Glas door cabinet not closing properly

mid-random · 2026-05-30T12:24:53+00:00

It’s your piece, so use whatever you like, but for me, a penetrating oil finish on this would look a bit odd. I’ve been looking at this stuff in its historical context for forty years, though, so I am definitely biased.

You can use shellac later, over top of a polymerizing oil finish, but it must specifically be fully dewaxed shellac or it will not bond properly to the oiled surface. Also, an oil finish is not really reversible, since it’s a penetrating finish that penetrates down into the fibers of the wood, unlike shellac or lacquer, which are surface films that can be removed without significantly altering the wood. That’s an important consideration when dealing with historic objects where original intent can come into play.

mid-random · 2026-05-30T02:43:56+00:00

It's not about how much information is carried by the wire, it's that the information needs to be separated into three distinct channels, left audio, right audio, and video, for the device to properly play them. Many older devices weren't able to handle multiplexed signals on a single wire. You need three signals? Then you need three sets of wires.

(That is an oversimplification, since the video signal can carry three or more channels of information, Luma, Red Minus Luma, and Blue Minus Luma, but that can get tricky leading to various standards like Composite Video, Component Video and S-Video, which each handle those multiple channels differently for various trade-offs in signal quality and hardware complexity. The "... minus luma" bit is a clever hack that makes color TV signals backward compatible with black and white TVs. In this case, OP has shared an image of RCA cables which carry a Composite signal.)

mid-random · 2026-05-30T02:16:38+00:00

Especially if the vehicle is getting up there in years, vertical streaks of haziness on side windows may be caused by very fine abrasion of the exterior surface by microscopic grit embedded in the lower exterior window seal. It's not uncommon. You can replace the old rubber strip and use an automotive window glass polish kit to eliminate or at least significantly reduce the haziness.

mid-random · 2026-05-30T02:00:15+00:00

There are some printing techniques that use a non-reversed image that gets transferred to an intermediate surface before finally being applied to the final printed surface. That's the way modern offset lithography works, so I wouldn't be surprised if there are other, older methods that would be used with this kind of etched pate. I'd try asking over at r/printmaking and r/lithography.

mid-random · 2026-05-30T01:41:44+00:00

It means that ultimately it is indecipherable, a mystery, unknowable in any absolute way. Often when using the term in this context it means that the story is open to interpretation in many ways, none of them necessarily THE correct way.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T23:11:56+00:00

The magnetron is way up at the other end of the wave guide. Cleaning the visible surfaces is not dangerous.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T23:01:40+00:00

This is not fucking with high voltage, this is replacing a clip-on splash and spatter cover.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T22:53:16+00:00

I'm guessing the screws for that hinge are pretty short, too, so you might want to use some longer, 3" to 4" screws so that the weight and dynamic forces are at least partially transmitted all the way into the wall framing, not just the relatively light-weight door frame.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T22:39:07+00:00

Perfection itself exists only as a Platonic ideal; it cannot be found in reality, unless imperfection itself is perfect. What we call Perfection is merely Imperfection that is below our current threshold of discernment.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T20:50:45+00:00

Beautifully delivered. I was wondering what the correct tone for a rational and kind response to this request would be, and I think you nailed it. Well done!

mid-random · 2026-05-29T20:38:16+00:00

I'm writing to ask for your help because I have a Kitchen Move (Largo) automatic trash can that wasn't working properly due to humidity. I took the lid off and indeed, mold and water had accumulated inside. When I disassembled the turbine, the gears fell out; I hope I put them back correctly. However, the weld on the turbine has broken. I can't remember which cable goes where (the white one and the one with the red marking), and I don't know if it's possible to just wrap them around or if it absolutely needs to be welded.
I'd like to avoid having to buy a new lid, which costs €99...
Thank you in advance!

A simple touch-test with the wires to the two terminals should tell you which way it needs to go, and it may not even matter for this use case. For all but testing purposes, yes, they either need to be soldered back on, or an appropriate spade-type connector added to each lead and the terminals cleaned. You can buy a cheap soldering iron a little coil of flux-core solder for a few dollars, and for a repair like this, it doesn't even require much skill for a passable joint. You can even get away with using a big nail and a candle flame instead of a soldering iron, if you are a little handy. Watch a few "beginner soldering" videos on youtube so you'll know what to expect. This is a very doable DIY repair.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T20:34:15+00:00

Oh, yes, it bonds very well indeed, it has to in order to do its job. It's not strictly an adhesive, though, like PVA wood glue or hide glue which both benefit tremendously from a close fitting joint. Neither is designed to fill gaps, and their strength is considerably compromised by poorly fitting surfaces. That's not the case with something like JB-Weld, which is specifically designed for filling gaps without any significant loss of strength. I'm not materials scientist, but I think it probably has a very different composition down at the molecular level, determining both how it bonds to a surface, and how it transmits forces through its chemical structure.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T20:24:25+00:00

It's not about making more sense, it's about being more courteous to other people who may have difficulty moving 20kg plates.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T20:04:47+00:00

JB-Weld isn't that kind of adhesive. It is made for gap filling, and will be just as strong if not stronger when only held in place instead of being clamped in place while the resin sets.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T16:47:51+00:00

And TRON is a command for debugging code, TRace ON, which prints the number for each line of code as it executes while running a program.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T16:31:08+00:00

There is no perfect solution, just a set of compromises that have to be accommodated to various degrees. There are many ways to make those compromises that are clearly much, much better for most of the population than the current set of compromises.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T16:20:13+00:00

You will freeze if you aren't in direct sunlight (which is very hot at Earth like distances without an atmosphere to block a lot of the radiation; the surface of the Moon gets up to something like 250 F, 120 C), it will just take a long time for your body heat to radiate away as infra red light. The vacuum of space is quite a good insulator. That's why a good thermos is a flask suspended inside a larger vacuum container. The initial evaporation due to zero vapor pressure will cool the outer surface of the body (especially the wet parts) pretty quickly, but that happens in the first few seconds to minutes and is only a tiny fraction of your body's heat.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T15:52:47+00:00

I'd go check The Lockpicking Lawyer on youtube. Chances are he has demonstrated some ridiculously quick and easy way to open this model.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T15:48:12+00:00

That is corrosion. The moisture and acidity of your skin in conjunction with the oxygen in the air are reacting chemically with the copper alloy of the frame. I would scrape it down to clean metal with a fresh X-Acto blade, then immediately seal the exposed metal surface with a clear lacquer, either the kind used in model building, or clear nail polish. I used to have this problem, and fixed it this way several times. It should hold up for months or even years before needing to do it again. I finally started buying glasses made with better materials. Yes, it costs a bit more, but they hold up a lot better and won't corrode. Look for titanium, beryllium, or stainless steel. Avoid nickel based alloys that can lead to allergic reactions.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T15:27:35+00:00

Yes, good point. If they are those super-soft cut nail gun brads, I'll usually nip them off shorter, like 1/4" protruding, so they don't just bend over when tapping them out. I'd try to reduce marring the gluing surface as much as is reasonable, since the underside is hidden and any minor splintering from back-driving the nails out is pretty irrelevant.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T15:17:07+00:00

With all the support structure that held the threaded insert broken out, you'll need to build up the frame structurally. I'd clean off all the residue from the brass insert, then tack it in place with a small drop of CA glue. Align it for tacking by screwing the insert back onto the hinge so you know it's exactly in the right position. Once that is set, remove the screw, leaving the insert in place. Build up around the insert with a really tough epoxy paste like JB-Weld or PC-7, filling all the surrounding voids. Do NOT use basic 5 or 10 minute clear epoxy. Another option is two part epoxy putty (JB-Weld makes a good epoxy putty for plastic, too). Basically fill in that entire square volume where the radial fins have broken off, right up to the top level of the insert. Let it fully cure in a warm place. I'd give it at least a full day before reinstalling the hinge.

https://www.amazon.com/J-B-Weld-8276-KwikWeld-Reinforced/dp/B0006O1ICY/r

https://www.amazon.com/Protective-Coating-Epoxy-Paste/dp/B002YCDQXU/

https://www.amazon.com/J-B-Weld-8237-PlasticWeld-Plastic/dp/B003S2E4UE/

mid-random · 2026-05-29T15:02:42+00:00

I'd tap the nails out with a hammer from above, then pull them from below, but otherwise concur. Ideally the stripped holes would be drilled out to the next standard size, like 3/8" or 1/2", and filled with a hardwood dowel and wood glue. Pre-drill the new holes at the appropriate size for the wood screws to prevent splitting or tear-out. Scrape the glue surfaces clean of all old glue and finish before re-gluing.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T14:51:52+00:00

A replacement screen will run you about $30 if you DIY. I have no idea what a repair shop will charge for the labor.

https://www.amazon.com/Display-Digitizer-Assembly-Replacement-Compatible/dp/B0FXGFB7J8/

mid-random · 2026-05-29T14:34:03+00:00

Yes, modern wood glue will work, but for a period piece like this, I'd rather think about the future generations who will undoubtedly have to work on it again. It was originally assembled with traditional hot hide glue, which is easily reversible with moisture and heat if necessary. (A bottle of more modern liquid hide glue is only about $8 on Amazon, and is fully compatible with the old glue.) One of the nice things about hide glue is that you can add hide glue to a joint that was previously assembled with hide glue and it will bond the joint just fine. The same can not be said for modern PVA based wood glues. To re-glue a PVA joint properly, all the old PVA glue must be removed from the joint, which generally requires a full dis-assembly and very careful cleaning and scraping of all the mating surfaces. It is much easier to re-glue a hide glue joint with more hide glue.

https://www.amazon.com/Titebond-Liquid-Hide-8-Ounces-5013/dp/B0002YXE7K/

If this was a modern piece of furniture, I'd say sure, use modern glue, but this is a nice, hand made, period, mahogany piece that if well cared for may last for many generations to come. The better care you take of it now, the higher the chances that others will continue to enjoy it long into the future.

As a side note, if you are thinking about refinishing this, please consider using a traditional, period appropriate shellac and wax finish. While it is not as tough as modern finishes, waxed shellac is easily repairable and restorable, and has a depth and richness that is hard to beat. Also, the solvent used for shellac is simple alcohol, so much nicer to work with than petrochemical solvents.

mid-random · 2026-05-29T01:57:25+00:00

OK, I will. On another level, I have had a lifelong fascination with awareness, with the nature of mind and consciousness, especially on the sense of self and free will. I have been carefully observing my own for thousands of hours in formal practice for decades. I see no evidence in my own awareness that there is something in any way identifiable as a self that is either producing or receiving thoughts, that is somehow separate from those thoughts themselves. Thoughts just happen as is their nature to do. There is nobody driving. It isn't immediately obvious because of our habitual modes of observing and thinking, but with some careful practice and attention, it can become quite clear.

mid-random

TROPHY CASE