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DYI, hobbies, etc.    3/7/2024

The CR1632 battery in the 2014 Prius V key fob typically lasts less than 2 years and I got tired of getting a 2-pack from Amazon as the order must be over $35 for free shipping. And I don’t trust batteries from eBay. With the remote apart, I removed some plastic, added spacers, and removed the CR1632 holder. Put in a CR2032, which I can get locally for $1 at the only electronics hobby shop in Silicon Valley, jammed against the springy fingers, mated the halves, and snapped them together. As the capacity of the 2032 is 40% higher, it should last that much longer. The 2016 and final year 2017 has a CR2032 battery.

In late February 2024, eBay had a 20% off sale, so I picked up a Creality Ender-3 V3 KE 3D printer. It is an entry level product that auto levels the bed, has a magnetic flexible build plate, and filament profiles. I printed a lens cap and a Bahtinov mask (for better focusing) for the Seestar S50.

After 11 years, Nancy’s Seiko solar watch would not keep time after exposure to sunlight. The tiny rechargeable battery costs $22 and required patience to replace. It’s still better than replacing batteries every couple of years.

2/18/01

I have a 3 year old Sears Craftsman 10" Contractor's table saw. It doesn't have the Biesmeyer fence nor the new extruded aluminum fence system. The table is not quite flat and the cast iron wings are somewhat concave. Aside from these slight problems, the saw blade is parallel to the miter slots and the fence is parallel to the blade. Jet has higher quality control on their tools for slightly more cost.

A Delta 12" bench drill press was just assembled. These used to be manufactured in Taiwan, but a couple of years ago manufacturing moved to China. Runout is almost non-existent but the chuck is off center.

Porter-Cable makes some fine power tools with the exception of the 556 Plate Joiner. There is more slop than the DeWalt DW705 tool, but that costs almost 50% more. It is not adjustable and was returned.

I also have a DeWalt 12" compound miter saw. This thing will cut 4x6s in one downward motion. It appears I could make a sliding miter box for the table saw that would work for 99% of my cuts.

Just purchased a Craftsman 6 1/8" jointer/planer on sale. It has the features between the high and low end Jet like adjustable infeed and outfeed tables. It is the stationary model with enclosed motor and the Sears store could not order it with the current stock number or with the new number, so they so offered me the floor model at another 20% off. Now I need to order an instruction manual since they didn't have one. That makes it $290 + tax for this Taiwanese model. Not bad. I have just adjusted it today and it works wonderfully.

Several years later, I have accumulated a 13" Ridgid thickness planer TP1300, Craftsman 17543 plunge router with 2 bases, Mastergrip router table from Costco, Craftsman rotor tiller, and Craftsman 34118 18" electric chainsaw.

Dreaming of a shaper, metal lathe, band saw, ...