"Bruce & Lois Nelson" wrote in message

The stuff is not worth
fixing. (One of the reasons Toronto is in trouble for landfill space -
nothing is worth fixing.)
Bruce

Wow, you guys had better change your ways. We don't have that problem down
here in the lower 48

On second thought, considering that new battery packs for today's cordless
tools sell for not much more than the cost of the cells inside them, it's
probably not worth anyone's while to rebuild these things. But still, as
with my Philips/Norelco shaver I mentioned previously, I'm certain there are
other cordless-appliance instances where taking this kind of creative
initiative can be well worth the bother (except when one just doesn't have
the free time to spare, of course).

Ken


Ken
"habbi" wrote in message
...
I looked into this and now have 2 options. 30 sub C cells @ 2.10 ea. for 2
battery packs plus shipping and my time to re-build them or my local
hardware store has the drill, 2 batteries, charger and case for 60 buck on
sale right now.

wrote in message
news
On 29 Dec 2005 06:11:07 -0800, "DonkeyHody"
wrote:

However . . .before you drop three hundred bucks on a cordless drill,
consider this: Batteries have a maximum life of about 5-7 years or so,
even with light use. Unless you are using the thing every day, your
batteries will die long before you wear out the tool. The price of two
replacement batteries is usually about 2/3 the price of the whole kit
with drill, batteries and charger. So, a cordless drill is a somewhat
disposable item, unlike its corded cousin.

I have got a couple of drills, both Ni-cad and I intend to rebuild the
battery pack. Easily done, just buy the rightnumber of batteries and
wire them in series in teh pack. I presume you can do the same with
the lithium batteries etc.

Edwin, something needs to change, but:

*** my favourite watch - crystal broke - parts not available. Watch
replacement cost CDN$10.00. 25 yrs ago was going to get a crystal replaced
on a different watch - $70 parts & labour - only paid $20 for that watch.
*** table lamp needs a cord. 8 ft cable $3.50, cord end $3.99.
Alternative is extension cord $2.99. Much less expensive to buy the
extension cord and cut the female end off. Plus, no problems with the cable
to end connection. labour is extra.
*** large windows - frame rotting. Assuming the glass can be saved,
$10,000 to rebuild the frames plus ongoing maintenance or do it over again.
Replace complete with aluminum frames, low-e coating on the new glass
(sealed double glazed units), $18,000, maintenance free.
*** TV with built in VCR player - the tape drive quits. Repair is $105
parts & labour (30 day warranty). New TV with both tape & DVD is $200.00
(5 year warranty)
*** Floor lamp with broken switch. labour to repair is $35.00 (no
warranty). Replacement lamp $19.99 (1 year warranty)
*** portable fluorescent light fixture with cord & switch, $15.99 (1 year
warranty). Replacement ballast $17.99. (part only, labour to install is
extra) (no warranty)

Too much stuff is not worth fixing.

You might want to take a close look at what happens to stuff nobody wants
where you live (broken or unwanted appliances, kitchen garbage, waste paper,
old tires, etc.). Many people groups & governments have a pretty spotty
history on disposal. If you are in the US, then have a good look at
replacement costs vs. repair parts & labour. For items other than cars,
houses, & large boats, I suspect that labour costs are high enough to make
repairs expensive compared to replacement (I suspect that if you look
closely, you will find many common items are made in China) (It is said
that years ago a city in Japan changed their name to Usa, so they could
market their manufactured goods as Made in USA. Keep your eyes open, & look
carefully.)

Bruce






"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

"Bruce & Lois Nelson" wrote in message

The stuff is not worth
fixing. (One of the reasons Toronto is in trouble for landfill space -
nothing is worth fixing.)
Bruce

Wow, you guys had better change your ways. We don't have that problem down
here in the lower 48

"Bruce & Lois Nelson" wrote in message
Too much stuff is not worth fixing.

You might want to take a close look at what happens to stuff nobody wants
where you live (broken or unwanted appliances, kitchen garbage, waste
paper,
old tires, etc.). Many people groups & governments have a pretty
spotty
history on disposal.

We did have one solution. Remeber the garbage barge? It was floated around
thousands of miles beofe anyone would take it in a landfill.



If you are in the US, then have a good look at
replacement costs vs. repair parts & labour. For items other than cars,
houses, & large boats, I suspect that labour costs are high enough to make
repairs expensive compared to replacement (

You can even take houses out of that category. Many are now being torn down
just so a larger one can be build in the same spot. Nothing wrong with the
old one, just that the new owner want a bigger one. It won't affect me, bu
t our kids and grandkids may have a tougher life with all the luxuries that
we dispose of on a regular basis.
Ed

Windows are a real bone of contention with me.

My windows - supposedly maintenance free - are now fogged up and the
routine is replace them entirely. People blithely buy a whole set of
new supposedly guaranteed windows.

This whole industry is a lark. The "sealed argon-filled double pane
window" is a lark. I want good old-fashoned storm windows - not
maintenances free, but at least you do not have to throw them away
every decade.

Anyway that's my rant. Now the question I have for you good folks:
Has anybody ever fixed one of those supposedly sealed windows?
I am going to try: One option would be to roast them or subject them
to a vacuum to draw out the moisture and then re-seal them with some
kind of low viscosity compound. Another solution i have been
considering is to drill vent holes at the corners of the outside pane.
You would still have a still air sandwich but not perfectly still - I
think the moisture will eventually leave. It would still probably be
necessary to seal them to prevent moisture transmission from the
inside but it would be easier since the window will no longer be
"pumping" air from temperature changes.

I really don't want to plunk down thousands for new windows when I
know that if there is a will there is a way to accomplish this.

***

On Tue, 3 Jan 2006 11:18:18 -0500, "Bruce & Lois Nelson"
wrote:

large windows - frame rotting. Assuming the glass can be saved,
$10,000 to rebuild the frames plus ongoing maintenance or do it over again.
Replace complete with aluminum frames, low-e coating on the new glass
(sealed double glazed units), $18,000, maintenance free.

wrote:

Has anybody ever fixed one of those supposedly sealed windows?

Apparently not :-)

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/i...infinsgla.shtm says:

When insulated glass gets broken, cloudy, or "fogs up" between the panes,
what are the repair options?

Unfortunately, there is no repair for clouded insulated glass. When the
seal around the perimeter of the two panes fails (not IF, but WHEN,
because they all fail eventually), moisture enters the gap and condenses
on the inside of the glass, giving it a foggy appearance. This is
irreversible. The only repair is replacement of the panel.

You may be able to obtain an individual replacement glass panel, or
have to purchase an entire replacment sash or door. A rule of thumb...
metal windows and doors can usually be disassembled, wood sliding doors
can normally be disassembled, and wood windows usually must be ordered
as a complete sash. You should contact a local representative of the
manufacturer (home stores and lumberyards have relationships with many
window/door manufacturers) and find out for sure.

If the window/door is a "stationary" unit, the un-installing becomes
more tedious. Most have mechanical fasteners that keep the unit
stationary, and they are often caulked also. The large manufacturers,
such as Pella and Andersen, offer help with the mechanics of uninstalling
their products. They also have replacement glass available for all their
windows... and you can order new panels without even disassembling
the old ones for measurement.

"Mr. Cheap" brands may require some improvisation and trial-and-error
to free them up. This is especially true if the mouldings are painted,
since all evidence of nail heads and order-of-assembly is lost beneath
multiple layers of paint! Also, you may have to order custom-made glass
to fit the "no-name" frames.

After a long time, condensation can etch the inside of the panes. Perhaps
you can take them apart and clean the glass with a flourine compound like:

http://www.continentalprod.com/green...lass/glass.htm
http://www.carlinsales.com/PDF/13Gre...LightShade.pdf

One option would be to roast them or subject them to a vacuum to draw out
the moisture and then re-seal them with some kind of low viscosity compound.

A serious vacuum might break the glass...

Another solution i have been considering is to drill vent holes at
the corners of the outside pane.

Connecting the airspace to the outdoors seems like a good idea, but
there might be condensation at times. You might more easily drill
through the spacer between and parallel to the panes.

How about a hole in a spacer near the bottom and another near the top in
an opposite corner? Unplug the holes and push air through the window with
an aquarium pump at the end of 50' of 1/4" tubing in an ice brine basin?
This might dry the window desiccant and avoid condensation for 5 years.

Nick

How will you clean the film of shmutz that is all over the inner area?
I tried to open one up some years ago to clean and reseal it. Seemed
a shame to have to chuck it out. While the sealant was not
particularly tough to get to, it was quite a thin layer. Everything I
tried, knife - got stuck, windshield sealant cutting wire - just
resealed after about a foot away, and lastly cutting and prying -
broke the glass. I looked at the milky film on the inside and some
came off OK and some looked like it was baked on or etched.

Interesting to hear from others on this.

Pete




Has anybody ever fixed one of those supposedly sealed windows?

There is a technique for repairing & cleaning these units. It involves
drilling a small hole at the top, and another at the bottom. The space is
filled with a cleaning fluid. (Effectiveness is dependant on how bad the
filming is, & how long it has been there). The fluid is drained & rinsed.
The holes are plugged with "one-way" valves, that allow dry air movement
(thermal expansion) but do not allow for moisture. If anyone is interested,
I will try to find the vendor's (franchise seller) web site.

In the particular example of which I wrote, we would not replace the windows
because of the leak, but because the wooden window frames are badly rotted.
The contractors we have discussed this with are not convinced that the
windows could be saved and cleaned well enough for reinstallation (extra
labour costs) to be cost effective in new frames. I personally have
little confidence in the quality of the work to be expected with the lowest
price (rebuild frames) received. Then there is still the maintenance issue.
With the owner's past history of poor exterior maintenance, I am afraid that
rebuilding rotting wood frames is asking for continuing trouble.

Bruce
wrote in message ...
How will you clean the film of shmutz that is all over the inner area?
I tried to open one up some years ago to clean and reseal it. Seemed
a shame to have to chuck it out. While the sealant was not
particularly tough to get to, it was quite a thin layer. Everything I
tried, knife - got stuck, windshield sealant cutting wire - just
resealed after about a foot away, and lastly cutting and prying -
broke the glass. I looked at the milky film on the inside and some
came off OK and some looked like it was baked on or etched.

Interesting to hear from others on this.

Pete




Has anybody ever fixed one of those supposedly sealed windows?

I am not that farmiliar with the Panasonic line as they are not retailed
widely in my area but I can tell you that the Ah does stand for amp hour and
tells how many amps are delivered for one hour by the battery or vise versa
1 amp for x number of hours. So the higher the number the better, but no
cordless tool will be able to compete with a good corded rival. As for
prices on the Panasonic site I would think like most manufacturers they will
publish the full list price on their site so their resellers can always
sell for less than that price. Many manufactures don't list any prices and
thoese that do usually put up a high recomended list price which no one
sells it for and that price makes every reseller's price look good.
I personally like Porter Cable the best .
hope this helps
Jay

"KMoiarty" wrote in message
...
Just checked out the Panasonic web site. First thing that struck me were
the prices! $510 for the top cordless drill model (15.6V Multi Drill &
Driver with 1/2" Keyless Chuck). As you say, all nice and compact. But
the high price made me think that Panasonic tools must be an elite brand.
Then checked out prices for these very same Panasonic models at several
online retail tool vendor sites, where I found the prices to be much more
in line with the competition. For example only $299 (virtually half the
price) for the above model at Tool Authority
(http://www.toolauthority.com/manufacturers.php?MID=21). One observation
though, in general the Panasonic cordless driver lineup seems to offer
somewhat less torque than competition such as Hitachi or Bosch drivers,
even in models where the voltages are the same. But I guess the extra
compact design of the Panasonic drivers I guess could very well account
for this.

BTW, another question I have just came to mind: what is the
significance of "Ah" (e.g. 2.0 Ah, 2.5 Ah, 3.0 Ah, 3.5 Ah, and so on)
rating of a cordless tool's battery-capacity? Up til now I had just
assumed this referred to amperage-per-hour output (which, like the
amperage rating of a corded tool, if multiplied by the voltage [e.g 12.
for 12v. cordless models, between 110 and 120 for all corded models]
yields maximum energy output [or consumption, respectively] per hour).
But I'd like to somehow find out for certain from someone if I am on the
right track in this or not... Because if this is true how can the most
powerful cordless tool possibly keep pace with an average corded one which
has far higher, both, amp and voltage numbers? Thanks.


Ken


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
.. .

[...] IMO, Panasonic is better than either. Small, powerful.

J.D. wrote:
I am not that farmiliar with the Panasonic line as they are not retailed
widely in my area but I can tell you that the Ah does stand for amp hour and
tells how many amps are delivered for one hour by the battery or vise versa
1 amp for x number of hours. So the higher the number the better, but no
cordless tool will be able to compete with a good corded rival. As for
prices on the Panasonic site I would think like most manufacturers they will
publish the full list price on their site so their resellers can always
sell for less than that price. Many manufactures don't list any prices and
thoese that do usually put up a high recomended list price which no one
sells it for and that price makes every reseller's price look good.
I personally like Porter Cable the best .
hope this helps
Jay

"KMoiarty" wrote in message
...

Just checked out the Panasonic web site. First thing that struck me were
the prices! $510 for the top cordless drill model (15.6V Multi Drill &
Driver with 1/2" Keyless Chuck). As you say, all nice and compact. But
the high price made me think that Panasonic tools must be an elite brand.
Then checked out prices for these very same Panasonic models at several
online retail tool vendor sites, where I found the prices to be much more
in line with the competition. For example only $299 (virtually half the
price) for the above model at Tool Authority
(http://www.toolauthority.com/manufacturers.php?MID=21). One observation
though, in general the Panasonic cordless driver lineup seems to offer
somewhat less torque than competition such as Hitachi or Bosch drivers,
even in models where the voltages are the same. But I guess the extra
compact design of the Panasonic drivers I guess could very well account
for this.

BTW, another question I have just came to mind: what is the
significance of "Ah" (e.g. 2.0 Ah, 2.5 Ah, 3.0 Ah, 3.5 Ah, and so on)
rating of a cordless tool's battery-capacity? Up til now I had just
assumed this referred to amperage-per-hour output (which, like the
amperage rating of a corded tool, if multiplied by the voltage [e.g 12.
for 12v. cordless models, between 110 and 120 for all corded models]
yields maximum energy output [or consumption, respectively] per hour).
But I'd like to somehow find out for certain from someone if I am on the
right track in this or not... Because if this is true how can the most
powerful cordless tool possibly keep pace with an average corded one which
has far higher, both, amp and voltage numbers? Thanks.


Ken


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

[...] IMO, Panasonic is better than either. Small, powerful.






Amazon seeks to have the best prices on Panasonic drills. That's where I
got mine several years ago and still love it.

-jj

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