On Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:36:13 -0600, "William Wixon"
wrote:

i suspect this post is of no value to anyone, just more or less a "gloat",
and mine's not nearly as good as some of you other guy's gloats.
march of '07 i won an 18 volt cordless drill from northern tool in a
sweepstakes, i was *tickled pink* but i figured it was a cheap piece of
chinese crap so i didn't have very much in the way of expectations. when i
won it i checked the price and was astounded to see, i think it was $29 (!).
i couldn't BELIEVE they could make and sell a drill at that price and make a
profit, i figured it was a REAL piece of junk. i mean, you can't even buy
one part of a cordless drill (drill or battery, prolly even just the
CHARGER) for $29! they don't even sell this model any more. over the
course of a couple months and various projects i grew to like this drill at
least as much as the porter cable cordless i bought 15(?) years ago for more
than $120. i liked it AS MUCH as my porter cable cordless. a few months
after i started using it started developing an intermittent problem,
wouldn't run when i pressed the trigger. bummer. i was like "i knew it".
was an intermittent problem, i'd slap it on the bottom of the battery and
sometimes that would cure it, temporarily. problem kept getting worse and
worse to the point where the drill wouldn't work at all. being the cheap
******* that i am i couldn't stand the thought of tossing this great drill i
got for free. last night i opened it up hoping to find a loose wire. turns
out i *did* find a wire that goes into the trigger that, when i fiddled with
it the trigger/motor reacted, i figured i'd isolated the loose wire. i was
hesitant to open up the trigger switch, i'd done such things in the past,
when i was younger (recently turned 50), had better eyesight, more nimble
mind and body, now i was afraid if the inevitable SPRING (BOING) flew out of
it or a miniscule part fell out and bounced off the table and onto the floor
as i was disassembling it i'd NEVER be able to find it, and parts aren't
available for this drill, er, i don't think so, i called northern and the
guy gave me another phone number that i didn't get around to calling. well,
so, anyway, thankfully i isolated a loose wire, carefully pried open the
trigger switch, saw the wire had been improperly inserted at the factory
(was kinda off to the side of a pincer thingy instead of straight through
the middle), was able to redo it all (soldered the tip of the wire, etc.)
and i'll be damned the drill, so far, seems to be working fine. i'm pleased
as punch. tee hee! i really like this drill. turns out it's really handy
to have two cordless drills.
tried to find a picture on-line, this is the only one i could find. in this
pic (from an on-line auction) there are three the same and two other
different ones that are alike. mine is like the three that are alike ('cept
mine has the battery and charger). i hate the color of this thing,
burgundy? huh?! but, oh well, works good.

http://images.bargainland.net/Captur...f888064844.jpg

b.w.

Very well done! Bravo Sir..Bravo indeed!!

Gunner

"Aren't cats Libertarian? They just want to be left alone.
I think our dog is a Democrat, as he is always looking for a handout"
Unknown Usnet Poster

Heh, heh, I'm pretty sure my dog is a liberal - he has no balls.
Keyton

Nice one, It's always worth a quick look inside, just in case it only
needs a simple repair.

Jordan

"William Wixon" wrote in message
...

I was hesitant to open up the trigger switch, I'd done such things in the
past,
when I was younger (recently turned 50), had better eyesight, more nimble
mind and body, now I was afraid if the inevitable SPRING (BOING) flew out
of
it or a miniscule part fell out and bounced off the table and onto the
floor
as I was disassembling it I'd NEVER be able to find it, and parts aren't
available for this drill, er, I don't think so, I called northern and the
guy gave me another phone number that I didn't get around to calling.
[Note: The i's replaced with I's. much easier to read]

Bill,

If you are worried about losing spring loaded parts, get a big clear plastic
bag and disassemble inside the bag.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

Good going!
Martin

William Wixon wrote:
i suspect this post is of no value to anyone, just more or less a "gloat",
and mine's not nearly as good as some of you other guy's gloats.
march of '07 i won an 18 volt cordless drill from northern tool in a
sweepstakes, i was *tickled pink* but i figured it was a cheap piece of
chinese crap so i didn't have very much in the way of expectations. when i
won it i checked the price and was astounded to see, i think it was $29 (!).
i couldn't BELIEVE they could make and sell a drill at that price and make a
profit, i figured it was a REAL piece of junk. i mean, you can't even buy
one part of a cordless drill (drill or battery, prolly even just the
CHARGER) for $29! they don't even sell this model any more. over the
course of a couple months and various projects i grew to like this drill at
least as much as the porter cable cordless i bought 15(?) years ago for more
than $120. i liked it AS MUCH as my porter cable cordless. a few months
after i started using it started developing an intermittent problem,
wouldn't run when i pressed the trigger. bummer. i was like "i knew it".
was an intermittent problem, i'd slap it on the bottom of the battery and
sometimes that would cure it, temporarily. problem kept getting worse and
worse to the point where the drill wouldn't work at all. being the cheap
******* that i am i couldn't stand the thought of tossing this great drill i
got for free. last night i opened it up hoping to find a loose wire. turns
out i *did* find a wire that goes into the trigger that, when i fiddled with
it the trigger/motor reacted, i figured i'd isolated the loose wire. i was
hesitant to open up the trigger switch, i'd done such things in the past,
when i was younger (recently turned 50), had better eyesight, more nimble
mind and body, now i was afraid if the inevitable SPRING (BOING) flew out of
it or a miniscule part fell out and bounced off the table and onto the floor
as i was disassembling it i'd NEVER be able to find it, and parts aren't
available for this drill, er, i don't think so, i called northern and the
guy gave me another phone number that i didn't get around to calling. well,
so, anyway, thankfully i isolated a loose wire, carefully pried open the
trigger switch, saw the wire had been improperly inserted at the factory
(was kinda off to the side of a pincer thingy instead of straight through
the middle), was able to redo it all (soldered the tip of the wire, etc.)
and i'll be damned the drill, so far, seems to be working fine. i'm pleased
as punch. tee hee! i really like this drill. turns out it's really handy
to have two cordless drills.
tried to find a picture on-line, this is the only one i could find. in this
pic (from an on-line auction) there are three the same and two other
different ones that are alike. mine is like the three that are alike ('cept
mine has the battery and charger). i hate the color of this thing,
burgundy? huh?! but, oh well, works good.

http://images.bargainland.net/Captur...f888064844.jpg

b.w.

In article ,
"Roger Shoaf" wrote:

If you are worried about losing spring loaded parts, get a big clear plastic
bag and disassemble inside the bag.

--

Roger Shoaf


Roger beat me to the punch suggesting this one.

This trick has saved my hide more than once... I even keep a nice
dedicated 'containment bag' tucked away in the shop for just such
occasions.

Erik

On Nov 20, 5:06*pm, "Roger Shoaf" wrote:
"William Wixon" wrote in message

...

I was *hesitant to open up the trigger switch, I'd done such things in the
past,
when I was younger (recently turned 50), had better eyesight, more nimble
mind and body, now I was afraid if the inevitable SPRING (BOING) flew out
of
it or a miniscule part fell out and bounced off the table and onto the
floor
as I was disassembling it I'd NEVER be able to find it, and parts aren't
available for this drill, er, I don't think so, I called northern and the
guy gave me another phone number that I didn't get around to calling.

[Note: The i's replaced with I's. much easier to read]

Bill,

If you are worried about losing spring loaded parts, get a big clear plastic
bag and disassemble inside the bag.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

That's taking all the sport out of repairing things.
Karl

i suspect this post is of no value to anyone, just more or less a "gloat",
and mine's not nearly as good as some of you other guy's gloats.
march of '07 i won an 18 volt cordless drill from northern tool in a
sweepstakes, i was *tickled pink* but i figured it was a cheap piece of
chinese crap so i didn't have very much in the way of expectations. when i
won it i checked the price and was astounded to see, i think it was $29 (!).
i couldn't BELIEVE they could make and sell a drill at that price and make a
profit, i figured it was a REAL piece of junk. i mean, you can't even buy
one part of a cordless drill (drill or battery, prolly even just the
CHARGER) for $29! they don't even sell this model any more. over the
course of a couple months and various projects i grew to like this drill at
least as much as the porter cable cordless i bought 15(?) years ago for more
than $120. i liked it AS MUCH as my porter cable cordless. a few months
after i started using it started developing an intermittent problem,
wouldn't run when i pressed the trigger. bummer. i was like "i knew it".
was an intermittent problem, i'd slap it on the bottom of the battery and
sometimes that would cure it, temporarily. problem kept getting worse and
worse to the point where the drill wouldn't work at all. being the cheap
******* that i am i couldn't stand the thought of tossing this great drill i
got for free. last night i opened it up hoping to find a loose wire. turns
out i *did* find a wire that goes into the trigger that, when i fiddled with
it the trigger/motor reacted, i figured i'd isolated the loose wire. i was
hesitant to open up the trigger switch, i'd done such things in the past,
when i was younger (recently turned 50), had better eyesight, more nimble
mind and body, now i was afraid if the inevitable SPRING (BOING) flew out of
it or a miniscule part fell out and bounced off the table and onto the floor
as i was disassembling it i'd NEVER be able to find it, and parts aren't
available for this drill, er, i don't think so, i called northern and the
guy gave me another phone number that i didn't get around to calling. well,
so, anyway, thankfully i isolated a loose wire, carefully pried open the
trigger switch, saw the wire had been improperly inserted at the factory
(was kinda off to the side of a pincer thingy instead of straight through
the middle), was able to redo it all (soldered the tip of the wire, etc.)
and i'll be damned the drill, so far, seems to be working fine. i'm pleased
as punch. tee hee! i really like this drill. turns out it's really handy
to have two cordless drills.
tried to find a picture on-line, this is the only one i could find. in this
pic (from an on-line auction) there are three the same and two other
different ones that are alike. mine is like the three that are alike ('cept
mine has the battery and charger). i hate the color of this thing,
burgundy? huh?! but, oh well, works good.

http://images.bargainland.net/Captur...f888064844.jpg

b.w.

"Roger Shoaf" wrote in
:


"William Wixon" wrote in message
...

I was hesitant to open up the trigger switch, I'd done such things
in the
past,
when I was younger (recently turned 50), had better eyesight, more
nimble mind and body, now I was afraid if the inevitable SPRING
(BOING) flew out
of
it or a miniscule part fell out and bounced off the table and onto
the
floor
as I was disassembling it I'd NEVER be able to find it, and parts
aren't available for this drill, er, I don't think so, I called
northern and the guy gave me another phone number that I didn't get
around to calling.
[Note: The i's replaced with I's. much easier to read]

Bill,

If you are worried about losing spring loaded parts, get a big clear
plastic bag and disassemble inside the bag.

If you fail to remember this trick, keep a large speaker magnet handy to
sweep the floor. Springs are almost always magnetic, although some of
the parts they can launch may not be. It also helps not to have the
music turned up, so you can hear what quadrant of the shop it landed
in...

Don't ask me how I know this...

Doug White

And keep that big magnet in a clear plastic bag!
Ray
"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
Good going!
Martin

William Wixon wrote:
i suspect this post is of no value to anyone, just more or less a
"gloat", and mine's not nearly as good as some of you other guy's gloats.

march of '07 i won an 18 volt cordless drill from northern tool in a
sweepstakes, i was *tickled pink* but i figured it was a cheap piece of
chinese crap so i didn't have very much in the way of expectations. when
i won it i checked the price and was astounded to see, i think it was $29
(!). i couldn't BELIEVE they could make and sell a drill at that price
and make a profit, i figured it was a REAL piece of junk. i mean, you
can't even buy one part of a cordless drill (drill or battery, prolly
even just the CHARGER) for $29! they don't even sell this model any
more. over the course of a couple months and various projects i grew to
like this drill at least as much as the porter cable cordless i bought
15(?) years ago for more than $120. i liked it AS MUCH as my porter
cable cordless. a few months after i started using it started developing
an intermittent problem, wouldn't run when i pressed the trigger.
bummer. i was like "i knew it". was an intermittent problem, i'd slap it
on the bottom of the battery and sometimes that would cure it,
temporarily. problem kept getting worse and worse to the point where the
drill wouldn't work at all. being the cheap ******* that i am i couldn't
stand the thought of tossing this great drill i got for free. last night
i opened it up hoping to find a loose wire. turns out i *did* find a
wire that goes into the trigger that, when i fiddled with it the
trigger/motor reacted, i figured i'd isolated the loose wire. i was
hesitant to open up the trigger switch, i'd done such things in the past,
when i was younger (recently turned 50), had better eyesight, more nimble
mind and body, now i was afraid if the inevitable SPRING (BOING) flew out
of it or a miniscule part fell out and bounced off the table and onto the
floor as i was disassembling it i'd NEVER be able to find it, and parts
aren't available for this drill, er, i don't think so, i called northern
and the guy gave me another phone number that i didn't get around to
calling. well, so, anyway, thankfully i isolated a loose wire, carefully
pried open the trigger switch, saw the wire had been improperly inserted
at the factory (was kinda off to the side of a pincer thingy instead of
straight through the middle), was able to redo it all (soldered the tip
of the wire, etc.) and i'll be damned the drill, so far, seems to be
working fine. i'm pleased as punch. tee hee! i really like this drill.
turns out it's really handy to have two cordless drills.
tried to find a picture on-line, this is the only one i could find. in
this pic (from an on-line auction) there are three the same and two other
different ones that are alike. mine is like the three that are alike
('cept mine has the battery and charger). i hate the color of this
thing, burgundy? huh?! but, oh well, works good.

http://images.bargainland.net/Captur...f888064844.jpg

b.w.

Ray Field wrote:

And keep that big magnet in a clear plastic bag!


Where is the fun in that?


--
The movie 'Deliverance' isn't a documentary!

Good work! I can see that you got a lot of satisfaction out of it,
which is the most important part. Any number of times I've fixed
something that I got at the dump just for the satisfaction of fixing it.
Even the stuff that I couldn't fix was interesting to take apart & see
what was wrong. That's not something that I tell people who have to ask
what I do in the shop. If you have to ask, you won't understand.

Bob

"William Wixon" wrote:

i suspect this post is of no value to anyone, just more or less a "gloat",
and mine's not nearly as good as some of you other guy's gloats.

Gloats are relative. In your case you are thrilled and I'm happy for you.

I tried to salvage a cordless drill whose charger died using my current limited variable
voltage power supply. I got a bit too aggressive on the charge rate though. Oh well.
Some lessons come at a price.

On the metalworking front, I recently scored a 3 ton arbor press. It wasn't a steal since
I had to pay 50 bucks for it but the press is American and not off short. Shipping isn't
a problem since I work where it is located.

Back to your gloat. Taking the time and effort to go out of your experience zone can pay
off a lot of times. At worst it is only a bit of time lost in most cases.

I haven't tossed my cordless drill since I'm considering putting new batteries in it since
it had a nice balance of power and weight.

Wes

"Wes" wrote in message
...

Gloats are relative. In your case you are thrilled and I'm happy for you.

I tried to salvage a cordless drill whose charger died using my current
limited variable
voltage power supply. I got a bit too aggressive on the charge rate
though. Oh well.
Some lessons come at a price.

On the metalworking front, I recently scored a 3 ton arbor press. It
wasn't a steal since
I had to pay 50 bucks for it but the press is American and not off short.
Shipping isn't
a problem since I work where it is located.

Back to your gloat. Taking the time and effort to go out of your
experience zone can pay
off a lot of times. At worst it is only a bit of time lost in most cases.

I haven't tossed my cordless drill since I'm considering putting new
batteries in it since
it had a nice balance of power and weight.

Wes



you've seen this guy? i think r.c.m. was where i heard about him, or maybe
it was the welding group. i used him and was thoroughly satisfied. (two
battery packs for the porter cable drill i mentioned)

www.voltmanbatteries.com

they were kind enough to allow me to remove the cells from the plastic
battery pack, to reduce shipping costs to them. their rebuild batteries are
cheaper than brand produced battery packs.