If there’s one thing I really enjoy doing, it’s tinkering with machinery. When something breaks, or I’m not happy with how a device works, I try to fix it.
I own a cordless drill which had lost its’ ability to drill, which is something a drill should really be able to do. So, rather than heading down to my local Big Box and relieving myself of a few hundred dollars, I got out my tools and did some tests and found out that the motor was failing. This bad boy needed a transplant. Oh Doctor, could it be done in time?
I picked up the (now disassembled) drill, and placed it in a wheeled gurney (my van) and sped to our local experts in drill repair……Larry Electric Motor Service in Peterborough! If you’ve never been in here, it’s like a candy store for tradespeople. They’ve been in business since 1937 and multiple generations of the Larry clan work there.
I arrived and placed my patient on the desk. Kyle looked at the drill and shook his head. “It looks bad”, he said “but I think we can help.” He began flipping through his various catalogues and then disappeared into the bowels of the facility. I was starting to sweat since I was holding such a precious life in my hands. I gently rubbed the handle of the drill while imploring it to “hold on, help is on the way”. Kyle came back with a small, mysterious cardboard box in his hand. Looking me in the eyes he said, “This should help, that’ll be $33.50” I quickly paid the bill and rushed back to the kitchen counter O.R.
Taking out my soldering iron and several sets of pliers I feverishly worked to extract the failing motor. As I worked the soldered wires free I gently mopped up the tool lube that was spilling out the sides of the gears. “That will need a transfusion,” I thought, “But NO, keep focused!” After freeing the old motor and setting it aside, the new unit was gently laid into place and soldered in. Now came the most critical part of the operation……Reassembly! Getting the old gearbox to not reject the new motor took considerable persuading and careful alignment. Then the electronics were squeezed back into place and the cavity was closed. I re-inserted the battery and squeezed the trigger. Success!!!! The pulse was strong and regular. The drill was ready to drill another day.
Fixing things can be incredibly satisfying. If you’ve already spent money on a quality item and it does (or did) what you wanted, it never hurts to poke around and try to get it going again. Or, you can ask a technically inclined friend to help. I’m sure a few beers would persuade them. It’s certainly a pleasant way to spend some time, and it’ll give you a great story!