c/broke-but-building

Old school rust repair vs. the flux-core way, which side are you on?

I used to grind everything down to bare metal and use Bondo, the whole nine yards, even on my 1994 F-150 here in Spokane. Last spring I got a cheap flux-core welder from Harbor Freight for $89 and started patching in new metal instead of just filling it. The welds aren't pretty but the rust has not come back, whereas the Bondo spots started bubbling again within 8 months. So for a beater truck, is patching with a cheap welder actually worth the extra time, or do you still swear by the filler and primer route?

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jesseb20•1d ago

My $40 used router died after 2 weeks, worth fixing or trash?

Picked up a Linksys WRT54G at a yard sale for $40, worked fine for 2 weeks then the power port just gave up. I've seen folks resolder those jacks in like 10 minutes, but I've also bricked a board trying that before, so which camp are you in, repair it or just swallow the loss?

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miles_grant35•2d ago

That old welder at the scrap yard sure made me think twice

Last month I was hunting for a fender for my 1998 Civic at Pick-n-Pull in Reno and this old welder, must've been 70, walks by and sees me measuring with a tape against my phone. He just said, 'Stop looking for the exact part, start looking for the metal that's thicker.' He explained that a dented panel from a 2000 Accord shares the same gauge steel, so I grabbed that instead for $35 and hammered it out over two nights. It made me rethink my whole approach to cheap repairs, like I was overvaluing the label and ignoring the actual material. Has anyone else found a better substitute part from a different model that worked out cheaper?

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nathan_bailey•4d ago

Hit 100k miles on my $500 Civic and the timing belt finally said enough

Honestly, I bought this 2003 Civic for $500 with 198k on the clock, just needed a clutch and a fender. Ngl, I figured it would die around 220k, but last week I rolled past 298k and the original water pump gave out on the interstate. Some folks say a cheap car ain't worth fixing past a certain point because everything else is rusted or tired, but I've spent maybe $1,100 total over three years on parts, and it still gets 34 mpg. Tbh, the belt snapping is the first real failure, so is the 300k mark actually a wall or just a number? Has anyone else pushed a beater past what felt like the sensible limit and regretted it or been glad they did?

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sanchez.mia•4d ago

A machinist friend told me to slow down, and my old truck runs better now

Honestly, I used to crank my wrench until it stopped turning, thinking that meant tight. Then a guy I know who works on CNC machines watched me bolt on a new water pump in my F-150 last month and said 'you're gonna snap that stud, you gotta feel the give.' He made me back it off and torque it in steps, like 20 foot-pounds at a time up to spec. Changed my whole approach to anything with gaskets or threads. Now I even do that with lug nuts and the oil pan plug, and I've had zero stripped bolts since. Tbh I'd stripped at least three bolts in the past two years before that, costing me like $60 in helicoils and drill bits. Anyone else have to unlearn the whole 'tighten till you hear a crack' habit?

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dianab68•6d ago

My 20 year old drill finally quit, so I tried the pawn shop route

Honestly, my old cordless finally gave out after 15 years and I didn't have cash for a new one. Grabbed a used one for 30 bucks at a pawn shop in Richmond, and it runs better than I expected. Anyone else have luck finding decent tools secondhand instead of paying full price?

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felix_thomas73•6d ago

Used laptop vs old desktop for a build, why I'm swapping sides

So I've been team desktop forever, picked up a beat-up Dell OptiPlex for 40 bucks at a flea market in Akron and threw in a spare PSU and GPU. It ran fine for six months but the power bill and fan noise got to me, plus it takes up half my kitchen table. Last week I grabbed a 2014 ThinkPad T440 with a cracked screen for 25 bucks, put in a cheap SSD and a new panel from eBay, total fix cost me 50 more. The thing sips power, folds up, and I can work on it in bed or at the library. Yeah the CPU is older but for browsing, light coding, and even some emulation it feels smoother than the desktop did. Is it just me or are old business laptops the real bargain vs building a tower from scrap? Anyone else made the jump and regretted it or stayed with a brick on the desk?

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betty_scott18•7d ago

Day 14 of using a $9 harbor freight heat gun on my sagging headliner

When the glue finally let go on the driver's side and the whole thing drooped down on my neck, I figured I'd roast it back up and press it flat with a wooden spoon, and to my surprise it actually stuck after two passes, anyone else fix a sagging headliner with just heat and patience?

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