Lessons learned the Hard Way

[eric]

What lessons have you learned the hard way while tinkering with your vintage computers?

I'll go first:

The Classic I/II have different threaded case screws then other compact macs - and the ones that go into the plastic are different than the ones on the case. I screwed in the top ones into the plastic and kept going as it was still going screwing in and it made a bump in the front of the case where the screw pushed through some. I never tighten screws into plastic more than just a touch of resistance anymore!

Hopefully sharing our mistakes will help the next person.

 

[Paolo B]

Very interesting thread. Learning from our lessons is one of the cornerstones for continuously improving any process.

Most recent one from my side. Wanted to align a floppy drive, remove it from the metal bracket and used the bracket as standoff. Forgot to put some paper foil in between for insulation. Result: the drive just slipped sideways, the logic board touched the metal bracket with the connector pins and shorted. Damage all the way up to the motherboard.

 

[retr01]

I learned to take the time, and the hobby can be a journey rather than something to get done in haste ruining the whole tinkering experience.

 

[skate323k137]

Probably the hardest thing for me to learn was when to admit I wasn't finishing the project that day lol. Or if I am getting too out of hand working around a piece I don't have or something, instead of putting the project away for the night I used to hack together whatever I could. Now I'm a lot more patient, if I identify a fault I don't have the parts for I put the project aside until I do.

 

[Trash80toG4]

Now I'm a lot more patient, if I identify a fault I don't have the parts for I put the project aside until I do.

Older, take a bit longer view than that. I've learned that waiting for prototyping technology advances to become affordable at tinkerer levels pays off big time. That was a very hard won lesson.

Started out when CNC was new and was blown away when stereo lithography came about. Over that last fourteen years progress has been amazing, the sound barrier to space flight kind of amazing.

@eric I pimpled a Classic too. Mine's under the floppy of a savagely hacked curb find, figuring an LED will fix it right up one day.

 

[Kai Robinson]

For me it was learning when to stop. Both in terms of overall process, but also on an individual job. When you're tired, you make mistakes. All too often i've been soldering something together, or designing a reloaded board, and then missed out something really obvious because my brain was frazzled my eyes were stinging and i urgently needed to get some sleep.

When your body is screaming 'put me to sleep' - take it's advice, and just do it.

 

[eric]

@eric I pimpled a Classic too. Mine's under the floppy of a savagely hacked curb find, figuring an LED will fix it right up one day.

I should have shared how I /kind of/ fixed it - took a heat gun on 200deg temp and warmed the case - then pressed the back of a mac plus battery holder into it to transfer the pattern while I flattened. In all honestly if anyone came over and saw it they'd probably not even see it's there... but I do.

 

[Trash80toG4]

Thanks for the fix info, I think I'll still turn mine into a feature.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

For me it was learning when to stop. Both in terms of overall process, but also on an individual job. When you're tired, you make mistakes. All too often i've been soldering something together, or designing a reloaded board, and then missed out something really obvious because my brain was frazzled my eyes were stinging and i urgently needed to get some sleep.

When your body is screaming 'put me to sleep' - take it's advice, and just do it.

This for sure. I was pushing through a PBg4 17" SSD swap around midnight on a Friday after a long work day, cooking, puting kids to sleep etc. and broke the trackpad ziff connector off the lobo. Should have put it away and went to bed to start up another day.


Speaking of PBg4 trackpad ziff connectors, if anyone knows of a source or has one, I am in need. Would make for a fun fix - the machine is otherwise completely fucntional and I miss using it - is/was probably my favorite portable I own.