ERE Repair Cafe Mastermind Group

[jacob]

Why: To increase our technical repair and maker skills. Repair knowledge tends to be experiential (1000s of little lessons) and problems are often easy to solve if only one knew where/how to approach it. A mastermind group would provide more than two eyes on a given fix and also provide some motivation to finish some projects.

Who: Forumites who like to fix, make, or upcycle stuff on an ongoing basis. (Not a group for one-off projects.) All skill levels and projects welcome. Group will start if 4 people are found. Group will close to new members when 8 are signed up. No lurkers, please. Must have posted in the Fixit Log to join. We'll use audio and video but those who want their beautiful face to be anonymous can just direct their camera at their hands/tools/worktable. Hopefully this will not be an issue.

How: Meeting on googlemeets every 14 days for 40 minutes. One person will show and talk about their project and get inputs and suggestions from others on how to proceed. When a project is completed, a write-up (lessons learned, bragging,...) must be done in the Fixit log. We'll maintain a project dashboard on google slides of ongoing projects.

If interested, PM me with 1) a short description of the first project you want to repair; 2) Your sphere of interest/competence; 3) A link to one of your posts in the fixit log or similar in your own journal or elsewhere on the forum; 4) Optional: things you're generally interested in fixing or learning.

For example: "I'm jacob and I've been on the forum for longer than most can remember I want to fix a clip-on lamp with a broken switch and a hair trimmer that refuses to start; I can make most things out of wood using handtools and fix almost anything on a bicycle. I'm limited on metal working and electronics; here's a thread on adventures in plastic viewtopic.php?t=11896 ; and I'm mainly interested in fixing household appliances and increasing my metalworking skills like brazing."

Please read: viewtopic.php?t=12263 and viewtopic.php?t=11872 to get a better idea of MMGs and what you're signing up for.

[Ego]

Looks like fun.

[enigmaT120]

Everything I do is a one off project. I prefer not to have to fix the same thing twice, at least not in the same way.

[jacob]

Everything I do is a one off project. I prefer not to have to fix the same thing twice, at least not in the same way.

The idea member is that each fix a different project, but that they'll fix more than just one project. Personally I have a habit of taking in slightly broken appliances that requires that I learn something new (like removing hidden glue spots with a hair dryer and so on). This is how I get a lot of stuff for free.

[jacob]

So far we have 3. Just need one more.

[Stahlmann]

If no lurkers are allowed, will it be recorded and published somewhere afterwards?

[jacob]

If no lurkers are allowed, will it be recorded and published somewhere afterwards?

No recording. For the Repair Cafe we will post our completed projects in the FixitLog.

[jacob]

And then there were 4. We'll be setting up a time slot next. If anyone is still on the fence in terms of joining up and want to have a say in the scheduling before it gets locked in, the clock is ticking now.

[jacob]

Okay, we're now 5 strong with 3 slots left.

The ~half-hour-session schedule has been set to every other Thursday morning (American continent time) in case anyone else wants in.

I shared a set of google slides with existing members to show and keep track of current and upcoming projects.

Based on what I've seen so far there's [from my perspective] an even distribution of projects in terms of "easy-peasy", "I don't even know where to begin, but I hope to learn something", and "I have some suggestions even if they're most likely caveat emptor BS". Thus a great and fair mix between saving some time by not pursuing dead-ends and everybody taking personal responsibility for eventually figuring things out on their own and letting others know so as to increase everybody's knowledge.

[jacob]

Just had our first meeting and settled on a meeting format for the time being. Next time we meet will be in 14 days. Same bat time, same bat channel. Everybody should already have a recurring invite in your google calendar. Presumably the same link will still work.

Potential issue: Slide chats might not be preserved. I've used the "speaker notes" to comment instead.

I created a page for a "minimalist toolbox" as a potential group project to nerd out over. If we ever manage to square this unpossible circle, I think it will be generally useful for everybody. However, tools often serve as a replacement for skill rather than as an extension of skill and therefore the size of the toolbox may be inversely proportional to the user's skill level. Hence, tool inventory tends to initially grow (learning process) until it's eventually reduced as skills replace tools.
https://aeon.co/essays/we-live-in-a-one ... a-polymath

However, the real problem is usually neither skills or tools but being able to source or manufacture parts.

Homework for next time:
1) Add a new project to the slide deck if your current project is done. Or if you want to start another one, that's also okay.
2) Be prepared to talk about solutions attempted insofar your current project from last time is still work in progress.

[AxelHeyst]

I have already noticed two positive mindset shifts: I’m now actively on the lookout for things to repair, and I have much increased aversion to punting to buying replacement parts instead of creative fixes. “My guildies will judge me if I just order replacement”… is a real and welcome thing here.

[RoamingFrancis]

I may be interested in this group, if you guys are okay with accepting a repair noob.

[jacob]

I may be interested in this group, if you guys are okay with accepting a repair noob.

Still got room for 3 more. See OP. The key is not the starting point but the desire to make progress on a semi-monthly schedule.

If interested, PM me with 1) a short description of the first project you want to repair; 2) Your sphere of interest/competence; 3) A link to one of your posts in the fixit log or similar in your own journal or elsewhere on the forum; 4) Optional: things you're generally interested in fixing or learning.

[mathiverse]

I have already noticed two positive mindset shifts: I’m now actively on the lookout for things to repair, and I have much increased aversion to punting to buying replacement parts instead of creative fixes.

+1 on this mindset shift. Also seeing the potential projects of the people in the group has also given me ideas about other things I can repair.

I'm excited to continue with this mastermind group. Given how much broken stuff I have lying around, my participation will increase my quality of life a lot once I get around to fixing everything.

This group also has great synergy with my current no buy period.

[mathiverse]

I may be interested in this group, if you guys are okay with accepting a repair noob.

We have already accepted one. Me! It'd be great to have you RoamingFrancis!

[RoamingFrancis]

@mathiverse Thank you for the warm welcome glad I'll have a fellow white belt along for the ride.

[jacob]

It looks like we're developing a backlog of projects due to the need to spend more than a 5 minutes per project at the meetings so we'll slow down the additions until we catch up.

Also, instead of adding new projects "in the middle" please put them near the end of the slide deck.
It makes it easier to spot new additions.

[jacob]

The initial format turned out to feel a like taking on a second job with an unspoken pressure to have made some progress on one's project since last meeting, so after some discussion we've decided to:

• Reduce meeting frequency to once per month. Same time and still half an hour long.
• Only focus on one project per meeting and take turns.
• Still be able to ask questions about one's own project if need be in a Q&A section at the end.

[jacob]

Similar to mountainFrugal's observation about the Ecology MMG, I think some of our "MMG notes" could be more public. We use a google slide deck because it's often easier to have a picture of what we're trying to fix or build than waving the project around in front of the camera or waving the camera around the project.

Projects do involve a bit of home construction, so I understand why people may not want to disclose [pictures of their home], but some of the pictures could go in this thread.

Aside from repairing random stuff, we also have a jointly themed project in which we all build a "motorized filtration device" of sorts. This can be anything as long as it involves a motor (which could be human powered) or a filter or both.

My ambition is to make a cyclone dust extractor for my scroll saw. So far I have the motor, the motor controller, the power supply, and a wrong-sized flange coupling.

[AxelHeyst]

My ambition is to build at least one desktop-size fan-powered hepa filter for my studio, both to help with dust and allergens in the spring and fall when I'm allergic to the air, and for smoke season.

A stretch goal after that is to build a fanpowered lightweight backpack-carried hepa filter, for exercising/being outdoors during smoke season. The aim is a device that doesn't require lung power to suck air through a filter, so you can exercise closer to your natural limit, and that doesn't require a super tight seal around your mouth/nose, which is annoying when it's hot and you're running/biking/etc.