Author: Dave Farquhar

How to remove rivets with a drill

Dave Farquhar DIY
How to remove rivets with a drill

Sometimes in the course of making a modification or a repair, you have to remove a rivet or eyelet so you can disassemble it. By far the easiest way is to drill out the rivet. So here’s how to remove rivets with a drill.

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How big is a G scale train?

Dave Farquhar model railroading
How big is a G scale train?

How big is a G scale train? It depends, and it also depends on whether you’re asking about the size of the train itself or the track. Let’s tackle both questions.

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On30 scale vs HO scale

Dave Farquhar model railroading
On30 scale vs HO scale

On30 trains are bigger than HO scale trains, yet they run on the same track. How can that be? It all comes down to scale and gauge. Here’s On30 scale vs HO scale explained.

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Sears Atari 2600 clone: The Sears Video Arcade

Dave Farquhar Retro Gaming
Sears Atari 2600 clone: The Sears Video Arcade

For years, Sears sold an Atari 2600 clone called the Sears Video Arcade. But the Sears Atari 2600 clone wasn’t exactly a clone in the sense we think of it. Atari made Sears’ video game system for Sears and let Sears put its name on it. Here’s why. Read more

Mechanical keyboard key stopped working? Here’s a fix.

Dave Farquhar Hardware
Mechanical keyboard key stopped working? Here’s a fix.

Cheap mechanical keyboards are all the rage these days. People will brag on Youtube or on forums about the cheap (probably tenkeyless) mechanical keyboard they found and how great it is. Read the reviews and most people are thrilled. But there’s always someone complaining that a key quit working. In this blog post, I’ll tell you what I do when a mechanical keyboard key stopped working. I’ve fixed several, and you can too.

Mechanical keyboard keys typically stop working either due to the switch getting dirty or an intermittent electrical problem. Of the two, a dirty switch is more common, and it’s easy to fix.

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Authenticated scan vs unauthenticated

Dave Farquhar security
Authenticated scan vs unauthenticated

In vulnerability scanning, there’s a big difference in an authenticated scan vs unauthenticated. Here’s why it matters, and why you should almost always go for an authenticated scan. Using authenticated scans is a vulnerability management best practice.

Lots of people misunderstand this. To quote myself circa 2005: “Let me get this straight. I give you an admin account, and then you tell me you were able to log in?” It’s about logging in and assessing what’s wrong, not telling you we got in. Regardless of the tool you use, authenticated scans let the vulnerability scanner do its job better.

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Certificate of creditable coverage: Why you may need it

Dave Farquhar Health
Certificate of creditable coverage: Why you may need it

What is a health insurance certificate of creditable coverage, and why does your new insurance plan want one? The certificate of creditable coverage was a way to prevent people from abusing health insurance. Changes to health care laws after the Affordable Care Act made certificates of creditable coverage less common. But here’s how to get one if your new insurer wants one.

If you’re trying to get health insurance in between jobs, you’re more likely to need the certificate.

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Fast Ethernet vs Gigabit Ethernet

Dave Farquhar Servers and Networking
Fast Ethernet vs Gigabit Ethernet

You may hear the words Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet thrown around a lot, and it can raise some questions. Which one is faster? Which is better? How can one compare Fast Ethernet vs Gigabit Ethernet? Despite the name, Gigabit Ethernet is faster than Fast Ethernet. Here’s why you need to care about the difference.

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Baseball error cards list

Dave Farquhar Baseball
Baseball error cards list

People make mistakes sometimes. People who work for baseball card companies are no exception. As a result, a baseball error cards appear from time to time. Some hobbyists enjoy collecting baseball error cards and even specialize in it, so here’s a list of some of the more famous or well-known error cards.

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How to fix loose outlets

Dave Farquhar DIY
How to fix loose outlets

Loose electrical outlets are annoying. They make it hard to plug stuff in and unplug it again. They cause cover plates to break, and can even cause the outlets themselves to break. In some cases, they are even a safety issue. Here’s how to fix loose outlets.

Sometimes you get lucky and this is a five-minute fix with no supplies. Even when it isn’t, you can fix this in less than 30 minutes using less than $5 worth of supplies in most cases. Sometimes you can fix it with junk you have laying around. And it’s worth doing, as loose outlets can lead to broken cover plates or, worse yet, arcs and burns.

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