Author: Dave Farquhar

How to store Liquid Nails once opened

Dave Farquhar DIY
How to store Liquid Nails once opened

So you buy a tube of Liquid Nails or another construction adhesive and you end up only using a little. What do you do? Here’s how to store Liquid Nails once opened.

This is one of those cheap and simple life hacks that can end up saving you a fair bit of money. Enough to be worthwhile, at least.

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Lock a Marx motor in one direction

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Lock a Marx motor in one direction

Sometimes you want to lock a Marx motor in one direction. Some of them have a switch for doing so but many do not. Here’s how to find the switch, and what to do if yours doesn’t have one and you don’t want to modify it.

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Computers in the 1990s

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Computers in the 1990s

Computers in the 1990s, especially at the dawn of the 1990s, were very different from today. Looking back now, it’s easy to see how the 1990s were a pivotal decade for computing. And since GenXers like me live under the delusion that the 1990s just happened, I still remember it well.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember about computers in the 1990s is the number of things that didn’t exist prior to 1990. In other cases, they existed, but were terrible, so nobody used them.

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In defense of Intel, a little

Dave Farquhar security
In defense of Intel, a little

So, if you haven’t heard about Spectre and Meltdown, you can read my analysis over at my employer’s blog. I won’t compete with them. Let’s talk about the heat Intel is taking over this, and why I think it’s at least slightly unfair.

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Windows 10 sound not working? Here’s the quick fix.

Dave Farquhar Windows
Windows 10 sound not working? Here’s the quick fix.

My Windows 10 sound stopped working suddenly. One day it worked, the next day, it quit. Nothing else changed–I hadn’t even rebooted. If, like me, you experience Windows 10 sound not working, here’s a quick fix to try that should take you less than a minute.

My symptoms were simple. My web browser quit playing audio. Muting and unmuting didn’t help. Changing the volume didn’t help. I tried a different browser and it wouldn’t play audio either. Then I fired up Windows Media Player and tried to play a song. I got silence. Then I got a red X next to the song that didn’t play. If this sounds familiar, keep reading. I can probably help you.

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Commodore 64 vs Nintendo 64

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Commodore 64 vs Nintendo 64

The Commodore 64 and Nintendo 64 have similar names, but they aren’t related. The number “64” was significant enough that both companies wanted to brag about it. But in the case of the Commodore 64 vs Nintendo 64, the number meant two completely different things. Here’s why that number keeps coming up.

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Toy stores that went out of business

Dave Farquhar Retail
Toy stores that went out of business

Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in late 2017, stoking concerns about its future going forward before closing in the summer of 2018. The venerable retailer outlasted a large number of defunct toy store chains, but toy stores have been in sharp decline for decades. Here are some names of old toy stores that went out of business, and what happened to those old toy store chains.

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G gauge vs O gauge

Dave Farquhar model railroading
G gauge vs O gauge

G gauge vs O gauge is a natural comparison, as they are two of the oldest surviving standards in model trains. Due to their size, they share many of the same advantages and disadvantages. As such, they tended to rival one another in the 1990s and early 2000s.

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Light switch without ground

Dave Farquhar DIY
Light switch without ground

Will a light switch work with no ground wire? Usually. Does a light switch need to be grounded? Not necessarily. Here’s why you normally want a ground, and what your options are for a light switch without ground.

For a normal light switch, the ground is a safety feature, not necessary for operation. You can leave that screw unconnected if you don’t have a ground wire, or if you have the wire but no screw on the switch, you can ground the switch another way.

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How much mortgage can I afford on 100K?

Dave Farquhar Saving money
How much mortgage can I afford on 100K?

I frequently get questions like, “How much mortgage can I afford on 100K?” Or any other amount. The amount doesn’t really matter; you can do the math on any annual salary or combination of salaries. The important thing is to do the math yourself. So here’s how to figure out how much mortgage you can afford.

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