Author: Dave Farquhar

Use thread sealing tape to keep screws and bolts from backing out

Dave Farquhar DIY ,
Use thread sealing tape to keep screws and bolts from backing out

Frequently I have a problem with self-assemble furniture not holding together as well as I would like. The bolts back out over time the legs in our kitchen chairs get wobbly. Or a bolt from an office chair falls out completely and something that used to work stops working. If I don’t notice the mystery bolt on the floor and the malfunction on the same day, I get other problems. Here’s a trick to keep screws and bolts from backing out while still leaving it possible to disassemble the piece if needed.

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Who makes Barracuda garbage disposals?

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording , , , ,

Barracuda is a private-label brand of garbage disposal you can find at Menards home improvement stores. They are usually the least expensive disposal on Menards’ shelf. But who makes Barracuda garbage disposals?

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Can’t connect to this network? Here’s the fix.

Dave Farquhar Windows , , , , , , ,
Can’t connect to this network? Here’s the fix.

After upgrading to Windows 10, when I unhibernated my laptop the next morning, my wifi connection didn’t work. The connection dropped and I couldn’t reconnect. Forgetting the network and reconnecting didn’t help. Any time I tried to reconnect to my wireless network, I’d get the message that Windows 10 can’t connect to this network.

The problem seemed to be in the power management.

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0xc1900201 error installing Windows 10

Dave Farquhar Windows , , ,
0xc1900201 error installing Windows 10

Are you getting a 0xc1900201 error installing Windows 10? I got both that and 0xc1900200. Here’s how I fixed it.

I upgraded my venerable Dell E1505 to Windows 10 over the weekend. It was harder than it needed to be, but I got it running. It’s an old machine, but for some tasks, it can handle Windows 10.

Here’s how I got the Windows 10 install working.

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Adjust DD-WRT TX power

Dave Farquhar DD-WRT, Servers and Networking , ,
Adjust DD-WRT TX power

I had a DD-WRT router that was dropping a lot of packets. I got a lot of errors and that caused poor playback in Netflix and especially MLB.tv. It wasn’t a bandwidth issue. My wireless network connection was just too noisy. I had to adjust my DD-WRT TX power to fix it.

I probably adjusted it the opposite way you would expect. Read more

Drain cleaner in garbage disposals

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording
Drain cleaner in garbage disposals

Is it safe to use drain cleaner in garbage disposals? Generally, the answer is no. Unfortunately I speak from experience.

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SSCP vs CISSP

Dave Farquhar security , , , ,
SSCP vs CISSP

SSCP and CISSP are both (ISC)² certifications. I get a lot of questions about the two of them, especially about SSCP, as CISSP overshadows it. So let’s look at SSCP vs CISSP.

CISSP definitely pays better, but that’s not to say SSCP doesn’t have merit.

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Marx couplers explained

Dave Farquhar Toy trains , , ,
Marx couplers explained

Marx made five different type of couplers between 1934 and 1974. If you’ve never seen Marx couplers explained before, here’s a primer on how to identify them and use them together. And I even have a few repair tips if you need them.

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Lawn mower wheel height adjuster stuck? Free it!

Dave Farquhar DIY ,

I had a lawn mower wheel height adjuster stuck hard a week or two ago. I bought it off a neighbor for $20, so I expected a few problems. I fixed it with a screwdriver and a hammer.

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Don’t close your 401(K)

Dave Farquhar Investing , , ,

So the UK voted to leave the EU, key political figures resigned, North Ireland and Scotland might want to leave the UK, and the stock market went into a free fall. What does it all mean? I don’t know, and nobody does. But don’t panic and close your 401(K) or move all the money into bonds.

I’ve seen this before.

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