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Get permanent marker off plastic

Dave Farquhar DIY December 26, 2019October 26, 2021

Permanent means permanent, right? Not necessarily. It’s difficult to remove permanent marker from plastic, but not impossible. Here are several ways to get permanent marker off plastic.

The favorite trick is coloring over it with a dry erase marker, then erasing it. But if this doesn’t work, or you don’t have a dry erase marker, there are other solvents and cleaners that can also work. On cloth, permanent marker really is permanent, or nearly so, since it can soak into the surface. On plastic it can’t, so permanent marker is more like semi-permanent on plastic.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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Barracuda garbage disposal review

Dave Farquhar DIY December 24, 2019August 9, 2020

I’m a landlord, and my tenants can be hard on garbage disposals. One time I couldn’t get my preferred brand, so I ended up installing a Barracuda. Was it any good? Here’s my Barracuda garbage disposal review.

Barracuda garbage disposals are made by Moen. They are made overseas and imported, and sold in discount hardware and home improvement stores like Menards. Barracuda garbage disposals are also sold under the Waste King brand name.

Dave Farquhar

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Can you put laminate over tile?

Dave Farquhar DIY December 19, 2019December 7, 2019

Can you put laminate over a tile floor? That’s a fairly common question. But unfortunately, like so many things, the answer is, it depends. In many cases you can install laminate over tile, but in some cases, you can make a problem worse by doing so. Here’s how you can know.

You can install laminate over tile if the tile floor is in reasonably good physical condition. But installing laminate over cracked, uneven tile will result in wavy, uneven, undesirable laminate.

Dave Farquhar

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Is Hart a good brand? Who makes Hart tools?

Dave Farquhar DIY December 11, 2019September 10, 2023

In late 2019, a new brand of tool showed up in Wal-Mart stores called Hart. Hart tools are cheaper than most of the big name brands, but more expensive than Wal-Mart’s Hyper Tough house brand. But is Hart a good brand? Who makes Hart tools? Let’s dig in.

The company who makes Hart tools is Techtronic Industries (TTI), an OEM for many other brands, including Craftsman and Ryobi. Post-2019 Hart tools target consumers, trying to compete with Black and Decker on price and quality.

Dave Farquhar

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How to fix a broken wire

Dave Farquhar DIY, Hardware December 4, 2019May 18, 2022

If you run across a broken wire in the midst of a project, don’t fret. Depending on what materials and how much space you have to work with, you have several options. Here’s how to fix a broken wire.

The key to fixing a broken wire is to restore the connection, which means splicing the wire back together mechanically and electrically and insulating the joint. You can use connectors if you have room, or solder the wire if space is tight.

Dave Farquhar

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Removing black marks from linoleum floors

Dave Farquhar DIY November 26, 2019November 23, 2019

I like linoleum floors because they’re pretty resilient and easy to take care of. But they can get a bit marked up in some cases. Here’s how to remove black marks from linoleum floors and, more importantly, how to keep them from coming back.

Black marks on linoleum floors are usually a result of the feet on tables or chairs rubbing against the floor while you scoot it. They’ll come off with a mild abrasive and moderate scrubbing.

Dave Farquhar

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Inspector fails outlets not wrapped in tape

Dave Farquhar DIY November 20, 2019November 9, 2019

Why would an inspector fail an outlet not wrapped in tape? It sounds overly picky, but there are some reasons why taping your outlets is a good idea, at least. And I can think of one case where it’s required.

Dave Farquhar

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Is Ridgid better than Ryobi?

Dave Farquhar DIY October 30, 2019July 27, 2022

Frequently you’ll find Ridgid tools sold in the same stores as Ryobi tools. They’re pricier than Ryobi, but cheaper than tools like DeWalt and Milwaukee. Is Ridgid better than Ryobi? Is Ridgid as good as DeWalt? Let’s dig in.

You won’t find it printed anywhere on the box, but Ryobi, Ridgid, and Milwaukee tools are all made by the same company. Ridgid tools are higher quality than Ryobi, with more power and durability, but a grade below brands like Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita.

Dave Farquhar

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Is Ryobi a good brand? Who makes Ryobi tools?

Dave Farquhar DIY October 22, 2019October 3, 2021

The price and selection of Ryobi tools available at your local big-box store certainly is tempting. But is Ryobi a good brand? Let’s dig in.

Ryobi tools are made by Techtronic Industries (TTI), an OEM for many other brands. Ryobi tools are aimed at consumers, and designed to be equivalent in quality to Black and Decker.

Dave Farquhar

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Size of the upper handle bolt for a lawn mower

Dave Farquhar DIY October 14, 2019October 6, 2019

The bolt that holds one side of the upper handle of my push lawnmower fell out this morning. Here’s how I scrounged an upper handle bolt for a lawn mower to fix it without a trip to the hardware store.

Dave Farquhar

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