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Clean and polish Bakelite

Dave Farquhar DIY, Toy trains December 23, 2021December 11, 2021

Bakelite was the world’s first synthetic plastic, common in the first half of the 20th century but rarely used today. Many consumer goods used it into the 1950s, such as phones, radios and even some toys, such as Lionel transformers. When in good condition, Bakelite has an attractive appearance very distinctive from modern plastics. Here’s how to clean and polish Bakelite to bring out is unusual beauty.

Bakelite frequently is dull and dirty in as-found condition, but you can clean and polish it with household items. Bakelite frequently responds well to Dawn dish detergent.

What is a user story?

Dave Farquhar security December 22, 2021December 19, 2021

If you work in IT or security, you are pretty much expected to know what a user story is. That can be a problem if your background is not in software development, or if your education or background predates the agile software development model. So what is a user story and how do you write one?

User stories are similar to milestones in project management. That was how it was first explained to me. But you don’t write a user story quite the same way that you would write a milestone in project management. The other thing is mixing the two can lead to miscommunication. I was once involved in a meeting where a manager insisted on using user stories, because he had been a software developer, but this wasn’t a project involving software development. So nobody else knew what he was talking about.

User stories are a product management or software development tool. They aren’t something everyone knows.

Logitech C7 mouse: So bad it’s good

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing December 21, 2021January 23, 2022

I picked up a Logitech C7 mouse to go with my IBM 5170. It’s so bad it’s good. There is no way I would use it all the time, but in so many ways it’s perfect for the mid-eighties PC.

Exit full screen in WinUAE

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing December 20, 2021December 19, 2021

I always struggle to remember how to exit fullscreen mode in WinUAE, and it seems like everyone else wants to explain everything about the software. So here’s how to exit full screen mode in WinUAE, the Amiga emulator for Windows. It takes about three steps.

I often enter fullscreen in WinUAE accidentally and then can’t remember how to get out. You need to hit F12, then navigate the display menu.

What are the measurements of Lionel postwar trains?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains December 16, 2021December 11, 2021

How big is a Lionel post war train? The answer isn’t as simple as it could be, because these were toys, and it varied. This is confusing even to experienced train hobbyists sometimes. But I can give you some guidelines and ranges and explain why there were such variances in Lionel post war train dimensions and measurements.

Windows XP retro gaming PC

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing December 15, 2021May 9, 2025

If you want a Windows XP retro gaming PC, you have a lot of options. The dizzying number of options may make it more confusing. But it’s also part of the appeal. Let’s talk about how to select components and build one.

Ryobi electric lawn mower won’t start? Try this.

Dave Farquhar DIY December 14, 2021August 12, 2023

It’s frustrating when your Ryobi electric lawn mower won’t start, or when your Ryobi mower stops suddenly. Especially because the selling point is that they are really easy to start and really reliable. Here’s what to do when it happens.

When your Ryobi electric mower won’t start or stops suddenly, it’s usually one of three things. It’s often the battery, the handle not being fully extended or locked, or the discharge, all of which are fairly easy to fix.

What is recursion in Python? Here’s an example

Dave Farquhar Software December 13, 2021March 26, 2023

Recursion in computer science is a subroutine that calls itself. So what is recursion in Python? The same thing. A function that calls itself.

Recursion is a concept that first or second semester computer science classes frequently cover, but it can be confusing. I will admit that I generally tried to avoid using it, but it can be useful. I especially find recursion in Python useful when working with APIs, which is a common Python use case.

Dept 56 Village Express Electric train set

Dave Farquhar model railroading December 9, 2021December 5, 2021

The Dept 56 Village Express electric train set was a train set made by Bachmann for Department 56. It was available from 1998 to 2006.

A train is a natural fit for Dept 56, which is meant to evoke a romanticized past. Today’s megastores have displaced those downtown shops that Dept 56 represent, and the automobile has displaced the passenger train has a favored means of travel. A passenger train and a few recognizable cars are a good way to firmly set the time period for your Dept 56 village.

IBM 5170 battery

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing December 8, 2021March 9, 2024

Long ago, if you needed an IBM 5170 battery, you could drive 5 minutes to Radio Shack and they would have one. It might cost $10, but the time you saved was probably worth it. But those batteries disappeared sometime around Y2K, and of course Radio Shack has been gone nearly a decade now too. Here’s how I cobbled together a suitable IBM 5170 battery for around $6.

This battery was something of a standard, so a lot of motherboards, even into the 486 era, had a connector for this type of battery. So it’s useful for more than just an IBM 5170. If you have a 4-pin battery connector on your board, chances are this solution will work on it too.