THE D.I.Y. MINDSET

Words by Ren Alcantara

To go along with the theme this month, we decided that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take all the projects we’ve come up with for this issue, and complement it with a general piece on the DIY mindset. It’s not a particularly difficult or mysterious thing, but it’s something that can carry over across different projects or tasks.

The main reason I got started with DIY in general was that there were some things, either outright devices, or certain features, that I needed or wanted which weren’t available in off-the-shelf offerings. This leads us to the first part of this mindset: Anything that exists can be made better. Whether it’s a wall that needs an extra shelf, a phone that could use a better holder, or a computer that needs more RAM, everything can be made better. If you have a device that you wish could do something more than was built into it, think about what might be needed to add the functionality you’re looking for. Whether or not you can actually apply those changes is for later in the process. This step is all about looking at your things differently from most people.

Let’s say you have something in mind. For example, I used to use one of those pop-out socket things for my phone. It was extremely convenient and technically could be repositioned on the back of the device, but the “temporary” adhesive on the socket was extremely inconvenient to deal with. After some thinking, I realized I could modify the accessory with strong magnets and stick a metal plate on my phone so I could keep the convenience of the holder, and be able to move it to a more effective position depending on my needs. After a quick trip to an online retailer for magnets, some epoxy, and a little trial and error, I had exactly what I was looking for, and it served me for years until I finally replaced my phone. It of course might not be the best idea to modify a tourbillon timepiece (though that might be a heck of a thing to attempt), but if the result you’re after is worth the risk, and it’s your property anyway, I say go for it. Next up, if you can’t find what you need, make it. This is a big one. Every device that is sold everywhere is made of parts put together in a certain way. What parts those are and how they go together dictates what the device does. If none of the devices you can buy does what you need, it might be time to consider getting the parts, and building the thing yourself. This will of course be subject to a lot of fumbling, broken components, and frustration, but that comes with the territory, and I can more or less guarantee that the next iterations are going to get better and better. You will need to make an honest assessment of your own skills, and if you find them lacking, you’ll have to decide if you’re willing to mess up enough to learn, and attempt it anyway. The latter is generally the better idea, though be aware that some projects can be more dangerous (read: Potentially fatal) than others. It will happen that some projects will be beyond what you can learn in any reasonable amount of time, and that’s ok too. Keep making, and you might just surprise yourself one day.

To illustrate this, before the lockdown, I needed a light that could be powered by a powerbank or wall outlet, be bright enough for work, and have a high enough color rendering index for photo and video duty. I couldn’t find anything like that online that I could afford, so I did the next logical thing: Build my own. I didn’t have that much experience with electronics at that point, so it was off to YouTube to see what I needed. I did all the research while waiting for the components to arrive, made a plan, and was able to get started once everything I needed arrived. The result: I ended up with the light that I needed, that would do everything I wanted, for FAR less money than I would have paid, AND with more skills and knowledge in my toolkit that I can use for the rest of my life. That’s a pretty sweet deal any way you want to look at it.

Related to the previous point is that things are made of parts. These parts can be taken and used for other things should you need them. Displays, motors, fans, lithium cells—they all live inside devices, and once they stop working well together (ie: the parent device is broken), they’re all fair game. Whenever something I own stops working, the first thing I do is check if I can fix it myself. Generally, it’s something simple, like a dead cell, loose solder joint, or burnt component, in which case it’s an easy fix. If it’s something serious that I can’t get repaired, I check for usable components, and save them for other purposes. It helps to be organized, and you’ll definitely need the space for it, but I can’t even count the number of fans, lights, and switches I’ve been able to reuse for different projects. Even little speakers can be brought back to life with a few new parts. Just be neat, and be mindful about keeping yourself from being a hoarder, and you’ll have most of what you need to make things.

The next bit is something of a paradox. While a big part of the whole making and DIY thing is being able to work with what is available, you’re going to want to have the right tools to work with. Can you solder with an induction cooker and a screwdriver? Sure, you can! But will it be easier with a temperature-controlled soldering iron? A hundred times so. I spent a lot of my childhood making do with the tools I could find: wrong-sized screwdrivers, old saws, blunt drill bits, and I was able to get stuff done, if slowly and with lots of errors along the way. One by one though, I got the correct tools or the different things I was trying, and the work became much MUCH easier and way more fun. There’s no need to splurge on the most expensive tools for everything, but the ones that will do the most work will obviously have to be up to scratch. I’m not blaming the lack of quality tools for shoddy work, but it’s just so much easier to do clean work quickly when you have the correct tools at your disposal.

When I was making the first prototype for the worklight I mentioned above, I had an old soldering iron that was far from great even when it was brand new. That iron left me struggling, cursing, and redoing so much of the task that I was beginning to wonder if it was worth the effort. To be fair, a lot of the difficulty sprang from poor technique, which the cheap uncooperative iron actually taught me to fix. Still though, it’s easier to focus on doing things right when you’re not also fighting your gear in the process. Fast forward to today, and I have a USB-powered, variable temp iron with custom firmware, and soldering has never been easier. A caveat here: as with anything, good gear isn’t going to instantly be good at a task. I can honestly say I “earned” this iron by using the stuff I had before. A good place to start is: work with what you’ve got, figure out if there’s anything wrong with it, and replace it if you have to. You have to be honest with yourself and really determine if it’s you, or your hardware that’s lacking, and work from there.

This next little gem is something any DIYer will know, and every maker will invariably learn on their own. You’re going to suck A LOT. There will be projects that just won’t come together, and there will be times that you’ll need to call in the pros. As with anything there’s a bunch of learning as you go that just comes with the territory. Sometimes that lack of experience will manifest in work that’s a little off, a little rough, or a little crusty. Other times, everything will grind to a halt. Before you start any project, particularly something you haven’t executed before, that there’s a chance you won’t complete it. I have a box of shame where I put all the scrapped projects I’ve attempted, and it gets bigger every year. It won’t be a total loss though. In any execution, there will always be an opportunity to learn. Even the items in the box of shame taught me things the hard way, and those are the lessons that stick. So even if you don’t finish the project but you’re attentive, you’re probably not going to make those same mistakes again, and you still walk away with more knowledge than when you started.

To help increase your chances of success, make as detailed a plan as you can. After doing your research, make your plans as detailed as you can. Try to look at all the angles, see where there might be pitfalls, and make plans to avoid them. I have a workbook where I put all my notes, plans, and ideas. This has proven invaluable in making things, as strokes of genius as well as lapses in memory can be taken care of with a few notes. All the same, don’t be afraid to go off-script. Sometimes, things have a will of their own, and don’t care about your plan, so you’ll have to go with it. That’s fine, and is part of the fun. Just be kind to your future self, and take notes on those changes as soon as you can. You’ll thank yourself when it comes time to make another, or if you need to troubleshoot something later on.

Doing things yourself is a rewarding, fun experience. It might even save you a buck, though there’s no guarantee. You will, however, learn a lot from it, and these skills will stay with you. Is it for everyone? Probably not. Can everyone do it though? Absolutely.