Recent content by johnnyb

I've cleared many old guys workshops over the years and it's never easy emotionally. But eventually things are sold. The first items are the heartbreaks.

Hope this place brings you some joy fella. Hope the Meds work as they should .

Try how would long would free software guys last if they charged a living wage but Microsoft were operating for free without regulation.

I can't say it in any other way so I'm finished on this. People are being very dismissive about these small businesses like they don't matter like its just a joke. But there real and they won't survive. Would the repair cafe staff go and work for one of these companies for free? Unlikely

I'm failing to see the repair cafe as doing a mate a favour. It's highly promoted. With thousands of staff.

Thousands of free workers organised into a well promoted business is a huge threat. Leek bike solutions, pj's garden machinery, Mr sharpy, on the mend and so on and so forth all competitors of the repair cafe. And that's only my town

Bike shops disappearing garment repair disappearing sharpening businesses still around, small electrical repair is disappearing. Maybe if you thought of small businesses as charities with 100 per cent of the profit going to a good cause that would help. The repair cafe is now big business...

Consider what happens when the bbc decide to cancel this program or worse(much worse) people are once again affluent enough to do what they really want and just "get a new one"

Repair a lawnmower and the lawnmower business will be bankrupt. Every item that's repaired could be repaired by a business that exists(for now).

I get fixing stuff for no reward. It's admirable in every way. But once it becomes en mass and organised dare I say businesslike it kills any potential for a meaningful enterprise whilst it exists. Every aspect of every trade could be offered as a free service to all using the huge free retired...

Set up a garage repairing old cars for free. Plenty of retired mechanics around. Rent a unit. Advertise. Free fix for all. You would be the only garage around. And you would be doing poor motorists a huge favour. I've ruffled the feathers of some people by having an opinion that's different to...

I'm not in the slightest bit bothered about such things as liability, insurance et al! I view it all (rightly or wrongly) as bureaucracy and a good way to stop people doing things. Not my point at all. Humans are the most inventive and creative species until someone does it for them.

Of course meaning if you charged them £30 or a decent sum they would rapidly learn to unblock vacuums. Like Sikh gurdwara s who provide free food but ended up feeding half Leicesters polish population three meals a day ad infinitum.

So let's see the vacuum cleaner needs unblocking so take it to a free service to unblock. If that isn't the perfect example of why free things result in disabling people not enabling them I can't think of a better example than that.

The issue I found was only a 1/2 inch router is man enough with cheap 1/2 inch cutters. Also beware of nails. I must have hit a dozen. My technique was to cut them and pull them out. Freud worktop cutters were much less chippy than cheap brands.