I recently tossed out an electric shaver that suddenly stopped working, because I had no idea how to fix it, and it's more cost effective to just buy a new one. In this way, I, like so many other people, did my part to waste resources and make junk. But what if I could go to a group of friends, take my shaver apart, share knowledge with each other, and figure out together how to fix it? That's just what they do once a week at the Fixers’ Collective in Brooklyn, a “social experiment in improvisational fixing and mending.” Here's a terrific video about what they do and how they do it, from Ask Umbra at Grist.org:
Comments
Neal Gorenflo wrote on 05.21.10, 4:44pm:
That's cool Jibr33l. I still have my bike from the 80s! I did reclaim some old redwood fencing recently. It has this colorful moss on it. I used it for my garden bed. Looks spiff.
Paul M. Davis wrote on 05.21.10, 9:10pm:
This is very cool. There have traditionally been bike co-ops, and as I wrote about earlier, now computer co-ops, but a general fixing collective is such a phenomenal idea. I often think about my grandfather, who would never replace something he could fix or get fixed; we're so far away from that mentality nowadays, and often don't have the necessary skills, so this sort of place where people can go and share their personal expertise to reduce waste is fantastic. Hoppe it catches on elsewhere!
I saved an 80's road bike from a dumpster; had been backed over with a car and left to rot.
A wheelset, hacksaw and wrench later I have the fastest way to get around inner-city PDX. And bar tape = shave and haircut.
This is largely thanks to the Portland State Bike Hub, which teaches fixing all week long.