Not Working

Two stories here; one about a shredder, one about some screws.

Shredder

The cross-cut shredder stopped working. Chances are if you have used a paper shredder for a year or two, it has stopped working. You've shaken it, shook it, rattled it and rolled it, even banged it on the edge of the desk, and it Just Won't Work. Chances are you tossed it in a dumpster and spent Gold buying a new one.

I hate that with a passion, as you know.

I unplug the device and move it to a clean working area, unscrew the cover, note on a piece of paper the position & orientation of the mechanical chunk, then remove it.

Sure enough, the gears are clogged with shreds of paper. A small screwdriver gently teases out the worst of it, then the best of it, all swept into my paper bin.

I plug it in and it doesn't work. Still. And it lies still, still!

I test the optical switch by sliding paper into the gap, and hearing the click-on and delayed click-off am satisfied that the device is capable of functioning.

I unplug it again and gently turn the electric motor with the screwdriver blade. I see the gears begin to turn, so I know that once the motor starts, the device will work.

Clearly current is getting to the machine, and the optical switch is working.

Further examination reveals a small piece of paper wedged between the brush and commutator of the motor - that is enough to event the flow of electricity. I tease away that piece of paper and Behold and lo! It all hums nicely.

A small vacumn cleaner removes fluff and lint, I screw everything back in place, and I have used fifteen minutes of my time to save myself a 45-minute trip to the store.

See, it's not about money, it's about time.

Screws

Oh yes, screws. I use a clean tuna tin to hold any screws that I see lying around; also nuts, washers, bolts and small springs.

I reason that they must have dropped out of something, and although I don't know their source, their source will reveal itself to me in time.

Sure enough, as I unscrewed the cover of the shredder at the start of the job, I noticed two screws were missing. My tuna tin was holding them safely, waiting for this moment. The screws must have jarred loose a few months back. I'd picked them up and dropped them in the can.

Today they came home!

Never throw anything away, until you have found a second use for it.