Blog
Build logs, project notes, and write-ups from the workshop.
- Welcome to the Garage Geek Guy blog A written companion to the YouTube channel — build logs, schematics, and project notes you can actually skim.
- Sony CCD-TRV57 Handycam: Demo, Defects, and What Still Works A functional walkthrough of the Sony CCD-TRV57 8mm Handycam — tape loading, recording, playback, zoom, and autofocus — plus an honest look at its two known defects: a damaged LCD and a dead original battery.
- Sony CCD-TRV138 Hi8 Handycam: How to Use It (and What to Check When Buying) A hands-on walkthrough of the Sony CCD-TRV138 8mm Hi8 camcorder — loading tape, recording, NightShot mode, playback, and what the accessory kit actually includes.
- I Bought the Elm Eco Pro 2 Key Card Hack — and It Works The Elm Eco Pro 2 disc resurfacing machine runs on proprietary timed key cards that expire after 800 minutes. A UK modder built a small microcontroller hack that gives you unlimited time for $138.
- How to Refill an Epson EcoTank Printer (ET-2720 Walkthrough) Three to four years between ink refills, one $17 bottle of black ink from Amazon, and the printer walks you through the whole process on-screen. Here is what to expect.
- Smith Corona SL 575 Electronic Typewriter: How to Use It A walkthrough of the Smith Corona SL 575 electronic typewriter — loading paper, the built-in demo mode, spell-check with the correction ribbon, word erase, and line erase.
- How to Connect a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to a Mac or PC Pairing the Switch Pro Controller to a Mac via Bluetooth in under a minute — what to press, what to look for, and how to verify it is working before you load a game.
- Lathem Mechanical Time Clock: How to Set the Punch Time and Dial Setting the time on a Lathem mechanical punch clock requires two separate adjustments — the stamping mechanism and the visible dial. Here is how to do both correctly.
- Resize a Box to Fit a USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope A 60-second box resizer trick that collapses an oversized shipping box by an inch or so — enough to slip into a USPS Large Flat Rate Envelope and save you $7 on a priority shipment.
- How Much Electricity Does a 3D Printer Actually Use? A watt meter and a calibration cube answer the question properly. The Anycubic Mega S draws up to 225W while heating, drops to 40–50W while printing, and costs about 2 cents per hour to run — less than most people guess.