Computing the old way - Is it a thing of the past?

On 04/15/2013 12:37 PM, Tony Duell wrote: Half the battle of repairing some stuff is (1) having the right tools and (2) knowing what tools are needed. Yesterday, I re-soled a pair of work boots, said boots being one of the rare instances of footwear that doesn't make my size 13s hurt. The Vibram replacement soles were easy enough to come by, but how to attach them? Many people suggested contact cement or neoprene cement. From experience, I've learned that neither is very durable in the long run. After a lot of digging, I discovered that shoe repair shops use a special brand of contact cement known as "Barge" cement. The stuff stinks like heck and soaks into rubber, so a 6 ounce tube barely suffices for a pair of soles. But the bond is unassailable by moisture or wear. Of course, this would have been unnecessary had the city's last shoe repair shop not closed. Apparently, shoes are yet another thing that people now discard rather than refurbish. Most likely this occurs because of cheaply-made inexpensive imports. So computer gear isn't alone in the "don't replace, throw away" category. --Chuck