OT - Classic Thermapen troubleshooting

Canugghead

Anyone remember the classic Thermapen @mollyshark used to sell on the old forum?

My 14 yo favourite died. Not prepared to let it go just yet, I opened it...

Culprit was the worn micro switch arm, the circular probe base that rotates no longer pushes the arm down enough to engage the switch. My original plan was to bulk up the arm with glue... 

Unfortunately, while reassembling the pieces my fat fingers broke off the tiny delicate hinge of the plastic arm. To say I was mad with myself is an understatement...

Getting a replacement miniature micro switch is practically impossible, even if I can find one it probably won't be cost effective. Installing some sort of external switch also crossed my mind briefly. Finally decided to KISS by dropping a blob of solder to connect two of the three switch terminals, thereby bypassing the switch...

Woohoo. Was prepared to play around with the two white plastic (calibration?) screws but not necessary...

These batteries last forever, never needed the extra four from AliExpress a decade ago. Unlike the newer models with screwy CR2032 cell cover, this sliding cover comes off/on easily. The auto-off function still works so I only need to pull-push the battery to power on as needed.

GrateEggspectations

@Canugghead

Another successful MacGyvering. I hate the screwy cell covers you mention. Had a Thermopop go bad and just in checking the battery, I really chewed up the cover. 

paqman

I have to go through a similar process with a newer model.  Why wasn’t the rotating base not pushing the switch anymore?  Plastic worn down?  Maybe the switch was already broken.  Have you tried contacting Thermoworks?  They may be able to ship you a replacement switch.  Nice repair!

shtgunal3

You never cease to amaze. Most folks would have tossed it. Well done.

WeberWho

Nicely done! What's your address and how fast is turn around time for mine? 

Corv

Good report and a nice job getting it going again!

Canugghead

@GrateEggspectations The screwy cover on my newer Thermapen broke and they sent me a replacement. I had a customer that brought in a Thermapops complaining that it stopped working even with a new battery, turned out her husband pressed the new battery over the tab instead sliding under it!

Canugghead

@paqman I guess 14 years of friction between the rotating base and the switch arm worn down the arm so I used glue to thicken the arm so to speak. There was a buildup of lint/gunk under the arm but it moved freely after I cleaned that out. I did reach out to Thermoworks but they don't have replacement parts for it. What kind of repair did you go through?

Canugghead

@shtgunal3 I'm too frugal and curious to throw things out

Canugghead

@Corv Thanks, I was going to bury it in WAYDN but figured a standalone thread gets better visibility and hopefully can help some folks. 

Canugghead

@WeberWho Haha, knowing you I'm sure you'll do a much better job. Our posties are still on strike, btw.

ColtsFan

I love taking 💩 apart and figuring out why it doesn’t work. Been that way since I was a kid. My parents hated it because I was randomly taking things apart, seeing how they work and reassembling. 

lousubcap

Never a doubt with your abilities.  Nice work.  

DoubleEgger

Canugghead said:

@shtgunal3 I'm too frugal and curious to throw things out

And retirement offers the time… 

Canugghead

@DoubleEgger Agree, but even before I retired I would wait till I had time or make time if it was an emergency 

kl8ton

ColtsFan said:

I love taking 💩 apart and figuring out why it doesn’t work. Been that way since I was a kid. My parents hated it because I was randomly taking things apart, seeing how they work and reassembling. 

I suspect the things you took apart as a kid were still working properly....

Canugghead

kl8ton said:

ColtsFan said:

I love taking 💩 apart and figuring out why it doesn’t work. Been that way since I was a kid. My parents hated it because I was randomly taking things apart, seeing how they work and reassembling. 

I suspect the things you took apart as a kid were still working properly....

and kids these days throw away things that still work

Canugghead

If you like to mess around with stuff, don't throw away that old computer mouse, you can harvest three micro switches from it!

caliking

Not surprised that you figured it out. Not one bit. 

GrateEggspectations

Canugghead said:

@GrateEggspectations The screwy cover on my newer Thermapen broke and they sent me a replacement. I had a customer that brought in a Thermapops complaining that it stopped working even with a new battery, turned out her husband pressed the new battery over the tab instead sliding under it!

Customer? I thought you were retired?

Canugghead

GrateEggspectations said:

Canugghead said:

@GrateEggspectations The screwy cover on my newer Thermapen broke and they sent me a replacement. I had a customer that brought in a Thermapops complaining that it stopped working even with a new battery, turned out her husband pressed the new battery over the tab instead sliding under it!

Customer? I thought you were retired?

had

GrateEggspectations

Canugghead said:

GrateEggspectations said:

Canugghead said:

@GrateEggspectations The screwy cover on my newer Thermapen broke and they sent me a replacement. I had a customer that brought in a Thermapops complaining that it stopped working even with a new battery, turned out her husband pressed the new battery over the tab instead sliding under it!

Customer? I thought you were retired?

had

Past tense can mean 30 years ago, or earlier this aft. 🙃

fishlessman

I melted my mollyshark thermopen on the simmer plate, can you fix it😁 still waiting on the jelly beans.

So you are saying that the micro switch in the old thermopen can be used to rebuild the mouse.  I'll keep that in the drawer a little longer

Canugghead

fishlessman said:

I melted my mollyshark thermopen on the simmer plate, can you fix it😁 still waiting on the jelly beans.

So you are saying that the micro switch in the old thermopen can be used to rebuild the mouse.  I'll keep that in the drawer a little longer

The jelly beans, love the good old forum days. 

Well, unless you have three old Thermapens you're out of luck because, according to Thermoworks customer support, they replaced the micro switch with magnetic switch.

Ozzie_Isaac

Canugghead said:

fishlessman said:

I melted my mollyshark thermopen on the simmer plate, can you fix it😁 still waiting on the jelly beans.

So you are saying that the micro switch in the old thermopen can be used to rebuild the mouse.  I'll keep that in the drawer a little longer

The jelly beans, love the good old forum days. 

Well, unless you have three old Thermapens you're out of luck because, according to Thermoworks customer support, they replaced the micro switch with magnetic switch.

I love to see things resurrected.  It is rarely cost effective when factoring in time, but if you think about it as a hobby or just keeping an item out of the landfill it is fun.

btw, I firmly believe the colder the weather the more the tinkering and repairing that goes on.

RRP

Your post strikes me at the right time - except in my case the trouble was with my HP model 4100 Ink Jet printer. It has been a reliable workhorse I have used for printing a large volume of two sided instructions I send along with my gasket service. This week it started eating copies for no reason. This afternoon I spent (WASTED) 2 hours trying to discover the reason. Turned out to be a cheap tiny plastic roller deep inside which would pull one side of the paper but not the other thereby causing the machine to eat yet another piece of paper! In the end instead of having a success like you can crow about I gave up and have a new replacement coming from Amazon. 

RRP

I have always wondered what happened to Texan @mollyshark. Years ago I met her at the Oswego, IL Eggfest which was right before she disappeared. As I recall she took a sabbatical from her business and the old forum to spend several years of study to become a chazzam (cantor) in her church. I'm sure as smart as she was she achieved that goal, but she never came back to the forum. For those who don't know she founded a company which at that time was very unique and highly profitable. She would contact the DMV in every state to acquire the names and addresses including what new car was purchased and then turn around and for a fee sell lists of that information to after sale marketers pitching everything from insurance to car wax.