My partner and I joke that nothing we buy remains unmodified for more than a day. It’s an exaggeration of the truth: that many many of our purchases require som

My partner and I joke that nothing we buy remains unmodified for more than a day. It’s an exaggeration of the truth: that many many of our purchases require some customization before they’re really useful. We’re both the type to research heavily before a purchase, and we’ll gladly spend more for quality. Yet still the manufactured designs never quite meet our standards. We survive comfortably by sharing practical skills in the household: sewing, woodworking, metalworking, electronics, CAD (for 3D printing replacement parts), painting, etc. Products straight from the factory are often substandard, but a good set of tools, library books and tutorials can close the gap to usability if you have the time.