As there are only 24 hours in a day I have to sometimes make a decision: Write something, or do something to write about later. Yesterday was an example of the latter as I decided to cannibalize the non-functional toasters if it killed me. I got halfway through my task and I’m waiting for the injuries to heal up enough to use the tools to do it again.
I did discover the failure mode that caused the first toaster to be DOA. It turns out there is an electromagnet in the timer unit that attracts a metal plate on a plastic arm in the bread lifter and that magnet shuts off when the timer is done. If the metal plate never gets close enough to the magnet, or if the magnet never gets power in the first place, then the bread lifter never latches to make the toast. This is a case of too many failure modes at a single point of failure. Of course the difference between this happening on a car or airplane and the toaster is the difference between “people die or get horribly injured” and “no toast and cold Pop Tarts”.
Now while I heal up, I’m going to go for a walk.
Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable (but not invulnerable)
Witch on a Bicycle 