This page details all our blog posts about repair in Tog. Our next Repair Cafe will be listed below. If you would like to be a fixer, please get in touch via our Contact Us page.
- Tog at the EPA Circular Economy Conference 2025We’re packing up our tools (and a few stories) for the EPA Circular Economy Conference 2025 on Wednesday, 24 September, in the Aviva Stadium. You’ll find us in the exhibition area, flying the flag for Repair Cafés and the workshops we run at Tog. We’ll be chatting about how fixing the things you already own is good for your pocket, good for the planet, and good craic altogether. And since we’re on the topic, we’ve got not one but two Repair Cafés coming up this October. Keep an eye on the details here: tog.ie/repair So if you’re at the Aviva, …
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- Rethink Your Stuff Carnival in Kilkenny
Last week, we packed up our toolboxes and headed down to Kilkenny for the Rethink Your Stuff Carnival. The event was all about celebrating repair, reuse and creative sustainability – and we were delighted to be part of it with our own Repair Table. It was a fun afternoon full of chats with visitors (many stopping by on their lunch break) and plenty of fixes. Among the items we brought back to life were: One of the best parts of the day was sharing the space with so many other brilliant groups and makers. Big shout-out to VOICE Ireland, Ruth’s … - 🔌 Learn to Wire a Plug – New Workshop at Tog!
We’re excited to launch a new hands-on workshop at Tog Hackerspace where you’ll learn a practical and empowering skill—how to wire a plug and build your own extension lead. The session takes place on Wednesday, September 25th, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at our space in Unit 1B Motor City, Kylemore Road, Dublin 12, D12 CF6V. 🛠️ What’s It All About? Ever wanted to fix a broken plug, wire up your own extension lead, or just feel more confident around household electrics? This workshop is for you. We’ll guide you through the entire process of safely wiring a 13A …Continue reading “🔌 Learn to Wire a Plug – New Workshop at Tog!”
- Tog at Dublin Maker 2025
Dublin Maker is back! 🎉 This year it’s taking place at Leopardstown Racecourse on Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st of August 2025, running from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday. Best of all – it’s completely free to attend. Tog Hackerspace is delighted to be both a community sponsor of the festival and to have our own stand packed with projects from our members. We’ll be showcasing everything from interactive carnival-style games you can try out to amateur radio demos, and plenty more hands-on creations from our makers. It’s the perfect … - Breathe New Life into Your Old Computer – Join the Dublin Linux Installfest at Tog!
Is your computer facing retirement just because Windows 10 is reaching its end of life? On Saturday, 13th September 2025, from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Tog Hackerspace is proud to host the Dublin Linux Group for a special event that’s all about giving old computers a new lease of life — with Linux! Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on 14th October 2025. If your device isn’t eligible for an upgrade to Windows 11, it means no more security updates or virus protection — and for many, that sounds like the end of the road. But don’t panic: … - Repair In The NewsWe are featured in the Irish Independent talking about the work we’re doing with Repair Cafés across the country. https://www.independent.ie/life/climate-changemakers-the-hackerspace-bringing-tech-repair-skills-to-communities-around-ireland/a1486156194.html If you’re interested in hosting a Repair Café or getting involved, give us a shout.
- The Rocking Chair that Came Back to Life at Laois Repair Café
Over the weekend, we hit the road and went to Laois, and what a weekend it was! We managed to fix over 45 items, ranging from toasters to clothes to a whole host of quirky gadgets. People came in with broken stuff, and by the end of the event, many of them were walking out with their favourite items fixed and ready for another lease of life. But the real heartwarming story of the weekend? It has to be Pauline’s rocking chair, which got a fresh lease of life thanks to our very own Shane Phelan. Now, this wasn’t just …Continue reading “The Rocking Chair that Came Back to Life at Laois Repair Café”
- Laois Repair Cafe
We’re excited to be taking our Repair Café on the road again, this time to Laois for a weekend filled with fixing, learning, and community spirit! Join us at The CUBE – Low Carbon Centre of Excellence in Portlaoise on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th June 2025, from 11 am to 3 pm each day. We’re teaming up with a fantastic new partner to help give your broken items a second chance. What can you bring? We’ll be ready to tackle repairs on a wide range of household items, including: We’ll even have PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) available to ensure … - CB Radio Repair – Philips 369 22AP369
Read about this repair by our own Jeffrey, fixing an old-school CB radio setup. A member arrived at the space one evening with a pair of CB radios: a Philips 369 (22AP369) and a MARC/CB base station (AP569). It’s hard to pin down the exact year of manufacture, but they likely date back to the 1980s. The two radios and the base station were mostly working, but with a few issues. One radio had no sound from its speaker, and the base station wasn’t outputting any power. Time to open them up. Power Problems Four screws and we’re inside. The … - Another USB-C upgrade
USB-C conversions are becoming a bit of a thing around here. We repaired a faulty work light earlier this year, and we took the opportunity to upgrade the charging socket to USB-C. A few other items have had the same treatment over the last few months. This latest one is an old-school light box for viewing film negatives and slides. We’re still keen on our film photography at TOG, and we still have all of our dark room equipment. As-built, this particular light box came with with a foot-long fluorescent tube. Inside, there is a driver PCB for the tube, … - Mastering the Multimeter: A Beginner’s Guide
Join us for a practical, hands-on workshop at Tog Hackerspace where you’ll learn everything you need to know about using a multimeter! Whether you’re a beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, this session will cover the essential functions of a multimeter, from measuring voltage to testing resistors, capacitors, and diodes. What You’ll Learn: This beginner-friendly workshop will give you the confidence to troubleshoot electronics and work with electrical devices safely. Multimeters will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you’d like to get familiar with them. Who Should Attend: Workshop Details: Saturday, June 14 · 11am …Continue reading “Mastering the Multimeter: A Beginner’s Guide”
- Monitor Your Home Energy in Real Time with ESP32 and Home Assistant
Check out this wirte up by our member Christian Kortenhorst. With energy prices climbing and smart homes becoming the norm, having a clear view of your household power usage has never been more valuable. That’s what motivated me to create a compact, real-time energy display powered by an ESP32 and a 2.8″ TFT touchscreen—fully integrated with Home Assistant for accurate, live data at a glance. Why I Built ThisI already had a power monitoring system installed through my home energy provider. While it gave a general idea of usage, it was far from ideal: That’s when I realised I needed …Continue reading “Monitor Your Home Energy in Real Time with ESP32 and Home Assistant”
- From the Dead to the Dancefloor – Quickshot Studio 4 Revived!
Sometimes, the best sessions are the ones you don’t plan. During a recent open evening at Tog Hackerspace, a visitor walked in carrying a curious bit of vintage tech – a Quickshot Studio 4 Sound Mixing System from the 1980s. Sadly, it had seen better days and showed no signs of life. But its retro charm and potential to make funky noises quickly captured the imagination of everyone in the room. Within minutes, a team of members and visitors formed around the mystery machine. Tools came out, screws were undone, and curiosity led the charge. Once opened up, the source …Continue reading “From the Dead to the Dancefloor – Quickshot Studio 4 Revived!”
- April 2025 Repair Cafe
Bring your broken gadgets and gizmos to get them fixed by skilled volunteers at TOG Hackerspace!Save your things from the landfill and your wallet from having to replace them. Join us in Tog on Saturday, the 19th of April, from 2 pm – 6 pm. What objects can you bring in? Safety testing (PAT) for electrical devices will be available. Whether it’s a wonky toaster or a glitchy switch, our experienced volunteers are here to help. No need to throw things away when they can be fixed! Swing by with your items and let’s get them back in working order … - Green Week: Repair Cafe
Tog Hackerspace is teaming up with Trinity College Dublin (TCD) for a special Green Week Repair Café! Bring your broken items—electronics, appliances, furniture, clothing—and our skilled volunteers will help you fix them while sharing valuable repair skills. 📅 Date & Time: 12th of March from 12:00 – 14:00. 📍 Location: Atrium, Trinity College Dublin🔗 More details: Event website Let’s reduce waste, learn new skills, and build a culture of repair. See you there! - Fingal Makerspace Repair Cafe
We are teaming up with Fingal Makerspace and Make Create Innovate to host a Repair Cafe in Blanchardstown. The aim is to bring together skilled volunteers and community members who want to repair their broken household items. Our passionate team of skilled volunteers will be on hand to help you fix everything from electronics and appliances to furniture and clothing, all while sharing valuable repair skills and promoting a sustainable lifestyle. At the Repair Café , you can: So grab your broken treasures and join us for a day of mending, learning, and connection at Fingal Makerspace Repair Café. Together, … - Ebike BMS Upgrade
An ebike battery from 2012 has given great service, but the balancing of some individual cells in this 16S Lithium Iron Phosphate battery started to take much longer than others. Eventually, some cells would not balance at all. Each cell has its own “channel” on the battery management system (BMS). A red LED on the BMS should illuminate when the cell comes up to full charge. On closer examination, some of the sense wires to individual cells were found to have become disconnected. These were resoldered which brought some improvement, but still balancing was not happening consistently. Some damage and … - Another Repair Café Fix
We’re no stranger to Repair Cafés here at TOG, having just run our biggest one ever in January. Repair Cafés are events where volunteers try to fix stuff to keep it in-service and out of landfill. We had about 90 fixes attempted on the day with much success, thanks to a fantastic pool of fixers. You can read about it in the Irish Times. This particular fix was a simple one, but we also decided to upgrade the power socket to USB-C. A rechargeable work light from ALDI had become intermittent in charging. The charging socket (micro USB) seemed sensitive …