Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with clamp

I'm going to bloody well fix this Xbox myself.

Frasermoo — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:11:33 -0800

Help me fix my Xbox 360. I'm looking for documentation on a tried and tested fix for the red rings on the 360. Having been through multiple consoles, I've decided to try the X clamp fix myself. Has anyone here done it themselves? What instructions did you follow? Was it successful?

How many MeFites does it take to find a clamp for this vintage architect's lamp?

barnone — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:46:49 -0800

Vintage lamp clamps? I have this red vintage desk lamp, similar in style to an architect's lamp (like this newer version). It has a thin cylinder at the bottom, presumably to fit into one of those C clamps. Where do I find the right clamp to attach this lamp to a desk or table? Here are a few photos of my lamp: 1, 2, 3, 4.

It has a thin cylinder on the bottom, presumably to fit into a clamp like this or this or this.

Are those the right kinds of clamps? The bottom cylinder is about 0.5" in diameter. I've emailed the companies and they're not entirely sure how big the diameter of the holes are. Do I just have to order a whole bunch and deal with returns? Or is there a place that deals with vintage lighting and might be able to help me?

Also, what's a safe wattage for a vintage lamp like this?

Many thanks in advance.

Bolt-down monitor arms? In Toronto?

onshi — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 04:10:05 -0800

Is there an affordable monitor arm like this one, but with a bolted (instead of a clamp) desk mount? I need a monitor arm with a pole at the mount, the ability to swivel the monitor into potrait and landscape orientations, and a bolt-mount at the desk surface instead of a clamp. My desk has a hutch, so clamping -- which appears to be the most popular option for consumer-level monitor arms -- is not an option. I have a 19" widescreen flat panel monitor.

Have MeFites had good experiences with monitor arms? Is this the kind of product you'd like to evaluate in person, instead of ordering online? If so, where on earth are all the monitor arm showrooms?

I'm in Toronto, which one would expect to be the monitor arm showroom capitol of Canada, if there were such a thing.

Does this thing have commonly accepted name?

pax digita — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 09:30:48 -0800

I want to buy something but I can't think what to call it to search for it! It's usually used to cinch rucksack laces or shoelaces closed.

It's often barrel shaped and about 1.5 cm (a little more than half an inch) long, usu. made of plastic, and typically cylindrical, with a spring holding tension on an internal retaining plate and holes on either side of the curved wall. Sometimes the gadget isn't cylindrical and the holes are side-by-side.

You push on the ends with thumb & forefinger to press in a button that allow the laces to slide freely through the holes, and when you release the button, the retainer clamps the laces firmly.

I've tried "lace clamp," "barrel clamp," etc. and I'm getting nowhere. I've been to a sports superstore, a camping/hunting/fishing superstore, and a couple of big-box retailers -- all without success. I remember being in a camping store once where they had a huge fishbowl of these gadgets for 25 cents each.

Is there a camcorder arm that clamps on to a desk and swivels around?

josh — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 18:48:32 -0800

I want to use my regular camcorder for videoconferencing, and for magnifying small print on my computer screen. Do any of the videographers out there know of a camcorder arm that clamps on to a desk and swivels around?