Who am I?

My name is Graham, and I like to repair things. Lately that's been almost exclusively vintage audio equipment. I have no background in electronics, just a curiosity and determination to understand how things work. When I was a kid, I didn't just play with my toys - I would take them apart and try to figure out what all the different elements did. I'm much the same today. I might not be able to fix an item but I'll do everything I can within the bounds of my knowledge, learning as I go.

Back in 2018 I decided to make an instructional video on my personal YouTube channel about changing the belt on one of my cassette decks because I'd struggled with it and couldn't find any videos to help me. It got over 40,000 views and lots of people commented that they liked my presenting style. That planted a seed and I eventually decided to start a dedicated YouTube channel for repairs. I called it Spare Time Repair because at the time I was living in the UK and only able to make videos on weekends. Updates were pretty infrequent. Then in 2024 I moved to Ohio in the US to be with my fiancée (now my wife) and suddenly had a lot more time on my hands while I was waiting for employment authorization. I decided to throw myself into building the channel, and I've been doing it ever since. I don't make much money out of it, but thanks to my very supportive partner I now do it full time.

This is Spare Time Repair

...and this is my website. Here you will find information related to my YouTube channel, answers to commonly asked questions, details of the tools and equipment I use, and repaired items that are available to buy.