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Archive: DIY Projects
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February 25, 2008
HOW TO - Use a cellphone data cable for microcontrollers
Bob writes in with a rundown on how to repurpose an old USB cellphone data cable for rs232 communication.
About three years ago,I bought a USB data cable to use with T610 mobile phone.I can't remember what is model just know it is made in China.But now I have a new model mobile phone and my USB data cable not used at all.So I want to modify it to use with my microcontroller projects that use rs232 communication like a USB to RS232 converter.If you have this cable and want to modify this article may help you.Old cellphones are great for scavenging µC project parts like small LCDs, motors, etc. -Link
Related:
RS-232 to USB conversion - Link
From the Maker store:
USB-TTL Serial Cable -Link
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 25, 2008 03:00 PM
Cellphones, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (1)
Solaroller chopper and more
From the MAKE Flickr pool
Arno Brosi posted this very cool solaroller bike to the photo pool. Check out his photo set for more awesome machines, like this "Fantasy vehicle" -
Fantasy Vehicle at night -Link
Related:
Solaroller tractor pull -Link
From the Maker store:
Solarengine Kit -Link
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 25, 2008 01:00 PM
DIY Projects |
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HOW TO - Make a PCB (printed circuit board) binder and other circuit board projects
Here's how to turn some old circuit boards in to a handy dandy ring binder, the Instructable says it - but we'll say it again, PCB dust is nasty stuff take precautions when cutting, drilling, etc - Link.
Related:
Motherboard PCB bracelet - Link.
PCB key fob - Link.
Circuit board earrings - Link.
Circuit board art - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 25, 2008 06:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Green |
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Backyard brewery
From the MAKE Flickr pool
Member Knormie explains his blunt but effective home brewery -
My homebrew setup. On the right is the Bike Pump Sparge System (BPSS - pat pend). Air is pumped into the Cornelius keg and 180 degree water is forced out and into the mash/lauter tun. Fresh wort then runs out through the custom wort delivery pipe and into the bottom of the brew kettle. After boiling, the kettle is manually lifted to where the mash tun is positioned and attached to the counterflow wort chiller for delivery into a glass carboy (not shown) for fermentation. Crude, but effective.Hey - whatever gets the job done. -Link
And in case you're wondering - "Wort" refers to the sugary liquid extracted from the mashing portion of the brewing process -Link
Related:
Build your own Bender beer brewery -Link
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 25, 2008 05:20 AM
DIY Projects |
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Fish Tank Lights and Temperature Sensor
This would make a great addition to your fish tank, and it's a good starting point for a complete automation system. Alan admits a simple stick-on thermometer would have worked, "but what is the fun in that?"
When the tank is cleaned the fish are removed and placed in a small amount of the tank water. The problem is that fish don't like rapid temperature fluctuations. I guess a simple in tank or stick on thermometer would have done the trick but what is the fun in that? If the unit just did temperature monitoring it would have been such a waste of processor capability, so I thought adding colored lighting would be a great addition.
Fish tank light and temperature sensor - Link
Related:
Fish tank LED moonlight / moonlighting - Link
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 25, 2008 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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HOW TO - Make plants talk! They'll Twitter you when they need to be watered (and more)...
BREAKING NEWS FROM MAKE: The gang from Botanicalls (Kate Hartman, Kati London, Rebecca Bray, and Rob Faludi) used one of Adafruit's new Ethernet shields for Arduino to make some plants talk - and now you can too! That's right, having your houseplants Twitter you when they need water and more!
"Botanicalls Twitter answers the question: What's up with your plant? It offers a connection to your leafy pal via online Twitter status updates that reach you anywhere in the world. When your plant needs water, it will post to let you know, and send its thanks when you show it love" - Link.
More:
- Adafruit ethernet shield for Arduino - Link.
- Learn more about Botanicalls - Link.
- Follow pothos the plant on Twitter! - Link.
- Learn how to do projects like this and more with "Making things talk" - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 25, 2008 12:10 AM
Arduino, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Homemade capacitor (Leyden jar)
Here's a 2 liter plastic soda bottle leyden jar, can be shocking, even dangerous, don't do this unless you know what you're doing (here's what they're all about, Wikipedia)...
The Leyden jar is an early device for storing electric charge invented in 1745 by Pieter van Musschenbroek (1700-1748). It was the first capacitor. Leyden jars were used to conduct many early experiments in electricity.Homemade capacitor (Leyden jar) - Link.A typical design consists of a top electrode electrically connected by some means (usually a chain) to a metal foil coating part of the inner surface of a glass jar. A conducting foil is wrapped around the outside of the jar, matching the internal coated area. The jar is charged by an electrostatic generator connected to the inner electrode while the outer plate is grounded. The inner and outer surfaces of the jar store equal but opposite charges.
Related:
- Historical scientific instrument gallery - Link.
- Leyden jar - Link.
- Homemade Lightning: Creative Experiments in Electricity - Link.
- Electrostatic kits - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 25, 2008 12:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Instructables, Science |
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February 24, 2008
Solar dragonfly
James Watt has made one of the most beautiful little electronic insect-bots that I have ever seen. The dragonfly has several solar cells, and some simple electronics, that allow the wings to flap via a pager motor. His sculptures are incredibly well thought out and put together, amazing! - Link
Related:
- HOW TO - Build BEAM Vibrobots - Link
- Solarbotics - Link.
- A Beginner's Guide to BEAM - Link.
- BEAM robot - flashing eyes - Link.
- Pummer! Part robotic plant life, part techno-sculpture, these desktop toys are easy and fun to make. MAKE 08 - page 84. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition.
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 24, 2008 02:00 AM
Arts, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (1)
February 23, 2008
Backpack bike trailer
Lonny Grafman writes in about a tutorial on making your own bike trailer. The folks at the Appropedia wiki write:
It's a lot of fun hauling cargo around on a bike. A bike trailer can make a bicycle more practical for transporting groceries, laundry, friends, etc. This is one of the least-expensive bike trailer designs out there, all that is needed to build a backpack-frame bike trailer is an old external-frame backpack, 18 feet of metal conduit, and some other hardware.
Make your own bike trailer from a frame pack - Link.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Feb 23, 2008 07:00 PM
Bicycles, DIY Projects |
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| Comments (5)
HOW TO - Make slime
Megan @ PopSci shows you how to make "slime", she writes -
It's flu season, so why not gross out your friends by whipping up a batch of totally disgusting synthetic snot? You might even learn a thing or two about non-Newtonian fluids in the bargainHOW TO - Make slime - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 23, 2008 03:00 AM
DIY Projects, Science |
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DIY Laser range finder
It is amazing what you can accomplish with a web cam, cheap laser pointer and a bit of C++ coding. The complete build, along with all the source code, is available on the site. - Link
There are many off the shelf range finding components available including ultrasonic, infrared, and even laser rangefinders. All of these devices work well, but in the field of aerial robotics, weight is a primary concern. It is desirable to get as much functionality out of each component that is added to an airframe. This page describes how a mini laser pointer can be configured along with a single camera to provide mono-machine vision with range information.
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 23, 2008 02:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (3)
Use condoms for your next dance party
This project shows you how to make a music light out of inflated condoms and LEDs wired up to the sound out of your computer.
Magnum Condom LED Music Light - Link
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Feb 23, 2008 02:00 AM
DIY Projects |
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| Comments (4)
February 22, 2008
"PlumbingPunk" bed and closet
From the MAKE Flickr pool
Member Sir Maxter fashioned a bed frame with integrated clothes rack out of plumber's pipe - sleek and sturdy! Probably not a popular item come moving time - I'm guessing it must be pretty heavy -Link
Related:
PVC Light box / light tent - Link.
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 22, 2008 03:03 PM
DIY Projects, Furniture |
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| Comments (3)
DIY remote for Sony DSLR camera
From the MAKE Flickr pool
Unsatisfied by retail options, Brad built his own remote for a Sony Alpha DSLR cam. Smart move - building beats buying! Especially when Sony's asking you to pay 60 beans for what is essentially 2 switches and a small cable. -Link
Related:
HOW TO - Wireless camera remote -Link
In the Maker store:
High-Speed Photography Kit Version 4 -Link
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 22, 2008 01:30 PM
DIY Projects, Photography, Remake |
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| Comments (0)
Catenary solar reflector
Tho X. Bui has been working with solar reflection concentrators based on the catenary curve, a curve made naturally by a hanging chain (the shape is made by gravity). He writes:
Instead of having to buy sheet metal and form it into a complex shape, then build a structure to maintain that shape rigid, the catenary reflector only require the simplest of the external frame and a piece of flexible reflecting material. Even a common sheet of plastic with one silvery side will do the job. For most of my prototypes, common aluminum foil glued to wood and cardboard does the job. For industrial, large-dimension operations, thin bright finished stainless steel sheet can do the job.
Here in our neck of the woods (Phoenix), the sun is constantly on our minds. It's good to see a maker in the valley of the sun actually doing something useful with it! - Link.
Related:
Make a solar kitchen - Link.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Feb 22, 2008 12:00 PM
DIY Projects, Science |
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| Comments (4)
Build a ring light for less than a night out
Here's a nice how-to on building a custom "Ring Light" with under $30 worth of materials.
Eye on Birmingham: The Ring - Link
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Feb 22, 2008 07:00 AM
DIY Projects |
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| Comments (0)
Dodecahedron table lamp - a Primer @ MAKE
Dodecahedron Table Lamp by Charles Platt. Have fun with classic Platonic geometry while building your own dodecahedron table lamp. Page 164 - MAKE 11. Read this article now in the MAKE digital edition.
Or get MAKE 11 from the Maker store and/or subscribe to MAKE (use code CMAKE for $5 off USD).
You can view all our in depth Primers from MAKE here too.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 22, 2008 04:00 AM
DIY Projects |
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| Comments (3)
Make a simple tool holder
Most of us have misplaced a pair of pliers on the workbench, especially when you have limited space. Here is a simple solution, and I mean simple. You should be able to build this out of a scrap piece of wood in about 5 minutes.
It's just a 2×4 block with 1/2″ holes drilled in at regular intervals (Forstner bit makes nice flat bottoms), spaced for the at-rest width of my pliers handles and as close together as is easy to reach in and pluck out the one I want.
If you just need a little more information on the build - Link
Related:
Beer can peg board holder - Link.
Pegboard workbench organizer - Link.
Make - Volume 05 - The Quick and Dirty (Page 110) - Link.
MAKE Volume 05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors. Homemade electric vehicles, high-powered water rockets, electricity-generating windmill, jet engine in a jam jar, and a backyard zip line! Link & Get it at the Maker Store.
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 22, 2008 03:00 AM
DIY Projects, Toolbox |
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| Comments (2)
More whiteboard drawbots
It's a monumental week for whiteboard drawbots, here - LadyAda has a version she's been working on for awhile now available for gawking and if you're super ambitious you can make one with her new Arduino motor shields - Link (photos).
I fully expect there to be dozens of these out in the next few months.
Related:
Whiteboard hektor clone - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 22, 2008 01:30 AM
Arduino, DIY Projects, Electronics, Robotics |
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| Comments (1)
Make the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope
This looks like a really interesting, and fairly easy, project to build. The problem was, I wasn't really sure what you could actually detect once you finished it. Luckily, the web site has a link to a PDF that has experiments you can perform with your new radio telescope.
This system is NOT a radio astronomy system to be used for serious sky surveys, but it is a tremendous starter unit to give you the excitement of detecting the Sun, your own body radiation or just 300 deg. K tree branches.
DIY radio telescope - Link
What to do next? - PDF Link
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 22, 2008 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
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