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Archive: DIY Projects
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August 20, 2007
Arduino blog
If you're really in to Arduino, and *a lot* of you are... Here's a new blog from the Arduino team in Italy! - [via] Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 20, 2007 12:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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HOW TO - Make an H-bridge
Randofo writes -
An H-bridge is a type of circuit that you can use to get a reversible DC motor to spin both clockwise and counterclockwise.How to make an H-bridge - Instructables - [via] Link.In other words, this circuit allows you to quickly reverse the direction a motor is spinning by using a switch or controller chip to change its direction.
I'm going to show you how to make the simplest and most reliable form of H-bridge that I know how to make. I must warn you that this is by no means the best H-bridge design and, in fact, it has a couple shortcoming which I will explain later.
Although, should you never have made an H-bridge before or simply need a circuit that can reverse the direction of a motor's spin, then this circuit is a quick and easy solution.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 20, 2007 08:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Instructables |
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HOW TO - Make a a wind-up headboard reading light
Peter writes -
I love to read in bed. This is one of the true pleasures in my life, and I begin and end every day doing it. One day, I was reading an article about living off-the-grid, which seemed like a neat idea, but also a real stretch for a production home suburbanite like myself. But then the author suggested taking just one room off the grid, as a small start, a way to act, a way to learn.HOW TO - Make a a wind-up headboard reading light - Link.I realized that the bedroom was the best candidate here. We plug in only an alarm clock and a reading lamp in here. What's more, I frequently fall asleep while reading, shutting the lamp off only the next morning.
I first tried a battery-operated book light, but was underwhelmed. It kept getting in the way and the light fell inconsistently on the page. Call me crazy (and I'm sure you will) but the best place for a reading lamp is about a foot up and over your left or right shoulder.
My next attempt was tape-mounting a wind-up flashlight up and above my right shoulder, but it was a graceless attempt and prone to falling. Also, you had to un-tape the flashlight to wind it up. I'm not even going to repeat here what my wife said when she saw it.
So I decided to combine the two ideas - wind-up power with a headboard mounted reading light. A form factor change that uses zero electricity from the grid (and in Ohio, our electricity is still, inexplicably, coal-fired) and had the added benefit of shutting itself off after 30 minutes or so.
This instructable is how I built my wind-up headboard reading lamp. Be forewarned: I'm not an engineer, nor a designer. I'm not even particularly handy. I'm just a guy in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio who wants to do right by the Earth and still read in bed every night.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 20, 2007 05:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Instructables |
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Hirst Arts - Cast your own blocks - Build your own castles
Steve writes -
Since you pointed folks at Games Workshop's hobby articles, I thought you'd appreciate the work of Bruce Hirst. He sells molds for folks to cast their own bricks and other bits to make models. What makes him so impressive as a maker is how he encourages people to make their own molds (for personal use) based on his product. His site includes extensive discussions about moldmaking, different casting materials, and even a clear and friendly translation of his legal policy. He hosts his own discussion forum for customers to present their work, and the work in the design derby is worth a look on its own.Hirst Arts - Link.
Related:
Mind-boggling miniature painting contest - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 20, 2007 04:00 AM
Arts, DIY Projects |
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Building an embedded Asterisk PBX
David writes in with his latest open source telephony project -
The IP04 is an IP-PBX that runs Asterisk on a Blackfin processor in a tiny embedded form factor. It has been designed by an international team of telephony/DSP hackers using the "open hardware" philosophy. The IP04 has now gone into production - one of the first "open hardware" real-world, products that I know of.Building an embedded Asterisk PBX - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 20, 2007 03:00 AM
DIY Projects, Open source hardware |
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AVR based GPS tracker...
Here's a neat AVR - GPS - cell phone tracker project...
This project is about GPS tracing. it works as follows:GPS-TRACE - Link.
- GPS traces the position of the device via satelite
- Somebody (who wants to know the position) calls the number of the GSM-Module
- The Microcontroller noticed the call and ask the position which is stored in a global var
- The Microcontroller sends a command to the GSM-Module to send a SMS with position information back to the caller.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 20, 2007 02:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, GPS |
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August 18, 2007
Mini UAV using Parallax Propeller chip
Here's a work-in-progress, from a guy who's building a mini UAV, using a Blade CX2 R/C helicopter and the awesome Parallax Propeller Chip. He writes of the build:
The CX2 controller has 4 potentiometers into which I spliced a breadboard. A Parallax Propeller (prop chip) is used to read the control stick voltages through a simple Delta - Sigma ADC... receive live data from another prop-based system resident on the heli, some control laws are (will be) applied, and the new voltages are output using a PWM based DAC (couplea caps, couplea resistors...). The prop also can talk to a laptop thru its USB port. I have some java code which displays various outputs (very much a work in progress and not currently a high priority).
From the pages of MAKE:
Propeller Chip. BASIC Stamp's Chip Gracey puts a new spin on microcontrollers. Read this article in MAKE: 10: Home Electronics, Page 76. To get MAKE, subscribe or purchase single volumes. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition!
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 18, 2007 05:32 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Flying |
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Design Patterns for Starting a Hacker Space
I'm sitting in C4's presentation room watching Jens and Lars give an awesome presentation about the design patterns for developing a hacker spaces. Download it now if you're interested in creative communities. - PDF Link
C4 has been in their current space since 1999 and it's version 3.5 for them. They've been through a lot and these design patters are really simple but go really deep into having a successful hacker space! What follows are my notes! They made it clear that these are just guidelines that have worked for them and that they contradict each other, but these are design patterns, not golden rules!
Infrastructure before projects. Get the place and the people and the infrastructure all set up and folks will come up with the most amazing projects. Get the space, power, servers, connectivity and all that kind of stuff all set up so that projects and community can be supported. You need to have a mailing list, wiki, and an irc channel (or jabber server).
You need 2+2 people. Two idea people for scheming and and two implementation people to get real work done. Don't start until you have 4 and then once you've got it going, expand to 10 to start off. These people who start off should be really strong personalities who have experience. "Look for people who have authority (and get respect), not for people who use authority (and get laughed at)."
So you've got your seed group and it's time to find the ultimate hacker lair. Don't let anyone live there, privacy issues come up. You want to have good neighbors who are chill and ok with noise all night and a landlord who is hands off.
You should have smaller separate rooms so that different rooms can be used for all sorts of things. Smoking is an issue in all hacker spaces in Europe and it works for C4 to have a smoking room.
Food is a good thing. It's good to be able to feed people and go beyond pizza. You'll need fridges, dishwasher, and kitchen equipment. It's good for nerds to eat healthy food. Selling soft drinks works to help raise money for the rent. A shower will make people smell less funny and really work on projects for an extended time. A washing machine is a good idea to wash the smelly towels.
Have couches, sofas, a stereo, video games make people comfortable and hang out and daydream and feel cozy.
Have 3 months rent ahead. Larger projects need to be funded. Elect a totalitarian treasurer. The treasurer doesn't say names, but will say that there are three people who haven't paid and he will go seek them out and make them pay!
Don't meet at a company or a university. Independence is important!
Meet every week. Have an agenda and make people commit to tasks. This meeting is for members only. Have a monthly talk or lecture that is open to the public. If smart and interesting people arrive, you can invite them to your weekly meetings. Don't invite weirdos to your weekly meetings.
To resolve conflicts you can use a number of different patterns. You can use consensus, democracy, or boss people around (as long as you are participating too!) People may slack off and it's important to remind people about taking pride in their work! When having discussions, it works well to have people with actual social skills lead the discussion. Learn from them and learn not to interrupt others. You may also want to have private conversations with people who are trouble makers.
This presentation was one of the highlights of my hacker space tour around Europe! I've been thinking a lot about social networks and creative communities and this presentation was really fantastic!
Photo set from C4 - Link
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Aug 18, 2007 09:15 AM
DIY Projects, MAKE PDF |
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August 17, 2007
Mashing up your own action figures
Wired.com has a nice package of three articles covering action figure modding. "Action Figure Modders Aren't Just Toying Around" introduces the concept of custom figures, "Zap! A Gallery of Customized Action Figures" shows off a bunch of builder mods, and in Wired's How-To Wiki, "Make Your Own Action Figure" shows you how, or at least tells you how. Pictures would have been nice.
Action Figure Modders Aren't Just Toying Around - Link
Zap! A Gallery of Customized Action Figures - Link
Make Your Own Action Figure - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 17, 2007 08:00 AM
Arts, DIY Projects, Toys and Games |
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Is the "FUBAR Xtreme" worth it?
I SO wanted the Stanley FUBAR Xtreme, until I saw the price. Forty bones for a glorified pry bar with a weight problem. Apparently, Will O'Brien (of Hack A Day and DIY Life) had similar sticker shock. But he ponied up and began terrorizing the walls of his new home. He's happy with his shinny new tool and thinks that its added weight (over the lighter, cheaper vanilla FUBAR) and lean profile make it truly deadly for demo.
Is the FUBAR XTREME worth $40? - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 17, 2007 07:00 AM
DIY Projects, Reviews, Toolbox |
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| Comments (6)
Wood practice amp
Beautiful wood practice amp, check out the build gallery... Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 17, 2007 04:16 AM
DIY Projects, Music |
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| Comments (3)
Fonera internet controlled switch
cryptonoid writes -
First thing i did was flash dd-wrt firmware on it. Since FONera router has gpio pins i decided to use one of those pins to control AC loads or turn a switch ON/OFF remotely. There's a similar/better way of controlling AC loads - check out dd-wrt wiki. However, i only had one NPN transistor some resistors and leds. So i decided to build a small circuit that will turn a switch ON and OFF thru the Router's Web Interface. Now i can turn anything ON/OFF from anywhere in the world.....cryptonoid: f.i.c.s. - Fonera Internet Controlled Switch - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 17, 2007 03:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Telecommunications, Wireless |
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| Comments (0)
HOW TO - Paint with smoke
wikiHow shows you how to paint with smoke! -
Beginning with Wolfgang Paalen, visionary artists, including well-known surrealists such as Salvador Dali, practiced the fine art of "painting with smoke," otherwise known as "fumage." More delicate than charcoal, providing intriguing textures and patterns, fumage can serve as a standalone media or as an innovative approach to guiding the application of other media.How to Paint With Smoke - wikiHow - [via] Link.
More:
Sculptures made with smoke - Link.
HOW TO - Photograph smoke - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 17, 2007 02:00 AM
Arts, DIY Projects |
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$100 DIY preamp
Ruel Oquindo writes about his DIY preamp for under $100 -
$100 DIY preamp - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 17, 2007 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Music |
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| Comments (0)
Safe stunts with fire for the home chemist
writes -
Popular Science 1934 -
OF ALL home chemistry experiments, tests with combustibles offer the most in spectacular fun and harmless excitement. For even after some 60,000 years of use, fire still holds a mysterious fascination.Modern Mechanix ยป Safe Stunts with Fire FOR THE HOME CHEMIST - Link.Although we are accustomed to kindling a fire with a match or some other small flame, a spark or a flame are by no means necessary to start some substances burning. Many materials ignite spontaneously when subjected to nothing more than a slight rise in temperature. Carbon disul-phide, a liquid often used as an ant exterminator, is one of these substances and for this reason presents a serious fire hazard if not handled carefully.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 17, 2007 12:00 AM
DIY Projects, Modern Mechanix, Science |
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| Comments (1)
August 16, 2007
Cobbling together broken solar panels
In this well-written how to, the builder shows you how he collects broken photovoltaic (PV) cells and panels (sold on the cheap at places like Electronic Goldmine and Silicon Solar) and then wires them up and re-cases them to create new PV panels.
How to MAKE PV Solar Panels - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 16, 2007 08:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Green, Instructables |
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Kitchen tabletop letterpress
This Instructable shows how to use a small tabletop letterpress. The press is built with little more than plywood, long threaded rods, and a woodworker's veneer press screw. Unfortunately, the maker didn't actually take pics of the construction process (the Instructable shows the letter-pressing, not the building of the press itself), but things seem reasonably clear from the included photos.
Build a Letterpress & Use It to Print Things - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 16, 2007 06:00 PM
Crafts, DIY Projects, Instructables, Retro |
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Tabletop wargaming how tos
The UK's Games Workshop, makers of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Warhammer 40,000, and The Lord of the Rings: Strategy Battle Game, are frequently criticized in tabletop wargaming circles for selling outrageously expensive products. My wallet knows this first-hand. A few years ago, I almost went broke trying to feed my addiction to little toy soldiers from a dark gothic future. But Games Workshop products are also incredibly beautiful, their game worlds are impressively fleshed out, and their magazines, game novels, and comic books are some of the best in the business.
And then there's all the cool stuff you can get for free. Their website offers dozens of very high-quality how to articles that can teach you model building and converting, pro-level painting, and gameboard and terrain building. Regardless of what tabletop game you play, you can benefit from this outstanding repository of articles.
Warhammer Painting & Modeling - Link
Warhammer Terrain - Link
Warhammer 40,000 Painting & Modeling - Link
Warhammer 40,000 Terrain - Link
Lord of the Rings Painting & Modeling - Link
Lord of the Rings Terrain - Link
From the pages of MAKE:
Tabletop Terrains That's no pile of trash; it's my asteroid mining colony! Read this article in MAKE: 08: Toys and Games, Page 80. To get MAKE, subscribe or purchase single volumes. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition!
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 16, 2007 02:00 PM
DIY Projects, Gaming, Toys and Games |
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| Comments (2)
The Origami house
Darren writes -
Here is a time lapse video of construction of a life sized origami house complete with furniture. The video was taken over the week of construction. And a link that shows how to make your own bricks.The Origami house - Link & make your own bricks.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 16, 2007 11:00 AM
DIY Projects, Paper Crafts |
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| Comments (0)
"Green" surfboard kits
Brian writes -
DIY eco-friendly surfboard building supplies. Bamboo fiberglass, stringer, and fins. Recyclable EPS foam core. Bio-plastic accessories. Eco-friendly epoxy. Comprehensive 5 DVD instructional vids show every step of the process for a great looking and even better performing surfboard your first board building project.Greenlight Surfboard Supply (warning, the site sings) - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 16, 2007 10:00 AM
DIY Projects, Kits |
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| Comments (1)
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