RSSArchives: June 2006
June 30, 2006
DIY Digital SLR cable release circuit
Peter writes "Here's a hands-on with Jaycar's DIY digital SLR cable release kit, for producing timelapse photography, with a first experiment in photographing dyed melting ice. This is first in a series by my friend Jaymis Loveday called "Timelapse Lab", and he's already learning some things the hard way by experimentation (so we don't have to)!" - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 11:38 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Imaging |
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Sandals from an old auto tire
If you're considering making a pair of tire sandals, here's a way to improve the comfort (and look) of the straps - Link.
Related:
Sandals from an old auto tire - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 10:19 PM
DIY Projects |
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DIY Binary clock
Hans DIY binary clock from scrap - "All the parts for this clock came from scrap. The red LED's making up the display came from an old video player. The high brightness green LED was also from an old video player (a different one). The TTL logic chips were from old computer boards, with the possible exception of the 4518 counter chip, which was probably a left over spare from my Sidereal Clock project. The transformer came from an old audio cassette player." [via] - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 09:31 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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POV in a combat robot
What makes a combat robot more badass? Having it spell words or patterns in the air on its blades, Trebor the Mad Overlord writes - "More than a few people have mused upon the idea of installing lights inside the weapon of a combat robot. Similar "Persistance of Vision" setups are available for bikes and car wheels, but of course, doing it with a robot is kicking it up a notch! I've thought for some time that it would be fun to see what could be done with easily available materials, but never had the time to get around to it -- until now! " - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 08:59 PM
Robotics |
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USB Bit Wacker
Spark Fun has a handy (so it seems) PIC dev board that can be bootloaded and then shows up as an RS232 com port - "This is a spectacular little development board featuring the PIC18F2455. Based on the work of Brian Schmalz, the UBW is a small board with a command intrepreter for basic input and output control. When attached to a Windows computer, the UBW will show up as an RS232 Com port! You control the individual I/O pins on the PIC through simple serial commands. Board comes fully tested, preprogrammed, and assembled as shown." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 07:50 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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HOW TO - Make your own throwing stars
If you have a welder and some old box cutter blades you can make your own throwing stars, Saga writes "Ever wondered what to do with all of your old box knife blades? Well, instead of throwing them in the garbage can, you can throw them AT the garbage can. Project consists of welding six blades together to make the fiercest throwing star you have ever seen." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 06:31 PM
DIY Projects |
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Batteries and Magnets Kid Kit
MAKE reader Rotwang has a mini book review of Batteries and Magnets Kid Kit "This book was my favorite book when I was about five or six. It's all about how to make pretty simple games or toys out of stuff around the house. Like cardboard, tape, wires, batteries and lights. The book introduces children to electro-magnets and circuits."
"From the publisher: This 32-page book shows you how to make things that go, things that glow and things that buzz and flash. Use the motor, propeller, battery holder and wooden dowel to make the whizzing plane that really flies. The pipe cleaners and magnets will help you learn about the properties of magnets while having fun at the same time. Kit contains paint (ASTM D4236 approved), brush, propeller, magnets, pipe cleaners, motor, round hook, battery holder and wooden dowel." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 05:22 PM
Toolbox |
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Basic machining information/textbooks
Nickp writes - "The US military have a number of excellent manuals for the use of their machinists -- and the text is public domain. Your tax dollars at work! I've prepared some single-file PDF's which are a bit easier to deal with than the more usual single-chapter-per-file setup. " - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 04:35 PM
Toolbox |
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HOW TO - Make can lanterns
TangMu writes "Recycle your used drinks cans into potential fire hazards!! A modern take on the paper lantern... now even shinier" -
You will need:
Any size or shape of drinks can (Preferably unopened as of yet as we need the flat top to balance the tea light on)
Something to put said contents of can in.
Our friend Mr Stanley the Knife.
Pliers (I find Snub nosed easier of this)
Also needed but not pictured:
A small length of wire ~10cm
A tea light (those lil lights in a metal pot)
Matches
Link to Instructable.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 03:42 PM
Arts, Crafts |
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Dixie cup spherical dodecahedrons
Here's a fun Instructable on how to make dixie cup spherical dodecahedrons - "The Dixiesphere is composed of twenty spherical-hexagonal 7-cup modular units, which you will construct first. Each hexagonal modular unit consists of seven cups hot-glued together such that one central cup is surrounded tangentially by six more cups. (The spaces between cups will look like equilateral triangles with concave edges, and the circular bases and rims of the cups will look like hexagonal close-packings of circles, but they will posess a slight overall curvature, as the circles define the surfaces of spheres.) It is important that the central cup contacts each of its surrounding six cups at their bases. It's a tight fit getting six cups around a center cup. Work quickly while the glue is hot to ensure that all upper rims and lower bases of the cups are flush, and that there are no superfluous gaps between the bases of the cups." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 02:38 PM
Crafts, DIY Projects |
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Night popper robot kit (learn to solder)
Max (pictured here) is learning how to solder with the night popper robot kit, if you're looking to teach your little Makers at home soldering and electronics, might be a good one to check out. Keep up the good work Max! - "The Night Popper waits until it gets dark and then it starts its random exploring. While it explores it sets off a brilliant almost firework looking display from it's 3 white lamps and emits a crackling popping sound from its on board piezo speaker. Features 2 small DC motors, 2 photodarlington transistors, a relay/CDS cell circuit and 4 drive transistors. The special bonus with this robot is that you get 2 snap off PC boards with 21 components that you solder in before building the robot. By doing this, you can gain ample soldering experience before building the Night Popper. Great learning tool and if you already know how to solder, just snap off the boards and build the Night Popper only." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 01:27 PM
DIY Projects |
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Homemade Oil can guitar
Great collection of instructions from the ATLAS of Plucked Instruments - "The ramkie is the famous "blik kitaar" from Southern Africa; a home made guitar, using an empty oilcan for the body. The wooden neck is sometimes stuck all the way through the can; sometimes it is fixed to a wooden "lid" on the top. The 4 to 6 strings (if not of nylon) are made of unraveled bicycle brake wire. The frets are made from U-shaped pieces of wire stuck in the front of the neck. The kind of capodastre construction is usually just an upside-down bridge and can not be moved. The ramkie is mainly found in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia." [via] - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 12:50 PM
DIY Projects, Music |
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Crochet Wire Earrings
Wire is in this summer for anything jewelry related. Why not crochet yourself a pair of earrings? Stitch Diva Studios has this pattern for sale featuring 9 different styles of earrings. They also have a really complete tutorial on their site on how to work with wire, from the basics all the way to knitting and crocheting with wire. Link.
Related:
Beaded Wire Bracelet - Link.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jun 30, 2006 12:48 PM
Crafts |
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Light activated shutter release for Canon DSLR cameras
Jessica writes - "I came up with this idea after reading a previous Make post about another Canon project...I went out and bought a photoresistor and a relay, and after a few minutes with the soldiering iron, I had built myself a light activated shutter release. I then rigged up the following "studio", and proceeded to take a few hundred photos of milk splashing in a pan filled with lots more milk." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 11:57 AM
DIY Projects, Imaging |
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Recycled Craft Projects
TIffany Tomato Designs sells handmade goods made from recycled products such as wine corks, cake mix boxes, candy wrappers and more. She also has a bevy of DIY project how tos on her site like this umbrella skirt made from a broken umbrella fabric and this placemat made from a cereal box and milk carton. Link.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jun 30, 2006 10:59 AM
Crafts |
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PlayPIC - Tutorial board for the PIC16F84A microcontroller
Vassilis writes "A Tutorial Board for the PIC16F84A Microcontroller. This is a new design of a tutorial board based on the popular PIC16F84A microcontroller. It features eight single leds, a 7-segment display, an LCD display and five push buttons. It is an ideal solution for the beginner to take his/her first programming steps in the world of microcontrollers" - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 09:55 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Make Podcast: Tikva Report - Reconnect Sweatshirt
Tikva Morowati brings us this report from a fellow student in the ITP program at NYU.
Kate Hartman made a sweatshirt that vibrates when you complete a wearable circuit.
The fabric I used for this particular model is called Kassel. It is made by Shieldex and can be purchased from from Fine Silver Products. Some info about wearables products and methods can be found at Tom's site in my sensor report from last semester.
Click here to get the video (MP4) delivered automatically with iTunes. This video will play on PC/Mac/Linux/PSPs and iPod video devices - Link. Here's the teeny 3gp video for phone watchers. Youtube too.
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Jun 30, 2006 06:55 AM
MAKE Podcast, Wearables |
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Beerquad - DIY Wi-Fi antenna
Here's a directional Wi-Fi antenna made from Labatt's Blue cans - [via] - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 05:59 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Wireless |
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PCB making
Here's another PCB making how-to, this one from Per Svensson - "In this album I'll show how I go about making my own PCB:s in a really simple way. I don't use one single tool that isn't already available in your kitchen. No fancy etch tanks, pumps or uv lamps are needed. Read on and I'll show how easy and fun PCB making is! One tip though before we start. You'll want to be alone in the kitchen while you do this so to keep my girlfriend out I start by cooking her a nice dinner and then offer to clear the table and do the dishes! I do this right before Lost and The 4400 starts and that gives me just enough time to make the PCB:s and clean up afterwards. Smart, isn't it? :)" - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 04:52 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Do-It-Yourself Macro lens
The latest The Citizen Scientist has a good how to for making a DIY macro lens for a Casio EX-Z120 - "To assemble a macro lens for your camera, you need the cap of a film container like the one shown in Fig. 1. Use a knife to cut away the center of the cap as shown in Fig. 2. Attach a biconvex lens with a diameter of about 27 mm to the cap as shown in Fig. 3. The lens should be secured with glue. The lens I used came from an old binocular. Finally, mount the lens onto the end of the camera lens as shown in the final frame adjacent to Fig. 3." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 30, 2006 03:12 AM
DIY Projects, Imaging |
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