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Archives: June 2007

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June 22, 2007

Make a Messenger Bag out of Trash Bags - Make: Video Podcast

mp4 | ipod | mov | hd-appletv | 3gp | 3g2 | pdf | blip | youtube | itunes

Learn how to fuse plastic together and then upcycle a bag out of it! All you need is an iron, plastic bags, a sewing machine, and some straps and buckles and a few hours of your time and you're on your way to having a cool durable bag!

Weekend Projects is sponsored by Microchip Technology. Check out their seminars and 16 bit contest.

Make sure to download the pdf and read the article for all the background and step by step instructions! - Link

Don't miss a single video! You can get the Make: Video Podcast and PDFcast downloaded automatically by subscribing in itunes. - Link

Posted by Bre Pettis | Jun 22, 2007 10:00 AM
Crafts, DIY Projects, MAKE Podcast, Weekend Projects | Permalink | Comments (17)

Make a Messenger Bag out of Trash Bags - Make: PDFcast

Bag Construction

This weeks podcast couldn't have happened without Anda of Etsy who showed me how to fuse plastic and Federico of Eeio for coming up with an awesome bag design!

Learn how to upcycle a bag out trash bags. All the details and measurements and step by step instructions are there!

Download the pdf here! - Link

Posted by Bre Pettis | Jun 22, 2007 09:00 AM
Crafts, DIY Projects, MAKE PDF, MAKE Podcast, Weekend Projects | Permalink | Comments (0)

Binary marble adding machine

Marble Adder

Matthias Wandel has the coolest project ever, a binary marble computer -

It had occurred to me that perhaps with an insane amount of perseverance, it might be possible to build a whole computer that runs on marbles. My second marble machine was however much less based on logic - more on just making lots of noise.

But a few months ago, I had an idea as to how the divide by two mechanisms from my first marble machine could be cascaded together to actually function as a sort of adder or counter. Once I had that idea, I knew I had to try it at some point, and recently, I finally got around to building my marble binary adding machine.

The core of the invention is a modification of the divide by two flipflop to retain the marble that falls off the right side, and retain it until the flipflop is flipped to the left by the next marble. See small diagram above right. The retention of this extra marble allows the state of the marble accumulator to be dumped. The adder would just as well add without it, but the number would have to be read off by the angle of the rockers, rather than have the device dump the count out. Really, if such an adder were integrated into a hypothetical marble computer, reading out the result as a series of marbles would be an essential element.

Binary marble adding machine - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 08:59 AM
DIY Projects, Made On Earth | Permalink | Comments (7)

Carbon fiber Xbox 360 controller

Carbonfront
A maker sent in this rad carbon fiber Xbox 360 controller, but there isn't any information on how it was made... That's OK we have a great tutorial on this! - Link.

From the pages of MAKE:
Make 739
Working with Carbon Fiber. Form, lay up, and cure your own high-performance composites. Read this article in MAKE: 09: Fringe, Page 164. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 09 @ the Maker store.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 08:00 AM
DIY Projects, Gaming | Permalink | Comments (1)

Parallel port oscilloscope

Make 738
Here's a pretty nice parallel port oscilloscope -

This oscilloscope uses the SPP or EPP parallel port (LPT1) for reading the data from ADC. If your LPT1 is an ECP then the program automatically switches the LPT1 in byte mode (normal mode). BUT, not all parallel ports (LPT ports) are bidirectional. "Bidirectional" means, that except outputing data, the port can also read the data. How to determine if your LPT1 port is a bidirectional one? Start the LPTscope program and on the program menu select: "Bidirectional capabilities testing" then follow the given instructions.
LPTScope hardware - Link & cache.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 07:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics | Permalink | Comments (0)

DMX LED dimmer

Dmx Sch
The site is in German, but it looks like there's enough to make your own LED dimmer, source and schematic included... Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 06:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Open source hardware | Permalink | Comments (1)

Step on alarm clock

Carpet Alarm2
Here's a neat design that will likely be (re)made or end up stores, an alarm clock you step on to turn off... Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 05:00 AM
Gadgets | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anamorphic painting of a ship

Make 737
When you look through the little glass/mirror you can see the entire ship, clever work from 1744-ish...

An anamorphic painting, a composition that can only be viewed with a special mirror that restores the deformed image. This example was originally attributed to Van de Velde, a Dutch artist, but its origins are now uncertain. Painted on a wooden panel, the painting is unrecognisable until a cylindrical mirror is placed at its centre over a circular portrait of a lady. Viewed from above, a sailing ship without rigging will suddenly heave in sight. Paintings of this type were quite popular during the 18th century, especially anamorphic portraits that concealed the identity of the sitter from prying eyes.
Ingenious - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 04:00 AM
Arts, Retro | Permalink | Comments (0)

Medicine Man

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If there are any London makers going to this please take some photos!

WHERE can you find a torture chair, Napoleon's toothbrush and Florence Nightingale's slippers?

Answer: In a free exhibition opening in London today.

They are among more than a MILLION bizarre objects stockpiled by eccentric tycoon Sir Henry Wellcome, an obsessive collector.

And bewarned, some exhibits, a sample of which are pictured here, could have come straight from a chamber of horrors.

Sir Henry, born in America in 1853, made his wedge when he co-founded pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome & Co in London. When he died in 1936 it emerged he had bequeathed his fortune to set up a charity, the Wellcome Trust, to advance medical research.

The Sun Online - News: Things that make you go urrgh! - Link & wellcomecollection.org.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 03:00 AM
Arts, MAKE Playlist | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wall wart power supplies

 Make X0Xb0X Fab Images Acplug
Randy has a good article on selecting a wall wart (power supply) for your projects, he writes -

AC adapter, wall transformer, power pack - they go by many names, but the most popular seems to be "wall wart." Although they are indeed an "unsightly protuberance," they look pretty good to me most of the time...

When I was a high school student building my first ham radio gear, a low voltage DC power supply meant buying a transformer, aluminum box, power cord, terminal strips, hardware, feet, grommets, diodes, and capacitors. Then you drilled, assembled, soldered, and hoped it didn't start a fire or shock anyone. Buying the whole thing ready to go for a few bucks suddenly doesn't seem so bad, even if they do tend to clog up a power outlet strip - or look like a wart on your wall...

glitchbuster.com - wall wart power supply article - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 02:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics | Permalink | Comments (0)

Under $5 from a Dollar Store challenge

 Temp Craftster Table Close1
 Temp Craftster Table Close2
Craftster's Under $5 From a Dollar Store has a near plastic solider table surely to be expanded to a coffee table soon... - [via] Link.

Related:

 Blog Warbowl Copy-452X321
Melted plastic soldier bowl - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 01:00 AM
Crafts, DIY Projects | Permalink | Comments (0)

Slicing STL files in POV-Ray

 Images Articles Slicingstl 6
Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories writes -

We have been using POV-Ray to create 3D models and render bitmap slices that can be printed with the CandyFab 4000, our home-built 3D sugar fabricator. One thing that we could do to extend the usefulness of this procedure is to be able to take STL files as input, because STL is the de facto standard file format for 3D fab shops and the machines that do the fabrication. So, here's how to do it: STL files can be converted to POV-Ray format, and from there we can use our usual bag of tricks to render the set of bitmap slices.

In this article, we explain that process in more detail: We'll take an STL file, import it into POV-Ray using the stl2pov utility, and then set it up to render a series of slices. Our example file is the sculpture Metatron by Bathsheba Grossman, who has released the STL file for it into the public domain (with some interesting results).

Slicing STL files in POV-Ray - Link.

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On a related note, happy 1st birthday Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories!

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 22, 2007 12:00 AM
DIY Projects, Virtual Worlds | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 21, 2007

Mr. EQ - DIY equalizer

 Mreq
Meet Mr. EQ - a nice DIY equalizer -

While use of a graphic equalizer is often recommended for fine-tuning the tone of your instrument, no feasible DIY versions exist. However, a seven-band equalizer is not necessary to drastically shape the response of an instrument of effect. Adding peaks at certain frequencies can provide a pleasing result and is much easier for the DIY builder.

The Dan Armstrong Purple Peaker (and Yellow Humper, the sister version tuned for bass guitar) used two peaks for bass and treble boosts. The resulting effect is interesting, but not very flexible. We chose to apply the same concept, but with a modern approach that would provide added control to the user.

Mr. EQ - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 21, 2007 10:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Music | Permalink | Comments (0)

DIY Radio transmitter circuits

Make 736
Chris writes in with some DIY Radio transmitter circuits...

If you can receive, what would you like to send? Here are some of the radio broadcast circuits that I like lately. Some of them I have built, others I would like to or am in the process of testing. One idea would be to set up an information kiosk, run the transmitter and player on electricity derived from renewable energy like wind or solar. You wouldn't need a huge generator to make it work, none of them seem to draw much current. It could run forever in the right setup.
africatravels / RadioTransmitterCircuits - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 21, 2007 08:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics | Permalink | Comments (0)

Talking Pea puppets

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 34 93488114 9927800B3D
Puppetbuilding writes -

This is a condensed, single page version of a tutorial for talking pea puppets originally written by a puppeteer/puppet builder named Sean Johnson explaining how to make talking puppets from large Nerf balls. It's a cute, clever idea that's easy to make.
Puppetbuilding - Talking Pea Puppet Tutorial - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 21, 2007 06:00 PM
Crafts, DIY Projects | Permalink | Comments (0)

The digital newsstand

Digitalbox

Scott just sent in my new favorite project, he writes -

I've modified an old newspaper vending box to deliver the latest headlines to my living room each morning, and I don't even have to fumble around for quarters. It's a simple home project that can be made with just a few used parts.
Design on deadline: The digital newsstand - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 21, 2007 05:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are the champions... played on an engine


The Samurai says -

The singing Tesla coils reminded me of the singing million dollar V10 engine... the Renault F1 engine.
We are the champions - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 21, 2007 04:00 PM
Transportation | Permalink | Comments (0)

Palm Tungsten case mod

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Chris did a simple mod so he could listen to music on a Palm Tungsten, seems weird Palm didn't do this from the start - but that's what Dremels are for...

I have a Palm Tungsten E2, which comes with RealPlayer and an earphone jack. The jack works just fine until you put the Tungsten in a Palm hard case. An unmodified case will not close with a pair of earphones plugged into the Palm because there is no hole for the plug to pass through. This situation makes it a bit difficult to put the case in your pocket when your listening to tunes or a podcast. Dremel to the rescue!
The View From My Feet: Palm Tungsten Case Mod - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 21, 2007 02:00 PM
DIY Projects, Gadgets, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (0)

HOW TO - Solder SMD components

 Tutorial Beginningembedded 7-Smdsoldering Smd-0
 Tutorial Beginningembedded 7-Smdsoldering Smd-1
Spark Fun Electronics shows you how to solder SMD components (and shows a nice Simon kit!), tons of videos and step-by-steps... Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 21, 2007 01:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics | Permalink | Comments (1)

CLARAty - Reusable robotic software framework

Claraty Rovers 400Px
NASA released the first installment of their CLARAty reusable robotic software framework to the public, the modules have: math infrastructure, device drivers for motors, cameras, computer vision, image, and 3D processing... You can check out CLARAty here - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jun 21, 2007 12:00 PM
Robotics | Permalink | Comments (1)

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