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HOW TO – Build a PCB router

HOW TO – Build a PCB router

Overall-SmallJonathan designed a great printed circuit board router, he writes – “Printed circuit boards are usually manufactured by chemical etching (with iron (III) chloride or ammonium persulfate, for example). This is not very practical if only a few boards are necessary, because these etchants are messy and somewhat dangerous. PCBs can also be manufactured by “mechanical etching,” in which a trace is “etched” by milling away the copper along its perimeter. This requires software to generate a toolpath from the layout and a small CNC mill or router. Lots of companies make routers for PCB fabrication, but they are unjustifiably expensive so I decided to build one.” Link.

HOW TO – Build a utility trailer

HOW TO – Build a utility trailer

Trailer 153Here’s a detailed log of how to build a utility trailer. Includes a free AutoCAD drawing, materials list, parts list, as well as lots of pictures. Glen writes “I needed a trailer to haul around a snowmobile so I decided that I might get better use out of a general utility trailer instead of a snowmobile trailer. I checked the local trailer retailers and found that the going rate for a 5′ x 10′ utility trailer was around $1,300 Cdn. The trailers weren’t very strong and were made mostly from light angle iron. Always looking for a good project, I decided to build one instead.” Link.

How Insulation is Made

How Insulation is Made

Insulation-1Pat writes in with these week’s video from the Manufacturer’s blog! “…here is this week’s video of fiberglass insulation being made. The opening screen says, “Sand to Glass to Fiber Glass.” You’ll see here the process from sand to glass, and recycled glass, through 2500-degree ovens and eventually into fiberglass insulation. This is a substance that will be keeping us warner this winter, thought you might want to see how it’s made. The plant you see here makes enough insulation each day to insulate 250 homes.” Link.

DIY cement casting…

DIY cement casting…

Sill Mould0022From the folks who brought us the homemade sheet-rock lifter – cement casting with forms…“I designed these window sills as a DIY solution as to what to do with 200 plus windows we had to rebuild, this saved us from having to restore the brickwork that was damaged from years of neglect and weather. The most obvious solution would have been to restore the brick and slap a piece of wood on top. Instead I created a mould that was fastened to the wall and the sills were cast in place.” Thanks Frank! Link.

HOW TO – Convert a computer ATX power supply to a lab power supply…

HOW TO – Convert a computer ATX power supply to a lab power supply…

Atx-To-Lab-Psu-2Here’s another great how to on converting an ATX power supply to a lab power supply, Abizar writes “Computer power supplies are US$15 but lab power supplies are US$100+. By converting the cheap (free) ATX power supplies that can be found in any discarded computer you can get a phenomenal lab power supply with huge current outputs, short circuit protection, and very tight voltage regulation.” Link. See previous.

Burnstation – DIY audio sharing…

Burnstation – DIY audio sharing…

Gamepadbs“BURN STATION is a mobile copying station which – as it travels through suburban spaces – supports the free distribution music and audio. It is software as well as a local network. But above all BURN STATION is a social event which congregates people together to listen, select and copy net label and net radio audio files with a Copyleft Licence.” [via] Link to project and link to downloads to build your own.

PEZ MP3 almost all gone!

PEZ MP3 almost all gone!

Pezmp3HolPat writes in about his PEZ MP3 players, they’re almost gone! “There is still a chance to get a PEZ MP3 player in time for Christmas. I have several hundred of the little fellas in stock and ready to ship. After the recent appearance on Regis and Kelly they are selling quickly. So, if you haven’t bought one yet and you want to get in on this limited-run, first-edition, hop over to pezmp3.com. Once this batch sells out, I am not making any more of this version.” Link. See our review here.