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Dual Stage Heating/Cooling Temperature Controller with RGB Display

Dual Stage Heating/Cooling Temperature Controller with RGB Display

I am probably flattering myself, taking any sort of credit for inspiring this sweet custom temperature controller built by Adafruit reader Mike to keep his beer-brewing fridge at a constant temperature. Like my recent project, it simultaneously controls AC-powered heating and cooling equipment to maintain a constant temperature, and is mounted in a CANTEX PVC junction box. But there the similarities pretty much end: Whereas I used a cheap off-the-shelf thermostat module from China, Mike built and programmed his own controller using an Arduino for brains, an Xbee for remote temperature control and data logging, and a cool multicolor LED display with letters that turn red when the system is heating, blue when it is cooling, and green when it is at the correct temperature.

Typefacebook: Pam Deluco (video)

Pam Deluco brings her typesetting expertise to Maker Faire Bay Area 2011 and assists participants in letterpress printing their Facebook status updates. The process gives an appreciation and understanding for what the bookmaking craft was like in the 19th century, and folks get to take a bound record of their interaction with this vintage form of technology.

Amigurumi Detroit Tiger

For the baseball lovers out there, we’re all on edge here in Detroit after last night’s loss to the New York Yankees and Game 5 coming up. This amigurumi Tiger doll, from Beyond Crochet, might make for a good luck charm! And, in the spirit of fairness, here’s a Yankee granny square baby blanket for […]

What Carbonated Acrylic Plastic Looks Like

What Carbonated Acrylic Plastic Looks Like

As I wrote about a month ago, one of the many unusual phenomena Ben Krasnow has produced in his garage is supercritical CO2. As you may recall, Ben machined a custom acrylic pressure vessel so he could get (and give) a good look at a state of matter that most of us have little experience of. Since then Ben has inadvertently had a chance to observe another extremely unusual effect: the carbonation of solid acrylic.