Craft & Design

From traditional crafts to modern crafts, we’re covering news and interesting projects to educate you and keep you inspired. Design trends and pop culture related projects are here to inspire.

HOW TO – Using a Stereo as Computer Speakers

HOW TO – Using a Stereo as Computer Speakers

Stereo LogoAaron writes “Most of us cannot afford fancy 7.1 surround sound systems or feel that we do not utilize the computer’s audio functions enough to reap the benefit of one. However, most of us have stereos. That and a few cables is all you need to enjoy a nice audio system without damaging your bank account. In this article, I will show you an easy way to use your stereo as computer speakers for a nice sound system at a very low cost.” Thanks Star! Link.

HOW TO – Make boffer swords…

HOW TO – Make boffer swords…

BofferJakob writes “I saw the article on Boffer weapons you ran. I’ve made an even more detailed description of both a simple and advanced sword with blow-by-blow documentation. I don’t play live role acting, or similar games. But I had to make Boffer weapons with my scouts and I figured I might as well document the process so you could benefit from it as well. The description is both in danish and english.” Link.

HOW TO – Replacing Capacitors in Old Radios

HOW TO – Replacing Capacitors in Old Radios

Farn03Excellent guide on replacing capacitors in old radios “Second only to power cords, capacitors are the most failure-prone components in old radios. In a professional overhaul, it is common to replace all of a radio’s large electrolytic capacitors and small paper capacitors. This article explains how to do just that. In many cases, this “recapping” is all that the radio needs to be restored to health.” Link.

Dot Matrix Printers as musical instruments…

Dot Matrix Printers as musical instruments…

Printer Buttons2Paul from Dotmatrixsynth makes musical instruments out of printers, here writes – “I’ve got an ongoing project, reprogramming the firmware in these 1985 Epson LQ-500 printers to turn them into musical instruments. I originally just wanted to make a sort of homemade mellotron, but it’s evolved into a much deeper project. These printers (like all printers) have a computer inside that operates all the motors and handles the parallel port, etc. The software that drives that computer is all on an EPROM (a reprogrammable ROM chip.) I remove the EPROM, erase it, and reprogram it with my own software that I’ve developed by reverse engineering the printer and its computer.” Link.

HOW TO – Simple Microphone Preamplifier

HOW TO – Simple Microphone Preamplifier

MicampTomi writes – “This is a simple microphone preamplifier circuit which you can use between your microphone and stereo amplifier. This circuit amplifier microphone suitable for use with normal home stereo amplifier line/CD/aux/tape inputs. This microphone preamplifier can take both dynamic and electret microphone inputs (preamplifier provides power foe electret microphone elements). The idea of this circuit is to keep the design as simple as possible to be easy to build. That was my goal when I needed a simple external microphone preamplifier for my mixer. The performance of the circuit is nothing superior but can be used with many not so serious projects.” Link.

Instant clay animation

Instant clay animation

AnimaatiokoneCheck out this “Instant Claymation machine” on WMMNA“Animaatiokone (Animation Machine) is an installation that turns you into a master clay animator. It’s built of a potato peeling machine, a laptop PC and pinball machine buttons. First you sculpt clay actors. When you’re happy with your cast, you locate the characters inside the mini-studio (inside the Animaatiokone machine), move the actors and capture frames. An overhead display allows you to check the shooting, you can also delete or add frames on the touch of a button. When you’re finish, you can add a soundtrack.” [via] Link.