DIY Projects
HOW TO make metal charms

This page describes how custom made metal charms can be created with just plaster, a polymer clay original, and solder. This might be a cool way to make cell phone trinkets too. Thanks Kit! Link.
HOW TO Obsessively Cover a Trade Paperback With a Mylar Book Cover
Rick writes “I decided I wanted to take with me the trade paperback proof of Vellum to devour on an airplane or two. I decided I had to cover it with my standard Demco covering for hardcover books, and it occurred to me that perhaps not everybody has twigged on how to do this. So, in the spirit of Make Magazine, I’ve created this gallery that shows all the steps — and I’m not going to tell you how many there are, since you’ll think I’m even crazier than I probably am…” Link.
FreeBSD Based Gaming Router

Lan Game Reviews has posted an article on how to use an old computer and FreeBSD distro m0n0wall to create a gaming router. Gaming routers allow users to use their full bandwidth for downloads and other high bandwidth apps, and low latency applications at the same time. By keeping packet queues on the router side, rather than the modem side. Users are able to achive great pings in online games, while fully using their download bandwidth. This is a great alternitive to expensive gaming routers on the market today.” [via] Link.
Low tech version of the VCR Cat Feeder
In MAKE 03 we have a VCR cat feeder project, but Peter from NYC sent in another way sans VCR…“When I had to feed ol’ Skippy upon leaving my apartment for a few days or so, I’d hot-glue a standing box of kittyvittles in the center of a piece of 2′-square cardboard, and cut a paw-sized hole in the bottom. After making sure the bathtub faucet was dripping slightly into a dish, I was good for as many as 3 or 4 days, and no worrying about power outages. Skippy had to work for his meals, but all the better. Now, an electric self-cleaning litterbox – THAT would be something worth warming up a soldering gun for.” Link.

This guide is to show you how to rewire the DSL circuit from the phone Company’s NID to your modem and hopefully you’ll gain about 100 to 150kbps in speed, lower Latency and even get rid of all the Filters that are attached to your phones. [
Here is my Waffle Iron PC. I used an EPIA M10000 Mini-ITX board. It has 512MB RAM and a 160GB hard drive. I used an external USB CDROM to install the OS. It runs Linux – Fedora Core 2. It’s also got a TV Out card, so I can use this for a MythTV box if I choose later. [