DIY Projects

HOW TO – Make a gas forge from an old vacuum

HOW TO – Make a gas forge from an old vacuum

RotatorRichard writes “Here’s how to make a gas forge cheap from a large tube and an old hoover vac. See other examples of cast bronze I’ve created with this “flying turtle” forge, also how to create a nail gun from an old fire extinguisher. The techniques and tools illustrated and their application to the handmade object are as valuable to the modern foundryman as they were to his “Holistic” forefathers of the late 1800s.” Lots of plans, how-tos and projects. Link.

10 most needed tools for the electronics DIYer

SolderstationGreg from DIY live wrote a good starter article on “…the ten most needed tools for the beginning Electronics DIYer. This is not an all inclusive list, and there are other important tools, but this is a good starting point for anyone interested in starting to play with circuits, and doing their own mods.” Link. Also check out our gift guide from 2005, lots of stuff to get you started there on the cheap…

DIY his and hers iPods for photo proofing…

DIY his and hers iPods for photo proofing…

78725977 E8E1B1C3D0 MPeter writes: “Here’s a video podcast posted today by professional wedding photographer, Dane Sanders, about using ipods for wedding photo proof albums. He gives the bride and groom his and hers ipods loaded with their wedding photos instead of traditional print album.” This is a pretty good idea! When you get hitched and use a photographer, there are all sorts of huge books you have to lug around–this is a lot better. Link.

Ice trikes…

Ice trikes…

Rick2Rick writes “Two years ago I made a recumbent tricycle for riding on the skating trails cleared on the frozen rivers here in Winnipeg. My friend built one for himself a few years back as well. Both trikes have front-wheel drive & rear-wheel steering, and they are a blast to ride!. My trike is a front-wheel drive, rear-wheel steered, recumbent tricycle in a delta configuration. I designed it so that the rear part of the frame folds in towards the front for storage. It makes it nice & compact but quickly unfolds for use. Rather than paint the frame, I covered it in “poor man’s chrome”: aluminum duct tape. Even the rims & wheel discs are covered in the tape.” Link.

HOW TO – Convert a laptop keyboard for desktop use…

HOW TO – Convert a laptop keyboard for desktop use…

1.Laptop KeyboardChris writes in with something to do with a laptop keyboard: “Ever wanted a laptop keyboard to use with your stationary computer? Lee Char did and took a keyboard from an old Compaq and ‘converted’ it to be connected to his regular computer. This is something that would be interesting to spin further on by interfacing this keyboard with an PDA instead, like an iPAQ. Anyone have an idea on how to do this?” Link.

HOW TO – Make a quick, low-cost vibrating lockpick…

HOW TO – Make a quick, low-cost vibrating lockpick…

0Sam writes: “One of my favorite sayings is ‘all a lock does is keep an honest man honest.’ Any time a new gadget comes out that speeds up the ability to pick a lock it is often extremely overpriced. Any vibrating lock pick is a bit overpriced in my opinion, so here is a way of making a good vibrating lock pick for about $9.00 and a half hour.” This project turns a vibrating Oral-B flosser into a lock pick. Link.

HOW TO – Add 20GB of external storage to the PSP

Psp2-1-2-1-1-1-1Steve writes “While I love my Playstation Portable as a both a game machine and portable media device, one of the biggest limiations is the fact you’re limited to the storage on the memory stick. Even with a 1GB stick, after you drop on a movie or two, you’re really limited in what you can store on it compared to an iPod.” This how-to shows how to use custom firmware on the WL-HDD 802.11g drive enclosure to add a built in webserver. By using RSS feeds, you can stream content directly from the drive to the PSP. Link.