Washer

Lunchbox Laser Shows

Lunchbox Laser Shows

Back in the 1970s, my friend Wayne Gillis and I used to do light shows at science fiction conventions. We had the usual panoply of overhead, slide, and custom-made projectors, and a single, very expensive, helium-neon laser from Edmund Scientific. Calling ourselves Light Opera, and later, Illuminatus, we performed at ConFusion conventions in Ann Arbor, […]

One-Ton Linear Servo

One-Ton Linear Servo

RC hobby servomotors were just made for hacking. What’s not obvious is how much you can hack them — with a few tricks, you can use a servo to control almost anything. Hobby servos consist of a DC gear motor, a potentiometer (usually 5K), and a control circuit. The output shaft is the output of […]

Router Trammel

Router Trammel

Create your own router attachment for cutting circular disks from, or boring circular holes in, sheet stock.

Digital TV Coat Hanger Antenna

Digital TV Coat Hanger Antenna

Easily disassemble a coat hanger to make an affordable antenna for your digital television. Stop fighting with your existing antenna and make your own.

Self-Disinfecting Toilet Brush

Self-Disinfecting Toilet Brush

What do you do with the toilet brush right after you use it? Hang it up? Lay it in the sink or bathtub to dry first? Or maybe you have one of those brushes with a built-in base that keeps the bristles corralled when not in use. All of these alternatives kinda skeenge me out, […]

No-Holes Poster/Quilt Hanger

No-Holes Poster/Quilt Hanger

I’m a great admirer of Jørgen Møller’s Posterhänger design. It’s great for those in-between prints that are too valuable to put thumbtacks through, but not valuable enough to have framed. Plus it’s considerably cheaper than framing, and looks a lot better than thumbtacks. Plus, it’s easier on your walls, requiring only a single hole to […]