I’ll admit it: I’m an enclosure geek. From the sleek, brushed-metal case I got for my first Mini-ITX computer, to the sheet steel box I wrapped around the electronics in my Nerf Sentry Gun build, I put a lot of thought into selecting the right case for the job. For my new Raspberry Pi Model B computer, however, I didn’t have to think very long. Not after I first laid eyes on the Barch Designs Raspberry PiHolder.
These apparently sold out fast, and the price is no longer listed, but a little bird told me they were going for $25. A really great idea, for when you’re done prototyping and ready to launch your mint-tin project out of a cannon, into high orbit, to the bottom of a lake, whatever
Though heavy for its class, this DIY aluminum longboard deck design from Redditor davvik gets high marks for its machine aesthetics and its accessible construction method. The truck mounting plates are simple millings, but the rest of it is stock aluminum strip and hardware-store parts.
From Dutch designer Wouter Scheublin, who made a big splash in 2010 with his Walking Table. This pull-back-to-wind Toy Car, machined in stainless steel and bronze, with matching walnut box, was produced in a limited edition of twenty, and is still available in laser-sintered nylon, though it isn’t cheap. [Thanks, Billy Baque!] More:Seriously Overengineered MousetrapVery, […]
Jake Easton’s Better Mousetrap is electrically and pneumatically powered, weighs almost six pounds, features a key lock switch and a manual safety, and strikes with 102 pounds of force. I think they foleyed that crunching noise in the video, however. Sounds like a bag of Fritos, to me.
Embossed aluminum is pretty much the ultimate labeling material. Without wanting to be morbid, there is a reason why military services around the world choose it for personnel identification tags. Secured with mechanical fasteners, instead of adhesives, an embossed aluminum label will stand up for years against water, extremes of heat and cold, prolonged direct sunlight, and any organic solvent you care to throw at it. This is a true “industrial-grade” labeling tool, and if you can snag a used one for a reasonable price, you can expect a lifetime of use from it.
Thanks to our commenters for pointing out that, contrary to my implication in Monday’s bolt-action spud gun post, Jeremy Cook—cool though his project certainly is—is not the first person to build a breech-loading potato cannon. Not by a long shot. (Heh, sorry.)
