Ten Tips for Hand Saws and Blades
There are a plethora of reasons to choose a hand saw over an electric in certain situations. But if you want to try them out, there are some things you need to know. Here are ten tips to help you on your way.
safety
DIY Single-Use Antibiotic Ointment Packets
When backpacking, it’s important that every little object you bring be functional and lightweight. Rather than bringing a whole bottle of anitbiotic ointment, you can make your own using a straw, needle-nose pliers, and a lighter. Always be prepared!
Toolsday Hangout on Air, Live and Online Today at 2pm PST/5pm EST
Today is Toolsday here at MAKE, so you know what that means – a live Google+ hangout where we will be discussing our favorite tools and workspace essentials. Tune in at 2pm PST/5pm EST on the +MAKE page for a hangout related to safety – bad experiences with tools, and how to prevent them. We’ll share our experiences and discuss how to prevent certain frightening things, like table saw kickback, from occurring.
Illuminate Yourself and Your Way with DIY LED Bike Handlebars
Inspired by Mitchell Silva’s Globars, our friend Becky at Adafruit created a DIY version of his illuminated bicycle handlebars.
The Making of a Truck Anti-Rollaway Device
Now a mechanic with just a year of community college under his belt has unveiled a system to prevent rollaways. 44 year-old Tom Accardi managed to create the system and bring it to market without the help of venture capitalists or companies that prey on aspiring inventors.
Pocket Reflectors for Cycling
Learn to whip up some pants pocket reflectors to gain visibility for night cycling. Becky Stern shows you how: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Pocket-Reflectors-for-Cycling/755/1
Tesla-style through-ground magnetic wave communicator
Interesting article over at AAAS’s ScienceNOW about MagneLink, a short-range wireless communications system being developed by Lockheed-Martin that uses magnetic fields, rather than radio waves, to transmit information. Supposedly Tesla first experimented with such a system, hoping to compete with radio, in the 1890s. For most wireless applications, radio is clearly a superior system; magnetic wave communicators suffer from limited range and poor signal-to-noise ratios. There’s one thing they can do, however, that radio can’t: easily transmit through hundreds of meters of rock or clay. They can, therefore, be depended on in the event of a mining accident to allow trapped workers to communicate with rescue personal in situations where radio is impossible and wired systems may be inoperable or inaccessible.