This year I did my first bike packing trip. For starting out I had rented some equipment, but with the goal of doing more trips in the future, getting some bags of my own was clearly on the list. With the idea of using panniers for my main storage, I wanted to add some fork bags to balance out the weight a little. Also they are the least obstructive (other than frame bag maybe) from my POV. Somewhat enjoying DIY, the idea of designing the cages myself grew on me.

What this is

Some insights and thoughts on the process of designing and making some aluminium cargo cages for a bike.

What this isn't

A guide on how to design and make aluminium cargo cages for a bike. I have no professional training on anything I did here. This is my first time doing something like this.

Designing

After making some sketches on paper, I quickly jumped into 3D modelling on the PC.

The software

The software I choose was OpenSCAD. Reasoning was that I like open source software and I don't know any CAD software anyway. With it being a non-interactive tool, I hoped to somewhat make use of my coding knowledge/background. You write a script and the tool compiles it into a 3D model.

This however, did not work out very well. Going into it without much of a plan, I ended up with a very confusing file with loads of duplicate code and lots of guessing when trying to figure out dimensions. This was not the fault of the tool, but only my own. Not saying I'll never go back to it, but for the next job I will try some more interactive tooling. Some more structure and thought out process would benefit any tool however, so that's a learning I'll take with me.

The looks

Hard requirements were the screw positions for mounting to the fork and space for some straps where the bag is attached. In the middle of designing I noticed, that I might want some material running from the screw attachment points across the whole width of the piece (this might not have been required since the 3mm aluminium I used was plenty strong).

The whole design evolved around these requirements and some hexagons I wanted to add. Everything was kept symmetric and I tried to pick up the angles from the hexagons in the other angled pieces.

For sizing, I tested my dimensions on some cardboard cutouts and went with what felt right.

The issues

• The lower part was meant to be bent around and then welded at the seams. However I failed to provide additional material for the bending, therefor it was cut of and completely welded in the final product.
• The lower part is too wide. Instead of taking a second to think about it, I just kept the lower piece wide with the idea of grinding of the excess. I should have made the diagonal piece of the notch the same length as the vertical line it will get welded to.
• The straps of my chosen bags do not line up perfectly with the cutouts on the cage. There is enough space to make it work and not look super off, but it would be smarter to get the 'target bag' first.

Also I think it turned out a little like any cage you can buy in a shop. Wish I had made it a little more unique, maybe carry the hexagon idea along the edges...

Fabricating

Having access to at least some of the tools required for fabrication made the project seem somewhat reasonable in the first place. I would not know how to go about this, if you don't have a welder (other than designing a part that does not require welding).

Laser cutting

The whole idea heavily evolved around the idea of using a laser to cut my model from some aluminium sheet. However the laser I planned to use was not available anymore by the time the design was finished. No big deal I thought, there are ordering services for just about anything online. Which there are. But many of them ask a heavy fee for low part counts. To a level that would shut down the whole idea. It took quite some searching until I found someone willing to do the job for a feasible price. Had I not found a laser, filling and cutting with a saw would have been my last resort. Luckily it didn't come to that.

Other than the design issues mentioned above, it turned out just like I wanted!

Welding

You should find someone else to tell you about TIG welding. On the photo you can see the lower base that turned out too wide and never got ground off. Also the lower base that was cut off instead of bend due to missing clearance.

Painting

3 base coats, 3 top coats of matt black. Some deburing beforehand would have helped the final look as well. I always underestimate how much all these details show up after painting.

Bags

For bags, I decided on Cube ACID PACK PRO 3 (which are 3 liter bags). Even though I bought these, this was not the super easy part. Going into this project my thought was that it will be super easy to find fitting bags. But I had to do quite some digging to find something I liked. 3 liters per site are plenty for my setup, since I just want to spread some weight forward. I have seen these cages used with 5 liter bags, which worked fine as well. The straps do not line up perfectly with the cage, but there is enough wiggle room to make it work.

Final thoughts

It was a fun project and I will hopefully get to enjoy these cages for a long time. Without having done most of the things required to tackle this project, it took me quite some time to do. But I learned a lot and will surely go into my next CAD/metal/fabrication project with more of a plan!

I hope someone can get something out of my post. This checklist should help if you consider doing a similar project (maybe even any DIY project at all)

Don't do this if you

• want to save money
• need some cages quickly

Do this if you

• enjoy making stuff!

Hi 👋

I have a small zigbee (mini-z1-3ch ) relay module having a ribbon with tiny wires I'm planning to connect to push buttons.

I don't have proper connectors for small wires like that and I'm not sure what's appropriate. Maybe someone here would have a suggestion ?

I now live near a pine tree and don't know what to do with all of the pine cones. Decorations? Just burn them in a fire pit? Any ideas welcome.

Dear friends,

Last month, I posted this big project idea of mine to Beehaw's as well as Hexbear's DIY communities. Now I'd like to give you an update.

All figures I'm referring to are here: https://imgur.com/a/b8vGfQf

First, a big thank you to all who have replied, you've helped me a lot in making this project a reality. I have distilled your answers, tips and critiques into a text document, and I can happily tell you that they gave me a more realistic understanding of what I want to accomplish.

I formatted the post like this because it's quite long, and I like to yap, as the kids say.

151x39 cm: (length of desk + length of Kallax tower) x (width of Kallax)
A second 151x39 for the other side
280x39 cm: (length of Kallax-es on either side + distance between them)

Open questions at the end of all this:

I'd like to hear your general thoughts and concerns!
Which wood for the long 5m shelf? 
Lap joints as described above: yay or nay?
Lighting systems?
Back wall of desks?

THANK YOU <3

My house was resided, and my city doesn't do inspections. I have concerns about workmanship.

I don't know the terms for the parts to look up everything individually.

Are there any good guides to installing metal siding.

I'm looking to replace a panel of my computer mouse with a 3D printed part. I don't want to create a permanent bond (such that it can be changed out in the future), so I was considering something like rubber cement or silicone caulking to affix it. Thought I would check with those more knowledgeable as to the suitability of those options/suggestions for others.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Not my pictures.

Glued acrylic plates together with Acrifix and fixed them to a retractable shelf for our trash. The plates are attached with two screws and silicone caulk.

Hello,

Beginner here. With writing this, I'm increasingly thinking I should hire a carpenter, lol. But I've been wanting to post this for months, so here it goes.

What do I want to build?

I want to build a desk/TV sideboard/shelf combo, that takes up the entire length of a 5-meter-long wall in my living room (see image).

• There's the 'lower part': 60cm deep, 75cm high; two desks on either extremities (i.e. in the corners of the room), flanked by drawers and storage options for all matter of things. The centrepiece is the TV-sideboard, with cupboards for storage and an open solution for A/V devices.
• Then there's the 'upper part': 40cm deep, 200cm high; this is like a shelf that sits on top of the 'lower part', but it is narrower by 20cm. This will be storage for books, records, work stuff, etc... I am not planning on having a back wall on the shelf.

What are the circumstances?

I live in a relatively small apartment (~ 40m²) with my partner. The apartment is a pre-WW1 house, with a room height of 3,2m. The 5m wall is brick, and behind it starts the next house, so it's plenty thick. The living room itself is about 19m².

My questions to the community

My main question is basically how?

• Is it smarter to build the 'lower part' all in one first, then build the 'upper part' on top? Or is it better to build everything around the two L-shaped studs, that separate the desks from the TV? I imagine that the first option is easier to build, whereas the second option provides more stability.
• What tools, screws, wall plugs and techniques would you use to build this? More specifically: how do I anchor things to the wall?
• The material should be wood – but which one would be appropriate?
• I have a couple of other questions, but I'll leave it at that for now...

Thank you so much for replying and taking an interest.

We are going to Vietnam this year for holiday and I've read horror stories of poorly distilled alcohol in cocktails and such. Several tourists have died from methanol poisoning.

Would it be feasible to build a small detector for methanol? I'm okay with either a small chemical identification test or something like an IR spectrum analysis.

There are commercial test kits for professional laboratories but I need something affordable for regular consumers.

Hey all,

I recently got some pictures to hang onto the wall of my apartment. While I was able to hang up four of the five so far despite some challenges (needing to get a nut driver to remove portions of the frames and using a command hook for one of the frames rather than strips due to the screws holding the frame together jutting out too much for it to sit flat on the wall with command strips), there's been one picture that I'm in a weird spot with.

Now the picture is clearly not original, it's very obvious that it's a printed reproduction. Regardless, I love the way the art looks, and want to hang it on the wall behind the couch. My issue is that the wooden frame is warped, and I'm a bit lost as to where to go forward with this. The piece I removed from the frame seems to indicate that it was meant to be hung using a nail in the wall, but being in an apartment that would go against my lease. The good news is that I almost certainly can use command strips to attach it to the wall, if only I can figure out how to fix the warping to lay it flat.

Looking online, it might be me using bad search terms, but I can only seem to find out information about what causes this to happen rather than information as to how to fix it. If at all possible I want to avoid reframing the picture since honestly that wouldn't be worth the hassle with how cheap the picture seems to be seeing that it's a reprint.

Thanks in advance!

I got a canon pixma tr4520 from a technologically challenged relative, who told me they couldn't get it to print and it was mine to try and fix. I worked out that it didn't have an ink cartridge in it (not even an empty), bought a replacement, and got it printing. But now it has vertical alignment issues and paper jams. I can't afford a new printer right now, and I would love to fix this one. My fear is that I'll sink half the cost of a new one into it between the ink I already bought and replacement parts, just for it to come out not working anyway. Is it worth my time to try and fix or should I cut my losses and start saving for a new unit?

I have an absolutely incredible set of moose hide trigger mits by Hides In Hand - a traditional leather crafter in Canada who use locally sourced hides.

I backcountry ski a lot and DESTROY gear. My hides in hand mits are the most durable and comfortable mits I've ever had. The issue is the acrylic fleece liners - I blow through them.

So I decided to make a set of sheepskin liners. I went to Bill Worb Furs - who source pelts from traditional hunters and trappers (read: mostly, but not all indigenous) and scored some hides.

I deconstructed the original liners, made a pattern and made these new liners. Cost me $30CAD and I have material for a couple more.

Totally pointless, could have bought replacements, but it was a super fun project for someone who has never made something like this before.

Today is my Birthday 🎂🎉🎈. Happy 26th Birthday to me with two white hairs in my head🤩⭐. Am getting old💔

Today is my Birthday 🎂🎉🎈. Happy 26th Birthday to me with two white hairs in my head🤩⭐. Am getting old💔

Hello!

I plan to replace an electric vitroceramic cooktop for an induction one. Both are 60cm in width, but looking at their manuals, the current one specifies a cutout of 58cm while the new one says 56cm. Both specify the same height (49cm)

Now, thankfully I dont need to make the hole larger, but Im wondering if the extra 2cm will be a problem or not? The cooktop should cover the entire hole but Im not sure if it the extra space could allow it to move around. I'm hoping it would be ok (they tend to have an anti-slippery silicon thingy), but I prefer to ask if some has experience just in case.

I have laminate flooring which is chipping off at the joints due to an uneven underfloor. Does anyone have any suggestions for what i can fill it with please?

Tried super glueing the snapped off pieces and filling with outdoor sealant. Neither has worked.

I'm hoping to have access to a laser cutter in the near future, but due to scheduling conflicts most likely won't be able to attend any hands-on instruction on how to use it. In lieu of that, I'm in search of any online resources on the general use of laser cutters. Is there anything out there that would be useful to a complete newb like myself?

https://youtu.be/s1H8Cb7jkYw

Pieces required. Three books from a thrift store ($6) pretty books are everywhere it seems! Australian lamp fitting with switch from AliExpress ($11), 3w LED bulb from AliExpress ($14).

Things I needed to buy: 40mm drill bit to drill through the books to fit the lamp socket ($12). Clamps to hold the books down during surgery ($20 for two).

Things I already had: PVA glue to attach the books together and seal the pages. Drill and 8mm drill bit, to feed the wire though and out the back of the bottom book. Soldering iron, I had to break open the light switch and snip the wires off to feed JUST the power cable through the drill hole I'd made (power plug too big)

I'm no DIY expert, and this was a fairly easy project. No major hurdles, and it looks great on my homemade ladder shelf.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/24957830

So I had a taillight bulb go out on me this week, and changing that bulb was simple enough, but also not particularly obvious. Had to look it up and could only find a overly long winded youtube video on it. In the interest of saving some one else the headache of scrubbing through a 20 min video to get answer that could have been explained in 2 minute short, I figured I would write it out.

Tools and Parts list

• Flat head screwdriver
• 8mm deepwell socket or wrench (A standard socket might work, but a baby socket won't. Long bolts.)
• Replacement bulb
  • The red brake and taillight bulb is a white 7443 bulb. )
  • The turn signal bulb is an amber 7440A
  • The reverse light is a 921

Instructions:

1.) Open the trunk. (Yes, I'm a smart ass :-D )
2.) On the rear (driver's perspective) corner of the trunk on the side with the blown bulb, look for a removable plastic rivet. Place under the center part of the rivet, a flathead screwdriver and lever the center part up, then pull the rivet out. If you try to remove the rivet before poping the center part up you will break the rivet.
3.) Pull the carpet to the side to reveal where the back of the tail light assembly should be. You will find 2 long bolts secured with 8mm nuts.
4.) Remove the 8mm nuts.
5.) Applying rearward pressure to the exposed bolts and the outside of the assembly, remove the assembly. It slides off to the rear, not the side. This will take a bit for force, but not much. Be careful not to damage the tail light assembly or damage the wiring harness. The wiring harness has roughly 8 inches of play.
6.) You now have access to the bulb holders for the tail/brake light, turn signal, and reverse light. The bulb holders twist loose and it shouldn't take much force. The bulbs themselves are a friction fit into the bulb holders.
7.) Reverse these steps to reassemble.

Hey all,

My friends and I have an inside joke that involves cinderblocks that has been a few years old now. There's a house under renovations across the street from where I live, and I asked the people doing the renovations if I would be able to have a cinderblock I saw on the front lawn, to which they said I could! (for context, the house hasn't been sold yet and they were getting rid of them anyway.)

I am literally doing nothing with this cinderblock other than having it as a decorative piece in my apartment for the joke. I have put the cinderblock in my bathtub and sprayed off most of the dirt on the surface, but I was curious as to how I would clean it to get it looking more or less good as new.

Thanks in advance, I'm really excited over this stupid thing lol

Hi all,

Recently got myself a popcorn maker from the thrift shop that unfortunately refused to work. Wanted to try and get it operating as it should again, but it seems the issue wasn't so much something being broken in the machine, but rather extremely cheap build quality.

Repairing the thing just didn't seem worth it, so I disassembled it and am recycling the individual parts. However, I am thinking about making a toolbox so that I can learn some repairs and all, and am hoping to save the screws that I've salvaged from the machine.

My question is this. How does one sort and categorize the screws they keep? Are there codes the screws have, or does it come down to personally measuring and determining the length and type of screwdriver needed for them? Currently just keeping them in a sandwich bag for the time being.

Thanks for any help in advance.

Me challenging myself to purely purchase second-hand goods has once again hit a bump in the road with my recent purchase of a bookshelf at the thrift shop.

The bookshelf itself is fine, it looks nice, it was cheap at $25 CAD, and doesn't seem to have any damage to it. However, what wasn't advertised was the fact that the three shelving pieces taped together that rested on top of the shelve in the middle, uhhh, didn't have the holes drilled in yet that would allow for me to attach them to the rest of the unit.

Everything is perfectly fine save for that, so I don't want to toss the bookshelf entirely. If I wanted to prepare the shelving pieces myself to hang them into the adjustable holes, how would I do so? What tools would I need? Since I've never done anything like this before, would this be a good starter project, or should I have someone more experienced do it for me?

Thanks for any help in advance.