So, I had the stupid/great idea to Upgrade my halloween costume. I think it's going to take at least a year's work. I want to take my bike and turn it into a pirate ship. I also recognize that I'm not quite proficient at all of the tasks ahead of me so I thought I'd ask y'all if you had any advice. I'm at the drawing up plans stage. Here's what I've got:

I plan to take a generation one electric terratrike rambler and make a "little" removable shell i can clamp to it, remove it every year &c. for halloween that looks like a small pirate ship i can ride around the neighborhood and give out candy. they, not mine, look like this but i've got more neat shit on minei'll let you guess what my costume is.

so here's a crude mockup of what my trike looks like:

now here's a basic idea of what i'm planning on doing:

my first thought for that purple frame outline is to get some PVC, bend it the shape i want, put some cardboard on, paint on some fiberglass, once it's dry sand it and paint it like an old timey boat. attach it with some struts and clamps of some sort i'm sure i can frankenstein together in the back and front, fuck pedaling while it's together just run off the electric. have my crate in the back be the poop deck, maybe put a mast in where my headrest is i dunno.

so: any tips with the fiberglassing? see anywhere I'm going wrong? I've never done anything like this before, it just looks fun.

Thinking about making myself a Jankó pad controller, and I thought the cheapest and easiest way would be like those velocity sensitive rubber pads usually found on drum machines and samplers.

I remember some forum posts about DIY-ing these kind of conductive rubber dome switches, so it must be possible somehow with the right kind of chemicals...

Super easy to make, and holds a phone super well

Hello, Lemmy,

I had been posting here about my basement build for the last few years. I had been using a different account, but then that instance folded and I became a refug.ee.

The current phase of my man cave is basically done. Phase one is two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. I have this corner of the kitchen I am not sure what to do with. Its in between a sink base, an upper cabinet, and wall. Its about 20 in wide and there is 66 inches of clearance from the floor to the cupboard.

I already have a decent enough place for my garbage can. I was thinking maybe a tall thin cabinet for brooms? or maybe a chest of drawers for my kitchen implements?

Any ideas?

Today I noticed a wasp coming and going in my living room. More precisely, it goes into the wall just next to the light. There is not too much room there and I don't really have visibility, so I can't tell what this wasp-like insect is doing there. Also, even tho I think it's one, maybe it's one at a time? Not sure.

I did check some videos on the topic and maybe this could be the beginning of nest? Since, I wouldn't want something like that in my home, I am looking for ideas on how to deal with this. It seems like a tricky spot to me due to the electric wires connections, in the sense that spraying something there could be dangerous.

Anyways, if you have experience and/or ideas on what to do, please help!

I recently got a little tablet laptop, and learned that over thunderbolt you could plug in a GPU with a little dock board.

My desktop had a liquid cooled GPU so it became a whole thing to get it out and dockable.

I always wanted to mess with 2020 aluminum extrusion so this was my chance.

Its been a couple weeks work at this point and I'm in the home stretch. I have it running now so its just about tidying up and finding a good way to mount the acrylic panels after doing a final coolant flush

I also wanted to say thank you to all the comments from my last post when i first got my mitre saw for this project. it really made me be cautious when making my cuts, I always took my time clamping my pieces down and then going through the motion of making the cut with the saw powered off before making the cut https://leminal.space/post/24432635

I recently started setting up an intercom system between my workshop and the kitchen using a pair of antique Leich 901 telephones.

These are old local battery, crank/magneto phones originally intended to be used on small co-op networks (sometimes run over barbed wire!) or other odd uses. Each one has a crank which generates AC to ring all the phones on the circuit, and a talk battery (usually in a separate case) to power it as it was assumed houses didn't have electricity.

I've been able to get them talking following these guides:

https://www.valhallatreefarm.com/magneto%20phone/phonemagneto.htm

https://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=5c899c410c9abe5eb18fde4aa5ed41de&topic=17372.0

Now I'm planning my next steps, which include setting up a nice display panel for the workshop phone (partly to make hanging it on the wall a bit easier).

One of the things I'm thinking of is adding a small voltmeter to the voice line, like in this picture:

From their description of "When you speak, the needle moves rapidly like a VU meter!" I was assuming it's a 0-5 Voltmeter (maybe something like this) but Im worried about the AC ringer power coming down the same line.

According to the best guide I've found: "It should put out about 75 Volts AC when vigorously cranked." While the talk battery is only 4.5 Volts DC.

I have some huge holes in my understanding of electricity (especially considering how often I mess with it) but I'm worried an analog 5v Voltmeter wouldn't like 75 volts. I've read Voltmeters are supposed to be higher resistance than the circuit they're measuring. Does that protect it in a situation like this? Otherwise is there a way to safely set this up? Bonus points: is there a way to rig a light that blinks or flickers using this circuit in case I can't hear the ringer over tool noise and earpro?

Thank you very much!

Turns out the rattling was coming from the heatshield of the DPF so I spent a day replacing a part which wasn't even the source of the issue. Well, atleast I've got a new exhaust now and did some underbody rust prevention while I was at it.

Recently I got a little tablet laptop which led me down the path of eGPU's, which led me down the path of aluminum extrusion which led me to looking for a mitre saw. Now that I have it and have been learning more about what it can do I'm super excited!

The guys at Flow Battery Research Collective have been designing a Redox Flow Battery development kit that you can build yourself using a 3d printer and a few tools. It's a desktop size flow battery that you can use to either do your own research, e.g. on different electrolytes or just to replicate their experimental findings.

Redox Flow Batteries have the potential to become grid scale or home electric energy storage solutions that are way better for the environment than current lithium based batteries. They can often scale power and capacity independently and allow for repairs.

The FBRC project wants to spread the knowledge on RFBs and help kickstart a global community that develops sustainable energy storage technology in an ope source fashion.

Beware that the project is still in its infancy and sourcing the materials can be a bit of a challenge. Be sure to ask around in the forums for help!

I came across these instructions to make a Numechron Digital Clock almost completely out of wood, and I thought it was beautiful so wanted to share.

If I can figure out how to add a chime (and how to build the parts without a CNC) I really want to try this.

I had a pretty sturdy wooden desk, top just polished and waxed, nice drawers too... but I wanted it to be a standing/sitting desk.

These "laptop hight adjusters" didnt do it for me, also I wonder how it would work as for me the difference is pretty big.

I searched for a matching frame and made a post in [email protected].

1. Cleanup

I removed the legs and drawes from the table, made space in the area

2. Frame

I got a 160kg one from Flexispot, which sounds overkill but this should hold me + the table + some stuff. You never stand on your desk to do stuff?

The package was heavy, poor delivery guy. Should have gotten him a snack to go.

Assembly wasn't hard, maybe 40min? The rest was way more

3. Issues

The screws connecting legs and top frame didn't really match, as the holes on the inside were shorter. I swapped the 4 with 4 shorter screws used to screw the "feet" onto the legs, which could only use the longer ones. No big deal but an oversight.

The frame was also too long to tightly match my tabletop, so I disassembled one part and shortened the metal tubes just the right amount so they fit exactly next to the boards on the outside of the drawers (you will see).

4. Tabletop adapter

This frame is made for flat tabletops, so I took one leg of the table, shortened it as much as possible and sawed it in half (Less useless weight at the tabletop is always good).

This is why the frame needed to be shortened to tightly match.

I attached the "adapters" to the outside of the "drawer holders", with 2 screws into them, and 2 short brackets to the tabletop.

Of course, for each hole I pre-drilled with a smaller drill to reduce force on the wood and avoid ruptures.

Looking at it, a few more brackets could be good. But on the other hand, I dont really apply horizontal force?

5. Assembly

I screwed the frame onto the adapter, which made a tight connection to the tabletop.

Now the 2 motors at the top of the frame needed their cables connected to a controller, which was connected to a charging brick.

The manual meant them to be inside the frame, screwed onto the tabletop, but this didnt work with the drawers. So instead I used the nice fiber-enhanced tape (used in packaging of the cables on the motors) and guided the cables to the back of the tabletop, screwed the controller on there.

The charging brick is held with a velcro strap for some reason, which was glued to the tabletop as well.

Now the little control interface (which looks nice and pretty high quality (but plastic of course) needs to be placed somewhere in front of the tabletop. It is connected to the controller via ethernet and a power cable. The power cables look similar to the ones on a PC.

I guided it alonside one side, tied the cable down with some tape, used a hook and a screw to hold it in place nicely, used the metal plastic-covered-wire thingy from packaging to attach the cable to the hook gently.

6. Result

Even though the cutting of the leg wasn't perfectly clean, it works and is very sturdy but not too heavy.

I turned it around, connected the power, and it worked!

ℹ️ Note

Always test the motors and stuff before sawing off random parts XD

The control is easy, I was able to set a sitting and a standing hight which can be switched with a button press now.

The controller seems to go into sleep mode when not used, meaning a low power draw. I could test this further though.

It is rock stable, which tells me it was a good idea to get the powerful variant (2 motors, 2 moving elements instead of 1).

The motors are reasonably silent, I already assembled everything, glued my plug strip onto the table (to leave room to the wall while preventing it from falling down). Noice!

I also need to find a solution for the corners (where the legs were). I may not care anough to put something there though.

7. Oversights

The screws didnt match the actual length, luckily I could just switch them without needing to manually shorten them.

There is a metal sheet meant to be a cover of the frame. But while the frame is adjustable, the sheet only has 2 holes and only fits in a very wide position, not even the minimum without me shortening it.

I may shorten it or may not, it is kinda useless.

Zinc primer, acrylic base coat, and 2K clear coat.

What I learned:

• Don’t cheap out on the paint and clear coat. The difference in quality between box-store products and real automotive ones can’t be overstated. They’re as much of higher quality than they're more expesive.

• Buy more product than you think you’ll need. Just do it.

• Surface prep, surface prep, surface prep. Paint and clear coat don’t hide imperfections at all. If you can feel it with your fingers, you’ll see it through the paint.

• Avoid “smart 2K” products where you don’t need to mix in the hardener. I’ve tried them twice and both times got terrible results. It’s not that they don’t work, but they’re really finicky if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.

• Close the doors so bugs don’t fly in, and wet the floor/ground to keep dust from getting airborne.

• Cover the entire vehicle before painting. Overspray dust goes everywhere and settles on every unprotected surface - ask me how I know.

• Keep an eye on the spray nozzle and wipe it down occasionally. If it starts gunking up, it’ll spit droplets and ruin your finish.

I have a horizontal gliding window that opens to my patio and I wanted to put a cat door in it so these little buggers can get out. I looked at buying one, but wow they're expensive.

My thoughts are to build a frame out of 1x1"s and have plexiglass in between it with one of those door flaps you can buy to install into it.

Would that work? Be sufficient enough? The window is never in the sun and not exposed to a lot of elements at all, so I don't think I need to go over the top.

And before anyone gets up in arms, the patio is netted in and the cats can't escape. They're not free roam, just allowed to be outside in their controlled area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45JhacvmXV8

In this video we learn how to recycle cardboard into durable, waterproof projects that can be built nearly for free!

Wheat paste based glue, UV protection, and non biodegradable alternative demonstrated.

Still planning on using cardboard molded stuff in my present projects, so this recent upload is very apropos. As a former pro automotive painter, I could easily use several finishing techniques to make far better surfaces than this video, if I was not so physically limited. The cardboard clay is begging to become heavier body filler, and a newspaper pulp would likely make a finishing surface.

It's fun :)

Many people are at risk for exposure to the COVID-19 virus and cannot afford to get infected. These people can isolate themselves, but often, their professions or requirements for daily life will take them in contact with other people, and they need some form of protection. Masks definitely help, but can become uncomfortable to wear, especially over long periods of time. This guide will walk you through creating a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator, which will protect the wearer and those around them from airborne viruses and bacteria, while at the same time providing positive airflow to the wearer’s face. That airflow makes sure that the wearer has a supply of fresh, clean air that has gone through a filtration process, and, in our tests, is the equivalent of wearing an N95 mask.

Most of my pants have gotten big on me, but it feels wrong to go out and buy new ones when these work fine, so I've been wearing them with a belt anyway. The problem is that when I sit down they bunch up around my crotch and it looks like I have a massive boner when I don't. Obviously, I don't want this to keep happening and am wondering if anybody knows of a way to fix this. I have relatively little expierence with sewing or tailoring but I do have access to a sewing machine. Any advice would be appreciated.

I've had a couple of this style of plastic clip crack. Wrapping it in thread and then applying super glue seems to work pretty well. I also tried wrapping with fishing line, but it came undone pretty quickly. Just wanted to share the tip! Now if only I had a fix for when the prongs on the other half break off.

Hi, I've been looking for a chance to get a huge fresnel lens from a rear projector TV for awhile and I finally found one junked (and rained on) on garbage day and managed to get the screen off before the truck took it.

The problem is that the screen seems to be different in composition from others I've seen online. There was one dark tinted, but otherwise clear plastic sheet, and an opaque one that might be a fresnel lens with a diffuser layer glued on. The TV was a Mitsubishi which are supposed to be a good source for fresnel lenses but the overall design and wide aspect ratio of the screen suggest it was a newer model. It definitely did have a projector inside (a single one with a sort of bubble dome on it).

I'm wondering if anyone knows more about these tvs, or has any suggestions for getting the two layers apart - the thin sheet seems to be both adhered very well and brittle - it only pries off in tiny chunks. I'm thinking about using a heat gun, I don't know if there's some other truck to this I should know.

Thanks very much for any advice!