The Do-it-Yourself Thread: A Home for Handymen and Artisans - General

[QUOTE=woolio1;37977801]I'm sorry, did you say you built a headset that picks up radio frequencies? Are you mad?[/QUOTE] [url]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4162888/Sounds/yes.mp3[/url] Prolly doesn't help that the frame for the piece is a metal clothes hanger.

[QUOTE=thespectator;37977913][url]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4162888/Sounds/yes.mp3[/url] Prolly doesn't help that the frame for the piece is a metal clothes hanger.[/QUOTE] Make compact radio headset Switchable stations Make millions.

[QUOTE=TheCube;37978758]Make compact radio headset Switchable stations Make millions.[/QUOTE] I feel like "Invent time machine and travel back to the 80s" needs to be in there somewhere.

[QUOTE=woolio1;37977801]I'm sorry, did you say you built a headset that picks up radio frequencies? Are you mad?[/QUOTE] It's significantly easier to accidentally build an RF antenna than you think!

[QUOTE=TheCube;37978758]Make compact radio headset Switchable stations Make millions.[/QUOTE] Hey bro, FUCK YOUR AVATAR!

[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;37707536]It's walnut, my personal favorite native wood. Just wait until I've got pictures of it finished with the tung oil finish. It's astoundingly beautiful.'' I made my mum a cutting board out a piece of it a few years ago, I'll see if I can grab a picture to show how it looks when finished usually. (cutting board was finished with mineral oil though, but I handpicked the slab of wood to be used and cut it from the log)[/QUOTE] I LOVE cherry wood

[QUOTE=Mindfuck 2;37981859]Hey bro, FUCK YOUR AVATAR![/QUOTE] no

[QUOTE=metallics;37981383]It's significantly easier to accidentally build an RF antenna than you think![/QUOTE] I leave my car next to the invisible dog fence at home, now my dog is afraid of my car. :c

[QUOTE=thespectator;37975550]Its really decent actually, only problem is that I pick up ESPN radio in the background. Its also a bit on the quiet side, not sure how/if I can make it louder.[/QUOTE] Your mic(s) are probably outputting around 20mvpp. You can make them louder by pushing them each through small, single stage amplifiers. These will boost the voltage via USB power. You don't need to boost current as the computer will take care of that. If you boost the vIN from your mic(s) to even like 200mvpp, that'll make it a lot louder. Look online on how to set up the correct bias for the transistors. You'll preferably need two NPN type transistors which you can honestly find in pretty much anything. Also, if you want to filter out RF look up online on how to build a low-pass filter. It'll literally only be a couple of passive components, one of which you can hand make yourself.

[QUOTE=Ultraleet;38008637]Your mic(s) are probably outputting around 20mvpp. You can make them louder by pushing them each through small, single stage amplifiers. These will boost the voltage via USB power. You don't need to boost current as the computer will take care of that. If you boost the vIN from your mic(s) to even like 200mvpp, that'll make it a lot louder. Look online on how to set up the correct bias for the transistors. You'll preferably need two NPN type transistors which you can honestly find in pretty much anything. Also, if you want to filter out RF look up online on how to build a low-pass filter. It'll literally only be a couple of passive components, one of which you can hand make yourself.[/QUOTE] Volume actually turned out to be fine, just had to uninstall some realtek drivers. :v: Also sorted the radio problem like this: [img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4162888/POSTPICS/20121013_104428.png[/img] Thanks for the info though, I'll definitely look into that stuff if I ever mess with more mics.

Here's a guided rocket that I'm working on, probably doesn't deserve a thread. [quote] [IMG]http://imgur.com/gFY9r.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/6s6JJ.png[/IMG] [/quote]

I built a big ass fuckin' desk out of a shitty old one. Cost £35 in total (the big slab of wood) [img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A5HTg0MCcAAeQ_l.jpg[/img]

Built some decorative shelves for my wife's Rockstar can collection under the TV in our room. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/P1000154.jpg[/IMG]

I love the whole art deco style you make stuff with.

[QUOTE=HiddenMyst;38053086]I love the whole art deco style you make stuff with.[/QUOTE] Deco and functionalism, my two favorite forms of architecture. It's a cool style i think, and it's making a really inclined comeback.

[QUOTE=Serj22;38054442]Deco and functionalism, my two favorite forms of architecture. It's a cool style i think, and it's making a really inclined comeback.[/QUOTE] I prefer mixtures of Art Deco and Modernism... They work together really well if done correctly... I think Deus Ex: HR did a great job of blending the two.

I am not so fond of a can collection though.

[QUOTE=Killuah;38066056]I am not so fond of a can collection though.[/QUOTE] Nor am I... It reminds me of something a redneck would do. Not that your wife is a redneck, sir, but knowing many rednecks myself, they all have can collections. Typically beer.

[QUOTE=woolio1;38066876]Nor am I... It reminds me of something a redneck would do. Not that your wife is a redneck, sir, but knowing many rednecks myself, they all have can collections. Typically beer.[/QUOTE] I see what you're saying. She collects them because she thinks they look cool. It's also all the different flavors they offer, not just a stack of the same budwieser can over and over. I think she has like 16 now and thats the end of it. They didnt make any more. Also as far as modernism, It is cool, but I must say, that Frank Lloyd Wright is one of my favorite architects of all time. He popularized the whole box and line style, like the Kauffman house: [IMG]http://www.wright-house.com/frank-lloyd-wright/fallingwater-pictures/fallingwater-1.jpg[/IMG] It all feels like a "home of the future vibe" which was really popular during the 30's, and right after WWII. So they really fit together well. [IMG]http://assets.inhabitat.com/files/taliesin-ed01.jpg[/IMG]

Hey guys, quick question: What do you call plans for making clothes? Like, the layouts?

[QUOTE=ewitwins;38071920]Hey guys, quick question: What do you call plans for making clothes? Like, the layouts?[/QUOTE] Patterns?

[QUOTE=metallics;38072440]Patterns?[/QUOTE] Wrong, Fabric Schematics or Fab-ske's for short as they call them in the clothes building community.

[QUOTE=Ajacks;38092173]Wrong, Fabric Schematics or Fab-ske's for short as they call them in the clothes building community.[/QUOTE] Just a pattern when you're knitting or sewing then?

[QUOTE=Neat!;37942670]the british always ruin the party[/QUOTE] Yeah! The TEA PARTY HUEUHE

[QUOTE=Ajacks;38092173]Wrong, Fabric Schematics or Fab-ske's for short as they call them in the clothes building community.[/QUOTE] Patterns are an equally valid term, pretty much all the friends i have who are involved in sewing, dressmaking etc etc call them patterns. Fabric Schematic is pretty much using big words to make it sound more technical.

Unfortunately I can't find the design that I want anyways, but thanks guys :v:

[QUOTE=Juice_Layer;37533221]I have a big ass Flowmax fan lying around, it's worth about $50 alone. I'm thinking about making a small box for my laptop (probably out of wood) that I can sit on my desk and plug in when I'm at home that will utilize external speakers (because lord it needs it) and the fan for cooling. I'll probably implement a USB keyboard that extends outwards that will allow me to actually type, assuming this thing will be pretty large. Check out the fan though: [img]http://www.cncgalore.com/image/cache/data/flowmax-fan-4715ps-10t-b30-715ps10tb30-fan-mori-seiki-mv45-cnc_5-800x600.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.cncgalore.com/image/cache/data/flowmax-4715ps-10t-b30-ac100v-4715ps10tb30-mori-seiki-mv45-cnc-2nd-b_2-800x600.jpg[/img] I'm wondering what material to put on the portion that the laptop actually sits on. Also, would it be better to use the fan for intake or an exhaust? Or does it need both? Any tips appreciated[/QUOTE] You can use a rheostat (light dimmer switch) in series with the fan to reduce the speed of the fan. Most single phase AC motors are tolerant of voltage reduction (I have several industrial blowers with rheostats on them and they work fine.) There is a limit to how low you can drop the voltage though before the motor stops working, and it's bad berries for some types of fans/blowers that rely on intake/exhaust flow to cool the motor. The amount of heat generated by the motor drops nearly linearly with the voltage, so as long as some airflow is moving past the motor, it should be fine. Though it would make your project much smaller if you just used some 60mm DC fans with possibly a thermistor to control the speed of the fans (or again use a rheostat or volt mod them to 7.5v.)

[QUOTE=bohb;38136115]You can use a rheostat (light dimmer switch) in series with the fan to reduce the speed of the fan. Most single phase AC motors are tolerant of voltage reduction (I have several industrial blowers with rheostats on them and they work fine.) There is a limit to how low you can drop the voltage though before the motor stops working, and it's bad berries for some types of fans/blowers that rely on intake/exhaust flow to cool the motor. The amount of heat generated by the motor drops nearly linearly with the voltage, so as long as some airflow is moving past the motor, it should be fine. Though it would make your project much smaller if you just used some 60mm DC fans with possibly a thermistor to control the speed of the fans (or again use a rheostat or volt mod them to 7.5v.)[/QUOTE] you'll save energy and improve fan life with a pulse width modulator

[QUOTE=ButtsexV3;38140085]you'll save energy and improve fan life with a pulse width modulator[/QUOTE] The fan he has is AC, not DC. You can't use PWM on an AC motor without burning it up. If you drop the line frequency from 60 Hz to 50 Hz, the motor is going to draw a ton more amps and fry itself. The only downside to using a light dimmer is that it chops the AC wave and the motor is going to generate a bit more noise than it normally does.

work in progress super sledge [t]http://i.imgur.com/3udtvh.jpg[/t] [t]http://i.imgur.com/d4CfUh.jpg[/t]