The Do-it-Yourself Thread: A Home for Handymen and Artisans
2,576 replies, posted
I had some parts of an electric guitar but not enough to fully assemble, so I made the rest and fixed it all up myself.
[t]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/q71/1538798_632993003425947_1340607205_n.jpg[/t]
[t]https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/q71/559496_633972533327994_1989206507_n.jpg[/t]
the parts I made are the pickup (the white rounded rectangle piece under the strings) and some washers on the back of the body where the neck bolts on from some old 2 cent pieces. I bought some replacement saddles for the bridge and installed those as well, and I had to rewire some of the internal electronics because they were done incorrectly by the previous owner.
if you'd like to hear what the guitar sounds like, you can so here: [url]https://soundcloud.com/tayler-is-a-girls-name/sunset[/url]
I've been considering custom painting the guitar but I haven't thought of any ideas yet.
We bought a little desktop CNC, so I've been using it to cut vinyl. So far, I've done a laptop sticker copied from the /r/Mini decal, and an Assassin's Creed logo I put on my PS3.
[t]http://i.imgur.com/TxvxpHEl.jpg[/t]
Thing's called a Sillhouette Portrait, but they make a bigger one called a Cameo. The bigger one can cut leather and cardboard, whereas mine can cut thin chipboard, veneer, and foamboard.
It does a pretty good job. I've been having fun with it.
The wire cover on my aircon was completely rusted out and family is coming to visit with lots of little kids so I riveted on some new covering.
[IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/111996868/2014/rivetaircon.JPG[/IMG]
Don't even know what this crap was originally.
[QUOTE=ScottyWired;43579194]The wire cover on my aircon was completely rusted out and family is coming to visit with lots of little kids so I riveted on some new covering.
[IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/111996868/2014/rivetaircon.JPG[/IMG]
Don't even know what this crap was originally.[/QUOTE]
Looks like something you keep chickens inside of.
Hey shit, that's a good idea.
Turn the AC up to hot, then get KFC vented directly into your living room.
Question: Desoldering a WiiMote has been a massive pain in the ass for me. I was originally planning on desoldering a genuine brand WiiMote, but I couldn't melt the solder, so I resorted to desoldering a generic Chinese one.
How hot does the soldering iron have to be to melt the genuine WiiMote's solder? I'm getting a new iron that goes up to 450*C (842*F) because using a cheapy soldering gun was also a pain in the ass. Will it work?
It depends on the type of solder that was used.
Can anyone recommend a cheap/inexpensive hard material that I can use for building boxes/cabinets? My box is broked.
[edit] besides wood. It's freakin' expensive in my area.
[QUOTE=false prophet;43597487]It depends on the type of solder that was used.
Can anyone recommend a cheap/inexpensive hard material that I can use for building boxes/cabinets? My box is broked.
[edit] besides wood. It's freakin' expensive in my area.[/QUOTE]
That's the thing, from what I can tell from Wikipedia, the hottest solder should need to get to melt is 215*C. To be fair, that soldering gun I have is absolute shit. Maybe the iron will do better.
How big are the boxes/cabinets? Sheet metal might do the job if you have the proper tools.
Does anyone here have experience with working with leather, specifically handmade leather books like this one? [URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oOOPagPg0BA/SwdTQyqX5UI/AAAAAAAAB6U/D74O9QslZq8/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG"]I like this type as well.[/URL]
[t]http://i.imgur.com/uuTi57P.jpg[/t] <-- [U]I didn't make this, just to clear that up.[/U]
[URL="http://i.imgur.com/uUwrwMl.jpg"]Photo 2[/URL] [URL="http://i.imgur.com/xTJJ8O4.jpg"]Photo 3[/URL]
My mom gave me this one earlier today, she got two from a Renn faire last year and I've been looking at it thinking it'd be neat to make one myself. Aside from the design on the front with the stone, the construction looks pretty simple. You can see in the photos I took that it's mainly just a long piece of leather with the paper glued on (not sure of that process) and has an elastic lock with a few rivets. The paper looks homemade too, there's pieces of grass or something all over them.
They were pretty well priced for the quality of it and considering that all the prices at the Renn faire are increased, but I'm wondering how or how easy it could be to make one on my own including buying the leather to make it with. For notes and journals, these are a whole lot nicer and cheaper than what you could get at Staples. I'd love to get some leather to make a few with, I'm planning on using this one I have for a journal/guide type of book for The Elder Scrolls games, just for the fun of it.
[QUOTE=false prophet;43597487]It depends on the type of solder that was used.
Can anyone recommend a cheap/inexpensive hard material that I can use for building boxes/cabinets? My box is broked.
[edit] besides wood. It's freakin' expensive in my area.[/QUOTE]
You can't pick up a sheet of 1/2" ply at your local Big Box? They're usually $20-30.
Plywood and OSB are probably the cheapest hard materials you'll find. I guess there's always MDF and melamine-coated LDF, but those are difficult to work with and crumbly if wet.
Outside of that, there's not a lot of options. You're not going to find structural plastic sheets, and there's no rock product that'll be remotely manageable.
Of course, cardboard is incredibly strong when used in an interlaced composite. If you don't mind some work, you can glue five or six sheets together and use that. I'm not sure exactly what you're doing, though, or what sort of strength you need from it.
[editline]20th January 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Ninja Duck;43599119]Does anyone here have experience with working with leather, specifically handmade leather books like this one? [URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oOOPagPg0BA/SwdTQyqX5UI/AAAAAAAAB6U/D74O9QslZq8/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG"]I like this type as well.[/URL]
[t]http://i.imgur.com/uuTi57P.jpg[/t] <-- [U]I didn't make this, just to clear that up.[/U]
[URL="http://i.imgur.com/uUwrwMl.jpg"]Photo 2[/URL] [URL="http://i.imgur.com/xTJJ8O4.jpg"]Photo 3[/URL]
My mom gave me this one earlier today, she got two from a Renn faire last year and I've been looking at it thinking it'd be neat to make one myself. Aside from the design on the front with the stone, the construction looks pretty simple. You can see in the photos I took that it's mainly just a long piece of leather with the paper glued on (not sure of that process) and has an elastic lock with a few rivets. The paper looks homemade too, there's pieces of grass or something all over them.
They were pretty well priced for the quality of it and considering that all the prices at the Renn faire are increased, but I'm wondering how or how easy it could be to make one on my own including buying the leather to make it with. For notes and journals, these are a whole lot nicer and cheaper than what you could get at Staples. I'd love to get some leather to make a few with, I'm planning on using this one I have for a journal/guide type of book for The Elder Scrolls games, just for the fun of it.[/QUOTE]
I was able to find some decent resources on Bookbinding, maybe you can take a look at them?
[url]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instructables.com%2Fid%2FDIY-Bookbinding%2F&ei=_ojcUrynFYm0sQTuyoCgBA&usg=AFQjCNF87_mfHJvXlgz7KGpDSuShSSnWSw&sig2=FFXXfMoPkVpaif8lWwVY1g[/url]
[url]http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2F704E01F80BA1E9[/url]
[url]http://studentz.squidoo.com/book-binding-how-to-make-a-leather-bound-moleskine-journal-craft-tutorial[/url]
Those are all really good, thanks! I was checking a bunch of DIY sections on different forums but didn't come up with anything that good. [URL="http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/koq07/so_i_printed_all_the_oblivion_ingame_books_into_a/"]Along the way I found one guy on Reddit made a leather-bound compilation of all the books from Oblivion.[/URL]
The Squdioo looks like just what I need with the details on the sewing. If/when I make one I'll be sure to post it here. Thanks again.
[QUOTE=Dr. Evilcop;43597376]Question: Desoldering a WiiMote has been a massive pain in the ass for me. I was originally planning on desoldering a genuine brand WiiMote, but I couldn't melt the solder, so I resorted to desoldering a generic Chinese one.
How hot does the soldering iron have to be to melt the genuine WiiMote's solder? I'm getting a new iron that goes up to 450*C (842*F) because using a cheapy soldering gun was also a pain in the ass. Will it work?[/QUOTE]
For lead free solder, what is most likely used in that Wiimote, 350 - 400 degrees celcius should do the job. You can usually make your life a little bit easier by mixing lead free with leaded solder.
[QUOTE=ddrl46;43603246]For lead free solder, what is most likely used in that Wiimote, 350 - 400 degrees celcius should do the job. You can usually make your life a little bit easier by mixing lead free with leaded solder.[/QUOTE]
Depends entirely on what you mean by "easier"...
I turned a little box into an Arduino case + power + breadboard
[t]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/43645231/photos/electro/2014-01-21%2016.35.25.jpg[/t]
I still have to either glue/strap the breadboard and Arudino in place as it tends to come loose a little bit.
Oh, so I finally got around to building that desk.
It's sturdier than anything I've used before. It just doesn't move.
[t]http://i.imgur.com/ZIEvQN6.jpg[/t]
[t]http://i.imgur.com/gbtdCdB.jpg[/t]
It's entirely designed by me, built by me, and a heck of a lot cheaper than it would have been to buy anything from anyone.
Uh, speaking of this, do I need to seal it? Because I'm really tempted to just move it into my room now and leave it at that.
I kind of like the feel of raw wood. Is that weird?
[QUOTE=woolio1;43625135]Uh, speaking of this, do I need to seal it? Because I'm really tempted to just move it into my room now and leave it at that.
I kind of like the feel of raw wood. Is that weird?[/QUOTE]
It cant hurt to seal it. Not doing so could shorten its lifespan. And if you get the right thing, it might not change how it looks.
[QUOTE=kenshin6;43627309]It cant hurt to seal it. Not doing so could shorten its lifespan. And if you get the right thing, it might not change how it looks.[/QUOTE]
All right, guess it couldn't hurt. What's the easiest, most durable rub-on sealant that has a smooth, shiny appearance?
[QUOTE=woolio1;43621240]Oh, so I finally got around to building that desk.
It's sturdier than anything I've used before. It just doesn't move.
[t]http://i.imgur.com/ZIEvQN6.jpg[/t]
[t]http://i.imgur.com/gbtdCdB.jpg[/t]
It's entirely designed by me, built by me, and a heck of a lot cheaper than it would have been to buy anything from anyone.[/QUOTE]
I was considering doing the exact same thing when I move down to Florida in a few months. I won't be bringing an furniture with me, and so I'd like to build a couple of simple things myself. Did you build this on the fly, or did you make any CAD or Sketchup plans beforehand? I'd love to see your approach, to give me some ideas for mine!
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;43645553]I was considering doing the exact same thing when I move down to Florida in a few months. I won't be bringing an furniture with me, and so I'd like to build a couple of simple things myself. Did you build this on the fly, or did you make any CAD or Sketchup plans beforehand? I'd love to see your approach, to give me some ideas for mine![/QUOTE]
I took some graph paper I had lying around, and then drew a big rectangle on it.
And then I drew some lines on the rectangle, trying to figure out the best way to cut it up. After I found some decent measurements (It's 2'x5', the legs are 28" tall), I went down to the hardware store and bought some wood. They cut it there, so it was one less issue I had to worry about.
Then I just brought it home and put it together with screws. Incredibly simple stuff, and I couldn't be happier with it. Think the whole thing came out to just under $100, which is really inexpensive for a nice desk. I probably could have gone cheaper if I went with 3/4" Pine, but I like birch.
As for how it's all connected, I built a little skeleton of sorts out of 2x4s. There are three 2x4s equally spaced, lying flat against the sides of the legs. I screwed those in with 2" screws at four points. Did the same for the top, but the 2x4s on the top stretch the entire length of the surface. The ones on the legs have a roughly 4" gap from the top, and the last leg toward the back is set in 3/4" to allow for the backplate.
After I framed out everything, I took the two legs and stuck the backplate on. The backplate is exactly the same size as the top (2'x5'), so it slides right into the gap I left behind the 2x4s. Once I screwed that in (4 2" screws, plus one in the middle top), the entire frame was self-supporting, so I just wedged the top in (It's a snug fit, just keep pushing), and screwed the side panels into the 2x4s underneath the surface. As such, the surface is held in place by five screws: Two on each side, and one in the back. Really, these just keep the entire frame under tension, as the surface itself merely rests on top of the 2x4s in the legs.
It really couldn't be simpler. I ended up buying four 8' Kiln Dried Whitewood 2x4s ($4 each), and one sheet of 3/4" birch ply (again, this was super expensive, about $50. If wood grain's not your thing, a 3/4" pine would probably hold paint pretty well.)
The rest of the cost was paint and hardware. I'm actually going to be returning the paint for a clear polycrylic, because I actually like the wood look. I'll end up finishing it eventually, but the raw wood works for now.
And yeah, it's probably not the best engineered desk, but it's sturdy, and it's solid, and it does what I need it to.
Sounds great! Thanks for the info, bud. I've got long, boring days here at work, so I might take your idea to Sketchup and see if I can't put it into pictures to use on mine, too!
It looks fine for working on, but it looks a little rough for a computer desk or something
[QUOTE=jaredop;43647676]It looks fine for working on, but it looks a little rough for a computer desk or something[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it's not finished yet. As for the shape, it looks pretty much like any other flatpack office desk. It'll take twice the abuse, though.
For reference, I based it off this style of desk: [url]http://www.officemax.com/office-furniture/commercial-office-furniture-collections[/url]
I'm sure no one will remember my silly questions about soldering a few months back but this is my first proper attempt at making a cable, a bit ghetto but I like the result and since the original cable is broken and this works fine it'll do.
[t]http://emanuelemonaco.com/images/diy/hifiman_he4_custom_cable.jpg[/t]
Done with an old paracord I had lying around, a ferrite bead from an old power supply to cover the Y split (just for looks), 10 years old heat shrink (from my first computer mod) and a Neutrik 1/4 right angle plug (the only new thing other than the wire itself).
It's a bit rough on the Hifiman plug end (the small plugs), mainly the heat shrink doesn't end too straight but I can always fix it later.
It's picture time again with the boring indoor garden poop.
[B]January 15th, 2014[/B]
[t]http://anotherprophecy.com/files/greenbox-1.jpg[/t]
[t]http://anotherprophecy.com/files/greenbox-2.jpg[/t]
[B]January 28th, 2014[/B]
[t]http://anotherprophecy.com/files/greenbox-3.jpg[/t]
[t]http://anotherprophecy.com/files/greenbox-4.jpg[/t]
[B]January 31st, 2014[/B]
[t]http://anotherprophecy.com/files/greenbox-5.jpg[/t]
[t]http://anotherprophecy.com/files/greenbox-6.jpg[/t]
Probably next week I am going to plant some tomatoes for spring. If anyone cares I'll picture log my germinating method.
Also next week I am going to be moving the strawberries(the things in the coffee cups) into a larger pot.
[edit] [I]I can't take this roller coaster of emotions anymore![/I]
[t]http://anotherprophecy.com/files/greenbox-8.jpg[/t]
My first time giving arc welding a shot:
[img]http://puu.sh/6HW7V.png[/img]
I'm quite pleased with the results!
[QUOTE=Ninja Duck;43599119]Does anyone here have experience with working with leather, specifically handmade leather books like this one? [URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oOOPagPg0BA/SwdTQyqX5UI/AAAAAAAAB6U/D74O9QslZq8/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG"]I like this type as well.[/URL]
[t]http://i.imgur.com/uuTi57P.jpg[/t] <-- [U]I didn't make this, just to clear that up.[/U]
[URL="http://i.imgur.com/uUwrwMl.jpg"]Photo 2[/URL] [URL="http://i.imgur.com/xTJJ8O4.jpg"]Photo 3[/URL]
My mom gave me this one earlier today, she got two from a Renn faire last year and I've been looking at it thinking it'd be neat to make one myself. Aside from the design on the front with the stone, the construction looks pretty simple. You can see in the photos I took that it's mainly just a long piece of leather with the paper glued on (not sure of that process) and has an elastic lock with a few rivets. The paper looks homemade too, there's pieces of grass or something all over them.
They were pretty well priced for the quality of it and considering that all the prices at the Renn faire are increased, but I'm wondering how or how easy it could be to make one on my own including buying the leather to make it with. For notes and journals, these are a whole lot nicer and cheaper than what you could get at Staples. I'd love to get some leather to make a few with, I'm planning on using this one I have for a journal/guide type of book for The Elder Scrolls games, just for the fun of it.[/QUOTE]
I have a friend who is professional bookbinder so if you have any "to the point" questions I could ask her
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/qlf6GCkl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/pEOQLvxl.jpg[/IMG]
I made a small knife out of an old file and some scraps
