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

[QUOTE=Mysion;45424758]That's a dam good looking quadcopter! You kept the wiring very neat and tidy, looks sexy ;). Any luck with flying it yet?[/QUOTE] Thanks, I still have a few things I want to redo with the wiring, like shortening the esc power wires and running them through the tiny gap in the base of the arms but it's not urgent. I've flown it a few times and been really happy with how it performs. I crashed it the first time I flew though (double backflips are a stupid idea anyway) and snapped one of the arms right at the motor but luckily there was a hobby shop around the corner that sold me some crazy strong glue and had me flying within 20 minutes of the accident. I've got some spare arms on the way so I can replace the broken one (which tends to rebreak on rough landings) and they'll go into my kit so I don't have this sort of problem again.

Is this thread also suitable for questions about home equipment? Because I just ran into a issue here. Right now it's 31c outside, and I have our portable air conditioner set up in my bedroom. I'm basically monitoring the room temperature from my GPU's temperature, which is 35c when the air conditioner works fine and my Radeon 7950 is idle. Now the issue is, I turned it on this morning, and its cooling power greatly decreased. The temperature of my GPU is fluctuating constantly between 37-45c, and the room feels hotter than usual when it operates. After 30-45 minutes of operation, the circuit breaker tripped, while there weren't a lot of appliances running on the breaker. Should I take the unit apart, and clean the coils? We lost the filter that is usually on the back, above the exhaust hose. Would the presence of this filter be crucial for the operation of the unit? Oh, never mind. Now it's 2:12 PM and the sun is on the other side of the house now. I guess this thing just couldn't keep up with the direct sunlight at my window heating up my shutter.

Yessss, leather get. My quest towards the costume can begin...! Also my Super Sculpy Firms arrived, joy! [img]http://files.1337upload.net/10540759_10202390657156818_540617102_n-21104f.jpg[/img] [editline]19th July 2014[/editline] Only the big hide was large enough for the original plans which I didn't realise in the shop so I have to modify the design a bit but I think it's actually better with the changes.

[QUOTE=Merijnwitje;45435705]Is this thread also suitable for questions about home equipment? Because I just ran into a issue here. Right now it's 31c outside, and I have our portable air conditioner set up in my bedroom. I'm basically monitoring the room temperature from my GPU's temperature, which is 35c when the air conditioner works fine and my Radeon 7950 is idle. Now the issue is, I turned it on this morning, and its cooling power greatly decreased. The temperature of my GPU is fluctuating constantly between 37-45c, and the room feels hotter than usual when it operates. After 30-45 minutes of operation, the circuit breaker tripped, while there weren't a lot of appliances running on the breaker. Should I take the unit apart, and clean the coils? We lost the filter that is usually on the back, above the exhaust hose. Would the presence of this filter be crucial for the operation of the unit? Oh, never mind. Now it's 2:12 PM and the sun is on the other side of the house now. I guess this thing just couldn't keep up with the direct sunlight at my window heating up my shutter.[/QUOTE] I'd recommend finding some way to replace that filter if possible, you can get away with cleaning the coil over and over but over time you risk smashing all the fins flat, reducing air-flow. I would also recommend setting something up in that window to reflect most of the heat back outside, it'll help tremendously.

I have been making a lot of snake hooks recently; mostly for friends who dont want to spend a ton of cash on name brand hooks. I made a guide on showing my process and have got some good feedback in some herpetology groups. Since it is such a simple process I thought it might fit well here rather than in its own thread. [url]http://imgur.com/a/Qs9CD[/url] Here are some of my older ones hanging in my herp supply room. [t]http://i.imgur.com/LPenZBG.jpg[/t] The left most is my shortest solid hook, the second from the left is the only one here I did not make (it was a gift), the third is a light weight hook I carry when hiking, the farthest to the right is a spare I loan out to people, and the top one is my favorite hook which I carry in the field.

The replacement arm came for my quadcopter (after my little accident) and I took the opportunity to redo the wiring while I had the whole thing disassembled. [t]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62766551/P7220437.jpg[/t] What I've done here is shorten the power cables from the ESCs and threaded them through the small gap in the middle of the arm base. I think this is how they intended it to be done from the start but I was too eager when I first got it and just skipped that step. [t]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62766551/P7220436.jpg[/t] I also took a moment to twist the channel cables together, which just makes it a little neater up the back of the quad. One drawback to the new tidy design is that the ESC power cables no longer allow me to friction fit the battery in the centre. Instead I'm going to have to use the little velcro strap provided (probably for the best really). [QUOTE=HiddenMyst;45347163]I redid the layout of all the components in my quad. As it was my first build I just figured that they could go wherever. I quickly realised the only free space for my battery was underneath and that the small feet on the end of the arms were too short to avoid landing on the battery, so I have gone through and moved the lot. [t]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62766551/P7100395.jpg[/t] I apparently also placed the flight controller facing the wrong way originally, so that had to change. Now the flight controller is on top, giving easy access to the cables. I placed the receiver up the back, hanging off a little, but it's not under extreme load so the smaller contact area will be enough to hold it on. [t]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62766551/P7100392.jpg[/t] The biggest benefit to this layout though is that I can slide the battery into the empty space down the middle, keeping the bulk of it out of the way. Right now I don't have it secured to anything, but it's a bit of a tight squeeze so I think that it should be ok and hopefully won't fall out. [t]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62766551/P7100393.jpg[/t][/QUOTE]

I've wanted to make my own desk for awhile but have always been low on funds and inspiration to build when suddenly I realized I had most of the materials at my work in the form of used pallets. So I set to work at choosing the best looking and least damaged among the bunch and took them home to strat my project. I ended up taking the top slats off of two of the pallets and cutting them to a 30" depth and joining them with some metal bars and some screws on the bottom, shortening one side so I can put a keyboard and mouse pocket [t]http://www.meterscubed.com/images/Desktop1.jpg[/t] After this I look slats from the tops of a few pallets and held them together with some pocket holes and wood glue. After this was finished, placed them on the frame and screwed them in. [t]http://www.meterscubed.com/images/Desktop2.jpg[/t] I sawed off the ends and cut out the pocket for the keyboard and mouse, accidentally cutting the wrong side (cut the back end instead of the front), meaning I have to rearrange my room for this now, bummer. It came out good in the end so I'm still happy with the result. [t]http://www.meterscubed.com/images/Desktop3.jpg[/t] now I've started with the legs and cut one to width and height, it just need to be secured and trimmed. There will be one more and a center pillar for support as well. I'm hoping to find a way to put adjustment pads on the bottom in the hopes I don't end up with a wobbly desk. [t]http://www.meterscubed.com/images/DeskLeg.jpg[/t]

It looks like it's turning out real nice! I recently decided to build my own desk, but I'm still laying it out in Sketchup.

I built these binder shelves for work, nothing pretty but it was a solid 8 hours with a skill saw. Got a few sheets of flat 4'x8' and went ham. [URL=http://s22.photobucket.com/user/clutch1234/media/clutch1234013/IMG_0001_zps7f78be5a.jpg.html][IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/clutch1234/clutch1234013/IMG_0001_zps7f78be5a.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s22.photobucket.com/user/clutch1234/media/clutch1234013/IMG_0003_zpsee81b686.jpg.html][IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/clutch1234/clutch1234013/IMG_0003_zpsee81b686.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s22.photobucket.com/user/clutch1234/media/clutch1234013/IMG_0004_zps5b9c2142.jpg.html][IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/clutch1234/clutch1234013/IMG_0004_zps5b9c2142.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s22.photobucket.com/user/clutch1234/media/clutch1234013/IMG_0005_zps40fb41e1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/clutch1234/clutch1234013/IMG_0005_zps40fb41e1.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s22.photobucket.com/user/clutch1234/media/clutch1234013/IMG_0009_zps92a6e6f3.jpg.html][IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/clutch1234/clutch1234013/IMG_0009_zps92a6e6f3.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s22.photobucket.com/user/clutch1234/media/clutch1234013/IMG_0008_zps2ce49e7d.jpg.html][IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/clutch1234/clutch1234013/IMG_0008_zps2ce49e7d.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s22.photobucket.com/user/clutch1234/media/clutch1234013/IMG_0010_zpsfbab33d1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/clutch1234/clutch1234013/IMG_0010_zpsfbab33d1.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Woo.

That some really nice work, good job!

[QUOTE=HiddenMyst;45465967]The replacement arm came for my quadcopter (after my little accident) and I took the opportunity to redo the wiring while I had the whole thing disassembled. What I've done here is shorten the power cables from the ESCs and threaded them through the small gap in the middle of the arm base. I think this is how they intended it to be done from the start but I was too eager when I first got it and just skipped that step. I also took a moment to twist the channel cables together, which just makes it a little neater up the back of the quad. One drawback to the new tidy design is that the ESC power cables no longer allow me to friction fit the battery in the centre. Instead I'm going to have to use the little velcro strap provided (probably for the best really).[/QUOTE] About how much did that kit cost? I have been interested in building a quadcopter for a while now. I could print the frame myself once my 3D printer is functional, but I wonder how much all the electronics cost and if the thing could carry a bit of cargo (although this obviously depends a lot on the weight of the drone and the power of the engines)

[QUOTE=scratch (nl);45473587]About how much did that kit cost? I have been interested in building a quadcopter for a while now. I could print the frame myself once my 3D printer is functional, but I wonder how much all the electronics cost and if the thing could carry a bit of cargo (although this obviously depends a lot on the weight of the drone and the power of the engines)[/QUOTE] I think it was about AU$200 for the F330 ARF kit. That is the frame, motors, ESCs and props. You need a flight controller too which is another ~$100 from memory and a transmitter/receiver ~$60 for a cheap but ok one. Building the frame yourself you could easily cut $100 from the costs, maybe more.

I haven't been doing anything too interesting lately, still waiting to start my new job, and just restoring boats every other week. I'll be starting a new Chris Craft project next week, so I got to roll the hacker to another shop momentarily for that. Anyway, saw a garage sale ad on facebook and kids didn't have a dresser, so I found one for $15.00. My perfect price point. It looked kind of like ass, but the price was right. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/Dresser/IMG_20140726_094839_zps6ffbd0e5.jpg[/IMG] I sanded down all the years of people repainting it white, random wax stuck to it, etc, and pulled the handles off. I hit it with 1shot, and mixed a little white into Process Blue for a kind of Hot Rod Blue. [URL=http://s43.photobucket.com/user/serj22/media/Dresser/IMG_20140726_104050_zps9779f17e.jpg.html][IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/Dresser/IMG_20140726_104050_zps9779f17e.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Since it's for both my kids and they share a room, I thought it would be cool if it looked like a boy dresser and girl dresser put together. I just cut a nice line across the top with my sable brush and then thinned and set up with some Japan Dry to lay off the paint. Looks pretty slick. Then I mixed some 1Shot LPurple and a little bit of Background black together to get a nice Old School car purple (like plum crazy but darker). [URL=http://s43.photobucket.com/user/serj22/media/Dresser/IMG_20140726_110416_zps59f0c4b3.jpg.html][IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/Dresser/IMG_20140726_110416_zps59f0c4b3.jpg[/IMG][/URL] I left the white in the center because it had a cool key-hole fake thing that I wanted to leave, so I just cut a line around it. I did not wait for the blue to dry, I just cut really close. The handles were all dark blue, and looked like they had originally been brass... [URL=http://s43.photobucket.com/user/serj22/media/Dresser/IMG_20140726_113127_zpsecbcad97.jpg.html][IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/Dresser/IMG_20140726_113127_zpsecbcad97.jpg[/IMG][/URL] I just shot them with some silver spray paint for now. I might buy some modern pull rod handles later, but for now, these fit the curvature and work. [URL=http://s43.photobucket.com/user/serj22/media/Dresser/IMG_20140726_113918_zps80f68473.jpg.html][IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/Dresser/IMG_20140726_113918_zps80f68473.jpg[/IMG][/URL] I brushed the drawers and set those in. [URL=http://s43.photobucket.com/user/serj22/media/Dresser/IMG_20140726_113516_zps2d1c8991.jpg.html][IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/Dresser/IMG_20140726_113516_zps2d1c8991.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Japan dry along with thinning your oil paints is wonderful stuff, because you can handle the paint in about 3 hours and reassemble stuff. I then set the handles on and screwed them in. They look ok. Definitly would be better with more modern handles, but the paint finish is smooth as hell. Couple holidays on the sides of the drawers but who cares - theyre likely going to put stickers on it or draw on it, but the finish should allow me to clean it up. Didnt bother repairing a couple missing chunks either. [URL=http://s43.photobucket.com/user/serj22/media/Dresser/IMG_20140726_145017_zpsad57d923.jpg.html][IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/Dresser/IMG_20140726_145017_zpsad57d923.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

It looks great, and the idea of having a multi-gender dresser is pretty genius.

[QUOTE=~ZOMG;45513911]It looks great, and the idea of having a multi-gender dresser is pretty genius.[/QUOTE] Thanks, I built them a bunkbed earlier that I showed on here a bit ago. Pretty simple design. I'd rather they have a whole bunch of room to play since they share a room, rather than a bunch of beds and dressers all in the way. This simplifies stuff.

So I was really bored today, so I ripped my laptop apart, threw the internal speaker out, and replaced it with a speaker from a stereo system. What could possibly go wrong? Well, the plug kind of broke and I ended up just shoving the cables in and hoping for the best, and it works! [T]http://upl.kittehcat.org/2014-07-29%2016.57.24.jpg[/T] [T]http://upl.kittehcat.org/2014-07-29%2016.57.28.jpg[/T] [video=youtube;jZDFrXc7s9s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZDFrXc7s9s[/video]

Nice mate-o!

Pulled out some scrap fabric and the sewing machine and stitched together a beach shelter. Basically an A Frame tent, with reinforced grommets in all corners, and at the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 marks for pole placement. I'll take a picture tomorrow. Was a fun way to spend the afternoon, it's not big enough but now that I'm sure on the design I'll go get some larger swatches of fabric and make another. Word of advise, don't smash your thumb with a hammer while doing grommets.

Well, stained my desk with the Natural stain from Minwax, unfortunately ran out because the dry pallet wood really soaked it up more than I thought. Bought more, but the wrong kind, made me feel a fool. Seems that the people around where I live are somewhat surprised and excited that I would make a desk out of old pallets, someone always come by and says hi; well here's a picture of the stain, mostly done, only the front side of the legs need to be done. I'll start the polyurethane after I finish the legs, going to use a semi-gloss. [t]http://www.meterscubed.com/images/Desktop4.jpg[/t] [t]http://www.meterscubed.com/images/DeskAll.jpg[/t]

[QUOTE=Keitaro;45543878]Well, stained my desk with the Natural stain from Minwax, unfortunately ran out because the dry pallet wood really soaked it up more than I thought. Bought more, but the wrong kind, made me feel a fool. Seems that the people around where I live are somewhat surprised and excited that I would make a desk out of old pallets, someone always come by and says hi; well here's a picture of the stain, mostly done, only the front side of the legs need to be done. I'll start the polyurethane after I finish the legs, going to use a semi-gloss. [t]http://www.meterscubed.com/images/Desktop4.jpg[/t] [t]http://www.meterscubed.com/images/DeskAll.jpg[/t][/QUOTE] God damn I love pallet projects. Where do you source them from?

I'm building a fence and deck with my dad this week. Thinking about doing a build-log at the end of it. Would there be any interest at all in that?

I like my car games and have a Logitech G27 but got sick of having to clear my desk (which I work at!) to play for a few minutes and the office chair was starting to do my back in, so I made my first wooden thing: [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/286964/IMG_3621.JPG[/img] Total cost was like £50 including the car seat, and for my first woodworking project I'm quite pleased, it's not perfect by any means but I learnt a few things.

[QUOTE=~ZOMG;45547593]God damn I love pallet projects. Where do you source them from?[/QUOTE] My mom gets them from the local grocery store, but pretty much anyone that receives a lot of goods have them, and you could probably ask someone about buying them. [editline]31st July 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Tezzanator92;45551903]I like my car games and have a Logitech G27 but got sick of having to clear my desk (which I work at!) to play for a few minutes and the office chair was starting to do my back in, so I made my first wooden thing: [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/286964/IMG_3621.JPG[/img] Total cost was like including the car seat, and for my first woodworking project I'm quite pleased, it's not perfect by any means but I learnt a few things.[/QUOTE] Why is the gear stick on the wrong side? :v:

Made a container to put my carnivorous plants in so I can move them quicker/easier like if bad storms are coming. [t]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13781308/P1000549.JPG[/t] [t]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13781308/P1000550.JPG[/t]

[QUOTE=~ZOMG;45547593]God damn I love pallet projects. Where do you source them from?[/QUOTE] I work in a warehouse, so I got them straight from work. Also, as luck would have it, much better pallets suited for this project came in shortly after I had assembled this. [editline]31st July 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Gulen;45552301]My mom gets them from the local grocery store, but pretty much anyone that receives a lot of goods have them, and you could probably ask someone about buying them. [/QUOTE] I wouldn't even ask about buying them, many places that receive wood pallets would be happy to get them off their hands, some even pay others to remove them (which they sell afterward). If you have to buy them, they won't be more than 1-3$ each depending on how they're built.

Same thing where I work. I should really take some home and build stuff from them.

[QUOTE=Keitaro;45553201]I work in a warehouse, so I got them straight from work. Also, as luck would have it, much better pallets suited for this project came in shortly after I had assembled this. [editline]31st July 2014[/editline] I wouldn't even ask about buying them, many places that receive wood pallets would be happy to get them off their hands, some even pay others to remove them (which they sell afterward). If you have to buy them, they won't be more than 1-3$ each depending on how they're built.[/QUOTE] The place I work at wishes people would take them away because they just sit in a pile by the fence for the scrap-yard where we throw old condensors and coils and shit, so thieves just climb the pile and hop over the fence, then cut holes in the fence and feed coils and shit through. (fuckin' tweakers) "Why not put the pallets somewhere else?" There's really nowhere else to put them and the only people who have enough time during this season to haul them off are lazy fucks who don't do anything anyway.

[QUOTE=woolio1;45549959]I'm building a fence and deck with my dad this week. Thinking about doing a build-log at the end of it. Would there be any interest at all in that?[/QUOTE] I would definitely be interested in seeing that.

Well, Mr. Computer Man, you're in luck! I'm working on the first day's compendium right now. Watch this space. EDIT: And here it is. So, yesterday, we sunk seven of these 4x4x8 posts. These are the supports for the fence, but the ones in the back will also support the deck. All the wood so far is pressure-treated, ground-rated wood. We could stick it in dirt and it'd last twenty years. However, we decided to use concrete instead. [t]http://i.imgur.com/F4xMb2F.jpg[/t] First thing today, we bolted some 2x8s to the 4x4s in the deck area, so we'll be able to attach the deck joists later. We're using 1/4" FastenMaster HeadLOK screws, which are apparently designed for deck building, and have stronger shear tolerances than the usual 3/4" lag bolts. We'll see how it goes. [t]http://i.imgur.com/hOJNaLE.jpg[/t] Next, measured, cut, and screwed some 2x4s to span the gaps between the posts. A lot of these fit pretty snugly. They were held in place by 3/8" deck screws into the posts, and are also secured from a 16' 2x4 that spans the whole thing with the same screws. The ones spanning the gap are placed vertically, while the ones spanning the top are horizontal. [t]http://i.imgur.com/Q5Syulq.jpg[/t] Finally, we bolted more 2x8s between the boards, adjacent to the original 2x8s. This should give about four inches of support for the joists to hook onto, as well as give us something to screw the cedar pickets into at the bottom. We also added a third support rail in the middle, to give three places to anchor the pickets for the fence. [t]http://i.imgur.com/9pBANV7.jpg[/t] We're hoping to get this all done over the next week, including painting it. However, I think we're going to let the wood settle a bit before we do that. I'll keep posting updates, though. And yeah, that Big Green Egg pedestal is being incorporated into the design. It's apparently going to act as an anchor for the deck, since it's solid concrete. Should be interesting.

[img]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/ajackss/cheaper_shop_zps9c03c134.png[/img] Designing my temporary shop I have to build to house my CNC I'll be buying as soon as I get a home for it.