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

I'd never be drill-press-less again, they are simply amazingly useful machines. Get a used one off Craigslist.

Wish I had room for a drill press. I've used a massive one at my friend's body shop and I would gladly buy one if I had the space + money.

I may start a new thread with pics of my guitar build if anyone is interested-been a long process but here's what I have done in the last few months... haven't really touched it since winter.I wanted if anyone was interested before posting it all- [IMG]https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1011722_10201422709196561_119262973_n.jpg[/IMG] End graft installed [IMG]https://fbcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/1010266_10201428549182557_1006486666_n.jpg[/IMG] Closed up the body [IMG]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/993009_10201515130587038_1163467959_n.jpg[/IMG] Shellaced the edges to prepare for routing for the binding [IMG]https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1390702_10202246305745960_999405442_n.jpg[/IMG] Routed little "ledges" or "channels" for binding. [IMG]https://sphotos-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1004891_10201669189758421_20227091_n.jpg[/IMG] Binding all taped and glued in [IMG]https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1382055_10202246305585956_143781937_n.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1377040_10202246306225972_1953006651_n.jpg[/IMG] Back and top all bound up. I'll be working on the neck next. I plan on adding some better pictures of the binding. These were quick and dirty shots with glue crusted fingers-:pwn:

So when my old Brother printer died and it would cost less to just buy a new and better printer instead of fixing it by buying a new printer head (and replacing the head would make a huge mess) I opened it up and took all the motors and the one screen it has. Now I don't know what to do with the screen and I really want to make something with it. Any ideas? [IMG]http://puu.sh/aVhsU/cd97ce0c9f.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://puu.sh/aVhs1/eb802b185f.jpg[/IMG]

[img]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/ajackss/zzzzzzz1_zps89fcc4e0.png[/img] [img]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/ajackss/zzzfinals_zpsefae2f0a.png[/img] I've set out to make a miniature of an 1812 US infantry soldier and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

So on a whim I bought a cheap 25W soldering iron so I can finally start restoring this limited edition Les Paul I found while working at a local charity shop, but I don't know shit about how to use it. Does anyone know any useful guides on how to use it? [url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000ELJ0C4]This[/url] was the one I purchased by the way.

[QUOTE=MasterFen006;45712115]So on a whim I bought a cheap 25W soldering iron so I can finally start restoring this limited edition Les Paul I found while working at a local charity shop, but I don't know shit about how to use it. Does anyone know any useful guides on how to use it? [url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000ELJ0C4]This[/url] was the one I purchased by the way.[/QUOTE] Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you aim to fix connections you are going to need a de-soldering gun as well so you can remove the old solder before you put the new stuff on.

[QUOTE=3Dprinter;45712417]Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you aim to fix connections you are going to need a de-soldering gun as well so you can remove the old solder before you put the new stuff on.[/QUOTE] Usually, you can just use your soldering iron to melt what's already there and wick it away. If that doesn't work, then a dedicated desoldering gun might help.

[QUOTE=3Dprinter;45712417]Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you aim to fix connections you are going to need a de-soldering gun as well so you can remove the old solder before you put the new stuff on.[/QUOTE] I'm completely gutting it save for the pickups if they still work, I suppose restore was the wrong word.

[QUOTE=Plaster;45710134]So when my old Brother printer died and it would cost less to just buy a new and better printer instead of fixing it by buying a new printer head (and replacing the head would make a huge mess) I opened it up and took all the motors and the one screen it has. Now I don't know what to do with the screen and I really want to make something with it. Any ideas? [IMG]http://puu.sh/aVhsU/cd97ce0c9f.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://puu.sh/aVhs1/eb802b185f.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] Here is a discussion on some forum about it: [url]http://archive.foolz.us/diy/thread/666956[/url] Here is a catalog with that lcd in it: [url]http://www.spezial.com/commercio/dateien/hersteller/ORTUSTECH_Catalog.pdf[/url] And here is some chinese page that mentions that it has a 8 bit microcontroller interface: [url]http://sz.100ye.com/g53875514.html[/url] Generally you are better off just buying a LCD which you can get the datasheet for if you acftually want to use it, or you need access to the thing that originally drove it and do some reverse engineering to figure out what kind of data it expects.

[QUOTE=MasterFen006;45712115]So on a whim I bought a cheap 25W soldering iron so I can finally start restoring this limited edition Les Paul I found while working at a local charity shop, but I don't know shit about how to use it. Does anyone know any useful guides on how to use it? [url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000ELJ0C4]This[/url] was the one I purchased by the way.[/QUOTE] Out of curiosity, have you soldered much before? I'm interested in how well/bad the low wattage irons work. When I mentioned to my dad (electronic technician by trade) that I was going to get a 12v soldering iron to keep in my car, he strongly advised I get the highest wattage iron I could get, as the ~30W ones were useless. I've decided to go for a butane gas one instead as they are about the same price but more powerful (and cordless which is good when working on a vehicle). [QUOTE=3Dprinter;45712417]Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you aim to fix connections you are going to need a de-soldering gun as well so you can remove the old solder before you put the new stuff on.[/QUOTE] A technique I usually use (if the item is small enough and not too fragile) is to heat the solder, then give a quick, firm shake/smack of my hand down onto the bench (with part in hand). This causes most of the solder to fall off and you can simply scratch the solidified solder splat off the surface of the bench.

[QUOTE=anklyne;45715929]Out of curiosity, have you soldered much before? I'm interested in how well/bad the low wattage irons work. When I mentioned to my dad (electronic technician by trade) that I was going to get a 12v soldering iron to keep in my car, he strongly advised I get the highest wattage iron I could get, as the ~30W ones were useless. I've decided to go for a butane gas one instead as they are about the same price but more powerful (and cordless which is good when working on a vehicle). A technique I usually use (if the item is small enough and not too fragile) is to heat the solder, then give a quick, firm shake/smack of my hand down onto the bench (with part in hand). This causes most of the solder to fall off and you can simply scratch the solidified solder splat off the surface of the bench.[/QUOTE] This'd be my first time doing any sort of soldering, I'd seen a quite similar method where you tin the tip and give it a quick shake on some surface to get rid of the excess, then placing the tip on a wire and letting the hot wire melt the solder (I was hoping to inline splice the wires and just cover the splice in solder).

Well I finished my solider to a point that I am happy with, and made a base for him and fired him in the oven. Now I need to make a mold somehow. I want to cast in lead as I've got a big box full of lead musket balls and so I need a heat resistant mold. I am going to have a go at making a silicone two part mold out of high temperature silicone caulk, I saw a ton of people doing it for normal casting use, not for metal though, but I can get 650* resistant caulk, and the lead will melt a bit above 600, and I'm interested to see how it works. I saw one person using silicone with lead with great results. Going to be an interesting evening.

You could always have a go at making a sand mold.

[QUOTE=papkee;45719190]You could always have a go at making a sand mold.[/QUOTE] Looked into that, I also want to build a furnace to melt aluminum so I can make some heavy duty molds. I'll find out how this goes hopefully by the end of the evening.

Hey Ajacks, sorry to derail, but do you know anything about refinishing the fiberglass Eames shells? I've looked at the Chairfag and Plastolux articles, so I think I've got a decent idea of how to handle it, but I thought I wanted to see if you had a different approach. I started using one of mine as a desk chair, since they're a bit more ergonomic than what I was using. The fabric underneath the vinyl had molded over time, though, and since I've got a slight mold allergy, I had to skin it. It's greige, which isn't as nice as color as the orange, but it's not too bad. I think it'll look better when it's shinier. Anyway, I'm thinking a light sanding with Oxy-Clean and a Magic Eraser on the front of the chair, and then a quick wipe-on with Penetrol to seal it.

[QUOTE=Ajacks;45719314]Looked into that, I also want to build a furnace to melt aluminum so I can make some heavy duty molds. I'll find out how this goes hopefully by the end of the evening.[/QUOTE] Greenstuff and brownstuff (green and brown kneadatite, respectively, can be great for making fine details on sculpted models.

[QUOTE=woolio1;45719797]Hey Ajacks, sorry to derail, but do you know anything about refinishing the fiberglass Eames shells? I've looked at the Chairfag and Plastolux articles, so I think I've got a decent idea of how to handle it, but I thought I wanted to see if you had a different approach. I started using one of mine as a desk chair, since they're a bit more ergonomic than what I was using. The fabric underneath the vinyl had molded over time, though, and since I've got a slight mold allergy, I had to skin it. It's greige, which isn't as nice as color as the orange, but it's not too bad. I think it'll look better when it's shinier. Anyway, I'm thinking a light sanding with Oxy-Clean and a Magic Eraser on the front of the chair, and then a quick wipe-on with Penetrol to seal it.[/QUOTE] On my eames shells I've actually not refinished them yet. I'm also using an eames shell chair as my office chair and have really loved it actually. Won't be changing anytime soon. Basically, though my research I saw sand it down, use some nice higher grit to get a smooth finish and then use penetrol. I've got my can of penetrol just haven't spent the time refinishing any of them. I did sand one of mine that had the foam rotted out on an upholstered one but I'm still wanting to try and re-foam it since the upholstery and the edge banding is still in great shape. All mine are elephant hide grey. For the aluminum legs on mine I also found that steel wool, a fine grade, took all the oxidation off and made it look brand new. On the note of my casting, I tried making a mold from silicone caulk and it didn't turn out right, so I think I'm going to go the plaster route instead, since it's a given and will be easier I bet. One thing is it has to be super dry before casting or else it'll explode molten lead everywhere, but 500* in the oven till it stops steaming will do it fine. Anyone here have any luck plaster casting? I'll practice on some plastic army men before I try my hand at my figure, but I'm afraid the baked clay figure will stick to the plaster and not release. Anyone have any experience?

You might try some sort of spray-on silicone mold release.

Working on making my own guitar, it's loadsafun! [img]http://puu.sh/aXP3N/11d925b527.jpg[/img] [img]http://puu.sh/aXP1w/1274d28ac1.jpg[/img] It's so shiny

[QUOTE=Staneh;45727942]Working on making my own guitar, it's loadsafun! [img]http://puu.sh/aXP3N/11d925b527.jpg[/img] [img]http://puu.sh/aXP1w/1274d28ac1.jpg[/img] It's so shiny[/QUOTE] I recognize that body. I always bought them for the parts, then scrapped the body and made my own.

Yep! I had my old guitar I never used laying around, and I thought "why not do something with it"

[QUOTE=Ajacks;45727259]On the note of my casting, I tried making a mold from silicone caulk and it didn't turn out right, so I think I'm going to go the plaster route instead, since it's a given and will be easier I bet. One thing is it has to be super dry before casting or else it'll explode molten lead everywhere, but 500* in the oven till it stops steaming will do it fine. Anyone here have any luck plaster casting? I'll practice on some plastic army men before I try my hand at my figure, but I'm afraid the baked clay figure will stick to the plaster and not release. Anyone have any experience?[/QUOTE] I've made a few plaster moulds from my prop-making experience. Although my mould-making is a bit slap-dash... I've heard a few people using silicon caulking from DIY shops, but personally I think it's way to thick and there's a great risk of air pockets forming when casting such a small object. Of course RTV silicone would be your best bet but it's a bit pricey. I just wanted to know beforehand what material you made your miniature figure out of? normal clay? or something else? I use plastiline quite a lot, it's a mix of oils and wax which allows you to work on it for long periods of time. Oh, and if you're worried about your clay figure sticking, I've found out that brushing a thin layer of vaseline on it will prevent the plaster of paris from sticking to it. It's a great cheap alternative to expensive mould releases. Oh, and a little tip when using plaster of paris; when casting more complex or detailed shapes, mix up a watery batch. This allows the plaster to get into those little nooks and crannies. Let the thin wash set before making a standard mix of plaster.

[QUOTE=dead60;45730547]I've made a few plaster moulds from my prop-making experience. Although my mould-making is a bit slap-dash... I've heard a few people using silicon caulking from DIY shops, but personally I think it's way to thick and there's a great risk of air pockets forming when casting such a small object. Of course RTV silicone would be your best bet but it's a bit pricey. I just wanted to know beforehand what material you made your miniature figure out of? normal clay? or something else? I use plastiline quite a lot, it's a mix of oils and wax which allows you to work on it for long periods of time. Oh, and if you're worried about your clay figure sticking, I've found out that brushing a thin layer of vaseline on it will prevent the plaster of paris from sticking to it. It's a great cheap alternative to expensive mould releases. Oh, and a little tip when using plaster of paris; when casting more complex or detailed shapes, mix up a watery batch. This allows the plaster to get into those little nooks and crannies. Let the thin wash set before making a standard mix of plaster.[/QUOTE] Thanks for the input! I modeled my figure out of Sculpy III and fired him in the oven at the recommended time/heat. I tried again today with a silicone mold using 1 part silicone, 1 part rice flour and a half part paint thinner, and it was a goopy mess and I used a cheap army man to test with so I wouldnt get my nice sculpt locked in some nasty shit. Well after it cured I thought it was a loss and pulled out the figure to see a nice negative, so I decided to use it as an experiment and try casting some lead into it to see what happened. First results are less than spectacular but I learned some things, also learned that my mold wont blow up or melt which still had me on edge. [t]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/ajackss/zzzzzz_zps494570fd.jpg~original[/t] I think the lack of detail was because the mold and metal were not warm enough. This next attempt should be better hopefully. [t]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/ajackss/zzzsoldier_zps53022bc7.jpg[/t] Marginally better. I think I want to try a two part plaster of paris mold.

I grabbed a pickup from my Ibanez guitar so i could wire it up and play a little. [URL=http://imgur.com/EfmjUbd][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/EfmjUbdl.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Sounds great and plays like a dream. much better than i anticipated! [URL=http://imgur.com/LrYjwlr][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/LrYjwlrl.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Also made the jack plate and controlcavity cover from a piece of aluminium plate

Painting is done, worked out to be quite nice! [img]http://puu.sh/b0Oaw/5d4771997b.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Staneh;45750246]Painting is done, worked out to be quite nice! [/QUOTE] rad as fuck

Where can I get something like this? [url]http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Key-Bak-485-B-HDK-Self-Retracting-Key-and-Utility-Reel-Black-/251397318176?pt=UK_BOI_Office_Office_Supplies_Stationery_ET&hash=item3a8872a620[/url] but on larger scale, specifically a reel that holds and retracts 3 meters of 1mm-1.5mm wire rope/steel cable?

[QUOTE=KinderBueno;45753333]Where can I get something like this? [url]http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Key-Bak-485-B-HDK-Self-Retracting-Key-and-Utility-Reel-Black-/251397318176?pt=UK_BOI_Office_Office_Supplies_Stationery_ET&hash=item3a8872a620[/url] but on larger scale, specifically a reel that holds and retracts 3 meters of 1mm-1.5mm wire rope/steel cable?[/QUOTE] Are you making some kind of batman\silent bob utility belt?

[QUOTE=Ajacks;45753704]Are you making some kind of batman\silent bob utility belt?[/QUOTE] Cloth drying thing for my balcony which needs to be deployed/dragged out when needed and taken off when not needed. I have about 1x2.5 meter balcony, I used to have standard ropes on it to dry clothes but: 1) Weathering made them stretch and eventually snap. 2) During parties while people having smoke on balcony used to snap them or tangle in them. So now I need kinda like reel thing, but I don't want to bother with weathering and replacement so I wanna go for metal wire. P.S - I am too fat to make utility belt that would hold my weight :v: