Fun projects to work on at home. Do it yourself!
Timelapse from Ole General Store of a five-ton, 5′x10′ oak log getting milled into slabs. Took three men, a custom mill and a small Caterpillar with forklift attachment 9 1/2 hours to get the job done. Each slab weighs in around 500 pounds.
I’m not a huge woodworking guy, but the results are really fantastic–someone’s going to make some really nice furniture out of that thing.
UPDATE: Here’s an offer to get a year of Popular Mechanics for nothing more than just a few pieces of personal information.
Once again (but only until December 3), Amazon is offering a $5 magazine subscription deal on some great titles. Perfect timing for your holiday gift buying needs — magazines are one of those gifts that are always appreciated, and they last a whole year.
Two great choices: Popular Science or Popular Mechanics — I don’t know anyone who would mind this as a present.
And there are many others to choose from at this price too. American Photo, Bicycling, Details, Backpacker — even Cosmo – all jump out at me as fun reads.
Again, their offer is only until December 3rd, so best to get them now while the deal is still active.
In my search for pizza perfection, I recently got a Mario Batali cast iron pizza pan. Last night, for a trial run (but not following the regular directions), I placed it in my broiler, pre-heated it on high for 20 minutes, then prepped a pizza using Trader Joe’s pizza dough (left out for a couple hours to warm up). Normally their dough is too sweet for my liking, so I gave it a fair salt and peppering before adding sauce and toppings (still no cheese in my diet, and still loving it). Milled some Cento tomatoes (They’re the most consistently good canned tomatoes I’ve found — I even have a “subscription” for them from Amazon, get a case every two months), and added a few kalamata olives, basil, and a small section of tofurky sausage.
Cooked it for 4 minutes 45 seconds on “high” broil setting.
The results were phenomenal. Crispy outside, doughy interior. Nice amount of puff. The bottom toasted nicely.
Interesting to compare the results of this iron pan to a pizza stone. I’m not really using it the way it’s intended, but by putting in the broiler, it just works. I’ve tried the same thing with a pizza stone, but it heats too high and burns the dough. I may have to test that again, but for now, I think I’ve found my new “quickie-pizza-fix” solution.
Check out some pics:
(Makers and DIY’ers: Make sure to add me on twitter and subscribe to my feed.)
BoltDepot has a great selection of charts used to identify and explain the wide variety of screws, bolts, nuts, washers and other pieces used for building just about every project you can imagine. Wood screws, machine screws, carriage bolts, lag bolts, square heads, torx, ogee washers and more.
There’s even a section about the grade/strength types of the different materials used for the fasteners. Very handy indeed.
Click to continue »
Paper Trebuchet — a fun project for you projectile fans. Kill some time at work by printing the template, cutting it out, and folding it up. Then lay siege to your coworker’s sharpie collection.
This isn’t a traditional trebuchet in that it doesn’t use gravity to actuate the throwing arm, but it nonetheless mimics and demonstrates the motion involved. And it launches little projectiles pretty far! Great for a kid’s project, or homework assignment for you science or history teachers. I used it in a class I taught last summer and the kids loved building it.
Full instructions for assembly and operation are available here: The Paper Trebuchet on Instructables. By Kiteman
From the site: “You will also need two cocktail sticks, gluestick, a paperclip, stickytape, pliers, sewing thread and small weights such as nuts or modelling clay.”
Click the template to download the PDF.
DIY Steadicam by StudioAmarelo. Tutorial on construction below.
Steadicams are like handheld tripods that hold a videocamera on a swiveling base, so that almost any movement you make is isolated from the camera. The resulting shots are flowing, dreamy, and somewhat ethereal (sorta like this).The big wheel scene in The Shining is one of the classic examples, although they used a modified system (also: the notes about the way Stanley Kubrick and director of photography Garret Brown set up the shots for that film is a fascinating read)
Large, Hollywood-quality steadicam rigs cost $60,000. Smaller professional units are available, with compact consumer level units like the Merlin retailing for a bit under $1000.
For many hobbyists, even the consumer price is beyond their budget. So people began to tinker and many DIY alternatives were developed. Johnny Chung Lee made himself famous with his $14 Steadicam website, detailing a simple design that uses a counterweighted pole to shift the center of gravity and help smooth the jitters, although it excludes the concept that makes a “true” steadicam, the gimbal.
The gimbal is a key part to the movement that defines steadicams–it’s basically the pivot point that allows the handle of the system to move separately from the camera it’s connected to. Able to tilt forward/backward, side to side, and rotate in circles, the gimbal isolates most jerking movements, except up/down. A counterweight system helps control that by increasing the mass of the whole package, so any up/down movement has a deadened effect.
The most simple gimbal construction is a cup that balances on a pin, with the camera platform attached to the top of the cup structure. More commonly, it’s made from three bearings that can rotate independent of each other. Many DIY gimbal units started off using three short segments of PVC pipe stacked into each other (from small to large diameter) and connected together other through their middles with a rod. Inside the the smallest of the pipes, a skateboard bearing is affixed that allows for the rotational movement. A photo illustrates this much more easily:
The PVC gimbal from YB2Normal.com's DIY steadicam. Click to check their build.
The problem with the PVC gimbal is getting precise holes drilled in the center of the pipe, and then using PVC as the rotational surface. A new technique was devised using the universal joint from an RC car drive shaft (the Traxxis 5151 seems to be the most sought after unit). Still using a skate bearing for rotation, it reduced size while increasing accuracy. A few build details on this design can be found here and here.
Use this RC car driveshaft to stabilize your camera tilt problems
The beauty of these efforts is that now there are many writeups and tutorials on how to build your own mock-Merlin steadicam, at a fraction of the cost. One of my favorites is by Vimeo user StudioAmarelo, and uses parts sourced almost entirely at Home Depot, costing approximately $30. The video below steps you through the process.
MAIN BODY COMPONENTS:
2 x Electrical Ground Clamps
1 x Approx. 7″ Curved PVC Conduit Elbow
1 x Male (Threaded) PVC Adapter
MAIN BODY HARDWARE:
1 x Extra Large Ladder Hook (Approx. 15″ High x 10″ Deep)
2 x Universal Brackets, 1.5″ Wide, 2″ High
2 x 1.5″-1/4″ Flathead Screws
1 x 1″-1/4″ Flathead Screw
2 x 6″-1/4″ Bolts (Smooth Shaft)
2 x 1.5″ U Clamp
1 x 4″-Wide Double Eye Tension Rod
2 x 3.5″-1/4″ Screws (Fully Threaded)
8 x 1/4″ Locking Nuts (Nylon Locks)
4 x 1/4″ Regular Nuts
3 x 1/4″ Wing Nut Locks
1 x Zap Strap
2 x 1/2″ Washers with 1/4″ hole
2 x 1″ Washers with 1/4″ hole
36 x 1.5″ Washers with 1/4″ hole
GIMBAL COMPONENTS:
Adapted from “WSCLATER” YouTube Design
2 x Traxxas T-Maxx 2.5R – 3.3 F/R Center Driveshafts (#5151) – get on eBay
2 x 1″ (Diameter) Skateboard Bearings
1 x 1″ (Diameter) Male (Threaded) PVC Adapter (for top of gimbal)
1 x 1″ (Diameter), 1.5″ long PVC Straight Connector (No Threads, for bottom of gimbal)
2 x PVC “Shims”
1 x 1″ (Diameter) Screw-on Hose Cap
2 x Small Screw + Washer (To Mount Driveshafts to Bearings)
OPTIONAL:
1 x Manfrotto 323 RC2 Quick Release Plate (w/ 200PL-14 Plate)
1 x 1/4″-to-3/8″ Step Up Screw Adapter
1 x Rubber Bike Grip
“LADDER HOOK/STORAGE HANGER” ONLINE
**similar but with 90 degree bend on end, except for 2nd Aubuchon link that looks to be the same one I found, but sold in bulk
Of all the Leatherman tools I’ve used, the Skeletool is my favorite. Ergonomic and light, with enough tool options to be useful for almost any situation. I paid a lot more than this and have no regrets about it whatsoever. With the holidays coming up, I suggest you grab a few of these for all the handipeople you know. And if you know any adventurers, order a copy of 127 Hours to go with it.
Vacuum forming is a technique used to shape plastic, that forces a thin sheet of heated plastic over (or into) a solid mold by means of a vacuum. It’s used to create a wide range of toys, models, car components, kitchen supplies, refrigerator interiors, boat hulls and more. It’s not something so common that you discuss it with your neighbors and relatives, but is actually pretty simple and achievable at home. Here are some tips on how to get started, cheap and easy.
Instructable: Make a good, cheap, upgradeable sheet plastic vacuum former
A thorough step-by-step on how to make a simple setup using your home oven, some window screen frames, a shop vacuum and a few spare supplies. Super basic but effective system.
0. (SETUP)
0.a. Support the board on something near the oven. The support(s) can be pretty much anything, or any convenient pair of things that is reasonably sturdy, allows us to route the hose to the vacuum cleaner without kinking it, and can be put very near the oven we’re using.
0.b Put some things in the oven which we can support the plastic-holding frames on. (Glasses made of actual glass, for instance.)
0.c. Preheat the oven. This usually gives us more even heat.
0.d Position some object that we want to shape plastic over on the board, over the hole, but with some spacers under it, so that air can flow from around the the object, under it, and to the hole in the board.
1. (HEAT)
1.a Clamp a sheet plastic between the pair of frames and support it on three or four things in the oven (such as glasses made of actual glass)
1.b Wait a few minutes for the plastic to get hot and rubbery and stretchable. For most plastics, we can tell how stretchable it is by how much it sags under its own weight. When it sags about the right amount, we know it’s ready.
2. (FORM)
2.a. (Turn on the vacuum cleaner, open the oven, and) QUICKLY but carefully remove the plastic from the oven with gloved hands…
2.b. …stretch the plastic down over the shape we’re copying, until the frame meets the board, creating a kind of “tent” of hot rubbery plastic over our form and stretching down to the board, and…
2.c. …let the vacuum cleaner suck air out from under the “tent,” by sucking air from under the form, and in turn from around it. This will suck the stretched, rubbery plastic inward into the desired shape, in about one second, and the plastic will cool enough to solidify in the new shape in about 10 to 20 seconds.
Studiocreations has another post with plenty of good information to run you up to speed on vacuum forming–including what type of plastics to use. This site is focused on making replica Storm Trooper armor for aspiring imperial soldiers.
I recommend you using styrene if this is your first time vacuumforming. ABS plastic does not heat up as evenly as styrene, and hot spots in the heating process can ruin a vacuumpull. Using the easier to use styrene will save you time and money in the long run if this is your first time vacuumforming.
Here’s a good post about how to make your own plastic warmer using a two-burner hot plate and disposable aluminum pans. Good for those who don’t want to melt plastics in their fancy kitchen cooking area.
And keep your eyes open for this fantastic toy from yesteryear: Mattel’s Vac-U-Form. A full system in one, with molds to make toy cars, boats, and more. They can be find online for high prices, or at garage sales for cheap if you’re lucky.
Circular motion can be converted into a four-sided square using the Reuleaux triangle. The process relies on the property of Reuleaux triangle’s diameter being consistent across all points, and when rolled and rotated simultaneously, tracing a square area with slightly rounded corners. By slightly altering the shape of the triangle to mimic a drill bit (for cutting and extracting material), a drill with a specialized rotating chuck can create perfect, four-sided holes. These drills were pioneered by Harry Watts, and can still be found today, albeit not at your typical home improvement store.
The following is a bit of literature that helps explain and illustrate the concepts behind the Reuleaux triangle. Please check out more of Prof. Smith’s work here.
On my recent “Secret Surveilance Garden Birdhouse” project, I used some resawn lumber from a felled tree as an overlay for a rustic look. Making planks on a bandsaw isn’t too hard, but there are a few considerations to keep in mind when doing so–the most important being the propensity for round logs to roll during cutting, which can result in blade binding or worse.
This video from George Vondriska shows some useful tips on how to use your bandsaw as a sawmill. One of the smart things done right at the start of the project is connecting the log to a right-angle jig, holding the pieces in place. After two cuts are made (one for the face, one to keep the bottom steady), the fence is put in place, and planks of your desired thickness can be cut. A great way to reuse the wood from cut trees that would otherwise be discarded.
Some helpful notes from the comments on the video page: The logs should be cut while still green (freshly cut, not dried); the planks should be allowed to dry for one year. A resawing blade at least 1/2″ thick wide with 3-4 teeth per inch is recommended. Standing the planks on end helps keep the ends from splitting during the drying phase–otherwise, the ends should be coated or painted.
$19.99 each
