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Haikeeba! posted:A melamine foam eraser should do it. According to wiki in the US "the name-brand "Magic Eraser" is made by Mr. Clean (Procter & Gamble)". In Australia they're called "white magic" which I personally think is hilariously politically incorrect. Just reporting back to say that I got a hold of a pack of these bad boys the other night and it does indeed work very well.
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Sep 15, 2008 18:41
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I am looking for two things I lost on the internet 1) Adhesive that works only when electrically charged. I saw a video of it a few years ago, but now I can find nothing. I am not sure it was ever sold, it might have died in the lab, but it would really help with a project. 2) Synthetic muscle. I saw a kit for this a year or so back, apply a charge and it contracts, but now I can find nothing. My google-fu is weak and searching yields a bunch of poo poo.
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Sep 19, 2008 07:30
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Tai-Pan posted:1) Adhesive that works only when electrically charged. I saw a video of it a few years ago, but now I can find nothing. I am not sure it was ever sold, it might have died in the lab, but it would really help with a project. This is the closest thing I can find, but unfortunately it releases when a charge is applied: http://www.eiclabs.com/ERhome.htm Looks like it came out in 2003 or so. quote:2) Synthetic muscle. I saw a kit for this a year or so back, apply a charge and it contracts, but now I can find nothing. My google-fu is weak and searching yields a bunch of poo poo. Did you see this page: http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa-nde/lommas/eap/EAP-material-n-products.htm ? It's a list of suppliers/sources for polymeric artificial muscle, which sounds like what you're talking about.
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Sep 19, 2008 08:49
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Tai-Pan posted:I am looking for two things I lost on the internet I keep running this through my mind, and the only thing I can come up with is an awesome anti-theft device.
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Sep 19, 2008 17:14
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EVERYTHING I SAY ABOUT JAPAN OR LIVING IN JAPAN IS COMPLETELY WRONG, BUT YOU BETTER BELIEVE I'LL 
ABOUT IT.
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Tai-Pan posted:I am looking for two things I lost on the internet Don't know about the adhesive, but nitinol is a shape memory alloy which changes shape when heated, i.e. with an electrical current - any use?
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Sep 19, 2008 19:29
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I want to repaint my motorcycle by myself, I've got the basic plan set. Does anyone know of a good suggestion for an all-weather paint that works on plastic and metal?
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Sep 20, 2008 08:46
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I am thinking about including a safety kill switch on my TIG welder incase someone opens the door while I am welding. Should I put the relay between the switch on the TIG handle itself or just kill power to the whole unit? My thinking on the handle is that if it cuts power there, at least some more gas flows out of my nozzle and doesn't gently caress up the weld. LDJohnson posted:I want to repaint my motorcycle by myself, I've got the basic plan set. Does anyone know of a good suggestion for an all-weather paint that works on plastic and metal? Krylon could work, but I'd suggest automotive touch up paint. Most works on metal and plastic (check the can first)
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Sep 20, 2008 16:12
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So I recently decided to learn how to solder, so I picked up a cheap soldering iron from ebay and some practice boards and I've got a pretty good hang of it. But my problem is, I seemed to have detsroyed or somehow melted off a good portion of my soldering tip so far. Like, it's not even a tip anymore, it's just flat. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? And here's a really crude mspaint incase anyone doesn't get what I'm trying to describe.
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Sep 20, 2008 18:43
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EvilLarry29 posted:So I recently decided to learn how to solder, so I picked up a cheap soldering iron from ebay and some practice boards and I've got a pretty good hang of it. But my problem is, I seemed to have detsroyed or somehow melted off a good portion of my soldering tip so far. Like, it's not even a tip anymore, it's just flat. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? And here's a really crude mspaint incase anyone doesn't get what I'm trying to describe. Often the tips are interchangeable, look for a small screw near the nib of the iron. If it is not replaceable then you could reshape it with a metal file & vice. Edit: Just remembered http://www.mrx.com.au/wireless/Modified%20Soldering%20Iron.JPG is a slightly different type, you turn the bolt on the right hand edge of the image and the head assembly unscrews. Soup Dragon fucked around with this message at 20:11 on Sep 20, 2008 |
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Sep 20, 2008 20:07
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Soup Dragon posted:Often the tips are interchangeable, look for a small screw near the nib of the iron. If it is not replaceable then you could reshape it with a metal file & vice. Yeah this doesn't seem to be the case on mine. I take off the little screw, and I think the tip is either connected to the wiring for good or just really doesn't want to come off. But I was more interested to kno whether this is normal wear and tear or if I was doing something fundamentally wrong. edit: apparently the tip just screws on and off without having to take the iron apart. Anyone know where I can pick up replacement tips that just screw on like this one? EvilLarry29 fucked around with this message at 04:38 on Sep 21, 2008 |
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Sep 21, 2008 04:05
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EvilLarry29 posted:I seemed to have detsroyed or somehow melted off a good portion of my soldering tip so far. Like, it's not even a tip anymore, it's just flat. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? Sorry, I didn't really directly answer your question in the last post. My guess would be that the tip is made from an alloy containing zinc or lead (possibly aluminum) that has melted - as you said you had bought it on the cheap. (Unless you have dropped it on the floor and snapped off the tip) Reform it with a metal file and if the tip disappears again, bin it. If you do buy a new tip make sure it is made from iron or copper.
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Sep 21, 2008 10:06
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Encryptic posted:Just reporting back to say that I got a hold of a pack of these bad boys the other night and it does indeed work very well. Oh good stuff. I'm pleased it worked out. Thanks for the update.
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Sep 21, 2008 13:37
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I'm in the process of getting vertical panel curtains. How far should they extend from the edges of the window, both vertically and horizontally? That is, from the hole in the wall where the window is. The curtains will not be inside the hole area.
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Sep 21, 2008 16:45
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Fire Storm posted:I am thinking about including a safety kill switch on my TIG welder incase someone opens the door while I am welding. Should I put the relay between the switch on the TIG handle itself or just kill power to the whole unit? DOn't have the answer but did you know about the Metal-Working Megthread? It is chock full of great info and awesome pictures: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2905844
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Sep 22, 2008 04:00
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My bedside fan stopped working the other day. I turn the power knob from off to on (any of the three on settings) and nothing happens anymore. I took off the back panel, and this is what I see: Click here for the full 667x1000 image.  Click here for the full 667x1000 image. I would like to fix the fan, as it is hot here at night. I'm not exactly sure where to start. Please help.
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Sep 22, 2008 06:22
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BrokenDynasty posted:My bedside fan stopped working the other day. I turn the power knob from off to on (any of the three on settings) and nothing happens anymore. I took off the back panel, and this is what I see: Do you have a multimeter? Places I would check would be the switch and then the motor to locate where the opem circuit is. Desk fans are fairly cheap though and you can easily buy a new one for less than the effort to fix it. Re: Soldering Question: What are you trying to solder? Unless its really compact work (in which I would use solder paste and a hot air gun), you are going to get excellent heat transfer with a wider tip. Make sure you keep all your tips tinned and they will work fine all the time. With my irons, I started with a point and filed out a wider tip surface. They are good for anything from some automotive connections to electronic hobby kits.
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Sep 22, 2008 07:27
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FYAD KNIGHT posted:Do you have a multimeter? Places I would check would be the switch and then the motor to locate where the opem circuit is. Desk fans are fairly cheap though and you can easily buy a new one for less than the effort to fix it. I am going to second this opinion, having tried to fix a bunch of fans. I got a couple working, but mostly it seems the motor itself burns out.
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Sep 22, 2008 10:35
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BrokenDynasty posted:My bedside fan stopped working the other day. I turn the power knob from off to on (any of the three on settings) and nothing happens anymore. I took off the back panel, and this is what I see: I have a fan exactly like this. Well, two actually. The oscillator quit oscillating on the one, but the fan part still worked as I recall. We gave that one to good will and got a new one, it was less than $20 I think. Not trying to dissuade you from trying to fix it, but you have to pick your battles sometimes, you know?
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Sep 22, 2008 18:41
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stubblyhead posted:I have a fan exactly like this. Well, two actually. The oscillator quit oscillating on the one, but the fan part still worked as I recall. We gave that one to good will and got a new one, it was less than $20 I think. Not trying to dissuade you from trying to fix it, but you have to pick your battles sometimes, you know? Yeah, I have another one like it that works fine. I know they are cheap, and I'll probably end up buying a replacement, just thought it would be nice if I could fix it, for guests to use or to have a back-up. I have been meaning to buy a multimeter, so I guess this will be my excuse to finally go out and do that.
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Sep 22, 2008 19:43
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Furniture question! This is a circa-1957 Lane credenza that I snagged at an estate sale this weekend and immediately pressed into service as an alcoholism station. It's an immaculate piece that only has a few blemishes, it weighs a ton, and it needed a new home, and for $87.50, what the gently caress. But the bottom drawer is terribly sticky. The tops of the sides look like they've lost some wood (see picture below). You can see the inside of the drawer there, too, there's a groove on the bottom of the drawer. The other drawers glide like crazy but the bottom one, while I can get it open, it's just a bitch.  I've found some very odd ideas. Freeze it. Heat it. Dry it out. WD-40. Paraffin (which helped a little). Should I sand the sides down some and see what effect that has? Or something else? Also how could it have gotten this way? Moisture?
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Sep 23, 2008 05:27
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It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like the wood or the lacquer has just cracked over time. It should be fairly easy to fix. Give it a very light sand, and then use a bit of silicon spray or graphite powder for added smooth action. If you can't find them in the shop, or are cheap, just rub a pencil over the top of the drawer edges and the runners, as pencil lead is graphite.
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Sep 23, 2008 05:57
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Haikeeba! posted:It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like the wood or the lacquer has just cracked over time. It should be fairly easy to fix. Give it a very light sand, and then use a bit of silicon spray or graphite powder for added smooth action. If you can't find them in the shop, or are cheap, just rub a pencil over the top of the drawer edges and the runners, as pencil lead is graphite. Actually in the second picture, the best way to describe the top of that drawer would be splintered, because if you rubbed your hand along it, that's what you'd get. I'll give it a try, and thanks!
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Sep 23, 2008 19:34
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I make leather masks: Click here for the full 1947x1995 image. Right now, I form the masks and dry them on either a paper mache head or a styrofoam head so they maintain shape. I'm messing around with techniques however where I need to be able to pin the damp leather to the head but be able to expose it to a bit of heat (not extreme levels, just slightly more than I'm comfortable exposing styrofoam to). I'm thinking a latex rubber or foam rubber head would be my best bet, and once I make a mold, I could produce a whole line of heads to work with. I haven't the foggiest how to work with either product, don't know what to use, and I'm finding the wrong search string sends me either to sites for high level commercial use rather than DIY, or worse porn sites. Basically, am I going the wrong route and if not, what the hell show I be doing.
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Sep 24, 2008 19:51
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Any electricians here? Could someone tell me what the source of a constant electric hum behind a wall in my bedroom apartment could be? There's no central AC, no bees or anything, and it's definitely local to my apartment because if I pull the fuse the noise goes away.
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Sep 24, 2008 19:58
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ZeeBoi posted:Any electricians here? It's almost certainly a transformer of some kind. Do you have a doorbell? Sometimes the transformers for those can get noisy just before they fail.
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Sep 25, 2008 03:21
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:It's almost certainly a transformer of some kind. Do you have a doorbell? Sometimes the transformers for those can get noisy just before they fail. It's been noisy for about a year or so, and no, no doorbell (our buzzers run through phones). I need to really kick my landlords' rear end about this, some nights it takes me ages to fall asleep. 
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Sep 25, 2008 03:26
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redheadgeek posted:I make leather masks: What kind of temperatures are we talking about? Have you tried hunting around for the head of a manikin or something similar? You need to know the maximum acceptable temperature before you decide on the material. If you need to pin the leather to the head then that will require something softer (ruling out metals, hard plastics, or ceramics). There are high temperature foams and rubbers in a variety of compositions that will meet your requirements. I would start by searching for manikin heads and seeing if the plastic they are made from is sufficient to meet your temperature requirements (and if the plastic is soft enough). Then I would suggest looking for websites on how to mold stuff. In general what you do is take a form you already have, and then cast around the form to make a negative mold. You then fill the mold with the material of choice, let it cure, and you have yourself a new part.
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Sep 25, 2008 15:46
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My radiator just sprang a leak. My mechanic reccomends I replace it entirely, Is there ANY other viable solution? I don't really want to drop 500 bucks on a new radiator this close to christmas... but if I have no choice, I have no choice. Or do I?
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Sep 25, 2008 16:40
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Corla Plankun posted:My radiator just sprang a leak. My mechanic reccomends I replace it entirely, Is there ANY other viable solution? I don't really want to drop 500 bucks on a new radiator this close to christmas... but if I have no choice, I have no choice. Or do I? radiators can be recored, or if it's a tiny leak you can try a leak-fixer-type-fluid What's the vehicle - 500 bucks seems huge - I got a new all ally one for £95 and fitted it in about an hour Edit: what are these rug making tools called? My wife got three sets more than she needed from an elderly relative, and selling the remaining sets is acceptable. 
cakesmith handyman fucked around with this message at 20:38 on Sep 25, 2008 |
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Sep 25, 2008 19:42
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Cakefool posted:Edit: what are these rug making tools called? My wife got three sets more than she needed from an elderly relative, and selling the remaining sets is acceptable. Top to bottom: rug punch/punch needle, looks like a prodding tool (for rag rugs), latch hook.
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Sep 25, 2008 21:03
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ZeeBoi posted:It's been noisy for about a year or so, and no, no doorbell (our buzzers run through phones). Also a possibility is flurorescent light fixtures. They can be buzzy as heck but they would have to be on.
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Sep 25, 2008 22:23
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redheadgeek posted:I make leather masks: Try finding a wooden wigmaker's block. It's a wooden head. Easy to pin to, and safe up to 500 degrees or so (maybe only 450). If that doesn't work, silicone rubber is probably a good bet for temperature resistance.
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Sep 26, 2008 03:50
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Try finding a wooden wigmaker's block. It's a wooden head. Easy to pin to, and safe up to 500 degrees or so (maybe only 450). If that doesn't work, silicone rubber is probably a good bet for temperature resistance. Or carve your own!
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Sep 26, 2008 11:22
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kapalama posted:Also a possibility is flurorescent light fixtures. They can be buzzy as heck but they would have to be on. Yeah, the one in the kitchen makes that noise. No flurorescents in the bedroom and the noise is constant - lights on or off.
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Sep 26, 2008 14:07
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Why not take the fuse out and leave it out? That way you aren't supplying power to something you don't know about and costing you money. Unless the fuse is for other things as well? What other appliances do you have in your home? It could be something in your circuit that helps with power factor correction.
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Sep 27, 2008 03:32
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FYAD KNIGHT posted:Why not take the fuse out and leave it out? That way you aren't supplying power to something you don't know about and costing you money. The fuse supplies power to the bedroom and living room. Removing it means I can't use any of the power outlets. The only two constantly running appliances I have are the oven and fridge. Like I said, it's only been a bother for about a year. When I moved in there was no noise.
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Sep 28, 2008 23:26
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Where is the fridge in relation to the noise? If its close (i.e. against) to the wall, it could be spreading the noise through the walls when the compressor turns on. A long shot, but not unheard of. Other possibilities could be an exhaust fan left on. Another possibility, does your living room have a lot of low voltage down lights? Do these rooms have ceiling fans that are left on?
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Sep 29, 2008 09:31
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In my new house I have ceiling fans in each room with three 40W bulbs mounted in each. I would like to install dimmer switches for the lights in each room, but leave the fans on an on/off switch (so that they can be on at full power when the lights are dimmed). Is this easily doable? If I remove the 2-switch panels in the walls with a single dimmer-switch then won't that limit the power going to both the lights and the fans instead of just the lights?
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Sep 29, 2008 10:32
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BrokenDynasty posted:In my new house I have ceiling fans in each room with three 40W bulbs mounted in each. I would like to install dimmer switches for the lights in each room, but leave the fans on an on/off switch (so that they can be on at full power when the lights are dimmed). Yes, it is easily doable, and yes, replacing the two switches with a dimmer switch will create a problem. I think something like this is what you are looking for. There are also one that are remote controls too.
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Sep 29, 2008 14:51
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FYAD KNIGHT posted:Where is the fridge in relation to the noise? The fridge is noisy in itself, but that doesn't bug me.   There's a ceiling fan in the dining room area but I don't leave it on all the time. I'm going to try and unplug everything in the living room and bedroom and see what that does. If the noise goes away, I'll plug in one thing at a time until the noise comes back. Edit: didn't help. ZeeBoi fucked around with this message at 05:07 on Sep 30, 2008 |
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Sep 29, 2008 16:49
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