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Pardalis posted:I picked up some needle felting stuff and made these last night as my first projects. I am pretty happy with them though they didn't photograph well. They are kind of small and I stabbed myself a million times. The critters are adorable! I bet a Tardigrade would be cute as hell. How hard is it to shape things how you want? Love your terrariums, too. I'm more into carnivorous plants, so I'd plant that bird full of Drosera, if I was doing it.
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Feb 9, 2012 01:44
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Sun Dog posted:The critters are adorable! I bet a Tardigrade would be cute as hell. How hard is it to shape things how you want? Love your terrariums, too. I'm more into carnivorous plants, so I'd plant that bird full of Drosera, if I was doing it. Thanks! It is a pretty intuitive craft and I haven't had much issue stabbing stuff into the shape I want. I am really loving the needle felting and highly recommend trying it if you have any spacial reasoning ability. You can also make flat objects using a foam block as a work spot. Right now I am felting a flat fox to put on an upcycled headband.  It's pretty cool that you can quickly make a multi dimensional fiber object and use it for all sorts of poo poo. You can treat felt items as fabric and sew with them, even.E: I love carnivorous plants, too. The tillandsia are appealing because of the low maintenance. I just mist them once a week and they are good. Carnivorous plants usually need a lot of moisture, light, and coarse/ph specific substrate so there are just less options regarding containers. The tillandsia also stay tiny so are perfect for little glass bottles, vases, jars etc. I have a giant apothecary jar that I am trying to figure out what I want to do with. Pardalis fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Feb 9, 2012 |
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Feb 9, 2012 20:53
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MikeNCR posted:The two big events each year for me are Motorama Robot Conflict ( http://www.buildersdb.com/eventdetail.asp?eventid=349 ) which is happening in a few weeks in Harrisburg, PA and Dragon*Con Robot Battles ( http://robotbattles.com/ ) Is their any information on spectator stuff for the Harrisburg event? Cost, etc? Are spectators allowed? My sister's boyfriend is an engineer and lives down there, he'd probably get a kick out of it.
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Feb 10, 2012 16:07
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dreesemonkey posted:Is their any information on spectator stuff for the Harrisburg event? Cost, etc? Are spectators allowed? My sister's boyfriend is an engineer and lives down there, he'd probably get a kick out of it. http://www.motoramaevents.com/registration.php has info on purchasing tickets. The tickets cover the robots as well as a ton of other events.
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Feb 10, 2012 16:21
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winnydpu posted:My axles are 5/8" moly rods. I made my own wheel hubs from 1/8" steel plate. I cut four squares of metal, then roughed them into vaguely round shapes with a grinder. I turned them to 2.25" circles on my lathe. Then I drilled holes at 22° increments around each one. Thanks much for the axle info. Sorry for the untimely reply. Looking at your trike,  and thinking where and how I would mount a mast step, you'll have to weld a lot of support to the frame. Might wind up looking like the one here:  http://landsailerplans.com/If your kayak sail is a triangular one, like the ones for Sunfish boats, they are designed to be mounted well forward (catrigged). Unless you are going to reverse the direction of your seat, you'd do better to adapt a windsurfer sail, mounted amidships, like the one at the landsailer plans link. I saw a windsurfer sail and mast at the thriftstore last weekend for $20. PS. I love this old picture. 
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Feb 12, 2012 21:24
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Sun Dog posted:If your kayak sail is a triangular one, like the ones for Sunfish boats, they are designed to be mounted well forward (catrigged). Unless you are going to reverse the direction of your seat, you'd do better to adapt a windsurfer sail, mounted amidships, like the one at the landsailer plans link. I saw a windsurfer sail and mast at the thriftstore last weekend for $20. I was thinking about building a support bracket off of the angled tube leading to the front fork, and running stays back to hard points I already have by each rear wheel. Problem is, the stays would be in the way of the sail. Could use a loose footed sail and deal with it, but in the end I decided that I was trying too hard to make it something it was not. I'll bet you could make a trike based cradle for a sunfish, laser or similar dinghy. It could be a boat trailer with the front wheel off, and a land sailor with the boat strapped in place and the front wheel added. clamp two push rods to the rudder, running to the front wheel and steer with the tiller. It would look stupid as hell, however.
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Feb 14, 2012 16:13
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Pardalis posted:I also have been slapping a ton of terrariums together and am super into tillandsia plants at the moment. These are just a few of the terrariums I have made. I use reclaimed and found materials. Anything green is alive. Skulls, shells, and wood are all real. From a bit back, but I had to laugh when I saw this...is this you?  "Zombie Terrarium: airplant terrarium with zombies. Very easy to care for."   http://desmoines.craigslist.org/for/2850436687.html
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Feb 16, 2012 17:51
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Finished building myself a cajon (box drum) a couple weeks ago - I'm really happy with how it turned out. It was a nice "first project" of the year to get me amped up to do some more woodwork this spring. Click for embiggening:       And here's a little demo video I made with it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=219J2x1RQGA
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Feb 16, 2012 22:52
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What's up, Striped Cajon Buddy?!?  I made my first box drum 5 years ago and recently started a side business selling them. It's been a blast so far. What are your dimensions, and did you do anything for a snare sound? iwannabebobdylan fucked around with this message at 06:51 on Feb 17, 2012 |
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Feb 17, 2012 06:48
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I built a custom 9-watt guitar tube amp. It's based on a few different designs. It's a push-pull nearly class A amp with inspiration from the marshall jcm800 (2204) preamp and fender 5e3 deluxe power section, but uses 6K6 power tubes (no longer in production, but can be had for cheap old stock). I also installed a PPIV master volume (Lar-mar style) The amp uses Hammond Iron, and it's cathode biased (with a rheostat to make it biasable) The amp puts out about 9-watts. It sounds really great, although it looks like a bit of a mess. I call it Squeaker.      
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Feb 17, 2012 15:52
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thehoj posted:Sweet mother of god, that's quite the rat's nest! Looks like a sweet amp!
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Feb 17, 2012 17:00
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Scottw330 posted:Sweet mother of god, that's quite the rat's nest! Looks like a sweet amp! Yea, it ain't pretty, but they're simple circuits (relatively), and there's method to my mayhem. All the joints and soldering are solid, and it's been running solid for the past 6 months. If anyone's curious what the diodes are doing in there, they're zener's, and I'm using them to bring my main B+ down a bit in the power supply section. The Zener's located around the power tubes are there to prevent crossover distortion. http://www.paulamps.com/18watterbuzz.html#CrossOverDistortion EDIT: Found my schematic: http://vwtweaked.ca/images/6k6%20amp%20rev3.JPG thehoj fucked around with this message at 17:35 on Feb 17, 2012 |
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Feb 17, 2012 17:24
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iwannabebobdylan posted:What's up, Striped Cajon Buddy?!? Actually, I think it was your thread that motivated me to build mine - you're the Index Drums guy, right? Mine's 12x12x18.5" with a fixed snare. I was going to play around with having an adjustable snare in it, but in the end I decided to keep it simple and leave it fixed. I left the top edge of the face with the soundhole unglued for a different sound too (it's the same 1/4" birch as the tapa). I might still play around with adding a "heck stick" jingle dealie to it at some point.
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Feb 17, 2012 17:37
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Yep, I had a thread in SA Mart but it got archived during my January hiatus. We don't do anything with snares except for a loose corner on the front. I've never heard or played one that I liked more than mine, so after about a week of R&D I decided to scrap it and stick to what I know. That tape (and good paint) make all the difference. I have 3 drums with runny lines that I can't sell because I didn't test the tape first. You should make a Meinl Bongo Cajon copy next. It should be pretty easy to do, and wood-faced bongos are a blast. I play mine constantly.
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Feb 17, 2012 19:31
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iwannabebobdylan posted:Yep, I had a thread in SA Mart but it got archived during my January hiatus. Did you brush on the paint around the inside of your soundhole? I really like the look you've got there and I might have to do that on mine too; it's the only part on mine that really sticks out as a kinda sloppy.
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Feb 17, 2012 20:34
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I sprayed it, but I'm not going to tell you how I kept it out of the innards. Your box looks hot. For some reason I just love sharp stripes.
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Feb 17, 2012 22:45
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Everyone really like the little leather pouches I uploaded before, so I'll share my latest project. I picked up a pattern from Tandy Leather; this is actually the same holster worn by Michael Beihn's character, Johnny Ringo, in the movie "Tombstone." I took these with my cell phone before I had a pistol.   But, once the pistol arrived, it was way bigger than the actual holster, so I had to make another one. I also ended up going to a huge model event today, and I brought my new toy with me. I figured you guys wouldn't mind some slightly better images, right?     Needless to say, I'm quite pleased with how the holster came out.
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Feb 20, 2012 03:01
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 Look at the fat bulging out of her corset! And those breasts are totally fake!Just kidding! Cool work. This might be the first time I'd seen someone make their own holster that didn't look like it should have come with a child's cap gun. That leather work is sexy as hell and I'm sure you could make some serious bank selling them in TFR.
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Feb 20, 2012 03:35
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Well, this is SA..... But it still feels wrong to make Silence of the Lambs jokes about sewing the model out of leather.
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Feb 20, 2012 05:23
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I make soap! It's easy, you mix lye water with a bunch of oil & it turns into soap.  The oil & lye is saponifying (turning into soap).  After 24 hours, it's ready to come out of the mold (my boyfriend made the mold!).  Soap loaf...  Cut into bars. The soap has to cure for 4-6 weeks now to harden up before use. Making the soap is pretty fun, but is time-consuming because there's a bit of waiting for the lye water to come down from being SUPER HOT & also because of all the clean-up. It takes about an hour to make a batch. I've given a lot of bars away & it seems like people with problem/dry skin really love the soap.
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Feb 20, 2012 06:30
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What kind of oil are you using? Olive? Any scents or additives?
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Feb 20, 2012 06:50
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My grandma made soap and I've always wanted to try it at least once. She also saved the little pieces when the soap was almost used up and melted them together somehow into new bars.
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Feb 20, 2012 09:46
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wormil posted:She also saved the little pieces when the soap was almost used up and melted them together somehow into new bars. Oh god I've always wanted to do that. Will we ever know the secret?
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Feb 20, 2012 12:21
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e n i s h i posted:I make soap! It's easy, you mix lye water with a bunch of oil & it turns into soap. I've been looking at a lot of old turned soap and butter molds I want to try to replicate, mind posting a tutorial? Would make neat gifts.
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Feb 20, 2012 17:05
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Certified Lye is a company that sells lye, and they have a soap making page that gives you sapponification values for various oils. I printed out the chart and instructions and pasted it in the front of my soap making journal....and then got so busy I was unable to try more than a couple of shots of making soap (work interferes with my play time, again). Here is the link: http://www.certified-lye.com/lye-soap.html Please keep vinegar on hand to deactivate the lye when it splashes on you when you are playing with it. Lye turns goons into soap, and it will not be comfortable. I think there is a process of melting down soap scraps in a double boiler and re-casting. I dunno anything more than that. (I was at a flea market this weekend and soap was going for $7.00 a bar. Migawd, I am getting out the lye again) Rule .303 fucked around with this message at 17:19 on Feb 20, 2012 |
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Feb 20, 2012 17:17
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How much soap would one pound of lye make?
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Feb 20, 2012 18:40
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Certified says that 20 oz (one can from them) with about 140 oz of various oils and water makes around 40 regular bars of soap, but you will need 8 quart capacity for extra room in your soap pot. There is a specific calculation to use the saponification values for the oils so you wind up with soap that is mild and usable and not just "rip your hide off and let you run around in ragged bones" caustic like Granny made on the Beverly Hillbillies. the information from the website for calculation is: (Amount of Fat) × (Saponification Value of the Fat) = (Amount of Lye to use) (Amount of Lye) ÷ 0.3 = (Total Weight of Lye Water Solution) (Total Weight of Lye Water Solution) − (Amount of Lye) = (Amount of Water you add the lye to) oh, and this is important. DON'T ADD WATER TO LYE, YOU WILL SPATTER LYE ON YOURSELF AND IT WILL HURT LIKE A BASTARD Read the site though. They have recipes and values and everything there. Truly a useful website. Rule .303 fucked around with this message at 00:31 on Feb 21, 2012 |
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Feb 21, 2012 00:22
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I already buy mild hippie soap because I have sensitive skin. I'm trying to figure out the cost of making my own vs buying. I'm not expecting to save lots and lots of money, but if its reasonable, it sounds like something that would be a fun thing to do.
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Feb 21, 2012 00:42
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I've spent way, way too much money on handmade soap. I really should learn how to make my own, I assume it's at least a little cheaper than $5-7 a bar. You've encouraged me to check that out. Okay, to the projects. I need to take some pictures, but I got this old wood frame chair at work for $1. I'm planning on sanding it down and staining the wood black. The seat I already started reupholstering in a weird bright Amy Butler fabric. Small project, but satisfying since I haven't had the chance to work on anything fun since we moved. The other thing I want to do is turn an attic into a partially secret room. It's above a two-car attached garage, it's uninsulated so I'd have to do that and lay down some sort of wood floor to walk on, and this is Arizona... so obviously in the summer I'd either be running a tiny air conditioner full blast, or just not use it at all. How feasible is a tiny secret attic room? Anyone have any ideas or experience with attic or secret room renovations? Because I really want an awesome secret space and the other attic is pretty much full of our air pump 
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Feb 21, 2012 10:53
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Scathach posted:The other thing I want to do is turn an attic into a partially secret room. It's above a two-car attached garage, it's uninsulated so I'd have to do that and lay down some sort of wood floor to walk on, and this is Arizona... so obviously in the summer I'd either be running a tiny air conditioner full blast, or just not use it at all. How feasible is a tiny secret attic room? Anyone have any ideas or experience with attic or secret room renovations? Because I really want an awesome secret space and the other attic is pretty much full of our air pump If you insulate it properly, it actually should be pretty easy to cool it down. Is the garage itself insulated? If it is, you can just extend the "insulated envelope" up to the attic space by insulating between the rafters and along the gable ends. It's essential to eliminate air gaps as much as possible since air sucks for insulating. Also, just use plywood or something for the "floor". It's pretty cheap and you can paint it.
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Feb 22, 2012 03:24
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I was thinking about putting plywood down too, and covering it with rag rugs I can easily remove and wash-- and of course, which are comfier for my butt than plywood. The frame is all there, ready to be insulated and nailed into... I think it was originally for storage and they just never finished it. That part should be pretty easy, really, and yes the garage is already insulated. There's only one vent for that attic, it faces the street, but I was thinking it might be possible to put a window A/C there and disguise it so the HOA doesn't skin me. I have got to convince my husband that it would be a cool project. So many possibilities. Scathach fucked around with this message at 09:50 on Feb 22, 2012 |
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Feb 22, 2012 09:47
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taqueso posted:What kind of oil are you using? Olive? Any scents or additives? Not an Anthem posted:mind posting a tutorial? Would make neat gifts. Alterian posted:1lb of lye? Scathach posted:cost of soap
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Feb 22, 2012 10:04
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I keep thinking that I have way too many projects. But you're telling me awesome things about homemade soap, and there are a few people I know who also make it, and you all are making me want to add it to my list of things to do this year. drat you awesome crafty people.
Scathach fucked around with this message at 12:34 on Feb 22, 2012 |
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Feb 22, 2012 11:27
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Scathach posted:I was thinking about putting plywood down too, and covering it with rag rugs I can easily remove and wash-- and of course, which are comfier for my butt than plywood. The frame is all there, ready to be insulated and nailed into... I think it was originally for storage and they just never finished it. That part should be pretty easy, really, and yes the garage is already insulated. There's only one vent for that attic, it faces the street, but I was thinking it might be possible to put a window A/C there and disguise it so the HOA doesn't skin me. I always like to coach these proposals as, "it is a good trial run when we do this (remodel, paint, excavate) for real". Surprising it sometimes works. That and if you look at the threads about rehabbing houses they talk about using the closed cell foam that you blow in, and puttin up internal walls and flooring and all sorts of cool things.
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Feb 23, 2012 16:09
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Made a quick DSLR shock mount for a mic: I've yet to try it out but it feels pretty sturdy and only cost £6 to make, vs £32+ to buy.
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Feb 23, 2012 19:32
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Microproject: Fixing a tool with a tool. At a secondhand store I visited this weekend, they had several tool chests full of all sorts of old tools, yum! I found a set of precision screwdrivers like you just about can't buy anymore. Not really old, but nice and solid, made from decent steel. I also found an adorable little hammer. The anvil, I already had. One of the flatblade screwdrivers had been abused, and I straightened it using the little hammer I bought at the same time. Fixed! I also made a convenient holder for my new set out of a small catfood can and some cardboard and hotmelt glue. :3 Rule .303 posted:oh, and this is important. DON'T ADD WATER TO LYE, YOU WILL SPATTER LYE ON YOURSELF AND IT WILL HURT LIKE A BASTARD Does it react violently, like sodium and water, or do you mean like just normal splashing?
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Feb 28, 2012 00:58
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Rule .303 posted:oh, and this is important. DON'T ADD WATER TO LYE, YOU WILL SPATTER LYE ON YOURSELF AND IT WILL HURT LIKE A BASTARD Sun Dog posted:Does it react violently, like sodium and water, or do you mean like just normal splashing? Now, I've never made soap, and I've never had a chemical burn, but I think it would feel something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg3m8wRVXWg
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Feb 28, 2012 02:18
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Water and lye makes an exothermic reaction and can cause a steam explosion spattering concentrated lye about. You add the lye to the water to a) dilute the lye immediately and b)dissapate the heat faster. I talked to one young lady who got spattered with lye and didn't know to wash it off and wound up with nasty burns that took forever to heal. And a wash with vinegar and water and rinsing would have avoided it. She sounded really surprised when I told her it had been trying to turn her into soap. Making soap is probably safer than driving in rush-hour traffic. Very few fun things are completly safe, but like playing with matches and hairspray, it is important to know the safety tips.
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Feb 28, 2012 06:01
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Rule .303 posted:Water and lye makes an exothermic reaction and can cause a steam explosion spattering concentrated lye about. You add the lye to the water to a) dilute the lye immediately and b)dissapate the heat faster. Standard lab safety would be to just flush the affected area with plenty of water. This would dilute and dissolve the lye, and cool any (thermal) burns from the lye reacting with whatever. You really don't want to go mixing acids and bases in a completely uncontrolled, semi-panicked manner on your skin.
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Feb 28, 2012 11:30
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Sun Dog posted:
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Feb 28, 2012 19:49
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