Hand-Made Drum Carder Gets Wool Ready for Spinning
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/hand-made-drum-carder-gets-wool-ready-for-spinning/
Making a natural fiber like wool into something useful like a sweater involves a lot of steps. We might be familiar with shearing the sheep, spinning the wool into yarn, or knitting and weaving, but between shearing and spinning there’s another unfamiliar process you’ll have to go through. Known as …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/hand-made-drum-carder-gets-wool-ready-for-spinning/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/hand-made-drum-carder-gets-wool-ready-for-spinning/
Making a natural fiber like wool into something useful like a sweater involves a lot of steps. We might be familiar with shearing the sheep, spinning the wool into yarn, or knitting and weaving, but between shearing and spinning there’s another unfamiliar process you’ll have to go through. Known as …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/hand-made-drum-carder-gets-wool-ready-for-spinning/)
Laser Toy Keeps Cats Entertained
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/laser-toy-keeps-cats-entertained/
Cats are among the most popular domesticated creatures, and their penchant for chasing laser pointers is well known. With a pair of felines of his own to look after, [Tobi] set about making a device to help keep them entertained.
The aim of the device is to automate the motion …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/laser-toy-keeps-cats-entertained/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/laser-toy-keeps-cats-entertained/
Cats are among the most popular domesticated creatures, and their penchant for chasing laser pointers is well known. With a pair of felines of his own to look after, [Tobi] set about making a device to help keep them entertained.
The aim of the device is to automate the motion …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/laser-toy-keeps-cats-entertained/)
Collapse OS, An OS For When The Unthinkable Happens
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/collapse-os-an-os-for-when-the-unthinkable-happens/
Decades of post-apocalyptic Hollywood movies have taught us that once all the trappings of our civilisation have been stripped away, it’s going to be kinda cool. We’re all going to wear slightly dusty looking 1980s motorcycling gear, and we’re going to drive really cool cars. Except of course Mad Max …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/collapse-os-an-os-for-when-the-unthinkable-happens/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/collapse-os-an-os-for-when-the-unthinkable-happens/
Decades of post-apocalyptic Hollywood movies have taught us that once all the trappings of our civilisation have been stripped away, it’s going to be kinda cool. We’re all going to wear slightly dusty looking 1980s motorcycling gear, and we’re going to drive really cool cars. Except of course Mad Max …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/collapse-os-an-os-for-when-the-unthinkable-happens/)
Proprietary Fan Blows, Gets PWM Upgrade
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/proprietary-fan-blows-gets-pwm-upgrade/
Proprietary components are the bane of anyone who dares to try and repair their own hardware. Nonstandard sizes, lack of labeling or documentation, and unavailable spare parts are all par for the course. [Jason] was unlucky enough to have an older Dell computer with a broken, and proprietary, cooling fan …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/proprietary-fan-blows-gets-pwm-upgrade/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/proprietary-fan-blows-gets-pwm-upgrade/
Proprietary components are the bane of anyone who dares to try and repair their own hardware. Nonstandard sizes, lack of labeling or documentation, and unavailable spare parts are all par for the course. [Jason] was unlucky enough to have an older Dell computer with a broken, and proprietary, cooling fan …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/proprietary-fan-blows-gets-pwm-upgrade/)
LEGO and Minecraft Team Up for Custom Gaming PC Case
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/lego-and-minecraft-team-up-for-custom-gaming-pc-case/
There are probably few parents who haven’t watched their kids sitting on the floor, afloat on a sea of LEGO pieces and busily creating, and thought, “If only they could make a living at that.” But time goes on and kids grow up, and parents soon sing the same refrain …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/lego-and-minecraft-team-up-for-custom-gaming-pc-case/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/lego-and-minecraft-team-up-for-custom-gaming-pc-case/
There are probably few parents who haven’t watched their kids sitting on the floor, afloat on a sea of LEGO pieces and busily creating, and thought, “If only they could make a living at that.” But time goes on and kids grow up, and parents soon sing the same refrain …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/lego-and-minecraft-team-up-for-custom-gaming-pc-case/)
It’s A TV-Scope-Guitar Amplifier!
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/its-a-tv-scope-guitar-amplifier/
Guitar amplifiers are a frequent project, and despite being little more than a simple audio amplifier on paper, they conceal a surprising quantity of variables in search of a particular sound. We’ve seen a lot of them, but never one quite like [Nate Croson]’s CRT TV guitar amplifier. The LM386 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/its-a-tv-scope-guitar-amplifier/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/its-a-tv-scope-guitar-amplifier/
Guitar amplifiers are a frequent project, and despite being little more than a simple audio amplifier on paper, they conceal a surprising quantity of variables in search of a particular sound. We’ve seen a lot of them, but never one quite like [Nate Croson]’s CRT TV guitar amplifier. The LM386 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/its-a-tv-scope-guitar-amplifier/)
Horse Racing Game Hits Trifecta of Fun, Skill, and Competition
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/horse-racing-game-hits-trifecta-of-fun-skill-and-competition/
Out in the neon-painted desert of Las Vegas, if you know where to look, you can find an old, 1980s electromechanical horse racing game called Sigma Derby. In this group game, you and several drunk strangers sit around a machine the size of a pool table and bet on tiny …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/horse-racing-game-hits-trifecta-of-fun-skill-and-competition/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/horse-racing-game-hits-trifecta-of-fun-skill-and-competition/
Out in the neon-painted desert of Las Vegas, if you know where to look, you can find an old, 1980s electromechanical horse racing game called Sigma Derby. In this group game, you and several drunk strangers sit around a machine the size of a pool table and bet on tiny …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/26/horse-racing-game-hits-trifecta-of-fun-skill-and-competition/)
An All-Electric Plane Takes to the Skies
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/an-all-electric-plane-takes-to-the-skies/
With climate protests and airline strikes occurring around the world, there is more awareness than ever before for the necessity of environmental sustainability. More importantly, there is more discussion around the immense carbon footprint left by the airline industry, perhaps one of the largest contributors to climate change worldwide.
The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/an-all-electric-plane-takes-to-the-skies/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/an-all-electric-plane-takes-to-the-skies/
With climate protests and airline strikes occurring around the world, there is more awareness than ever before for the necessity of environmental sustainability. More importantly, there is more discussion around the immense carbon footprint left by the airline industry, perhaps one of the largest contributors to climate change worldwide.
The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/an-all-electric-plane-takes-to-the-skies/)
Turntable Spins Color And Sound Together
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/turntable-spins-color-and-sound-together/
If you can’t grow your own synesthesia, buying electronics to do it for you is fine. Such is the case with the CHROMATIC by [Xavier Gazon], an artist who turns all kinds of electronics into circuit-bent musical art pieces. His project turns an old Philips Music 5120 turntable into a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/turntable-spins-color-and-sound-together/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/turntable-spins-color-and-sound-together/
If you can’t grow your own synesthesia, buying electronics to do it for you is fine. Such is the case with the CHROMATIC by [Xavier Gazon], an artist who turns all kinds of electronics into circuit-bent musical art pieces. His project turns an old Philips Music 5120 turntable into a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/turntable-spins-color-and-sound-together/)
Restoring a Rusty Rebar Cutter
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/restoring-a-rusty-rebar-cutter/
We’ve all probably come across hunks of junk that used to be tools, long-neglected and chemically welded into a useless mass of solid rust. Such items are available for a pittance at the local flea market, or more likely found in an old barn or rotting on a junk pile. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/restoring-a-rusty-rebar-cutter/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/restoring-a-rusty-rebar-cutter/
We’ve all probably come across hunks of junk that used to be tools, long-neglected and chemically welded into a useless mass of solid rust. Such items are available for a pittance at the local flea market, or more likely found in an old barn or rotting on a junk pile. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/restoring-a-rusty-rebar-cutter/)
Reverse Engineering A Two-Wire Intercom
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/reverse-engineering-a-two-wire-intercom/
There was a time when an intercom was simply a pair of boxes with speakers joined by a couple of wires, with an audio amplifier somewhere in the mix. But intercoms have like everything else joined the digital age, so those two wires now carry a load of other functionality …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/reverse-engineering-a-two-wire-intercom/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/reverse-engineering-a-two-wire-intercom/
There was a time when an intercom was simply a pair of boxes with speakers joined by a couple of wires, with an audio amplifier somewhere in the mix. But intercoms have like everything else joined the digital age, so those two wires now carry a load of other functionality …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/reverse-engineering-a-two-wire-intercom/)
A Dancing Cowboy Nixie Tube
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/a-dancing-cowboy-nixie-tube/
If there were four words you never expected to hear in sequence, they would probably be “Dancing cowboy Nixie tube”. But that’s just what [Glasslinger] has made, and it’s exactly what it sounds like – an encapsulated cowboy that dances.
We’ve placed the resulting video below the break, and in …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/a-dancing-cowboy-nixie-tube/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/a-dancing-cowboy-nixie-tube/
If there were four words you never expected to hear in sequence, they would probably be “Dancing cowboy Nixie tube”. But that’s just what [Glasslinger] has made, and it’s exactly what it sounds like – an encapsulated cowboy that dances.
We’ve placed the resulting video below the break, and in …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/a-dancing-cowboy-nixie-tube/)
Drop in Motor Converts Car to EV
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/drop-in-motor-converts-car-to-ev/
With the latest craze of electric vehicles, it might be tempting to take an old project car and convert it from gas to electric. On the surface, it sounds simple, but the reality is there are a number of pitfalls. It would be nice if you could find a drop …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/drop-in-motor-converts-car-to-ev/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/drop-in-motor-converts-car-to-ev/
With the latest craze of electric vehicles, it might be tempting to take an old project car and convert it from gas to electric. On the surface, it sounds simple, but the reality is there are a number of pitfalls. It would be nice if you could find a drop …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/drop-in-motor-converts-car-to-ev/)
Hackaday Links: October 27, 2019
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/hackaday-links-october-27-2019/
A year ago, we wrote about the discovery of treasure trove of original documentation from the development of the MOS 6502 by Jennifer Holdt-Winograd, daughter of the late Terry Holdt, the original program manager on the project. Now, Ms. Winograd has created a website to celebrate the 6502 and the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/hackaday-links-october-27-2019/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/hackaday-links-october-27-2019/
A year ago, we wrote about the discovery of treasure trove of original documentation from the development of the MOS 6502 by Jennifer Holdt-Winograd, daughter of the late Terry Holdt, the original program manager on the project. Now, Ms. Winograd has created a website to celebrate the 6502 and the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/hackaday-links-october-27-2019/)
Pulling Display Data off of a Fitness Tracker
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/pulling-display-data-off-of-a-fitness-tracker/
[Aaron Christophel] writes in with yet another clever hack for his D6 Fitness Tracker. Using OpenOCD and Pygame, he shows how you can pull data right off the tracker’s screen and sent it to the computer.
This one appealed to us for its brevity. First [Aaron] launches the OpenOCD server …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/pulling-display-data-off-of-a-fitness-tracker/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/pulling-display-data-off-of-a-fitness-tracker/
[Aaron Christophel] writes in with yet another clever hack for his D6 Fitness Tracker. Using OpenOCD and Pygame, he shows how you can pull data right off the tracker’s screen and sent it to the computer.
This one appealed to us for its brevity. First [Aaron] launches the OpenOCD server …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/pulling-display-data-off-of-a-fitness-tracker/)
Making A Bronze Cannon From Scratch
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/making-a-bronze-cannon-from-scratch/
Casting metal at home is somewhat tricky, but there’s no denying the results can be quite rewarding. [FarmCraft101] put his incredible craftsmanship on display, and learned a few new things in the process, by scratch building a scale replica bronze cannon and carriage.
Starting with a sufficient quantity of scrap …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/making-a-bronze-cannon-from-scratch/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/making-a-bronze-cannon-from-scratch/
Casting metal at home is somewhat tricky, but there’s no denying the results can be quite rewarding. [FarmCraft101] put his incredible craftsmanship on display, and learned a few new things in the process, by scratch building a scale replica bronze cannon and carriage.
Starting with a sufficient quantity of scrap …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/27/making-a-bronze-cannon-from-scratch/)
World’s Smallest MIDI Synth, Now Even Better
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/worlds-smallest-midi-synth-now-even-better/
We’re pretty sure there’s no internationally recognized arbiter of records like “World’s smallest full-featured polyphonic stereo MIDI synthesizer that fits in a DIN shell”. If there isn’t, there sure should be, and we’re pretty sure [mitxela]’s Flash-Synth would hold that particular record.
This is one of those lessons that some …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/worlds-smallest-midi-synth-now-even-better/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/worlds-smallest-midi-synth-now-even-better/
We’re pretty sure there’s no internationally recognized arbiter of records like “World’s smallest full-featured polyphonic stereo MIDI synthesizer that fits in a DIN shell”. If there isn’t, there sure should be, and we’re pretty sure [mitxela]’s Flash-Synth would hold that particular record.
This is one of those lessons that some …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/worlds-smallest-midi-synth-now-even-better/)
Electricity Makes Soft Robotics More Like Us Meatbags
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/electricity-makes-soft-robotics-more-like-us-meatbags/
Building a future where robots work alongside humans relies heavily on soft robotics. Typically this means there will be an air compressor or a hydraulic system nearby, taking up precious space. But it doesn’t have to.
Engineers at the UC-San Diego Jacobs School have created a soft robotics system that …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/electricity-makes-soft-robotics-more-like-us-meatbags/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/electricity-makes-soft-robotics-more-like-us-meatbags/
Building a future where robots work alongside humans relies heavily on soft robotics. Typically this means there will be an air compressor or a hydraulic system nearby, taking up precious space. But it doesn’t have to.
Engineers at the UC-San Diego Jacobs School have created a soft robotics system that …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/electricity-makes-soft-robotics-more-like-us-meatbags/)
Hacking Mars: InSight Mole Is on the Move Again
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/hacking-mars-insight-mole-is-on-the-move-again/
Your job might be tough, but spare a thought for any of the engineers involved in the Mars InSight lander mission when they learned that one of the flagship instruments aboard the lander, indeed the very instrument for which the entire mission was named, appeared to be a dud. That’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/hacking-mars-insight-mole-is-on-the-move-again/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/hacking-mars-insight-mole-is-on-the-move-again/
Your job might be tough, but spare a thought for any of the engineers involved in the Mars InSight lander mission when they learned that one of the flagship instruments aboard the lander, indeed the very instrument for which the entire mission was named, appeared to be a dud. That’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/hacking-mars-insight-mole-is-on-the-move-again/)
Solenoid Engine Adds Three “Pistons”
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/solenoid-engine-adds-three-pistons/
The earliest piston engines typically had only one cylinder, and at best, produced horsepower measured in single digits. But once you have a working engine, it’s a relatively short step to adding cylinders and increasing the power output. [Emiel] made a similar upgrade to one of his engines recently, upgrading …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/solenoid-engine-adds-three-pistons/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/solenoid-engine-adds-three-pistons/
The earliest piston engines typically had only one cylinder, and at best, produced horsepower measured in single digits. But once you have a working engine, it’s a relatively short step to adding cylinders and increasing the power output. [Emiel] made a similar upgrade to one of his engines recently, upgrading …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/28/solenoid-engine-adds-three-pistons/)