How to make a tool set Life without tools is barbaric. But even simple tools can be expensive in rural parts of developing countries. Import duties bump the costs up higher than they are in the States or elsewhere, and sometimes only low-quality brands are available anyway. So, to hold off future barbarians, we'd like to show how to build a simple tool set on a very low budget. Larry Bentley, the man who figured out how to make these tools, said a wise thing: "Without tools, kids don't take stuff apart, and without taking stuff apart, you don't learn how things work." These tools, Bentley says, could be in the hands of the next William Kamkambwa,who made a working wind power generator from backyard scraps in a village in Malawi. Here's Larry's quick guide to DIY tools. The tools in this guide: Saw Pliers Wooden vice Wood drill bit / star drill bit Chisel Strap hinge vice
Build a Laser 3D Printer - Stereolithography at Home Here is how to make a Stereolithography 3D Printer. It is still a bit of a work in progress but so far it is working pretty well. This is mainly an experiment which started as a Delta Robot Stereolithography Printer but ended as a more traditional Cartesian Stereolithography Printer. "I'll be honest, we're throwing science at the walls here to see what sticks. No idea what it'll do." - Cave Johnson Stereolithography (SL or SLA from Stereolithography Apparatus) is an additive manufacturing process using a vat of liquid UV-curable photopolymer "resin" and a UV laser to build parts one layer at a time. I have wanted a 3D Printer for a while now and there are some very reasonably priced kits available like the Makerbot, Ultimaker and the RepRap project. I decided to enter this in the Epilog Challenge Contest because I could really use a laser cutter :-) I also have some ideas how to redesign this project, for creation on a laser cutter. This project is Open Source Hardware.
34 DIY headboard ideas The headboard is now looked at as a mainly decorative element in our bedrooms. As it usually happens, it all started from a practical reason/purpose.The headboard, a piece of furniture that is attached to the head of the bed, was initially an element that isolated sleepers from drafts and cold. Back then the buildings were less insulated and thus such a feature was needed. With time, this function has been lost and replaced by a purely aesthetical function. These 34 diy headboard ideas exposed here are not competing with each other, by the contrary these are the best projects we could find to show you, and all of them are equally interesting. Headboard from salvaged materials. The first project is realized from scrap materials salvaged from a burn pile. Metal headboard. This one is really simple, but ingenious. Old door headboard. A pair of reclaimed old doors add a tremendous visual weight to this dreamy bedroom. Original headboard using store signs. Indian headboard project.
DIY fire making 2KW DIY Solar panels made of pop cans for home solar heating At the end, the solar absorber is painted black and placed in the diy solar panels casing. The casing is covered with plexiglass that we attach to the frame and thoroughly corked with silicone. Polycarbonate / plexiglass is slightly convex in order to gain greater strength. You can see installed solar absorber without plexiglass in picture 18. On YouTube you can see how our diy pop-can solar panels work. Important note: Our solar system is not able to accumulate thermal energy after producing it. Differential thermostat (snap disc) controls the fan. If on/off temperatures are set carefully, diy solar panels are able to produce an average 2 kW of energy for home heating. Dress rehearsal of solar collectors carried out in the backyard before installing the system on the house. After completing installation of collector, the outside temperature was -3 ° C, and from the solar collector is coming out 3 m3/min (3 cubic meters per minute) of heated air.
Build Your Own ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE The finished project is a 1981 Kawasaki KZ440, converted to electric. It is powered by four Optima Yellow Top sealed (AGM) lead-acid batteries, that drive a Briggs & Stratton Etek electric motor. The speed of the motor is controlled by an Alltrax brand "AXE" programmable controller that can run at up to 48 volts and 300 amps. The cycle is GEARED to 45 mph, has fairly good acceleration, no clutch or transmission. The cycle recharges from the wall, through a renewable energy program, and if there is a blackout, I can actually run my house off my electric motorcycle! In this Instructable, I'll walk you through the work required with the motor, batteries, controller, and mounting all components, including showing you some low-tech paper and cardboard "CAD" tricks. Your Project But what do you want? Give some thought to what cycle you would like to convert. If you aren't sure what to expect in terms of range per charge and top speed, don't worry, online calculators can help you out.
DIY Hand Stamped Swaddle Blankets I can't believe I only have a month (or less) left before our bitty baby girl arrives! I've been trying to do my best to prepare for her arrival amidst all the many things going on here - back-to-school, illustration work, blogging and more! Little by little things are starting to look like a baby just might be coming to stay in our home soon. Last week I decided to create a few hand stamped swaddle blankets made out of a gauzy muslin fabric. To make these I cut up large squares of muslin fabric. The trick for me was to apply the paint to the stamp with a paint brush before stamping onto the muslin. After hand stamping the blanket to my liking, I hemmed the edges of the muslin. I then created another one from a pretty salmon pink fabric found on my LA Fabric District shopping spree (I think it's the same fabric as Dana used in her tutorial! Rain drops? Now to find a crib...and perhaps a rocking chair...and...
DIY Autumn Leaf Bowls As we mentioned before, this is our favorite time of year for DIY decor. The chill is in the air and the leaves are changing color, and there's no better way to preserve the delight than by welcoming it into your home. Yes, the craft stores overflowing with autumn decorations can be intimidating, but there are ways to turn those faux autumn leaves into something beautiful and functional. Materials: Craft store leaf garland, Mod Podge (matte finish), Foam Brush, Balloon, Scissors, Mixing bowl *Tip: try to find thin, paper-like leaves for your garland. How To: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. **Attention readers! Looking for more DIY projects and free downloads?