Craig Smith of the Firefly Workshop writes in: I had a $5 microwave cart from goodwill that ended up in my shop as a finishing table where I would paint, stain or varnish items on newspaper. It was bugging me that all the space underneath was unused, and my paints, stains and varnishes were in […]
Pat Percival of NorthCoast Knives posted this simple phototutorial demonstrating how he makes decorative handle pins for his custom knives by nesting telescoping metal tubing of various sizes, shapes, and materials. These are known as “mosaic” pins among knifemakers, and although Pat only mentions it in passing, it is generally agreed that the voids in the design need to be filled with some kind of resin, which is often epoxy with coloring agents added to taste.
Achieving good camera position for soldering and various tutorial shots has always been quite a challenge for me. I’ve tried Gorilla-Pods, table leaning tripods, and a few different DIY designs with varying amounts of success. Oddly, I never considered my own gooseneck/panavise hack as a possible solution – I suppose the weight of the camera […]
The LED Sewing kit from the Maker Shed was inspired by Becky Stern’s Electronic Embroidery article from CRAFT Volume 09 You can follow the instructions in the article, or come up with your own unique electronic embroidery piece. It’s a great way to get started with soft electronics.
“Micarta” (Wikipedia) is a genericized trademark that refers to a rigid composite material made from laminated paper, fiberglass, cloth, or other material impregnated with a plastic resin. It is commonly used as an electrical insulator and as a tool handle, particularly for knives.
Cliff Fendley of Fendley Knives, together with fellow knifemaker Mike Carter of Carter Crafts, set out to make some “micarta” of their own using scrap denim and epoxy resin. Even better, they documented their efforts with a detailed series of photos so others can play along at home. Kudos to both makers for “open-sourcing” a method they could easily have kept under their hats as a trade secret. [Thanks, Alan Dove!]
Over at Super Soaker Central (Ain’t the web great?), user JLspacemarine has posted this nicely-detailed build of a hardware-store constant pressure water gun. Although much heavier, it reportedly out-performs the commercial toys. [via Hack a Day]
I am glad that, so far, in life, I have not had to join the ranks of those umpty-many folks who, at one point or another, have suddenly found themselves needing to fill a whole lot of sandbags in a hurry. Hopefully, I will never be in that situation, but when and if I am, I’m going to try to remember this tutorial by Instructables user RiverOakRanch. The jig they describe allows one person to fill six tubes at once, helps to insure equal filling, and, most importantly, frees up another laborer who would otherwise have to stand there holding the bags open.
