Random Instructables of the day

Instructables of the Day:
Wooster 2.0 Camera Jib
A jib is a tool that allows you to get good angles in big sweeping motion shots.
This one looks particularly easy to build..

Arduino+2 Servos+Mouse
This is a fun project to place at the end of your jib:

Random Instructables 10/14/15

Instructables of the Day:

Today we have an epic project, I would love to see someone follow in his footsteps but it doesn't seem likely.

We Make because we must.

We share because it's the right thing to do.

Not because droves of followers will gather behind us.

Sexy 6 axis Robot Arm Build

Second we have an easier project that may help you build the larger..
$30 Precision PCB Drill

Drilling holes in PCBs is always a challenge, here's a drill press using a pneumatic die grinder to help. I would take the $30 part with a humongous grain of salt, starting from scratch it looks like at least $50 to me..

Nested Virtual machines

Microsoft has enabled exposing the virtualized machine to hypervisor features.
With these features turned on you can nest a virtual machine in a virtual machine in a virtual machine..

Read More here

It's pretty wild, but I can't see any actual usage cases (I don't believe in stopping progress just because you can't see the application though).

The New Beaglebone X15

There's a very powerful new Open Source (hardware and software) embedded development board out from the makers of the Beaglebone series of boards.

The Beagleboard X15

This new board's  specs read more like a low end Intel NUC board's specs (ok.. maybe not). But the kicker is, the boards are open source, and there are ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SEVEN GPIO pins. These are broken out on 4 60 pin connectors along the bottom of the board. That is a ton of GPIO. For Comparison the Arduino has 16 GPIOs broken out, and the venerable Raspberry Pi has 26 GPIO pins.

Additionally it has eSATA and HDMI outputs.

And for once (!) they helped out case makers by placing the outputs mostly along two opposite sides of the board (instead of all around it randomly).

Backing up all these inputs and outputs are a 750-MHz C66x DSP and a Quad-core PRU and a Dual-core Cortex-M4. That's 7 independent cores (aside from the main OS processor) on 3 processors working on real time response to inputs or program logic.

I haven't even mentioned the 2 Gigabit RJ-45 Network ports, making it a handy stand alone router.

It runs Debian out of the box (from its embedded flash memory), peripherals can be hooked up via USB 3.0.

Unfortunately it will be over $1 per GPIO, the prices being mentioned are in the $200 range.

Making it as much as an HP Stream Mini, but that's a very different animal.

I hope to see these boards used in some projects to do some seriously heavy lifting.

Like for example running all the operations on just this board for a Pick and Place CNC machine with 4 axis movement and 3 cameras and multiple spool controls. Or a drone with all the automatic features and multiple cameras.

Construction Crane Inception

How does a construction crane get built? It Builds itself! With the help of half a dozen or so highly skilled helper humans (we still have jobs Yay!)(for now).

What's Next 10/13/2015

What's Next: A quick look into future technology news

Smallish CNC House Constructed from interlocking pieces

This is the Indigo Pine house by the Clemson University Solar Decathlon team.
They claim this house is made fully from cnc'd panels, with no fasteners needed.

As a resident on the southeast my question is, how does it hold up to a hurricane?

Sikorsky S-97 Raider

(Sorry I couldn't find a better pic (follow the above link for better ones though)
The newest military helicopter on the block has some pretty sweet capabilities (if they all pan out).
It can cruise at 250mph (with an even higher top speed) utilizing a rear ducted fan style rotor.

At the top are two counter rotating low drag solid rotors, that can be tilted independently to vector thrust in any direction giving pilots new maneuverability capabilities and a smoother than expected ride.

Random Instructables 10/13/15

Instructables of the Day:
Maker Station Portable Folding workbench:

I love this creation, a versatile portable workstation (with a light!)(and Power)(Built In!) that can fit in a trunk when folded.

Tea light cup warmer

This is such an elegant and functional project. Keep you drink toasty using the power of combustible wax.

(of course #1 on my list for elegant and functional are big chunky pieces of aluminum (brass is #2))

Random Instructables 10/12/15

Instructables of the Day:

Concrete cast and 3D printed lamp

This looks really good, I should make one.


Wood Fired Outdoor Brick Oven

This would take a ton of commitment, but I bet the results are delicious!

What's Next 10/12/2015

What's Next: A quick look into future technology news

Memristors and or 3d Xpoint Memory:

It's hard to believe how closely associated the tech companies are with their biggest competitors. HP and Intel both claim to have new memory tech that is 1000x faster than current gadgets. but neither has produced prototypes yet. I guess we will just have to wait.

New/Old Video Games

Dhewm3 is a modern revival for fans of the original dhewm3, it utilizes the original game content while updating and fixing the engine, to fix bugs and use up to date drivers and architectures.

How to find out the partitions and drives on your linux system

I'm no expert, so I can only say this works on Ubuntu linux, I don't know if this tip applies to everything else. Give it a try..

I often run into commands trying to do things with linux..

Such as trying to use Shred

The question is, what is the name of my disk, and what form does this command want it in?

This may help:

Get to a Command Line and type in:

sudo parted

You should get
[sudo] password for makerspace: 
GNU Parted 2.3
Using /dev/sda
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.

Then Type:

(parted) print devices                                                    

You should get something like:

/dev/sda (80.0GB)
/dev/sdb (15.6GB)
/dev/mapper/mint--vg-root (75.7GB)
/dev/mapper/mint--vg-swap_1 (4081MB)

Fun DIY

Here's a few projects that look fun or useful from this week:

Hackaday Extols the joys of using ARM processors
32bit all the things

3d Printed Multimeter stand improves usefulness on the bench

Radial Solenoid Engine Made with Hand Tools, Including the solenoids
This is a no shortcuts kind of build, such a sweet result though!

What's Next 10/8/2015

What's Next: A quick look into future technology news

Pricey but interesting:

Instead of One Lense and One finely tuned and adjusted sensor, the Light L16 proposes to make great photos by use of 16 Lenses (each good at something different) and 16 Sensors each tuned a different way. Also TONS of Math! On the back is a touchscreen to adjust pictures after they are snapped, specifically the really neat trick the Lytro camera pulled off, tweaking depth of field AFTER the picture is snapped. 

Dear Light Co., 

If you'd like a fair balanced and honest review I'd be happy to put a demo unit through its paces. 

http://www.light.co/

DIY'ers did it first:

Dremel has released a new tool. The VRT1, powered not by batteries or electricity, but by the vacuum generated by the shopvac you already have. Awesome Bonus: The vacuum sucks in all the dust, also No batteries or cords EVER. 

Though I admit, a $30 tool with Dremel's backing and things like a warranty and easy availability 

 make for some solid benefits. It's hard not to think this was a DIYer's design first. Behold! 

Turbine Rotary Tool (from ~ 2yrs ago)

Would probably cost $30 to source the shaft, collet and bearings. :P

Kudos to Dremel for bringing a cool idea to market (they just can't take too much credit is all)

Random Instructables 10/9/15

Instructables of the Day:

So you want to Drill a Hole:

There's alot of good tips in this instructable. I highly recommend the tool on the right if you are going to drill into metal, absolutely essential.

3-d Printed Center Finder Gadget:

Before I had access to a 3D printer I had to actually go out and locate tools. I intend to make one of these for Mobile Makerspace.

What's Next 10/8/2015

What's Next: A quick look into future technology news

Impressive new "Toys"

Just in case you've never thought "Kids these days are SOOO Lucky"

Impressive Laptops:

A new Dell is not for me, but I respect them finally bringing their specs to an acceptable level.

This sports a 4K Lcd with a barely there bezel and enough battery life to make a Macbook Air blush.

While still putting in work using a Skylake Core i7 processor and up to 16Gb of Ram.

Random Instructables 10/8/15

Instructables of the Day:

It is ever important to be able to see your work, that's what we're all about today.

Miter Saw Shadow Line:
This one involves only a small amount of hacking and expense to really improve the precision of your miter saw..

Drill/Mill Light ring:
Shed a little light on your cut, dont work in the dark..

Pretty Simple, working in the dark is miserable!

Recursive Disk Copy

I just came back from lunch, I had left Unstoppable Copier copying the C:\ of this Windows box.

10 It had reached the "Backup" folder where I was copying and started copying that folder too.

20 The entire disk would be full in no time of every recursive directories.

30 Fun stuff!

40 Goto 10

XKCD

Random Instructables 10/6/15

Instructables of the Day:

Beehive Shelves:

I don't know where or when I first saw a set of these, but these have always been on my "To Build" (one day, when I can work precisely enough to make it look like something) List.

The Ultimate Hammer (Hammer + Screwdriver, Bottle Opener, Nail Holder, and Ruler) 

Mod your hammer like you were in the swiss army!!

Tuesday Nights at Mobile Makerspace

Tuesday Nights at Mobile Makerspace:
We had a great night tonight. We had several visitors. We had woodworking, and 3d printing, and Laser engraving, and played with some computers, and worked on the tailgating table, and practiced on a metal lathe.

I should have taken more pictures.

David brought down his lathe and let us try it out. I will be using this little machine for my CNC project and possibly some other things.

David also used the scroll saw to cut some pieces for the +izzy swan  Folding table. The (probably ancient) blade gave out on the last piece.

I worked on mounting the scrollsaw to the woodworking bench, it will be mounted on a swivel, but I've got to make sure it's very secure from vibrations.

Here's some pics:

Coolest setup ever

What could possibly cooler than this?!
I have GOT to  try this!

In other news: I continue to be a big fan of Caleb's Work. Love it!

What's Next 10/6/2015 Geeky Edition

What's Next: A quick look into future technology news

Open Source Kernel Development:

The Linux kernel development community is repeatedly reported to be a source of grief for anyone attempting to penetrate their ranks. Vitriol and insults and questions of the validity of your lineage seem to be the norm. This doesn't make everyone incredibly happy..

So we have a new fork of Linux, and that new guy is in charge or something. Just happened today, maybe it becomes something, maybe it doesn't, at least that guy can sleep easier.

The Quantum Computer are finally on the way:
A team from University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia have demonstrated a two qubit quantum logic gate, built in silicon! They are working on patents and partnerships now.

Linux File Systems:

This is a little better than a rumor. But Mark Shuttleworth today responded to a request to include ZFS in ubuntu by saying that it was upcoming.

ZFS is a robust and powerful filesystem with all the features for RAID and distributed drives. It would be great to get it into Ubuntu. Good luck Mark.

Sophisticated Programming Languages:

Larry Wall has unveiled Perl 6, after over 10years of anticipation.
It's quite the change, one day I will learn this language, yes one day.

Simple CNC Spindle

At last, this simple CNC spindle I (speculatively) knew was possible.

It simply consists of 3 skate bearings, a collet holder (with an 8mm shaft) and one piece of machined metal.

The collet holder can be had for just $10, and I already have the bearings, just need some aluminum and (or brass) and a pulley.

Too bad the collets are Pricey $$$.

Links and Pics..  Here

Random Instructables 10/5/15

Instructables of the Day:

Extension Cord Reel:

Turn any old cord into a 4 outlet reel. Simple but SO useful.

Restoring Old Paint Brushes:

Keep that old brush instead of trashing it. Takes some effort but could be worthwhile for a good brush.

How'd he do that?

If you're into CNC the way that I am, you might be wondering how he did that. That's my question after this video..

What's Next 10/5/2015

What's Next: A quick look into future technology news

Planetary Exploration Missions:

5 missions are being evaluated for possible funding/approval.

The one to Psyche looks particularly interesting. It's an asteroid rendezvous mission like the ongoing Rosetta/Philae mission. But with a much bigger rock to explore.

Open Source all the things:



The VESC project is an effort towards an open source high powered ESC (Electronic Speed Control) for electric motors. Though it is a generic project that will work with many BLDC motors, it's original inception was for an electric skateboard. The great thing is there's an onboard microcontroller that can receive many many types of inputs (R/c, USB, i2c, CAN, uart), or be reprogrammed with new torque curves or whatever else you want.

Would be very useful for a future BLDC milling motor/collet project that I am planning (one day).

What's Next 10/1/2015

What's Next: A quick look into future technology news

Interplanetary Rovers:

As far as we can tell Europa consists on one big global ocean and a thick ice covering on the outside. Due to tidal forces from jupiter there's enough heat for the liquid water ocean, and possibly life.

So NASA's  JPL has come up with this. An underwater rover that would drive along the bottom of the ice covering.

There's no mission drawn up just yet, but perhaps one day..

Random Instructables 10/2/15

Instructables of the Day:

Turn a Bandsaw into a cutoff saw

This instructable is unfortunately mostly a video. he builds an aluminum pivot to turn his bandsaw into a cut-off band saw. Its a nice project made out of Shiny Aluminum :)

Cross hole drilling in round stock:

I know what your thinking, this is dead simple. It's actually not at all. Many times something that seems simple becomes incredibly hard when you need it to be precise.

I once had a method for achieving this, my material had nice straight lines down the length.  after I drilled a dozen or so holes I realized. Those nice straight lines twisted about 20 degrees along the length, Oops!

What's Next 10/1/2015

What's Next: A quick look into future technology news

Cellphones:

It seems like a race to the bottom, and refinements are all we get, no new features. Better cameras are nice though..
Image Credit

Extremely FAST vehicles..

Image Credit

Tesla has finally released the Model X, Bigger SUV/Minivan/Crossover shaped 7 passenger family car, can accelerate to 60 in (as little as) 3.2 seconds. It shares this rare atmosphere of speed capability with the likes of the Ferrari Enzo, McLaren F1 and Koenigsegg CCX. According to the linked article it is Very Very Nice.

Oh and ... Double Hinged Gullwing doors

I'd like to shake Elon's hand, seriously!

Tuesday at Mobile Makerspace

We had a good night tonight at Mobile Makerspace.


David and I worked on the woodworking cart. We fixed the drill press power switch. I made a laser cut piece of acrylic to attach to a new metal box and mounted the old switch to the acrylic. Wanted quick and dirty but I got long and ugly. I mispaced one of the holes and it took a while to rectify this problem.































Later I mounted the drill press to the table. (at last)































We had a few people discussing and learning how to use the Shapeoko.


















David also broke his MAKE concrete cast to look at the results, we are deliberating how to remove the 3d printed letters. 

Random Instructables 10/1/15

Instructables of the Day:

Dynamic Motor Balancing with Sugru and an iPhone

Someone Has GOT to try this. I just can't believe this would work. Insane!

Easy Low Waste BookShelves

Bookshelves for those not obsessed with overbuilding things (like me).