Blog

Dog Tag Engraving

2013-06-08T03:06:38Z

My dog could use a new tag and I'm conveniently doing some work for BK Signs at the moment. They're a visual promotions company in Broome, Western Australia. As an added job perk, they're equipped with plenty of toys including a CNC router, wide format printer and the Roland Camm-2 engraver used to make this dog tag.

The software package Signlab by Cadlink was used to design the tag and feed the engraver its instructions. Bailey's name is engraved on one side and my phone number on the other. It's much easier to get a clean result with professional equipment and it's nice to have access to it.

Troy's Aquaponics

2013-06-03T03:39:56Z

I'm currently staying in Broome with my brother for a few weeks so I thought I might share one of his creations. This aquaponics system consists of two 1000 ltr IBC's (Intermediate Bulk Containers) which are typically used for the transport and storage of fluids. One IBC is cut in two creating the main grow bed and sump while the other is home to ten barramundi.

USB Fume Extractor

2013-05-24T13:06:00Z

This project combines a small craft box, 12v case fan, aquarium carbon filter, dc boost converter and some basic electronic components to create a USB powered fume extractor which treats your lungs to some clean air when soldering.

I wanted the ability to run this unit from a USB port and not require batteries or a wall wort as my bench power supply has an available port. I'll also have the option to plug it into my iphone charger should I want to run it from mains power.

Fluorescent Worklight Conversion

2013-05-17T15:39:00Z

Common halogen worklights are a good source of cheap lighting. I've been using them for some time for general work, photo and video lighting with daylight globes. They work well but they use a lot of power, get very hot and the globes don't have a great lifespan.

I've converted this one to accept a bayonet mount compact fluorescent. The 20w cool white globe that's installed still emits impressive light while running cooler and more efficiently.

Aquaponic Salad Garden

2013-05-10T05:39:55Z

I built this aquaponics system a year ago to grow fresh leafy veggies for the household. It consists of a 700 litre fibreglass pond inhabited by koi with two 50 litre gravel filled grow beds suspended above. If you've never encountered aquaponics before, it's a combination of aquaculture (fish keeping) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). The water from the fish tank is pumped into the grow beds where the plants consume the nutrients. This removes waste from the water, cleaning it for the fish.

Faulty LCD Monitor Lightbox

2013-04-28T16:24:36Z

I was given this faulty Acer AL1913 LCD monitor a while back but was unable to repair it. The backlight was still functional but the LCD panel wouldn't display anything. Not wanting to throw it out I thought if I could manually switch the backlight on it could be converted to a decent lightbox.

This modification involves stripping the monitor down to the backlight and the inverter. This inverter takes the 16v DC coming from a powerpack and converts it to the AC supply required by the monitors fluorescent backlight.

Atari Combo Controller

2013-04-18T17:23:21Z

I enjoy bringing out the old Atari 2600 for some classic Pacman or Missile Command but I can't play my copy of Breakout without a paddle controller. To solve this horrible dilemma I thought would be fun to make one since Atari hardware can be a bit difficult and expensive to get your hands on in Australia. Considering the circuitry is so basic, why build just a paddle when I can integrate multiple controllers into an epic combo. This design combines the joystick, paddle and keypad controllers into a single compact unit.

The controller consists of two sections. A combined joystick / paddle controller and a keypad. The former has a permanently attached cable as it's always used and the keypad portion has a removable cable. This controller works on the Atari Flashback as well. Take a look at this short video I made of the build process.

Thermoelectric Generator Lamp

2013-04-03T14:55:51Z

This generator converts the heat produced by the lamps flame into a small amount of electricity. I've been experimenting with generating electricity using various methods and wanted to play around with thermoelectric devices. A few Thermoelectric Coolers (TEC) have been collecting dust in my part drawers and it's time to put one to use.

Thermoelectric coolers operate by the peltier effect. When power is applied, one side gets hot and the other cold. This also works in reverse. If you heat the hot side while keeping the other side as cool as possible, electricity is produced. This TEC is rated at 12v DC 60W but they're not very efficient when used to generate power however you can still make enough juice to run small items.

Car Stereo Boombox

2013-03-12T04:40:20Z

The car stereo boombox or "tradies boombox" is a popular project as many guys have collected the odd bit of car audio gear. When a friend gave me a Pioneer head unit out of his bunky old ride, I remembered the random parts I've accumulated over the years and knew I had to make one. My goal was to end up with something sturdy, attractive and versatile enough to run from multiple power sources.

My Childhood Pokemon Quilt

2013-01-17T08:19:41Z

While doing some house cleaning I stumbled upon this gem from my childhood. Like many of my peers at the time, I spent my mornings before school watching the pokemon TV series on "Cheese TV". Although I enjoyed the show, I had no idea of the childhood obsession I was about to unleash until my parents gave me my long awaited copy of Pokemon Blue for my 10th birthday. When it came time to update my bedspread, it had to be Pokemon but there wasn't really anything available at the time. My mother suggested we make a Pokemon quilt and I was on board.