Engineerable

Lightwave bindings adapted to WLF Liquid Force kite board

Daniel Bauen — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:47:02 +0000

Lightwave makes a great pair of bindings, but after purchasing them, I realized that my Liquid Force WLF kite board uses non-standard 6.5inch screw spacing. The screws for the Lightwave bindings are spaced at 6in apart. The bindings have a metal plate through which the screws go through. I wanted to decrease the spacing to 5.5inch, because that would probably keep it stronger as opposed to widening the spacing more. I could just dremel the slot, but that would damage the metal support plate, and possibly make it too thin.

By removing the straps, I was able to use a flathead screw driver to pry up the foam that was preventing the metal bracket from sliding inboard.

Using a screwdriver, I was then able to slide the bracket inboard.

Below you can see the metal bracket slide halfway down the slots, inboard of the binding.

All that was left to do was dremel the plastic slot, which was easy work. The metal bracket remains undamaged, and hopefully so does the structural integrity of the binding.

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Leaning and Wheelbase Transforming Car

Daniel Bauen — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:51:50 +0000

This vehicle was inspired by the Carver One, and a prototype wheelbase changing vehicle that I saw in the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum.

It’s a 3 wheeled car, and like the Carver has one motorcycle like wheel in the front, and two car like wheels in the rear. The passenger pod tilts left and right to an angle up to 45 degrees. The tilting is actively controlled and based on several inputs; turning radius, speed, acceleration, steering input acceleration. The two rear wheels stay on the ground, and the rear, non-tilting compartment houses the engine (or electric motor and components).

At speed, the wheelbase is long, keeping the vehicle stable with a low center of gravity. For parking, or low speed maneuvering in confined spaces, the rear wheels and engine compartment move towards the front wheel, shortening the wheelbase. The passenger compartment rises to a more vertical position. In this position, the car can be parked in much smaller spaces, and directly into the sidewalk, rather than parallel parked.

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FlowCat – Litter Box Exhaust Fan

Daniel Bauen — Sat, 22 May 2010 20:50:35 +0000

CAUTION: Following these simple instructions may lead you to forget that you own a litter box, and therefore neglect to clean it. Please proceed with care.

I despise the smell of litter boxes. Even when cleaned well, the smell of cat litter can be overwhelming. It’s ok if you live in a large house where you can dedicate a utility room, garage, or basement to the litter box. In an apartment, it is often impossible to keep a litter box out of smells reach.

For that reason, I made this simple litter box exhaust, which draws a small amount of air out of a covered litter box, and blows it outside. The computer fan draws just enough air to keep odors from escaping the box. The hot/cold air loss to the exterior seemed to be pretty minimal, because there is no noticeable change in heating/cooling costs. It works so well that people would be surprised that there were cats in the apartment.

The computer fan is rated at 0.13A, so it could easily be run off batteries being charged from a small solar panel outside.

Cats are generally freaked out by noise and weird stuff in the litter box. The fan is so quite, and far enough away from the litter box, that the cats did not care in the least bit. They were actually a little curious as to the dryer hose sticking in the box.

I built this system years ago, but was prompted to put it up after seeing this:http://hackaday.com/2008/09/16/hack-your-littler-box/
The bathroom fan seems like overkill, especially considering the fact that they cannot leave it on all the time.

step 1Materials

1. Computer Fan
2. Plastic dryer hose
3. Sheet of Lexan
4. 2 Plastic cups that fit about 3/4 of the way into the dryer hose
5. Outdoor electrical junction box (which computer fan fits inside of)
6. Screws
7. Glue
8. 12 Volt wall power adapter

step 2Fan Box Construction

The fan housing consists of an electrical utility box.

1. Cut a square hole in the bottom of the box to accommodate the size of the fan.
2. The fan is mounted to the back using screws at the corners of the hole.
3. Since the back of the box will be facing the exterior, a screen is placed across the hole to prevent the entry of bugs.

4. A circle is cut in the cover of the electrical box (fan box) to accommodate one of the plastic cups.
5. Cut the bottom off the plastic cup, and push the cup through the hole of the electrical box cover. Glue in place.

step 3Mount Fan Box in Window

I mounted the fan box in a sliding window. There are many other ways to mount the fan box. If you want it to be permanent, you could just mount it through the wall using standard dryer fixtures. This just gives you an idea of one way to do it.

1. Cut a piece of Lexan to the appropriate size to fit in the window.
2. Cut a square hole in the Lexan. The hole should be the same size as the hole that was cut in the electrical box. I only cut 3 sides of the hole, bending the center piece out to create a mini awning to protect the fan from rain, etc.
3. Screw the electrical box to the Lexan window.
4. Mount the Lexan and fan box assembly in the window. (The pictures below show it with the dryer hose already installed)

step 4Install Dryer Hose on Fan Box

Slide the dryer hose over the plastic cup. It should get tighter as you slide it up further. Apply tape if it is too loose to stay on.

step 5Install Dryer Hose in Litter Box

1. Cut a round hole in the litter box lid. You should be only able to slide the plastic cup 3/4 of the way in. This will allow you to wedge the dryer hose in between the cup and the hole.
2. Pass the end of the dryer hose into the hole in the box.
3. From the inside, push the plastic cup into the dryer hose. Push far enough to wedge it tightly.
4. I covered the top of the cup with a screen to try to keep cat hair out of the fan. You could also use a filter, because the dust still goes through the screen. But the dust never damaged the fan, and computer fans are cheap.

step 6Power it up, and Test it Out

To power the fan, use a 12 Volt power adapter, and connect the leads to the computer fan leads.

Hope this improves your air quality, and leads to a healthier life. Enjoy!

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Logitech Unifying Mouse Receiver Integrated into Lenovo W500 Laptop

Daniel Bauen — Sat, 22 May 2010 20:29:05 +0000

The nano receivers that come with cordless mice are awesome, because you can leave them in the laptop all the time. Worked great on my Macbook, but it sticks out a little too much on the Lenovo Thinkpad W500. Therefore it gets caught when sliding the laptop into a bag, and eventually damaged my first receiver. I’ve always wanted to integrate the mouse receiver into a laptop, but could never justifying all the work for a proprietary controller. Finally Logitech has released a receiver that works with several of their devices, which they dub “Unifying Receiver”. It was time, but I didn’t realize that to get to the USB port contacts I would have to completely take apart the laptop. I’m very happy with the result and performance.

Had to unscrew the magnesium frame from the bottom of the laptop so that I could lift the motherboard to access the contacts for the USB port. Soldered the wires directly to the USB port contacts. This renders the USB port useless for other devices. The better way would be to solder a small USB hub inside the laptop, but I didn’t have one, nor did I want to deal with that.

Wires are taped down with a Kapton-like tape

Make sure to label the ends of the wires so you can identify them when soldering onto the reviever. Wires were passed through a space near the heatpipes. Hopefully they don’t get too hot to melt the insulation. I put a little extra tape there as insulation.

Wires trimmed and soldered to the receiver. Just long enough to allow the receiver to be positioned in a space under the plastic front near the keyboard.

Perfect space, and get’s great reception, because there’s no metal above.

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Trail Mix and Other Goodies Dispenser

Daniel Bauen — Sat, 22 May 2010 14:05:52 +0000

Sticking our grubby hands into the bowl of trail mix has probably increased our immunity, but I finally had a chance to make something better with a scoop. Unsatisfied with the dispenser offerings at the store, I resorted to making my own, as usual. An airtight container is key to keeping the trail mix fresh. I was tempted by the hopper type dispensers that had a twist knob which dispensed measured amounts every time the knob was turned. However, the inexpensive ones ($50) looked cheap, and didn’t seam to have a good airtight seal. Nor did I believe that they would be able to handle some larger items in the trail mix. These Clik-Clak containers provide a nice airtight seal, but still have a quickly removable lid. To test out my idea about how the plywood stand would work, I first made a cardboard template, used it to adjust the dimensions, and then as a template for the plywood.

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Speed Reduction for a Belt Drive Sewing Machine

Daniel Bauen — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:37:36 +0000

Every time I use a sewing machine, it’s for some really thick or tough material that requires a lot of punching power, and is easier to sew at a slow speed. Most machines run a little too fast for my purposes, and don’t develop enough power at slow speeds. They rely on speed by building up inertia in the flywheel to provide the necessary power to sew through thicker fabric. In order to lower the speed and increase the power, the motor needs to be geared down. Since most old sewing machines use a belt, this is not difficult to do using a double pulley system. My sewing machine is a 1950s Nechi BU with zigzag stitch.

A secondary double pulley is required to link the two belts and create the speed reduction. The first thing to do is create a mounting bracket for the pulleys. This bracket attaches to the sewing machine using the same mounting screws as the motor. I created slots in the mount to be able to adjust the belt tension between the motor.

The following piece is pivoted on the first, and permits the second belt going between the double pulley and sewing machine pulley to be tensioned.

The double pulley is machined as two parts, the small and large pulley independently. Both pulleys have brass bushings pressed into them. They are connected together by two pins crossed drilled into the pulleys. A shoulder screw acts as the pulley axle.

Overall, this works pretty well. The only downside is due to the round rubber belts that are used as standard sewing machine belts. These belts are very stretchy, and the drive feels kind of mushy when you are sewing. It is also difficult to reverse the machine using the handwheel, in other words, it doesn’t back drive very well. I need to find belts that have little stretch, more similar to automotive belts. Another option would be to use a chain drive from the motor to the large pulley on the double pulley, and then a belt from the small pulley to the sewing machine.

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iPad Leather Case

Daniel Bauen — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 05:43:30 +0000

This is my first attempt at making a leather case for the iPad. It’s also the first time I’ve worked with leather, so it’s kind of rough and unfinished, but that’s how I like it. Thanks to John Sanders from www.joxasa.com for helping me pick out the leather and excellent design advice.

I started out with a full frame around the edges, but due to the flexibility of the leather, the center parts of the frame tended to lift up, so it didn’t look or work very well. I cut the center of each edge away at angles from the corners, so that the iPad is only held in by it’s corners. This retains the iPad very well, but I can’t easily slide it in and out of the case like I had originally planned. Once the iPad is in case, it’s not coming out anytime soon. The edges are left wide and unfinished for a rough appearance, and added drop protection… Hopefully.

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Electric Violin Wall Case

Daniel Bauen — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:41:31 +0000

The NS Designs Violin is practically a work of art by itself. Unfortunately, the case it comes with is not so practical. As with any violin, the shoulder rest must be removed when the violin is stored in the case. Installation/removal of the custom shoulder rest requires tightening/loosening two thumbscrews, sliding the shoulder rest post out of the violin’s body, and folding the post flat with the shoulder rest. That’s not difficult in itself, the problem is that every time the shoulder rest is reinstalled, it has to be repositioned the same way, which is not easy with 3 degrees of freedom. Etching some markings would make it a little easier.

The violin is used at home the large majority of the time, so the solution was to make a storage case which did not require me to remove or reposition the shoulder rest.Due to their solid wood body design, electrical violins like this one are less susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature. Thus storing it outside the case is not a problem. Still have to be cautious, especially if the bow is stored outside the case.

I had an old violin case that was in terrible condition. I think it’s the case from my first violin. The interior fabric was pealing off, as was the vinyl on the exterior. I was afraid to see what kind or crappy wood the case was made off. Surprisingly it was reasonably good looking plywood. But the adhesive used to attach the fabric took a lot of sanding to remove. Using a small random orbit sander and lots of hand sanding, I managed to remove most of the glue residue.

In order to accomodate the shoulder rest, a cutout in the back of the violin case had to be made. I also built a box which is glued to the back, and lifts the bottom of the case away from the wall.

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Flashback – Backpack, Camelbak or Jersey Integrated LED Bike Flashers

Daniel Bauen — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:21:17 +0000

I often ride bikes that end up not having working LED flashers, either because it’s a friends bike who doesn’t believe in safety, mountain bike, or the batteries are dead again. Since I always bring my camelbak with me on rides, I designed some LED flashers that are integrated into the bag.
Some of the advantages that I have found to this system are:

- The lights are higher up, for better visibility then flashers attached below the seat.

- Waterproof. I’ve thrown the whole bag in the washing machine with the flashers attached.

- Flash timing between the 2 flashers is out of sync, creating an eye catching beat frequency strobing pattern.

- Single 2AA power source.

- Angle provides excellent side and rear visibility.

- They’re always there when I need them.

- Don’t need to buy separate flashers for each bike, if you have more then one.

- Could be sewn on to a bike jersey.

- You can blind the biker behind you.

Materials

- The LED flashers were purchased on sale at Electronics Goldmine for $1.50. The housing turned out to be the worst cheap plastic, and the lens barely held on. However, the LED’s were some of the brightest I had seen. They are actually daytime viewable. I didn’t purchase these for this project, but since the LED’s were so bright, and the board was tiny, they were perfect. They have so far survived 2 years of abuse and machine washing.

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G15411

- Scrap Polycarbonate – the approximate thickness I used measures 3/32 (probably sold as 1/8in) and 7/32 (probably sold as 1/4 in)

- Wires – 6 approximately 6 inch small gauge wires

- One small switch. I used a smt click switch.

- 5 minutes epoxy

- Strong thread to sew the flashers onto the bag. Preferably an industrial grade thread, like something used to sew leather.

El cheapo LED flasher. Very bright though!

Dissassemble the Cheapo Bike Flasher

1. Pry off the lens, or as in my case, just turn the light over and it will fall off.

2. Unscrew the one screw holding the PCB down to the plastic housing.

3. The power and switch contacts on the back of the PCB are not soldered on, they are just touching. Take note as to where the positive, negative, and switch terminals are. You will need to solder wires to each one of these points.

Make the New Polycarbonate LED Housing

The new housing is made of scrap polycarbonate. It doesn’t take much. The thicker piece will be the back, and the thinner will be the front. One of the housings is different, because there is space for the power/mode switch, which controls both lights.

1. Cut one set of matching rectangles out of the two different polycarbonate thicknesses. Thes rectangles should be about 0.2 inches wider then the PCB on all sides. Mine measures 0.75in by 2.5in.

2. Use a dremel tool to carve out the thicker block such that the PCB with the wires behind it will comfortably fit inside.

3. Drill 5 LED diameter holes in the thinner polycarbonate. Make sure that these holes properly line up with the LEDs and that the cases line up when assembled.

4. The other housing needs to be made longer (2.75 in) for the switch cutout. I used an smt click switch.

Create the Hookup

Time to solder the wires to the PCB.

1. Solder the power wires, positive and negative battery contacts.

2. Temporarily connect the power wires to the battery. Using a multimeter, measure which side of the power switch contact is positive. Solder a wire to the positive side of the power switch contact. This is the switch wire.

3. Drill a hole in the back case for the wires to exit through.

Note: The flasher module with the switch in the housing needs an extra wiring step to connect the switch. After soldering a wire to the positive side of the power switch contact, wire the switch across the switch contacts on the PCB. When the two switch wires are connected together between the modules, the switch will turn them both on and off simultaneously.

4. Temporarily connect everything together to make sure that it functions properly.

Glue It Up and Drill Mounting Holes

Gluing everything together with epoxy will create a water tight seal.
- Spread some epoxy around the LEDs themselves to seal the LED holes.
- Partially fill the PCB cavity in the polycarbonate back piece, and put some epoxy between the front and back pieces.
- Clamp the two halves together until the glue is set. Make sure the wire hole is properly sealed with epoxy.
- Put epoxy around and behind the switch, but be careful not to get any in the switch.
- Drill a 1/8 in diameter hole in each corner of the polycarbonate block. These holes will be used to pass thread through to sew the modules onto the bag.

Sew it On the Bag

This requires the most basic sewing skillz, so don’t worry. I sewed the lights onto my Camelbak Blowfish. It has a small front pocket that is perfect for the battery pack and wires. The wires lead directly from the light blocks into this pocket.

1. Position the light blocks near the bottom of the bag. Since you are probably not sitting straight up on a bike, have someone help you figure out at what position the lights will have the best visibility. I found it was near the bottom of the bag, such that when I lean over into my normal riding position, the blocks are almost vertical, which means that the light is being projected out horizontally.

2. Punch a small hole through the bag. I heated piece of metal (like a not so hot soldering iron) will make a nice small hole that won’t rip. Pass the wires through this hole.

3. Sew the light blocks on using the holes in the 4 corners. Thread the needle through the hole and into the bag a bunch of times until you have a secure wrap. Tie off the thread on the inside, and put a drop of superglue on the knot to keep it from coming undone.

4. Inside the bag, connect both positive wires together, both negatives, and connect to a 2 AA battery pack. Connect both of the switch wires together.

5. Push the switch, and if everything is wired up right they should both turn on. Keep pushing the switch to scroll through the different flashing modes.

Enjoy, and Ride.

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Towel Rack

Daniel Bauen — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:53:21 +0000

I needed a towel rack to fit on the back of the door, and allow the towel to be slipped off the end. This makes it easy to grab the towel or hang it up just by sliding it off or on the end. I had scrap dowel like pieces of nice outdoor wood from a broken patio umbrella. That would be useful for the bar from which the towel would hang. The support for the bar was made from other scrap wood ends.

These are the individual components. I used some scraps of wood for the mounting block, and the long stick came from the frame of a broken outdoor patio umbrella.

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