2012-05-24
2012-03-06
2012-03-03
2012-02-29
Rinse Berries in a Vinegar Solution to Keep Them Fresh Longer and Mold-Free [Food Hacks]
It's pretty disappointing to come home with fresh, scrumptious berries only to find them rotting and covered in mold just a few days later. Cook's Illustrated says a little vinegar solution can keep that fuzzy mold off your delicate berries and extend their life. More »
1. Wash berries in bowl with 3 cups water mixed with 1 cup white vinegar. Drain in colander and rinse under running water.
2. Place berries in salad spinner lined with 3 layers of paper towels. Spin for 15 seconds or until berries are completely dry.
3. Store berries in paper towel-lined sealable container, keeping lid slightly open to allow excess moisture to escape.
Squeezing the juice out of some AA batteries
[Ray's] breadboard power supply lets you drain the last traces of power from ‘dead’ AA batteries. Electronics that are powered off of disposable alkaline batteries have a cutoff voltage that usually leaves a fair amount of potential within. Since many municipal recycling programs don’t take the disposables (you’re just supposed to throw them in the trash!) we love the idea of squeezing them for prototyping use.
His design uses just one IC, the MCP1640, along with a handful of passive components. The chip is a boost converter with a startup voltage of just 0.65V, which means the batteries themselves – normally starting life above 1.5V – can be used until they drop to about 0.3V each.
Above you can see the kit he is selling. But it’s an open source project and the circuit is so simple we’re sure you can build your own. Add that boost converter chip to your next parts order for around $0.40.
[Ray] made a nice demo video for the device which you can see embedded after the break.
Filed under: tool hacks
How-To: Splice Wire to NASA Standards
Some commenters on Friday’s post about using a washer as a soldering aid noticed my sloppy splicing technique and were kind enough to educate me about the so-called “Western Union splice,” aka the “Lineman’s splice,” which is the preferred method for twisting solid-core wire leads together for inline electrical connections.
Developed during the heydey of the telegraph, the Lineman’s splice is designed for connections that will be under tension. It is commonly claimed that, properly made, a Lineman’s splice is stronger than the wires of which it is composed. In any case, it is a time-proven method, and, coolest of all, one of NASA’s Required Workmanship Standards. To wit, in a NASA-approved Lineman’s splice:
- The conductors shall be pre-tinned.
- There shall be at least 3 turns around each conductor and the wraps shall be tight with no gaps between adjacent turns.
- The wraps shall not overlap and the ends of the wrap shall be trimmed flush prior to soldering to prevent protruding ends.
- Conductors shall not overlap the insulation of the other wire.
Though the Lineman’s splice was originally used without solder, today soldering is common. And NASA insists on it:
- Solder shall wet all elements of the connection.
- The solder shall fillet between connection elements over the complete periphery
of the connection.
This material comes from page 84 of NASA-STD 8739.4, which is a great reference if you’re interested in best practices for interconnecting cables and wires. [Thanks, Alex Barclay!]
2012-02-28
How do I grow my own herbs indoors?
 | Growing your own herbs can add a new dimension to your cooking and give you the opportunity to save money by making your own herbal teas, tinctures and salves. Some people think herb gardening is an option only available to those who have access to a plot of land, but... |
2012-02-24
Use Sugar to Clean Greasy Hands [Clever Uses]
If you've ever had the pleasure of trying to clean off your hands after working on a car, bike, or other greasy equipment then you know that grease can stick around for days afterwards unless you really scrub down. Real Simple suggests using sugar as a hand degreaser that washes away the grease quickly. More »
2012-02-23
Rescue Your Cast Iron from Rust with Vinegar [Household]
We've discussed several ways to season cast iron here at Lifehacker, but what if your roomie let your cast iron soak in water overnight, or heaven forbid, put it in the dishwasher? Grab an abrasive pad and some white vinegar. With a little work, your cast iron will be as good as new. More »
2012-02-16
Build a Better Nerf Gun
There was no shortage of Nerf guns and other toy weapons in Simon Jansen’s geek-filled office, but none of them impressed Simon, so like any good maker would do, he decided to build a better Nerf gun himself. His coworker Lester had brought in the Nerf Maverick, and though he could load multiple darts, the accuracy and range left much to be desired. Simon knew one shot was all he needed if he had a superior weapon, and he was right. He shared his build instructions with us in the current issue of MAKE Volume 29, and we’ve shared the full build with you on Make: Projects. Let the games begin!
From the intro:
I made the pistol from PVC pipe, aluminum extrusion, and aluminum tubing, with wood for the grip and various pieces of metal and plastic, mostly from my junk box — and you can easily adapt the design to use what you have in yours. A sliding trigger and telescoping plunger keep the pistol short and compact. You’ll need a small metal lathe to machine some of the parts, but as there’s nothing too critical in the design, this is a nice project to hone your skills.
Here’s a breakdown of how it works:
1. To cock the gun, the user pulls back the (A) ring. This slides the telescoping plunger’s (B) inner rod back until its inner stop hits the inner rod (C) catch piece.
2. Further pulling draws the (D) piston back against the (E) compression spring, until the (F) catch wire clicks sideways into a groove in the end stop, holding the piston back in its cocked position.
3. The user may then push the ring back in, telescoping the plunger rod back with the pull ring just behind the (G) end cap.
4. Pulling the (H) trigger causes a (I) sliding plate to release the catch wire. The piston pushes forward and propels the (J) Nerf dart with air pressure squeezed from the chamber into the narrower barrel, rather than through direct spring action.
And here’s Simon showing how much his Nerf gun is better than the Maverick, by shooting a blindfolded Bender:
From the pages of MAKE Volume 29:
We have the technology (to quote The Six Million Dollar Man), but commercial tools for exploring, assisting, and augmenting our bodies really can approach a price tag of $6 million. Medical and assistive tech manufacturers must pay not just for R&D, but for expensive clinical trials, regulatory compliance, and liability — and doesn’t help with low pricing that these devices are typically paid for through insurance, rather than purchased directly. But many gadgets that restore people’s abilities or enable new “superpowers” are surprisingly easy to make, and for tiny fractions of the costs of off-the-shelf equivalents. MAKE Volume 29, the “DIY Superhuman” issue, explains how.
