ElectroFrank

For realy good heat dissipation, you could put copper plates (3mm ?) between each of the cells in the battery, sticking out a few inches each side for air flow.(Obviously, make sure electrical wires never come near them !-)(I am assuming the batteries do NOT have metal casings !)

Your opening statement: "This battery is meant to drive a 2500 Kilowatt Inverter . . ." That's a small power station ! I think you mean "2500 Watt" or "2.5 Kilowatt" !-)

1) Although you briefly mention it, may I suggest that you very strongly advise that the device should be placed above any possible place the rising water might reach (until the boat is totally sunk), and the greater altitude of the aerial will also increase it's range and reliability.2) Fairly obvious, but also say that the sensor should be placed as low down as possible, or (if the boat is already known to be slightly leaky) as low as the water level is acceptable.3) If the bow section is leaking slowly, it may be some hours before it reaches midships or astern. So, to detect water in whichever part of the hull is first becoming leaky, it would be simple to fit several sensors in wired in parallel, one placed in each section of the hull.

I second this. Damp environments encourage corrosion of metal, and electrical contacts particularly, because different metals are in contact with each other.An airtight sealed case (ideally with a moisture absorber packet inside) would be best.(One of those waterproof mobile phone cases (zip plastic bag type) would probably work if you seal the holes you make for the wires.)If you use an RC car battery pack, make sure it is Li-Ion, as the Ni-Cad batteries will self-discharge in a month or so.

I am very concerned about the safety of your fingers when working on the bandsaw. I suggest that every Instructable should encourage safe working in every way.

A very useful tool, but the correct term would be a Voltage Indicator, as it is indicating the presence of a voltage. It is doing exactly the same job as a voltmeter, just with less precision. (The fact that it takes a current is incidental to its function.)It does not detect a current in the car's circuit, but just like a traditional voltmeter, it takes a very small current from the circuit under test to power the indication.This is essentially the same thing that is sold in car accessory shops as a Voltage Tester, usually in the form of a screwdriver with a lead and probe.As ron1406 points out, regular LEDs have only a 5V reverse voltage tolerance, but just place a green LED in reverse parallel with the red one, and it will also show the polarity.

For the benefit of the very large proportion of the human race (including me) who do not know what a tailor's ham is (or what it does), please would you insert a reasonably full explanation in your introduction ? Many thanks !

With the base (alone) weighing 160 pounds, may I suggest putting it on castors ?Either drilled into the underside of the base, or with a wooden disc to make a dolly.In order to fine tune the spring strength, would it be possible to have a fixing that would slide along the pipe for adjustment ?Depending on the lamp type, it may only need an ordinary plug-in dimmer to adjust the brightness.

I am slightly concerned that I don't see anything about ventilation. If the secret room is (even close to) airtight, couldn't that be dangerous ?

Looking at the picture of your opened dump switch, wouldn't it be easier to just swap the positions of the two terminals ?

Thinks: if you lowered part of one of the L shaped sides, could you get a box with six different levels ?

There is a lot of room inside for motors and radio control gear. I would definitely include sound effects. There are probably ready made control units complete with all sounds made for radio controlled trucks. Don't forget the smoke unit for the exhaust !

Did you consider a handle for convenient carrying ?

The highest epitome of gnatty fashion.

I am not sure why you call it a puzzle. It appears that each crystal goes in separately, so what is the mystery ? I was expecting a hidden mechanism, requiring some combination of crystals to have to be pushed / pulled / tapped / twisted to release them.Maybe next time ? :-)

That's why (as the author stated) the dark glass must go in front of the objective lens, not over the eyepiece. It is designed to absorb light, so if bright light is focused on it, that part will overheat, expand and crack. In front of the objective lens, it is warmed evenly by the light, so does not crack.

Binoculars are gathering light from a narrower angle, therefore smaller binoculars provide a dimmer image than the naked eye would see. But what you say might apply to larger binoculars.

I agree totally. The box needs to have individual slots to keep the cells separate, or they will certainly short each other out (and die and leak horribly).

Magnificent ! (But I really do want a drawbridge !)Now just get some suitable soldiers, and this will be ideal for when visiting friends bring their small children, to keep them amused and within sight !

For safety, as cardboard is flammable, I suggest only using this with LED bulbs, which stay fairly cool.

For attaching the triangles, I recommend getting a BIG needle, and sewing it together with string.(Push holes first with a spike.) This has the advantage that you can easily maintain / upgrade / dismantle the structure.

With all the weight at the top, isn't it desperately unstable ?Perhaps if the figure were a monkey with a tail behind, it might be more stable.And I suspect pots on the edge of a table are at risk of being knocked off regularly.

Hi Manoel, Here I am, making helpful constructive comments for improvement.And there is you, just complaining about it ;-)

Lovely project ! But please may I suggest this could be done in less than 33 steps ? One sheet of card showing the dimensions of all the pieces would be a single step, as would the assembly of the figure !

There are many free online electronics courses. And many educational books with titles like "Basic Electronics"

For keeping dust out of the USB socket, search "USB dust cap", The heatsink would benefit from being exposed to the air (ideally with fins), so that it can lose heat.Have you considered a zoom lens function ? I find this a very useful ability for a flashlight.

You say, "be sure to pour the greasy water outside, and not down your sink drain."Does your "outside" mean on the garden ? Won't aggressive chemicals poison the soil and water table ?

I looked it up on Wikipedia, and as it is used in food preparation, I would guess it is fairly safe.

I looked it up on Wikipedia, and as it is used in food preparation, I would guess it is fairly safe.

I have successfully used modeller's paint stripper (which is primarily for removing paint from polystyrene without damaging the plastic).

Slightly puzzled, I had to look up the word "lovebot" on Wikipedia. I was so relieved to find it was not what I had assumed it might be !https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovebot

3D printing is a very slow process, so not generally useful for commercial production.In many countries, there are community projects (maker spaces etc) which provide these facilities.In Britain, some public libraries have 3D printers for public use.

3D printing is a very slow process, so not generally useful for commercial production.In many countries, there are community projects (maker spaces etc) which provide these facilities.In Britain, some public libraries have 3D printers for public use.

Illuminate your flowers with ordinary UV LEDs. They are cheap and easy to use, but do not give out enough UV to be dangerous. 12V UV LED strip is also available. There are Instructables on connecting and using LEDs.Attached: simple circuit for 3 UV 5mm LEDs to connect to a 12V adaptor.Ensure correct polarity. The long leg of an LED is the + positive side. Use "strawhat" LEDs for a wide angle of light. Use a 100 Ohm resistor to limit the current through the LEDs. (Or they burn out.) Shield the LEDs from the viewpoint for best effect.

For simplicity, 5mm flashing LEDs are very cheap and available in various colours.You can get bags of 100 for a couple of dollars on Ebay or far east sales websites.(But may take a couple of weeks to arrive.)

I like it. This will fit perfectly on top of the nuclear power station I am planning for my model railroad layout.To animate: a variety of brightnesses of flashing & flickering red / yellow / orange LEDs at several places inside the cloud.And together with dick55's explosion, add an assortment of distant terrified screams.

Perhaps a catch to hold the gripper closed when walking ?

For both these and rubbish sacks etc, attack the side of the bag first, the folds separate much easier than the top.

Finally disproved: the old proverb that says,"You can't have your cake and eat it."So does anyone have a recipe for edible filament ?

The toy you are thinking of is the "Tower of Hanoi".https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Hanoi

The trick I use is to cover clamps with food cling film to prevent them getting glued on.

The cup fitting hinges result in a door that only opens to 90 degrees. It is often much easier to use a cupboard if the door opens 180 degrees.

Please may I suggest design features for safety:1) Costume design - you must be able to swim well in the costume to escape from the sinking plane. (Test and practice in advance.)2) Plane design - it must be easy to escape from when in the water. You do not want to be trapped inside as it sinks.

The higher powered LED bulbs can die from overheating when used inside an enclosed space. (I have had this happen with G4 LED bulbs.) Therefore it may be helpful to have ventilation slots for airflow in the design. Or some kind of heatsink if using large SMT LEDs.

I suggest regarding the leather (or other) screen protector as essential. Otherwise you will definitely end up with a a very scratched screen. Although aluminium is a soft metal, it is covered with aluminium oxide (which is so hard it is used as an abrasive). Heatshrink tubing would work well, and is available in many colours.

Just an idea: wouldn't it be easier to finish the tops of the legs before assembling them to the side bars ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_and_tin_cans#Health_issues

The solvent for ordinary glue sticks is . . . wait for it . . . water !So just put a few drops of water in the stick and leave it for a while to soak back in.(Maybe a few days.) My experience is that this restores them perfectly.

On the www.aliexpress.com site, use the search box for "levitation module", there are many. Click "Sort by price" to put results in useful order.

A couple of questions:1) What is a "USB loader" ? Is this a controlled discharging device ?2) At what voltage is the Li-Ion cell considered fully discharged ? (Over-discharge will damage the cell, so this information is crucial.)And just to mention, because of the laws of physics, the total charge taken by the Li-Ion cell will be slightly greater than the charge you can take from it. (A cell is less than totally efficient.)

From personal experience of similar types, I greatly disagree with this design of bag.Having the zip straight along the middle of one side prevents the full interior space from being easily accessible. Based on the internal dimensions, you cannot get a rectangular box (anything like) that big into it. Even when filled with smaller items, the corner spaces are difficult to get to.Having a zip going around three sides of the top will enable the full internal space to be used, and allow much easier access to all the contents for loading and unloading.

For target portability, fix the two front legs together with a hinge, the rear leg to one of them. Then it will store very compactly.Or for extreme simplicity (and portability), drill a hole in the top ends of the legs and hold them together with rope. (Or even tie them together without holes.)Or put a long bolt (loosely) through the holes and locknut it.

Small error in the title, it should read:"Truck Tailgate Bike & Cat Rack"I'm sure the little fella loves his beautiful new fabric scratching area !

Needs the addition of some green plastic under the water behind it to give the impression of it's body, then a motor to make it swim around ! I just wish I had a pool :-)

Very nice creative effect, but I foresee a couple of likely problems:1) Knock it slightly when you walk past it, and crash go your pots.2) When the wind gets strong, it swings around, and crash go your windows.So may I respectfully suggest that heavy fragile pots are safer on a solid base ?

Yes, I missed that picture, really should put my reading glasses on !

Are you aware of these, which I think would do the same job :

Total Simplicity = Pure Genius

As I know very little about aquaponics, please may I check something ? Are the plants being fertilised by the fish poo in the pumped water ?

Magnet WIre (ECW, Enamelled Copper Wire) is commonly available in types with insulation that just melts when soldered, so no stripping is required. Search for "Solderable Magnet Wire".

Just a thought: when using hot water, won't you get burned fingers from touching the metal valve ?

Looks really good and useful. Consider patenting and marketing this, or getting royalties from manufacturers, (before someone else patents it and deprives you !)

In this context, what is a "floodplain" ?

ROFL . . . And just to demonstrate its diligence, it even changed the real word to the real world . . .I just love computers for their unceasing faithful friendly concern . . .(There may be settings you can adjust for spellchecker levels of "helpfulness" !-)

I think this would make a very good general purpose spudger. Consider creating a Ring Spudger Set with various shaped tips for opening phones etc ?

I would think that the job could be very well done by a regular scalpel, as the blades are razor sharp and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.Scalpel handles likewise, including versions that retract for safety.

You got "The Shack" ! One of the best movies I have ever seen !

If you reverse the one way valve, (or place it in the tube to the cylinders) you can reverse the system action to raise the plate.

This would be an ideal aid for people who have had a stroke, and can only use one hand and one foot.

Another possible problem is that some kinds of glass may crack under the heat of soldering.So it might be necessary to use some kind of heatproof glass.It would be good to see an update of this Instructable when you have completed building a circuit on it, and let us know which type of glass proves to be suitable to withstand the heat of soldering.

No. The resistor MUST BE IN SERIES with the LED. If connected as your diagram, it will immediately destroy the LED.

But this is a Faraday cage against radio frequency EMR, so electrical conductivity provides the shielding, and the purely magnetic qualities don't matter ?

The polygraph so-called "Lie Detector" is pseudoscience.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygraph

I strongly recommend using a boot to prevent the plug cable latch from breaking off (which is the primary cause of failure on these plugs !)For example:https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20pcs-Modular-RJ45-Cat6-Network-Cable-Connector-Plug-Boot-Strain-Cover-Caps-S-K/362228439085

It would be really interesting to make a cut-away model showing the interior mechanism. Perhaps with a tiny laser module to represent the particle beam ?Where can we download the blueprints please ?

The resistor will reduce the current through the LEDs, cutting down the brightness, and also thereby increasing battery life. A potentiometer (variable resistor) would provide an adjustable brightness control. I would suggest trying resistors in the range of 10 to 1 000 Ohms, or a potentiometer of 100 or 470 Ohms.There are many websites offering free courses in basic electronics, which would also help you a lot. As you are on the road to becoming an electronic technician (at least), I recommend you spend a few dollars on a basic multimeter.

The resistor will reduce the current through the LEDs, cutting down the brightness, and also thereby increasing battery life. A potentiometer (variable resistor) would provide an adjustable brightness control. I would suggest trying resistors in the range of 10 Ohms to 1000 Ohms, or a potentiometer of 100 or 470 Ohms. A selection kit containing a variety of resistors will last you a long time.There are many websites offering free courses in basic electronics, which would also help you a lot. As you are on the road to becoming an electronic technician (at least), I recommend you spend a few dollars on a basic multimeter.

The resistor will reduce the current through the LEDs, cutting down the brightness, and also thereby increasing battery life. A potentiometer (variable resistor) would provide an adjustable brightness control. I would suggest trying resistors in the range of 10 Ohms to 1 000 Ohms, or a potentiometer of 100 or 470 Ohms. A selection kit of various resistors will last you along time.There are many websites offering free courses in basic electronics, which would also help you a lot. As you are on the road to becoming an electronic technician (at least), I recommend you spend a few dollars on a basic multimeter.

All the LEDs in your set are in parallel, so you can disconnect or snip some off to reduce brightness and extend battery life. And / or put a low value resistor in one wire from the battery.You may like to try flexible LED strip as a light source. It is available in 12 V or 5V. The 5V strip works direct from a USB or power bank, but 4.5V (3 cells) will be good for your purpose. It is available in warm of cool white, and red, blue, green, yellow, or orange.

The same idea immediately occurred to me. The whole table could then be made from just three sheets of wood, one for the top, and the base from hollow overlapping rings taken alternately from the other two sheets. An iron or concrete weight tucked in the bottom would add stability. Alternatively, a shaped piece about half the size of the top could be screwed to the bottom as a foot.

Would it be useful to use a preservative to prevent the wood going rotten in a short time ?

Your issue with the pitching machine blowing its fuse is probably because electric motors take a much higher current when they start up or accelerate, than when they are running freely.

It would help everyone if you would give an explanation of this in the introduction. Reading all the way through the article the first time, I also thought the machine appeared to have only simple horizontal and vertical motion.

I have also successfully used this technique with a hacksaw, junior or senior according to the size of the clamp. A saw blade enables finer grooves, as the angle of a triangular file may be too blunt to cut finely enough.

Ah yes, I should have said, use the hacksaw blade at a 45 degree angle to get the sharp teeth you want. Only a very shallow cut is necessary to provide grip, as (I think normally) the moving jaw part is made of a softer alloy than the steel bar, so that the teeth can bite into it.

What do you add to the water to prevent the growth of algae etc ?

With respect, may I disagree with some points:Removing Wheels: Jack the car just enough so that the wheel is barely touching the ground, and it just takes a wiggle (no lifting !) and you roll it away.Cleaning Wheels: Don't use anything with bleach on alloy wheels, it will case corrosion !Grease on Rust: This will prevent rust remover getting to the rust when you try to do the job !Spare Wipers (etc): Why not just carry the new spare part in the car until you need it ?

A question occurs to me: how do you clean the corrosive flux from the inside of the joint ? Won't it poison the water if left there ?

Just to guess: This method scrambles eggs by spinning them, so maybe the egg rolling down a chute (eggway ?) would do the same thing ?

I had one of these about fifty years ago. The two spring pieces were connected by two little hinges riveted into holes through the steel tape at each end, preventing any protruding sharp corners, and allowing it to easily pop open when the ends were squeezed.

I second this comment. Small butane gas soldering irons are reasonably cheap, and the smaller ones are not much bigger than a lighter. And they are much safer and easy to use, and can be on for a much longer time. Very well worth having if you have to solder much out in the veld. You can also get 12V soldering irons in various sizes to run from your car battery. (Search "gas soldering iron" on Ebay or similar.)But conductive paint is expensive and takes time to dry before you can test the circuit.

In step 5, you need to add the temperature setting for the oven. Thanks !

Ready mixed mortar (for bricklaying etc) would be more appropriate.

No. That would be self-driving ambulances. Followed by self-driving hearses.

The aluminium oxide film that forms in contact with air is only few a few atoms thick, but this prevents further oxidation. Being thin, it is reasonably easy to get through, but this layer is very hard. Aluminium oxide (with a binder) is used in grindstones that will sharpen hard metals.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Chemistryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_oxide#Abra...

Aluminium is a good electrical conductor - but when exposed to air, the surface immediately oxidises, and aluminium oxide is an insulator. So to get contact, press the pointed tip of your probe slightly into the metal.

NO no no NO ! Keep the cable ends OUT of the water ! Just pour boiling water from the kettle over the coils to heat them up for about 30 seconds, then run cold water over them. Keep the plugs totally DRY ! Water in plugs will cause short circuits !(I always use this method to straighten out all the cables on things I buy that are usually folded and kinked.)

What is a "pocket screw" please ?

To avoid burning the plastic, reduce the soldering iron temperature by using a plug-in power tool speed controller or a lamp dimmer (regular dimmers are good up to 300W).You can also get soldering gun kits which include a plastic melting tip.Hold the sides of the split aligned with masking tape, then tack weld the sides in place before the main repair.Cut plastic from stiffening ribs elsewhere on the part to use as reinforcing filler.