ElectroFrank

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.

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.

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...

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.

This may seem obvious, but please would you add to the instructions:"DO NOT do this with a live round ! ! !"

I would guess that aluminium and copper will be difficult because they have high heat conductivity, the heat being dissipated (as in a heat sink) before it burns away (vapourises ?) the metal. So metals with lower heat conductivity (and lower melting/boiling points) will probably work best.

Please may I suggest you increase the intensity of your warnings about propane heaters ? They use up the oxygen inside a closed living space, and will soon therefore produce carbon monoxide, which is deadly. They should only ever be used in a space where there is good continuous ventilation.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide#Indoor_pollution

Some years ago, I read an instructable (or similar) about routing the engine cooling system pipes through a room radiator built into in the floor of a camper van (with a valve to shut it off in summer). This heat store kept the van usefuly warm all through the night.

It is wonderful to have a length of cord available for emergencies. But when the day comes that you need it urgently, won't this take a very long time to undo all the knots ?So is there a quick unravelling version of the paracord bracelet ?

Ah yes. I should put my glasses on. And that makes it reversible as well.

Ah yes. I should out my glasses on.

One end of the sandpaper strip has only its smooth side showing, so may I suggest a small improvement ?Cut the sandpaper strip in half, and glue the ends back to back to fit in the mandrel slot, then both sides will show grit to the workpiece. (Needs just a slightly wider slot.)

For many of these uses (and many others), you can buy releaseable (re-usable) cable ties, which have a finger catch for letting off the ratchet. They are very good for bundling cables, ropes, hoses etc, and quick and easy to take off.

The general safety principle is to work from the load back to the power source. This avoids the risk of live wires shorting out and causing fires or killing people. Basically, make (and check) all connections with the power source disconnected.

A little something to consider in choosing a site beside a river or lake: could it flood in the Spring ?

Nice machine. Would energy transfer (efficiency) be improved if the the water went all the way round the top, instead of the short cut across the bottom of the chamber ? (Like a turbine in a dam ?)Small technical point: your gearing increases torque, not power (and reduces speed). Gearing always reduces power, because of frictional losses.

Two-thirds of your power is being wasted in the resistor.(Don't take this the wrong way, but you need to pay attention to electrical theory !-)Three 3V LEDs in series can use exactly the same current as one 3V LED and a resistor, and you get much more light for your buck.Ebay has bags of 100 white 5mm LEDs for a little over a dollar.

Hi John, please tell me what a "harmonic drive" is ?

Increasing the voltage to the motor will increase the current taken by it. Putting a load on the motor increases the current taken by it.So when the motor is put under load with a higher voltage supply, the current drawn will be massively increased. (If the power supply has the capacity.)But if the power supply is then being overloaded, you can expect to blow a fuse or burn it out.You need to do your power calculations on the basis of the maximum current being taken under load. (Ideally the power supply should be able to provide (or almost provide) the motor's stall current.You may get away with a higher voltage on a motor for short periods, but if the drill has an electronic speed control system, you may burn that out.

This type of 3AAA flashlight uses the internal resistance of the cells to limit the current. Look at the battery voltage level drop when you switch it on.The Li-Ion cell has a much lower internal resistance, therefore can provide a higher current, even from a lower nominal voltage. (But it may burn out the LEDs quicker.)

The value you give: "1,10,000 micro Farad capacitor" is completely meaningless.Please would you check and correct this value ? Many thanks.

May I suggest a final stage ? When you have discovered the polarity, mark the positive end (anode) with a red dot from a fine fibre tip pen. Otherwise you will certainly drop it and need to test it again !

I have not seen these before. Please would you add section 10, How to use it ?I can imagine the saw running along the magnets, but how is it clamped to the bench or workpiece ?

Some telescopes and binoculars have a rubber eyecup which will slip firmly onto the end lens tube of some small cameras, giving quite good results.

More realism: Double layer your sandwich bags, put some crumbs and cheese in the gap, and - Let it grow, Let it grow, Let it grow . . .

Your suggestion of seawater may not be so good:1) Seawater contains so much salt as to be effectively poisonous - you have to drink far more fresh water to get the excess salt out of your system.2) Seawater contains all the things that humans pump into it - nuff said !-)

How is railroad chalk different to school chalk ?I have googled this but can find no answer (except perhaps the size of the sticks).

To protect the wire, I recommend two or three layers of heat shrink in successively shorter lengths and larger diameters to create a rat-tail grommet.But slide the smaller heatshrink up the wire BEFORE you solder, or it won't go over the plug.

When the nut is fixed to something, the rotation of the screw thread converts the rotary motion into linear movement. (Exactly the same as the fan belt adjuster on your car.)

The boost converter to 33V will not be needed if you put three 11.1 V batteries in series. This will save on efficiency and increase battery life.As you don't always need the maximum brightness, I suggest adding a PWM power control unit. (Small adjustable PWM modules only cost a few dollars.) This will increase battery life also. If you are out all night, you don't want 30 minutes dazzling brightness, and then to be left in total darkness !

Just a thought: A de-soldering iron (hollow element and bit), run from a power controller to adjust the temperature, and feed the filament down the tube ?No, hang on, I've just re-invented the 3D printer.

As I see it, this device will be only appreciated by terrorists, criminals and nasty little vandals who enjoy causing trouble to other people.Please bear with me if I am missing the point, but why would any normal decent constructive person want to make a gadget that does nothing but destroy other gadgets ?

Please would you add clear titles to your pictures to show which is a fake card and which is real ? Many thanks !

Just for your interest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheanineThe European Food Safety Authority EFSA advised negatively on health claims related to L-theanine and cognitive function, alleviation of psychological stress, maintenance of normal sleep, and reduction of menstrual discomfort.Therefore, health claims for L-theanine are prohibited in the European Union.

I'm a technician, therefore I'm required to sort out the engineer's glitches !

I'm a technician, therefore I have to sort out the engineer's glitches !

In step 1, you put "need noise pliers", but (with a little lubrication) could this be "needle nose pliers" ?

(Sorry but) another response to the "Always carry a knife" brigade !Try taking your knife on the airplane ! You will be spending time in lockup !Plane crash: you still have your paracord, now you can cut it, so this a useful Instructable !

It appears you have punctured the ball, so it will now quickly deflate.

Yes, that is the cheap Chinese copy of the "Unimat 1 Classic" lathe system (which I have)(and is about three times the price).

If you mean the little red and black thing, it looks like the motor unit from a Unimat Classic 1 modeller's lathe, with the accessory grinding attachment.

Li-Ion batteries are nominally marked as 3.6 or 3.7 V. When fully charged they show 4.1 to 4.2 V.When below (about) 3.3 V they should be recharged.(But can be charged anytime.)When disconnected from anything, they will normally hold their charge for months.(In a phone or anything with a clock function, they will slowly discharge even when it's switched off.)

One little bit of info might be useful to you - cacti & succculents like hot, dry bright conditions, but some mosses like shade & cool & damp, and will die in bright sunlight. (I speak from experience of moss gardening !)The fern (?) with tiny leaves used as a tree behind the bench works brilliantly - but I have never seen one like it. Do you happen to know what type it is ? Thanks.

I'm sure this Instructable is of great interest to car thieves. But it may tempt many foolish kids to become car thieves.Tell me Roman, how will you feel if this Instructable results in your car being stolen ?

A simple solution is a voltage converter, such ashttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262372224750?_trksid=p20...which you can power from any (sufficiently powerful) battery within its input voltage range, and set to your required output voltage. I would suggest a 12V lead-acid battery. For a laptop you might need additional smoothing on the convertor output, a big and a small capacitor across the terminals. For a smaller laptop supply battery, use an RC car type or power tool battery of (at least) similar physical size to your laptop battery. Or you could just buy a spare laptop battery, charge it, and keep it with you. (Doh !-)(But you will need to switch off the laptop when changing it.)