Friday, December 27, 2013

Recycled Map Bangle

DSCN2213.JPGYou will need:
Map
Glue Stick (does not need to be fancy)
Bangle Form (Use a bangle you already have to find something the same size. Mine is a coffee mug)
Decoupage medium (or liquid glue mixed with a bit of water)
Rotary Cutter (you can use scissors too, if you want)
Ruler
Board (to protect surface from blades
Memory wire
Scotch tape

*I got the idea for this from this instructable. I added a bit to make it more suitable for a larger size.

DSCN2195.JPGUsing the rotary cutter, cut strips 3/4" wide. I ended up using thirteen 24" strips.

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Veneer Pendant

necklace on.JPGThis is part of a series of pendants I have been working on for a little while now.  Its stack laminated veneer that you sand through to show the different layers.  picking out veneers.JPGFor this one not a ton of tools or materials needed and a lot of the stuff can pretty easily be replaced by something else you have handy 

Materials-  Veneer-? I tend to have a bunch hanging around the house and the shop, but some good contrasting colors really work well in this project.  If you don't have any lying around rockler has a nice bundle of assorted veneers here if you are looking for something specific Berkshire Veneer has a great selection, but you have to order a larger amount Glue-  I like Titebond II or Titebond III, but any carpenters/ alaphatic resin glue will work. Sandpaper- 150 grit, 220, and then 400 sanding sponge finish-  I used a vinyl sanding sealer (Lacquer Base)  and a Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer for a topcoat
Tools
Clamps a couple of flat blocks or clamping pads to sandwich the veneer between handscrew/vise coping saw/scroll saw rasps and files of varying aggression drill  razor blade/veneer saw/ very sharp saw

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30 Minutes Creepy Heart

Can't you get a date, even with a calendar? Women find you dark and mysterious, but not in the good way? The answer you hear from human females is "sorry, I have a boyfriend, and I don't think he likes to see you and me together", even when you were only asking for the restroom?

STOP PRETENDING YOU ARE A NORMAL GUY! Because you aren't. You are creepy. Period. But it doesn't have to be a problem for expressing your feelings and getting the attention of a nice lady. Remember: Johnny Depp was a nobody. But he started acting in "Nightmare on Elm Street" and people loved his bed scene. After that, most of his characters are dark, crazy or twisted. The result? All women say "I love Johnny! He's so... creepy, cute and sexy!".

So, the thing is simple: become an openly creepy cute guy. First step: start giving creepy cute gifts. Like ice statues made with your scissorhands, or some nice flowers you found on the cemetery. No, a collage made with her pictures and yours with the caption in red capital letters "You will be mine. In this life or the another" won't work. I tried it. Twice.

You can make a quick present using trash and give it to the lucky lady, showing that you are not only creepy, but also, creative and special! The only things you need are a small heart (I'm talking about a plastic one; so, please Gary... release that bunny. NOW!), a batteries operated toy (preferable with a very slow motion) and heaphones.

If you have the right materials, you can make this toy in one hour or less (I made it in 30 minutes).


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Make Your Own Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide and Beeswax

Make Your Own Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide and Beeswax

With the 4th of July coming up soon, plenty of you are probably going to be spending time in the sun. Instead of buying bottle after bottle of sunscreen, make your own.

WonderHowTo has a brief guide on how to make your own sunscreen. The key ingredient here is the zinc oxide. In sun screen, zinc oxide is used to scatter light waves in the UV-A spectrum. As Physics.org explains:

Sunscreens help to filter out UV radiation using a combination of two main types of active ingredients. Inorganic particles, such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, form a physical barrier, reflecting or scattering UV waves. Organic components meanwhile absorb UV rays and release their energy as heat.

The recipe provided may not have as great of a shelf-life as store-bought sunscreen, but you can get the ingredients for fairly cheap and make several batches from them. Check out WonderHowTo for the full recipe.

How to Make Your Own Non-Toxic Sunscreen at Home | WonderHowTo


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MouseController Records and Automates Mouse Actions

MouseController Records and Automates Mouse Actions

Windows: We love Autohotkey for its ability to automate keyboard tasks. Mouse movements are another thing, though. Thankfully, MouseController is up to the task.

The app records your mouse's movements and clicks in real-time. This means that when you play it back, your cursor won't just teleport across the screen, but will actually move exactly the way you did. We've featured simpler programs like Mouse Jiggler to do targeted tasks like keeping your screen on, but this app provides much more flexibility.

MouseController | via Addictive Tips

Zelda Musical Treasure Chest


The below materials are what I used, though this project is wide open to personal interpretation. My suggestion is to wander a hardware store and see what you can find. That's what I did.

Assuming you have all the tools already, you should be able to do this project for around $75, including the necklace that goes inside (closer to $50, if you already have stain and poly lying around).

Wood Related
* (2x) 1/4x2x4 oak board (actually 1/4x1.5x48)- $2.82 each
* 1/4x4x4 oak board (actually 1/4x3.5x48) - $5.75
* Wood stain - $5
* Polycrylic finish - $18

Hardware
* Decorative brass corner plates (4-pack) - $2.99
* Decorative brass hasp (5-pack) - $1.98
* Brass mid butt hinges (2-pack) - $2.47
* About 6-8 inches of brass jack chain (cut to length in chain aisle of Home Depot) - $0.63

Electronics
* Record-your-own-message greeting card - Around $6 at Hallmark
* Tilt sensor - $1.95 at SparkFun (buy two just in case)

Other
* Wood glue
* Brass tacks
* Electrical tape
* Black felt or foam for lining of chest (browse a hobby shop)
* Felt sticky feet
* Skyward Heart pendant - $22

Tools
* Circular or table saw
* Jigsaw
* Screwdriver
* Carpenter's square
* Sandpaper
* Adjustable clamps
* Brushes


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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Twitter Wants to Start Tracking You on the Web, Here's How to Opt-Out

In a blog post today, Twitter announced that they're "experimenting with new ways of targeting ads," which is their way of saying they're planning to track you around the web—even when you leave Twitter—and relay that information to advertisers to craft better ads. Here's how to opt out.

If this sounds familiar, it should. Twitter started experimenting with this kind of off-site tracking a year ago, only then it wasn't explicitly opt-out. Twitter already uses things like Follow buttons and social widgets on websites to see where its logged in users go after they leave Twitter itself, but now they're putting it in print, and that's actually a good thing.

Twitter Wants to Start Tracking You on the Web, Here's How to Opt-Out

To turn off Twitter's new tracking:

Log in to Twitter and visit your account settings page.Uncheck the box that says "Tailor Twitter based on my recent website visits."Uncheck the box that says "Tailor ads based on information shared by ad partners."Scroll down and click "Save Changes."If you have Do Not Track enabled in your web browser, you'll see the checkbox like mine above that indicates it's enabled and neither of the boxes should be checked.

On the bright side, at least Twitter is being above board with its changes (unlike Facebook when they started doing the same thing)—they say that users won't see more ads on Twitter, just better ones, as a result of the tracking.

At the same time, it's one thing to use data collected while someone uses your service to improve your advertising—it's another to continue collecting data when someone leaves your service in order to improve your advertising. Still, opting out is easy, and we suggest you do it as soon as possible. For more tips on how to protect yourself from this kind of tracking, check out our guide to stopping everyone from tracking you on the web, and the best browser tools to protect your privacy.

Experimenting with New Ways to Tailor Ads | Twitter Blog via Boing Boing