Convert Battery Powered Electronics to Run on AC

It is very rare to find a power supply that will perfectly match an electrical appliance unless they are sold together as a pair. So we are going to have to modify our power adapter to match the circuit that we want to power. The easiest way to do this is to use a variable voltage regulator such as a LM317. The typical configuration for this kind of circuit is shown in the picture above. This regulator uses two resistors to set the output according to the formula: Vout=1.25*(1+R2/R1).

For most applications this circuit can be simplified a little bit. The capacitors are only needed if your load circuit is sensitive to small power fluctuations. So in many cases, these can be eliminated. The variable resistor R2 is useful if you want to be able to power multiple different devices. But if you are going to use the power supply exclusively on one device you can replace it with a fixed value resistor. Wire the circuit as shown with Vin connected to the power supply and Vout connected to the circuit that you want to power. The regulator will bring down the output of the power supply down to the value that you set.

Depending on the power rating of your circuit, you may need to add a heat sink. 

Example:
My son's swing normally runs on four C size batteries. So I found an old power supply with a 9V 1000mA output. I figured that would be enough to replace the battery pack. Then I soldered together the LM317 regulator circuit with a 220 ohm resistor for R1 and a 820 ohm resistor for R2. These resistor values give an output voltage of 5.9V. (It would have been ideal to use a 240 ohm for R1 and a 910 ohm for R2 but I didn't have those values on hand) This output is still well within the operating range for a four cell battery pack. Anything between 1.25V and 1.5V per battery will usually work. Since the electronics on the swing just consists of a motor and a speed controller, I decided that the filtering capacitors weren't unnecessary and I left them off. See the following steps for the best methods for connecting everything together. 

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VW Taillight Lamp

As you may guess, I am truly a VW nut. My biggest problem? I will read VW books, magazines, catalogs, and manuals while in bed. If only I had a lamp... Then it struck me! Turn the spare taillight for my 1973 super beetle into a lamp! Now how cool would that be? To complete this instructable, you will need the following items: -1 VW tail light (in my case it was a 1973, but any model year from 1968-1979 should do. You could use a 1949-1967 light, but it would be much smaller and nearly impractical. -1 wood plaque ( get one a little bigger than your tail light.) -1 9 volt battery clip -Electrical wire -Small light bulb and holder -Toggle switch -Solder and soldering iron -Drill and drill bits -basic electrical knowledge (If you don't have this, don't try this project)

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Cardboard Floral Lampshade

Lamp shades are soooo much fun to make. The light effect is always a surprise, which is very exciting :) This instructable will show you how to make a cardboard lampshade with floral pattern sooo easily. It won't take more than half an hour.
So lets start!To make this lampshade you'll need:

1) White cardboard,
2) Scissor and anti cutter,
3) Pencil,
4) Ruler (to measure),
5) Super glue and white glue,
6) Lighting system (bulb holder, plug, wire, light bulb),
7) Golden glitter paint and paint brush (if you want to paint the flowers).

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colored comic book image on a wooden dog tag -easy laser printed transfer-

-item you want to decorate (wooden? but a lot of things could work for this)
>>If you don't live near a techshop, you can buy a blank wooden dogtag from my etsy shop =)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/152845115/blank-wooden-military-dogtag-dog-tag

-acrylic medium or gesso (modge podge probably too? it just needs to be not water soluble and pretty adhesive)

-laser print out (NOT INK JET) you can use all black OR color
---so, taking your favorite comic to the kinkos to make laser color copies would be awesome
!!!!!!Your image transfer will result in a mirror image of whatever your print out is, so if your image has text, or you are picky, you will need to flip your image over (ie with your computer before printing or with a smart photo copier). So when the transfer process flips it, it will flip back to its original state.

-nice paint brush or foam brush to apply medium or gesso
-water
-acrylic paint (optional)
-detail brush (optional)

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Whirlpool Penny Bank

My boyfriend and me are saving money for a wellness weekend. Whenever we make some extra money, he tells me to put it in the "pool" for the wellness weekend. So I decided to make a "real pool" to put our saved money in.

It's actually very simple to make and it looks really nice! It took me about 1h to make it (inclusive baking time of the polymer clay).

All you need is a metal box (like an old cookie box or something) and polymer clay.

I took FIMO which is a brand of polymer clay. You can shape it and mix colors like with putty, but after making the shapes you can put it in the oven, bake it and then its hard. The nice thing about it is, that it's not changing size during baking, so usually it won't form cracks or anything like that.

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Chinese Chili Tofu

NOTE: Please refer to the image above to have an idea about most of the ingredients:

Main Ingredient:
250 Grams Firm Plain (unflavored) Tofu. NOTE: If you want to try an Indian Fusion version, replace this with Paneer(Cottage Cheese)

For Batter 

4-5 tbsp cornflour 4-5 tbsp while flour  2 tsp soy sauce pinch of baking powder salt to taste 6 tbsp water

Other Ingredients:

Ginger Root about 1 inch 8-10 Garlic clove (if small) 4-5 (if large) 6-8 spring onions (mine were really small, see the picture) (Keep their greens separate for garnishing) 4-5 Green Chilies 1 Medium Size Green Bell Pepper 1 Medium Size Red Bell Pepper (OPTIONAL, replace with green) 1 Medium Size Yellow Bell Pepper (OPTIONAL, replace with green) 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp sugar 2 tbsp cornflour 1 tsp oil Salt to taste MSG or Ajinomoto OPTIONAL (Some studies suggest that they are unhealthy, but I think eating occasionally is ok, take your call) Red Chili Sauce OPTIONAL (if you want to make it hot)

Kitchen Tools:

Deep frying pan, Spatula with holes Kitchen Absorbent Paper A large bowl for batter A handy kitchen grater tool. A small bowl for cornflour mix.

Having yellow and red bell pepper will add natural color to our food, but if you don't have them, just use green ones.  It is absolutely Ok to increase of decrease some ingredients in this recipe, believe me it will taste just fine. Just cook it with love :)

Lets jump into the kitchen :)

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Hanging garden chair

This is a cross between a chair and a hammock, for use on sunny days in the garden or taking with you on a camping trip.  It is surprisingly comfortable and can be adjusted to give a fairly upright position (suitable for using a laptop) or a more recumbent one for lazing the afternoon away.  Similar chairs cost from £65 to £120 or more to buy, but you can have one for a fraction of the cost.  This is a good project for teenagers to make for Father's Day because everyone can contribute, whether it is with sewing skills, basic woodwork skills or tying a few knots. It should be easily made in a weekend.

My chair hangs just a short way above the ground, making it easy to get in and out of and allowing my feet to rest comfortably on the ground when I am in it.  You could hang the chair higher up but then you might need a ladder to get into it, which could be a hazardous exercise.  Some commercially available hanging chairs have a foot rest, which would be easy enough to add if you want to be well above the ground and don't feel comfortable with your legs just dangling. You will spin and swing around a bit in the wind if your feet don't touch the ground, but that is part of the fun. 

You will need

1.4 m (1 5/8 yd) of canvas (or other strong, rip-resistant, hardwearing fabric) that is at least 1.3 m (51") wide
Strong sewing thread
A reasonably powerful sewing machine fitted with a jeans needle and ideally a walking foot
2.7 m (3 yd) of 25 mm (1") wide webbing
A crayon, chalk or a biro
Ruler or tape measure
Strong scissors capable of cutting the canvas and webbing
Sewing pins
One 28 mm (1 1/8") diameter wooden broom handle, at least 1.2 m (48") long
Two 23 mm (7/8") diameter wooden broom handles, at least 1 m (39") long
10 m (11 yd) of 7 mm (1/4") rope from a climbing shop (check the breaking strain is well above your weight)
A length of thicker rope - length depends on how high up your tree branch is
A hand drill or power drill with 8mm and 10mm wood bits
A saw
Sandpaper
Teak oil or wood preservative
A carabiner capable of taking your weight plus the chair's (optional)
A suitable tree

Unless you live somewhere where the climate is dry, I suggest using canvas, webbing and sewing thread made from manmade fibres that will not rot if they get wet, because sooner or later your chair will get left out in the rain.  Opt for polyester or nylon instead of cotton if you have the choice.  Ideally, the canvas should have an open weave to stop rain collecting in it, but strength is more important than that.

Safety warning

The strength of this chair depends on the materials used and the quality of your stitching and knot-tying.  Mine takes an adult male weighing 11.5 stone (160 lb, 73 kg) with ease, but you may need to beef up the components if the user is substantially heavier.  When buying the rope and carabiner, check their load ratings.  Carabiner-type keyrings are NOT suitable.  Don't take chances, particularly if you want to use the chair to hang high above the ground.  Make sure the branch you hang it from is sound wood and thick enough to bear the weight of the occupant.  Remember that the load will be increased if the chair is used like a swing.  Check the stitching and knots every now and again, and certainly before using the chair after it has been put away for a while.

I have given suggestions for the knots to be used, but the best knot for a job depends on such things as the flexibility and slipperiness of the rope, its fibre content, construction and diameter as well as what needs to be connected to what.  If in doubt, consult a good book of knots or someone who understands such things - amateur sailors are usually good on knots. 

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