Showing posts with label Simple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simple. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Simple Beer #1

My uncle was a master brewer, and I must own up to being a bit of a beer snob, so I have wanted to brew my own beer for some time. I even bought myself some equipment, but I was held back by information. 

Too much information. It turns out that there is an awful lot of very detailed information out there, probably quite a bit of it written by men in Arran sweaters who know what sparging is without looking it up. Unfortunately,  they often forget that some brewers have only just started, and wouldn't know a sparge if it climbed out of the barrel and bit them.

My uncle has been dead for some time, so I couldn't ask him.

Eventually, I realised that I was guilty of over-thinking the problem.

I decided to keep it simple, and brew a craft beer suitable for sharing with friends at a barbecue. 

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Please remember that I am not an expert brewer, and that this is not "the" way to brew beer.  This is just documenting what I did for my first batch.  If you follow my example, you should produce something drinkable, from which you can experiment to find a beer that is perfect for you.

I should also point out that I am brewing this in the UK.  Here, we expect beer to have flavour. Proper beer does not need to be chilled to near freezing-point to be drinkable.  If you think that beer is yellow, cold and fizzy, then you are about to embark on a learning experience that will result in you growing up a little as a beer drinker.

Beware: it is difficult to accurately know the strength of home-brewed ales - drink responsibly, and do not drive or operate dangerous machinery after even a single glass.


View the original article here

Friday, December 13, 2013

Maraschino Is a Simple Web Interface to Manage Your XBMC Home Theater

Linux: If you've built the home theater of your dreams and it's powered by XBMC, Maraschino is a simple, open-source front-end that's web-accessible and makes managing your media and downloads super easy.

Your HTPC probably pulls double duty as a media library and possibly even a downloading machine. If it does, Maraschino gives you a simple web interface you can use whether you're on your tablet in front of the TV or at a computer far away from your home to play media, organize your library, anbd start/stop/control your downloads. Maraschino can control your XBMC machine, other XBMC servers, Usenet downloads via SABnzbd+, and it can search Usenet for new downloads and start them while you're not around. It also features uTorrent and Transmission modules to control those applications, a Sickbeard module so you can browse upcoming TV episodes and manage those downloads, and more.

You'll need XBMC Eden installed for Maraschino to work, and it's remarkably similar feature-wise to previously mentioned HTPC Manager, although Maraschino seems a little more lightweight and easier on the eyes (if not a touch feature-poorer). Either way, it's free, customizable, and easy to install. Hit the link below to give it a try.

Maraschino

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Simple Leather Purse

Here are instructions for a simple leather purse. No sewing is required, just some leather cutting (which is easiest if you have access to a laser cutter) and some lacing.

The purse is about 9" x 9" x 3" when finished.

Materials required (all are available at Tandy Leather)
1) leather (I used a large scrap of vegetable tanned leather): $20
2) lacing (I bought a 35 yard roll of lacing, but only about 3 yards were needed for the purse): $35
3) a lacing needle ($5-$10)
4) a razor (for cutting lacing)
5) a laser cutter (if you don't want to cut the leather by hand)

Attached are four files with the specific pattern I used:
1) a .dwg file (autocad file) at full scale (inches)
2) a .dxf file at full scale (inches
3) a 1/4 scale pdf with a few dimensions
4) a 1/4 scale pdf with no dimensions

I made it at Techshop: http://www.techshop.ws


View the original article here

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Simple Plywood Desk (Desk 1.0)

This is my first instructable, a plan for a simple plywood and 2 x 4 desk that I designed and made several years ago.

The idea was to use a single sheet of hardwood plywood, and some basic hardware to build this desk for between $75 and $100. It could probably be built for less if you changed some of the materials.

Unfortunately I didn't document the build process at all, so I only have pictures from several years after it was built, and some pictures of a much larger version that I built later. I've included pictures of the other desk (a similar design), and the completed desk as it is today.


View the original article here

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Arduino - Simple Simon Says Game

1.jpgIn this instructable, I will show you how to make a simple Simon Says Game using an Arduino. it's not just simple but we can get a psychological benefit. I have a bad memory to remember something fast or a new things. So this project really suitable for someone like me. hahaha

We're gonna using some basic electronics built on top of an Arduino. When the project is finished you will have a working simple circuit that fun to play.

Please vote for me for Arduino Contest and Kit Contest , Thank you so much :)

This is the video of my Arduino - Simple Simon Says Game
(change the quality for a better view)

22.jpgHere is all you will need:
(1) Arduino UNO R3
(4) LEDs (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow)
(4) Push Button (small)
(1) PCB Matriks / Perfboard
(1) Speaker 8 ohm (0,5 watt)
(4) 100 / 330 ohm resistors
(1) 9V battery
(1) 9V battery box with on-off switch
(4) Spacer 0,5 cm
(1) Project enclosure (I'm using "Kitchen Ware" box)
- Breadboard
- Shrink tubing
- Jumper wire
- Rainbow wire (optional)
- Male header extended
- Blackhousing / female 1x1 header (optional)

Tools:
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Hot glue
- Mini drill
- Pliers
- Cutter
- Helping hands (if you don't have it, you can build it from my helping hands instructable )


View the original article here

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Photoful Makes Photo Organization on iOS Simple with Gestures and Tags

Photoful Makes Photo Organization on iOS Simple with Gestures and Tags

iOS: One of the new features in the upcoming iOS 7 is a brand new photo organization tool that should help improve the clunky photo organization on iOS 6. If you want a similar experience right now to what's coming in iOS 7, Photoful is a new app worth a look.

Photoful uses gestures, tags, and date stamps to organize your photo library as easily as possible. By default, Photoful separates albums by day, but you can easily create a gallery by simply sliding your finger across photos. Want to delete a photo? Just swipe to the left. It's intuitive, and the nice thing is that it all integrates directly with the default Photos app so you don't need to worry about importing photos or doubles. It's also free, so it's worth a look if you'd like a more intuitive way to manage photos on iOS.

Photoful (Free) | iTunes App Store


View the original article here

Friday, November 1, 2013

Simple 18dof Hexapod, Arduino nano (optionally with pololu maestro)

hexapod.JPGHello,
Here is a simple hexapod that can be built by hand very quickly. The mechanical design is not great, but it is very much in the KISS (keep it stupidly simple) style and should be doable in a weekend for builders of novice to medium experience.

I won't be improving this project any time soon, and people seem to visit my blog from pololu, so I thought I'd go ahead and document it as is. I built this for a sophomore mechanical engineering class at MIT. The wires and six legs make it look complicated, but since the legs are just the same thing repeated 6 times, it's simpler than it appears. Additionally, I did not implement remote controls so all the code runs autonomously (zero input, multiple output system).

Again, this is documentation of the exact steps involved in a semi-working project. No theoretical underpinnings for designing your own hexapod are really explained here.

A complete picture set of the build process exists here: 2.007 Hexapod (Spring 2011). The first few pictures on there are from Aluminum Hexalinkagepod, based off of the Parallax boebot hexapod.
A set of blog posts exists here: http://orangenarwhals.blogspot.com/search/label/hexaringapod
I would specifically recommend this post: http://orangenarwhals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dreaming-of-dancing-hexapods-2007.html
A video explaining the design process in 7 minutes (this instructables goes into the construction but not the design): http://youtu.be/qTh-OGA_LeM 
and here is a video of it at the end:


Required items (hardware):
~ Vertical bandsaw (unless you have a lot of patience with a razor)
~ 1/4'' plastic sheet (any reasonable thickness such that the plastic is fairly rigid is fine. I used 1/4'' ABS)
~ About 6'' of 
~ 18 R/C servos (I recommend standard size, I've seen hexapods with the tiny 9g servos, but I think that it would be hard to cut out the holes for such servos by hand), complete with the "+" shaped servo horns and servo center screws that should come with the kit.
I used 6 Hitec-311 and 12 Vigor VS-2 servos because that was what I could scavenge for.
~ Screwdriver
~ 4-40 bolts and locknuts (about 36 of them), or whatever bolts fit through your servo flange holes (the side holes). At least 3/8'' long (enough for the 1/4'' plastic or Al and a locknut to fit on there).
~ Drill and drill bit, ideally also a drill press
~ Ratchet or socket wrench for 4-40 bolts
~ Ideally, a vice or clamp
~ Ideally, a horizontal bandsaw
~Optional: Scrap 2x4 wood
~ Measuring instrument, ruler or vastly preferably calipers
~ Optional: Deburring tool

Required items (electronics): 
~ Arduino nano + breadboard + male headers (for the servos)
~ Either 6 Y-splitter servo cables or a pololu serial servo controller (because the default arduino library only supports 12 servos). I bought an 24ch one, but obviously didn't need all 24 ch, not sure why I did that. >.<;; but I am a conservative person and tend to make large purchases just in case. I'm working on fixing this.
I guess another option is to use an arduino mega.
~ Laptop and usb programming cable appropriate for your flavor of arduino
~ Male Headers
~ Jumper wires (or single core wire
 suitable for breadboards)
~ Potentially some servo extension cables, female-to-female (and you stick headers in them to make them female-to-male) will come in handy.
~ Breadboard (probably a standard 700 point one is best if you are putting the nano onto the breadboard)
~ Battery pack (I recommend a rechargeable battery flavor of battery pack, as the 18 servos are power hungry)
~~ so you could use a 4xAA battery pack and it'd be fine (the servos are nominally 5V servos but they will run fine at 6v, they will just be a bit twitchy because their circuitry/feedback+controls are designed for 5v use), but if they were alkaline batteries (~3000mAh) they would run out after an hour or less of use

~~alternatively, use a LM7805 chip to regulate a lipo battery pack, which runs at 7.4v, down to 5V. These linear power regulators dissipate the extra energy as heat. For how to use one, please google "7805 tutorial". For instance, see: http://jumptuck.com/2011/11/15/voltage-regulation-friend-7805/.

Time required: 1 weekend if you just follow my design. I encourage you to design your own hexapod though, once you see how easy it is!

What I used also included a 2.007 (that's a course at MIT) carrier board (looks like https://sites.google.com/site/2007arduino/). This just brings the servo pins out for easy access, as well as has a built in breadboard and a switching power regulator* that can supply up to 3A at 5v, which is probably enough for the 18 servos. It seemed to function a-okay, but my code only ever had 6 servos moving at any given time.

I also made my own battery pack out of some Sanyo UR18650U batteries that were donated to MITERS by Tesla. They are 3.6V, so I made a 2-series, 3 parallel battery pack for a 7.2V 3.3Ah battery pack. This is obviously overkill. At 3.3 Ah and continuously drawing 3A, I could run my hexapod for over an hour. I've found that 10-20 minutes is plenty of runtime for hexapod.

*as opposed to a LM7805 linear power regulator, a switching power regulator is much more efficient.

Note:The hexapod CAD files are for Solidworks 2012 and do not detail nuts and bolts, they are for reference only. I also made a diameter versus radius error on the body, so the body is too big. 

DSCN2177.JPGWe'll be using paper templates to mark out six of the same thing (six legs).

My tibia ended up (after a few iterations) being 1.4x3.75 inches, with holes marked appropriately for where the servo horns would go.

My coxa ended up being 1.42x4.83 inches, with an appropriately sized hole cut out for the servo. The curve on the leg is an arbitrary "it looks nice" curve I cut out directly on the bandsaw (I started out with rectangular legs).

The CAD model you see in the pictures is a later and better (read: smaller and lighter, more appropriate for the servos) revision than the paper templates, and should give you some idea of how it the hexapod is assembled. So ignore the dimensions written on the paper template in the pictures.

Once you are done making the templates, mark them onto the plastic sheet in preparation for cutting. For marking the holes, sharpie bleeds through paper so just line the paper templates up with the plastic and mark the template with sharpie and it should show up on the plastic. I actually cut the legs out and then marked the holes; you can do it in any order.


View the original article here

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Newsvibe Is a Simple, No-Nonsense Web-Based Feed Reader

Newsvibe Is a Simple, No-Nonsense Web-Based Feed Reader

If all of the Google Reader replacements you've tried are too bloated or weighed down with features you don't really use, Newsvibe may be a solid alternative. It's fast, free, and sparse—which means it's just you, your feeds, and your starred articles.

Newsvibe is free to use and free to sign up for. You can import an OPML file (like the kind you would get from Google Takeout) to bring your feeds into the service, although I had to try a couple times to make it work. Once imported however, your feeds show up individually on the left side of the page, along with the option to see all articles, unread articles, and shared articles. That's about it. Click a headline to expand it down, double-click to open the article on its site. Star it to add it to starred articles.

That's where Newsvibe's features stop—there's no sharing options, no mobile apps, no browser extensions, nothing fancy. Depending on your needs, it could either be entirely too feature anemic or elegantly minimal—if you need those extra options, it's not for you, but if you're looking for something simple, fast, free, web-based, and available on any web-enabled device, it's worth a look.

Newsvibe


View the original article here

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Laser Cut Mold Simple Project

This project is an intro to the concept of laser cut mold making. It will allow you to do a small test project before tackling the Intermediate Laser Cut Mold Project.

Skills gained and reasons for doing the Simple Project first:

1 - Test the etch settings on your particular lasercutter with PETG and folding joints
2 - Experience with taping a simple leak free joint 
3 - Experience with entire process and concepts utilized with laser cut molds

Tools Needed: 

1 - Laser Cutter
2 - 2x Mixing Buckets
3 - Paint Stir Stick
4 - Kitchen Scale (weighing out casting material and water)
5 - Funnel
6 - Exacto or Utility Knife

Materials Needed:

1 - Plaster of Paris or your preferred gypsum based casting material (We use Ultra-Cal) 
2 - .030 or .040 PETG Sheet  Approx. 10" x 10" (This gives about 1" margin on all sides)
3 - 6mm or .25" MDF Approx.. 10" x 10" (This gives about 1" margin on all sides)  
4 - Duck Tape 


View the original article here

Friday, July 26, 2013

Saturday, July 13, 2013

DIY Infinity Ring - Simple!

mainimageplain.jpgYou only need a little bit of wire, a round nose pliers and wire-cutting tool to make this cute infinity ring! It is simple to create and looks great! You can also modify this to make an infinity bracelet - which I would have done if I had a silver chain to do so!

Materials: Wire (I believe what I used was 20 gauge) Round Nose Pliers (the one I have is a 3-in one tool) Wire Cutters You'll also need something like a marker or highlighter - something round to wrap the wire around to form the shape So, take out your pliers and grab a hold of the end of the wire and turn inward to form a loop. After doing that, remove the pliers and place it back on the wire to form another loop (please see images for a greater understanding). Bend and flatten as needed, as you go along. Try to get the two loops to look symmetrical. Then, cut off the end of the wire. Push in, bend and flatten anything sticking out - with the pliers.

Next, to form the ring - you'll need to cut another piece of wire - a few inches long to be safe. Then use a highlighter or marker (something comparable to the width of your finger) and wrap the wire around it to form a ring-like shape. Don't go all the way around - leave an opening at the top.

Take the infinity pendant you made and take the piece of wire and thread the wire through the right loop - and use your pliers to carefully bend it over and under - to form a closed loop. Next, try the ring on - to see how big or small you need it to be. You can now snip off the end excess wire - if it is too long. But, be sure to leave enough wire to bend over to form a final closed loop.

To do the final closed loop for your ring, it's a good idea to put the whole thing back onto the marker or highlighter -so you have it keeps its round structure as you create your final closed loop.

After that's done, just clean it up - bend or reshape as needed to give the ring a consistent round shape.
You're done!!! So simple - so cute!


View the original article here

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Simple Sliding Knot Bracelet

Hi Everyone!  Ready for something quick and easy? In this Instructable, we will make a

Simple Sliding Knot Bracelet with an Antique African Coin

This bracelet is totally adjustable and can fit just about every wrist, depending on how much cord or string you use.


View the original article here

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Turn Your Records Into Wall Art with A Simple Strip of J-Trim

Turn Your Records Into Wall Art with A Simple Strip of J-Trim

Records don't just hold music—those album covers and sleeves are often beautiful artwork, and that artwork deserves to be seen. Unfortunately, many record-as-art projects can damage your walls, or hurt your records. This method does neither, and is flexible enough that you can change your wall art whenever you want.

Album covers can make beautiful art, and this method is an affordable way to get those records (or at least their sleeves) out of your bookshelf and up on the wall. Plus, the J-Trim used here is less than $10 for way more than you'll need ($7 for 12 feet, in this case). Plus, if you have painted walls, you can paint the J-Trim to match. The example in the photo above is a little blurry, but you can see more examples in the link below. Just draw out where you want the J-Trim, make sure it's straight, mount the J-Trim to your wall with a pair of screws, and you're done. It's not the most gorgeous setup as-is, but we're willing to bet you could class it up a little with some paint or clever trimming.

We've shown you how to build a vinyl art wall before. While using L-hooks screwed into the wall is a little less conspicuous than this method from reader Ryan, who used some inexpensive J-Trim to accomplish the same goal, this method makes it a little easier to remove the albums you're tired of looking at and slide in new ones, and also doesn't risk damaging your albums by resting them on hooks. Of course, if you have more to spend or want to put your albums behind glass, you can also pick up album frames at your local department store or even at IKEA.

Mounting Vinyl Records on My Wall | Shred Rexx's DIY Corner

Monday, July 1, 2013

Upload Anything to Flickr's New 1TB of Space With a Simple Hack

Upload Anything to Flickr's New 1TB of Space With a Simple Hack

Recently, Flickr gave all of its users 1 terabyte of free space. Reddit user rlaw68 shows how to utilize that space for more than just photos and videos.

The process involves combining the file you want to upload with a gif. Flickr checks the headers of the file and sees a picture and grabs the whole thing. Unbeknownst to the server, though, your file is tagging along in a makeshift zip package. As per rlaw68's instructions:

So, how to do this:

1) Put the two files you want to combine into a single folder, preferably off the root of your drive, say c:\combos

2) Hit the Windows key + R, type in CMD and hit Enter

3) Change the directory to the root:

C:\users\Bill>cd \

4) And then to the folder where your files are:

C:>cd combos

5) Now, to combine the files type:

C:\combos>copy /B project1.zip+cat.gif project1.gif

6) That’s it! Now you’ll see a file called project1.gif in your \combos folder that you can upload and store on Flickr – it’ll appear as just whatever the .gif file was that you combined with your archive.

When you want to access it again, you just download the file, rename it with a .zip extension and open it like normal. If you're using a Mac, WonderHowTo also has a primer on how to accomplish this task.

This may not be useful for most situations. Flickr has an upload limit on photos of 200MB, and this process means that it's somewhat cumbersome for daily use instead of a service like Dropbox, but in a pinch, it never hurts to have a backup plan. While it won't work for uploading to Flickr, you can also hide files in a JPEG to keep certain data out of sight.

How to use that 1TB of free Flickr space to store stuff other than images | Reddit via WonderHowTo