Saturday, October 19, 2013

Steampunk Box Lamp

045.jpgThis is my first Instructable, so I apologize in advance for any omissions, typos, etc, etc, etc.* I actually found Instrucables when I started looking into various steampunk projects to cobble together. One of the first projects I took a shine to (punny) was Admiral Ravensdale's Expedition Light: http://www.instructables.com/id/Expedition-Light/. Horatious Steam also has something quite similar: http://www.instructables.com/id/A-light-box-for-camping/.  I decided to make something in the same vein, but hopefully my changes are unique enough to warrant your attention.

You will need:
~ A small wooden box
~ 5-6 LED lights (your choice of specs)
~ A casing for the LEDs
~ A transparent cover for the LEDs
~ Electrical wire (LEDs use so little power the gauge almost doesn't matter)
~ Paracord
~ A thin piece of wood to cover the electronic components
~ A lever switch (Radio Shack or Fry's will have what you need)
~ A piece of leather to cover up the lever switch
~ 9 volt battery
~ Resistors

Optional:
~ Copper Wire/Rod for embellishments (16-14 gauge).
~ New hardware if you don't like what came with your box (I didn't).
~ Approx. 2x2 copper sheet (for "reflector" plate)
~ Sandpaper (for distressing)
~ Wood stain (for when you over-distressed and to cover any modifications to the box)

* I also apologize for the picture quality. Both of my digital cameras are being... difficult... right now, so my cell phone was the only option. thanks for understanding.

1340598863279.jpgThe first thing we'll do is find a suitable box (try your local craft store). You probably need an internal size of at least 2" in each direction to fit all the components, but modifications could easily be made. I didn't like the fittings mine came with, so picked up some more at the same craft store. I also wanted my box to have more of a weathered look, so I attacked it with some fine grit sandpaper. I used 400 grit simply because it was handy and I didn't need to remove much of the finish. Now, let's find the next pieces....

View the original article here

FeedDemon Pro, Our Favorite RSS Reader for Windows, Is Now Free

FeedDemon Pro, Our Favorite RSS Reader for Windows, Is Now Free

If you prefer a desktop feed reader to a web-based one, FeedDemon—our favorite RSS reader for Windows—has just made all its pro features free, including article prefetching, newspaper views, content filters, and more.

Sadly, with Google Reader's demise, FeedDemon has announced that it's shutting down and won't be releasing any more updates. However, if you never synced with Google Reader in the first place, FeedDemon is still a great reader—and now its pro version is completely free. That means no more ads, plus all the additional features of FeedDemon pro, including:

My Stream: Quickly receive and view new articles in your most important feeds—great for frequently-updating status feeds such as those from Twitter and Facebook.FeedStation: Download multimedia files and have them automatically copied them to your iPod or other portable media player. You can even schedule your downloads so they happen overnight - when you wake up, you'll find new content waiting for you.Prefetching: Prefetch the images and web pages linked in your unread items so they're available when working offline (without an Internet connection).Content Filters: Instead of seeing every single article in every single feed, create a content filter which automatically hides articles that don't interest you.Newspaper Styles: Customize FeedDemon by selecting from four different newspaper styles, and assign different styles to individual feeds, folders and watches.Secure Feeds: Subscribe to authenticated feeds, including Twitter OAuth feeds and Intranet ("behind the firewall") feeds.
Hit the link below to download the final version of the app.

FeedDemon | via Ghacks


View the original article here

Friday, October 18, 2013

Wooden Stickers at Techshop-Austin Tx

PDF Downloads
As a Pro member, you will gain access to download any Instructable in the PDF format. You also have the ability to customize your PDF download.

Upgrade to Pro today!

View the original article here

Put Peanut Butter on Both Bread Slices to Prevent Soggy PBJ Sandwiches

Put Peanut Butter on Both Bread Slices to Prevent Soggy PBJ Sandwiches

Creating meals ahead of time can save you a lot of money and stress, but it may also leave you with soggy sandwiches. Reddit user m_bia suggests putting peanut butter on both slices of bread to prevent this problem.

By spreading the much drier peanut butter on both bread slices and putting jelly in the middle, you create an insulation layer between the moisture of the jelly and your bread. You can also double up this method with the jelly pocket to prevent dripping. When you reach for your sandwich hours or even days later, you'll find a clean, unsullied meal.

When making a PB&J to be eaten later, put the peanut butter on both sides to prevent soggy jelly bread. | Reddit

Photo by bark.

Morning Starts Your Day Off Right with Tons of Useful Information

iPad: If your iPad is within reach when you wake, Morning turns it into a dashboard packed with useful information you need to start your day off on the right foot. The weather, your to-dos, calendar appointments, news headlines, your estimated commute time, and more, are all in a Google Now-ish display.

Once installed, you can customize the display with up to eight different topics you want displayed on the main screen: weather, to-dos, calendar appointments, stocks, news headlines, commute and travel time, the current date and time, or a countdown timer. You can mix and match them anyway you like, and the display auto-sizes to accommodate them. For example, you can start your day with the current weather conditions, an overview of your to-do list, your meetings for the day, how long it'll take you to get to work, and have a timer in the corner so you'll see when it's time to press the plunger down on the French Press and pour your morning cup.

Morning Starts Your Day Off Right with Tons of Useful Information

You can even customize the background colors and the specific information each panel displays so you see what you want to see. The app looks great, and is on sale for $3 to celebrate its launch (although they don't say what the full price will eventually be). The dev also notes that he has plans to add other apps and tools to Morning in the future, like updates from Twitter or Facebook, or your current steps or status from your fitness tracker. In any event, you can hit the link below to read more about the app or grab it from the iTunes App Store.

Morning ($3) | iTunes App Store via Morning


View the original article here

DIY Outdoor Light

PDF Downloads
As a Pro member, you will gain access to download any Instructable in the PDF format. You also have the ability to customize your PDF download.

Upgrade to Pro today!

View the original article here

Standing And Treadmill Desk DIY

13, 11:57 PM.jpgI began experimenting with a standing or treadmill desk last summer and have finally gotten around to making the full conversion. Here's how I did it, if I can you can do it too. 13, 11:57 PM.jpgI found the treadmill cheap on Craigslist. It's not important what kind of treadmill you choose but it makes your life easier if the hand rails are simply bolted on. I found the desk locally. I got lucky and found an adjustable desk for only $50 locally.

View the original article here