DIY plasma cutter
Even if you’re like me and never win them, you’ve got to love the huge contests on Instructables. I spent at least 3 hours last weekend Googling for ‘DIY plasma cutter’ and could only come up with cocktail-napkin drawings. This week, there’s a well-done homemade plasma cutter entry in the $20,000 Sears gift card contest. Even better, you can build this usually-$1000+ metal melter mostly out of garbage.
Whether you build one or not, I highly recommend (safely) playing with a plasma cutter: it’s like writing with a pen, but instead of ink on paper you’re melting metal like butter:)
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in DIY Projects | Digg this!
Source: blog.makezine.com
Evolution of the drink
Over the holidays Jim Harriman decided to investigate the family tree of alcoholic drinks. To do this, he screen-scraped all the mixed drink recipes he could find online and crunched the recipe data with a program that generates phylogenetic trees, drawing relationships between drink species with matching ingredient genes.
Note that you can make out several different “kingdoms” of drinks after a close look at the tree. I can make out the Gin kingdom, the Orange Juice kingdom, and the Amaretto kingdom, for starters. Then we have the outliers, like a 110 in the Shade, which nobody in his right mind would drink. These are the platypuses and slime molds of the drink world.
I’d love to know how closely this resembles the actual heritage of the recipes in the list. In fact, it would be incredibly cool to do something similar with food recipes. If you processed the ingredient list and preparation details for the world’s apple pies, chicken soups and breads, what cultural information might that hold?
If you want to take a stab at something like this yourself, you can use a free package call PHYLIP to do the computation. It’s the same program used by Jim to create his drink family tree. If you discover anything, make sure to send us a link.
Phylogenetic Tree of Mixed Drinks
PHYLIP - PHYLogeny Inference Package
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in hacks | Digg this!
Source: blog.makezine.com
Grid Chair looks like a wireframe model
Designer Jaebeom Jeong built this lovely chair with stainless steel, and walnut, yet it looks like the wireframe 3D NURBS model that you’d see in your design software. It’s not the concept, it’s the final product. I would love to get an entire dining set done in this style, so that people think we’re just trying to improve the framerate. I guess I’d have to hand out HUD visors at the door with the render stats.
via Yanko Design
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Furniture | Digg this!
Source: blog.makezine.com
TC 121 - A Bit of Context
(click the magic button to hear or download the 38 minute episode)
Let me know if show notes are required. It seems that having ‘em would run counter to what this Free Association thing I’m trying to put together is all about. But I’m willing to consider alternative views.
Image provided by Ardesia under Creative Commons licensing via Flickr. Grazie tanto, Ardesia!!
Source: tokyocalling.org
Electrified Monopoly board
Not to be outdone by her sister Kris, Carly DeGraeve sent us this link to her latest electrified Monopoly board. It lights up the four props in the center of the board when you land on the appropriate squares. She used reed switches and magnets to complete the circuit.
Electrified Monopoly - Steampunk Inspired
More:
How To - Make a secret stash box
Kris and Carly dress like cake!
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Toys and Games | Digg this!
Source: blog.makezine.com
TC 122 - A Hack’s A Hack
(click the magic button to hear or download the 31 minute episode)
Would you believe … a new podcast episode?
Many thanks to everyone who sent words of support and encouragement during the recent three month hiatus. The time away from the podcast has provided an opportunity to ponder where things are going with Japan’s 1st podcast. This episode is, in essence, a meditation on those ponderings.
In short: Tokyo Calling is back (just in time for the fifth anniversary)!
Source: tokyocalling.org
Zinc-based audio oscillator
Nyle posted this multitrack recording featuring sounds from a homemade Zinc oscillator circuit -
An electronic sound composition is made entirely of sounds produced using zinc negetive resistance audio oscillator circuits. No vacuum tubes or transistors were used to generate the sounds.Several tracks of the zinc oscillator sounds were recorded one at a time. Some of the sounds were enhanced with the addition of reverb.
The morse code parts were sent in real time by manually keying a J-38 straight key. Yes, I can send that fast with a straight key by using a somewhat unusual technique that I developed.
Interesting research - check out further documentation of his experiments here - SparkBangBuzz [via Matrixsynth]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Electronics | Digg this!
Source: blog.makezine.com
Chinese Fishing Reels Ok, many might have bought the Chinese Fishing Reels and had great experiences with it. Definitely sounds like a worthy purchase as much has been sold to fishing enthusiasts. However,it is good to have extra knowledge ...
Japanes Fishing Reels
Fishing Crappie Rod Reels You’ve heard much about Fishing Crappie Rod Reels and perhaps are looking for one yourself. Fishermen are raving about it as you’ll find it’s a common item among fishing lovers. However,it is good...