If your shop comes complete with a MIG welder, an acetylene torch, and an air hammer, then you have more options than most when it comes to removing broken bolts. In this short video [Jim’s Automotive Machine Shop, Inc] takes us through the process of removing a broken manifold bolt: use a MIG welder to […]
This short video from [ProShorts 101] shows us how to build a variable speed disc sander from not much more than an old hard drive. We feel that as far as hacks go this one ticks all the boxes. It is clever, useful, and minimal yet comprehensive; it even has a speed control! Certainly this […]
With vector network analyzers, the commercial offerings seem to come in two flavors: relatively inexpensive but limited capabilities, and full-featured but scary expensive. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground, especially if you want something that performs well in the microwave bands. Unless, of course, you build your own vector network analyzer (VNA). That’s […]
[Chris Cecil] had a problem. He had a Manncorp/Autotronik MC384V2 pick and place, and needed more feeders. The company was reluctant to support an older machine and wanted over $32,000 to supply [Chris] with more feeders. He contemplated the expenditure… but then came across another project which gave him pause. Could he make Siemens feeders […]
If you’re into electronics you can never have too many digital multimeters (DMMs). They all have different features, and if you want to make multiple measurements simultaneously, it can pay to have a few. Over on his video blog [joe smith] reviews the new Brymen BM788BT, which is a new entry into the Bluetooth logging […]
It started when [Mitxela] was faced with about a hundred incorrectly-placed 0603 parts. Given that he already owned two TS101 soldering irons, a 3D printer, and knows how to use FreeCAD (he had just finished designing a custom TS101 holder) it didn’t take long to create cost-effective DIY soldering tweezers. Two screws allow adjusting the […]
We’ve got a love-hate relationship with discount tool outlet Harbor Freight: we hate that we love it so much. Apparently, [James Clough] is of much the same opinion, at least now that he’s looked into the quality of their outlet strips and found it somewhat wanting. The outlet strips in question are Harbor Freight’s four-foot-long, twelve-outlet […]
While low-cost professional PCB fabrication has largely supplanted making circuit boards at home, there’s still something to be said for being able to go from design to prototype in an afternoon. Luckily we aren’t limited to the old toner transfer trick for DIY boards these days, as CNC routers and powerful lasers can be used […]
The RTL-SDR dongles get most of the love from people interested in software-defined radio, but the Pluto is also a great option, too. [FromConceptToCircuit] shares code to turn one of these radios into a spectrum analyzer that sweeps up to 6 GHz and down to 100 MHz. You can see a video of how it […]
You don’t see them as often as you used to, but it used to be common to see “electronics trainers” which were usually a collection of components and simple equipment combined with a breadboard, often in a little suitcase. We think [Pro Maker_101’s] portable electronics workstation is in the same kind of spirit, and it […]