The afternoon projects thread
- Thread starter Basement_Modder
- Start date
schmellyfart
Member
Thanks! Maybe on another one, I'd rather not open it again. Whenever I revisit a finished project, it usually sits for at least a couple months before anything happens to it.Jewjo said:Very professional looking with that switch.schmellyfart said:Now put in a Li-Po!
themadhacker
Crazy Train
I have done a few projects, but none worth pictures. I pretty much hate how each game system needs its own special AV cable. If you lose the cable, you're SOL! So on my playstation and genesis ll I added standard AV and audio jacks. The playstation has an s-video jack too.
XCVG
ModRetro Legend
Well, I was hoping to post a finished project of my own, but it didn't work out. I was hacking a PC power supply. The thing wouldn't stay on at all. I had an LED hooked up, it would light and semi-slowly turn off. And to add insult to injury, someone took the top cover. I left it at school in the electronics/robotics room.
Key Duplication
From photographs.
Backstory
We have, at the highschool I attend, an obnoxious system regarding the bathrooms.
There is only one set of restrooms in the entire school, and only one boy or girl may go at a time.
(For those bewildered by this, it's a VERY small school, and this single set of restrooms is more than enough)
Now, they do this for a reason, being that they want to keep track of who is in the restroom at any given time.
That way, if, for instance, graffiti is found, they can narrow down a list of possible perpetrators.
To do this, they implement a simple system. A Locked Door.
To get the key to this door, you must sign a sheet and write down the time; our secretary will check the sheet, and give you the key.
The door locks itself, so you cannot just unlock it and leave it unlocked.
When you are finished, YOU must be the person to return the key. If someone else does, you can bet there will be Heck to pay.
Neat system.
Being who I am, I wondered if I could beat it.
What I did
Today, I went to the restroom.
Simple, sign the sheet, get the key, on my way.
I was looking at the key, on the counter in the restroom (shortly after washing my hands), and a thought occurred to me.
I took out my phone, snapped some pictures, and went on my way.
This evening, I stopped by Ace Hardware, and picked up a blank key.
Went home, put the pictures on my computer, picked the best one, and scaled it to actual size, then printed out two copies.
With the first, I trimmed it down, then carefully cut out the key design with an exacto knife.
Then, I held this to the blank key, and traced it with a Sharpie.
Lots of filing 'n' whatnot, and I had my copy!
I, sadly, cannot try it until Monday, as I do not attend school on Fridays.
But, I will let you know the results!
PICTURES
The Original Key Picture:
BONUS
Above, I stated I printed out two copies of the key picture.
With the second one?
I glued it to the lid of a tin can, and cut it out.
Just, well, ya know, because.
What if it works? How freakin' sweet would that be!
From photographs.
Backstory
We have, at the highschool I attend, an obnoxious system regarding the bathrooms.
There is only one set of restrooms in the entire school, and only one boy or girl may go at a time.
(For those bewildered by this, it's a VERY small school, and this single set of restrooms is more than enough)
Now, they do this for a reason, being that they want to keep track of who is in the restroom at any given time.
That way, if, for instance, graffiti is found, they can narrow down a list of possible perpetrators.
To do this, they implement a simple system. A Locked Door.
To get the key to this door, you must sign a sheet and write down the time; our secretary will check the sheet, and give you the key.
The door locks itself, so you cannot just unlock it and leave it unlocked.
When you are finished, YOU must be the person to return the key. If someone else does, you can bet there will be Heck to pay.
Neat system.
Being who I am, I wondered if I could beat it.
What I did
Today, I went to the restroom.
Simple, sign the sheet, get the key, on my way.
I was looking at the key, on the counter in the restroom (shortly after washing my hands), and a thought occurred to me.
I took out my phone, snapped some pictures, and went on my way.
This evening, I stopped by Ace Hardware, and picked up a blank key.
Went home, put the pictures on my computer, picked the best one, and scaled it to actual size, then printed out two copies.
With the first, I trimmed it down, then carefully cut out the key design with an exacto knife.
Then, I held this to the blank key, and traced it with a Sharpie.
Lots of filing 'n' whatnot, and I had my copy!
I, sadly, cannot try it until Monday, as I do not attend school on Fridays.
But, I will let you know the results!
PICTURES
The Original Key Picture:
BONUS
Above, I stated I printed out two copies of the key picture.
With the second one?
I glued it to the lid of a tin can, and cut it out.
Just, well, ya know, because.
What if it works? How freakin' sweet would that be!
Jleemero, would this, by any chance, have been your inspiration?
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/22/photogra ... plication/
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/22/photogra ... plication/
XCVG
ModRetro Legend
Details about that power supply I briefly mentioned...
It started out life as a PC power supply. I found it in a junked PC, but it worked fine. So I ripped it apart and modded it. I wanted a hard on/off switch so that's wired to a nice beefy switch on the front. The binding posts I mounted on a piece of plastic where the fan usually goes. I moved the power in jack to where the wires normally come out. I only bothered with 3.3V, 5V and 12V, no negative voltages. There's also a jack for a special harness for powering PC stuff, which I promptly lost. I slapped a fan on top so it wouldn't overheat. Now one thing you can't tell by this picture is that it glows blue from two LEDs mounted inside.
There's a bit of a story to this thing. I rushed to finish it one Sunday night, and failed. So I finished it in robotics club on Monday. It worked but the LED didn't, and a resistor almost burned me. I cut off the LED and attached a new one to the binding posts. I also attemped to zip tie a heatsink to the resistor, and eventually ripped it off. Unfortunately, the clumsy attempt to zip tie the heatsink on tore the resistor off the board. I didn't notice, as it was underneath. But the power supply would not work. It would turn on then immediately off. I kept trying various things in a vain attempt to fix it, but ultimately failed. Dejected, I left it at school. I also managed to lose the top cover. That night I had a brainstorm, so I dashed in the following morning and grabbed it. At lunch break I found the top cover. Then I figured out that my brainstorm was dumb. And I had another brainstorm. I tugged the resistor and sure enough it was loose. So I unscrewed the board, scratched the green crap off the trace, and soldered it back on. It worked! I added a second LED and added the fan.
So there's the story of my first decently working power supply. The fan is an obvious afterthought, the wiring is a complete disaster, bordering on being dangerous, the bondo job is crap and it needs another coat of paint, but it works fairly well.
It started out life as a PC power supply. I found it in a junked PC, but it worked fine. So I ripped it apart and modded it. I wanted a hard on/off switch so that's wired to a nice beefy switch on the front. The binding posts I mounted on a piece of plastic where the fan usually goes. I moved the power in jack to where the wires normally come out. I only bothered with 3.3V, 5V and 12V, no negative voltages. There's also a jack for a special harness for powering PC stuff, which I promptly lost. I slapped a fan on top so it wouldn't overheat. Now one thing you can't tell by this picture is that it glows blue from two LEDs mounted inside.
There's a bit of a story to this thing. I rushed to finish it one Sunday night, and failed. So I finished it in robotics club on Monday. It worked but the LED didn't, and a resistor almost burned me. I cut off the LED and attached a new one to the binding posts. I also attemped to zip tie a heatsink to the resistor, and eventually ripped it off. Unfortunately, the clumsy attempt to zip tie the heatsink on tore the resistor off the board. I didn't notice, as it was underneath. But the power supply would not work. It would turn on then immediately off. I kept trying various things in a vain attempt to fix it, but ultimately failed. Dejected, I left it at school. I also managed to lose the top cover. That night I had a brainstorm, so I dashed in the following morning and grabbed it. At lunch break I found the top cover. Then I figured out that my brainstorm was dumb. And I had another brainstorm. I tugged the resistor and sure enough it was loose. So I unscrewed the board, scratched the green crap off the trace, and soldered it back on. It worked! I added a second LED and added the fan.
So there's the story of my first decently working power supply. The fan is an obvious afterthought, the wiring is a complete disaster, bordering on being dangerous, the bondo job is crap and it needs another coat of paint, but it works fairly well.
Joeyjoe9876
Frequent Poster
now you can go to the bathroom, whenever you want 
So am I.
Lol.
I should get someone to hide the bathroom key, then I'll wait up front.
If nobody returns it for awhile, the principal (who likes me) may just be like "*Can'tSayThisOnTV* it" and give me his.
He's done it before.
Except, his is a Master Key for the whole school,
Lol.
I should get someone to hide the bathroom key, then I'll wait up front.
If nobody returns it for awhile, the principal (who likes me) may just be like "*Can'tSayThisOnTV* it" and give me his.
He's done it before.
Except, his is a Master Key for the whole school,
ShockSlayer
Probably SS
Jlee, that would be badass.
SS
SS
