Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with diy

Here's one I made earlier!

Iteki — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:17:06 -0800

Can cardboard absorb cement? If not, other suggestions for a load of toilet-paper-tubes please! Brought up on a diet of MacGyver and Blue Peter, I have somehow managed to amass a large number of the cardboard tubes from inside toilet and kitchen paper rolls. I think I had the idea of making a sort of honeycomb shelf out of them, but I would like to spray or dip them in concrete for aesthetic and stability reasons.

As best I can tell, cardboard is often suggested as a mould for cement, which suggests it doesn't absorb it. How can I go about this?

Other suggestions on what to do with about 200 bogroll inserts gladly accepted, but something that requires loads of them rather than individual ideas (like dog-treat-makers, or potting solutions).

Like, anti-red-eye tips, sort of.

liketitanic — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:01:05 -0800

What can I do to produce fairly high-quality videos for podcasts with basic equipment and a modicum of skill? I am a project manager in charge of overseeing the production of short (10-minute) videos by a stable of consultants, and I need to figure out how to (and how to help them) shoot videos of fairly good quality with basic equipment and little prior skill. (I have about $250 to spend on a new digital camera/video camera, so recommendations for that are welcome, too.)

The videos I need to shoot are just talking heads. How can I ensure that I make fairly good ones? I also need to provide a style guide to assist people in shooting their own--how can I translate tips and tricks into a written guide when I won't be present to assist?

Idiot-proof tips and tricks would be appreciated.

How can I put my own mp3/ringtones on my V3A Razor

carefulmonkey — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:46:50 -0800

What is the easiest way to put my own ringtones on my V3A razor I think that ringtones are a ripoff and I want to put my own ringtones on my cell phone. I tried just putting an mp3 on with no luck. I also have a mac if thats of any help

How can I mend small holes in my sweater?

katala — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:12:54 -0800

How can I mend small holes in my sweater? My favorite turtleneck sweater has a few small (1cm across) holes in it and my previous attempts at repairing them with black cotton thread have been dismal.

Can anyone please recommend a tried-and-true method of (preferably) seamlessly repairing holes like this in a cotton sweater?

Taking it to a tailor is out of the question, I got quotes today and they want more than the jumper originally cost just to repair the holes 0_0

A huge thank you in advance for any help you can give me :)!

How many [x] does it take to change a lightbulb?

BorgLove — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:54:52 -0800

How can I change this lightbulb? I've got track lighting in my kitchen with three of these lamps:

http://humancargo.net/IMG_4913.jpg

Two have now burnt out, and it's time to take action! But I can't for the life of me figure out how to change these out. And I'm normally pretty handy. I know that metal ring can be pinched and removed, thus removing the glass disc it holds in place, but that's as far as I can get. The metal casing looks like it's in two halves, but they won't separate, even if I remove those nuts holding the thing into the bracket. What the deal with that? Any tips would be appreciated!

If it helps, I think that's known as a 'SoLux' bulb? But no guarantees. Thanks!

Can my antique record cabinet be saved?

wheat — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:03:57 -0800

Hand sanitizer stained (really, lightened) my antique furniture. Is there a remedy? I have an antique record cabinet (1920s-ish, I think) in the baby's room. A pump bottle of Purell hand sanitizer was on top of it. Some stray sanitizer hit the face of the cabinet and its top and reacted in some way with the finish. Now there are whitish streaks where it landed and was absorbed. Any ideas on what might fix it? I tried some 0000 steel wool on one of the small spots on the top. This seemed to lighten it and the rest as well, but might work. It is the streak on the door is the most worrisome part.

DIY pedicure

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:37:01 -0800

I have fairly big callouses on the outsides of each big toe. How can I remove them painlessly? I'd prefer to spare the expense of a pedicure if I can. I just want to get rid of these callouses. The thought of rubbing on them with a pumice stone gives me the heebie-jeebies. I have sensitive feet and I'm afraid of hurting myself. Any other effective DIY products/advice you can give? Or should I just go get a pedicure? I'm a woman, if that makes any difference at all.

Thanks in advance!

How to turn a glass-top coffee table into a tile-top coffee table?

melissa — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:17:10 -0800

I have a glass-top wood coffee table with a broken glass top. Instead of replacing the glass, I'd like to turn it into a tile top coffee table. Since the glass is broken, what kind of backing should I glue the tiles to? The coffee table has a lip that holds the glass in place and has a wood reinforcement beam in the middle, so I shouldn't have sagging issues with the right backing. This is an table that is only used inside.

Any other advice on how to make this project a success is welcome. I don't plan to go too fancy - just regular tiles in alternating colours. I've done a very little bit of tiling in my bathroom, so I understand the basics of tiling, but I'd love to hear about your experience with similar projects. Thanks!

Hivemind provides tech support herein

Willie0248 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:30:09 -0800

An old rusty bike: Opportunity for cheap travel, or just junk? So I'm cleaning out my parents' garage and I run across my old bike from high school. Of course, after years of storage the tires are rotted, and basically every part of it is rusty and nasty. Every part except the frame... I get to looking at the frame and it's pretty much perfect. No rust or anything. I guess the wheels and fork are in okay shape too.

So basically, I have a perfect frame and passable wheels and fork. I currently don't have a bicycle, so would this be a fun project to rebuild, or is this something that is a lot harder than it looks? It seems like I could just order some decent replacement parts and ratchet those suckers on for a relatively cheap riding experience. Of course, I know nothing on the subject, so it could be better to just go buy a new or used functional bike.

Here are my questions, given the circumstances:
Is it worth it to build this thing up with replacement parts, or is it going to be too expensive to justify the effort?
If it seems feasible, what's a good source of how-to guides and technical references so I can get to work?

How do I remove this strange glue from my previously carpeted hardwood?

bradn — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:37:36 -0800

How do I remove this strange glue from my previously carpeted hardwood? Here's a photo.

Just bought a house, tore out nasty carpet. Other rooms are fine, but in the living room, the outside perimeter of the carpet pad was glued to the floor with dots of this fibrous, brownish glue. "Oops" only makes it harder and doesn't seem to dissolve it at all. Same with laquer thinner. Tried a glue remover specifically meant for carpet glue on hardwood and that didn't work either. Fine sandpaper and steel wool don't take it off, we need something that will dissolve it.

We plan to refinish eventually, but the floor looks terrible with these glue dots all over and I'm not sure we can live with it like this for long. Anyone seen this type of glue before?

This shouldn't be happening.

jon1270 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:20:06 -0800

Help me diagnose repeated failure of my lighting dimmers. When I remodeled my kitchen about a year and a half ago, I installed nine line-voltage 4" recessed lights which are controlled by two Leviton Illlumatech preset dimmers, with three cans/150W on one dimmer and six cans/300W on the other (these are 600W dimmers). Everything works fine, except that when a bulb burns out there's a better-than-even chance it will take the dimmer with it. A dimmer has failed three of the four times that a bulb has burned out since the initial installation. Only the slide dimmer fails -- the on/off button continues to work normally.

Leviton has been replacing the dimmers as I mail them in, but their tech support people are, so far, unable to imagine how a bulb's burning out could cause the dimmer to fail. They've speculated that it could be a problem with a fixture or a loose connection, neither of which ideas holds water; the failures have all been simultaneous with burn-outs in different fixtures, and there are no symptoms of loose connections anywhere.

I'm hoping someone here has a brilliant insight to offer. The bulbs, if it matters, are Sylvania 50W PAR20s.

help me feed my gas-emitting microb-enriched compost pile

brandnew — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:59:36 -0800

Geeky DIY Homesteading For years now I've dreamed of purchasing a bunch of acreage in rural PA and learning how to 'hack' the land and nature. That is, I want to maximize the energy output from the land (using wind, geothermal, solar, other). I also want to maximize the food output from the land (with emphasis on quality and variety, not endless rows of corn). Then, try to figure out some effective and novel things to do with the surplus energy, as well as experiment with various survival techniques.

Basically I'm interested in how to use modern (but sustainable) technology, science, and engineering knowledge (and folk tech, when applicable) in order to maximize rural survival.

My question is not so much how to do this, as I realize that the scope is gigantic. But, instead I want to connect with other people who have had experience in this area. And the more 'underground' the knowledge, the better.

I found this site for a survivalist-type group: Alpha Rubicon , and they seem to have some interesting projects on their site. However, I'm not that big into gun and defense culture. Of course, I have nothing against guns, really, it's just not my focus. Plus, I'm not sure I have the dedication at the moment to commit to their level of expectation. As I would like to gradually experiment with these concepts over the next 5, 10 years, gradually increasing my knowledge and discipline.

So, what are some forums or social-networking groups that I can join to obtain this type of knowledge? How can I meet people like this (of the more peace-loving, hippy, independent, self-reliant, technology-friendly mold)? And how do I get access to restricted project plans and such things (like at the alpharubicon site)?

Will this even work?

boosh — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:18:06 -0800

DIY Woodworking - The step for my kitchen door was totally rotted through, so I chiselled out all the bad wood. Now what? The entire step had rotted, so it had to come out. Now I need to work out how to replace it without removing the surrounding brickwork. The main problems are:

- It's an old Victorian house, and there's not a straight line in the entire place.
- The step needs to join in to the existing woodwork (the rest of the wooden frame is sound).

These pics illustrate the current situation:

Overhead view | Straight on | Left side | Right side

Here's my rough plan:

- Use filler to get a reasonably flat finish on the concrete lintel.
- Paint well with bitumen paint to act as a damp proof course.
- Cut one piece of timber into three: two with projections that will slot into the brickwork on the left and right sides, and one rectangular piece to sit snugly in the middle.
- Treat all the wood, caulk the gaps between the pieces, sand down, paint.

The main thing I'm stuck on is how to securely attach the new wooden step to the concrete lintel. Long screws, or set pins into the lintel that slot into holes in the wood, or some kind of fancy glue? Or maybe the whole thing is a poor idea: I'd welcome any suggestions on the best way to proceed! It doesn't have to look flawless by any means, and I really don't want to start knocking bricks out.

Other info: south-east UK so no temperature extremes to worry about. Zero flood risk but it does have to withstand regular heavy rain.

A Box Set Box for My Blank DVD Cases?

sjuhawk31 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:17:56 -0800

Do-it-yourselfers: I'm trying to make my own DVD box set. The part that's missing is the box. To save space on my DVD shelf, I'm trying to get rid of the bulk from some of my TV-on-DVD sets. Specifically...ok, I'll admit it, my full-series collection of "Friends." Those ten seasons take up a ton of room on my shelf. I'm hoping to use 20 dual slimcases or 10 4-in-1 standard-sized cases to consolidate. It would make for a nice box set, except for the fact that I don't have a box to keep the stuff in.

Does anyone know of blank DVD box set boxes? I'd especially like one for the 20 slim cases, since 10 standard-sized cases could stand on their own on the shelf.

how to wire a fan control switch

frogmoses — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:56:41 -0800

Need help putting 3 ceiling fans on a single fan control switch. We have 3 ceiling fans in a room that is 20 feet high (we live in a church). The fans are controlled by a single toggle switch on the wall. This means I am unable to change the speed of the fans without getting a 16' stepladder and pulling the chain on the fan.

I want to replace the on/off switch with a fan speed control. I couldn't figure out how to wire it.

Note: the fans are turned controlled by one toggle switch and the lights on the fans are controlled by another toggle switch, which is part of the same switch unit.

There are 3 wires going to the switch unit (on for both units is to the right). The wires are not colored. 2 wires are connected to the bottom right terminal. The 3rd wire is connected to the upper left terminal.

Any advice on how to wire a new fan control switch myself?

DIY bumper sticker materials?

willie11 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:41:36 -0800

Help me make my own bumper sticker please! Do you know where I can find plain white bumper sticker material that I could write on? So, I've got a great idea for my own Obama bumper sticker, but I don't want to go through the hassle of creating one a la CafePress. Is there anywhere I can go to buy or order a few plain white bumper stickers that I can write on with a Sharpee or something? Will they hold ink?

DIY enthusiasts, please help a brother out!

Thanks,

--- Willie

A + B = a trip to Radio Shack?

harkin banks — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:54:17 -0800

How can I build my own A/B/A+B speaker selector box? My lab is two adjoining rooms, with a large doorway (but no door) cut into the wall. We have a crappy bookshelf stereo in one room. It is just audible enough in the other room to be irritating, but not enough to really hear what's going on. I scrounged another pair of 6 ohm speakers from another crappy bookshelf stereo, and I was thinking about how to connect them up so that both sides of the lab can hear Talk of the Nation. Commercial speaker selector switches run $50 - 300, and I'm cheap -- plus I think this might be a project within my limited soldering skills, so if I can make it myself I'd like to.

The stereo is an older one, made by Fisher. The speakers say "MAXIMUM POWER 80W (PEAK), 6 Ω IMPEDANCE"; the stereo says "6 Ω MINIMUM". I'd like to switch the speakers in and out with a break-before-make rotary switch like this one. It's easy to figure out how to run one pair at a time (A or B), but how do I wire it up to drive both pairs safely (A + B)? I'd like to wire the speaker sets in parallel, but I know this will drop the impedance of each circuit to 3 ohms, which is below the amp's rating. Is the solution as simple as putting a 3 ohm power resistor in the circuit, to raise the total resistance back up to what it would be for just one speaker? Is there a better way to do this safely, that will sound OK? Lots and lots of people work in this lab and will be using this switch, so I can guarantee you that it will be switched under load more often than not.

Surprisingly Google has failed me on this issue. I can find lots of schematics online for switching two or more amps between one set of speakers, but nothing for the reverse situation. Please help us hear the sweet sweet tones of Science Friday clearly!

Glue, Water and Paper

edmz — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:20:15 -0800

I have a print that I want to glue to the wall. I have a color print on bond paper that I want to glue to the wall. I don't know what the technique is called but I know it involves water mixed with white glue and brushed over the print.

If anyone knows how to do this, please share since I don't want to ruin this print.

Thanks!

Fun circuitry projects?

Deflagro — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:05:34 -0800

What are some fun, simple electric wiring projects I can try? I've already done a few circuits such as lights, fan motors, etc, so I'm not totally new to it, but that and drawing schematics is pretty much all I know. I want to do something that would be fun, not overly complicated, not completely pointless, and relatively cheap (which would mean no online ordering, should be parts that I could pick up at a Radioshack). I've looked through a couple sites such as Instructables but couldn't find anything I wanted to do. Any ideas?

Workshops in the Baltimore/DC area

NormandyJack — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:42:52 -0800

Is there anything even remotely like Menlo Park's TechShop, Providence's Steel Yard, or Boston's FabLab in the Baltimore/DC metro area? Alternatively, glass and wood workshops are also of interest. All I know of is HacDC.

How to run collective no-budget underground studio?

yoHighness — Sat, 31 May 2008 12:24:19 -0800

RecordingStudioFilter: Advice sought on how to run a collective no-budget underground (literally) studio; starting immediately. lots Affectionately nicknamed the "cave flat", two stories below the center of a largish UK city dwell five musicians, the emissions of their drumkits, amps, PA's (and occasionally, 100's of partygoers) shielded from the ears of neighbours or police through several feet of 1700's sandstone wall. The landlord is cool with it. Loads of bands come to practise as there is a lot of cavernous space. We have now raised enough £££ to rent cavernous space for a recording studio. As luck would have it, the "music room" cavern and what is to be the control cavern already have a room-to-room window between them. The latter is also much less echo-y and could be treated for echoes (I've been looking up related ask-me's).

We have all the musical gear and recording people, but on the recording gear side there's only:

Adequate silenced Dual-Core PC with 22" TFT (mine)
M-Audio USB interface with 4 preamps and 2 additional ins, 6 outs
Bunch of Shure SM-58 and some low-budget "studio" mikes (100£)
Nice Neumann KM-140's, AKG 414's I get to borrow from Uni, studios I get to mix in at Uni

We're gonna start on the 1st of June and run it for three months or so at first, and see if something happens. I've got three months of free time on my hands, collaborators, and many musicians are already on a waiting list to be recorded with a no-budget approach. There's few other studios around town and none central.W e might not have the sound gear, but the place is very cool. Decisions about running the studio will be voted on by the collective, and it is not linked to any commercial interests. We would never pass fire & safety regulations anyway, though.

The idea is to put out as many live sound low-budget demos, myspace tracks as possible, as well as some low-budget actual studio recordings with more work on overdubbing. And for all the flat's bands to be able to record their practise sessions in a jiffy.

If you have been in a similar situation, I would very much appreciate any advice you've got about how to pull this off. My apologies for lengthy posting.

DIY Cardboard Displays

Rykey — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:07:53 -0800

Please help me find free online blueprints for cardboard store displays. I have access to large sheets of cardboard, and want to make some retail-type floor displays like these.

I've checked Google and found plenty of sites that sell pre-cut displays, and I even found this old AskMeFi question, but nothing solid so far.

A blueprint with measurements, score lines, shapes, etc. for a basic merchandise display stand would be great. I could probably also modify plans for something other than display stands, so be creative with your suggestions.

My Options: Rip Off or Blow Up?

Xurando — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:16:06 -0800

We are having a new kitchen floor put in. Everything has to be out of the kitchen. The propane company wants $130 to spend two minutes disconnecting and reconnecting our propane kitchen stove. There is a shutoff valve next to the stove. Can I safely DIY. How?

Help me build a simple intervalometer!

lord_yo — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:02:58 -0800

Help me build a simple intervalometer! I'm trying to build a simple intervalometer, i.e. a device which gives my camera regular impulses to shoot a picture at a defined interval. It would enable me to do custom time-lapse series.

Hooking up my camera to such a device is not a problem, as my Canon EOS 400D uses a easily available cable jack for the remote control.

I can solder, and have a basic understanding of electronics components. However, I don't know how to build the device itself. I'm looking for an DIY electronics kit (could be programmable, but doesn't has to be) or cheap hackable gadget (timed blinking lights? kitchen timer?) that I could convert into an impulse-giver.

The device would need to be configurable to set the following parameters:

- Time off - e.g. 500ms
- Time on - e.g. 10ms
- (optional): number of repetitions - e.g. 1000x

Example for a commercially available device: [pClix]

I think I need a putty knife...

roygbv — Sun, 25 May 2008 07:27:11 -0800

I need to hang things from my walls and ceilings, but can't. Help! I've just moved into an old apartment building in SW Portland. The walls and ceilings are made of some kind of plaster, and in places are very thin. For instance, part of our kitchen / living room area is divided by a wall about 2" thick. The maintenance guys haven't been a ton of help figuring out what exactly this is, but they think it's plaster over a wire lattice.

My issue: I can't hang a thing from the stuff. I've tried drywall screws (the little inserts) in predrilled holes, but those pull out. I can't use the anchor-type ones, because there are no gaps within the wall for the anchor to expand into. There are no studs (to my knowledge) and in places I hit metal (assumedly the lattice) and cannot drill or nail anything in.

My roommates and I are keen on mounting a few shelves (Ikea) to the wall, and hanging a bike or two from the ceiling. Please, help us!