KipKay has released yet another great hack. This time he shows you how to spy on air traffic control and other civilian aviation band frequencies. No extra parts needed. You just need an old transistor radio, a philips and flathead screwdriver, and some free time.
I don’t why, but lately I seem to be stumbling upon a great deal of material related to keys. This one is certainly one of the most interesting, and sneaky projects yet. I-hacked.com has posted an interesting how-to on duplicating a key via a camera phone. Basically you take a quarter (for scale), place it next to a key that someone has left lying around, and take a top-down shot of it with your camera phone. Once you have the picture uploaded you can then begin scaling a print of the photo to match the proper size of the quarter. You then cutout the print and then use a piece of aluminum from a can to cutout against the printout thus giving you a thin, working key that can be inserted into your unsuspecting cubicle mate’s locked cabinet for your next office prank. Link to tutorial at i-hacked.
[via i-hacked]
Check out this neat little free application from Gieson.com for tuning your guitar online. The app loads right in your browser or you can download it as well. For PC and Mac.
Tuner Homepage: http://www.gieson.com/Library/projects/utilities/tuner/
Download (PC): guitar_tuner.zip
Download (Mac): guitar_tuner.sit
Annoy those neighbors no more. Not that you really cared any ways, but this will definitely help prevent the cops from showing up to your next jam session. Here is a very well written tutorial from rik_akashian at instructables on soundproofing walls. Link to instructable…..
I just love posting to the “Adult Beverage” category. Especially when that post involves a DIY project. Here is an instructable by kc7eph that definitely belongs in there. In his very informative tutorial, he shows you how to create a keg tap from a cooler and some copper tubing, that will help chill your cold barley soup yet even cooler than the iced keg in which it is coming from. Quite an amazing concept actually. A cold frosty pour, every time. Now that just makes me smile.
[DIY Jockey Box (Beer tap/cooler) - Instructable]
A few days ago we published a small article on carlitoscontraptions’s Minimalist Keyring Mod. It appears that dieck at edcforums has taken the modification one step further and created the Ultra Ultra Minimalist Keyring. This is a nice combination between shadeone’s micra mod and the keyring at carlitoscontraptions except no bulk. He has eliminated the fat end of the key, while implementing Carlos’s minimalist keyring. It seems this would work great as you can get leverage from the other keys by just spinning them out square.
[Ultra Ultra Minimalist Keyring post by dieck @ edcforums]
I must admit that I have a sleight fetish for really cool wallet hacks and additions. Below is a list of some of the best hacks, mods, additions and original designs I have recently come across.
| Make a $5.00 “Space Pen” for your wallet - This is probably one of my favorite wallet additions. Doctor_wu from instructables came up with the idea for slightly modifying a refill from one of those space pens to create an awesome wallet pen. He basically creates a custom clip for it and then throws on a nice heat shrink wrap. Excellent idea! |  |
| Origami Wallet - Need an emergency make-shift wallet? Check out this instructable by mitxela where he shows you how to make a very useful paper wallet from standard 8.5″ x 11″ paper. |  |
| Pocket Sized Map Book - Here is a great idea. Use google maps to make your own custom pocket map book that can easily be stuffed into the pouch of your wallet. Check out this great instructable by j_l_larson |  |
| DIY Jeans Cuff Wallet - This is an interesting DIY wallet by pkruep from instructables in which they use denim from the cuff of an old pair of pants to make a rather durable and original looking wallet. |  |
| DIY: The Magic Flip Wallet! - This one is a sure winner. This is instructables user, LasVegas’s tutorial on making a custom, magically diverse wallet in which it appears you can flip around a number of ways. |  |
| Wallet made from a computer keyboard - This one is the ultimate in geek wallets. Zieak at intructables shows you how to make a durable, conversation-starting wallet from the thin circuit sheet found inside your old keyboard. |  |
| Bitchin’ Innertube Wallet - Instructables user jmengel posted a nice tutorial for building a nice wallet from a bicycle inner tube. He even uses a magnet to clip the wallet together. Nice! |  |
| Wallet Made Out of Dollar Bills - This one is a bit perverse, but will definitely get people talking. TeacherOfTheWays from instructables has a how-to for making a wallet entirely out of dollar bills. This one will cost you about $10 but hey, if you find yourself in a pinch, you can spend your wallet. What other $10 wallet has that feature? |  |
| Always have Correct Change in your wallet - Now this instructable from RTourn has a nifty way to keep some spare change easily accessible in your wallet without to worry of it jingling around or falling out. A simple yet clever idea. |  |
| Credit Card SD Holder - This is a very clever instructable from sarCastro which shows you a way to keep a little extra memory in your wallet on-the-go. Very cool! |  |
I was sifting through carlitoscontraptions a little more and came across yet another great idea from Carlos. Next time you break a shoelace, just use a little heat-shrink tubing to get the job done. This would be a good excuse to throw a little tubing in your next emergency survival kit as it takes little to no space at all. Check out Carlos’s Article here…
[via carlitoscontraptions]
The minute I finished posting about the “Swiss Army Keys” project I found earlier, I immediately had to start fashioning my own. I documented my experience and have posted an Instructable on making something similar. Below is a brief tutorial on how I made it.
Let me first state that I stumbled on this Idea browsing through the edcforums. There was a post a while back where someone had posted some pictures on building one of these sweet little babies. Check out the original forums thread started by shadeone here. I take no credit for originating this idea, I’ve just documented my own experience building one.
Materials
Disassemble the Multi Tool
Start by unscrewing and Disassembling the tool. Make sure you save all of the little parts and washers. Note that I was able to fit 3 keys per side so only undo one side if you are doing 3 keys or less.
Select a Matchup Piece
Set one piece aside to use to match your key against when you are cutting it.
Cut Your Keys
Cut down your keys to roughly match the end of the piece you picked in the previous step. You will be drilling a hole in them so be sure and leave as much meat as possible. You can fine tune it later.
Mark and Drill the Holes
Place each key one at a time inside the tool in the direction you will be placing it and mark the hole with a fine point marker through the hole in the tool. I placed mine teeth down so it is easier to pull them out by hooking a fingernail in the grooves across the top.
Once you have marked all keys, mark your starting points with a punch or nail and drill your holes. The size of the hole may vary depending on what kind of multi tool you choose. Start small as you can always bore it out more if necessary.
Put it Back Together
Re-assemble the tool substituting the keys for the tools. Be careful of three things. 1) Be sure you put a washer in between any metal-on-metal contact. 2) Make sure you place the keyring attachment piece somewhere where it will not interfere with a key. 3) Most importantly, remember to leave a gap in the middle of each side for the pliers/cutters to fit into when you collapse the tool. ( I placed two keys all the way to one side, then a bunch of washers and then a key against the other side.
One little tip: If there is a skinny leather punch or mini screw driver piece, you can stick this through the hole when re-assembling the tool to help keep the washers and the pin in place. This also worked well to wiggle around to get everyting to fit together properly.
Enjoy!
Came across this great key ring idea at carlitoscontraptions. He basically just takes 3 washers, a rivet, and a couple of keys to creates the worlds simplest keychain. Brilliant! Visit his article for a quick and simple how to.
I was browsing the forums at edcforums.com and came across this little tool mod for making a multi-purpose pry bar for your key chain. Its basically a 1/4″ wrench with the box end cutoff at a slight angle to make a clever key chain pry bar that can double as a screwdriver if you slip a standard 1/4″ driver bit through the hole. What a great idea. Check out the forum post for more pictures.
I was browsing through some older posts at DIYHappy and came across an article that linked to a forum post at edcforums.com where one of their users, shadeone, posted a little pictorial how to on creating this genius Swiss Army Keychain. I will definitely be attempting one of these very soon. Link to post….(scroll to bottom of the forum post)
The following is a list of some of the strangest and most useful survival tips and tricks I have found in the past. Although some are “old news” and you may have seen these before, all of them are invaluable in my opinion and hopefully there are one or two you have never seen before that will possibly help you in a pinch someday.
| 1. DIY Altoids Tin Survival Kit - A while back, Field & Stream Magazine drafted a mean article on creating a mini survival kit whose contents could fit inside an altoids mint tin. In their 19 page article, they take you through step-by-step in creating a killer survival kit that can easily be carried in your back pocket. |  |
| 2. Make an Emergency Light From a Pencil - This one is a very clever trick from shootingeggs @ metacafe in which you can get a surprising amount of emergency light from simply just attaching two wires from a car battery to a pencil lead. |  |
| 3. DIY Altoids Tin Emergency Candle - This is one of my favorite survival tin hacks. EaKLondon @ Instructables shows you how to make a very simple emergency candle from a mint tin. |  |
| 4. Predicting the Weather with Clouds - In a survival situation, the weather could seriously wreck your situation and possibly even kill you if your not prepared, but by using the clouds, you can gain insight into what the weather is doing. Check out this Instructable by randofo on how to predict the weather by observing the clouds. |  |
| 5. Mini Fishing Reel From a 35 mm Film Cartridge - This one is a clever idea for using a 35mm Film Cartridge as an emergency fishing reel. |  |
| 6. Find North Without a Compass - This is an awesome trick to find N S E W using just a stick and the sun. |  |
| 7. Make a Fire With a Bar of Chocolate and a Soda Can - This is an oldie but goody. You basically start a fire by polishing the bottom of an aluminum can with melted chocolate and use it to magnify reflected sunlight. I’ve found that toothpaste (if available) helps get some of the bulk out of the way. |  |
| 8. Fire From A Battery And Staple - Learn how to make fire by shorting out a staple on a AA battery. |  |
| 9. Mini Burner Stove From 2 Soda Cans - This is probably one of the best ideas I have ever seen. In this video you learn how to make a simple and brilliant emergency stove from two aluminum cans. The beauty of this one is that it makes a great, lightweight, backpacking stove as well. |  |
| 10. Drink From A Tree - Water is key. In this video Funditor shows you how to steal a significant amount of water from a tree or plant. Just a note, make sure you know the plant is not poisonous before doing this as any toxins could potentially wind up in the water and make your situation worse. |  |
| 11. 2 Minute Stove for $1 - Another soda can stove trick. This one is much simpler than the one above and would be good if you need a quick stove to boil some water. |  |
| 12. Improve your night vision - You may find yourself in a situation where you must move about in the dark. This video will show you 10 simple steps to help improve your night vision. |  |
| 13. HOW TO - Make emergency eyeglasses - Not everyone is blessed with great eyesight and should you loose or break your glasses, you could possibly become extremely hindered. Here is a way to craft an emergency set of glasses from just some paper or cardboard. You will look silly as hell, but hey, you can see. |  |
Scam school has release yet another bar trick in the spirit of winning you some free beer. In episode 18, Brian will show you the solution to a puzzle bet involving 6 matches. The goal is to make 4 identical triangles from just 6 matches. Watch the video below to find out how.
SmallBox Effects has several DIY guitar effects projects for the DIY musician. The great thing about the projects at SmallBox are that the diagrams are extremely simple to understand as they include pictures of the parts and their wiring all in one image so that even an 8 year old could probably figure them out. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. Projects include an LPB (line power booster), “Fuzz Face”, A/B box, and even a project on finishing and tooling your casing for your electronics. Go to SmallBox and check them out.
[via devtoys]
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