Search found 46 matches

by PrIsMaTiC
Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:54 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Plastic Sheet That's Flexible-Machinable-Paintable?
Replies: 8
Views: 4296

Plastic Sheet That's Flexible-Machinable-Paintable?

I tried several times to make a 17 x 23" plate out of wood. The plate has to conform to the irregularities of a tile covered wall. The sheet rock (wall board) and the tile look fine until you put a level across the surface. It has more bumps than than the Rocky Mountains! I've worked with vario...
by PrIsMaTiC
Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:36 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Zapping a low voltage instrument lamp
Replies: 14
Views: 6892

My wagon would be considered "new" compared to some models that were built in the 70's and 80's. Those monsters could handle 4 x 8 sheet goods easily, and they had lots of space under the hood. The electronics was simple compared to my 1990 Sable wagon with that really awful OBDI. OBDI sho...
by PrIsMaTiC
Wed Apr 18, 2007 7:28 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Zapping a low voltage instrument lamp
Replies: 14
Views: 6892

Zapping a low voltage instrument lamp

Maybe this is more science fiction than science, but here's some of my twisted logic. I keep an old gas guzzling station wagon. I don't own (and never will) an SUV or truck. If I have to haul some lumber or anything that won't fit in my other car, a late model sedan, I use the wagon. A lot of my nei...
by PrIsMaTiC
Sat Mar 24, 2007 6:58 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Powering a cordless tool from a plug-in supply?
Replies: 24
Views: 10210

Implementing overload protection used to difficult unitil companies like National Semiconductor started producing integrated regulators that had everything on a chip. I wonder how many LM317T regulator chips have been sold? The number must be in the billions. I'm thinking that I should look for a sw...
by PrIsMaTiC
Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:09 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Powering a cordless tool from a plug-in supply?
Replies: 24
Views: 10210

I've experimented with many different types of motors, so the the results I got when I tested this 18 volt circular saw did not surprise me. The no load current is about 2.3-to-2.6 amps. The current ramps up dramatically under heavy load. A complete stall shot past the 10 amp limit of the meter I wa...
by PrIsMaTiC
Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:08 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Powering a cordless tool from a plug-in supply?
Replies: 24
Views: 10210

I avoided buying any cordless tools when they first showed up in hardware stores and home centers. They were all flimsy junk. When Porter-Cable came out with a 12 volt drill I had just started building a large fence. I thought how nice it would be not to drag a 100 ft. cord and reel around my yard. ...
by PrIsMaTiC
Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:40 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Powering a cordless tool from a plug-in supply?
Replies: 24
Views: 10210

Powering a cordless tool from a plug-in supply?

If you're a cordless tool user then you know all the positives and negatives. I never thought I'd want to add a cord to a cordless tool, but I've got a 5½" - 18 volt circular saw that I'd like to run off a power supply instead of a battery. The battery packs are 1.7 AH. Because this saw is lig...
by PrIsMaTiC
Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:34 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Wireless FM Radio Signal Booster?
Replies: 4
Views: 2922

:smile::smile: I appreciate your reply jollyrgr. Thank you. The friend I referred to is wealthy. I never would have purchased such a fancy clock radio. This gizmo has rows of buttons and dials. 90% of the features will never be used. As I said, there was no wire hanging off the back of the radio. Wh...
by PrIsMaTiC
Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:24 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Wireless FM Radio Signal Booster?
Replies: 4
Views: 2922

Wireless FM Radio Signal Booster?

A friend gave me an expensive clock radio - cd player as a gift. CD playback through the speakers sounds great. The radio itself is not so good. The FM antenna is completely internal. Not even a 24 gauge wire hanging out the back, like you see with most cheap clock radios. If I move the thing away f...
by PrIsMaTiC
Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:46 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: TJ Byers passing
Replies: 13
Views: 7431

It seems like several lifetimes ago when I started reading magazines like Radio and Popular Electronics. Because I was a preteen, my very active imaginaton led me to believe that all the columnists in these publications were the lovable and brilliant uncle or grandfather I never had. Almost all thos...
by PrIsMaTiC
Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:17 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Adjustable Solenoid Needed
Replies: 3
Views: 2396

Hello Dave. This thing I built is mounted under my dad's car. I don't know how many people in the USA drive a car with a manual transaxle/transmission, but he's one of them. He developed a serious problem with his right shoulder, which causes him pain when he shifts gears. The device I built allows ...
by PrIsMaTiC
Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:12 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Adjustable Solenoid Needed
Replies: 3
Views: 2396

Adjustable Solenoid Needed

I want to control the movement of a small aluminum lever attached to a spring. I'm using a simple machine screw to adjust the position of the lever, but I'd like to build a control circuit that would sense a voltage change and energize a solenoid. Building the control circuit is no problem for me, b...
by PrIsMaTiC
Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:59 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Detecting an Object Through an Auto Firewall
Replies: 7
Views: 4081

To tell you the truth guys, the last time I did anything like this I was a teenager. My dad always had really large four door sedans and wagons. There was always plenty of empty space under the dash and around the engine. The firewalls on modern cars are packed with hoses, wires, ducting, and almost...
by PrIsMaTiC
Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:25 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Detecting an Object Through an Auto Firewall
Replies: 7
Views: 4081

Detecting an Object Through an Auto Firewall

I want to run a cable through an auto firewall. I found an area on the engine side of the firewall that is free of vacuum hoses, wires, etc. I have to drill through on the cabin side, and that's the problem. I can make some rough measurements on the engine side where I want the cable to pass through...
by PrIsMaTiC
Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:47 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Jaycar's Adjustable Temperature Switch
Replies: 4
Views: 2707

I can't even remember all the different types of temperature sensing circuits I breadboarded many years ago. I liked all things mechanical and electrical! Failure meant nothing to me. I just moved on to the next fascinating project. I've got two cars. One has a problem that caused a few major recall...