I have several 6 volt lantern flashlights kicking around the shop.  However, I never use them because I generally baulk at the $7 they want for a lantern battery that can't be recharged.

So I modded a flashlight to take a 6 volt 4 Ah lead acid battery I bought at Home Depot . . . 

The day after I returned from SteamCon in Seattle I got into the car to go to the day job and discovered that my battery light was on in my 2007 Toyota Yaris.  Being an old Volkswagen man I resisted the urge to get out and hammer on the the alternator with a monkey wrench.  Instead I turned everything off and then listened carefully to the engine RPM as I turned on the rear window defroster.  When I pressed the defrost button the engines revs did indeed drop about 100 and the engine lugged for a moment until the ECU gave it a bit more gas to smooth out the idle.  Good. This exercise told me that the alternator was charging the battery and that the problem was with the warning light itself. I could safely drive the car for the rest of the week and figure things out at my leisure.

This morning I started working the problem . . .

When we moved into our house there was an electric chandelier in our dining room.  It was an adequate enough fixture but incandescent chandeliers are terribly inefficient, six 25 watt bulbs actually put out a fraction of the amount of light as a single bulb of half the combined wattage, and while they do make candelabra base compact fluorescent bulbs, I find their light cold, harsh, and they are not very dim-able.

Besides, nothing beats real candle light for a romantic dinner at home.

Read on for details on converting an electric chandelier back to candles . . .

This is my cheap and easy version of the classic Phantasmechanics Flying Crank Ghost and it utilizes a carousel motor from a discarded microwave oven and some bits of scrap wood for the armature.

Most modern microwave ovens have a small 110 volt synchronous motor that rotates the carousel, these are often easily removed through an access panel in the bottom of the oven.  Be sure to grab the little knob that engages the platter, this you'll have to remove from the inside of the oven . . .

Click through for step-by-step instructions . . . 

Last year I wrote an article for Make Magazine volume #17 that described the construction of an electrostatic generator of electricity, a Wimshurst Influence machine, using parts and materials commonly available at your local home center and hardware store.

I was a little surprised and quite pleased when I realized that the contract from O'Reilly Media (the publishers of Make:) had me retaining copyright for the material I submitted.  What I sold to O'Reilly was basically a right to use and to publish first.

So here it is for your enjoyment! This is the first of a five part series detailing the construction of a Wimshurst Influence machine!  (UPDATE: added large dimensioned drawing.)

I was having a hard time this morning getting started working in the shop.  

I get one day a week to work in the shop and as a result I often end up with a list of things I want to get done that is about three times longer then it is possible to accomplish, stress results.

Today I decided "screw it. I'm making a lamp."  

I started with a couple of pieces of brass from an earlier, rejected, project that fit together to form a reflector and kerosene reservoir . . .

Tomorrow is the Yankee Steam-Up!  From the New England Wireless and Steam Museum website:

The Original Yankee Steam-Up 
For model makers, Machinists, Engineers & Historians
Saturday October 3, 2009 8:30AM-4:00PM
1300 Frenchtown Road, East Greenwich, RI 02818 
Licensed Boilers & Licensed Engineers. 
New Englands Largest Steam-Up Boiler. 
Giant Working Steam Engines & Hot Air & IC. 
Admission, $15.00         Children under 12 $5.00 
All Steam-Up Proceeds go to Upkeep of the Museum 
Free Parking         Food on Grounds 
Phone: (401) 885-0545,
 E-Mail: newsm@newsm.org
Web Site: http://www.newsm.org

Click through for pictures from my visit in 2007 . . .

Well it's October at last!  Here at the Workshop most of our projects will go on hold while we prepare for Hallowe'en, but I do plan to take a few days off to attend SteamCon in Seattle!  Tor books has a great interview with Steamcon Vice Chair Diana Vick that will give you an idea of what to expect.  One take-away I got from the interview is the limited availability of tickets for the Saturday night concert with Abney Park, Unwoman, and Vernian Process.

Get yours now and I'll see you there!