Author Archive
Fingers in the cogs
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to expand, more and more people are turning to AI-powered tools like ChatGPT to help create content for their webpages. While these tools can be incredibly useful, they also come with a number of risks that should not be overlooked. One
Vintage Receiver Repair – finding a noisy transistor
Troubleshooting and repair of the vintage Pioneer SX-838 receiver that had a noisy transistor. In this video I clean all of the controls, switches, and potentiometers and then because I didn’t have the necessary 2NA725 PNP transistor, I substituted a 2N3906 PNP transistor and it worked great! Featuring music
How to build, bright, high-quality flickering LED lanterns!
When I was young I went to Disney World and while I enjoyed the park, it was the lighting fixture and effects that really captivated my interest. In particular I loved the flickering lanterns that festooned the tree in the waiting area for Splash Mountain. For years I’ve wanted
WTF is a Saturable Reactor?
A saturable reactor is an arcane piece of electrical kit that modulates a large AC current with a small DC input. This unit was removed from a Bridgeport Series II CNC milling machine where it was used to regulate the power supply to the stepper motor drivers that moved
Rat Welder Mods and a Mold Bench
I cover some of the recent mods to the #ratwelder and build a bench for preparing molds for metal casting.
Tiny House Stove Build
I cut down an old Trolla 107A cast iron stove from the 1970’s to make a tiny house sized wood burning stove for my school bus RV conversion project. The cut down stove incorporates a fire grate and a labyrinthine damper to extend burn time.
TIL: you can totally use a Ford regulator on a Toyota alternator, it bolts right on!
TIL: you can totally use a Ford regulator on a Toyota alternator, it bolts right on!
One of the things I discovered converting an old school bus into an RV are these: self-drilling sheet metal screws. They are a game changer.
One of the things I discovered converting an old school bus into an RV are these: self-drilling sheet metal screws. They are a game changer.
A pipe broke at work, that green foam is not good. It’s what happens when water, copper, and electricity mix. Children, do not put your PCs directly on the floor.
A pipe broke at work, that green foam is not good. It’s what happens when water, copper, and electricity mix. Children, do not put your PCs directly on the floor.