DIY Life

Easy herb drying rack

Billy Robb — 2008-06-10T18:00:00 00:00

Filed under: food, miscellaneous, gardening and plants, health and wellness

I love mint; it's one of the easiest weedy garden plants to grow. It doesn't need care and spreads like crazy. My only problem is that I'm just too lazy to cut and hang little bundles to dry for tea all the time. So I built this clamp/rack for quick hanging of the mint plants and herbs -- no more bundle tying.

My inspiration came from my uncle's tobacco farm where the leaves are hung on racks with spikes piercing the leaves. I'm sure this has probably been done before by gardeners around the world, but I thought I should share my version. Using two 1x2 furring strips, a hinge, screw hooks, and some carriage bolts with wing nuts, this can be assembled pretty quickly. A drill and some pliers are the only tools needed.

More after the break, hit the link below.

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Make this as large or small as you want; mine is about six feet long. Start by laying the two furring strips together and attaching a small hinge to the end to form large tweezers. Drill a hole on the opposite end from the hinge and stick a carriage bolt through; for longer drying racks you'll need an extra carriage bolt in the center. Finally, attach two little screw hooks to the ends for hanging the whole thing from some chains.

To use it, just harvest the herbs you want to dry and clamp them into the rack using the carriage bolts with wing nuts. Don't add too many plants; good air flow between the leaves is important. Now hang it up out of direct sunlight until the leaves are crispy; then you can just pull off the leaves with your hands and store them for making tea or for cooking. Another way to do this is with an herb dryer that we posted in January 2008.

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A night light for Dad

Billy Robb — 2008-06-10T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: geek it yourself, bathroom, lighting, electronics

As a man, getting up and going to the bathroom in the dark is much better than turning on blazing lights to do the same thing. Of course, there is the problem of missing the bowl. That's where this little built night light for the toilet by Robbtoberfest (me) at Instructables comes in handy.

Lift the seat and it shines a dim red light into the bowl, just enough for aiming, but not so bright that it ruins night vision. Drop the seat and it automatically turns off. A good gift for Father's day -- or any "man day" occasion.

You'll find the instructions after the break!

It can be made with things lying around the house: a paper clip, soda bottle caps, an LED, a penny, 3v button cell battery, and super glue. OK, not everybody has LEDs laying around, but they're cheap enough at an electronics store.

Use a hacksaw to trim up the bottle caps, then solder the LED to the penny with a paper clip. Add the battery and glue it together. Stick it to the seat with some double sided foam sticky tape -- and you're set.

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Do a wheelie with the picnic table

Billy Robb — 2008-06-03T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: household hacks, outdoor, wood working

This is a simple project that only takes 15 minutes; it took me longer to take and post the pictures. If you have a wooden picnic table and an abandoned lawnmower laying behind the garage, you have the ingredients of a rolling table. Adding a set of lawnmower wheels to the legs of the table makes it easy to move it around the yard, while not dragging the legs and tearing up the lawn.

Tools: A wrench and drill.
Parts: Two 3-inch lag screws with washers and two small lawnmower wheels.

First, prop up the legs on something and place the wheel so it hangs 1/2 inch below the leg. You'll also want to have the wheel sticking out 1/2 inch on the outside of the leg (see pictures in the gallery). Mark your hole location and pre-drill the hole for the lag screw; do this on both table legs. Attach the wheels with the lag screws, but don't overtighten. That's it!

Now you can pick up one side of the table and roll it around like a wheelbarrow. This only works on lawns, not hard surfaces. The wheels can't support people weight on patios and other hard surfaces, but on the lawn they'll sink in a little so the weight rests on the legs. You could double the wheels for extra strength; then you would need long bolts instead of lag screws.

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Making dandelion coffee

Billy Robb — 2008-05-27T08:00:00 00:00

Filed under: food, gardening and plants, health and wellness

Dandelions can be eaten in many ways, from leafy greens to fried flowers to drinking wine; I almost imagine them as lettuce gone wild. Making coffee from dandelions isn't new, but trying this unusual drink is an interesting way to spend a few hours -- and, if you haven't sprayed them with herbicide in the past, an organic way to get rid of those dandelions in the yard.

Tools and supplies include: a weed popper, knife, cookie sheet, oven, coffee grinder, and of course a coffee machine. Follow along in the gallery to get a better idea. Instructions are after the break!

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Using the weed popper, pop out as many dandelion tap roots as you want; it takes about 25 small roots for a cup of this alternative coffee. Cut off and wash the carrot-like roots; pat them dry and lay them out on a cookie sheet.

Roast them for two to three hours at 200 degrees F: they should look chocolate brown, and snap like dry sticks. Stick 'em in the grinder, then into the coffee filter to brew. You'll have to adjust the strength to your liking; I used about two tablespoons of grounds for one cup of coffee.

There are a few good health claims about dandelions. First, it's caffeine free; I know some of you boo this notion and so do I, but my blood pressure thanks me for staying away from the stuff. Aside from that, Peter Gail at The Leaf Lady: Natural Healing Through Natural Health claims dandelions have benefits from improved bowel function to weight loss.

Growing them in a garden bed would ensure healthy herbicide-free plants -- and would really freak out the turf lawn neighbors. LOL!

You'll have to figure on popping a lot if you like this drink, or you can order it ready-made online. Believe it or not, there are dandelion farms, and even cultivated dandelion seeds that you can order.

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Fix locked iPod hold button with tin foil

Billy Robb — 2008-04-14T11:00:00 00:00

Filed under: fix-it, music, audio and video, electronics, GIY: Geek-it-yourself

My sister sent me her iPod telling me it's locked up: the hold button switch stopped working. It was stiff and felt like a piece of grit was in the switch. With the hold switch broken, all the other buttons stopped working as well, even while the screen indicated that the device was on.

I first tried the farmer method of fixing things, by adding a micro-drop of mineral oil to the switch....wrong, that didn't do anything. I tinkered a little more, and found out the actual switch on the circuit board was busted.

Hit the continue for more on this.

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When the switch is disconnected, it puts the iPod into a lock setup to keep buttons from being activated in your pocket; when the connection is closed you can push the buttons again. To fix this somewhat, you have to close the connection so the other buttons work again.

To close the connection, I pried open the broken switch and shoved a tiny piece of tin foil in there. This at least lets the thing function, just without the lock feature. Follow along in the gallery for a detailed description, and to see close up pics. By the way, this is something you do if you have no warranty left, or are just cheap like me (it'll definitely void your warranty).

Open the case.
Remove some screws.
Pry back the circuit board 1/4".
Pry the switch apart .
Use a tiny piece of tin foil to make new contacts.

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Backyard chickens - part 5

Billy Robb — 2008-04-09T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: weekend projects, gardening and plants, outdoor, pets, DIY Earth

Step seven: aluminum can shingles

Add some 1x4 boards or plywood under the roof to make a shelf area for storing treats and things; again, look at the gallery to get a close-up.

Now, just add shingles of some kind and it's almost done. Corrugated metal roofing looks best with this style of building, but any roofing material should work. I used experimental pressed beer can shingles for this project.

Step eight: add the perch

Finish up by adding a 2x2 perch inside the coop. A nest box is optional: the coop is so small that the chickens will pick a dark corner in which to lay eggs. Make sure all screw and nail points are cut off if they stick through the wood anywhere. Attach a pen or fenced area to protect the little birdies from predators like cats and foxes.

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Backyard chickens - part 6

Billy Robb — 2008-04-09T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: weekend projects, gardening and plants, outdoor, pets, DIY Earth

A few tips on chicken care from my own experience:

Chickens will live in an old dog house and dog pen. There is no need for a big investment of hundreds of dollars for a coop and supplies. As long as they have a protected dark area for nesting and roosting, they'll be fine. You may need to add a small perch to the dog house for roosting; the perch can be fancy or just a log.

Chickens don't need a rooster to lay eggs; just think of the hundreds of thousands packed into little wire cages in the egg factories.

Laying eggs is a light-sensitive operation; if you don't add artificial light to the coop in the winter when the days are short, they will stop laying for about two months. If you add a light to lengthen their day, add it in the morning. This keeps the chickens from injuring themselves in the dark if the light suddenly goes out in the evening.

Eggs will last up to three weeks at room temperature. With a small backyard flock of five or six birds, there's no rush to raid the nest several times a day (like some books state). But leaving the eggs too long in the nest can create egg-eater chickens; this is a habit that is hard to break, if you can break it at all.

Train your chickens to come to a call for treats; this helps immensely when trying to round them up into the pen. You've heard of the expression "herding cats"; well, it's the same for chickens. They go into the pen normally in the evening, but not any other time of day, when you need to put them away (like when they're digging up seedlings in your garden).

I use cheap bird seeds as a treat, along with a consistent call: "Chick-chick-chick." By the third or fourth time, they come running to that call.

I recommend further online reading, like this awesome forum/message board on chicken care calledBackyard Chickens Message Board. Other good reading on coops and care can be found at The City Chicken, BackyardChickens.com, andFeatherSite - The Poultry Page.

Enjoy your chickies!

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Backyard chickens - part 4

Billy Robb — 2008-04-09T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: weekend projects, gardening and plants, outdoor, pets, DIY Earth

Step five: front wall and door

Make the front wall like the back one, and attach door braces to the outside to form a "Z." The peak of the front door is 35". Use a jigsaw or circular saw to cut out the door shape, then add another brace at the top of the door.

Don't forget to cut out the classic moon or star shape for the vent hole. Add the hinges and door knob; I used a nail and scrap wood as a pivot latch to hold the door shut.

Step six: install window and chicken door

Use a staple gun and some thin trim wood to attach fake window pane framing. You can have a look through the gallery to see a close-up. I used an old storm window, and mounted it to the inside of the coop by drilling holes through the aluminum frame and screwing it to the wood.

For the chicken door, cut pieces of 2x6 to make a hole 4.5"x7.5" (for bantam breeds). I didn't make an actual closing door here because my birds come and go as they please into the pen and yard.

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Backyard chickens - part 3

Billy Robb — 2008-04-09T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: weekend projects, gardening and plants, outdoor, pets, DIY Earth

Step three: build the roof

Attach 2x2s between the walls for support as shown above.

With screws, just attach 18" long to 24" long 2x6s at a 90 degree angle; make several of these sections, and stack them to the width of the building. Add 1x4 support boards across the underside to hold the roof sections together. Now, another supporting 2x2 is added on the inside corner.

Next, mock fit the roof on the two walls to figure out a good place to mount it. I recommend a longer roof overhang on the window side. Then make a "roof lid" for the storage area: add two hinges on the side with the least overhang. If the roof edge looks too new, rip some old wood with a circular saw and attach it to the edges.

Step four: build back wall

Cut 2x6 boards to make the back of the coop wall. Screw them into the base and into the support 2x2. You will need a bevel to copy the angles from the roof onto the boards; a bevel can be easily made with a screw and two pieces of scrap wood.

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Backyard chickens - part 2

Billy Robb — 2008-04-09T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: weekend projects, gardening and plants, outdoor, pets, DIY Earth

Step one: build the floor

Once you have a scrap lumber source, start with a base platform made from treated 2x4s. Screw or nail them together into a 20"x18" rectangle, and add a floor of plywood or MDF board. (Note: the coop is deeper than it is wide; the front of the building is 18" wide.)

Step two: attach side walls

Next, start adding the side walls by attaching 2x6s to the base with 3" screws. One wall is 36" high, and the window wall is 40" high.

Attach a support board, as shown in the pictures, to keep the boards together at the top of the walls; keep these boards 1/2" from the top for adding a shelf later. On the taller wall, leave a space for the window and the chicken door.

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Backyard chickens: build an outhouse coop with a beer can roof

Billy Robb — 2008-04-09T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: weekend projects, gardening and plants, outdoor, pets, DIY Earth

Making whimsical little buildings with functionality has always been fun for me; this little coop is one of my favorites so far. This chicken house uses weathered 2x6 lumber as the main material, but other lumber types like 1x6 can be used with some design modification.

It'll house about three to five bantam breed chickens (the miniature ones), although it can be scaled up for larger birds. A run or pen should be part of the finished coop, for bird security and space. My design inspiration came from a web picture of a lighted country outhouse at Raystown Primatives.com.

All salvaged materials were used, except for the door hinges and porcelain knob, which came from the hardware and hobby store. Weathered wood like this can be hard to come by, but construction companies and highway departments sometimes have old lumber from concrete forms that they throw away at the end of a project. Just ask around; wood from a demolished old porch works well too. You can even add age to newer wood by leaving it outside in contact with the dirt for several weeks, or by applying a rustic finishing technique to the wood.

For construction details, hit next below.

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Candle aquariums, aquarium candles

Billy Robb — 2008-04-01T18:00:00 00:00

Filed under: home decor, household hacks, weekend projects, Crafts

Make a little aquarium with lamp oil, an old glass jar, and a few toy fish. It might take some shopping for a few supplies, like a diamond drill bit and glass tube wicks. For a basic oil candle, there isn't much to do but drill a hole in the lid, and add a wick.

Materials and tools:

Glass jar with lid
Glass tube wick holder + wick
Clear paraffin lamp Oil
Clear resin/epoxy
Toy fish and shells
Drill
Special tools: Glass and tile drill bit or diamond bit

For the instructions, please join me after the break.

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Start by drilling the lid with the diamond bit. Drill slowly and work from both sides of the hole.
Insert the wick and glass tube, making sure the wick reaches the bottom of the jar.
Once the basic candle is done, you can arrange sea shells, plastic fish, and other sea creatures in the jar. Everything has to be glued down with clear epoxy to keep it from floating in the oil. Use clear plastic cut from a soda bottle to mount the fish into an elevated position. In the pictures, earring clasps were used to hold the fish on the clear plastic, but you can epoxy them too. Let the epoxy dry completely before going further.
Fill your candle with clear paraffin lamp oil. Spend the extra $2 for the better quality stuff: it has a cleaner burn.
Set the wick just barely above the glass tube collar and light it.

Watch the glow... oooh, the flickering kind of gives it a moving water effect. Someday, I'd like to put a toy alien head inside a jar with green lamp oil....

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Hot garden sprinklers

Billy Robb — 2008-03-20T12:00:00 00:00

Filed under: home decor, household hacks, Crafts, gardening and plants, landscaping, RECrafted

If your lifestyle is anything like my family's, you might have an overdose of candle holders and other decorative stuff filling up the closets and other storage spaces in your house. We started to take it outside in the form of sprinklers for the garden and they look a lot better than the black sprinkler stakes you can buy.

We used candle holders, lamp bases, and little garden statues to make this work; but anything you can drill a hold into and run an irrigation hose through should work. Note that wood and metals will probably age and rust, but that's part of the charm.

To build these, drill a hole into the decor just smaller than the irrigation hose so it fits snuggly into place. Run the small hose into the main irrigation feeder line. In my case I used a soaker hose. Add your sprinkler head and start watering.

These are great for making mini bird baths and butterfly watering stations. Just add some aquarium gravel or pea gravel to the basin for butterflies so they don't drown.

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Fake aquarium plants

Billy Robb — 2008-03-06T17:00:00 00:00

Filed under: home decor, household hacks, gardening and plants, pets

I like to have a real-looking pond environment in the fish tank, with a few plants. The problem: goldfish eat plants, and plastic plants cost like $5 each or more. So I picked up some palm sized flat rocks around the garden, along with some leafy fake plants at the hobby store, and made my own, spending less than $5 total.

The main concern for the fish tank when making these is water contamination from the rocks, or from the dyes in the fake plants. The fix: wash and boil the rocks, and use only the true plastic parts of the fake plants; many have wire, green paper tape, and other accessories that wouldn't do well for the fish.

You'll need a drill, masonry bit, and scissors for this project. For my tank, I used grassy type foliage; it gives a good waving effect next to the water filter.

You can read more about this simple process after the jump!

First, find some good flat rocks. Drill one or several small holes through your flat rocks -- depending on how much plant material you want to cram on a rock. Limestone seems to work the best for this. I used an easy-to-drill limestone rock and a 1/4" bit for my holes.

Remove all tape, metal wiring, and fabric-like material from the hobby store plant, and keep the shiny plastic parts. Trim off the good pieces with scissors. Wash those pieces, then thread them through the holes and wedge them into place. No glues are required.

All done!

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Five easy playground structures for under $100 total

Billy Robb — 2008-03-03T10:30:00 00:00

Filed under: kids, recreation, weekend projects, outdoor, wood working, DIY with Dad, DIY with Mom

Playground equipment is expensive! I have some easy to build backyard equipment designs made from a few 4x4 posts; the whole setup can be made for less than $100 and built in an afternoon. These designs are for use with preschool/kindergarten age kids and are stand-alone or complementary to a swing set combo.

To build the whole set you will need eight to ten 4x4 posts. This design includes a lava pit, monkey bar, balance beam, sand box, and a teeter-totter/seesaw; I've built only some of these in reality, the rest in virtual Google Sketchup. I uploaded the design to Google's Sketch 3D Warehouse database under the name "Playground Equipment, diylife.com" You can download the model in the program and rotate it in 3D with displayed dimensions, and even edit my design. If you don't want to do that, just check out the photo gallery.

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The main tools used for this are a tape measure, level, post-hole digger and a saw; you might need a hammer, drill and hole saw too depending on how much you build. For setting posts in the ground, you can use concrete for light sandy soils; I have clay-loam soil and just packed the soil around the posts with a hammer. Although the bulk of these projects are made from 4x4 posts, you may need a few accessories like short sections of pipe, two old tires, or sand.

Safety! Playgrounds are naturally a little dangerous; watch your kids at play. Moving parts are dangerous, so you can leave out the seesaw if you want reduced anxiety with this project. File down corners into smooth rounds and paint your lumber if it's treated lumber (which most is unless you pay extra for cedar posts.) Always triple-check everything when building for kids and watch them closely to see how they play with the build so you can make adjustments if needed.

I'll start with the easiest, the lava pit. This is a great balance exercise for the little ones and you only need one 8' post cut into 24" sections to make four posts, but you can easily add more. Use a post-hole digger to make 15" deep holes and plant your posts, 9" or so should stick out of the ground. I spaced my posts about 10" to 12" apart. Pack the soil in tightly or pour some dry ready-made cement into the hole; some people would even add a handful of gravel at the bottom to keep the post preserved better. To finish, round the exposed post corners with a saw or rasp; I used a chainsaw.

The balance beam is just as simple to build using one 8' post. Cut off two 20" sections and plant them 15" deep and 56" apart on the outside measurement. The 56" piece is what you have left of the post; you attach it to the others with several 3" screws, "toenail" them into the posts. Round the corners when everything is attached.

The sand box in the drawing uses four posts but can be just two depending on how much sand you buy or if you dig a hole for the sand. Just cut the posts in half and attach them by overlapping the corners using 3" screws or nails. You may need a circular saw to cut notches for the corners.

For the monkey bar use some .5" metal conduit, it works well for little hands. Plant two 60" posts 18" deep into the ground, then use a hole-saw to drill a place for the conduit pipe. Insert the pipe before setting the posts. I spaced the posts 36" on the outside measurement. Once the pipe is inserted, drill a screw sized hole through each end where it enters the wood post; then put in a 2" screw to keep the pipe in place. Just one or several of these can be made; and the leftover post scraps can be used for the lava pit.

OK, in my back yard the teeter-totter hasn't been built yet, but the drawing shows how it will be made. It should use only two 8' posts; but other accessories will be necessary to finish it. Some scrap lumber for the seat, a pipe for the pivot point, and two old tires are needed. I plan to use some old 1.25" chain link fence pipe for the pivot and I may dig up some tricycle/bicycle seats cruising around during trash day. 36" posts are loosely planted 18" deep and 5" apart with holes drilled through for the pipe. Drill a hole in the center of an 8" post for the pivot pipe to slide into. Now attach the 8' post to the planted posts with the section of pipe; drill screw holes in the pipe ends and place 2" screws. Make sure no sharp ends of the pipe stick out of the holes. Put the old tires in the ground at the ends to provide a bounce cushion and to keep feet from getting smashed. Attach some seating and handles made from thick dowels and wood blocks; bicycle handle bars would be fun to add instead of the dowels.

I hope these unbuilt pieces work well; I'll update the post if any changes are needed.

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Plastic molding and shaping can be done at home

Billy Robb — 2008-02-20T10:00:00 00:00

Filed under: household hacks, miscellaneous, Crafts

Using plastic for repairing, prototyping, etc. has always been a mystery to me until recently. I found a few good sites that show some techniques in plastic welding, bending, and vacuum forming. These may sound like high-tech methods that need special tools, but a soldering iron, oven and vacuum cleaner are as high-tech as the tools get.

Plastic welding is my favorite because of the simplicity and cool DIY possibilities. Using a soldering iron and oven paper, trash bags or other sheet plastic can be melted together to make things like kites, sails, or even solar hot air balloons. Aleksi at Instructables gives a four steps on this trick.

To shape acrylic/plexiglas, a heating element from an old toaster oven is used with boards and tin foil to melt specific lines for making bends. Sheldog23 at Austin PC Mods built this melting tool and displays how to build it his modding site.

Vacuum forming uses #2 plastic like one-gallon milk jugs; it won't shrink or shrivel like other plastics when heated. The method uses an oven to heat the plastic and a vacuum to pull it into place with a vacuum former made from a coffee can or something similar. Sheekgeek at Instructables.com gives a good quickie on vacuum forming.

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Altoids tin crashed race car incense burner

Billy Robb — 2008-02-11T18:00:00 00:00

Filed under: home decor, household hacks, miscellaneous, Crafts

The title is a mouthful, but this is a quick 15-minute project with great results. For this project I was thinking smoking crashed airplane, race car, meteor strike on a house, space shuttle launch platform, etc. There are so many ways to do this.

Materials:

1 Altoids tin, mini or regular
Flat black spray paint
A metal toy race car
2 screws
Cone incense

Tools:

Hammer
Screw driver
Drill
Gloss Black Marker

Paint the tin black like the asphalt at the racetrack, add some crack repair lines with a glossy black marker. Drill air intake holes in the back of the tin and one large hole in the lid.

Artistically beat the crap out of the toy car with a hammer. Take out some of the excess plastic from under the middle of the car to make room for the incense cone poking through the lid. Attach the car to the lid with the two screws; you will have to predrill the holes into the remaining plastic undercarriage of the car.

Light it up and close the lid. Do they make burning oil and rubber incense? Lol!

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Sod roof playhouse

Billy Robb — 2008-02-05T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: kids, recreation, weekend projects, gardening and plants, framing and drywall, outdoor, wood working

This is a little sod-roofed playhouse I built with my wife a couple years ago. I lost track of lumber and hardware used for this, so you'll just have to follow along in the gallery to get an idea on how to build it.

I wanted a hobbit house feel for my little "hobbits." Originally I planned for a port hole in the roof with a ladder and railing on top, but I haven't gotten that far with it. On the roof strawberries and other kid-friendly edibles were the plants I planned, but for now I just have annual rye grass and some old potted plants.

The trick for growing plants on a roof is to have soil as thick as possible but as light as possible. Do not use regular dirt or potting soil they're way too heavy, potting mix and compost should be the only roof soil. Succulent plants like hen and chicks or some kind of creeping sedum work well if you don't want to water or add a lot of potting mix.

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Build your own candle carousel with a cookie tin

Billy Robb — 2008-01-15T08:00:00 00:00

Filed under: household hacks, miscellaneous, seasonal

You should have eaten all those Christmas cookies by now, save the round cookie tin for this candle carousel. These things are always fun but cost a leg if you buy them from the German Christmas stores. Candles heat the air which rises and spins the propeller and attached ornaments.

This project uses:

A round cookie tin
Two coat hangers
A cork
A piece of scrap wood
Two screws
Four tea candles
Spray paint and Christmas ornaments to jazz it up.

Tools used:

Needle nosed pliers
Drill and small bit
File or Grinder
Tin Snips
Screw Driver

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1. Make the Prop.

Clip a long straight section of the coat hanger with the needle nosed pliers to make a rod. Make a sharp pencil tip on one end of the rod with a file or grinder. Try to keep the rod as straight as possible. Then take the lid from the tin and mark twelve blades with the template given (print the template photo.) Drill a small hole in the center of the lid, the same diameter as the coat hanger rod. Use tin snips to cut the lines to an inch from the center. (Caution, sharp metal here.) Then carefully bend the blades to look like a little fan. Cut the cork in half and spear it onto the rod; you may have to pre-drill the cork. Slide the propeller onto the rod and spear the second cork-half on top to hold it in place.

2. Build the Base.

Use the tin bottom and cut a piece of wood to fit inside; this doesn't have to be exact, just a weight and something for the screws to bite into. Flip the whole thing upside down and use the handle of a screwdriver to press a small round dimple in the center; this gives the propeller rod a place to spin. Drill a hole on each side of the base to mount the prop holder later. Now use the other coat hanger and cut a very long section to make the prop holder. Bend a loop in the center and at the ends of the hanger. Bend and form the hanger like an arch over the base. Screw the arch into the base and align the center hole over the dimple from earlier.

3. Put it together and Adjust.

Slide the prop rod into the center arch loop from the bottom and set the pointed rod end into the dimple. It should look done now. Now put your chin on a cup or something and align/bend the blades to a fixed point on the wall to take out the wobble. Add some decorations; set the candles under the blades and light them. This can be finicky; adjust the candle placement, blade angle, and prop height until it works well. I usually have to nudge it to get it started. Turn off ceiling fans and keep drafts away to keep it running well.

Have fun!

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Mini air tank

Billy Robb — 2008-01-14T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: backyard science, miscellaneous, Tools

This is a useful little tool I made for another project. I use it to air up the wheelbarrow tire, bicycle tires and occasionally tease the dog with short bursts of air. I cleaned out my keyboard with it too. The best thing about it is its light weight; I've always hated lugging around the heavy big air bubbles that stores sell. I put in 100 psi because that is all my compressor will do; that is probably all anyone should put in it.

Supplies:

14 oz empty propane tank- Free
Female air connector- $2
Tire rubber valve stem $.75

Tools:

¼" NPT thread tap- $4
7/16 Drill bit
Teflon tape
Round file
Drill
Machine oil

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First find an old 14oz propane tank that someone usually tosses on the ground at a popular local fishing or camping area. Hook up a gas stove or other propane attachment and empty the tank completely; this is important because many of these things are still half full when I find them. Drill a hole through the bottle valve with the 7/16 drill bit, then drill one opposite of the pressure release safety valve on the top of the bottle for the valve stem. Use lots of oil and patience to tap the threads inside the old valve, this is the hardest part. Use a round file to file out the other hole to the size needed for the rubber valve stem. Now wash the metal shavings out of the bottle well with dish soap and water. Shake out the water as much as possible and add a few drops of machine oil into the tank. Turn the female air connector into the new threads with some Teflon tape and press the rubber valve stem into the other hole. Air it up with a compressor or air pump and check for leaks. I had some metal shavings under the valve stem causing a leak, twisting the valve a few times fixed that. It doesn't hold much volume but its very useful for quick fill.

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