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E M B E D D E D S Y S T E M B R I E F N E W S
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Christmas Music Box
» Christmas is near. For electronic guys out there, if you have PICmicro and Proton compiler, maybe you'll interested to build this Christmas polyphonic music box.
- Wednesday, December 20, 2006 -
Optical Illusion: Illusion Box
» The accompanying engravings show a most interesting form of electrically operated illusion consisting of a box divided diagonally and each division alternately lighted with an electric lamp. By means of an automatic thermostat arranged in the lamp circuit causing the lamps to light successively, an aquarium apparently without fish one moment is in the next instant swarming with live gold fish; an empty vase viewed through the opening in the box suddenly is filled with flowers, or an empty cigar box is seen and immediately is filled with cigars. Optical Illusion: Illusion Box These electric magic boxes as shown are made of metal and oxidized copper finished, but for ordinary use they can be made of wood in the same shape and size. The upper magic boxes as are shown in the engraving are about 12 in. square and 8-1/2 in. high for parlor use and the lower boxes are 18 in. square and 10-1/2 in. high for use in window displays. There is a partition arranged diagonally in the box as shown in the plan view, which completely divides the box into two parts. One-half the partition is fitted with a plain, clear glass as shown. The partition and interior of the box are rendered non-reflecting by painting with
- Tuesday, September 19, 2006 -
Raising Water
» Place a small piece of paper, lighted, in an ordinary water glass. While the paper is burning turn the glass over and set into a saucer previously filled with water. Boy DIY: Raising Water The water will rapidly rise in the glass, as shown in the sketch. Source: Project Gutenberg's The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1, by Popular Mechanics, Produced by Don Kostuch
- Sunday, September 17, 2006 -
Home-Made Micrometer
» It often becomes necessary to find the thickness of material so thin, or inconvenient to measure, that a rule or other measuring device will not serve the purpose. A simple, fairly accurate, and easily made apparatus of the micrometer form may be constructed as shown by the accompanying sketch. Home-Made Micrometer Secure a common iron or brass bolt about 1/4-in. in diameter and about 2-1/2 in. long, with as fine a thread as possible, and the thread cut to within a short distance of the head of the bolt. The head of the bolts should have a slot cut for the use of a screwdriver. Clamp together two blocks of wood with square corners which are about 1 in. wide, 3/4 in. thick and 2-1/2 in. long and fasten them together with small pieces nailed across the ends. The width of the blocks will then be about 2 in. Bore a 1/4-in. hole through the center of the blocks in the 2 in. direction. Remove the clamp and set the nut into one of the blocks, so that the hole will be continuous with the hole in the wood. Cut out a piece from the block combination, leaving it shaped like a bench, and glue the bottoms of
- Friday, September 15, 2006 -
Paper Bag Carrying Handle
» In tying the ordinary paper bag, the string can be placed in the paper in such a way that it will form a handle to carry the package, and also prevent any leakage of the contents. The bag must be long enough for the end to fold over as shown in folowing figures: Paper Bag Carrying Handle Fig. 1. The folds are made over the string Fig. 2. The string is then tied Fig. 3, to form a handle --Contributed by James M. Kane, Doylestown, Pa. Source: Project Gutenberg's The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1, by Popular Mechanics, Produced by Don Kostuch
- Sunday, September 10, 2006 -
Spoon Holder on a Kettle
» In making marmalade and jellies the ingredients must be stirred from time to time as the cooking proceeds. After stirring, some of the mixture always remains on the spoon. Cooks often lay the spoon on a plate or stand it against the cooking utensil with the handle down. Both of these methods are wasteful. The accompanying illustration shows a device made of sheet copper to hold the spoon so that the drippings will return to the cooking utensil. Kitchen Set: Spoon Holder on a Kettle The copper is not hard to bend and it can be shaped so that the device can be used on any pot or kettle. --Contributed by Edwin Marshall, Oak Park, Ill. Source: Project Gutenberg's The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1, by Popular Mechanics, Produced by Don Kostuch
- Friday, September 8, 2006 -
How to Make a Hygrometer
» Mount a wire on a board which is used for a base and should be 3/8 by 4 by 8 in., as shown in the sketch. A piece of catgut--a string used on a violin will do--is suspended from the bent end of the wire. A hand or pointer is cut from a piece of tin and secured to the catgut string about 1/2 in. from the base. A small piece of wood and some glue will fasten the pointer to the string. How to Make a Hygrometer The scale is marked on a piece of cardboard, which is fastened to the base and protected with a piece of glass. -Contributed by J. Thos. Rhamstine. Source: Project Gutenberg's The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1, by Popular Mechanics, Produced by Don Kostuch
- Thursday, September 7, 2006 -
Homemade Telegraph Key
» A simple and easily constructed telegraph key may be made in the following manner: Procure a piece of sheet brass, about 1/32 in. thick, and cut out a strip 3-1/2 in. long by 3/4 in. wide. Bend as shown in Fig. 1 and drill a hole for the knob in one end and a hole for a screw in the other. Procure a small wood knob and fasten it in place with a small screw. Cut a strip of the same brass 2-3/4 in. long and 5/16 in. wide and bend as shown in Fig. 2. Drill two holes in the feet for screws to fasten it to the base, and one hole in the top part for a machine screw, and solder a small nut on the under side of the metal over the hole. Homemade Telegraph Key Mount both pieces on a base 4-1/4 by 2-3/4 by 1/4 in., as in Fig. 3, and where the screw of the knob strikes the base when pressed down, put in a screw or brassheaded tack for a contact. Fasten the parts down with small brass wood-screws and solder the connections beneath the base. Binding posts from an old battery cell are used on the end of the base.
- Tuesday, September 5, 2006
