It’s time to go BIG! The robotic tortoise is getting super-sized and will use full-size servos instead of the micro servos. It will be getting a “head” with an ultrasonic sensor for depth perception. This should be a fun one! I’ll continue to update this post as this phase of the project progresses. 1/29/2023 – […]
I’m always looking for another project to build. My most recent project was initialized by my son, who had an idea to build a robotic tortoise. Sounds fun! Though with no solid idea yet how I’d get a four legged creature to walk, I jumped in. Step 1: Leg design Fundamental to a walking turtle […]
It seemed like nearly half of all my interior lights were burned out — the instrument cluster, steering wheel, HVAC controls, door panels… everything had about 50% of the bulbs actually working. Having always been a Ford owner, is this some kind of Chevy thing? The gear selector display (also referred to as the PRND321 […]
My new farm-fresh 2005 Chevy Silverado has got 130k miles and is in need of some coolant system TLC. I decided to go ahead and do a coolant flush. After some online reading, I found that about 2 gallons of fluid is recovered after draining (which then also needs to be replenished). This formed […]
In completing my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, one of the courses I’ve got to complete is Senior Capstone. In this course you’re given the option of either selecting a project to be apart of, or proposing your own. I had two of my own projects in mind, one being a CNC hydraulic tubing bender. However, […]
Wanting to do some experimenting in a vacuum, I sought out a low-cost vacuum pump. I found all kinds, but by far the least expensive, and best-bang-for-the-buck, was an aspirator pump. These can be run on either air or water. The one I chose will use water. I got a Thermo Scientific Nalgene water aspirator […]
Cryogenics is the science that deals with the study of very low temperatures. This is not to be confused with cryonics, or the preservation of humans by freezing them. Need your brake rotor to last 3 times as long? Perhaps you’re a machinist and you’d like to get several hundred more holes out of your […]
I’m working on setting up a new 29 gallon freshwater aquarium. Right now I’m cycling the tank, or more specifically, I’m performing a fishless nitrogen cycle. I’ve added about 4.4ml of a 10% ammonium solution to reach a concentration of 4ppm in the tank. This should be adequate to start building of the good bacteria […]
If you’re like me, a couple times a year you’re find some old-school phone books unwantedly laying at your doorstep. Who uses these things anymore? Really? The only thing I do with them is throw them into the recycle bin. What a waste. If only there was a way to opt-out, like the “Do Not […]
Have you ever wondered what one-million dollars looks like? I have. So I created a webpage specifically to show exactly what one-million one-dollar bills looks like… and it looks like a LOT! View it here: One-million one-dollar bills I created this page by using a scaled-down image of a one-dollar U.S. bill, at a size […]