Idle Hands are the Devils Workshop - Non Audio, keep out of trouble projects

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Disabled Account
Joined 2007
Sometimes there's just not enough speakers or amps to build. Sometimes, I get the urge to build something else. It's usually something that I need or would like to have, and rather than buy it, I take a crack at making it (DIY, remember?).

In my line of work I have built lots of different things to make my job easier and more efficient: toolboxes, carts, ladders, jigs, etc. About 80% of the time my creations work as designed and prove useful. The other 20% wind up on the junk pile (I made a "overhead drill press", basically a rod with a lever that would operate a handheld drill to drill upwards. I abandoned this after the second time I used it - sometimes the best way is the simplest way).

I'm looking for contributions here - fuel for the creative fire. I'm thinking mainly tools and jigs, lab equipment such as power supplies and test rigs. Loosely related to audio would be nice, but not necessary.

I'll start off with something that I've been working on for a while, and just finished recently. I have a small trim router with a fixed base and I got to thinking: "this would be more useful with a plunge base, I wonder where if I can get one for it?" No, they don't make one, so I thought: "how hard can it be to make?"

The result. Works like the real thing. :)
 

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i picked up a 10x10 position crosspoint slide switch made by Cherry back in the 70's. i made a pair of 10 step attenuators out of it for using it with a PC as a spectrum analyzer. one attenuator is for output, the other for input. the input side also protects the sound card with a pair of diodes. now if i could find something useful for the other 8 switches...
 
Disabled Account
Joined 2007
Circle cutting jig to go with the router above.:up:

Quickly adjusts to circles from 4.5 cm to 52 cm indicated by the glued on ruler scale. Scale is set for use with a 12" straight cutting bit. Base of the router fits snug in the jig - no need for screws. Swivels on a 1/8" pin.
 

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Disabled Account
Joined 2007
seventenths said:
Very nice.
Have you ever thought of a carver/duplicator set-up for your router?


Thanks,
A one point, a few years ago, I considered doing something like that but didn't follow through. It has high complexity and limited uses. I would like to do a small CNC for circuit board work though.

Here's another creation. Shown previously in the "dirtiest lab" thread. It's meant to be an assembly table with casters so as to move it easily around the room. It has several drawers with lots of dividers for billions of parts. I've been using this now for 3 months and it's worth the effort to build. :)
 

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